careless love

venue: great american music hall (sold out!)
artist: camera obscura and best coast
who: ro
when: 21 april 2010 (wednesday)

this was the second round of camera obscura's my maudlin career tour that ro and i caught. when i saw them last june, i hadn't gotten into the new album until after the show last year. i have been really enjoying it. in fact, i can't stop listening to it.

the opening band, best coast, was refreshingly appealing to my ears. ro knew about them and wanted to make sure we caught them. i'd heard one song before the show and i liked it. after seeing them live, i liked them even more.

the great american music hall is an all ages venue. they really mean "all ages." there were at least two 6 year-olds upstairs in the balcony. it was a bit disturbing as the show ran quite late and school was still in session. otherwise, camera obscura were fantastic. the music takes me to a different place. hearing it live goes a step further.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

rose, i'm feeling older

venue: the fillmore
artist: camera obscura & agent ribbons
who: ro
when: 8 june 2009 (monday)
doors open at 8p

this is the 3rd time i've seen camera obscura, and all three with ro in some shape, form or another. we missed the opening band as we were upstairs watching the bohemian band with the cellist/vocalist and violinist. there was a drummer too but there's always a drummer. the cellist/vocalist had her hair in dreadlocks which always seems really dirty to me. don't you have to stop washing your hair for months in order for it to form proper dreads? i can barely go without washing my hair once a day, which is supposed to be bad for your hair but my hair gets so... uh, too much information so i'm going to stop there. anyway, i really enjoyed her voice and cello playing. it was very folky and ethereal. pretty, unlike her hair. ha. ok, no more.

the first time i saw camera obscura, i was really impressed. and i loved that cd (let's get out of this country) so much that i didn't mind tracyanne's pitch being slightly off. as happy as i was to hear them live, i still noticed it. this time tho, i felt like a proud parent. her pitch was right on. still lovely and angelic. their songs take me to a different place and time. it makes me want to get out of this country, really.

i keep referencing the last album because i liked it so much. i'm still listening to my maudlin career.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ i was lucky, like a 4-leaf clover...

if looks could kill

venue: bimbo's
artist: camera obscura
who: cousins lam & nina (plus jen, anthony, lou & ro)
when: 16 february 2007 (friday)
doors open at 8p

i hadn't been to bimbo's since... i can't remember! i just remember the night i met david gedge from cinerama at bimbo's. he was really cool. loooove his voice. wow, that was about 3-4 years ago. it'd been too long.

however, it was not that long ago the last time i saw camera obscura. it was the gamh show back in july of last year. it was nice to see them again. the sound at bimbo's is awesome.

the night started off straight after work. i'd picked up my car from the train station downtown, got gas and headed up to mt. view to meet my cousins. we had planned to get dinner in north beach since bimbo's is right on columbus. on the way to the city in the car, i get this call from lou asking what i was doing. i say, uh, heading up to the city? despite emailing him earlier that day about the show, he asked if it was in fact that night. that's affirmative unless they had a second show the following night. apparently, both ro & jenn thought it was saturday! i'd been there before (confusion on show nights) and even missed a show once. so he called them to get everyone's arse in gear for the show.

we had dinner at this burrito place. they claim the best burritos in the city so i had to have a burrito, right? it was good, not sure if you can really go wrong with a burrito though. yet they had very interesting combinations. i had a "british" burrito which included steak, potatoes, and mushrooms. and the blended pina colada was quite delightful. after dinner, i looked to see if i had the tickets with me but couldn't find them!! i was in complete and utter disbelief. what the hell was wrong with me? i had them in the car. where could they have gone?? my cousins were so nice and calm about it. we retraced our steps back to the car and there they were right outside my side of the car. so lam was now the assigned ticket holder.

there was this huge line for will call which we were able to skip since we had our tix in hand. it's interesting, either it's because i haven't been to bimbo's in ages or it's because they recently changed their sign. it's a little more modern now and it no longer says "since 1931" outside of it like it does on their web site. that takes a bit of its charm away. unfortunately. however, after sitting foot inside, it really takes you to the 30's or 40's. at least that's what i imagined it to be. it's very lounge-y. i expected to see fedoras all around me. but alas, i didn't see any. it was too dark and i hadn't really paid much attention.

the opening band listed as "portastic" called themselves "portistastic" would've been confusing if i cared. but i didn't. i just thought, what? portisheadastic? random. they were very folky and bohemian. not particularly appealing if you ask me. i want to see rock stars out there. kinda. it's not to say that camera obscura are the epitomy of rock stars. at least tracyanne campbell has a look of her own that she's going for. which many of the female audience members were trying to unsuccessfully copy. i don't know, maybe i'm in a fowl mood today. hating on everyone. oh well.

if you haven't heard camera obscura, the lead vocalist, tracyanne has this sweet voice that makes me think of du-wop music. the kind that makes you sway without knowing it. the slow songs are lovely but a bit hard to stay awake for. the faster songs are upbeat and makes you wish you too had a floral dress on so you could swing the pleats of it with the music. whenever i hear if looks could kill, i can't help but tap my feet with some sass.

we left after the last song before their encore. it was such a long day. and as my cousin said, we are getting old. ugh. after getting home, i got a call from lou. he said they hung out at the bar after the show and tracyanne showed up. he got a picture with her! i'm totally jealous but seeing as i was half asleep, i couldn't imagine having stayed and driving myself home from mt. view.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

let's get out of this country

venue: great american music hall (ugh, the tenderloin)
artist: camera obscura
who: ro, lou & betty
when: 20 july 2006 (thursday)
doors open at 8p

betty and i got there a little late but didn't miss much. it was quite an adventure getting to the venue as we parked about 3 blocks away. the tenderloin is filled with freaks & crazies. camera obscura had just started their first song. romano & lou were at the hemlock tavern waiting for us. afterwards, we headed over to popscene.

i'd been listening to their new album let's get out of this country almost everyday since i got it. tracyanne campbell's voice is lovely. it sounds sweet and innocent, even a little angelic. the six member band is very dynamic. with instruments that include a trumpet. and it makes all the difference in the songs. they played most of the songs off of their new cd. i was very impressed with them. it was one of the best shows i've been to in a while.

i'm still impressed... would definitely see them again.