thao (solo)

venue: swedish american hall (upstairs from café du nord)
artist: thao (solo), the myanbirds and two other openings (sold out!) @noise pop
when: 23 february 2015 (tuesday)
doors open at 7:30p

last month, i saw thao nguyen perform live for the 6th time. we started off with dinner at l'ardoise and it was just as i remembered the last time i was there. while the first two openers were not very good. the third opening band, the myanbirds which was really just laura bernhenn, was pretty surprisingly fantastic. she did the whole looping thing with her vocals and all the different sounds she played on her keyboards. i was very impressed. i wouldn't mind seeing her on her own.

it is still amazing to watch thao. she's also got a witty and awesome personality. and even though there were three openers and it wasn't over until after midnight on a work day, it was worth not getting enough sleep over.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

noise pop with bob mould

venue: great american music hall
artist: bob mould with zach rogue & jon ginoli (sold out!)
when: 27 february 2014 (thursday)
doors open at 7p

i usually look forward to the annual noise pop festivals but wasn't particularly interested in any bands this year. i just didn't know any of the bands performing. i didn't know who bob mould was but given free tickets to this sold out show.

jon ginoli was the first opening act. he was funny and folky. it seemed like they put some random gay guy in a pink shirt and pink converse on stage, singing songs about loving men. after the first couple of songs, the joke was sort of over. the second opening was zach rogue. he was much better. his soothing vocals were such a contrast from jon ginoli's songs. someone in the audience even shouted a request which he seems pleased about.

i'd heard some songs from bob mould's workbook as it was it's 25th anniversary. he was playing the album in its entirety that night. generally when artists do that, it's a special night. and it was. not only did the company (thanks nisa!) make it special but i was pleasantly surprised. the songs reminded me of a summer i spent just listening to music and going to really good shows with friends. we spent days and nights in saratoga sitting by the pool. it was in the mid-90's and an exciting time of music adventures which helped mold me into the proud music snob i am today.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

noise pop 2013

venue: great american music hall
artist: thao nguyen + the get down stay down @ noise pop
when: 2 march 2013 (saturday)
doors open at 7p

thao has a new album out called we the common. at first, i wasn't sure how much i liked it. but after seeing her live and paying attention to what it was about, it was really meaningful. it's about taking care of one another. it's been a long time since i found meaning in full length albums.

unfortunately, all three of her opening bands (sallie ford & the sound outside, before the brave, and kacey johansing) were horrendous. fortunately, the company was fabulous which made up for the openings.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

noise pop pt.2

venue: mezzanine
artist: the rosebuds (noise pop)
who: ro & lou
when: 29 february 2008 (friday)

yes, this makes two shows in two nights. despite being a bit under the weather (ok, more than a bit), i couldn't miss the rosebuds. i'm really happy that i didn't miss them this time. they were awesome. the rosebuds are a duo from raleigh, nc. a husband & wife which is always kinda sweet. this couple separately have style and sex appeal, not to mention talent. she's gorgeous and he's mysterious. they both sing, however, i particularly enjoy ivan's voice. it's a perfect blend of rock, folk and pop. it was really a fantastic show.
this was the third time i'd been to the mezzanine. previously, i hated it. it was crowded and there's really no place for sitting. the set up is more like a club venue than for shows. plus, there's this big pillar in the middle of the club which is in the way of a very small stage. it's hard to imagine that all five members of hot chip rocked out on stage together with their instruments. this time, i didn't mind so much. plus, it wasn't nearly as crowded which was also very nice.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

noise pop pt.1

first to tommy's joynt before stellastarr*,
and stops at hemlock tavern & a tranny bar

venue: gamh
artist: stellastarr*, birdmonster & 2 other openings we missed (noise pop)
who: ro, lou, jen & what's her 40-y/o face and lesbo friend di
when: 28 february 2008 (thursday)

we went to tommy's joynt for some down home cooking. very filling food at very economical prices. the only problem is that it's cash only. i had the burgundy beef (mmm meat...) with rice and a cucumber salad. we then headed over to the hemlock tavern for a few drinks. it's some sort of tradition lou has every time he goes to a show at the gamh. so we had drinks there. my tom collins was really good actually.

we met up with jen & ro's 40-something y/o coworker (we'll call her 40 for short) on the way to the gamh. we made it in time for the birdmonster. they weren't too bad for an opening. surprisingly. they were good. if you want a listen, check out their myspace page here.

before stellastarr* came on, this overly emo version of ted walks right by me. complete with long emo greasy hair, skinny jeans and a members only jacket. blegh. at first, i didn't recognize him but there was something familiar and so repulsive about him. i remembered his myspace page from whenever i go onto my friend joe's page. he's the one who introduced us and is still friends with him. and i saw the elf gf. they ended up hanging out right behind us. i was trying to get a pic of him to put in this post but couldn't do it without them noticing. the guys didn't recognize him either. 40's friend diana showed up so i told her what was going on. then she says to me, i know we just met and this might sound weird but you wanna make out? she said it was to show him that i had someone better not to mention give him (and everyone else) a show. nice gesture but i passed. i don't really go that way.

i saw stellastarr* for the first time nearly a year ago. i'd listened to their stuff online before the show so most if not all the songs they played were songs i knew at the last show. however, last night was a showcase of their new unreleased stuff. this is fine because most bands play shows to promote their new songs. i was disappointed that they didn't play a few of their better songs like lost in time. their new stuff didn't quite hit a chord with me but then again, i might have been a little distracted.

last year, i gave them 4 ♥s but this time, they fell short one ♥.
rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

afterwards, we went to divas, a tranny bar. it was my first time. we went in for a drink. it was interesting and our bartender was hilarious. i'm not allowed to say much else about this place except that i had fun. hehe.