heaven's on fire

venue: the independent
artist: the radio dept. (sold out!)
who: ro
when: 14 february 2011 (monday)
show starts at 8:00p

this is my first show of the year. i first started listening to the radio dept. back in 2007 or so. they were part of the swedish pop mélange i'd come across that i couldn't get enough of. they offered something different from the others. dream pop. and oh, how i do enjoy dream pop.

the openings were terrible. dj axelson and some local band from belmont. the band was horrendous. not only did they sound bad but they had no stage presence. there was no one pretty to look at. the instruments were too loud and you could barely make out the vocals. when the radio dept. finally come on, my ears were in heaven.

apparently, this trio is quite popular here. they played two nights (monday and tuesday) and both shows were sold out. johan duncanson has the sweetest vocals. he's a bit of eye candy as well. so being up front wasn't terrible. their drums were programmed which was surprising but good for my ears. their tunes are danceable and seeing/hearing them live definitely gets you into the mood. as the 20-something drunk girl who kept bumping into me could attest to. i'm just hating because i couldn't be drunk. i had to work the next day and i'm not 20-something anymore (thank goodness!!).

and unfortunately, they only played one song for the encore but by that time, i was ready to get home.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

the very thing

venue: the independent
artist: stars (sold out!)
who: ro
when: 19 june (saturday) & 20 june 2010 (sunday)
doors open at 7p & 6p, respectively

this is the 8th & 9th time i've seen stars and they just get better and better. i know i say this all the time. but having seen them since 2003 during the heart tour, i think that last comment holds true. i went to this show with ro, around both our birthdays since he is the one who introduced me to them. it was at this show that i took the liberty to speak to both torquil campbell and amy millan. and just the beginning of many more unfortunate situations i've had, given the opportunity to speak to musicians i really admire. i think i should retire this meet & greet stuff.

during the opening, torquil played a dj set as "dead child stars" which was the title of one of their eps. he was also a "child star." during this set, he sat in the dark with his ibook, played some tunes, asked us some questions and blew bubbles. it was different and i found that for the most part, i like the same music as he does. on saturday, he played the trashcan sinatras and went on about how brilliant they are. that night, i went home to look at my stars cds and saw that they included the trashcans in their acknowledgments on the nightsongs cd. and on sunday, he played every little counts by new order. i love this song, partly because you get to hear bernard sumner giggle during the song. torquil said that it was new order that was the reason they got into music. these two bands are one of my favorite bands since high school.

this got me thinking... is this why i love stars so much? then i realized that i love this band dearly because through their songs, they get me. they sing about relationships gone wrong, good love, bad love, sex (mostly good sex), and most recently... ghosts. if stars was a man, he would be my perfect match. and boy, i would be ALL over that. they bring out the hopeless romantic in me. incurable romantic, really. their new cd, the five ghosts, really hits close to home. i can relate to the songs on so many different levels.

back to the shows. they played their new album in its entirety. bands don't do this, ever. especially before the cd was released. after that, they played a set of fan requests from their website. then, they came back for an encore set. and for us lucky ones on sunday, torquil came back a fifth time for a solo encore. it was such an amazing show. on saturday, as we were leaving, i was telling ro how i was sad that the show was over but super excited that we were coming back the next day to see them again. they gave me this indescribable joy that lasted quite a while. this kinda explains the playful mood i've been in all week. then again, it might have been the full moon. i'd like to think it was because of stars.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ dead hearts are everywhere

know better learn faster

venue: the independent
artist: thao nguyen + the get down stay down, the portland cello project w/ david schultz
who: john
when: 21 november 2009 (saturday)

last month, i went to my last show of 2009. and similar to the number of shoes i purchased, it came out to a low total of 9. in 2008, i went to a total of 17 concerts so 9 is quite sad for me. i actually saw thao back in september with ro. and had planned to see her while i was in chicago over halloween. unfortunately, it didn't work out. what's funny is that i was going to see thao in chicago with john (who lives in chicago) and ended up seeing them with him here.

before the show, we went to dinner with my friends, grace and bob. we ate at espetus churrascaria in the city. if you've never been there, it's a fancy brazilian steakhouse smorgasbord. all the m-m-m meat that you can eat. and i ate and ate and ate. i took a break and ate some more. i ate more than john did. in fact, i ate my money's worth and his! i think he was a little scared of me afterward. hahah.

after dinner, we walked grace and bob back to their place (also where we parked) and headed over to the independent. we got there early so we could get good seats. in my ripe old age, i find that i don't mind sitting through opening acts if i can secure a seat. normally, i don't care for a good view as i can't really see anything unless i'm on the second floor. the independent does not have a second floor that is open to the public. however, the areas next to the walls are spaces that are a few steps above ground level. and i was pleasantly surprised by the opening bands. david schultz started off the night. he was charmingly folky. next up was the portland cello project. i really didn't know what to expect when i realized it would be mostly if not purely an instrumental set (with the occasional vocalist stepping in). they did a bunch of instrumental covers but the most impressive of them, was the super mario brothers video game theme. it was very entertaining.

by the time thao came on, the venue was packed. it looked like a full house. she was so excited about being back in the city (it was the end of their tour). when i saw thao and the get down stay down play back in september, it was prior to the release of know better learn faster. they played one song (body) from the new album. back to the current show... seeing thao live is a treat. she is so uniquely energetic and genuine. i don't think i've seen many (or any) musicians move the way she does while playing her guitar. it's interesting because she doesn't have the prettiest voice out there, nor are her lyrics particularly thought-provoking. what she does well is how she combines her vocals and the music (with the help of an awesome producer). the end result: amusing, upbeat and catchy tunes that i don't want to stop listening to.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ yep, still girl-crushing on her.

song for the leftovers

venue: the independent
artist: a camp, gentleman reg & rubies
who: betty
when: 14 june 2009 (sunday)
doors open at 7:30p

i first heard a camp in 2001, an ex put their songs on a mix cd. when he asked me if i knew who the band was, i said, sounds like... nina persson from the cardigans. and i was right. :) except, it's her side project with her husband, nathan larson, formerly the lead guitarist in shudder to think. the combination produces tenderness. their songs are slow & sweet, like young love. remember those days? i don't. :p

betty and i actually saw the cardigans at popscene back in may 2004 (predates this blog). it was so crowded that night, i spent most of it hanging out with chris (my former popscene bt) at the back bar. there was a random guy dancing back there. at one point, he stopped to tell me i was beautiful. something i wasn't used to. i told him he was just drunk. i'd just started seeing ted and got tricked into kissing chris the first time, that night. wow, i forgot about that... this old man tricked me into it. really!

the rubies was the first opening. at first, we weren't getting into them but then, we heard the second song and it was a lot better. they felt very pop candy 80's. reminded me a bit of call & response. the band had a strange dynamic. the keyboardist/vocalist was this chubby girl. their bassist is a very tall and masculine woman who was going for a very unflattering 70's look. the guitarist would have been cute if it weren't for his douche bag faux-hawk. and i couldn't really see the drummer. next up were gentleman reg, coming to us all the way from toronto. the vocalist, reg vermue's singing style was reminiscent of paul heaton back when he was the housemartins, except much more effeminate. way more. turns out, he also speaks that way. despite that, they weren't too bad. i actually enjoyed their set. i told him so when i passed him by on the way back from the restroom.

there is something so sweet about a band lead by a married couple, despite how i feel about marriage. there is also something wonderful about nina persson. they had this 20's and 30's theme going. it's always nice when bands put extra effort in their performances, whether it be their appearances or something else. her voice is sensational and beautiful and just lovely. they played all the great old songs (from their first cd) that i loved. ended their encore with my favorite song by them, song for the leftovers. i also really enjoy their latest cd (colonia, got the download on amazon for $2!). it is shows like this one that makes me so so happy.

afterwards, they invited everyone to meet them at the merch table. i never know what to say during these situations so i skipped it. however, betty was first in line and had them sign her t-shirt. she said they were really nice. :)

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ love has left the room

life like

venue: the independent
artist: the rosebuds, jonah ray & magic bullets
who: ro
when: the day after my 34th (monday)

this is the second time this year that ro & i saw the rosebuds. earlier this year, it was at noise pop. this time, it was for the release of their album, life like. which is quite good.

i really liked the rosebuds before but now, i think i ♥ them. not only is their music awesome, but they are too, as individuals. their songs are catchy, danceable, and complete with clever lyrics. whenever i hear get up get out or cemetery lawns in my car, i break out in a dance. that's right, in my car. on top of that, they always seem to put me in a good mood.

the show was unfortunately scheduled on the monday before thanksgiving holiday so there weren't a whole lot of people out. on the one hand, this is great because we got fabulous seats. and on the other hand, as ro said, they deserved better than a mediocre turnout. but you couldn't tell that it effected them at all. and if it were a full house, would kelly had been able to come down to the crowd and dance with them? no, i think not. then again, i think she would have tried even if it were a sold out crowd. you know why? because she is the bomb. ivan is ok too. ha.

there was more interaction with the crowd that i've witnessed (& participated in) than most shows i've been too. perhaps, the most interaction. they are so down to earth and awesome. i just can't say enough about them.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ in case you didn't notice, this confirms my kelly-girl-crush. see below for another reason to love them.

nice fox from kelly rosebud on vimeo.

girl crush (two down, one to go)

venue: the independent
artist: lykke li & friendly fires
who: ro
when: 01 november 2008 (saturday)
doors open at 8p

before the show, we met up with my friends funie & erika. we went to zante pizza for some indian pizza in the mission. they came up from oakland. i haven't seen funie for a while so when i told her i was going to be up in the city for a show, she suggested that we meet up. i mentioned it to ro and he was up for it.

we ordered the special indian pizza (topped with spinach, eggplant, cauliflower, ginger, garlic, green onions, cilantro, lamb, tandoori chicken & prawns), half regular and half vegetarian (minus the last 3 items). we ordered an extra large for the 4 of us, and it was humongous. we also had samosas and a salad. i wasn't feeling well so it wasn't as good as i think it should have been. it was good, just not memorable. what was memorable about dinner was the company. erika and i seem to be on the same wavelength. on the most bizarro topics. for example, we both think that turning 36 is much better than turning 34. and that 34 is just as bad as 37. i know, makes no sense right?

parking for the venue was worse than parking in the mission. can you imagine? it was so frustrating. i think it took us about 45 minutes. we ended up 4-5 blocks uphill. ugh. we got there in time to see friendly fires. they are a bunch of very bouncy, sweaty british boys (at least live, they are super sweaty) who initially, sounded like any other indie pop band out there. but then, there were a few good songs that stood out. i was pleasantly surprised. i kinda want to check them out some more.

when i found out that lykke li was coming for a show in the city, i started listening to every lykke li song i could get my hands on. i had the following youtube playlist on repeat: dance dance dance, little bit, i'm good i'm gone, breaking it up, tonight, until we bleed (by kleerup), and everybody but me. i put the list on, blasting through my macbook, and dancing around my apartment all by my lonesome. i didn't mind so much as i lost myself in the music. this began my girl crush. while she is not traditionally cute, i found her adorable. her voice is amazing. i know i probably say that about most artists i love, lykke li is special. her child-voiced range goes from a sweet whisper to something to be reckoned with. while child voices are not quite something to be reckoned with, hearing her live, she sounds fierce like thunder. she is quite awesome. i was thoroughly impressed with my girl crush confirmed, strong. ro said that i wasn't the only one with the girl crush since there were far more gals there than guys there. i think he has a crush on her too.

rating: i ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ lykke li.

over and over...

venue: the independent (first time!)
artist: hot chip
who: betty
when: 01 august 2006 (tuesday)
doors open at 8p

last night, betty and i went to see hot chip at the independent off of divisadero. parking was horrendous. we couldn't find anything for the longest time. and finally, score! only one block away! it was almost rock star parking for that area. heehee.

after playing real-life frogger to get to the independent, we found the venue to be very charming. it was big but small. bigger than venues like cafe du nord and smaller than slim's and gamh. the first band... um, fabulous something, sucked. they had these two bimbos on stage with matching platinum wigs as well as voices and cheap dance moves as a poor distraction to their awful music. it was like a storm. random and noisy. the music was bad. the songs were bad. the lyrics were even worse. the band was just bad. next was some bobby something's solo set. while he was a lot better than the first opening, after two or three of his songs, we'd had enough. he was like a cartoon character. he had a great voice, reminded me of sondre lerche. but his style seemed better on a tv jingle than live before a band like hot chip.

i wasn't sure what to expect when hot chip came on. there were 5 guys and a ton of instruments on the stage. i couldn't really see, as usual, so i ask betty, who the heck is singing? just like the good friend she is as well as brilliant, she suggests i sit on top of the railing by where we were standing. my first attempt at hopping (it was pretty high up) was pathetic and a little embarassing. so, i put some effort into the next jump and made it! and what a difference! to be able to see a band like them. it was amazing. there are two singers, alexis taylor and joe goddard. alexis does most of the singing. he's amazing. he's the short one, looks really young and kinda cute and is crazy on the keyboards and guitar. joe is older and a bit of a fatty but his voice is deeper like damon albarn and compliments alexis's soothing vocals very well. they were so lively on stage. it was refreshing to see such energy. which of course was contagious. i looked down at the crowd and almost everyone is dancing! it was just like a dance club.
i'm listening to the warning right now and it's great but hearing it live is no comparison. everyone there felt the energy. they were gorgeously amazing.


rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (i've decided to start rating the shows with hearts. 4 ♥'s means i loved them and would see them again!)