2007 Concert Journals

[Brenden]

Upcoming: 2/26

Derek Webb, Andrew Osenga, and Sandra McCracken @ Belmont University, Nashville TN. Tickets are only 7 bucks; I'm pretty excited.

I am immensely jealous of you!

[Wildcatblue7]

Hopefully, when the Police announce the date of the DC show . . . I'll be able to get tickets.   I'm going to miss out on the Who (my dad did try to get tickets but they sold out quicker than quick) but it'd be great to see my other favorite band instead...

[bethany]

Upcoming:
Derek Webb - March
Neko Case - April

Potentially in April:
Andrew Bird
David Bazan

[enemy anemone]

mmm, Neko. it hasn't even been a week since I saw her but I'm ready to see her again.

[plvarona]

This past Friday, I made the 4-hour round trip up to Athens, GA to catch Bebo Norman, Brandon Heath and Alli Rogers in concert at Prince Avenue Baptist Church.  I'm glad I made the trip too, even if I had to venture into "enemy territory" to do so.  (The University of Georgia is located there, and I went to both of their chief rival schools.)

Alli Rogers:
Independent singer-songwriter Alli Rogers led off the evening with a short, but sweet acoustic set with just her with a guitar.  It was a fairly well-performed set too, as Alli's vocals particularly stood out.  Vocally, I thought Alli sounded a little bit like Jewel, circa mid- to late- '90's (read as: before she went dance pop), and Alli also projected fairly well.  Musically, it was a little rough at times as Alli occasionally hit a few wrong chords, particularly early in the set on "If I Am Brave."  Fortunately, most of the set was played well so the glitches didn’t bother me too much in the end.  To me though, what stood out the most was Alli's songwriting, as she had quite a few insightful songs.  One example was "Tanzania", where she sings about two mothers in different parts of the world in different situations, yet both were experiencing the same things internally.  I would even argue that Alli had the most insightful lyrics of the entire night.  So combine a solid performance with some fairly intelligent songs, and we had a strong start to the evening.  Alli got a very loud ovation from the crowd, one that I felt was well-deserved.

Brandon Heath:
Brandon Heath, a new artist and close friend of Bebo Norman, came on next and he also gave a short acoustic set with just him on a guitar for all but the last song, on which he played the piano.  Brandon also performed well, playing with a lot of energy and projecting his voice very well, as he was the best of the evening on both of those counts.  Brandon also got the crowd involved a few times, which included prompting the crowd to clap during "Don't Get Comfortable."  Musically, the performance was pretty solid all-around.  Brandon certainly strikes me as one of those artists who sounds a lot better live than on CD, and he certainly kept the momentum of the evening going.

After Brandon's performance, Bebo Norman came out and mentioned the upcoming birth of his first child, which is due on March 28.  He then gave a long spiel about Compassion International, which was followed by a brief intermission, after which was Bebo's turn to perform.

Bebo Norman:
This particular tour was a return to the laid-back acoustic sets for Bebo, as he performed the first song by himself and afterwards was joined by multi-instrumentalist Gabe Scott and guitarist Adam Lester (former guest guitarist for Paul Colman Trio) for the rest of the set.  Bebo typically excels in such a setting, and tonight was no exception.  Gabe helped to color each song uniquely by rotating between different instruments throughout the set.  This included using a dulcimer on "Tip of My Heart" and "Great Light of the World", an accordion on "The Hammer Holds", a slide guitar on "Walk Down This Mountain" and the piano on "I Will Lift My Eyes."  Gabe even had a chance to do a little solo on the dulcimer and accordion before their respective songs.  Adam added special effects on his electric guitar.  Together, this helped to keep what was primarily a familiar set list sound fresh, as Bebo mostly stuck to older songs with only two songs from his latest CD making the cut tonight.  However, the subtle differences in instrumentation this time around kept the set list from sounding stale.  Additionally, quite a few of the songs sounded much better in a live setting than on CD, most notably "Nothing Without You" and "I Will Lift My Eyes."  Bebo and his band mates also partook in their usual banter throughout the set, which also helped to keep things entertaining.  The only significant complaint I had about this performance was that Bebo's vocals were a lot rougher than usual, although on a night where so many things went well, that’s just a minor nitpick.  Overall, Bebo and his band mates continued to do what has made him one of my favorite live acts today, with the opening acts also turning in impressive performances.

Side Note: After the show, I was able to chat a little bit with Alli Rogers, and additionally spoke with Brandon Heath for a few minutes.  I mentioned to him that I picked up one of his songs while it was a Free Download on iTunes, and we then went on to talk about iTunes for the next few minutes.  It turns out that he, like me, also likes to check out the Free Downloads every Tuesday.

Concert grades and set lists are on my post on the first page.

[Brenden]

I want to see Alli Rogers live, I'm a big fan.

[murlough23]

I would love to hear "Great Light of the World" with a dulcimer, but other than that, I don't think I'd have much reason to ever attend a Bebo concert again.

Gabe should really get back together with Andrew Peterson. He kind of needs the musical help these days.

[plvarona]

I want to see Alli Rogers live, I'm a big fan.

From what I've heard of her music, I'll probably also be a fan of hers before long.  I really do have a soft spot for female acoustic folk/pop singers.

I would love to hear "Great Light of the World" with a dulcimer, but other than that, I don't think I'd have much reason to ever attend a Bebo concert again.

Gabe has actually been playing the dulcimer on "Great Light of the World" for awhile - or at least since 2003, but I've yet to get tired of hearing it on that song.  Come to think of it, Gabe has been a big reason why I've enjoyed Bebo's concerts so much as of late.  I've been largely disappointed with Bebo's last few CDs, but he still remains one of my favorite live artists, especially when he brings Gabe with him.

[Brenden]

From what I've heard of her music, I'll probably also be a fan of hers before long.  I really do have a soft spot for female acoustic folk/pop singers.

I suggest starting with her first album.

She's got an interesting story, actually. She had a major label deal, but they tried to make her into a pop artist, which she didn't want. I have the one pop song she recorded and truth be told, it's really boring, her voice and lyrics don't stand out as much when put against a folkier background. So the label refused to release her cd and she went indie.

At least, I think I got that right.

[murlough23]

Gabe has actually been playing the dulcimer on "Great Light of the World" for awhile - or at least since 2003, but I've yet to get tired of hearing it on that song.

I saw him in 2003, with Gabe, and with the dulcimer on one of his other songs, but not that one.

[dgp11776]

Over the Rhine added some dates, included a run of shows opening for Vienna Teng.  The Charlotte date is with VT, but it's on a Monday night at 8:30.  I'll probably have to pass.

Fri Mar 16: Dayton OH, Canal Street Tavern, age 18+
Sat Mar 17: Dayton OH, Canal Street Tavern, age 18+
Fri Mar 30: Goshen IN, The Goshen Theater, all ages
Sat Mar 31: Nelsonville OH, Stuart's Opera House, all ages
Sun Apr 15: Atlanta GA, Smith's Olde Bar, age 21+
Mon Apr 16: Charlotte NC, Visulite Theatre, age 21+
Wed Apr 18: Charlottesville VA, Gravity Lounge, age 21+
Thu Apr 19: Vienna VA, Jammin' Java, all ages
Fri Apr 20: Annapolis MD, Ram's Head Tavern, age 21+
Sat Apr 21: New York NY, Joe's Pub, all ages
Fri Apr 27: Cincinnati OH, 20th Century Theatre, all ages
Sat Apr 28: Cincinnati OH, 20th Century Theatre, all ages
Wed May 02: Ann Arbor MI, The Ark, all ages
Thu May 03: Ann Arbor MI, The Ark, all ages

[murlough23]

Over the Rhine added some dates, included a run of shows opening for Vienna Teng.  The Charlotte date is with VT, but it's on a Monday night at 8:30.  I'll probably have to pass.

WHAT?!?!?!?! And no tour dates anywhere near Los Angeles? AAAAARGH!

The only injustice there would be that Over the Rhine would have a shorter set than they'd really need to unveil their best material to a new audience. But that's how it always is for opening acs, I guess.

[plvarona]

She's got an interesting story, actually. She had a major label deal, but they tried to make her into a pop artist, which she didn't want. I have the one pop song she recorded and truth be told, it's really boring, her voice and lyrics don't stand out as much when put against a folkier background. So the label refused to release her cd and she went indie.

At least, I think I got that right.

Now that you mention it, I think I've heard that story before, so you're probably right.

I saw him in 2003, with Gabe, and with the dulcimer on one of his other songs, but not that one.

When in the year did you see him?  If I remember correctly, I saw him during the Fall, so if you saw him eariler in the year, Gabe may have decided to add the dulcimer to that song after your concert but before mine.

Over the Rhine added some dates, included a run of shows opening for Vienna Teng.

Cool.  They're coming to Atlanta.  I'd say there's a good chance I'll still be in town then, so I should check that out.

[murlough23]

She's got an interesting story, actually. She had a major label deal, but they tried to make her into a pop artist, which she didn't want. I have the one pop song she recorded and truth be told, it's really boring, her voice and lyrics don't stand out as much when put against a folkier background. So the label refused to release her cd and she went indie.

I find it offensive on a moral level that any label which dares to call itself "Christian" would try to force that sort of a change on an artist. No respect for God's gifts, I'm telling you.

[Aaron]

3/30 - The Decemberists, University of Buffalo.


I have class that night.  EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF!

[bethany]

3/30 - The Decemberists, University of Buffalo.


I have class that night.  EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF EFF!

Skip it!

[Aaron]

It's grad school. We only meet for 4 weekends per course.  I cannot skip class at all.  It is easier for me to skip work than school.  It's a sacrifice I'm willing to take in order to get a much better job.

[Josh Powell]

Dammit.

Over the Rhine is doing a show in Charlottesville next month but it's 21+. Why? Why? Why?

[Aaron]

Dammit.

Over the Rhine is doing a show in Charlottesville next month but it's 21+. Why? Why? Why?

HAHAHA. Maybe they'll be around in 6 years!

[Josh Powell]

Well, they're doing an all ages show in Vienna as well (that I'm going to try to talk my dad into taking me), but it's a bit longer of a drive to Vienna than C'ville.

[enemy anemone]

there are a whole bunch of new Gillian Welch tour dates posted. apparently they're opening for Bright Eyes, and there's at least one Los Angeles date. May 6th at the Disney Concert Hall. I must go.
(the other date is supposedly for the Greek Theatre in LA but the Bright Eyes site says that is for the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, which makes sense after playing Portland Oregon and before playing Santa Barbara and then LA.)
anyway, I hope tickets aren't too expensive.

[murlough23]

I didn't know there was a Greek Theatre in Berkeley. That sounds like it'd be a cool place to catch a concert if I'm ever up there. I love Berkeley.

[enemy anemone]

well frak. the presale was supposed to start at noon yesterday but they had problems so it was supposed to start at noon today and I forgot. so now it's sold out. apparently Bright Eyes is really popular. too popular. I checked craigslist and saw a bunch of ads from people wanting tickets (for a different gig). not only that but ads from single folks who bought two tickets because it's the only way they'll get a date. uhhhh okay. blast you, Gil and Dave, for touring with Bright Eyes. oh well. since they're the opening act I guess they'll only play a short set anyway. *sour grapes*

Eleni Mandell will be playing a gig in Malibu with Erin McKeown and Melissa Ferrick. not sure if I will attempt to go, as it's a night I have to work.

[ajyouthguy]

I went to my first concerts in a pretty good while (for me at least) the past two weekends.

The first was in Memphis through a conference I took my youth group to called Intensity (a half day youth conference, two concerts, and an NBA game for $25, not bad!) and the concerts were Eleventyseven and Leeland.  Eleventyseven is fun and quirky...they are very reminiscent of Relient K when they first started, or to bring it a little closer to the current times, their stuff reminds me of the debut sound of Hawk Nelson and/or Stellar Kart.  There is nothing mind-blowing or earth-changing, and I wouldn't listen to them long-term, but they were fun in concert, although a bit immature (showed their age I guess).  Leeland is as polished of a debut band as I've ever seen.  They didn't sound like new artists at all.  They sounded like a band that had been around, or at least had played together, for a long time.  I think there is definite potential in that band, but Leeland Mooring needs to improve his lyricism.  But their live show is solid, especially for a new artist. 

The second was this year's Little Rock Winter Jam stop last night.  Although I'm personally never a huge fan of any of the artists on the tour, I'm a fan of Winter Jam because they do youth targeted concert events pretty well.  I was a little skeptical this year, because though they had bands like Sanctus Real and Hawk Nelson, one of the featured artists was Steven Curtis Chapman, and I struggled to see how he fit with the other bands or how he fit the targeted audience of Winter Jam.  However, for the most part, while none of the bands blew me away, it was a solid night of music, entertainment, and ministry. 

First up was a new artist named Brit Nicole, whose debut drops in May.  I didn't get to hear all of her set because they had an artist talk time with youth pastors, but what I did hear of her, at least in a live setting, I was pretty impressed with.  Next on the agenda was Sanctus Real.  They were very solid, but they got very ripped off because they only got to play 3 songs, albeit 3 pretty solid ones.  Most of my group was disappointed that they didn't get longer, though.  Next was Newsong...they are old fashioned, yes, and you kinda wish they'd go first and get it out of the way, but they DO realize they are not the stars of the show.  It is through their ministry that Winter Jam is put together, though, and they are very solid at every aspect of that.  And, their live show is always a LOT better than I think it's gonna be...they have about 5 different people singing vocals, but about 9-10 people on stage playing various instruments, and it makes for a solid sound.  They had a couple of new members this year, a worship artist named Drew Cline and a guy I had heard of but didn't know a lot about named Nate Sallie.  My only real complaint about their set was that it was basically the same songs they've done the past two years at this event.

Next on the billing was Hawk Nelson, and they were probably my favorite act.  They are high energy, passionate, and good at what they do.  They flat out rocked too.  They did mostly songs from their newer album but also threw in a couple from their debut along with some interesting stories behind one or two of the songs.  SCC was next...we were mostly blown away by him, to be completely honest.  He started with a newer song that wasn't all that impressive, but he did mostly older stuff that was very enhanced and very juiced up and very appealing to the target crowd of that setting.  This was greatly aided by the fact that this guy who could have basically anyone he wanted as his backing band, instead had his two sons (16 and 17, drums and guitars) and two of their friends (17 and 19 i think, guitars and bass) along with an old friend of his named Scott Sheriff who i recall from the tours I saw of SCC back in the day.  And the kids, who have their own band called The Following too, were freaking awesome.  They made those old songs sound so much less time-worn by modernizing them and fitting them to that crowd and setting.  The final act of the night was Jeremy Camp.  He was good, but he frustrates me...on his albums, he's an A/C, CHR, pop wonder, but in concert, with a live band, most of his songs flat out rock.  He would sound so much better on his albums if they sounded like what his live show sounded like. 

Oh yeah, there was a speaker (Tony Nolan, one of the best youth communicators I've ever heard), a 'fire-breathing cowboy (Andre the Hollywood CowboY),' and a George Bush impersonator (John Morgan, who is SCARY GOOD at it, the look, the voice, the gestures, the faces, everything) as well.

[Aaron]

If I don't go to any other concerts this year, I will be ok with that because I am going to Cornerstone in June!

[murlough23]

I think there is definite potential in that band, but Leeland Mooring needs to improve his lyricism.

That's pretty much exactly what I think of them. As lame as I thought some of the lyrics were at first, they've created a highly listenable album, one that I pop in quite a bit more than most of the 3-star albums that are in my collection.

NP: "Rebecca", Meg & Dia

[enemy anemone]

re: Gillian Welch/Bright Eyes gig
the regular sale is on and ticketbastard has tickets! yayayay! kind of expensive but I can't miss Gil and Dave when they come to town.
I thought about getting an orchestra view seat (on the other side of the stage) just for the novelty of it but nah. it's probably worth an extra $10 to see the performers' faces instead of their behinds.

this will be my first time at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I'm looking forward to it and plan to arrive extra early so I have time to look around. later this year Neko Case will be playing there in November (just found out!) and she's another must-see and I'm already excited about getting to see her again this year!

I also decided to go see Eleni Mandell, Melissa Ferrick, and Erin McKeown play in Malibu. folks at a couple other boards I read have raved about the latter two and I've been meaning to check out their music, so yeah.

[Josh]

On my agenda:

This Sunday-- Relient K and Mae. I'm going more for the company than the actual bands, but I still think it will be fun.

April 12: Neko Case.

April 28: Over the Rhine.

June 7: Over the Rhine. Again. #6 for me.

And Wanderer, if it makes you feel any better, I have to miss out on a local Decemberists show too. 

[murlough23]

This Sunday-- Relient K and Mae. I'm going more for the company than the actual bands, but I still think it will be fun.

Since I'm missing out on that one when they come to my neck of the woods, would you be so kind as to take down a setlist for me? (At least for the songs you know, which should for the most part be songs that I know, too - I'm not terribly familiar with Mae's material from before The Everglow.)

[Josh]

Happy to-- I'm in the same boat as you concerning Mae, though I imagine much of the setlist will be new songs... they DO have a new album in pipeline, don't they? And I've only heard Mmmhmm a couple of times, so I'm not too clear on those songs, but the other ones I should be able to get down alright.

[murlough23]

Happy to-- I'm in the same boat as you concerning Mae, though I imagine much of the setlist will be new songs... they DO have a new album in pipeline, don't they? And I've only heard Mmmhmm a couple of times, so I'm not too clear on those songs, but the other ones I should be able to get down alright.

True, but I can never keep the titles of new songs straight at concerts if it's before I've heard the album, so feel free to just say, "They played a lot of new stuff" if most of it is unrecognizable. The only new song of theirs I've heard is "Crazy Eights" and I couldn't even tell you how it goes.

[enemy anemone]

The Decemberists will be playing at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Phil in July...should I go?

[Aaron]

The Decemberists will be playing at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Phil in July...should I go?

YES

[dgp11776]

Here is a setlist I found for one of the shows:

Sherwood
The Only Song
Best of Me
That Town You Live In
Never Ready to Leave
Song in My Head
Learn to Sing
Middle of the Night

Mae
Telescopes (new song)
Summertime
Suspension
This Time is the Last Time
Anything
Waiting (new song)
This is the Countdown
Painless
Someone Else's Arms

Relient K
Plead the Fifth (intro)
Who I am Hates Who I've Been
High of 75
Devastation and Reform
Chap Stick, Chapped Lips and Things Like Chemistry
The Best Thing
Forgiven
Pink Tux to the Prom
Must Have Done Something Right
Faking My Own Suicide
Surf Wax America (Weezer Cover)
Life After Death and Taxes
Which To Bury, Us or the Hatchet
Let it all Out
Encore
Sadie Hawkins Dance
Be My Escape
I So Hate Consequences

[murlough23]

That's a really short setlist. No "I Need You"? No show-stopping performance of "Deathbed"? They must have been pressed for time.

[dgp11776]

That's a really short setlist. No "I Need You"? No show-stopping performance of "Deathbed"? They must have been pressed for time.

I think that is the setlist that is going to be pretty standard, as I have seen the exact list for another concert.  I didn't think they would perform "Deathbed" live since there is so much going on.  Matt Theissen plays something like 7-8 instruments on the song, so I couldn't see them pulling it off easily.  But, man, I thought they would certainly play "I Need You."  And it's more than a little sad to see "Pressing On" scrubbed from their setlists these days.

[murlough23]

I think that is the setlist that is going to be pretty standard, as I have seen the exact list for another concert.  I didn't think they would perform "Deathbed" live since there is so much going on.  Matt Theissen plays something like 7-8 instruments on the song, so I couldn't see them pulling it off easily.  But, man, I thought they would certainly play "I Need You."  And it's more than a little sad to see "Pressing On" scrubbed from their setlists these days.

They managed a banjo during "Which to Bury" and a xylophone during other songs that called for it; they certainly don't have to include every instrument since most bands that have string arrangements and other busy stuff in their songs have to do them more scaled-down in concert. If you're creative about it, you can substitute in something different that's contributed by an instrument already available on stage without having to do a ton of switching back and forth. They could pull it off if they wanted to, and I think it'd be a fabulous entry at or near the end of their set, but I do realize that it takes up a lot of time.

Still, for a headlining band whose songs are mostly in the three-minute range, that's an awfully short set. Makes me kind of glad I'm missing this one.

Speaking of concerts I'm missing, the free Newsboys/Kutless ticket that a friend had went to someone else who would appreciate it more, so my friends have been spared the torture of having to sit and listen to me griping about how much Kutless sucks. (At least on that particular night, anyway.)

[murlough23]

Switchfoot was amazing tonight. It was my fifth time seeing them live, but only the second time with them as the headlining act. This show even outdid their excellent 2003 tour for The Beautiful Letdown, which is no small feat. They just seemed to have boundless energy, they brought a trio of string players along to help out on select songs (not all of which would be expected to use strings), and Jon Foreman was just loving the California crowd (he spent the entire song "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" crowd-surfing, even having the people on the floor assist him as he climbed up into the balcony the hard way). We got a really pleasant surprise with a rare performance of "Daisy", and while all of the old standbys were present besides "New Way to Be Human", they played such a long and thorough set that I didn't resent the Walk to Remember crowd that probably just wanted to hear the classics from LTB and TBL and didn't care as much for their new stuff. Their last three albums were represented prety well, all things considered. The only significant drawbacks I could point out where that a few songs seemed slightly sluggish in their tempos compared to the album versions (perhaps to make it easier to keep up - some of their more rocking songs get rather relentless), and they did this stupid long pause in the middle of "American Dream" that I honestly hoped I'd never have to see again after dc Talk retired it from "Jesus Freak" and Jars of Clay retired it from "Flood". Stupid time-wasting rock star antics. Anyway, that knocks them down from an A+ to an A, so no biggie. Setlist is in the first post of the thread.

Oh, and Copeland managed to bore me a little less this time. They're still majorly sluggish when they're trying to be upbeat, but some of their new material is quite beautiful. I just think they have electric guitar overload for such a mellow band - I like it better when their lead singer's playing piano. Too much to drown out the finer nuances that could be present in a song when he's on guitar.

There was a "stealth opener" named Revolver, who apparently had to accomplish the feat of playing three shows in one night (two in L.A. and a midnight show in San Diego). They wre upbeat and fun, but not terribly dynamic. They made fun of The Fray by calling them "Switchfoot Lite", which probably wasn't such a wise move right after mentioning them to an audience that cheered at the recognition of the name, but I found it funny.

[Aaron]

The Fray sucks anyways..so that's funny.

[murlough23]

The Fray sucks anyways..so that's funny.

I'll take your word for it. Nothing I've heard about them has made me want to investigate.