Calm, cool and collected…like four bookworms convening in some garage outside of Boston to start making some music. That’s the vibe to start this second of three shows at the Aragon Ballroom..they come out nonchalant…all casual..that says a lot for these four talented individuals; Black, Kim, Dave and Joey…to have such a hugely influential back catalog like this..and to start the show with four obscure off-kilter B-sides..well- that says a lot. I mean, “Dancing the Manta Ray”? The crowd gears up in excitement…to this?!? Kind of quiet in response…so even that the show starts off with this, the band is genuinely enjoying uncovering these little nuggets, and twisting them around to play live. Have to say that the vibe from the crowd is odd and off-beat…simply polite applause between songs. And then BAM!! On the giant L.E.D. screen backdrop: The word “DOOLITTLE” appears in all its glory….the venue goes absolutely nuts!! And for good reason…no other album by the Pixies garners such credibility. Hugely, and I mean HUGELY influential, and so varied in scope and style, down to the imagery by Vaughn Oliver and 23 Envelope, “Doolittle” encompasses everything you could hope for in songwriting, storytelling and downright weirdness. From the hysteria of its opening track “Despair”, to its end in “Gouge Away”, the album as a whole still sounds fresh and forward thinking to this very day.

At the completion of this song cycle…SHOCK and AWE!!! All four members bask in the crazy nutty applause, proceed to the lip of the stage, hold hands and then take a couple of bows. Who would’ve thought? After all, these four individuals are not known for their camaraderie…but who can blame them? They just completed a song cycle that was mesmerizing to witness live, and from where I was standing people were getting emotional witnessing this union onstage…It says a lot about this band and its unique place in the alternative indie rock pantheon..that people still care, that they want to see and hear their favorite musicians from another by-gone era and relive a true storytelling time…I for one get it along with the other 5,000 strong participants.

I’ve loved this band from its inception on 4ad back in the day (a label I did a ton of work for by the way)…and feel quite happy and satisfied having witnessed and photographed this spectacle…

I must reflect on the King of Pop.

I think it is hip to honor him, just as much as I would give praise to any of my favorite bands of the moment- Fleet Foxes, Passion Pit, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, etc.. You have to love his solo albums, like “Off the Wall” and “Thriller” in particular, which generated such incredibly catchy tunes, great dance music, forward thinking videos, and on and on. To this day, my favorite album of his is still “Off the Wall”. The album as a whole bursts with enjoyment, a celebration of life and dance. It encompasses incredibly catchy arrangements, with sophisticated production from Quincy Jones. There’s no mistaking of that quirky falsetto of a voice- lyrics sung with such heartfelt emotion…word had it that he was an absolute workaholic on the making of this record- Quincy would often say later that he was very much impressed with his work ethic paying attention to every little detail imaginable, down to correct vocal phrasing and nuances, brass arrangements, bass playing- that he was considered the illegitimate offspring of Brian Wilson.

Upon hearing the album on my way into work today, I feel regenerated and filled with immense gratitude for Michael Jackson, leaving us with such great treasures in his musical catalog.
I should also reflect at this moment that I have not listened to “Off the Wall” in its entirety in quite a few years. Too many to count if I want to be absolutely truthful. Well, not anymore. I can sing the praises of many an indie band and artist and wax poetic with the best of them at any given time…but I will also sing the praises of Michael Jackson and his music, and I don’t feel ashamed to admit one bit admitiing this.

Nothing really tops sophisticated, thoughtful, catchy pop. Nothing.
Thank you Micheal for your huge contributions to this genre.

If this is truly the “Wave Goodbye Tour” as Trent says it is, then his band NIN, is going down with guns ablazin’, heavy mortar fire and all.

The first three songs- “Somewhat Damaged”, “Terrible Lie”, and “Heresy”-are a sampling of what’s for dinner tonight..fiendish music that has to be played at volume 11 with the utmost intensity. The whole show from beginning to end is set in this vibe- with a couple of instrumentals added in for good measure, just barely long enough to catch your breath before the mosh pit and body surfers get their due… Blinding white light darted in and out the entire show, with heavy, dense fogs of dry ice added in for good measure- firing off an eerie WWlll post apocalyptic vibe that sends you reeling and ducking for cover…it absolutely makes you feel like it’s the end of the world..party while you still can, and pick up the remaining scraps for good measure.

What an immense sound system Trent has deployed for this tour- clear and crisp throughout- low end jolting through your sternum like an exchange of canon fire outside of Kabul. Trent is delivering this entire set like a champ: totally convincing with his delivery with his songs, some of which are dated 20 some odd years. Having written these lines, I’m now realizing why he might be wanting to take a break from this type of tour… If I’m feeling worn out after photographing this spectacle, imagine how Trent must feel, 15 some odd dates into this current tour, with another 10 or so to go..it can’t be easy on the body, let alone the vocals..Jack Johnson, this is NOT… And for a man whose 44, give him kudos…lots and lots of kudos. Trent’s totally blown me over, and I imagine I’ve seen Trent approximately 30 times by now.

Accolades have to go to Trent’s band as well…Robin Finck, genius on guitar as always..Justin Meldal-Johnsen, riveting on bass..Ilan Rubin on drums..man can he pound out the beat from beginning to end!
If I had to wrap up this show in one word:

I’d use FRENZIED.
How about two? DENSE and FRENZIED.
How about three? DENSE, FRENZIED and CONVINCING!!

You’ve got to go out and wave goodbye with a bang..a BIG bang..Trent and his band did this and so much more… Street Sweeper Social Club opened the show..I believe Tom Morello and Boots Riley are onto something huge…I mean HUGE..they deserve a separate review of their show, which I’ll provide in the next coming days…stay tuned!

All images © Bobby Talamine and are provided by the photographer for skipthedial.com

Lacuna Coil, Music as a Weapon IV, at Northerly Island, Chicago Ill..

Yes, even though this is Disturbed’s show, headliner’s and all; I’m not really here for them. I’m here for Lacuna Coil, to witness them live, up close and personal. For a six song set- what a treat! The two main songs from their new album “Shallow Life” come off great live: the current single “Spellbound”, along with “I will Survive”. Cristina’s voice is on fire, hitting the upper register with barely no signs of stress(this is, after all the second night of a three in a row on this current tour).

I love watching Cristina sing- when she cranks up her voice while leaning forward on the monitors, you can actually see the main vein in her neck pushing overload…man, she’s committed to win this crowd over! The main problem with being second up on a bill with four bands: you’re usually playing to a half-full house, with people trickling in..and even though their is enthusiastic applause, it’s a limited set for a limited crowd. You’ve got to do your best to make what limited time you have work in your favor-just simply blast away from one song to the next and hope you make some kind of impression…Lacuna Coil accomplished this with no problem.

They are splendid live, a real unified bunch: guitars from Cristiano and Marco just as crisp and tight as on their records, and Cristina and Andrea’s both in fine vocal form from beginning to end. I can’t wait to see them headline someday- with a full set and wicked imagerey- just like I envision in my head..

0h Jesus- where do I begin- where do I begin?
The ever so crafty Maestro returned to Chicago after 15/16 very long years to perform at the Chicago Theatre, the first of two sold out shows.. The concert was superb on so many levels:

1. Leonard’s glorious deep baritone riveting and true as always
2. Leonard’s backing band delivering every nuance with such sensitivity
3. The simple, yet striking back-lit curtains, sometimes making you feel like you’re in a cathedral, just to name a few..

You’ve got to admire this man, at 74, having patience and conviction to sing his glorious songs with such panache… And wow- such eloquent stories to tell- along with occasionally a wry sense of humor- as is the case with the song “Everybody Knows” – halfway through the song, he’s singing “….everybody knows, everybody knows, that’s how it goes, everybody knows- the flu’s coming……” In my section,everyone’s busting out in laughter- and you can see a sly grin on Leonard’s face- not just about the joke- but that Leonard is confirming that his audience is paying attention to his lyrics- as if it is a test.

That he began each and every song on bended knee- praying down to the ground in reverence also says a lot- as if to ask for forgiveness for the dread that he must convey in the approaching song- slowly getting up each time, as if dusting himself off- to have the faith and courage to explain in lyric another complex relationship gone awry.

You can tell by his presence that he is a deeply humble man- I stood in amazement watching him countless times remove his hat, and stand raptured over every solo from his band- whether it be his back-up singers, or his fellow musicians…and talk about a backing band- Javier Mas, from Spain… a genius on the Laud- a complex spanish folk 12 string guitar which added extra nuance to Leonard’s songs at every turn…Neil Larsen- impeccable as always on his Hammond B-3…Roscoe Beck on Bass, both electric and acoustic upright- bringing the steady rhythm to this music- and also acting as bandleader.

During the end of the first set, Leonard introduced his band individually, removed his hat, and bowed his head to them, with patience and much appreciation. This simple gesture at every turn says an awful lot- and people can learn from this- that life, with all of its torments, upheavals, tension, is actually good…so embrace it.

As Leonard so eloquently sung at the end of the first set in the song “Anthem”: “Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack, a crack in everyhting, that’s how the light gets in, that’s how the light gets in, that’s how the light gets in…

Man oh man- it feels good to be alive…Thank you Leonard Cohen…