Them Crooked Vultures, Aragon ballroom, Tuesday May 18 2010

What can I say… A splendid show of musical might and prowess! forget the “supergroup” tag..this a Band, with a capital B, each enjoying their respective roles…

the only downside: getting to the Aragon nice and early during soundcheck..setting up shop in what I thought the perfect spot to get the best possible shots of Dave Grohl and his drum kit, only to find out before the band actually comes on, that they “forgot” to add a microphone and its stand for the “rhythm” guitarist, which COMPLETELY blocks my view of David’s face at his drum kit! What to do? Wade through this standing room only crowd, fighting for another decent spot to reel off some pics of the master and his drums..always remember- gotta improvise…

I have to admit, having read most of the reviews of this current tour that Muse has put forth across the states, that I’m a bit perplexed. What, praytell, were these critic’s expecting? What infuriates me is that most of the reviews I’ve read compare this over the top tour with science fiction, the band Queen and Freddie Mercury in particular, the grandiose stage design, etc…ENOUGH ALREADY! Accept the concept! Give in! A lot of thought and heart went into the unusual layout! Matt Bellamy thoughtfully conceived a unique design to allow the songs to be interpreted in a stark, yet positive way! And it was glorious to behold.!.

The band has reached the point where they are definitely an arena act, and have the balls to produce and develop a show that will last in your noggin for times to come! The pictures I took speak volumes, yet really don’t allow the full on complexity of the over-all stage appearance, unless you were concievably standing at the back of the venue to try to soak it all in…(hard for a photographer to get the close-ups from 75 yards away)..so everyone lighten up! MUSE is going to be around for decades to come! Bobby

FINALLY, FINALLY KYLIE MINOGUE SASHAYS INTO CHICAGO!!

Please say goodbye to the boring, lip synched, boringly choreographed monotony of your typical diva girlieshow!

Kylie came into town Wednesday to play at the UIC Pavillion, not the Congress Theatre as originally planned, and produced an amazing, vibrant spellbinding of a show!
Man does Kylie make an entrance- coming down from the ceiling atop a massive metallic skull, draped in a gorgeous gown wrapped with a gigantic feather boa, poised on top looking confident, singing to the song “Light Years.”
And that was just the beginning to an eye-popping visual display, choreographed to the hilt- replete with multiple costume changes, and a band that undeniably deserved to be on the stage proper, and not left in the orchestra pit or backstage like some artists I’ve seen recently. I mean, what’s the point? Why not use the band to your advantage- making them part of the show like Kylie did? If it accomplishes anything at all, it reminds you that this is a musical production, not just theatre.It involves music-the hits! Let the band partake godamnit! So all you Britney’s, all you Pink’s, etc, etc….take out your pad and pencil and start taking notes… your hits come off better with a band visible, not invisible!
And there were plenty of the hits, one right after the other…The song “Slow”..seductive, captivating…the backbeat pulsing through your veins…the song “Locomotion”..done up vaudeville cabaret..sexy with a 1930′s feel..
Who cares if this is her first tour of the states…SHE’s HERE!! And the crowd knows this, embraces this…Kylie insisting twice that Chicago is definitely the loudest, noisiest, most enthusiastic stop on this tour so far ( I believe she is not bullshitting  when she says this), and she continues to pepper the audience with her short and sweet monologues about touring, resting, and physically perparing for such a production over the age of forty…
Make no mistake..this was definitely a dance celebration..a celebration of a vibrant musical catalog with a performer who can deliver..a performer who appreciates her fans, and where she’s come from, and not come off mechanical at all…
Kylie had her audience from her entrance atop of the skull…definitely no looking back…here’s hoping she comes back soon…gotta continue to dance to the essence of the beat…man, Chicago loves to dance and celebrate!!

So here I am in Soldier Field, preparing for what I expect to be a big, grandiose whale of a time, circa the ZOO TV tour that U2 did back in 1992. As I settle into my area to get into position to photograph this event, I’m watching 3 girls about 10 feet in front of me getting absolutely giddy in anticipation of seeing their favorite band come out onstage live- and in person! I mean getting crazy nutty in anticipation. That only excites me more- seeing a crowd this big, let alone individuals around me getiing all worked up.

Talk about a massive, gargantuan stage…I’ve never seen anyhting like it ever…it looks like it’s approximately 200 feet tall or so, and it’s the width of the entire football field. From my unique vantage point, it’s unsettling to know I still feel to far away from the main stage, even though I’m between the stage and the massive outer ring.

As the lights begin to dim and the band comes out to the pulse of “Breathe” from their latest album “No Line on the Horizon”, it feels like the stadium is in a trance from the pulse of the beat. Most of the songs off “No Line” work live; they make you feel hypnotized, like in a trance. And definitely, some don’t.”Get on Your Boots” leaves me befuddled- too much noisy confusion and blinding lighting.

Overall, I feel despondent and confused about this show.Here’s this absolutely massive techno stage- with U2 on it. The comparison of techno and U2 leaves me wondering halfway through this show: what can kick it up a notch? How about hiring out Daft Punk, and let them have free reign on reinterpreting U2 songs, putting some swing and dance into this setlist?

Even better: how about a mix of Chicago house DJ’s spinning over these glorious songs to punch them up a bit? Fuck the purists, something needs to be done to get this show alive and kicking.I want more from these guys than I’m getting at this concert. The problem with such massive build-up and hype, especially from what I heard overseas where this tour got off the ground: BIGGER LETDOWN…YAWWWWN…please stop all the political chattering…we all get it, ok? Just give us loud, pulsating music.

They definitely do deliver it at times:”Where the Streets Have no Name”- who would’ve thought that they’d give this a refreshing BPM rhythm train- and I’ll go Crazy” off the new album went into dance overdrive.

And that’s it. I’m left questioning things more than coming out satisfied. I’m wondering what the fuss is all about, besides the look of this extraordinarily beautiful stage and the special lighting and visuals. Again, could you imagine them touring with Daft Punk? Or how about Deadmau5? NOW WE’RE TALKING…If, only if….Oh well..

You’ve really got to admire these guys in Green Day, staying the course with their music, even in such a large venue as the United Center, in keeping to the spirit of having a big sense of humor, “nod nod wink wink”, even when attacking George Bush whose long long gone.

These guys say: LET’S ROCK!!
Billie Joe threw out “CHICAGO!” in songs too many times to count, and that tells me a lot- he really enjoys working the room, even though it’s 20,000ish strong, and he definitely pays attention to the city he’s in, as stupid as that sounds..
Billie Joe loves- and needs crowd participation- like a true active front man, marching band leader and such. Case in point: lots of fist pumping, hand waving, jumping up and down, sing alongs, bring a kid up onstage to enhance a song, give him some hand gestures to do, then make him die in gunfire as a prop; squirt guns ( I mean LARGE SQUIRT GUNS!), toilet paper shooters, T-shirt shooters, and shouting. Lots and lots of shouting.

Gotta say I loved every minute of it. Green Day, even in their political intensity, love to have a rollicking good time and try to hammer home their apathy while turning the other cheek. Nothing wrong with that- it just goes to show that you can deliver the message and act goofy at the same time…Just pay attention!

My opnion, the show worked on many levels, and I found myself laughing out loud at Billie Joe’s antics and bufoonery too many times to count. As much as I enjoy Jim Derogatis, a friend and all around good guy, I do not agree with his review. This show definitely DOES work in a large venue, and it definitely wasn’t “annoying”, as he so attests in his review in the Chicago Sun Times. Everyone lighten up! This also includes Bob Gendron of the Chicago Tribune….It’s fucking Green day for crying out loud! Jeez….!