And it was great.  Yup, it was the 2nd go around for me in about about 3 months (instead of days) for Zola Jesus and I was there to witness the event.  This time around it was closer downtown at The Parish and a couple of different bands opened up for the Z.  The stage setup itself was alright and the opening bands could’ve used some work, but overall it was pretty good time.  I even got to play with a lit up balloon.

So it was rainy as hell last Friday night but that didn’t stop me from mucking through the garbage soaked street water to The Parish to catch the show.  If you haven’t been to the Parish, it’s an upstairs bar from some place I never go into on 6th street.  The sound is great, one of the best in Austin, and there’s plenty of seating off to the side if you get tired of standing and/or dancing.  The one thing that is lacking is draft beer.  I’m beginning to think that kegs and the supporting equipment are kind of expensive down here because I see alot of bars out there that don’t have it.

But on to the bands.  First up was Technicolor Hearts.  So they are an art project/band out of Austin.  They were full on interactive art as the lead singer lady threw balloons with the lights at the crowd and looped the crowd with neon yarn.  The music was along those same lines and this young band could put on a show worthy of the Flaming Lips, they just need some more polish.

Talk Normal was next and it was none the such.  The Brooklyn based all girl duo feature the smorgasbord of minimalistic stylings.  In other words, the guitar played about one or two notes and the drummer had a couple of unique syncopation.  The one thing that fascinated me the most was the way the drummer played during the set.  I thought she was standing up but she was actually sitting on a  stool.  The arms looked like they were going for some Whack-A-Mole and not banging on drums.  I can’t say I walked away with any of their songs in my head.

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Finally, Zola Jesus came on stage.  A better lit stage.  Missing from the touring band this time was the heavy metal drummer I liked so much.  His replacement was the same guy who was working the samples before but now did double duty.  The new addition featured a violinist and she offered the perfect accompaniment to Nika’s haunting voice.  The microphone tried to sabotage her during the set, but the roadie dumped it in favor of a wireless mic and saved the show.

I actually preferred the Zola Jesus set the first time but that’s because it was more intimate and there were not mic malfunctions.  The set last Friday at the Parish, was pretty dang good.  The open room and the easier access to beer certainly helped.  Zola Jesus was helped with blue cubes for Nika to prance around on.  I think she was getting a little hoarse toward the end.  It meant that she poured her whole soul into that performance.

Ah, yes, whenever I’m in need of a real good show, I can always rely on the good Reverend to follow through.  I’m beginning to think that Antone’s can also deliver just as well after last Saturday.  I’ve been to about 4 Reverend Horton Heat shows before Saturday and I notched number 5 with my lovely girlfriend, whom have never seen the Rev before.  Now, not only were we treated with a great headliner, but the opening acts packed some punches as well.  All in the name of pushing Antone’s up on my list of go to joints to see concerts down here in Ausitn.

Oh, Antone’s.  It’s such a simple place.  Okay, not as barebones as Emo’s East, but still pretty plain and simple.  A couple of bars, some lights, and an intimate stage right in the middle.  Someday, I’ll go to the top of the stars and chill out in the VIP looking rooms, but until then I’ll enjoy my perfect view from anywhere on the floor.  No, I didn’t get my shoes shined this time.  Maybe when it gets warmer, I’ll wear some sandals in there for a shine.

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We were running a little late but we only missed a song or two from Whiskey Shivers.  If the Reverend Horton Heat is Rock-A-Billy then Whiskey Shivers is PunkGrass (read Punk and Bluegrass).  They played some traditional bluegrass tunes as well as some originals.  They even rocked to Kings of Leon’s ‘Holy Roller Novocaine’.  That’s right, a song back when Kings of Leon were cool.  The cherry on top of the set was after the set when they did an impromptu jam in the middle of the floor.  Very cool indeed.

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Next up was a band I’ve gushed about before: Not In The Face.  The only real fair thing I can do in this instance is to talk about how much they’ve grown.  No, not in a motherly sense, but in terms of stage presence and song presentation.  The short answer?  They got better.  The long one?  It seems like they have even more energy now on stage and it translated really well into the audience.  They also did a choice cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins “I Put A Spell On You” without sounding like Creedence Clearwater Revival.  This band is a couple of hot guitar solos away from some really great things.

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Lastly, it was the mighty Reverend Horton Heat.  It took a couple of minutes to get them setup because the white screen that Not In The Face used would roll back up automatically.  Pushing that aside, the whole show was pretty damn great.  They started going picking one song from each album they’ve done (9 total) and then took requests.  The retrospective was a clever twist and it only could’ve sold well if they had a request section afterwards.  It was the best of both worlds.   That said, I missed out on a couple of my favorite Reverend songs but I know they’ll be back around preaching their Rock-A-Billy ways real soon.

The night was packed fairly tightly with energy from the whole spectrum of rock music including rockabilly, country, bluegrass, hard rock, and grunge.  And it’s all thanks to Antone’s for putting on one helluva show.  If you get a chance, see all three of these bands with giving alms to The Reverend Horton Heat as your first priority.  We went from impromptu hillbilly jam in the middle of the floor to mosh pits during a Folsom Prison Blues cover.  I love you Antone’s and all your creamy, nougaty, happiness that you provide.

So the New Year is here and it’s the first one in a long time that I didn’t wake up with a massive hangover.  As a matter of the only damage I received may have been a bit of the hearing lose.  It’s all thanks to the wicked concert I attended at Emo’s East for New Year’s Eve.  Ume, Wooden Shjips, and The Black Angels put on a show to end all shows for 2011.  Well, it wasn’t the best concert I’ve been too but it was the last one for 2011.  Still, I had a fantastic time and hope every show I go to is at least as good as this one was.

I still can’t seem to remember when Emo’s East was built, but I know it’s kind of new.  The sound is the same there but it felt like it was a little better than the Clutch show.  Whatever radio promotion was there handed out balloons, party favors, and streamers for the party.  The beer was still kind of weak but that seems to be a badge of pride for the type of bar more than anything else.

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Ume kicked of the night and got the crowd promptly warmed up.  I saw her before at Dia Des Los Toadies (like The Black Angels).  Their set was sharp and I had no complaints.  I was closer to the stage so I got a shot to see how tiny the lead singer really is.  She’s like the hard rocking version of Zola Jesus.  This power trio should be around for a long, long time.

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Next up was Wooden Shjips.  I heard of these guys when they were compared to Tame Impala.  So naturally, I would be hooked.  After they played, I was hooked but not as hard.  They fuzz rock and driving guitar sounds filled my head with enough trippy noise to be happy.  I didn’t realize that the lead singer was pretty old but it didn’t hold me back too much.  The keyboard player had this silver wrap around his stand, which made the sounds he was making seem more special.  When the Wooden Shjips set was done, they took off the lining to reveal a small keyboard and two pedals.  Kind of a let down, but I still enjoyed them.

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Lastly, it was The Black Angels.  Their Dia De Los Toadies gig set me as a fan for life.  With a headlining show, I had the opportunity to see so much more of them.  They played their hits like “Entrance Song’, but also jammed out to some lesser known tunes.  Aside from a jumbled New Year’s countdown, the set was great and I might have to see them every time they are in Austin.  Seriously, they are that good.

So yeah, the balloons dropped and the party ended at Emo’s East.  Since I was being a good sober boy, I didn’t get a chance to go at it fully.  As a matter of fact, I was kind of tired at the end of the show.  Maybe it’s because I’m turning into an old fart.  Who knows.  What I do know is that I got a great big helping of psychedelic music to close out 2011.  Nothing fit better for dreaming and fantasizing of great, epic things than the sets that Ume, Wooden Shjips, and The Black Angels delivered.

Alrighty, I can cross off one more item on the ole Music Bucket List.  Last Saturday, I had the excellent opportunity to catch up with one of the bands I discovered in college, Clutch.  It seemed like in the past, I never got a chance to sync up with their touring schedule.  Well now I don’t have to worry about that anymore.  The new Emo’s East provided the venue for some pure rock fury and it blew me away.  The opening acts helped build it up, but Clutch blew the joint out.

When I read about Emo’s East, I was expecting it to be somewhere east of I-35 in Austin downtown.  It is east but it is south of the river on Riverside.  What does that mean?  It means that I don’t have to mess with paying for parking or the general hustle and bustle of folks getting their freak on.  That said, the new Emo’s East could use some breaking into.  The sound seemed just a bit off inside but I’m sure they are tweaking things along the way to get the best sound the venue can provide.  At least there’s cheap beer and open space.

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I strolled in while Lone Star Demons were sludging it out fairly deep.  I wish I had the chance to catch their whole set but hey, I’m going home for Christmas and had a bunch of crap to take care of.  Next up with Amplified Heat.  The solo shredding on the guitar was quite the spectacle and I feel like the band is the vehicle for the guy to show off his licks.  There were grooves in the midst of the riffing and I want to see how this band matures over time.  They definitely had the crowd going.

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The masters of getting the crowd going, however, are Clutch.  They did not disappoint.  There’s something to say about a band that just hasn’t had the mainstream success but can command the type of loyal fan base that represented Saturday night.  Everyone around new the words to their songs.  This kind of dedication I see in jam bands.  Well, that and metal bands.  Which Clutch kind of falls in between, sprinkled with some blues.  I’m mostly happy they provided me with some memorable classics like ‘The Soapmakers’ and the epic ‘Spacegrass.’  Even their new songs had the crowd bumping.

That’s about it, really.  If you get a chance to see Clutch, do it.  It’s kind of like going to see the Reverend Horton Heat.  They are great at what they do, they never had sky rocket fame, but they still tour and is a good notch in the belt for some live concert goodness.  If you are ever in Austin and find yourself at Emo’s East, be sure to go with the tall boy beer because the whole selection is fairly weak.  I’m not sure if it’s a pride badge deal or if they are too cheap.  Just a word to the concert friendly wise.

Okay so first off, the setup was a little unexpected.  Sure, there were beer tents, smoke tents, food tents, and merch tents but there were some wacky things there as well.  What first struck my eye was the Anarchy Championship Wrestling ring setup in the middle of the field.  That made the closet wrestling fan in me happy.  Toward the back I got to chill in the El Camino Lounge.  Yup, that’s right, an area full of beat up El Caminos to sit in.  Right next to it was the skateboard ramp.  Fun times indeed.

Now let’s talk about the shows:

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  First up were The Crooks.  They are a local Austin country band but they seem to be a little bit more grungy and twangy.  It was the only country act of the day and it felt right to kick it off with something not completely expected.

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  Asobi Seksu seemed to bring a J-Pop twist to some rock and roll.  The lead pads were and sweeping beats made it its own.  I also dug the Jesus and Mary Chain cover song.

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  We Were Promised Jetpacks surprised me.  I heard of them before but I didn’t really know their story.  My best description of them are Scottish by epic music.  The guitars rocked out but I would’ve like to have heard more solos.  That said, I loved the driving sound they pounded out.

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  There was a break in the action and I found myself drifting toward the Zero Boys set.  Who says you are too old to punk out?  The grey haired dudes in this band provided the first mosh pit of the day.  Good job, punk geezers.

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  Austra turned around as their spacey hippie rock mellowed things out.  I didn’t know there were three female singers, so the harmonies make more sense now.  Out of the lineup I saw, their music is still stuck in my head, even though they dressed like early 90′s hip hop artists.

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  Baths were next after I bailed from the Frank fail of lack of Slayer dogs.  It’s just one dude doing some chill beats.  Think of him as the white version of Com Truise.  Yes, they both are groove grillers.

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  Speaking of groove, Del The Funky Homosapien brought the house down with his unique lip smacking.  He drew back on his career of guest spotting doing some Deltron 3030 and even the Gorillaz Clint Eastwood.  His original stuff is just a bouncy.  Great set indeed.

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  Flying Lotus turned my head upside down.  What went from the Adult Swim soundtrack is now Thom Yorke’s best buddy.  His beats are not unlike Baths, but he pulls references from all over the place.  He also buzzes and grinds more.   The last song had the whole field bouncing.

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  |I wanted to catch a little bit of Diplo and I’m glad I did.  It seems Diplo cleans the buzzing from Flying Lotus and makes it more bloopy and bleepy.  It was pure techno and he educated the crowd how they do it overseas.

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  Lastly, it was face melter time.  That’s right, Slayer closed out the day and the festival.  I was hoping they would play some songs that I was more familiar with, but I will take the pure genius of the rest of the music.  To think that these guys were around in the 80s and still are one of the heaviest bands out there is a testament to their legendary status.  If you need metal, you can’t go wrong with Fucking Slayer.

Last Saturday was a haunt and treat as I got to see Zola Jesus.  I lucked out with the whole deal as a friend was in town for a wedding and there was a chance I wouldn’t be able to see the show.  But the wedding was in the evening, it was Halloween weekend, and it all fell together.  The tightly packed Mohawk provided an unexpected intimate show.  It also shielded me from the wacky action outside.
We thought the show would be outside in the open area of the Mohawk but due to the ghosts and goblins out there, it was moved inside.  Apparently, it was so scary that the Crystal Antlers were late and the line up had to be rejiggered.  The first act, Boy, had some technical issues and finished out their Weezer like set recovering from the setback.  The other guy, drilled through some haunting drum and bass type electro to get the crowd moving.  He shook the room so much I though I saw pieces fall down from the ceiling.

The attraction for the night was Zola Jesus.  Her haunting voice echoed throughout the Mohawk and shook me to my bones.  She has a unique way of singing because she wanted to be an opera singer but just couldn’t quiet cut it.  I’m glad she switched gears.  It stuns me to think she can belt out that voice with a tiny, tiny body she has.  I wonder how big that voice would be if she was bout a foot taller.

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There’s something epic with the way the songs, like my favorite ‘Night.’  I can’t quite put my finger on it, but they also seem to build into a grand, bellowing finish.  Some of the other songs subtlety lay out the beats and twists her phrases into a dance incantation.  At some point, the crowd was bouncing around the room and at other points there we standing in awe.  It was a complete set.

She may not be a mega star someday, but her unique blend of music is always a refreshing change of pace.  Halloween outside was rough and unruly, the show inside was warm and comforting.  I caught up with the wedding after party and gushed all over about Zola Jesus.  I’m still gushing now.  I can’t help it, her songs are haunting me happily in my head.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been to a show, at least in my mind.  So last night I had the opportunity for revisit White Denim as well as check out a couple of similar bands with Manchester Orchestra being the most well known.  I’ve been to some shows outside of  Stubb’s before and even though the sound was kind of weird, it was still a pretty good time.  The opening bands showed some promise but I don’t think I gave them too much of a fair shake because I was distracted by college football.  That’s okay, however, as they were interesting enough for me to check them out online.

I intentionally starved myself in the afternoon so I could warm up to the BBQ that Stubb’s provides.  It’s tasty but it isn’t the best on the planet.  For a concert venue, they have one of the best choices.  I grubbed on a pulled pork sandwich while Little Hurricane took the stage.  The setup was much like The White Stripes, except that they were Southern Californian and utilized slide guitar alot more.  They have promise and I found myself getting into their groove technical difficulties threw the whole set off.  They worked through it and did a decent job of starting things off.

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Next up was The Dear Hunter.  I think what we are seeing nowadays in terms of rock is a direct influence of Jack Black to lead singers/players.  The dude up front was definitely a bear and wailed while the rest of the band provided a nice progressive rock flow.  Sometimes the groove would trip me up but for others I fell right in step.  The harder songs I liked way more than the slower jams.  Maybe it’s my perception of the lead singer.  Who knows.

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White Denim is who I really came to see and the first two opening acts hinted at the kind of set we would see for the night.  Back at Antone’s they had the freedom to play alot longer and subsequently had the ability to string together songs that were high in energy and then slow.  The theme of the night was progressive rock jam so with the time they had, White Denim played more of their fast paced jams.  I enjoyed “Buck Wild” again but missed out on some of their slower songs.  The earlier set at Antone’s was better but this was pretty good too.  I especially liked how the rest of the band participated more.

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The last band of the night was Manchester Orchestra.  I listened to them on Spotify to get prepped for the show but somehow missed out on their most popular song.  So when they rocked out to “I’ve Got Friends” it rocked me with some familiar jamming tones.  The lead singer was another bear and it helped establish the pattern of Jack Black like sensitive heavy set fellows in rock.  Manchester Orchestra did a better job of mixing some slow songs with some fast songs.  They definitely earned the top bill of the night.

All in all it was a great time and worth the 20 bucks per ticket spent.  I would’ve dropped the same if it was just White Denim and they had two hours to play.  The sound issues at Stubb’s harshed my buzz a bit but it didn’t ruin anything.  If you find yourself at Stubb’s at some point, be sure to grab some food.  I can’t wait until White Denim comes back around these parts.  The next Manchester Orchestra does I may go see them again.   I just hope they don’t bring as many bears next time.

When I was just a visitor, and my days were long with SXSW songs.  Now that I’m a full blooded Texican, my days are long with music festivals.  There was Dia de Los Toadies.  I have Fun Fun Fun Fest coming up.  But the one festival that the locals chirped about last March was the Austin City Limits Music Festival.  I lucked out and nabbed a Sunday ticket for the show.

Austin City Limits began life as a PBS show featuring music acts displaying their best for the upper crust crowd.  It soon devolved to an all out music love fest for fans all over.  The popularity grew to the point where a 3 day festival materialized to set up many of the acts that graced the tiny television stage.  So ACL Fest lives and I put my stamp on its presence on their 10th anniversary.

So last Sunday, I made the bus ridden trek to Zilker Park to listen to some more tasty music.  With festivals coming and going, I’m beginning to notice a couple of patterns floating around the festival circuit.  Many festivals have the weird tobacco product tents that seem to be all secretive and hidden.  The same type of fried foods make their way into festivals, although for ACL we had more local fare.  Beer is about the same price (over).  The finest thing for me are the air conditioned ‘recharge’ tents that have plenty of plugs to recharge any type of device.  Oh, and there’s crappy artisan tents setup with overpriced junk too.

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I was there to see the music.  Mariachi El Bronx was at the top of my list and they kicked of my ACL Fest in a hot and spicy way.  I first had a taste of these guys at SXSW 2010 and now they are back with another LA/Mexican mash.  It may be my location but for some reason, I really jam out to these guys.  They seem to have more fun than me though on stage.

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Next up on my must see list was Awolnation.  They are an up can comer in terms of alternative rock.  Their big hit, ‘Sail’, was all I knew of them.  The show seemed to be a little sloppy, but whoa nelly they had alot of fun on stage.  The songs were hit and miss but I see the potential.  Plus, using a boogie board to crowd surf is super awesome.

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Number one on my must see list for the day was Death From Above 1979.  They were a flash of greatness in the early 2000s and I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t hear about them until last year.  For two guys, they produce enough rock to fill out a 6 piece metal band.  The grooves were there and the wailing fell on happy ears.  The only time I saw a mosh pit, however passe it is now, was at this set.  That’s all you need to know.

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The sun was coming down and it was time to cool down from the hot heat of hard rocking.  What better way to sooth the skin and my soul than kicking back and relaxing to some Fleet Foxes.  The a capella was all there and it massaged my mind with lovely melody and rhythm.  If there ever was a poster child for Sunday morning music, the Fleet Foxes would be on the first print run.  It’s a shame I couldn’t get much closer but the Bud Light stage was the main on and everyone piled on quick for the evening shows.

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The last must see for me actually closed out the night at Bud Light stage.  The Arcade Fire doesn’t really spark my soul but they do play some pretty darn good tunes.  Unfortunately, we were so far away and so wiped out from the day that they didn’t sound to awesome to me.  Now they were good and I got to hear some of my favorites from them, but the day’s events fatigued me enough to just bail halfway through the set.

There were a handful of others I got see that weren’t must see, like Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr and Empire of the Sun.  They were nice slices of cheese in between the meat patties of acts I wanted to see in the sandwich that was the Austin City Limits Music Festival.  For the price, Dia de Los Toadies was better, but for overall talent and knocking down my must see list, ACL Fest 2011 totally fit the bill.  Hopefully next year it will be a little bit cooler, they moved the dates to October, and then I can survive more of the day.  Until next year, ACL Fest!

So Austin is burning right now.  Well, not the whole town, but some places outside of it.  The heat and flames reminds of the first taste of Dia de Los Toadies during the last weekend of August.  My lovely lady and I battled 110 plus degree weather in the middle of the Texas sun to get our music festival action on.  We skipped out on the Friday night acoustic action and did the full on 13 band line up for Saturday.  I’ve got some highlights of the show rightcheer so buckle up and grab some Dos Equis, we’re gonna blow through my favs of the day.

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First up was the Whiskey Folk Ramblers on the main the stage.  They kicked off the main stage with a flair I haven’t heard since Mariachi El Bronx.  They are kind of a rockabilly band with a heavy flavor of Mexican music.  I dug the stand up bass and trumped while they banged away at some epic, classic western movie sounds.  The crowd didn’t really show up yet but it was a treat to start out the flaming hot day with some flaming hot Whiskey Folk Ramblers.

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The next highlight for me was Tornahdo.  In the spirit of The Mars Volta and the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group, the Austin based Tornahdo brings heavy riff jams and intricate tempo changes on top of some funky jazz keys and spaghetti fingered strings.  There’s some tasty instrumental bands out there right now like Explosions in the Sky and Tornahdo steps up to bring the fusion to the next level.  I can’t wait to see the guys got at for like 3 hours.  My head will be fully blown.

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So we doubled back and watched some Ume after getting blown away by Tornahdo.  Ume to me was the closest representation of what the Toadies would be like if they started out today.  It’s a stretch but here me out.  The lead puts here heart and soul into some rocking and dour noises.  It’s the closest connection that all of the bands there had with the headliner.  I’ve never heard of them before the festival but they grew on me and I now consider myself a fan.  Anybody who dumps it all on the stage like the lead singer does deserves some respect.

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So what was the influential force that compelled us to go to Dia De Los Toadies?  Was it the Toadies?  Nope.  As much as I like to relive my 1990s growing up, the Toadies weren’t the real reason I was there.  It was The Black Angels.  Or as I like to call it, Psycadelic Music With Balls ™.  There hasn’t been the same kind of slow, driving, sexual energy coarsing through your earlobes since The Doors.  I witnessed ladies out in the Texas sun doing a damn near striptease while they were pounding their sound home. These are men.  You will listen them.  They will rock.

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So what could possibly follow that awesomeness?  Well, I have never heard of The Sword before and holy moly, did they punch me in the stomach with some good ole fashioned stoner rock.  Some people call it fuzz rock or desert rock, but I first heard it called stoner rock so that’s what it is.  The Sword took the energy from the freshly set sun and burned it in our heads without remorse.  It makes sense that they toured with Kyuss.  If you’re the double beer fisiting type like Zakk Wylde then these guys need to be on you ‘to see’ list.

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So much to my surprise, I got to follow that up with another dip into the stoner rock sauce with The Couch.  I had to warm up to these guys, but the trio did the night some justice and made sure the Biergarden was awake after a long day in the heat.  These Austin based mates don’t pull too many punches when they are kicking out their riffs.  They weren’t as mind blowing as The Sword but I may have been numb with joy by then.  That said, they were a tasty treat before the main course of the night.

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That main course were The Toadies, of course.  I forgot how awesome they were.  They were recording for a DVD that night and had one minor issue with that (they restarted a classic jam later on), but all in all they put on one helluva show. Growing up in the 90s I was one of those ‘yeah I know them and I have their album’ kind of fans.  During their set, I realized that I was way more familiar with them than I thought.  I guess The Toadies have always been that way.  At least to everyone outside of Texas.  Still, they played for over an hour and a half and capped off the night perfectly.

Dia de Los Toadies was a win not only for the talent I listed above, but also for the fact that tickets were about 30 bucks.  All that show for that low price made it a steal.  Granted we spent more out there, but they had just the right specials to even make festival drinks and food a great deal.  The only real battle for the day was the heat and we survived.  Next year we are locked into going but we will add something else very special.  We’re gonna get there and float the river first then check out the show.  Sounds like the ulitmate day for me.

At the behest of my ladyfriend I was convinced to roll out a couple of weeks ago to check out El Ten Eleven.  Well, after some fun trouble with Time Warner and my Internet, check out this site please, I’m back online and was able to upload the video I shot there.  Now forgive me if I didn’t get a chance to really go over the opening bands, but I think I’m going to employ a policy of doing video from bands that I really enjoyed.  Nothing against the openers, but I can’t seem to remember them right now so it must not have been my cup o tea.  There’s plenty of flavors of tea for people out there.  I like chai black spice myself.

What’s to say?  Well not much.  It was such a long time ago, yes two weeks was a long time ago for me.  The one thing besides the Brian Seltzer hair doo the lead player guy had was the multi instrument talent he displayed.  I have to admit I expected a full on alternative like band when I got there.  When I got the rock and roll version of Henry and the Invisible, whom I saw the week before, I was quite surprised.  That seems to be and even bigger trend going on nowadays.  Loops and playing over loops.  Why fight with band members when you can just do your own?

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Oh there was a live a drummer.  And that made it so much better.  Sometimes programmed loops can take the dynamism out of live performance.  With the help of the dude off in the corner beating his ass off, the energy for the whole performance rose.  Everyone would rather be a one man band, but there’s a novelty factor behind it.  If you can just get a dude to bang away while you construct your phrases, you’ll be better off.

All in all, El Ten Eleven was alright.  Maybe it was because I saw a funk version the weekend before.  But they were also just a little bit better.  I was also surprised by the quick Radiohead ‘Paranoid Android’ cover they pulled out as well.  That will always score points in my book.  Time for me to whip out my Ableton Live and try to this same stuff.  But with more of Krautrock twist to it.  It’d do African but Tuneyards beat me to it.