First, we apologize for slacking in the post department. There’s been some internal problems, comparable to the kind of pain one feels after eating bad Mexican food at 2 a.m., only in bits and bytes.

However, we at least wanted to pass this opportunity along. Got an email a ticket giveaway to see The Whigs, either opening for Kings of Leon or on their headlining tour.

Oh, you like free things? Awesome. Then go here friend and tell them 52 Shows sent you (if they ask. If they don’t, just yell it out loud to your computer so at least someone knows).

(the strike-thrus already happened)
On Tour with Kings of Leon

January 20th Palace Theatre Louisville, KY
January 21st Murat Theatre Indianapolis, IN
January 23rd Uptown Theater Kansas City, MO
January 24th House of Blues Chicago, IL
January 26th Wharton Center – MSU East Lansing, MI
January 27th Lifestyles Community Pavilion Columbus, OH
January 29th Madison Square Garden New York, NY

Headlining Tour

March 4th Black Cat Washington, DC
March 5th The Note Philadelphia, PA
March 6th Paradise Boston, MA
March 7th Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
March 9th The Basement Columbus, OH
March 10th Magic Stick Detroit, MI
March 12th Birdys Indianapolis, IN
March 13th Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL
March 14th Fubar St. Louis, MO

As the year comes to a close, the inevitable parade of best-of lists are littering blogs, magazine articles and the life pages of newspapers. Some of it is intelligent, most of it is there to fill content in between ads begging consumers to fork over the last of their 401K savings for a new camera of perfume.

I’ve always greeted these types of lists with a degree of cynicism and doubt. They are never really best-of lists from the year, but rather a collection of the best music the writer/journalist has presumably heard in the 11.5 months (remember, these lists are written early).

Inevitably, this means things are missed, gems are forgotten and soon arguments break out in a bar because someone can’t understand how Coldplay’s alleged plagiarism-ridden “Viva la vida” scored lower than TV on the Radio’s “Dear Science”…or vice versa.

There’s a pretentious music fan war going on out there and while I’m a big fan of public conflict, I don’t nearly have enough whiskey in me to contribute extra wood to the fire of aural discontent, especially in a year with such a good-time feeling thanks to the first presidential election where I felt something real.

Instead, this is a short account of the best concert of my year. Not yours or the fat guy in the corner chowing down on a hotdog (dude, two words: eat less…and bathe).

For me, the concert of the year wasn’t at an indie rock club listening to band employ a violin bow to play a guitar or a summer hip-hop festival where a combination of breakdancing and drug use took the day over.

No, the show of the year for me was in Preservation Hall in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans. There, in a non-air conditioned room with minimal seating and no mics, I experienced unbridled, concert joy.

It was jazz as it was meant to be with jubilant players, a larger-than-life dude on the drums and a lanky keyboard player who looked like he had been jamming the same song for his entire life and a saxophone player seemingly smiling and playing all at once.

The lead singer, hardly caring his voice failed to rise above the power from the trombone and drums, closed his eyes and sang traditional jazz songs like “Down by the Riverside” as if the small music space was a church and he was speaking to the congregation.

In many ways he was.

Next to him was the lone white girl, handling the trombone and looking like she just got off of work at the local corporate retail store. And yet she fit in, somehow.

Something was different with this show. I didn’t feel part of the product, the endless aim of the industry to get people to talk about the next undiscovered band. I simply enjoyed, breathed it in and was grateful when they played “Saints” towards the end.

Different is not necessarily good. Talent always trumps everything else and in these financially meager times, a more toward quality over flashy may be for the best.

But this is why we go to shows, why we trudge through lame opening acts and and pay over-priced beer. We are all addicts for a drug we rarely get. And when that moment comes, it makes all the latenights and weird mornings worth it.

It’s not often that I’m pleasantly surprised checking out new music.  But in this town, it’s easy to be let down.

Not so this time.  Saturday night found me at the Thunderbird Café in Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh’s up-and-coming hipster stopping grounds.  Omega Love were already into their set when I showed up.  Decent crowd, too, for such a bitter cold night in Western PA.

It had been some time since I last saw this local group.  They are a female-fronted funky, spacey, groovy, jazzy kind of outfit with a chunk of soul in there, too.  Not usually the type of music that gets me juices flowing, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t dig the sounds.

Musicianship alone was enough to turn me around.  These cats are tight.  It’s been a while since I heard a group lock in to a groove and keep it right there without going over the top and screwing up a good thing.  That kind of playing is rare for a band on this level.

Drummer Jon Rent kept it in the pocket the whole time, rarely getting flashy back there or deviating from the kick pattern, the plague of so many drummers…although, the disco wig was A LOT tacky.  He and bassist Joe Rusnak were inseparable all night, as the rhythm section should be.  The grooves were fat and the drum patterns were kickin’.  I was feeling it.  Kudos guys.  A lot of you other players should take note:  Less is more.  More is messy.

Occasionally, guitarist Luke Williams would lock in with the others, thickening up their riffs.  And his tone was one of the best I’ve heard around here in a long time-warm and clean with great feel.  Their stuff was definitely original and very well written, although it’s easy to liken them to Jamiroquai.  Still, it felt pretty darn fresh.

What keeps them sounding fresh is smoky-voiced singer Jocelyn Geisler.  She really brings it all together and gives the group their signature sound.  Her vocals float above the rest of the band and are soulful and well executed without trying to be over-zealous in her runs.  She kept it where it should be and everything gelled well around her.

I can see their sound being the perfect backdrop for a Vegas lounge, conjuring up a “Swingers” moment for me.  They bring good danceable grooves without demanding your full attention or drowning out everything around you.  I was impressed.  Keyboardist Jim Barr added some synth elements to the mix, sometimes getting a little too blippy for me.  I liked it better when he kept it classic with piano and Rhodes sounds, but I think some nice organ would boost it up a bit.

On shear musicianship, this band has it down.  Throw in some tight and funky jazz grooves with some female swagger and you got yourself a soul machine.  These guys would be the perfect ticket for swanky gigs around town where rock bands may be a bit much.  But with a little tweaking in the aesthetics department (let’s lose the hoodies and jeans and get some suits on fellas), I see them going a helluva lot further.  Check them out if they are coming your way.  I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised, too.

*Photo from Brooklyn Vegan

Since most of my favorite singers/bands hit their peak before I was even born, Ben Kweller is the only artist that I have followed throughout his solo career. I was introduced to his music in college, shortly after the release of his debut album, Sha Sha, and have been hooked ever since. Last night was my seventh time seeing Ben Kweller live (in my defense, 3 of those were part of a 3 albums in 3 night series), more times than I have seen any artist. On Sunday night, he played the second of two nights at Terminal 5 as the opener for Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.

I’ve heard a lot about Conor Oberst. I’ve heard a few Bright Eyes songs. I always meant to listen to more of his stuff, but for some reason, I never got around to it. I thought about seeking out some of his music before the concert, but decided to go in with a blank slate and see how that experience compared to seeing an artist I was already so familiar with.

When I arrived, shortly after the first opener Rig 1 started its set, the large three-level venue was filling up fast with a diverse crowd of all ages. There were even some parents with their teenagers, in the middle of the crowd on the floor no less. I’m still not sure what the deal is with Rig 1, whose music sounded like bad rap from the ’90s. I thought maybe it was a joke or I was at the wrong show. There were some boos, but at least two people in the audience seemed to enjoy the band, or they were just being polite. I’m sure there are talented bands in New York that would be more appealing to Ben Kweller and Conor Oberst fans.

Kweller’s set was pretty short, only 11 songs, but I guess I’m not used to seeing him as an opener. He played mostly new songs, which I assume will be on his new album, Changing Horses, and a few from each of his three albums, but he didn’t play most of his usual crowd-pleasers, like “Wasted and Ready.” He also didn’t speak as much as usual, never introducing the new songs or mentioning his new album, but he put his all into his playing, as he always does. His new songs have more of a country/bluegrass feel, and I prefer his more whimsical pop tunes, but I’ve heard him play all his other stuff, so it was exciting to hear something new.

I felt a little bit like an outsider during Oberst’s set. Maybe I didn’t deserve to be there, since I couldn’t sing along or scream when a favorite song came on (although this one woman was screaming inappropriately in random places during each song, really unnecessary). But then I guess I had an advantage. This may sound obvious, but you can only hear a song for the first time once, and I got to experience that over and over again throughout the night. Although, it’s a little easier to take in a new song from the comfort of my home where I can pay close attention to the lyrics and music than in a loud concert hall.

I think for the future, I’ll stick to doing my research ahead of time. I had little idea from which of his projects each song came from. The song that most stuck out in my mind was “NYC–Gone, Gone,” which I have since found out is from his recent self-titled album, just because it was the most upbeat and got the audience dancing. Oberst has a compelling stage presence and I dug his black hat, though it covered his eyes. I would definitely check out more of his music, but I don’t think he’s going to be my new Ben Kweller.

During the encore, Oberst brought his good friend Kweller back onstage, as I was hoping he would. I was wondering if they would sing an Oberst song a Kweller song, or maybe one of each, but instead they sang a song I know and love, Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome.” Finally, I was able to sing along with Conor Oberst.

Last month I got an email introducing me to a Brooklyn band called Plushgun and I have been obsessed ever since. It first started with a music video that featured “Dwight” from NBC’s “The Office” for the song “Just Impolite.”

It’s very hipster pop, the kind of sound you like immediately and worry that you’ll get sick of in a week. Only that didn’t happen and when I saw that the band was in town, I jumped at the chance.

Harper’s Ferry is always a fun place to see a group to the wide open dance space, the sprawling bar and the broken pool tables in the back. There’s also a massive television behind the bar to stare at if you get bored.

And usually the television is my savior as I struggle through the opening band of the night, hoping the wailing and musical confusion will soon die down. Except this time. No one can be bored with there are two women dressed in bikinis with strange wigs on gyrating on stage. I also believe there was singing happening too, but I don’t remember (and sadder still, don’t remember the name of the opening band).

It was a bigger crowd than I was expecting, especially since the ad for the show had the phrase “Dance Party” on it. However, as soon as Plushgun came on, it was clear why that was.

With the audience armed with light sticks of all sizes, Plushgun erupted onto the stage, inspiring everyone to do some form of dancing on the stage that inevitably morphed into twirling the light stick in the air with a grand “Woo!!!” being screamed into the air.

I was actually surprised to see a full band on stage with Dan Ingala (dude who “found” the band), especially since I assumed the music was just a guy on a keyboard and a computer.

Through the spaz-like dancing, hands flailing in the air and singing excitedly, it was clear that there was something special in the room (and all of that was just happening on stage).

There’s a strange sense of joy that revolves around a Plushgun show, to the sugary beats, occassinoal audience participation, and communial dancing (there was seriously a lot of movement, both good and questionable, at the show).

It reached a high point with the final song “Without a Light,” which slowly builds to an all-out, dance-riffic beat by the chorus. And yet, it wasn’t cheesy nor was it forced. There’s something infectious about really well crafted pop music and, when done right, infects everyone with the same uncontrollable need to bounce of the walls, drunk or sober.

That’s what Plushgun is. The aural version of pop rocks and a can of Coke on a warm summer afternoon.

Plushgun – Just Impolite (Live at Harper’s Ferry)
[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/plushgun-just-impolite-live-at-harpers-ferry.mp3]

Walking through the stage door in the back of the building I am met with the welcoming warm scent of freshly popped popcorn.  An unusual scent for a music venue but nonetheless much appreciated compared to the mostly common stale smell of yesterdays spilled beer and cigarette smoke.

Walking towards the front of the building I realized that in fact the Belcourt Theatre is a movie/music theatre. Featuring cool independent films, foreign films and old classics.

The Everybodyfields are already onstage doing their sound check, working on the stage monitor sound.

Lucky for me I use in-ear monitors. As a matter of fact my whole show is totally self-contained.  All I ever need from the sound guy is 5 XLR (microphone) cables. That is not to say that my rig doesn’t look intimidating at first. Oh I’ve seen the furrowed foreheads and worried smiles as I carry my giant pedal board through the door.

I’ve been warming up beneath the stage in the dressing room, listening to the creaking floorboards as the crew walks back and forth in final preparation.

To get ready I usually grab an instrument and improvise melodies over odd chord progressions to free myself up.  I also stretch my body every which way to work out the drive de jour and to find balance. Since I stand on one leg a lot during the show it’s a must if I don’t want to find myself on the ground.

I’m out here on the road promoting my “Hummingbird, Go!” album. I’ve been on the road since June playing a mixture of shows.  Mostly opening for other bands in varying sized venues. Tonight the crowd is new to me. I step on stage and catch a glimpse of the near full room before I walk into the bright lights. Once I reach center stage I remove the high heels and plant my feet in my zone, the white shag rug.

It’s a little bit like being a pitcher in a baseball game. (Not that I ever played baseball, but I’ve imagined it, singing the national anthem a time or two.)

Stepping up to the mound all senses are focused and ready to go.

It’s the same for me as I step onto the white rug. My show is so full of detail and technical passages that I must be completely there. My set up basically looks like the Starship Enterprise control panel plus some extras.

To my left there are two mixers and drums. In front of me on the floor rests the pedal board, a white, boomerang shaped two layered board that has tons of electronics on it. A loop pedal on either side with various doodads sandwiched in between. In my mind there’s a big check list for every song I play (and even for the space between the songs) for things I need to do while singing and playing. Turning knobs with my toes, standing on one leg while reaching with the other to turn something on or off. Even standing on my heels to simultaneously start two pedals….

The first song is a traditional folk song “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep”. I strum the violin, loop it, then pluck the bass line on the violin, add vocals and harmonies and solo and all goes well…. no miss steps or stumbles. In my mind the audience responds with a roar (much like a herd of tigers & bears) and we’re off… The truth is, in a bigger venue where the stage is a ways from the audience, I can’t hear them very well. This is because of my in-ear monitors. These little suckers help me get the perfect sound every night but they also block some of the lesser loud audience noise out.  That’s why I know that when I can hear the audience they’re really going for it.

In the back of my mind I remember something someone said about Nashvillians being a very critical audience. But I decide not to worry about it.

I start off the second song, “Na Na Na” and there must have been a few audience members who’ve seen it on YouTube, because now the imagined herd of tigers and bears are starting to make themselves known (although more like little cubs)

I am starting to get hot and by the third song “Birds Fly Away” I am sweating under the lights. I see the silhouette of people in the isles dancing and the cubs have grown a few sizes now.

I slow down with the Swedish song “Innan Du Gar”. This is when I all of a sudden hear a clear voice in the audience, yelling out “Heja Gotland”.

What the… I am curious at who it could be…it’s unusual to hear voices from home, besides I didn’t think anyone knew me here. I hope this person says hi later at the merch table. I almost miss my foot cues here…. gotta stay focused.

I have to hang out for a while after this tune to find the groove for the Allen Toussaint song “On your way down”. I loop this one with just the voice so it’s important to keep it in time (early in my looping career I found out that my time is not always consistent) but tonight I do good.  Someone in the audience hollers and you can hear it every time the loop comes around!

I finish with a couple of more songs and head out to the foyer (where the popcorn is) to the merch table to meet my audience.

Theresa Andersson – Na Na Na

[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/01-na-na-na-empty-heart.mp3]

Theresa Andersson
October 12, 2008
Belcourt Theatre – Nashville, TN
A show with — the Everybodyfields

It’s almost 1 a.m. on a Thursday and I was not expecting to be blogging again. But I went and checked my email and found something about Anya Marina, a girl who sings songs that are being described as “pop gems,” which translated to some weird musical treasure buried in a cave.

Her album, “Slow & Steady Seduction, Phase II” drops on Dec. 9 and her debut single is “Move You,” which started as most indie songs do: a simple guitar riff with a girl singing “Bending spoons with my mind…” in a sexy hush-hush voice.

Anya Marina – Move You
[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/01_move_you.mp3]

Then it erupts into something else at 1:02 into some sort of rocking dance beat (but still with her sexy crooning in the background). Maybe it’s the steak I had tonight or the fact that I was simply in the mood for a blond with a guitar who poses like Liz Phair.

For whatever reason, I dug it.

10/13 Solana Beach, CA – Belly up – Hotel Cafe tour

10/16 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge w. The Little Ones

11/21 Los Angeles, CA – Hotel Cafe CD RELEASE PARTY

12/2 Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre w. Jason Mraz

12/3 Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live w. Jason Mraz

12/4 Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall w. Jason Mraz

12/5 Miami Beach, FL – Fillmore Miami Beach w. Jason Mraz

Plushgun – Just Impolite
[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/02-just-impolite.mp3]

When The Stills came out with their first album, I was intrigued. I gravitated to their soft “Let’s Roll” and the rest of the album eventually fell into place. Then I heard their followup, the dreadful “Without Feathers” and thought I was done.

I should have known better than to doubt former art students who are probably experts at reinvention.

Their latest release, “Oceans WIll Rise,” is an animal and presents the band we all knew was hiding inside the artistic hearts of these cannucks. There are soaring vocals, Cult-like guitars and a steady flow that’s been absent in the previous Stills albums.

There’s even a laid-back outro to one of their songs, as if they knew people would be riled up and needed to calm them down (if “Layla” didn’t have an outro, I’m convinced people would be running mad in the streets).

But there’s something else, something that gives the band more depth. On the song “Panic,” there’s a sense of the band diving into the somewhat negative feedback they received on their second album, but instead of spiraling out into a post-modern shame cycle, embraces the experience.

This is the backbone for “Oceans,” and proves the band still has a pool of creativity they can dip into. Sure, their past album garnered comparisons to other bands (and on this one they will no doubt be compared to The Cult among others), but that’s what this band does best.

Like artists, the reinterpret music in their own eyes and we can only reap the benefits thanks to their endeavors.

And as for their dates with Kings of Leon (have you heard “Crawl”? Put the Lean Pocket down and get it now), those shows will be a match made in rock heaven and shouldn’t be missed.

9/12/08 – Quebec City, PQ @ Envol & Macadam Fest w/ Bloc Party & Metric
9/18/08 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
9/20/08 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
9/27/08 – Montreal, PQ @ Cabaret
10/11/08 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint *
10/12/08 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues*
10/15/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre *
10/17/08 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre *
10/18/08 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre *
10/20/08 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre *
10/21/08 – Portland, OR @ Schnitzer Hall *
10/23/08 – Denver, CO @ The Fillmore Auditorium *
10/25/08 – Austin, TX @ Austin Music Hall *
10/26/08 – Oklahoma City, OK@ Bricktown Events Center *
10/28/08 – Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theatre *
10/29/08 – Dallas, TX @ Palladium Ballroom *
10/31/08 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom *
* With Kings Of Leon

The Stills – “Being Here”
[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/04-being-here.mp3]

* Photo by the NY Times and during McCarren’s final show with Sonic Youth

It’s Monday, Labor Day, and I’m enjoying some of life’s rarest moments: a morning with a decent breakfast, time with the Wii Fit, and a clear head that only comes from a full day of boozing and playing horseshoes. But the day off from the day job also offers me time to sit back and indulge in the New York Times, something I almost never get to do during the week.

Today, in the arts section, I came upon a story about McCarren Pool, the outdoor music venue in Brooklyn that enjoyed a brief 3-year run as a place to see free indie-rock shows in the confines of an enormous pool, larger than four Olympic-sized pools combined.

The pool’s last show was this past Saturday, where Sonic Youth played to a varied audience, complete with hipsters and 50-year-old fans of the band. Eventually, the area will be converted back to what it was, a place for swimmers.

Is it possible the recent heroics of Michael Phelps pushed this project along? Probably not. There’s been a long discussion about the space and recently, even before the Olympics, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged $50 Million to the project.

And while many of the residents applaud the project and say they’d rather have the pool than the venue, it strikes an interesting chord for music fans hungry for something different than the smokey, crowded club with bad acoustics and spotty lighting.

There has to be more venues like McCarren Pool, a place for people to gather freely in wide open spaces and not be forced to lean up against a wall. And in a land of soaring concert ticket prices, a free show with a decent band is increasingly hard to come by.

But I have faith. Music always finds a way. There will be more McCarren Pools, you just have to search around the dark corners of your neighborhood to find it, like a junkie determined to find crack from the last dealer in town.