Concert Round-up

Ok people, you know the deal. Well, the 2 of you who read this know it. Anyways, much like the new music round-up, the concert round-up is where I give my 2 cents on a lot of the recent shows I've been to. If I feel like writing a lot, I will. If I don't feel like writing a lot, I won't. Simple as that.

8/4/07 - Warped Tour - Nassau Coliseum

Holy shit it was fucking hot. Anyways, Warpred Tour is nothing more than a sampling of bands. I hardly ever see a full set as I drift from stage to stage catching pieces of each act. No big surprises today (which I can't blame on the artists, since they only have a half hour set time). A few things that stood out was the fact that Tiger Army wasn't afraid to play their slow song. A haunting number Nick 13 wrote about a friend who took his own life. Circa Survive can still rip it up live. Coheed & Cambria seem out of place there. And, yeah, that's it. Typical Warped Tour. No more, no less.

8/6/07 - Muse - Madison Square Garden

Wow. Just wow. First off, it's awesome that these guys can fill up MSG without THAT much mainstream success. Sure, they have some popular singles, but everyone who was there was a fan. Sure, Matt Bellamy self-indulged in a little more rock-star posturing than he did nearly a year ago at their show at Hammerstein (weirdly, across the street from MSG) but he deserved it. Since they're massive in England, they know how to work arena and they're not intimidated by it. All those songs sound huge in the setting. Amazing how big of a wall of sound a three-piece can make (and their computer too, I guess).

8/8/07 - Beastie Boys - Central Park Summerstage

This show really goes to prove how they are legends and how they keep things interesting. The setlist consisted of material spawning every aspect of their career and you could tell they played the songs that THEY wanted to play. Mike D even made a point of saying how he took the subway up to the show and, you know what, I believe him. They jammed a few of their new instrumental tracks, played a lot of fan favorites, played some of the hits, I couldn't have asked for more. As my friend later pointed out, sometimes you forget that you're seeing one of the biggest bands in the world goofing around on a small stage in the middle of Central Park.

8/9/07 - Incubus - Jones Beach Amphitheatre

Boring, predictable, etc. Seriously, do they have to do that same jam in the middle of "Sick Sad World" everytime? January's show at Hammerstein was so much better. I'm not just saying that because I was stuck in a seat, the whole thing just felt like they were on auto-pilot. I do respect how they don't play all their hit singles and switch the setlist up a bit, but the show just seemed SOOOOOO uninspired. Bleh, hopefully next time will be better. On another note, The Bravery were also a complete bore which is disappointing considering both times I've seen them (Webster Hall and Irving Plaza), they were much more on point.

8/14/07 - Mae - Grammercy Theatre

Hey, Capital Records, if I were you, I'd take this as NOT a good sign. The band you just signed with a supposed following couldn't even fill up the Grammercy Theatre on the release date of their new record. Something wrong? I think so. Mae is fine. Good meat-and-potatoes, safe, friendly pop/rock. They write some pretty melodies. They could have the potential to have a few crossover hits. We'll see what the label chooses to do with them. As for the show? Predictable set. Now, on the other hand, openers As Tall As Lions are a band you need to go listen to if you're reading this.

8/18/07 - Velvet Revolver (w/Alice In Chains) - Jones Beach Amphitheatre

Holy shit, Alice In Chains killed it. I thought with having a new singer it would be kinda strange, but it was ON POINT. The crowd was definitely more into them than VR. Alice looked so happy to be up there on stage again (as an added bonus, they were dressed like it was still 1992). It was powerhouse hit after hit. The same can't be said for Velvet Revolver. Everytime I see them it's as if there's a certain level of intensity missing. Similar to Incubus it's kind of like each MEMBER is on Auto-Pilot which usually works for the whole but there's a few parts that are noticeable. Someone screwed up when they were doing STP's "Vasoline" and the timing was off in a few numbers. Weiland seems to be smoking too much also (the high notes on "Fall To Pieces" were suffering). Still, I don't think I could ever give up the chance to see Scott Weiland perform.