Black Keys & Divine Fits @ New Joint

The night before New Years.  Have to get out tonight so as to not put up with amateur night tomorrow.

Erik & I got to the Joint early to see the Divine Fits.  A Spoon / Red Kross / Jesus Lizard supergroup.  They had a real Nick Cave feel to them, sort of brooding rock.  I liked what I heard (ultimately a little more than hearing them later on their A Thing Called.. album).  They finished their set with a cover of, appropriately, The Birthday Party's Shivers - an old favorite of mine that I was stunned to recognize.

I had high expectations for The Black Keys.  The first of 2 nights, celebrating New Years Eve in Vegas.  Should be a big show, right?  Not really.  They just seemed to be going through their paces and barely played an hour and a half.  Having said that there were a few highlights.  Things started well with Howlin' For You.  The back to back Gold On The Ceiling and Thickfreakness energized me and the crowd, but generally the setlist relied heavily on Brothers and El Camino which, for me, is less rocking than say Thickfreakness & Rubber Factory.

This comes across as not a particularly good review, but I did enjoy myself and will more than likely try and see them again, but maybe not if New Years festivities are involved.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 348th concert.
This is my 15th concert at New Joint.
This is my 144th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 144th concert in Nevada.
This is my 156th concert in the USA.
Divine Fits are the 413th band I've seen.
This is my 3rd Black Keys concert.

Reverend Horton Heat @ Vinyl

I had to wait till the end of the year to see the show of the year.  What a great night this turned out to be.  I've seen the Reverend twice before, once in Charlotte and once doing a double shift after Motorhead cancelled a show at Vegas House Of Blues.  But tonight was something else.

Checking out a new venue - Vinyl @ The Hard Rock Hotel - a great intimate venue perfect for this show.  Looking forward to more shows here.

Reverend Horton Heat came out and explained the layout for the night.  They were gonna play a song from each of their 9 albums (in order), throw in a couple of covers and then have Jello Biafra come out and do some songs.  From the first chords of Psychobilly Freakout the band and crowd were in a frenzy.  I don't know many songs but each of the ones listed below was better than the last.  A holiday tune - Run, Run Rudolph - and the Stray Cat's Rock This Town saw the band make an introduction to their special guest for the evening.  I was somewhat relieved as I though Jello was opening the show and I'd gotten there too late and missed him.  But out came the punk legend to tear through a couple of Guantanamo School Of Medicine songs followed by an amazing version of House Of The Rising Sun.  Reverend Horton Heat then played 2 Dead Kennedys' songs which sent Jello into another atmosphere.  It was hair-standing-on-the-back-of-of-your-neck exciting.  Back to a few more from just Reverend Horton Heat to finish up the night.  But two more highlight in the encore.  An awesome cover of Folsom Prison Blues before Jello was back on stage for an appropriately wild Viva Las Vegas.

What a great show - and a great combo.  Hope something this great happens again soon

The Crap Facts

This is my 347th concert.
Vinyl is the 92nd venue I've seen a concert in.
This is my 143rd concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 143rd concert in Nevada.
This is my 155th concert in the USA.
This is my 3rd Reverend Horton Heat concert.

ZZ Top @ House of Blues

So, for the most part, since living in Vegas, I've enjoyed seeing some older performers that I normally wouldn't.  ZZ Top has been in Vegas a dozen times since I've lived here, but the opportunity to see them in a small venue like the House Of Blues was too good to pass up.

Good size crowd - none of which was really the Rodeo crowd, which I expected.  The room was still set up the way they do it for Santana, with tables everywhere, so again I got a great spot standing on the main floor.  I hardly knew any of the songs until Give Me All Your Lovin' half way through the set  but each song was better than the last.  Here is a band who have played together for over 35 years so they are tight, and while choreography was not their forte, every move was on beat and the crowd loved it.

For me it was the hits I knew that were the highlights including Sharp Dressed Man & Legs, but also glad I got to know I Gotsta Get Paid and Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers.

Overall a fun night of old-school blues-rock.  And while they weren't on any bucket list, I'm glad I got to see this legendary band.

The Crap Facts

This is my 346th concert.
This is my 45th concert at House Of Blues.
This is my 142nd concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 142nd concert in Nevada.
This is my 154th concert in the USA.
ZZ Top are the 412th band I've seen.

Shania Twain @ Caesars Colosseum

OK.  This is is the furthest away from the music I would normally listen to, but when work offers a freebie, it is hard to say no.  And this preview of Shania Twain's upcoming Las Vegas residency is just her 2nd live performance in close to 15 years.

Before the show we were invited to dinner at various Forum Shops restaurants.  Amy & I lucked out and got the wonderful Il Mulino.  I don't know why we don't eat here more often.  The food is excellent and the service is impeccable.  I send a ton of guests here all the time, and I'm so glad I do - it is a dining experience everyone should have at least once.  And to top it off, I won a men's Coach bag in a raffle - again, so not me, but who knows?

Our seats are fantastic!  13 rows from the stage and dead center.  Could not have wished for more.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the spectacle.  This is a preview show, so there are things that need fine tuning (like banter with the crowd) but her voice is spot on.  I was actually quite surprised about how many songs I knew.  From You're Still The One to Don't Impress Me Much to Don't Be Stupid to Man! I Feel Like A Woman all these songs had the crowd going.

Again this not an artist I'd normally go and see, but I think Shania Twain will be a success with her Las Vegas residency.  She has obviously worked hard on the show and after a bit more practice it will cater to that Celine, Elton, Rod Stewart crowd that Caesars has captured so well.

Shania Twain Setlist

The Crap Facts:

This is my 345th concert.
This is my 7th concert at Caesars Colosseum.
This is my 141st concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 141st concert in Nevada.
This is my 153rd concert in the USA.
Shania Twain is the 411th band I've seen.

Deftones & Scars On Broadway @ House Of Blues

Even before this show started I knew it would be a good one, as there is no such thing as a bad Deftones show.

Erik & I arrived for the support band - as did everybody else.  A side project from System Of A Down's Daron Malakian bought the hordes out early.  I didn't get into it that much, but more so than Erik, who answered work emails on his Blackberry while the band played.

This is the smallest venue I'd seen the Deftones in, and the best show.  As always they were intense and a collective ball of energy.  Chino Moreno stalks the stage and I love his variations from whispers to blood curdling screams.  The double Be Quiet & Drive and My Own Summer were favorites for the night.  For such a relatively big band this is a small venue for them to play in, but I'm glad they did - it made a great show a fantastic one.  Already looking forward to the next one

The Crap Facts:

This is my 344th concert.
This is my 44th concert at House Of Blues.
This is my 140th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 140th concert in Nevada.
This is my 152nd concert in the USA.
Scar On Broadway are the 410th band I've seen.
This is my 4th Deftones concert.

Zarkana @ Aria

I'll keep this pretty brief.  I went to see my hotel's latest incarnation of Cirque du Soleil - Zarkana.  It was a freebie and after seeing the show, I am going to have to use some creative licence to sell this product. There was nothing in this Cirque that I haven't seen in other Cirques in Las Vegas.  And there was no spectacular pinnacle anywhere.  

Don't get me wrong - these performers are great at what they do but maybe I'm a little biased towards the underrated Viva Elvis that got canned.  Maybe my opinion would be different if this was my 1st Cirque.

Quote of the night came from A.  "Everyone should see a Cirque du Soleil once in their life.  Nobody should see 7!"

Clover, SC

Flew back to Charlotte on my own on 3 November, to go house hunting.  Stayed with Pops & Nannan in Clover and Glenda took us around and showed us 14 houses in 2 days.

Melvins & Hepa Titus @ Las Vegas Country Saloon

Thank God for the Melvins.

I am a fan in the sense that any time they come to a town, I'm in, I will see them.  I own only 2 albums. I know very few song names, and can barely sing along to what they do, but the 5 times I've seen them previous, they have killed it.  Tonight would be no different.

My first foray to the Las Vegas Country Saloon in Downtown.  A great, small venue (a bit larger than the Casbah in San Diego where I last saw the Melvins).  I got there in time for Hepa/Titus to hit the stage.  Containing Melvins bassist for this tour, Kevin Rutmanis, the band played some good rock, enough to get the crowd ready for greatness.

The Melvins are in at the end of an incredible 51 shows in 51 days in all the US' states and territories, and we are show 49 - on Dale's birthday.  They are doing this tour as a 3 piece (Melvins Lite), so the 2 guys from Big Business aren't with them, meaning no duel drum attack.  Bummer!  Still from the get go, the Melvins played their distinct style of rock and assaulted the crowd with their greatness.  As usual it wasn't until Hooch (a Houdini song), halfway through the set, that I knew a song.  This set played heavily on the new Freak Puke album.  A couple of covers, as usual, but a great version of the Wing's Let Me Roll It topped the night.  Overall another solid show from this unique band.  I will back to see them again for 2 reasons.  1) They never fail to put on a good show and 2) I just want to hear Honeybucket once, live.  It is an all time favorite song of mine and they've no played it in the 6 times I've seen them.  Oh well!....any excuse.

The Crap Facts

This is my 343rd concert.
Las Vegas Country Saloon is the 91st venue I've seen a concert in.
This is my 139th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 139th concert in Nevada.
This is my 151st concert in the USA.
Hepa Titus are the 409th band I've seen.

Hepa Titus are the 800th time I've seen a band.
This is my 6th Melvins concert.

Peter Gabriel & Jennie Abrahamson @ Planet Hollywood Theater

Wasn't really sure what I was going to be in for with this show.  Peter Gabriel's tour coincides with the 25th anniversary of his So album.  I've never been a fan, obviously songs here and there were liked, but A was keen to see this.

The Planet Hollywood Theatre was a lot bigger than I expected but we had a great isle seat about halfway back in the room.  Sitting down for music is a little weird for me, but could be appropriate for this show.  We'll see.

The show started with Swedish pianist, and Gabriel's back up singer, Jennie Abrahamson, playing a few (maybe 4) of her own original pieces.  Very mellow beginning.

Unannounced Peter Gabriel and band walked on stage and he announced the format for the show.  He wanted to do a couple of acoustic numbers before rocking out, then was to play So from start to finish.  Shock The Monkey & Digging In The Dirt were familiar to me, and awesome live.  But the rest of the opening set was great and A - on a rare night out for the 2 of us these days - was having a blast.  Once he started playing So, I knew a lot more songs than I realized.  Sledgehammer, Big Time & Don't Give Up were fantastic, with Jennie Abrahamson doing a super version of Kate Bush's vocals in the latter song.  The set finished with the "Say Anything" anthem In Your Eyes.  The crowd went nuts.  I could only imagine what it would have been like the following night when John Cusack actually walked on stage in Los Angeles with a boom-box to do the classic stance from the movie.  But we weren't done yet.  While only a 2 song encore (mind you this was a 2 1/2 hour show, so I'm not complaining), the night finished with Biko - in my opinion, Gabriel's greatest song.  So glad I got to experience that live

So with his original recording band from So, a great light and staging show, Peter Gabriel has still got it.  A fantastic night was no only had by us, but pretty much everyone in a near capacity Planet Hollywood Theatre.  Glad I took the opportunity to see this great artist.

The Crap Facts
This is my 342nd concert.
Planet Hollywood Theater is the 90th venue I've seen a concert in.
This is my 138th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 138th concert in Nevada.
This is my 150th concert in the USA.
Jennie Abrahamson is the 407th band I've seen.
Peter Gabriel is the 408th band I've seen.
This is my 50th concert with A.

Rise Against & Gaslight Anthem @ The New Joint

I keep going back to see Rise Against - even though I am not a fan - because they keep bringing good support bands with them.  This time a current favorite, The Gaslight Anthem.

Not a huge crowd for The Gaslight Anthem, and those that were there were looking to get up front for the main event.  It was an OK set by them, though too big a venue to really enjoy it.  Plenty of songs off The 59 Sound (one of my favorite albums of the last 10 years).  Not sure why these guys don't come to Vegas on their own.  In the House Of Blues or the Hard Rock Cafe they'd be terrific.

Rise Against got another chance because I saw singer Tim McIlrath in the documentary "The Other F Word".  He seems like a good bloke, so why not.  However, I was quickly reminded what I didn't like - that voice is nails on a chalk board to me and the choreographed skipping gets a bit much.  But again, I was in the minority.  The kids in The Joint had a blast and knew every word to every song.  As always my thoughts just revert back to "Maybe I'm just too old for this".  Needless to say we had one foot out the door - gotta beat the crowd, get to your car and out of that nightmare Hard Rock parking lot - when the encore started.

Though this is far from the best show I've seen, I wonder when I will see Rise Against again - and more importantly who will the bring with them.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 341st concert.
This is my 14th concert at New Joint.
This is my 137th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 137th concert in Nevada.
This is my 149th concert in the USA.
This is my 3rd Gaslight Anthem concert.
This is my 3rd Rise Against concert.

The Hives & Fidlar @ Cosmopolitan Pool

I’VE JUST SEEN THE GREATEST CURRENT LIVE BAND BAR NONE!!! AGAIN! 

The Hives deserve all the plaudits they get for their high energy shows. This is only my 2nd Hives show but just amazing. 

Coming out on stage one by one in tuxedos and top hats, a smallish crowd at the still-filled Cosmo Pool gave the heir of respect was demanded from Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist. The feisty opener, Come On! set the tone for the evening. Things were going to be fast and energetic. Between song banter from the beginning was hilarious (This is the best pool party with a view of the Eiffel Tower we’ve ever played!), with Almqvist making sure what the audience needed to do to fire up the band (When I say something the only 2 responses you should have is YEAH! or THE HIVES!). Walk Idiot Walk was great and Main Offender put the crowd into overdrive. It was from then on that the crowd seemed like they were having a blast. Die Alright and Wait A Minute were fun and it seemed like everyone exploded for Hate To Say I Told you So. Go Right Ahead & Try It Again finished the set and left the crowd dying for more. It wasn’t long before we were graced with the Hives presence again. They launched into a 3 song encore which saw people going nuts in the pool – if you were anywhere near the stage (like me) you did not walk out of that show less than soaking wet. After a grand finale Tick Tick Boom the whole band joined the crowd in the pool – tuxedos and all. And much to the joy, hung around to let people take pictures with them. 

All in all, a highly energetic and wild show. The likes of which has only be equaled by The Stooges at Vegoose in 2007,Cage The Elephant at Wasted Space in 2010 and The Hives last visit to Vegas in 2005. I wish I could see the Hives every week. 

In contrast, openers Fidlar, were a good rockin’ band but just didn’t have the same connection with the audience. If you keep talking about drugs - wanting, but not getting, a big response – try something else. It gets dull after 3 attempts.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 340th concert.

This is my 6th concert at Cosmopolitan Pool.

This is my 136th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 136th concert in Nevada.

This is my 148th concert in the USA.

Fidlar are the 406th band I've seen.

This is my 2nd Hives concert.

Jane's Addiction @ Cosmopolitan Pool

Another nice night out by the pool – this time for Jane’s Addiction. 

Erik & I arrived at 10pm and the place was packed (more than I’d ever seen at Cosmo’s pool). We got a spot on the right a small ways back from the stage – but we can see fine. Just as we settle in the band saunter on stage. This is a band that I picture being wild in their heyday, but 20 plus years has wearied them and it is a different type of performance now – one where you have to love the music. 

Jane’s played a good mix of songs from all albums but it is the stuff from Jane’s and ritual that I want to hear. Mountain Song was great and Been Caught Stealing early on got the crowd in a good mood. Surprisingly we got Jane Says in the middle of the set, followed by a percussion fueled Chip Away. This kinda slowed the show’s momentum and a bit of a buzzkill. Three Days kicked it up a little but it was my favorite, Stop!, that was the highlight of the night. Summertime Rolls ended the set, disappointingly after only about 80 minutes. What’s that all about? How can Jane’s only have 80 minutes of music to play – and no encore. Another good show, but far too short.

The Crap Facts

This is my 339th concert.

This is my 5th concert at Cosmopolitan Pool.

This is my 135th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 135th concert in Nevada.

This is my 147th concert in the USA.

This is my 3rd Jane's Addiction concert.
Jane's Addiction are the 250th time I've seen a band in the USA.

Bloc Party & Santigold @ Cosmopolitan Pool

Unfortunately the weather put a literal and figurative dampener on the evening.  A rare storm passing through Vegas meant that I was getting to the venue as Santigold was supposed to start.  Instead I was greeted with a mile long line through the Cosmo’s convention center, as lightning had prevented doors being opened for guest safety.  Finally got into the venue only for continued rain to keep the roadies busy getting Santigold’s gear ready, then protecting it with plastic covers.  After near an hour, an announcement is made that Santigold would be cancelled, to many jeers from the crowd. 

On the plus side this did thin out the crowd a little, while it took another hour to set up for Bloc Party.  And just when they were about to come on stage some water got into a keyboard and made a God-awful noise (another 20 minutes to sort this out).  Finally at 11.20pm Bloc Party take the stage and kicked off with Octopus from the forthcoming Four album.  It wasn’t until Positive Tension that the crowd reacted with a bit more fervor. The set was a great one, with snippets taken from all 4 albums, but mostly from my favorite Silent Alarm.  After a mere 50 minutes they finished off with Helicopter and took bows for the crowd.  I at least expected an encore but by the time they’d left the stage it was announced that Santigold would perform.

It didn’t take nearly as long for her set up, and with even less people in the crowd, Santigold was on stage by 12.30am.  Generally speaking this is not type of music I’d listen to, but, like when I saw Thievery Corporation at Coachella a few years ago, Santigold has a great presence and puts on a fun show.  About 4 songs in she invited anyone who could get on stage to come on up and it seemed like it was 50/50 to those still in the crowd to those on stage.  After about half an hour of heavy thumping bass, I was done – it was still an hour before I’d get home and this is waaaay past my bedtime. 

While the Bloc Party was shortened due to the weather, it still turned out to be a pretty good night, in spite of the start.

The Crap Facts

This is my 338th concert.

This is my 4th concert at Cosmopolitan Pool.

This is my 134th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 134th concert in Nevada.

This is my 146th concert in the USA.

Santigold are the 405th  band I've seen.
This is my 4th Bloc Party concert.

Beck @ Pearl

I am worried that I have such high expectations going into this show I may be disappointed. Beck is renowned for putting on a great show and nowadays these shows are few and far between. Surprisingly the Pearl is not two-thirds full, and there is plenty of room on the floor – though I am with Erik & Shelly, so the freak magnet was still on in the form of a Michael Jackson dancing guy right in front of us.

Beck definitely started with a one-two bang with Devil’s Haircut & Loser to start the night. I am not too familiar with a lot of his songs, so I was wondering where he’d go from there. The entire set stayed solid, with a great Bob Dylan Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat cover (better than when I saw Dylan do it a couple of years ago). While Beck himself kept pretty low key, the band was tight and having a great time. New Pollution and the finishing Where It’s At were a couple of other highlights, before an awe inspiring 3 song encore including Mutherfuker & Girl.

While it was not the spectacle I was thinking of, this Odelay heavy Beck set was a great performance and I’m so glad I can tick him off a rock n roll bucket list.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 337th concert.

This is my 10th concert at Pearl.

This is my 133rd concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 133rd concert in Nevada.

This is my 145th concert in the USA.

Beck is the 404th band I've seen.

Barenaked Ladies & Blues Traveler @ New Joint

Why have I never seen Blues Traveler?  These guys are phenomenal!  Such a great energy, amazing musicianship and a happy repoire with the crowd.  While this is a relatively short set, John Popper and the boys certainly set the crowd alight.  There were a couple of songs I recognized including Run Around and the opening Sublime cover of What I’ve Got.

It’s been 13 years since I last saw the Barenaked Ladies (a great birthday night at the Metro in Sydney in 99).  While the energy level is not as pumped as I remembered, this is still a great, fun show.  I’m there to hear the classics – One Week (they seemed tired of that song) and Brian Wilson, but stayed for the rest – including a great improv / cover medley.  Also loved the fact that Blues Traveler’s John Popper played on the If I Had A Million Dollars.  The venue seemed a little too big for the night, but it was nice not to be the old guy in the room for a change and get close-ish to the stage.  I may not pursue another Barenaked Ladies show but will definitely be on the lookout for another Blues Traveler show.

 

The Crap Facts

This is my 336th concert.

This is my 13th concert at The New Joint.

This is my 132nd concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 132nd concert in Nevada.

This is my 144th concert in the USA.
Blues Traveler are the 403rd band I've seen.

This is my 2nd Barenaked Ladies concert.
Barenaked Ladies are the 150th band I've seen at least twice.

Airborne Toxic Event & Henry Clay People @ Hard Rock Pool

According to Erik’s rule if you see at least 3 songs, you’ve seen a band.  Therefore we just saw Henry Clay People.  And disappointingly we weren’t there earlier.  They were a great, rocking band who warm up the crowd well.  They finished with a good cover of (their words) The Greatest Rock Song Ever Written – Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run.

I don’t listen to the radio at all, so it is through others and dumb luck that I may now discover new bands.  Today it’s dumb luck!  I got given a pair of free tickets to this show via a Concierge function.  I know nothing about this band – but free tickets to a venue I’d not seen a gig in – I thought I’d give it a shot.  And drag Erik with me – he knew just as much.  So glad I did!  A loyal following for Airborne Toxic Event sees a good size crowd enjoying the warm weather by the Hard Rock’s Pool.  And from the get go these guys are rocking.  A good rock sound with the unique sounds of violin and occasional keyboard, combined with a great band energy sees this turn out to be a great show.  None of the songs sound familiar to me, but definitely good enough to look for a CD in the near future. 

An encore saw an a few extended songs, including The Clash’s I Fought The Law, as the singer opted to make the most of the pool mid song.  Needless to say, many were happy to join him.  Will definitely keep an eye out to see them again.

The Crap Facts

This is my 335th concert.

Hard Rock Pool is the 89th venue I've seen a concert in.

This is my 131st concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 131st concert in Nevada.

This is my 143rd concert in the USA.
Henry Clay People are the 401st band I've seen.
Henry Clay People are the 150th different band I've seen in Las Vegas.
Airborne Toxic Event are the 402nd band I've seen.

Clover, SC

On June 21 the 4 of us flew back to Charlotte for Goo's funeral.  We took a red eye and the boys did a lot better flying, though it took B forever to fall asleep.  We stayed on the farm with Pop's and Nannan.

Jesus & Mary Chain @ House Of Blues

I don’t know why I wanted to go to this concert, as I don’t know any songs, but I was somewhat compelled to see The Jesus and Mary Chain. And when the good people at Punks In Vegas offered me 2 free tickets, how could I say no?

It was a late start for the House of Blues, normally their shows are over by 10pm, but tonight they are not on stage until 10pm. Too late for this old guy (still tired from Weezer last night). The band do not have much of a stage presence, nor a repoire with the audience, but the music was good. Sidewalking, Reverence and Taste Of Cindy were highlights, but again they were on stage barely an hour. I’m glad I got to see them, but probably would not head back for another dose of The Jesus And Mary Chain.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 334th concert.

This is my 43rd concert at House Of Blues.

This is my 130th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 130th concert in Nevada.

This is my 142nd concert in the USA.
Jesus & The Mary Chain are the 400th band I've seen.

Weezer @ Mandalay Bay Beach

After a year and a half, it’s Weezer again. Back at the Joint when they were doing the Memories Tour, playing the Blue Album and Pinkerton, it seemed like they were going through the motions. But tonight it was back to fun.

I love the Mandalay Bay Beach as a venue, standing ankle deep in the water relatively close to the stage, in the warm weather. How can you go wrong? Erik, Shelly and I had a great spot right in front – on a slight raise with no obstructions.

My Name Is Jonas, Hash Pipe and Undone – The Sweater Song early on the piece was a great start. The band were having a blast, and the crowd was as well. Also loved Island In The Sun, (the rarely played) Susanne and Surf Wax America. The piece de resistance though was a cover of Poison’s Talk Dirty To Me. After a quick break, Weezer finished the show with a great ending of Buddy Holly and Beverly Hills. Overall 19 songs and a fun show, but Weezer were on stage under 75 minutes. You’d think after being together for so long and Joe Public forking over $50 plus, you’d be able to play a little longer. Nice work if you can get it. Just saying!

The Crap Facts:

This is my 333rd concert.

This is my 2nd concert at Mandalay Bay Beach.

This is my 129th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 129th concert in Nevada.

This is my 141st concert in the USA.
This is my 3rd Weezer concert..

Punk Rock Bowling @ 6th Street

Unfortunately I was only here for 2 bands on the 3rd day.  GBH played some old school hardcore punk, but I wasn't that into it.

I was there for Pennywise.  This was my 7th time seeing them, but the first with their new singer Zoli. I'm a huge fan of this band live but slightly skeptical of seeing them without Jim Lindberg.  Plenty of familiar songs, with Society, Perfect People and Black Flag's Nervous Breakdown highlights.  But finally I got to hear my favorite Pennywise song, Same Old Story, live.  I think Pennywise will continue strong.  After years of probably watching Lindberg, Zoli has developed a similar style that is not his own yet.  Once he settles in, and fans get over the fact that the new singer is here to stay, Pennywise will be their awesome selves again.

I hope not to be in Vegas by this time next year (9 years has been enough so far), but if I am, I'll be back for PRB.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 332nd concert.

This is my 3rd concert at 6th Street.

This is my 128th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 128th concert in Nevada.

This is my 140th concert in the USA.
GBH are the 399th band I've seen.
GBH is the 50th time I've seen an English band.
This is my 7th Pennywise concert.

Punk Rock Bowling @ 6th Street

For some reason security were unable to get people in at a timely rate on the 2nd night, so we missed Street Dogs and the first few songs of Hepcat.  With their swing-ska style Hepcat made for a casual start in the cooler weather this evening. 

Up next were the Cockney Rejects – the Godfather’s Of Oi!.  These East Londoners gave all in their hardcore set.  While it wasn’t quite my cup of tea, it was a blistering set.  I loved their football songs (which none of the crowd seemed to get), Trouble On The Terraces and West Ham’s unofficial theme I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles. 

Last band for the night was Rancid.  I can’t get enough of these guys live.  They are a great band, who put on a fantastic show, and fans aren’t afraid to show their appreciation for what they do on the stage.  Rancid's punk gives you no choice but to dance.  Their love of their music is infectious.  All the way through the set the band played great song after great song.  Roots Radicals and Olympia, WA were standouts.  And the encore with Time Bomb and Ruby Soho left me wanting for more.  That will have to wait for tomorrow night.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 331st concert.

This is my 2nd concert at 6th Street.

This is my 127th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 127th concert in Nevada.

This is my 139th concert in the USA.
Hepcat are the 397th band I've seen.
Cockney Rejects are the 398th band I've seen.
This is my 4th Rancid concert.
Rancid are the 200th time I've seen a band in Las Vegas and Nevada.

Punk Rock Bowling @ 6th Street

9 years in Vegas and this is my first Punk Rock Bowling.  How did that happen?

While the main festival goes all day, work (and the fact that I’m old restricts me to just a few bands a night).

The first night we got situated to see The Briefs.  A band I’d not heard of before, The Briefs started my festival blazing through a set looking like 80’s pop stars.  

The Briefs Setlist

I thought I knew English Beat songs but I found I was limited to just a couple.  Their ska-tinged rock was a nice interlude between the pace of the rest of the night.  It was also great to see lead singer, Dave Wakeling, rip into some idiot who threw something at him during the first song.  Wakeling berated the guy all the way out of the venue, with everyone (myself included) laughing at the tool as he unsuccessfully tried to save face.  Mirror In The Bathroom and Tears Of A Clown were crowd, and my favorites, but a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone will always make this Liverpool fan happy.

The Addicts were up next.  This English band pulled out all the theatrics for the night.  Great show and the lead singer in his garish costumes (while the rest of the band look like A Clockwork Orange) have a great presence.  Add the few hilarious costume changes and even though I didn’t know a song, I thought it was a great set.

It had been over 13 years since I’d last seen NoFX, and then I wasn’t that into it.  Tonight it is completely different.  From the get go, the show was fun, funny and rocking.  I’m not familiar with a lot of their songs, but they played Leave It Alone, which is my fave, as well as the Punk In Drublic album.  Between song banter within the band and to the crowd was funny, and the tiny banner on the stage was a big f–you  to other bands and their large displays.  A great first night.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 330th concert.

6th Street is the 88th venue I've seen a concert in.

This is my 126th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 126th concert in Nevada.

This is my 138th concert in the USA.
The Briefs are the 394th band I've seen.
The English Beat are the 395th band I've seen.
The Addicts are the 396th band I've seen.
This is my 2nd NoFX concert.
NoFX are the 50th time I've seen a band in at least 2 states.

Larry S. Lau

b 19 October 1935

d 18 May 2012

Survived by his children

Michael, Barbara , Lisa, Jenny & Jon 

his stepchildren

Drew & A 

and his grandchildren

Megan, Braden, Mitchell, Julie, Beth, Ian, Tyler, Amethyst, Patience, Holden, Harley, DJ, Mason, Barrett,  & Leland 

Our regret is Goo never met Barrett & Leland.  Hope you have landed at heaven's largest model railroad, surrounded by Morgan, Jesse, Sherman & a million labs.

Obituary in the Charlotte Observer 17 June 2012

Viva Elvis & Julian Serrano @ Aria

Ahhh! The trusted comp. A great perk of my job, which I have taken advantage of while my mum is here to see Viva Elvis for the 4th time. Because I sell the show we have been given some great seats and mum is excited. Unlike the free Elton tickets, which came out of the blue, I knew mum would want to see this and had this planned for a while.

I’d heard there were some changes since I’d seen it 17 months ago so I was interested to see what was changes to a show that is leaving Las Vegas in August. Mum loved it, she had a blast. I on the other hand was kind of bored. I didn’t think the changes did much to enhance the show, but I was still dazzled by the trampoline act once again. That was amazing! It’s kind of sad that this show could not find it's spot in Vegas' Cirque realm.

After the show we went and sat up at the bar at Julian Serrano. This is my favorite restaurant in ARIA. The food is fantastic and the atmosphere is not as stuffy as the other more formal dining rooms. Steak & Brie, patatas bravos, shrimp tempura and some sangrias were the end of a good night out.

RM Seafood & Santana @ House of Blues

Before I had gotten the freebies to Elton, I had bought tickets for Santana to take Mum for Mother’s Day.  Santana is a childhood holiday memory for me.  Mum and Dad always had Santana (and The Who) in the car as we headed north on a car-breaking-down holiday.  I had seen Santana before at the New Joint, but am looking forward to seeing him in the smaller House Of Blues.

We started off the night sitting up at the bar at RM Seafood.  Great restaurant right across way from the House Of Blues.  I think mum now understands how lucky we are here with all the dining options.

The show seemed packed in the seating, but there was plenty of room on the floor, closest to the stage, where we were.  This is to advantage of my 5ft mother.

While his guitar playing is amazing, Santana does not have an exuding stage presence – standing back from the stage and rarely interacting with the crowd.  We got some early classics - Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va - set the crowd alight.  Tonight he played a lot of songs I was not familiar with, but mum was having a great time, which was the whole plan.  Near the end, I loved Jingo & Evil Ways and the crowd went nuts for Smooth.  A great night seeing another great performer / legend.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 329th concert.

This is my 42nd concert at House Of Blues.

This is my 125th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 125th concert in Nevada.

This is my 137th concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd Santana concert.

Elton John @ Caesars Colosseum

Out of the blue came the invite I’d been waiting years for, and at the time when mum was here. Elton John at Caesars Palace. It is the first time I’d seen him and mum’s 2nd show – the 1st one was 42 years ago. How great is that!

We had some great seats in the rear orchestra. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would he do new stuff I didn’t know? Does he have the same flamboyance he used to? It turns out I need not worry as this is a great show.

The Bitch Is Back was the appropriate opener as Elton had many digs at other performers (Madonna, Britney) during his show. From there it was near on 2 hours of a mixture of classics and a few unknowns (to me). Bennie & The Jets, Tiny Dancer (cause that’s A's fave) and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road were highlights for me. And the set ended on a rocking note with I’m Still Standing, Crocodile Rock and the first 5 rows getting on stage for Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting. His one song encore was from the Lion King Soundtrack, which I didn’t know but everyone loved.

He is no longer as flamboyant as his younger days, but the electronic backdrop and the Million Dollar Piano more than makes up for this. This was a great show, and made even better that I could take mum – who had a blast! Hope I get the chance to take Amy in the future.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 328th concert.

This is my 6th concert at Caesars Palace.

This is my 124th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 124th concert in Nevada.

This is my 136th concert in the USA.
Elton John is the 393rd band I've seen.

Cage The Elephant & Bad Cop @ Cosmopolitan Pool

It had already been a long day by the time I got to the Cosmopolitan Pool.  What with Reggae & Phil arriving at 7am, the boys first birthday party at a park in Summerlin, and a house full of people, I could've easily just called it a night.  Thankfully I didn't!

It had been unusually cold all day, with rain while we were outside with the boys.  But with my trusty cardigan and beanie, Reggae, Phil & I met Erik & Shelly and braved the elements.

We were there early to see Bad Cop, a Tennessee band who were pretty good.  While it seemed as though no one in Las Vegas knew who they were, they played some great rock and got the crowd warmed up for the main event.

From the get go Cage were on fire!  They were out of the gates with 2024 and lead singer Matthew Shultz was dancing around stage like these songs were all his favorite of all time.  He has a crazy energy and does not stop for the whole show.  Even with the wind and the cold, the sound was great and there was not one lowlight to be spoken of (except maybe the small amount of attendees at the show).  In One Ear was wild, as was Back Against The Wall, and to hear everyone sing Ain't No Rest For The Wicked at full belt was awesome.  I had been listening to the Live At Chicago's Vic CD and was hoping they'd do the Psycho Killer cover, but was just as stoked to hear Pavement's False Skorpions finish a blazing show.

The night finished with me dropping Phil & Reggae off at the airport as they continue their journey home via Hawaii (I wish that was me).  I think they liked the show, I know Erik & Shelly did, and I as sure loved it.  Hope they come back through town soon

 

The Crap Facts:

This is my 327th concert.

This is my 3rd concert at Cosmopolitan Pool.

This is my 123rd concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 123rd concert in Nevada.

This is my 135th concert in the USA.
Bad Cop are the 392nd band I've seen.
This is my 3rd Cage The Elephant concert.

Mastodon & Opeth @ House Of Blues

Because I'm old now it is very rare that I don't call a venue to find out what time a band starts and I arrive a couple of minutes before they take the stage.  This was going to be the case with Mastodon, until I read an article about Opeth.  Described as a European black metal band, who unbeknowst to me, have been around for years, I decided to get in a little early and check these guys out.  They have a big following as the House of Blues is already near full.  I don't know any songs but instead of metal, it was more of like an atmospheric rock, which after time was agitating the crowd.  This is apparently Opeth's new direction and not so popular with their old-school fans.  It is not until the last 2 songs that they, and the crowd, cut loose with some great riffs and some music befitting of a Mastodon opener.  Glad I made the effort to get there to see them, but probably wouldn't see them again - unless it was guaranteed they'd play old stuff - I'm not much into the atmospherics.

Opeth Setlist

Soon after, Mastodon arrived to thunderous applause, though the crowd seemed to have thinned out slightly after Opeth (fine by this old guy).  Now that I'm a dad, I notice a lot of dad-like things, and early on in the set it was great to see the lead singer spot his young son watching from above.  Father & son got a great buzz out of the exchange and it seemed to spur Troy Sanders on.  This is the Heritage Hunter Tour, so Mastodon played a lot from their latest album.  Highlights for me were Crack The Skye, Curl Of The Burl & Blood & Thunder.  This is my 4th time seeing Mastodon, but 1st time at one of their shows (had seen them at festivals and opening for Alice In Chains before).  Great show, but a little short for my liking.  With 5 albums worth of material, I thought we may have gotten more, though the 10pm House Of Blues curfew for all ages shows probably had something to do with it.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 326th concert.

This is my 41st concert at House Of Blues.

This is my 122nd concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 122nd concert in Nevada.

This is my 134th concert in the USA.
Opeth are the 391st band I've seen.
This is my 4th Mastodon concert.