Gang Of Youths @ The Underground

So tonight I am getting my expat on.  I know nothing of the music of Gang of Youths, except that they're Aussies, so I'm gonna check them out.

A good size crowd at the Underground (shame it's a Live Nation venue, otherwise it'd be perfect).  I had no idea they had this good a following - but that's cause I'm old and not up to date with a lot of new music.  And people were into it!  From the first song the crowd was singing and dancing and hanging off every word.  Charismatic frontman, David Le'aupepe, has a great presence on stage, from rugby-player-confident-but-not-necessarily-good-dancer to great between song banter (Though what's this "We're from London" crap).  And his passion for the songs definitely show through in his performance.  "Brothers" - the solo song on the piano - was a standout for me.  Really personal outpouring on his and his family's life.  It was emotionally draining for the crowd - I'm not sure how he does it night after night in front of a bunch of strangers.  Two song later when "Unison" mentions North Carolina in the first line the status quo of rocking out resumes.  "Goal of the Century" finished the set, which had relied heavily on their latest album, Angel In Realtime.  

In short I had a great night.  The irony is Gang Of Youths would not be a band I'd normally listen to, but live, they were great  Had they not been Australian I would've missed this great show, same if I'd heard their music beforehand.  But I do love to see an Aussie band get some recognition around the world and while he claimed the show as a home town gig (cause his wife is from Wilmington, NC) it was also fun watching the crowd sing along word for word.

Gang of Youths setlist

The Crap Facts:

This is my 474th concert.
This is my 7th concert at The Underground.
This is my 92nd show in Charlotte.
This is my 108th show in North Carolina.
This is my 277th concert in the US.
Gang Of Youths are the 549th band I've seen.

The Darkness @ Neighborhood Theatre

So in complete contrast to last night, tonight the Neighborhood Theatre was packed.  I arrived during the first song and had problems finding a spot to watch the show.  I settled for a spot on the side of the stage.  I usually like to be in front, but there was no chance of that tonight.

I'll admit I was here for 1 song - the only one I knew - but The Darkness were a band well worth seeing.  Their showmanship was second to none.  From the cock rock moves (guitar solos walking to the front of the stage, strumming and pointing, the outfits) to the great banter with the crowd to the energy driving song after song performance, there was barely a still person in the house all night long.  

While I didn't know any songs, I really liked Friday Night and the show finishing Get Your Hands Off My Woman.  And of course the 1 song encore of I Believe In A Thing Called Love was what I was here for.  And it didn't disappoint!  Stopping the song early to encourage the crowd to put away their phones and cut loose - the audience willingly obliged, leaving everyone in a sweaty mess as they left the venue abuzz.  

I remember umming and ahhing about seeing the Darkness 4 years ago when they played the Underground.  For reasons I can't remember, I didn't go.  In hindsight that was probably a bad decision.  I read an article a couple of days ago quoting Gene Simmons saying that rock is dead.  He obviously hasn't seen a Darkness show lately.

The Darkness Setlist

The Crap Facts:
This is my 473rd concert.
This is my 9th concert at Neighborhood Theatre.
This is my 91st show in Charlotte.
This is my 107th show in North Carolina.
This is my 276th concert in the US.
The Darkness are the 548th band I've seen.

Cat Power & Arsun @ Neighborhood Theatre

Cat Power is back in Charlotte.  3 years after she killed it at the Underground, Power is at the half full  Neighborhood Theatre this time.

I got there early enough to walk in as the opener, Arsun, took the stage.  With so few people here I went and stood against the barrier just right of center as Arsun warmed up the crowd for 1/2 an hour.  Acoustic rhythm, electric lead and bass played southern folk music that is really prevalent around Charlotte (and the south in general).  Nothing jumped out at me, but I enjoyed it (considering this is not what I'd normally listen too).

We waited a good 45+ minutes for Cat Power to grace us, despite a quick turnaround by the stage crew.  But obviously it was well worth it!  Her band started a quiet jam before Power slinkily crept onto stage.  So quiet was the crowd in anticipation, I could here her footsteps on the stage as she approached the microphone.  Again Power used dimly lit backlight, added to the mystery of her songs and performance.  To see her close up again (though even closer this time) was mesmerizing.  Her voice is divine and her passion shows through in her voice and movement.  An all round performance.  I got the new Covers album last month for my birthday and most of the songs I recognized were off this album.  These Days, A Pair Of Brown Eyes and Here Comes A Regular were favorites of the night from that album.  (I was hoping for Nick Cave's I Had A Dream Joe, but I'll have to wait until she comes through again.  Hate is a favorite song of mine, and her reworking to Unhate is just as good.  The Greatest and The Moon were icing on the cake for me.

As the night went on Power loosened up.  Playing to the women dancing stage left, greeting an old friend and bumming a cigarette off the audience is her between song banter.  There is no better voice than Cat Power in my opinion.  Her songs and performance will take you away from day to day life and land you in a serene beauty.  I am already keen to see her again.

Cat Power Setlist

The Crap Facts:

This is my 472nd concert.
This is my 8th concert at Neighborhood Theatre.
This is my 90th show in Charlotte.
This is my 106th show in North Carolina.
This is my 275th concert in the US.
Arsun are the 547th band I've seen.

This is my 2nd Cat Power concert.

Emerald Isle, NC

In an effort to go somewhere different for Spring Break we took the boys out to Emerald Isle this year to have a look around.  We took the route via Wilmington, and stopped for lunch at Anne Bonny's, and a quick look around town before heading on to our Airbnb.  While the weather is not right, we are right on Emerald Isle Beach.  Good enough for the boys to get their feet wet in the windy weather.

On our first full day we drove up to New Bern to the Tryon Palace, NC's original Governor's home.  A guided tour through this 250 year old site shed light on things not even Amy knew about North Carolina.  The home was restored to its current form in 1945 and the gardens are beautiful to walk through.  A stop at MJ's Raw Bar for lunch took longer than to walk around town.  Though we did spend a bit of time in the Pepsi store - New Bern is the birth place of Pepsi.  Because lunch was so big, dinner was at the casual Fish Hut back on Emerald Isle.

DBA&L, Tryon Palace, New Bern, North Carolina

Day 2 is a cracker!  We head north on the isle to go and check out Fort Macon.  Before we go in we do a 3-mile hike in the marsh land and along the beach right near the fort.  It's a picturesque walk, but it's nice to get into the Fort and cool down and look around. Completed in 1834, Fort Macon was needed to protect the North Carolina inlet and was used by the Confederates in the Civil War before being bombarded and captured by the Union.  The fort only had 43 years of military use, and was completely abandoned by 1903.  In 1924 North Carolina claimed it to be a state park, and though leased by the army during World War II, the park was returned to the state in 1946.

To combat the seriousness of the morning we stopped at Professor Hacker's Mini Golf at Salters Beach on the way home.  The US Open it wasn't, but a fun afternoons golf for all.

We had at Surf's Up Grill tonight, sitting up at the bench looking out over the water.  The perfect spot!  Looking out over the Atlantic right next to the pier, where families strolled and fished.  It was just casual bar food, but a nice end to a fun day.

ML&B, Surf's Up Grill, Emerald Isle, NC

On our last day we drove around to Beaufort, where we jumped on a boat over to Shackleford Banks.  This barrier island has 100's of wild horses, believed to be ancestors of Spanish Mustangs dating back to the 1500's, roaming the island.  The ferry drops you on the beach at the north-western end of the island, about 45 minutes from Beaufort, with a good view of Fort Macon across the sound.  We were told a small pond a half a mile from the drop off might be a place where we'd see some of the wild horses.  We ventured down there, and sure enough we got to see a half dozen horses in the sand dunes.  We respectfully kept our distance (as we were warned) and continued through the dunes to the ocean side of the island.  We walked slowly back along the beach after B stepped on a huge sand spur, all the way around to the headland.  Back near the ferry's pick up spot, we encountered some more of the horses, who seemed quite at ease with so many people around (but then again people were keeping away as requested).  It was a pretty magic experience, topped off by some beautiful weather.  When we got back to Beaufort we went to Mezcalito for a late lunch (or dunch as the boys liked to call it).  This was easily the best meal we've had on the trip, or for a long time for that matter.  A great way to end a quick getaway.  Next time we'll have to head further up the Outer Banks to see what's up there.

LB&D, Shackleford Banks, North Carolina

Henry Rollins at Neighborhood Theatre

Shows are making a comeback.  And we're off to see my 10th Henry show on April Fools Day.  We got some great seats (6th row center) and are ready for some more Rollins stories.

In the past I've said that shows I've seen in Sydney are more travel orientated and US shows focus on politics.  Until last time, when Rollins did his slideshow and tonight, it's all about what has happened over the last 2 years of Covid-19.  I'm not sure Henry did the greatest during this time, especially for someone who likes the isolation.  Never the less he was able to spin many a funny story (though also somewhat scary at times - like his Finnish stalker).  It's not as easy to write about a spoken word or comedy show, because nothing I write could do justice to the stories told, needless to say A and I had another great night listening to Henry's life.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 471st concert.
This is my 7th concert at Neighborhood Theatre.
This is my 89th show in Charlotte.
This is my 105th show in North Carolina.
This is my 274th concert in the US.
This is my 10th Henry Rollins concert.