Jack White & Cautious Clay @ CMCU Amphitheater

An actual nice summer evening in Charlotte and A & I get to the venue early enough to catch Cautious Clay open the evening.  A mix of soul, R&B, jazz and smooth rock, this guy is talented.  In the space of a 45 minute sand he sang with the voice of an angel, played guitar, saxophone and clarinet.  We even got a bit of beat-box-flute.  Definitely not the kind of opener I'd match with what was about to happen, but a good start nonetheless.

A DJ who spoke louder than the music playing filled the space as road crews broke down and set up, and I knew the set was going to be great when he played Melvins' Honeybucket to bring Jack White and band onto the stage.  The band started with a warm up jam and when White arrived on stage, engines were already at 60 and within seconds exploded to 100.  Taking Me Back had the crowd going from the beginning.  Black Math, 3 songs in, was a barn burner, as would be all the White Stripes songs he played.  A mid-set Hotel Yorba and Fell In Love With A Girl was a highlight for the night for me.  It took us back to 2003 seeing the White Stripes in Vegas not long after we moved there.  White played tight with the band.  Sometimes it looked like they were just playing for each other and not a 3,000 strong sold out crowd.  Yet the energy the four-piece put out was pulsating.  There was no rest for band or crowd alike until after We Are Going To Be Friends and I'm Slowly Turning Into You finished the set.  It was a quick break before the band were back on and the Raconteur's Steady As She Goes got the crowd going again.  What's The Trick from his latest album preceded the last song.  Everyone knew it was coming but I wasn't expecting the high energy reaction to Seven Nation Army that Charlotte gave.  Was a great finish to a great night.

I've now seen The White Stripes, The Raconteurs & Jack White, and would happily go back tomorrow to see any of them again.

Jack White Setlist

The Crap Facts:
This is my 478th concert.
This is my 13th show at CMCU Amphitheater
This is my 94th show in Charlotte
This is my 112th show in North Carolina.
This is my 281st concert in the US.
Cautious Clay are the 551st band I've seen
Jack White is the 552nd band I’ve seen.

Jack White is the 200th time I've seen a band in North Carolina.

Litchfield Beach

The end of another summer and it was back down to our favorite beach spot for a week of sun and sea.  We did nothing exceptional but basically went from condo, to beach (where again we used the cabana provided by Sand & Sea), to pool with variations only out to dinner (Hot Fish Club in Murrell's Inlet - ok but we always forget how overpriced Murrel's Inlet is, J. Peters - a first time bar & grill - a good meal, Chive Blossom - every year, always the best and BisQit - another new casual place and we are big fans) and our favorite donut (Parlor) and ice cream places (Paradice).  

So little did we do, that I only took 1 photo of the week.

MDB&L @ Paradice Ice Cream, Pawleys Island, SC

Everclear @ Village Park

I can't believe it has been 13 years since I last saw Everclear (back in Vegas, before kids) but I made the 45-minute drive up to Kannapolis to check out this free show, despite the doom and gloom the weather had in mind.  I'd been hearing about storms all afternoon, so it was always going to be last minute before I left the house.  I even gave up the chance to see Charlotte FC again tonight.  That's where A and the boys ended up.

While I wanted to see Fastball as well I arrived about 10 minutes before the end of their set and it was still raining, so I sat in my car.  I did hear them finish with The Way, not realizing that was their song.  Everclear was due on at 9.15pm, so I left the comfort of the dry car with 5 minutes to spare and walked over to find the park full of families ready to rock - I can't imagine how many people would've been there if the weather was bad.

And it was good from the get go!  Electra Made Me Blind straight into a slowed-down version of Heroin Girl.  I remember this from last time, songs weren't played quite as fast as I remembered them - I kept singing ahead of the band.  Father Of Mine was a big hit with the crowd.  When asked to sing, they turned it on for this song.  The second half of the set, saw fewer songs I new, but I Will Buy You A New Life was great.  I had been right down the front to the right of stage the whole show and the sound wasn't great (a mistake I continue to make), and as usual I found the group of people that needed to talk incessantly throughout the show.  Shut up or fuck off!  Why are you even here?  Anyway I moved back to behind the mixing desk where the sound was great (though my eyesight is fading rapidly).  A grungy version of Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back In Town (with the Nixon's Zac Maloy sharing lead vocals) was followed by the eagerly received Santa Monica.  As it finished I was near the exit, ready to leave like a Progressive commercial, when Everclear squeezed in The Vasoline's Molly's Lips to close out the night.  

A great night and a show from a great band.  You could tell they were happy to be playing, both in general and because it looked like the weather could have ruined the whole night.  It seemed like the band enjoyed the family atmosphere.  And while I revel in the sound and speed of Everclear when I first saw them in 1996, this version still knows how to rock a crowd, even after 30 years.  I'll be back to see them next time they come through town - and will also keep and eye open for more shows at this great little amphitheater.

Everclear Setlist

The Crap Facts:
This is my 477th concert.
Village Park is the 131st venue I've seen a concert in.
Kannapolis is the 55th city I've seen a concert in.
This is my 111th show in North Carolina.
This is my 280th concert in the US.
This is my 4th Everclear show.

Charlotte FC v DC United @ Bank Of America Stadium

Because we had considered purchasing season tickets to Charlotte FC last year, we had a $100 credit to use.  So while looking for things to do with the boys in summer vacation, a football match seemed like a great idea, especially after how great the first game was.

Was great to run into a mate, Daniel from Trader Joes, on the way in.  What are the chances?  I didn't know he volunteered for the club.  We'll have a lot to talk about next time I see him.  We sat down in the lower section again (such good seats), further away for the supporters section, but this time with fewer people around us.  We went the whole experience and made a mortgage payment to have dinner in the stadium and got to our seats just before the national anthem.  Not sure if  it is now a tradition for FC games, but the singer of the anthem only sang the first 2 lines, and let the crowd take over.

Down to business and it wasn't long before a play down the left wing, in front of us, was crossed and a Swiderski header rebounded in for an own goal and we were 1-0 up.  We then kept control of the first half and while we were unable to add to the score Charlotte FC looked good.  McKenzie Gaines down the right side was fast.  Blistering speed made a mockery of the DC defense a few times.  At the break we went for a drink refill and we were back in our seats for the start of the 2nd half.  DC came out stronger in the 2nd, but in the 64th minute a parried save by DC keeper Romo only fell as far as Swiderski who had the easiest of tap ins.  And then 3 minutes later another Romo save fell to Gaines whose cross back made for an easy finish for Quinn McNeil.  And with that Charlotte killed DC's hope of a win.  Again Charlotte took control for the rest of the game for a comfortable win.  

Was good to see Charlotte win, and I feel they are doing alright for a first season team, we just need to get some better results on the road and push for a playoff spot.

It says the attendance tonight was 31,250, but I don't think to came close to that.  The upper deck was not opened at all and the lower deck was not 2/3 full.  I'm sure that's how many tickets were sold, but it would be more accurate to know how many people were there.

Charlotte FC 3 (Steve Birnbaum (13' OG), Karol Swiderski (64'), Quinn McNeill (67')) v DC United 0

Attendance: 31,520.

Charlotte: K. Kahlina, A. Walkes, G. Corujo, J. Mora, H. Afful, B. Bronico, Q. McNeil (D. Jones), Y. Reyna (A. Shinyashiki), M. Gaines, K. Swiderski (D. Rios), B. Bender (J. Alcivar).

DC United: . R. Romo,  B. Hines-Ike (T. Alfaro), S. Birnbaum, S. Guediri, C. Odoi-Atsem (A. Najar), R. Morrison (S. Djeffal), R. Canouse (M. Berry), C. Durkin, T. Fountas (M. Rodriguez), O. Kamara, J. Hopkins