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.