Flaming Lips @ Cosmopolitan Pool

Another new venue. Another new band. Yes, my first Flaming Lips show ever. Have never been a huge fan of the music but I had been lead to believe their shows had to be seen.

The night started not so well. Erik and I were picking Robbie up at the airport (from his 6.20pm flight) and we were going to go and eat before heading to the show. However the wonderful United had some sort of computer malfunction saw his flight arrive at 9.30. We raced over to the Cosmo, parked, got into the pool area just as Flaming Lips hit the stage.

From the word go, this was not the average musical concert. It was a visual spectacular. Between streamers, confetti cannons, the video screen behind the band, the hotels marquee and the music - this was one hell of a show. We got a beer and got to our viewing point to see this...

Wayne Coyne

Flaming Lips @ The Cosmo Pool

The Lips are definitely a musicians band. They are great at what they do, and don't necessarily make use of straight-forward methods in creating their art. The sound was great and my faves were, obviously, the songs I new - She Don't Use Jelly, Yoshimi Part 1 and Do You Realize. Eric was pleased enough to get a shirt. I am in self exile from black t-shirts until we leave Vegas. Even Rob liked it - which is surprising compared to the differences we have in music (me - rock and punk; him - Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks soundtracks). Was really excited about the venue as well. Not a gazillion people but good viewing for everyone. Can't wait to see the TV On The Radio / Arctic Monkeys show in September (and maybe get Ben Harper tickets as well).

This is the first time since Coachella 09 I've been to a show with a cell phone / camera so hopefully future tales will have more pics (though I don't want to be THAT guy). Also will see the Flaming Lips at any opportunity. If you get the chance, do the same.

The Crap Facts
This is my 317th concert.
Cosmopolitan Pool is the 86th venue I've seen a concert in.

This is my 113th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 113th concert in Nevada.

This is my 125th concert in the USA.
The Flaming Lips are the 385th band I've seen.

Deftones & Dillinger Escape Plan @ The New Joint

A quick return from the Deftones. They were here only 8 months ago supporting Alice In Chains - but tonight is their night. And a good one at that.

I had to decide at the last minute to go to this show as A wanted to see Cake at the Cosmo pool, but now that we have the twins, only one out at a time. When she decided that she didn't want the hassle of getting in and out of the Strip, and the loss of sleep. I got down to the Hard Rock and got my ticket to the show.

Walked in during the 1st song of Dillinger Escape Plan, who I wanted to see (knowing their contributions to Black Flag & Melvins cover albums). Man this band is heavy (uhoh! I'm getting old). They had plenty of energy, though the whole crowd didn't respond to them, and again were unbelievable musicians. I wonder if it would be seeing them in a smaller venue. I didn't know any songs to begin with, and came out none the wiser. Still it was a great band to be opening for the Deftones.

The Deftones, as always were great! Their soft-loud-manic-calm style is entrancing, and it's hard not to watch Chino stalk the stage. The crowd lapped it up as the band played tracks from a variety of albums. My faves for the night were Be Quiet and My Own Summer. In the end it seemed like a short set, but time just flew and after close to 2 hours I was back in the car on my way home. Have yet to see a bad Deftones show (this was my 3rd) and hope they come back to Vegas soon.

The Crap Facts

This is my 316th concert.
This is my 11th concert at The New Joint.
This is my 112th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 112th concert in Nevada.

This is my 124th concert in the USA.
Dillinger Escape Plan are the 384th band I've seen.
Dillinger Escape Plan are the 100th different American band I've seen in Las Vegas.
This is my 3rd Deftones concert.

Electric Six @ Book & Stage

Girl! I wanna take you to a gay bar!

These are the words of the Electric Six JJJ Hottest 100 Volume 11 song Gay Bay that drew me to this show at the Cosmo. Again this was a free show, and the first of 8 sets of 4 nights at the Book & Stage.

This is my first show since the boys were born.  The band seemed like they were up for a good time, but the stage set up didn't seem to suit the band's want for crowd interaction. Dick Valentine, while not getting into the music, definitely did his best to keep the crowd entertained between songs. Electric Six played an hours worth of punk/disco/rock, in which a blistering Gay Bar was played mid set. Unfortunately I don't know any other titles, but I did enjoy the show and will endeavor to find more of their music.

The Crap Facts

This is my 315th concert.
This is my 2nd concert at Book & Stage.
This is my 111th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 111th concert in Nevada.

This is my 123rd concert in the USA.
Electric Six are the 383rd band I've seen.

Bad Brains @ House Of Blues

It can be hard to see a band who, 30 years ago, were at the peak of a scene also at its peak, but Bad Brains is one of those bands who you need to see in case they are still awesome.

Stories abound of the wild Bad Brains shows in the early 80's when hardcore punk was at its newest, and best, had me intrigued to see whether they still live up to the reputation. Unfortunately, that live energy does not exude itself any longer. While Dr Know and Daryl still have amazing musicianship, HR reminds me of the Captain from the Simpsons. He is a man who has found peace in life, but this does not translate to the majority of the music being made (definitely good for the reggae songs).

Even with these contradictions, the crowd found the energy to charge up a huge pit on the main floor of the House Of Blues. Again, I know I'm getting old - I keep away from that stuff - but a pit seems a lot more violent from when I used to have a blast. The last contradiction of the show was the fact that I heard about 20 songs for the night, but they were only on stage for just under an hour.

I am not a huge Bad Brains fan (a couple of albums are on my Ipod) but I'm glad I went to see them. But can't help think I was 30 years to late to see a great Bad Brains show.

The Crap Facts

This is my 314th concert.
This is my 36th concert at House Of Blues.
This is my 110th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 110th concert in Nevada.

This is my 122nd concert in the USA.
Bad Brains are the 382nd band I've seen.
Bad Brains are the 50th time I've seen a band at House Of Blues.

Rise Against & Bad Religion @ The New Joint

Apparently 38 years old means - Too old for Rise Against. Too young for Bad Religion.

I've tried to like these bands. My 3rd Bad Religion show and 2nd Rise Against, but I just cannot get into either of them.

I'm sure I am seeing Bad Religion in too bigger venues. Maybe in a small place they'd have a better impact, but nothing they did tonight made an impression. I didn't even get to hear one of my 2 faves - 21st Century Digital Boy, though I did get American Jesus.

Now while I don't like Rise Against, I certainly was in the minority at the Joint on this night. The crowd was ablaze and knew every word to every song (but they were also MUCH younger than me). There were some good moments (State Of The Union), but all the cross stage skipping got a bit samey for me.

While I probably won't go back to see either band, I will give props to Rise Against for the respect they give other bands. These guys are huge Bad Religion fans, as well as Rancid fans - who opened for them last time - and were completely humbled that both bands would open for them. Good on them for having a great support act that some people may want to see as much as, if not more than, them.

 

The Crap Facts:

This is my 313th concert.
This is my 10th concert at The New Joint.
This is my 109th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 109th concert in Nevada.

This is my 121st concert in the USA.
This is my 3rd Bad Religion concert.
This is my 2nd Rise Against concert.

Death Valley National Park

It's hard to believe that we have lived in Vegas for nearly 8 years and never made it to Death Valley. With a day off work, A's mom in town celebrating her and my birthday, and A still well enough to travel before the boys arrive next month, it was a good time to make the journey.

It is still relatively cool in Vegas and we knew Death Valley would be warmer, so timing was also right weather wise.

We left early for the 2.5 hour drive north-west. It is a fairly non-descript drive through the desert all the way and not much fanfare when you get to the park either. But the National Park itself is awesome.

Our first stop was at Zabriskie Point. This small hike leads to the overlook where you see the 200 square miles of salt flats that Death Valley is known for. A magnificent start to the days proceedings.

We then drove on to the Furnace Creek Visitors Center to get some ideas of what to do. We quickly found out that we wouldn't be able to do everything in 1 day and will have to make the journey back some day to see the northern and western parts of the park. We drove about 28 miles to the northeast to Stovepipe Wells Village, where stopped for lunch. Only a mile further was the Mosaic Canyon, where we stopped and did our only real hike of the day. We spent just over an hour making our way through a moderately elevated trail. It was nice to be out of the car, but certainly warmer than I expected.

A, Mom & I at Mosaic Canyon

Back the way we came, again past the Visitors Center and on to Natural Bridge. Again we got out here and walked the short distance up to the bridge. We didn't go further as we wanted to see more and time and daylight were running out.

Natural Bridge at Death Valley National Park

Our next stop was at Badwater. This overlooks the salt basin which, at 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest point in the USA. Just a vast expanse of salt flats that go nearly as far as the eye can see. There is a significant increase in temperature here and we walk out for about a mile to try and get an idea of how big this is. Pictures taken do not do it justice.

A & I at Badwater Salt Flats

We continue 55 miles to the south, to the Park's exit near Shoshone. Ashford Mill and Jubilee Pass are supposed to be areas where the flowers bloom, and are said to be a spectacular sight. We are here probably 3 weeks to early to sees this, but that gives us another reason to come back.

The only thing less exciting than desert scenery on a drive, is the desert at night. We took the drive back through Pahrump before getting into Vegas around 9pm. A great days exploring and definitely a place I would want to go back to, though next time I want to check out Scotty's Castle. Another US National Park to take off the bucket list.

Black Keys & Cage The Elephant @ The Chelsea

There was no way I was going to miss this show. 2 of my current favorite bands on the same bill, in an a venue holding its first ever show.

With Erik, Shelly & Dave we got to the Cosmo early to sell A's ticket. Unfortunately pregnancy doesn't allow her to be on her feet for long periods. (Weezer almost killed her). It took a while, but we found a punter who bought the ticket and we joined the seemingly mile long line to get in. It took forever to get in but we caught up with the Erik & Shelly near the front of the stage. Dave made the grave mistake of then lining up for drink. Seems like this venue has some kinks to work out. As it turns out the venue is a cavernous ballroom and while the flat floor was not ideal for some, it was certainly nice to have carpet underneath.

Cage The Elephant came out all guns blazing. They played only a short set, with a good mix of the first and new album. I love this band. There music is great and they have a passion for it as well - which extends to there performance. As an opening act, the set was short but finished in a blaze of glory as singer, Matt Shultz, dived into the crowd as was carried all the way through the venue, into the bleachers and finally out the back of the ballroom.

The Black Keys then stepped it up a notch again. They were in fine form from the get go. Patrick Carney's drumming is powerful and dynamic and the driving force behind this 2 piece blues / rock band. Each song was better than the last with Shot Stack Billy and I'll Be Your Man personal highlights. Would of liked to have heard Have Love Will Travel, and we may have heard it if the relatively short set had of been longer.  There was a point when I doubted whether the venue was actually ready.  At one point during the set, chunks of the roof were coming off to the sound of the music.

Overall a great night. 2 great live bands in an OK venue - it will be interesting to see what other shows the Cosmopolitan will put on there in the future.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 312th concert.
The Chelsea is the 85th venue I've seen a concert in.
This is my 108th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 108th concert in Nevada.

This is my 120th concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd Cage The Elephant concert.
This is my 2nd Black Keys concert.

Black Keys are the 750th time I've seen a band.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Book & Stage

New venue. And one that is having BRMC play for free. Am I dreaming? Am I still in Vegas? Could this be too good to be true. Apparently not. The Cosmopolitan has a bar which they are treating as a sports book during the day and a music venue at nights (hence the name Book & Stage). They are featuring bands doing 1 or 2 sets a night in a mini-residency. And tonight it's Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

It is an odd shaped stage, which sees the band separated from the crowd by the oval-shaped bar. But still it's free. A good size crowd packed into the small venue and the band were awesome. There was supposed to be 2 sets and I got there for the 10pm, and it went longer than expected and from I what I heard there was no return at midnight. Highlight for me was Spread Your Love, which the Cosmo had actually been using for their advertising campaign. Would love to have known what uncultured punters in the casino thought when they heard the song.  Also saw the Black Keys in the audience - bit of celebrity spotting.

It will be interesting to see what other bands the Cosmo will bring in (I have already missed Fitz & The Tantrums), but I hope there are plenty more. It is a good small venue, and you definitely can't beat the price.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 311th concert.

Book & Stage is the 84th venue I've seen a concert in.

This is my 107th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 107th concert in Nevada.

This is my 119th concert in the USA.

This is my 2nd Black Rebel Motorcycle Club concert.

Crazy Horse @ MGM Grand

If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all.

The Crazy Horse stole only 1.5 hours from my life and the ticket was free. Otherwise......

P.S. Could be the worst show we've seen in Vegas (and I've seen Barry Manilow & Cher)

Weezer @ The New Joint

2nd Weezer show with us and the Hills. I can't believe it has been 5 and half years since we first saw them (back in the Old Joint). That was a great night.

2 albums from start to finish. One I love and one I am not too familiar with.

The night started with the Blue Album, and it was one great song after the next. This is my favorite Weezer album and it was kind of weird being at a show and knowing what the next song was going to be. Regardless it was all good. Buddy Holly, Surf Wax America and Say It Ain't So we great. It was funny that the guitarist started a song out of order - priceless were the looks the rest of the band gave him.

After a 20 minute break, where we entertained by a roadie's stories of the past (including photographic evidence), the band cam back onstage to do Pinkerton. Not as entertaining as the first set, but who doesn't love El Scorcho and Good Life. They then finished off the night with an unknown to me one song encore.

Personally I think they would have been better off starting with this album and finishing with the Blue Album.

Not quite as fun as the last show we saw, but good enough for me to want to go again when they return to Vegas in August to play at the Red Rock pool.

 

The Crap Facts:

This is my 310th concert.

This is my 9th concert at The New Joint.

This is my 106th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 106th concert in Nevada.

This is my 118th concert in the USA.

This is my 2nd Weezer concert.

Leonard Cohen @ Caesars Colosseum

Wow!!! What a night!

Carolyn, A and I started the night off with a nice dinner at The Palm in the Forum Shops. Surprisingly this was the first time I'd dined there (and have lived in Vegas for 7 years). I had attended meetings and social functions, but not actually dined there. Great meal, and a good way to start the evening

I had heard that Leonard Cohen puts on a fabulous show, but there was no way of knowing how good it could possibly be.

This was the last show of a 3 year - 246 show world tour. Cohen joked that he had started this tour as a pipe dream as a young 73 year old kid. But the road certainly did not seem to weary this unbelievable performer. From the start there was so much passion in both his singing and on stage presence, you knew you were seeing something special.

I knew sporadic songs throughout. Opening with Dance Me To The End Of Love set the tone for me and I watched, just mesmerized, as song after song this man poured everything out for a very appreciative and loyal audience. I felt amazed when he left the stage after 13 songs and was excited to hear Hallelujah for the encore. Little was I to know, that Cohen was just getting started.

After about a half hour break, where a lot of fans moved down to the stage to serenade him back on, Cohen (and a wonderfully talented band) took the stage for Part 2 of the evening. Another 11 songs - of which Hallelujah almost bought me to tears, followed immediately by I'm Your Man. This guy just did not know how to stop.

Finally (I thought) he said his goodbyes to a very appreciative audience. But no - he still had 3 encores and 6 songs left in him. Finally at midnight - THREE AND A HALF HOURS LATER - Leonard Cohen said his final goodbyes and a packed Caesars Colosseum left knowing they had just witnessed one of the best shows ever!

It doesn't matter how young or old you are, or the type of music you generally like, if you have a music bucket list - make sure Leonard Cohen is on it. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I certainly hope I get to see him again. I also hope other bands with extensive catalogs take note as to how long he played for. Living in Vegas, I feel a lot of performers take the easy money and phone it in here, especially when, on average, we seem to pay more per ticket than other cities surrounding us.

The Crap Facts

This is my 310th concert.

This is my 5th concert at Caesars Colosseum.

This is my 105th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 105th concert in Nevada.

This is my 117th concert in the USA.

Leonard Cohen is the 381st band I've seen.

Dandy Warhols @ Hard Rock Cafe

First time seeing a band in a brand new venue. Good start!

I'm not sure why I have never seen the Dandy Warhols before? Maybe we just have not crossed paths, but I like their laid back rockin' style so time to check out the relatively new Strip location of the Hard Rock Cafe.

Good size venue, though I was disappointed with the turnout. The Dandies were great. Plenty of crowd interaction and heaps of great songs. And the sound, as Courtney kept saying, was flawless.

I lived in England when Bohemian Like You was everywhere (thanks mostly to Vodaphone) and live it was something special. Junkie & Get Off were also highlights, as well as a great set ending Little Drummer Boy. Will definitely go and see The Dandies again (if they ever come through Vegas anytime soon). Also looking forward to seeing more shows at the Hard Rock Cafe - a great smaller venue with great sound.

The Crap Facts

This is my 308th concert.

Hard Rock Cafe is the 83rd venue I've seen a concert in.

This is my 104th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 104th concert in Nevada.

This is my 116th concert in the USA.

The Dandy Warhols are the 380th band I've seen.

Ditch Diggers @ Double Down

For way too long I have been promising my mate, Roman, I would go and see his band - The Ditch Diggers - play. After many false starts tonight was finally the night.

The Double Down is a great, seedy Las Vegas dive-bar where bacon martinis and ass juice are the house specialities. It is also a nightly live rock venue that always has free music - and the best jukebox anywhere. I would like to come here more often to see shows but with my early starts at work, midweek days off and their late starts (usually 11pm) it is not the ultimate combination.

However after an afternoon nap (yes I'm that old) I got down to see the Ditch Diggers open the night to a decent sized crowd and see Roman tear it up. In the tradition of pyschobilly, rock and country this 3 piece can catch a crowd's attention. Roman's guitar playing and general humble-like presence (I hope having work friends there didn't make him hold back) is a unique blend which will enamour you to the band. I hope to see them more often and learn some of the songs as they put on a good show. I would also like to see them in a venue that could give their sound a boost as tonight's sound, through their own amps, was a little weak. A proper PA would do them wonders.

I did not stay for any of the other bands due to the previously mentioned early start at work the following day. After a year of hearing about the Ditch Diggers, I hope not to wait that long to see them again.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 307th concert.

The Double Down is the 82nd venue I've seen a concert in.

This is my 103rd concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 103rd concert in Nevada.

This is my 115th concert in the USA.

Ditch Diggers are the 379th band I've seen.

A Perfect Circle @ The Pearl

An extremely rare appearance by A Perfect Circle - their first shows in Vegas 6 years - which I saw at the Joint. Thanks to Erik not wanting to go to a party, we managed to pick up 2 tickets through Stub Hub, as both tonight's and the next sold out in no time.

This was the first show at the Pearl where I had sat in the upper tier and while seats at a rock show aren't usually my thing, tonight it came in handy. After foolishly paying $34 for 4 beers (Pearl: please note I will not be drinking at your venue EVER again unless for some unbelievable reason you make your drinks prices more reasonable) we got to our seats as A Perfect Circle started (right at 8.30pm). Tonight's show was them playing their first album - Mer de Noms - from start to finish. Naturally I was on my feet from the start as I was just waiting to hear one song - Judith - and I was not let down. This definitely an all time favorite. However the rest of the set was not fantastic and this is where the seats came in handy.

After they finished the album, they finished with 2 great covers - David Bowie's Ashes to Ashes (another fave of mine) and John Lennon's Imagine (a dark and disturbing version).

The other disappointment / surprise was that it was all over by 9.45pm. What happened to rock? Not that I ought to complain too much - I did have to be up early for work the following morning.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 308th concert.

This is my 9th concert at The Pearl.

This is my 102nd concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 102nd concert in Nevada.

This is my 114th concert in the USA.

This is my 2nd A Perfect Circle concert.
A Perfect Circle are the 200th time I've seen a band in the USA.

Wait! Wait!...Dont Tell Me @ Paris Hotel

Going to a theater......to watch a radio show being taped.

A Saturday favorite, when I can hear it, NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me, normally recorded in Chicago, is in Vegas for 1 night only, so even though A flies back from Phoenix from a work trip, we have tickets ready to go.

This is only the 2nd time I've been in this theater, but even from the 2nd last row, seats are not bad. The only disappointment is the place is not even 2/3 full. Oh well, Las Vegas' loss.

WWDTM is a current affairs / comedy program where the host, Peter Sagal, asks questions of a panel of 3 (usually comedians, journalists or political pundits), who are judged by the iconic, Karl Kasell. Listeners phone in and participate and, if successful, get Kasell's voice on their home answering machine. Tonight's show also included an opening performance by Harrah's Mac King, as well as an on-stage interview with Wayne Newton.

As with Jon Stewart earlier in the year, it is hard to describe a comedy show....unless you were there. Needless to say, there were 2.5 hours of laughs and in the end a little insight into the production of the show, as lines we re-read to "tidy up" the sound and the cast took audiences' questions.

I tried to get tickets to this last time we were in Chicago, but they were sold out. I'm so glad they came to Vegas and we got the opportunity to go.