Las Vegas, NV to Charlotte, NC

After nearly 10 years in Vegas, we are packing up and moving to Charlotte, NC.  With the twins it should be easier for us to be near family.  We have bought a house in Charlotte and will now see what our next adventure will be.  We close on the house on 28 February and hope to have furniture delivered in the following week.  I will come back to Vegas 1 March to get my car and drive it to Charlotte (A's car has been sent on a truck already).  We will live out on the farm in Clover until we get settled.  Looking forward to reviews from North Carolina from now on.

Band Of Skulls & Vintage Trouble @ Vinyl

There is nothing better than going to see a show on the strength of one song (in this case Band of Skull's Sweet Sour) and getting to see two bands just kill it with a small enthusiastic crowd.

Erik and I arrived just as Vintage Trouble were starting.  Apparently this LA band have done a bunch of shows in Vegas in the past, but I had never heard about them.  They were awesome!!  In the style of old school R&B this band tore it up.  Singer Ty Taylor has a stage presence that makes you want to move.  And  the sound from the rest of the band was fantastic.  I don't know any of their songs but I picked up a few names of stand outs, like Nancy Lee, You Better Believe It and Total Strangers.  To think that either side of this show they are opening for The Who in the Joint - I believe that in the near future we will be seeing Vintage Trouble headlining their own big venues - much in the vain that I saw Black Keys play a 2pm slot at Coachella 2009 and today.....  So impressed was I with this show that the moment I walked in the door I downloaded  The Bomb Shelter Sessions and spent half the night looking for clips of the band (it's been a long time since I've done that).

To their credit, Band Of Skulls had a tough act to follow, but did a fantastic job in their own right and style.  They kicked off with Sweet Sour - the song I wanted to hear - and then delivered a rocking hour plus set of blues riffs and four on the floor rawk!  Again I knew nothing else, but some songs that really stick to mind include Death By Diamonds And Pearls, Hollywood Bowl and Devil Takes Care Of His Own.  Another thing that stood out for me was the sound of the voice of singer Russell Marsden.  His singing voice sounds so different than when he spoke to the crowd.  He'd finish a song and then a booming Southern English accent would come out of his mouth to speak.  Sounded weird.

Overall a great night with at least 1 (though I'm sure many more) new fan for both bands.  For any future bands I see this year, you have your work cut out for you to put on a better show than this.

The Crap Facts

This is my 350th concert.
This is my 2nd concert at Vinyl.
This is my 146th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 146th concert in Nevada.
This is my 158th concert in the USA.
Vintage Trouble is the 415th band I've seen.
Band Of Skulls is the 416th band I've seen.

Nashville Pussy & Ditch Diggers @ Las Vegas Country Saloon

At the start of 2012 I set a New Years Resolution to have seen 350 shows before I turned 40.  It meant seeing 27 shows in 15 months - a tall order and not something I'd done since my early 20's - I am i show away tonight with a month to spare.  And all the better that I'm seeing my mate play with the Ditch Diggers for the second time.

A midweek show downtown unfortunately didn't bring a big crowd.  I arrived just as Roman and the boys were loading in, so by the time I had a beer, was joined by Mike & Brandon from work, and picked our spot, the Ditch Diggers were kicking off.  I had seen them a while back at the Double Down, but this show was miles ahead. The new line up was tight, and Roman seemed relaxed and was enjoying himself.  And the sound was also worlds apart.  Hearing them through a PA made it so much better.  They tore through their 40 minutes of rock/psychobilly and won the crowd over.

Nashville Pussy is one of those bands that's been around for ever, and now that I've seem them, I don't understand why this hadn't happened earlier.  It was great 4-on-the-floor rock, with a twisted sense of humor.  Tons of songs about drinking and drugging, but my favorites had to be "Gonna Hitchhike Down To Cincinnati And Kick The Shit Outta Your Drunk Daddy" and "Go Motherfucker Go".

A great night of rock.  But I'm so glad I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to go to work tomorrow.

 

The Crap Facts

This is my 349th concert.
This is my 2nd concert at Las Vegas Country Saloon.
This is my 145th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 145th concert in Nevada.
This is my 157th concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd Ditch Diggers concert.
Nashville Pussy are the 414th band I've seen.

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.