Acclaimed Music Forums

Setherex wrote:I haven't been to a non-festival concert in ages, but I'm very pleased with my recent purchase of Grimes tickets in L.A. for April (alongside Christine and the Queens)

I have Grimes coming up this week! Very excited

I was at work when Kills tickets went on sale, and customers walked in juuuuust as they went up. It's a small club, so they sold out in minutes, hope that they announce another show.

Loving the ability to book shows for upcoming artists (as many don't travel to Aus until they are more established). I have Emma Pollock and Rosie Lowe (I booked both after listening to their latest albums for the first time) as well as U.S. Girls.

Thinking about Suuns and Jacco Cardner, if anyone could vouch for them?

Maschine_Man wrote: I have Grimes coming up this week! Very excited

She went off! I would recommend seeing her! (and to take a bottle of water to keep hydrated!) The show was very fast, loud and filled with her hits. She did a Russian version of SCREAM which was interesting. She also didn't do an encore, because like me, she thinks they are silly unless necessary. I bought a signed record at the start of the night and had it under my shirt for the show, balancing on my belt. I sweated so much it warped and lifted some of the text (thankfully not the signature)


Bat for Lashes and Radiohead have both announced shows for May and their tickets go on sale at the exact same time on Friday, when I'm at work too!

As a little "welcome back to the UK" present to myself, I'm going to attend the jazz festival (with added soul and funk) that is taking place here in Newcastle over the weekend. Can't wait to see Gregory Porter and Charles Bradley. There are a lot of things I will miss about living in South Africa, but oh man, for access to international artists that I enjoy listening to, it's good to be back.

Yesterday, I found myself at a concert by a band I never thought I would attent: Electric Light Orchestra. They had a show in the huge Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. I got the tickets for free by someone who at the last minute couldn't make it. The thing is: ELO is not a band I would probably have considered paying to see live, but now that I have seen them I think they might have been worth the money after all. It was really a great show! They lived up to their band name, being very electric, having lots of light effects and also because they are more an orchestra than a band. The violin players stole the show, but a female background singer that also had to do some opera parts was equally great. I didn't have a deep knowledge of the ELO back-catalogue, I only knew the hits. Livin' Thing has been a long-time favorite and I really like Turn to Stone and of course Mr. Blue Sky, but even without knowing too much about them I was at the edge of my seat for the whole concert. The opening act, The Feeling, are apparently kind of big in the UK, but nowhere else. I never heard of them, but their part was great too.

It was also somewhat surprising to see that such a big venue as the Ziggo Dome could be filled by ELO. It's usually only used by the biggest of the big and I thought ELO had been unfashionable for a long time. Still, it was almost sold-out. I underestimated them, I guess.

I'm finally going to another concert; specifically, I'm going to Boston Calling tomorrow (Sunday)! Hoping to see some new material from HAIM!

Sweepstakes Ron wrote:I'm finally going to another concert; specifically, I'm going to Boston Calling tomorrow (Sunday)! Hoping to see some new material from HAIM!

Nice! I didn't go this year, but I went in 2014 and had a blast. Death Cab, Modest Mouse, Tegan and Sara, The Decemberists, and a whole lot more. Good stuff.

Just bought tickets for Bob Dylan Jul 2 at the Tanglewood, Lenox, MA. So excited!!

Tomorrow, Paul McCartney!!

I had no plans at all to going to see him but tomorrow I'll go to Madrid to attend an Ophthalmology Congress. Yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine and he told me that he was going to see McCartney. I told him: When and where is he going to play? He said: This Thursday in Madrid. I: What? I'm going to be on Madrid this very same Thursday. So I looked on Internet to see if there were still tickets available just to find them. So without any previous plans I'm going to see Macca…
More about the show in a couple of days. But I just made a playlist with his last setlist (in Paris). I'll update it if there is any variation in the Madrid show.

39 songs!

I got tickets to see The Avalanches next week. Might see them again on Sunday if I go to the Field Day! (Along with PJ H and John Grant, I'm just waiting for the set times)

Fantastic show by Sir Paul McCartney!
First of all I enjoyed the company of my dear friend Fede and the members of his band, The Blisters, a Beatles tribute band. You can listen to them brilliantly playing Hey Bulldog or Nowhere Man. Being with such Beatles fanatics the only place to be at the Stadium was just in front row, in a space named "The Golden Circle." The lack of comfort of such an extremely crowded space was immediately compensated by the intensity of the experience.
And what an experience! The sound was excellent (for an outdoor concert) and the visuals were outstanding, every song had a different visual treatment (with a special mention to the mother-child images on "Lady Madonna," the sepia tones on "Maybe I'm Amazed," the retro-futuristic images on "Temporary Secretary," the psychedelic effects on "Mr. Kite" and the fireworks on "Live and Let Die").
The band playing was tight with special mentions to the vocal harmonies and the drummer (opinion not shared by the Blisters' drummer who thought that his drum fills were not Ringoesque enough). And Macca proved to be in great shape for his age (he will turn 74 next June), he was not only charming and funny as expected but he put a lot of energy on his three-hour show, taking turns with bass (his mythical Höfner violin bass), acoustic and electric guitars and piano. Only some troubles reaching the higher notes and a voice that was getting hoarser as the show was coming to an end gave indication of McCartney's age.
But not everything was perfect. Even if the show included both his earliest recording ("In Spite of All the Danger") and the latest ("FourFiveSeconds," oddly the Macca song with more reproductions in Spotify ever) the setlist was predicatble and lacking in risk. Surely he wants to please his audience but… is it necessary to play all the obvious hits? Even "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"? There were no changes on the setlist from the previous shows of the Tour (only "Michelle" was removed from the previous concert in Paris). Me, I particularly enjoyed the not so obvious choices like "You Won't See Me" in a delicious stripped down version or "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" in all its psychedelic glory. Anyway these are minor objections. Only the grand finale with the "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End" would have justified the price of admission. And even the pushing on the cramped space of the Golden Circle!

It's official. I have tickets to Swans' show at 9:30 Club on 28 July! I am really happy to get to see them on what may be their retirement tour.

They are playing with Okkyung Lee, whom I have not heard much of, but am curious to learn more.

So excited to see my first real concert at 21 (Dessa performing with Welcome to Night Vale) doesn't really count. With the one band I always wanted to see live.

I'm seeing Tame Impala in Brooklyn on Wednesday with some friends. Should be pretty awesome.

^ On a slightly related topic, how many people go to concerts on their own? I thought it was a pretty normal thing to do, but I get odd looks when I tell people I'm going on my own. You always end up meeting someone and chatting anyway (or maybe I'm just overly friendly?)

I did end up getting a ticket to Field Day, PJ and Grant are the two last acts (and the ones I want to see) of the main stage. Looks like a few of the other acts I'll catch include Parquet Courts and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, as I camp down at the front.

I was feeling a down the other day, so I went on a bit of a concert buying streak and booked; Colleen Green, Angel Olsen, La Femme (an AM discovery!) and Anna Meredith within the space of 5 minutes. I'm not sure it actually improved my mood though!

Argh, they just announced the set times for Pitchfork (I'm going just Saturday), and of the 7 acts I really wanted to see, 6 of them interfere with each other. So now I have to choose Savages, Brian Wilson, and Sufjan Stevens over Jenny Hval, Anderson Paak and Holly Herndon. Why must they torment me so?

I'm kind of happy I didn't decide to go Sunday as well; choosing between FKA twigs and Oneohtrix Point Never would have killed me.

Seeing Paul McCartney tonight!!!

I am seeing Paul McCartney tonight as well!!!

I read quite a long and detailed review of his live show recently, though it wasn't the Honorio review above. I'm not sure where, but it was nothing but absolute praise. I really hope I get the chance to see him, soon. Enjoy!!

I'm going to see one of my favorite live acts, Peaches, again in November.

DocBrown wrote:"Madama Butterfly" Tuesday night. What, does NOBODY here like opera?

I think Opera is very beautiful and so expressive however, I have to admit, I have never been to one. I hope you enjoy it very much!!

andyd1010 wrote:I am seeing Paul McCartney tonight as well!!!

This is great, lucky man!

I saw Paul a few years ago here in Brazil, amazing show.

Neil wrote:

DocBrown wrote:"Madama Butterfly" Tuesday night. What, does NOBODY here like opera?

I think Opera is very beautiful and so expressive however, I have to admit, I have never been to one. I hope you enjoy it very much!!

Had to go back and find the original post : that show was two years ago! For anyone who has never been to the Opera, I urge you to give it a chance.

Next week my daughter and I are going to a show that will be bittersweet. The Tragically Hip are playing a cross Canada tour with two shows in Edmonton that sold out in less than 15 seconds (scalpers are a major problem in Canada). My other daughter was lucky enough to score two seats beside the stage in row 15 and gave them to me.

The Hip are quite literally Canada's band, while being all but unknown elsewhere. They have actually sold more records in Canada than The Beatles. Their lead singer, Gord Downie, was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour; he is not expected to live the year. His loss, when it comes, will dwarf Prince and Bowie, for me and many Canadians. It is a privilege to be able to see him one last time.

DocBrown wrote:

Neil wrote:

DocBrown wrote:"Madama Butterfly" Tuesday night. What, does NOBODY here like opera?

I think Opera is very beautiful and so expressive however, I have to admit, I have never been to one. I hope you enjoy it very much!!

Had to go back and find the original post : that show was two years ago! For anyone who has never been to the Opera, I urge you to give it a chance.

Next week my daughter and I are going to a show that will be bittersweet. The Tragically Hip are playing a cross Canada tour with two shows in Edmonton that sold out in less than 15 seconds (scalpers are a major problem in Canada). My other daughter was lucky enough to score two seats beside the stage in row 15 and gave them to me.

The Hip are quite literally Canada's band, while being all but unknown elsewhere. They have actually sold more records in Canada than The Beatles. Their lead singer, Gord Downie, was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour; he is not expected to live the year. His loss, when it comes, will dwarf Prince and Bowie, for me and many Canadians. It is a privilege to be able to see him one last time.

I remember seeing The Tragically Hip for the first time on “Saturday Night Live” in 1995. They performed “Nautical Disaster,” and I was so mesmerized by Gord Downie’s animated, emotional performance (still the best I’ve ever seen on the show) that I didn’t even catch the lyrics. The next day, I went out and bought “Day For Night.” Before I even left the parking lot, I put on “Nautical Disaster” and read the lyrics while I listened. I’ll never forget how numb I felt after that devastating final line, as I just sat motionless in the car throughout the instrumental finale. It remains one of the most powerful musical experiences of my lifetime. I’m glad that you’re getting a chance to see him again, but really sad to hear the news. Unfortunately, it’s been a dreadful year for music fans (and, for that matter, the world in general).

I hope I'm about to make a lot of people jealous.
Just came back from Latitude Festival in Suffolk - saw the following:

Grimes
The National
New Order
M83
CHVRCHES
Father John Misty
Courtney Barnett
Perfume Genius
John Grant

...and so many others. Was a beautiful location with so many late-night events going on as well, would highly recommend it to anyone living in England.

I had so many friends go to Latitude! I haven't really bothered with UK festivals. I know Glastonbury is seemingly the most popular, but it seems like it could never live up to the hype.


Björk just announced a show at The Royal Albert Hall. It seems to be in conjunction with the digital work she has made recently, but if she wanted to test some new material, I wouldn't be complaining.

edit:

i will be singing in royal albert hall on the autumn equinox with vulnicuras string arrangements played by an orchestra . i know . it is bragging . spoiled brat .

Well, I'm most definitely jealous of that Latitude line-up.

DocBrown wrote:

Neil wrote:

DocBrown wrote:"Madama Butterfly" Tuesday night. What, does NOBODY here like opera?

I think Opera is very beautiful and so expressive however, I have to admit, I have never been to one. I hope you enjoy it very much!!

Had to go back and find the original post : that show was two years ago! For anyone who has never been to the Opera, I urge you to give it a chance.

It took me a little while to accept opera for what it is. At first, I couldn't get over how ridiculous most opera plots are. Television soap operas clearly got the "opera" part in "soap opera" from the bizarre and outrageous things that happen in operas. Just last week I saw Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle, a cycle of 4 operas that contain over 15 hours of music. Due to the ambitious scale of it, it is often considered to be the crowning achievement of classical music - it is to classical music what the Sistine Chapel is to visual art. And yeah, despite a few metaphysical references, the plot is silly (a brother and sister falling in love and having children without realizing that they are siblings; a dwarf that turns into a dragon; a man who speaks to a bird and understands what it says back to him , and so on). But if you pay close attention to the music and (especially) the singing in opera, it can be an immensely rewarding experience. And I've never felt that as much as during the Ring Cycle I saw last week. Wagner's music isn't always easy to get into. It's slow and intricate. I once read a funny comment from someone saying that in Wagner's operas, there's 30 minutes of nothing happening, and then suddenly you're woken up by a climax, only for it to be followed by another 30 minutes of not much happening. But I think that's unfair (and that's certainly not what most opera fans think). Wagner's music may not be particularly melodic, but there is a lot going on underneath the surface. It was the first time I experienced a whole Ring Cycle performed within a week, and I fully expected that I would take a look at my watch after 3 hours or so of each opera, but I didnt. The build-up to a climax is fantastic (and worth the wait) in each of the four operas, but especially in the last one. Focusing on musical substance instead of plot - I think that's the best approach to opera for someone who is after more than spectacle.

I have a thing for soprano and mezzo-suprano voices. So when not 1 nor 2 but 8(!) of them appeared on stage to sing "Ride of the Valkyries", the most famous piece from the second opera, Die Walküre, I was the guy who looked deliriously happy in the audience. Here is a popular recent performance of "Ride of the Valkyries" at the Met in New York.

PS: I also saw Tindersticks and Sturgill Simpson recently. Both were excellent and worth seeing if they happen to be in your area at some point in the near future.

As mentioned in the Artist poll topic, I just saw Sufjan Stevens live. That was a bizarre experience; he started the show by stating he was tired of singing about nothing but death, and since it was a festival performance, he wanted to liven it up. If memory serves me correctly, he only performed 2 songs from Illinois and 3 from Carrie and Lowell. Even "Fourth of July" was given this extra energy; I don't think I've ever been this close to crying while dancing before. He actually performed 5 songs from The Age of Adz, including "I Want to Be Well" of all things. There's something amazing about hearing this with an entire crowd singing along; his music really works with that. He closed with "Impossible Soul" leading into "Chicago," then finished with a cover of Prince's "Kiss." I wasn't the biggest fan of "Impossible Soul" before, but the raw energy live was astounding. It felt like something more than a concert, and it might have replaced Dirty Projectors as my favorite live performance.

Dan wrote: It took me a little while to accept opera for what it is. At first, I couldn't get over how ridiculous most opera plots are. Television soap operas clearly got the "opera" part in "soap opera" from the bizarre and outrageous things that happen in operas. Just last week I saw Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle, a cycle of 4 operas that contain over 15 hours of music. Due to the ambitious scale of it, it is often considered to be the crowning achievement of classical music - it is to classical music what the Sistine Chapel is to visual art. And yeah, despite a few metaphysical references, the plot is silly (a brother and sister falling in love and having children without realizing that they are siblings; a dwarf that turns into a dragon; a man who speaks to a bird and understands what it says back to him , and so on). But if you pay close attention to the music and (especially) the singing in opera, it can be an immensely rewarding experience. And I've never felt that as much as during the Ring Cycle I saw last week. Wagner's music isn't always easy to get into. It's slow and intricate. I once read a funny comment from someone saying that in Wagner's operas, there's 30 minutes of nothing happening, and then suddenly you're woken up by a climax, only for it to be followed by another 30 minutes of not much happening. But I think that's unfair (and that's certainly not what most opera fans think). Wagner's music may not be particularly melodic, but there is a lot going on underneath the surface. It was the first time I experienced a whole Ring Cycle performed within a week, and I fully expected that I would take a look at my watch after 3 hours or so of each opera, but I didnt. The build-up to a climax is fantastic (and worth the wait) in each of the four operas, but especially in the last one. Focusing on musical substance instead of plot - I think that's the best approach to opera for someone who is after more than spectacle.

I have a thing for soprano and mezzo-suprano voices. So when not 1 nor 2 but 8(!) of them appeared on stage to sing "Ride of the Valkyries"

I envy you the opportunity to see the Ring Cycle (far too ambitious for any nearby Company, although Seattle staged it perhaps a decade ago) but I don't think my butt has that many hours of sitting available

I may have told you this before Dan; my mother was a coloratura. Unfortunately her career was ending about the time of my earliest memories due to chronic bronchitis but she continued to perform choral work until I was in my teens. You might like sopranos less if you had to listen to the same 16 bars over and over every day for weeks on end.

DocBrown wrote:My mother was a coloratura... You might like sopranos less if you had to listen to the same 16 bars over and over every day for weeks on end.

Well, of course I now have no option but to respond with a post about the most notorious coloratura to have ever graced the stage at Carnegie Hall: Florence Foster Jenkins. Sadly, I couldn't find a clip of Meryl Streep imitating Jenkins in the recent film about her life, but here's the real Jenkins. And here's what that aria is actually meant to sound like, as performed by Diana Damrau. And here's hoping that your mother sounded more like Damrau than Jenkins.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 16 is scheduled for 9/30, 10/1 and 10/2. It's a free festival with multiple stages in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

I went last year on Saturday only and saw about 10 acts including Paul Weller and Joe Jackson.

This year's performers have not yet been announced.

AZ Opera has Madama Butterfly coming up as the highlight of its next season. I watched a version on DVD, and I bet it's going to be one of the more emotional shows I've attended... Like Rigoletto from a couple years ago, and Wagner's The Flying Dutchman. (No way would we be able to stage 15 hours of Ring stuff here... though I'm not sure that's a huge loss anyway. Well, I've got a DVD box set that I'm halfway through, that I'll finish some day.)

I have a Guns n' Roses concert for the 15th. I'm not sure which day I should show up for it, though.

Just saw Bruce Springsteen's 4-hour show in NJ on Thursday. Definitely got my money's worth! Tom Morello's appearance was a pleasant surprise, and Bruce doesn't always play Thunder Road, so I'm glad he did. I can tell why he's known for his live concerts. Not sure if he can top that one, but I'd recommend going to his next show on Tuesday if you can! Tickets were still cheap when I last checked.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I'm going to see OUR LORD AND SAVIOR YEEZUS CHRIST this Saturday!

Sweepstakes Ron wrote:Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I'm going to see OUR LORD AND SAVIOR YEEZUS CHRIST this Saturday!

Ever see him before? I saw him back in early 2014 and it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

Nick wrote:

Sweepstakes Ron wrote:Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I'm going to see OUR LORD AND SAVIOR YEEZUS CHRIST this Saturday!

Ever see him before? I saw him back in early 2014 and it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

Nope, first time seeing him. But I feel assured that it will be totally worth the tinnitus.

Just got two tickets for Angel Olsen's Valentine's Day show in Los Angeles - which means I've got about five months to find a date.

Sounds like the premise to a rom-com, honestly.

Tomorrow and Saturday I'll be at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass concert.

On Friday, the following acts seem particularly interesting: Robyn Hitchcock (2117), Mavis Staples, Boz Scaggs, Valerie June, and Conor Oberst.

On Saturday, the following acts should be fun to see: Cyndi Lauper, Yo La Tengo (Acoustic), Mary Chapin Carpenter, KT Tunstall, Jackson Browne, Chris Isaak, Glen Hansard, mekons, M. Ward (1223), Steve Earle (682), Bobby Bare (1849), Jamey Johnson, The Flatlanders and Kris Kristofferson.

I'm not going to make it on Sunday when the following will be performing: Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Jonathan Richman, Cake, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Dropkick Murphys.

Boz, Cyndi and Jackson Browne were fantastic. My buddies said that KT Tunstall was also superb. Yo La Tengo were very good, but were not amplified sufficiently for the size of the crowd.

Valerie June was disappointing for me - much to twangy for my tastes.

Cyndi can be seen on the live webcast at http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/ ... tower.html with "Time After Time" starting at ~4:35

Boz can be seen at http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/ ... rid=106702

Jessica Hernandez was a pleasant surprise and at times sound a bit like the B-52's or Missing Persons - http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/ ... rid=106704

Is there a better free 3-day festival in the US or anywhere else? I feel so lucky to be here in the SF Bay Area

Just before Christmas, I'll be going to see James and The Charlatans.

Going to see Shonen Knife at the Bootleg Theater in LA.

I'm excited to see Kero Kero Bonito at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco on Wednesday.

I have tickets for The Pretenders in November!

London continues to be fruitful in the concert arena this year. Among the recent ticket purchases; Grizzly Bear, Interpol, The National, Spoon, Perfume Genius and The War on Drugs. Arcade Fire just announced and I'll claw my way to a ticket, I hope.

In what was one of the most intense concerts of my life, I saw Kate Tempest weave her beautiful and heartbreaking words in her home ground, Brixton. Divided into two, the first segment saw her stitch together elements of her debut album and written work in a twenty minute long monologue. The band and the lighting was kept minimal, it seemed like Kate was performing in the midst of a storm, or even among the cosmos as the smoke billowed and whirled around her. She then performed, front to back, Let Them Eat Chaos. I don't think I have ever seen someone give such and intense and pure performance with a crowd that gave her dedicated concentration in return.

In the next month or so, I'm seeing the Aquabats and OK Go.

Over the summer I am seeing White Denim, Belle & Sebastian with Andrew Bird and Echo & The Bunnymen with Violent Femmes.

I'm going to Pitchfork this year, their lineup is pretty stellar:
LCD Soundsystem
A Tribe Called Quest
PJ Harvey
Solange
Dirty Projectors
Danny Brown
Arca
George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic
Mitski
Nicolas Jaar
The Avalanches
Ride

Elvis Costello at the Greek Theater in Berkeley on 6/3.

Coldplay in October at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 17 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in October. Artists to be announced later.

Henry wrote:Elvis Costello at the Greek Theater in Berkeley on 6/3.

Coldplay in October at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 17 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in October. Artists to be announced later.

Hey, I have a Bay Area neighbor!

I've missed the Bluegrass Festival several times due to school, maybe I'll go check it out this year.

....X for FREE in Pershing Square in downtown LA this August.

Saw Portugal. The Man last night and had a blast.

Crappy audio, but here's a clip from it of them doing "Don't Look Back in Anger" with Matt Shultz from Cage the Elephant: