coachella: 23 days later...

ok so i failed horribly at blogging my experiences at coachella. maybe i was slightly overwhelmed because there was so much to say about it. or maybe it's because i talked about it nonstop for the week or 2 after & i, plus everyone else (i'm sure) was a little tired of it. coachella was one of those experiences where so much is happening all around you but you are so exhausted & tired that the whole thing ends up feeling like a dream where you're not sure what DID happen. the music was amazing, the bands played on time (with a few exceptions) it was HOT, there were a lot of very interesting people, & there was always something to do. for 3 straight 12+ hour days it was non-stop entertainment. by the 3rd day i was more often lingering toward the back of the crowds or sleeping in an air conditioned nokia tent rather than fully immersing myself in sets that i would probably pay good money to see play in salt lake. i had no idea i would crumble under all the goodness the way i did, but i can sum it up to just not being prepared for it. you have to expect to be running all over the polo field & missing your favorite bands to see your other favorite bands. i had to decide whether to watch prince's 2.5 hour show & risk getting in a girl fight/getting peed on AGAIN or to leave a little earlier to maintain my sanity(we left early; 1AM). staying the the entire roger waters set or leaving to go to the chromeo & justice dance party(missed the dance party but totally worth it). sleep in or see a band i like but not THAT much(slept in). i still wish i could go back again this weekend & i think i will miss it until i get to go again next year. for now, here is a very brief summary of what i saw...


friday...

dj mehdi opening act of the festival, we watched him since he was the only one playing on any of the 5 stages at that point. he is one happy dj.
american bang if you like kings of leon you will love these guys. bringing back the classic american rock & roll sound.
battles intriguing. we only stayed for a couple songs. sounded like ratatat to me.
black kids these guys & girls were so much fun. great music.
architecture in helsinki those are some silly australians. they were fun & sounded as fantastic live as they do in my earbuds.
vampire weekend honestly, after the first 5 bands i saw these guys were a little boring. but i do like their music. i think it was just nap time at this point.
the national they played right after vw on the same stage. it was good, but the vocals weren't my favorite.
the swell season i would have payed friday's ticket price just to see them. it was incredible. those are some talented people. you MUST check them out.
after swell season we noticed the field beginning to fill up with couples dressed in american eagle & abercrombie & an abundance of baseball hats. it took us a minute & then we remembered: jack johnson was headlining that night. so we left.

saturday...

the bird & the bee lovely. adorable. sweet. i love love loved them & their bubbles & squirt guns.
vhs or beta it is impossible for these guys to not rock. i was in the front row dancing & sweating in the 2pm sun. they sounded insanely good.
minus the bear played main stage right after vhs so i kept my front row spot. they played my favorite songs. i simply love them.
mgmt is this really happening? did i just see 3 amazing bands & now i am seeing another? yes. mgmt was electric. can't wait to see them again sometime. oh & i was standing right by the guitarist from vhs, i wanted to high 5 him so bad for some reason! haha
kate nash that girl was a hot mess! i don't think she had ever seen the sun. she was sweaty, frizzy, moody & her weird christmas stage theme was tacky. but there's no denying her lovely voice & catchy emotional lyrics are a hit with the hipsters. she was good - the group of girls screaming every lyric behind me was not.
death cab for cutie only watched from afar for a few songs while we re-energized for the rest of the day. they sounded like...death cab for cutie.
rilo kiley so good. so so good. better than i had imagined.
M.I.A. disappointing. there were about a million people crammed in the tent to see her. gunshots are not music. neither are blow horns. she only played 4 songs during her hour long set. yeah.
prince i got peed on. beat up due to some drunk girl's violent dancing. he started about an hour late. then he played 1999 hid behind some speakers for an entire song & then played little red corvette. that's pretty much all i remember. we sat down at the back of the crowd (about a mile from the stage) & heard him do the cover of radiohead's creep but didn't really care because we were barely still alive after having such an amazing day. then we left.

sunday...

slept in, went swimming, arrived to the festival at 4.
stars they were alright, a little disappointing. we left early & noticed that as we walked further away from the stage they sounded better & better. i don't know what was up with that.
autolux i don't even remember them, i was passing out on the grass at this point.
metric got me on my feet. even from the back they were great. very entertaining.
roger waters wow. it was amazing & i have never been much of a pink floyd fan. but it was a crazy good show. the inflatable pig, the plane, the prism, i loved it all. i'm glad we stayed for the whole 3 hour set (missing chromeo & justice).

so that's all the music, there was so much more besides music but that's not what this blog is about. so go check out those bands! & go to coachella next year!

clever title (minus the bear)

lawrence and i have been to quite a few shows since he moved out to our great city. tonight's minus the bear show sets the record for the number of times we looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, grinned like middle schoolers and said "wtf" to ourselves (31 if you're curious). to be fair, i know nothing of pedals, buttons, loops and the like, but lawrence really does and he still couldn't figure out all that was going on.


a few highlights:

seeing a lot of friends including matt nanes from swans of never and his quote (in reference to portugal the man's set): "i've never smoked marijuana, but if i did, i would smoke it to that!"

seeing that minus the bear still takes their job very seriously and despite strained vocals, completely delivering an hour long set worthy of their pedigree.

the lights. i'm old enough that i usually don't care anymore, but they had green lasers. put green lasers on your list if you want to make a show really pop.

their guitarist. i'm not sure what he was doing, but at one point he was making those patented, syncopated minus the bear sounds (you know the ones) using only his pedals.

a few lowlights:

skibums dancing like hippies.

seeing the over-zealous bouncers throw a kid out on his head (quite literally).

the guy who used my mouth as his ash tray for the better part of two hours.

well i guess it's about that time...(lawrence)

Well I guess it's about that time...

Here are my top 5 along with Daniel Taylor's (bassist from Surrogate) top 5 at the bottom.

5. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
The Foo Fighters are one of those bands that have been around for years. They have released solid records for well over a decade. I can't imagine them ever releasing a bad record. They have solid songs and of course a great sounding record. Favorite Song, "Let It Die."

4. As Cities Burn - Come Now Sleep
As Cities Burn are a band that came from hardcore roots from Louisiana. They lost their singer(screamer) and decided to call it quits. Upon breaking the news to their fans amidst of touring was the best decision they could have made. Many of their much loyal fan based decided to tell the band how much they adored the band and how life changing their music was. The band decided not to call it quits, but with losing their front man they were different band. They no longer have a screamer but Cody stepped up at took over the front man position. ACB quickly lets you know they are a changed band with the first song almost reaching 7 mins and setting much of the chilled tone for the record. Although they have changed, they still haven't lost their aggression with songs such as This is it, This is it. Favorite song: "Timothy."

3. Circa Survive - On Letting Go
When I bought the first record (Juturna) by Circa Survive, I was not particularly interested in this band. I found them dull and boring and not too attracted to the singers voice. Like I did with so many records that I have purchased, I put it in my car cd player and refused to take it out until had listened to it in full several times. It ended up growing on me and becoming a record that i frequently visit. On Letting Go is the follow up record by Circa Survive. I truly enjoy the passion Anthony Green sings with (i also enjoy listening to others try and mimic such a unique singer, its quite entertaining). Favorite song: "Your Friends are Gone."

2. Surrogate - Love is for the Rich
Love is for the Rich is a personal favorite of mine. I got to hear many of the songs last November while i spent some time in Chico, CA. So I was excited when this record came out because i remembered hearing many of the songs and enjoying them, I just didn't expect much. Little did i know how amazing this record was going to be. This record quickly became a favorite because of the the wonderful yet simple lyrics, as well as the enticing melodies. I have no Favorite song on this record because I find it very hard to not play this one straight through. Make sure you download the song "Popular Mechanics" that did not come with the record, yet i wish it would have.

1. Minus the Bear - Planets of Ice
Minus the Bear has been around for several years, they have been one of those bands that i have several of their records, but i have trouble putting them on. I can't listen to them all the way through because i get distracted or lost. This is not downplaying the band though, their musicianship is incredible and i enjoy the band. It just wasn't until i heard Planets of Ice that i realized how much i appreciate this band. There is something about this record that makes me want to pick up my guitar and play, yet at the same time put the guitar in its case and sell it. I highly recommend this record for any guitar player(especially those of you who play loud in Guitar Center. I mean really we need you to learn new songs so we don't have to hear the same tunes over and over). This record is the gateway i needed to help me through the previous releases. Favorite song: "When We Escape."

Honorable Mentions
Brighten-King vs. Queen
Every Time I Die- The Big Dirty
Radiohead- In Rainbows

Worst Record of the Year
I don't know if I can get away with this, but since I'm not actually from Utah i will have to throw it out there. The new The Used record Lies for the Liar record receives this award from me. This record sounds awful, its way overproduced and with lyrics that read "liar liar pants on fire" you can't win. Wow what a pile of garbage, and now I hope I live through the rest of the year. But hey, someone had to say it.

Daniel Taylor's Top 5...(bassist from Surrogate)

1. The Six Parts Seven: Casually Smashed to Pieces (Suicide Squeeze)
2. Son Volt: The Search (Transmit Sound/Legacy)
3. Circa Survive: On Letting Go (Equal Vision)
4. Thrice: The Alchemy Index Vol. 1 & 2 (Vagrant)
5. Brighten: King vs Queen (Carbon Copy)