Chevelle 10/30/09

Chevelle 09

Chevelle was not stopping in San Diego on their tour for the two-month-old Sci-Fi Crimes album so Bob and I decided to make our maiden voyage to the House of Blues Anaheim at Disneyland. It had been almost exactly two years since I last saw Chevelle when I snuck into Soma with Marvin.

This show is one of my favorite times that I ever saw Chevelle. For maybe the first time in my presence they actually performed on a decorated stage. Said stage consisted of red Mesa Boogie amps and a UFO theme that included a giant backdrop of the album cover. Besides the visual aspect they brought their A game and sounded fantastic. We started at the back but once we got a good buzz we got right into the heart of the floor section which did not hurt our overall experience but does bring up the underbelly of this story.

It is more than a minor miracle that Bob and I are still alive because of our drinking and driving. The drinking started on the way there at a stop to Buffalo Wild Wings. From there we went to a liquor store and for some stupid reason bought Jack Daniels (I never drink liquor). Then once we got to the House of Blues we drank some more, followed by more drinking on the two-hour drive home. It was STUPID and IRRESPONSIBLE but thankfully we got home without hurting anyone including ourselves.

SETLIST: Sleep Apnea, Brainiac, Well Enough Alone, Vitamin R, Letter From a Thief, Another Know It All, Comfortable Liar, The Red, Jars, Forfeit, The Clincher, Straight Jacket Fashion, Roswell’s Spell, Send The Pain Below, Still Running, I Get It

 

 

Epicenter 8/22/09

Epicenter 09

The Fairplex in Pomona is basically the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds that underwent a name change in 1984 and host to the largest county fair in the world. I drove up with Bob and a guy he works with to get scorched by the sun and a pretty solid lineup.

The first band we gave any shit about was Street Sweeper Social Club, which was Tom Morello’s new project with Boots Riley from The Coup on microphone duties. I did not have the benefit of really listening to their newly released self-titled debut album before we saw them because I only learned of them at all very shortly before the show. In an article written by Alex Young in Consequence of Sound Morello described the project/album as “revolutionary party jams. It’s got huge steamroller riffs combined with depth, charge, funk, while Boots unloads clip after clip of incendiary rhymes rich with satire and venom.” Boots Riley added “this is a time when the working class is being fleeced left and right. More families will be homeless and more people will be jobless. They’ll need something to listen to on their iPods while storming Wall Street.” The music was all those things. I only wish I had the benefit of getting to know the songs prior to seeing the performance.

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Wolfmother was up next and I had just seen them open for STP less than a month before this. They were awesome again but essentially put on the same show as the first time I saw them.

Andrew Stockdale Epicenter 09

Alice In Chains was the first band I really really wanted to see again. This was to be my third time seeing them with William DuVall singing but now they were only a month away from releasing the excellent Black Gives Way to Blue so we got to hear “Check My Brain” and “A Looking in View” in addition to the classics. It was a little strange to see them in full daylight but they killed it.

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Linkin Park was up next and I had not seen them since the two times I saw them back in 2001 when they were touring for Hybrid Theory. At this point they were a full on hit factory and their newest album was their third album Minutes to Midnight. They were touring pros by now so the set was very tight and they looked like they had gained some confidence after years on the road.

 

Closing out the night was the almighty Tool. I do not care how many times I have seen them they still blow my mind. It’s like an old friend that you haven’t seen in awhile and I had not seen them for almost two years since I saw them in Spokane. Tool is an experience. The visuals are on par with the epic nature of the music and the whole thing can very easily put someone into a trance like state. The pot that I smoked did not do anything to counter this feeling. The newest album was still 10,000 Days but I was in hog heaven. Adam Jones has a way of playing guitar sometimes where he appears to be staring into the crowd fixated on one spot as he is pulling off these badass rhythms. We were watching from his side of the stage and I was right in his stare zone, which was messing with me in my state of affairs. Also of note was that Maynard performed on crutches due to an injury. Not that it affected his performance since he stays in the back of the stage anyway, but it was pretty cool he did not call off the show.

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Epicenter 09

 

Toadies 7/16/09

Toadies 09

Toadies twice in less than a year? Yes please! Straight-ahead rock at it’s finest. Toadies were still touring No Deliverance and basically had zero stage show including lack of a proper backdrop. They let the music do the talking and that was all that they needed to get their point across. Vaden had this cool dual microphone thing going on, one for clean vocals and one for a different sound like when he says “We gonna show you a thing or two about love” in the breakdown section of “Mister Love.” Marvin, Jason and I did not leave the pit once. Okay maybe we left once to get a beer.

SETLIST: Mister Love, So Long Lovey Eyes, Little Sin, I Come From the Water, No Deliverance, Sweetness, Got a Heart, Song I Hate, Possum Kingdom, Mexican Hairless, Push the Hand, Quitter, Paper Doll, Away, Backslider, Nothing to Cry About, Tyler, I Burn

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Mayhem Festival 7/12/09

Mayhem Festival 09

So there were quite a few bands at this festival but the only ones we cared about were Slayer and Marilyn Manson. I made my first trip to the San Manuel Amphitheater with Jason, Larry, and Christi. We had to travel the two hours because this was as close as the festival came to us. It’s probably a good thing that the bands we wanted to see didn’t play until the end of the show because we were all decently hung over from the Saturday before. Jason drove and I was drinking beers the whole time. I never really got drunk but definitely felt the effects the next day. So we hung out in the parking lot for about an hour before heading in. Good timing. Killswitch Engage was just getting on so we had time to get an $11 beer, etc. Apparently somebody got shanked at the show because this is a ghetto type area. Then it got dark and out came Slayer. People that like Slayer LOVE Slayer, namely Nicole, who bought tickets to this show when I did but then we had a falling out because of me meeting and falling for Ingrid. I never really liked Tom Araya’s voice but have slowly gotten more into Slayer as the years progress mostly because of the Seasons in the Abyss album.

The real reason I was here was Marilyn Manson. I found somebody nearby willing to share a joint with me and I was off. They opened with “We’re From America” and that whipped me into a frenzy. It was cool to see them play “Little Horn” because I don’t think I had ever seen them play that song in all the times I had seen them before. They played the very electric version of “Four Rusted Horses” and that was also pretty badass but I think this was a turning point in the show. The only other new song they played was “Arma-goddamn-motherfuckin-geddon.” They ended with “The Beautiful People” and just like that after exactly an hour they were gone. No encore. I guess that’s what you get when you see him at a festival. After the long ride back home and a shitty night’s sleep I woke up with sore neck and back muscles from crazy head banging. I must have had a good time…

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Incubus 7/9/09

Incubus

So this was Ingrid’s first concert ever (outside of concerts @ the Del Mar fairgrounds)! We went with Jason, Sherrie, Bob, and Macy but Macy decided to wing it and try to find a ticket once we got there. After picking up Ingrid we came about two inches from rear ending someone as soon as we got back on the freeway (nice driving skills Jason). After all our hearts were pumping at max pace we arrived at the venue and commenced tailgating. Macy asked me, “how do I find a ticket?” I responded by screaming “does anyone have an extra ticket for sale” into the crowded parking lot. A guy in the car right next to us said “I do.” I walked over and asked “how much?” “10 dollars.” “Sold.” I was happy that we found her a ticket so easily but jealous because the rest of us paid $30 for our tickets, but our tickets included a free hot dog and soda…So we get inside and run into my friend Calvin and his wife Jane while looking for the concession stand to redeem our free food. We finally found the right stand and stand in line only to find out that we were supposed to go get a voucher at a different stand in order to get the hot dog or soda! How convenient. So basically they’re banking on the fact that most people won’t go through the hassle of redeeming the ticket to get their “free” stuff. So much so that they’ll pay an attendant to do nothing but hand out vouchers instead of just being able to show your actual ticket at the window. So then we get the vouchers and all of a sudden they are sold out of hot dogs…even though two other people reached in a drawer and grabbed hot dogs after I was told this! I threw a fit and we got our goods. We found a spot on the lawn, spiked our sodas and only had to wait a few minutes before Incubus came on stage and opened with “Privilege.” They also played “Pardon Me,” “Drive,” “Stellar,” “Nice to Know You,” and “Anna Molly” but the highlights for me were “Love Hurts” and “Pistola.” At one point the ladies left to go to the restroom and Ingrid ran into a friend and stuck around to talk with her. She ended up losing us but thanks to modern homing devices (cell phones) I found her. They closed with a song I was unfamiliar with and “Aqueous Transmission.” After waiting to get out the parking lot for a half hour and a 7-11 nacho purchase we all made it home safe and sound.

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Creedence Clearwater Revisited 6/30/09

CCR

Creedence Clearwater Revival was a special slice of Americana that still sounds timeless to this day. They had that “it” factor” and I cannot think of anything else that really sounds like them. John Fogerty’s songwriting and that voice of his was always something I gravitated towards when my father would play records like Cosmo’s Factory. It’s fucked up but I actually stole the Chronicle, Vol. 1 CD from a party when I was in my teens. That is when I really got into CCR. That compilation is solid all the way through.

Fast forward to 2009 and Creedence Clearwater Revisited was playing at the fairgrounds in Del Mar. Long story short John Fogerty and the rest of CCR had some very bad blood between them so the original rhythm section consisting of Stu Cook on bass and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford on drums were touring around with a bald man singing and playing guitar under the moniker Creedence Clearwater Revisited and I thought this might be as close as I would ever get to experiencing these songs live. It really was great to hear the music of CCR live and they sounded good but I am all about the voice and the songs just were not the same without John Fogerty’s unique voice. The truth is they could have sounded like shit and I still would have been excited because of the gal I met up with at the show…

I met a gal named Ingrid a little more than three weeks before this show when I was completely shithoused. I woke up the next morning with her face burned into my mind and told my friend “I think I met a girl last night.” Then as I scrolled through my phone I learned that not only did I meet a girl, but I was apparently charming enough in my drunken state to get her phone number. Days later we actually spoke on the phone and set up a dinner date in Old Town. Full disclosure I did not have high hopes for the date. We seemed like we might be too different as she lived downtown and I lived in OB. By the time we met up in Old Town I also could not remember exactly what she looked like. As I was waiting to meet up with her I saw a gal across the street that looked like someone I would go for but she was too far away to see all the details. All I could think was “please let that be her.” Then she called me and I could see that the gal in question had a phone in her hand and was walking towards me. All I could think in my head at that moment is “YES!” We ended up hitting it off and I think we made loose plans for this show during that first date.

I think I text her to confirm about the show and she responded that she would let me know for sure but it was now the day of the show and I had still not heard from her. Just as I began to question if we really did hit it off that night and accept the fact that this was not going to happen she finally contacted me and asked if I cared if she brought her sister along. I did not. We met there and I remember having a little pack of Jelly Belly jellybeans that I used to get into good graces with her sister. We rode the sky car, shared a quick kiss in the photo booth and had a blast at the show.

After the show ended we hopped on the tram to take us deep into the parking lot where our cars were parked. I wanted to give her a kiss goodbye but it felt weird with all those people and her sister around so I did not. By the time I walked back to my Jeep after separating from her she had text me saying something to the effect of “Nice kiss goodbye.” I knew then and there at the very least we were going to be in each other’s lives for the foreseeable future.

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The Offspring 6/3/09

Offspring

I had just seen The Offspring about a year before this at the Weenie Roast but now Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace was actually out and they were headlining their own tour. I am fairly certain Bob or his friend from work that went with us scored these tickets for free. I cannot tell you who opened but I can tell you that The Offspring were on point. The energy and performance of the songs were just too contagious to ignore. Then again if you were there voluntarily you were probably not there to avoid it. The highlight for me was right before Dexter played a solo version of “Gone Away” on the piano he played the Charlie Brown theme song. It put a great big smile on my face. I guess you had to be there…oh wait. Lucky for you someone caught it on video and posted it on YouTube so you can pretend you were there too.

SETLIST: “Stuff Is Messed Up,” “Bad Habit,” “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid,” “ Come Out and Play,” “Have You Ever,” “Staring at the Sun,” “Half-Truism,” “Gone Away,” “Fix You,” “Intermission,” “Gotta Get Away,” “All I Want,” “Why Don’t You Get a Job?,” “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?,” “Americana,” “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” “(Can’t Get My) Head Around You,” “The Kids Aren’t Alright,” “Hammerhead,” “Want You Bad,” “Self Esteem”

Fleetwood Mac 5/31/09

Fleetwood Mac

The almighty Fleetwood Mac! This is music that became a part of my subconscious growing up due to my parents. It is also one of those bands that have way more songs you know and love than you realize.

They reunited for a “Hits Tour” sans Christine McVie and one of the stops was San Diego. I did not realize they were playing until a couple weeks before the show and much to my delight found out it was not sold out. Even more unbelievable is that I only paid $30 to see them because I saved myself service charges by going directly to the box office.

Macy and I got super stoned before going in to witness these legends in the flesh. It was fantastic. No opener; just two hours of Fleetwood Mac hits from the nosebleeds. I was fascinated by Lindsey Buckingham’s virtuosity and unique style of playing guitar with no pick and both him and Stevie Nicks still sounded great.

SETLIST: “Monday Morning,” “The Chain,”  “Dreams,” “I Know I’m Not Wrong,” “Gypsy,” “Go Insane,” “Rhiannon,” “Second Hand News,” “Tusk,” “Sara,” “Big Love,” “Landslide,” “Never Going Back Again,” “Storms,” “Say You Love Me,” “Gold Dust Woman,” “Oh Well,” “I’m So Afraid,” “Stand Back,” “Go Your Own Way,” “World Turning,” “Don’t Stop,” “Silver Springs”

Nine Inch Nails 5/20/09

NIN

Everything goes in waves and it definitely took awhile for my next set to come in with regards to concerts. Eight months had passed since I had been to a proper concert (Street Scene) so this finally broke my dry spell. That is not all that broke as I had broken it off with Donna some months earlier and had starting dating a gal named Nikki. She had good taste in music so I made the drive to Irvine with her and two of her friends to see the cleverly named NINJA tour.

I had only seen Jane’s Addiction’s one other time back at Lollapalloza 2003 when they were newly reunited promoting their new album Strays, which was the only other album in their catalog besides the classic/excellent albums Nothing’s Shocking and Ritual de lo habitual. They seemed like an odd pairing with Nine Inch Nails but they were in their element and put on a good show.

SETLIST: Three Days, Whores, Ain’t No Right, Pigs in Zen, Then She Did…, Mountain Song, Had a Dad, Been Caught Stealing, Ted, Just Admit It…, Ocean Size, Summertime Rolls, Stop!, Jane Says

I had not seen since Nine Inch Nails since they were promoting With Teeth back in November of 2005. The Slip that was released a year before this was still their newest album. Following Radiohead’s lead the album was released digitally on the Nine Inch Nails official website for free under a Creative Commons license with a message from Trent that read “this one’s on me.” NIN is a live force to be reckoned with but I peaked too early by seeing them at the Gorge for my very first time. It was nice to see them outdoors again but Irvine’s amphitheater is just a cookie cutter amphitheater with nothing special about it. I quite enjoyed seeing “Echoplex” live but was most happy to see Robin Finck aka “Lizard Man” back in the lineup.

SETLIST: Now I’m Nothing, Terrible Lie, 1,000,000, Heresy, March of the Pigs, Metal, Reptile, The Becoming, Survivalism, Mr. Self Destruct, The Fragile, Gone, Still, The Way Out is Through, Wish, Echoplex, The Day the World Went Away, The Hand That Feeds, Head Like a Hole

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Jon Lajoie 2/13/09

Jon LaJoie

Once upon a time before Jon LaJoie played the role of “Taco” in “The League” he was dare I call it a YouTube sensation. I was turned onto his YouTube videos “Everyday Normal Guy” and “Show Me Your Genitals” way before this when I went to visit friends Ben and Dan in China. This lead me to the genius of “Not Giving A Fuck,” “Rapist Glasses,” and “Pedophile Beards.” This shit makes me laugh every time and if you have not seen them you seriously need to check them out. Quite simply his sense of humor lines up with mine so when it was announced he would be performing at the House of Blues I was in. Bob came with me, as did Donna who I stupidly started hanging out with again sporadically.

He was set to perform on a small little stage inside House of Blues adjacent to the restaurant/bar that I did not even know existed. I was naïve enough to think that his level of fame at the time combined with attendance of only about 200 people would allow us to say hello beforehand/shoot the shit/have a beer but he did not appear until he came onstage. Armed only with acoustic guitar and song specific attire he wore in the videos he ran through his “hits.” He crushed it and is actually a really good guitar player. It was essentially a comedy show in which some of the jokes were delivered in the form of a song.