Category: Concert Reviews

Categories
Concert Reviews

Panic at the Disco, Dashboard Confessional Co-Headline Rock Band Live Tour in New Jersey

The Rock Band Live tour hit New Jersey Sunday with a versatile line-up and even more diverse crowd. From the tween girls screaming, “I love you Brendon!” at Panic at the Disco’s frontman Brendon Urie to the inebriated 21+ group jumping and dancing along during Dashboard Confessional’s set, the night offered something for everyone.

Panic at the Disco, the obvious crowd favorites, closed the night at the Prudential Center in Newark with an hour-long set energizing all in the audience. Taking the stage with their signature song, “We’re So Starving,” Urie crooned to the audience, “Oh, how it’s been so long/We’re so sorry we’ve been gone/We were busy writing songs for you.” The audience accepted his apology wholeheartedly — throwing their hands in the air and singing along word for word.

Panic’s 13-song set consisted of radio hits, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” “Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off,” and “Nine In the Afternoon.” Whether Urie was running from one side of the stage to the other singing to the crowd or alternating between playing guitar, piano and drums he kept the audience on their feet with the help of his bandmates. Closing the show with Little Richard’s “You Make Me Wanna Shout,” Panic at the Disco had the crowd feeding off their performance and energy until well after the lights came back on, signaling that the long-awaited Jersey stop was officially over.

Co-headliner Dashboard Confessional took the stage before Panic, frontman Chris Carrabba wooing the crowd with his onstage banter and heartfelt lyrics. Playing hits like “Vindicated,” “Thick as Thieves,” and “Screaming Infidelities,” which he prefaced with a question. “Should we do a love song? Like, an ‘I hate my ex’ kind of song?” to which screams erupted throughout the venue. “Mike hates her too. She’s both our exes.” Then Carrabba began the song alone on piano before the rest of the band joined in.

Possible favorites of Dashboard’s set seemed to be a tie between infamous hit, “Hands Down” and a surprising cover of Pink’s current radio hit, “So What.” Previous performers the Cab re-entered the stage and helped out on their rendition of Pink’s song. The energy in the room skyrocketed and it’s quite impressive the way Carrabba hit the high notes.

What differentiates the Rock Band Live tour from your typical concert is that in between each performer’s set change the crowd gets involved playing “Rock Band” instead of just sitting or standing awaiting the next band to take the stage. Between the Plain White T’s and Dashboard’s set Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” and Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Give It Away” were played, amping the audience for the next band taking the stage.

Plain White T’s played an eight-song set of their fan favorites including their Grammy-nominated hit “Hey There Delilah” as well as “Our Time Now” and newest singles “Natural Disaster” and “1, 2, 3, 4” off of their latest release, Big Bad World. Their set was the most laid-back of the night and they had the audience waving their cell phones and lighters in the air for “1, 2, 3, 4.” As their set closed, frontman Tom Higgenson jumped into the crowd hugging fans and shaking hands throughout the venue while the rest of the band members exited the stage. Not your typical gesture, fans positioned in the front of the arena got a very personal concert experience and walked away from a night they will most likely never forget.

Las Vegas-based band The Cab and New York natives Lights Resolve began the night with a half-hour set each. Definitely a lively set from both bands, whether jumping around the stage and having the crowd bounce to their song — aptly titled “Bounce” (in the Cab’s case) or wowing the audience with their signature “wuh-uh-uh-oh-uh-oh-oh” and catc
hy choruses (Lights Resolve) both bands show much promise. And, who knows, in a few years they might be co-headlining the tour together.

Check out more of Wendy Hu’s amazing photos from Sunday night here.

Categories
Concert Reviews Festivals

Transcendent Canadians The Dears Capture Hiro Ballroom

Orchestral. Dynamic. Atmospheric. I’m not really sure how to best explain the show I saw Thursday night featuring Canadian indie-pop band the Dears. It’s one of those sets that you just have to watch, taking in the entire experience. The band, literally a few feet in front of me, had the audience intently listening to every word sung and every chord played, some dancing, some singing along, some making out.

Taking the stage shortly after 8:30 p.m., the Dears entered Hiro Ballroom while their first song of the night, “Disclaimer,” was playing over the loudspeakers. Seconds later, each band member picked up their respective instrument and chimed in. The group’s musically rich set seemingly took the audience into a trance with the blue and green lighting only adding to the distinctive aura surrounding the room.

Categorized on MySpace as Other/Other/Other, it is hard to place the Dears into one specific genre of music. Natalia Yanchak, one of the group’s core members, describes their music as “Orchestral Pop. Boom.” However, even this portrayal doesn’t seem sufficient. Either way, the crowd loved them.

Most of the Dears’ set was comprised of songs from latest album, Missiles, including “Money Babies,” “Berlin Heart” and the beautifully angelic “Crisis 1 & 2” as well as some older obvious fan favorites by the way the crowd was dancing around me.

Clearly experts at a festival like CMJ, Yanchak said this year was their fourth time playing CMJ. “CMJ was the first music festival outside Canada we’d ever played, but that was back in 2000,” she says. “Compared to other festivals, the shows at CMJ are more like regular gigs rather than big, organized showcases. Our gig was kind of like that . . . part of CMJ but more like our own gig.”

The Dears have been around for quite some time. When asked about their longevity, Yanchak says, “It’s really a spirit that lives on. We’ve had over a dozen musicians come and go, then some return, and leave again.” She continued. “The Dears really is about the moment, about an incarnation, and connecting with musicians that are able to channel the music. As long as the inspiration keeps coming to Murray [Lightburn], The Dears will remain.”

As for her favorite song to perform, Yanchak says, “It really depends on the moment, the vibe in the room and on stage. I can’t predict that until the show is happening. But I’ve been loving playing all the songs in our set.”

Many have talked of their latest album as being a major transformation from their previous releases, but Yanchak says every release is an evolution and progression to another place. “Missiles definitely falls into this pattern of growth. That said, there’s something innocent and brutally honest about this album that was missing on Gang of Losers. Just a journey, like life, choosing a path and trying along the way to stay true to who you are.”

As for her best advice to festivalgoers, Yanchak suggested planning ahead, but leaving room for spontaneity. “Festivals are always about heading out to see one thing, bumping randomly into people and ending up somewhere else. Also don’t just go see all the familiar bands. It’s always fun to discover something new, so be open to that.”

And I have to agree. I discovered the Dears Thursday night and it definitely was a transcendent experience to a genre of music I probably wouldn’t have covered if not for CMJ. So, thank you, CMJ, and thanks to the Dears.

You can read this post originally posted on the CMJ blog here.

Special thanks to Wendy Hu for the amazing photos!

Categories
Concert Reviews Festivals

Bring on the Swedes: Theresa Andersson, Tobias Froberg

Wednesday’s lineup at the Living Room proved to be quite an unconventional night of music. Comical Swedish artist and producer Tobias Froberg took the stage shortly after 8 p.m., while phenomenal one-woman band Theresa Andersson followed soon after.

Drawing laughs from the audience by prefacing each song throughout the night, Froberg ended each song introduction saying, “and I wrote a song about that because I’m a singer-songwriter,” with Napoleon Dynamite-esque glasses and a voice that recalls Ben Folds. The crowd loved his never-ending sarcasm and anxiously waited on the edge of their seats to hear what he said next.

When listening to the lyrics behind each song, a more serious side of Froberg was revealed while playing piano and acoustic guitar. Before beginning “She Is Becoming Her Mother Again” he said, “Sometimes when I call my mother and father I find myself sounding exactly like them. Even though you love your parents, you don’t want to become them . . . but you do.”

Before playing last song of the night, “God’s Highway,” accompanied by Theresa Andersson and Ane Brun, Froeberg informed the audience that after the show, “I’m going to sit downstairs in the basement and sniff some glue” to which the crowd erupted in laughter. Definitely the comical performer, Froeberg kept the audience attentive throughout the somewhat more mellow songs in his set.

One-woman band Theresa Andersson took the stage at 9 p.m. playing a 50-minute set. With the stage covered in a white shag rug, Andersson could be seen utilizing two loop pedals with her bare feet throughout her entire performance, syncing up each instrument she played — guitar, drums, violin, dulcimer, tambourine and chimes.

“I’m not going to talk. I’m just going to make some noise,” Andersson told the packed room. “Welcome to my kitchen by the way. You’re getting the whole show tonight.”

Definitely not your average performance, Andersson explained her set as being somewhat like a dance. “After a while I started thinking of it as a dance, that’s when it really became fun.” She even took dance lessons from a friend in preparation for her live show. “I actually ended up falling a lot in the beginning. I’ll be standing on one leg and stretching the other one out, skip steps or jump. At one point I’ll have to stand on my heels and hit two pedals at the same time, so I couldn’t keep my balance at first,” she says.

Spending about a month putting together her live show, Andersson said it took a while to really get the music in her body. “I would make a lot of mistakes in the beginning. I would be really nervous, but maybe those mistakes were something that [only] I recognized,” she says. “To me, I’ve reached the point where it’s really a musical instrument. It’s just another way of playing songs and playing music.”

Andersson’s soulful vocals and friendly onstage banter made for an enjoyable set. At times, the audience seemed to be intently and silently watching her performance to which she said, “Don’t be shy. There’s just one of me and so many of you out there.”

Before her show, Andersson explained that she wants the audience to “really feel that they’re in the music and not worry so much about, ‘Oh my God is she going to fall or step on the wrong pedal?'” She seemed to get this across by her second song of the night and current YouTube sensation, “Na Na Na.” A fun and upbeat song, Andersson had the audience relaxed and at ease watching her dance around the stage all while playing multiple instruments.

One of Andersson’s favorites to play live, “Birds Fly Away,” is a New Orleans-inspired song which samples Smokey Johnson and has that soulful ’60s feel, reminiscent of the Supremes. Definitely the crowd favorite, the audience was clapping along with Andersson throughout most of the song and screams could be heard towards the end of her performance.

“Each song is unique and they all have a specific role in the set,” Andersson says. “I really wanted to bring the listener on a journey when they listen to the set. I always think its best when you hear it from beginning to end because it goes into different spectrums of the musical language I use.”

And Wednesday night she definitely brought the audience on a unique journey. Ending her set to thunderous applause and a standing ovation, Theresa Andersson is one artist who stands out from the crowd.

You can read this post originally on the CMJ blog here. Check out the video of Theresa Andersson’s song “Birds Fly Away” below, performed live at home in her kitchen.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMXqn42AykM]

Categories
Concert Reviews Festivals

Chicago Duo Show Festivalgoers What CMJ Is All About

Possibly the most anticipated act of last year’s CMJ Festival, the Cool Kids brought their energy to CMJ once again, this time at the Blender Theatre Tuesday night. Having graced the pages of Rolling Stone last year as an “Artist to Watch,” the Chicago rap duo “Chuck Inglish” Ingersoll and Mikey Reed proved that they still have it going on.

Taking the stage shortly before 10:30 p.m., the Cool Kids brought their tight hooks and bass-heavy beats to the stage with “Delivery Man.” Cameras were flashing and every hand was in the air having anxiously anticipated their entrance, for many, since 8 p.m.

Ingersoll and Reed got the crowd energized during their set, which featured their infamous hit “Black Mags” as well as “Box of Rocks.” Even Mickey Factz joined the duo throughout their set, jumping around the stage for “I Rock.”

The night was full of surprises as one fan threw Reed a box of cereal to which he eventually emptied into the crowd. Later, fans jumped onstage for a dance-off contest to win copies of their album in addition to jokes being told, the best comedian winning an XBox game. Their second year at CMJ, the Cool Kids continue to bring something new to the table. I can’t help but wonder what it will be next year.

While most in attendance were anxiously awaiting the Cool Kids performance, Toronto natives the Carps, kept the crowd energized.

For a two-piece, bassist Neil White and singer/drummer Jahmal Tonge held their own. An unexpected pairing with Tonge providing smooth and soulful vocals, at times reminiscent to that of Usher, and White cartwheeling onstage during their performance, the Carps’ vigor was impressive.

The Carps played a half-hour set comprised of eight songs, including a solid cover of Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison” as well as their interpretive song, “Compton to Scarboro,” which Tonge explained being about gun violence. Tonge captivated the audience’s attention by telling the story of a man robbing a convenient store as he and White acted out the parts, White convincingly falling to the ground dead as the song progressed.

The lights engulfed Tonge and White onstage in an eerie glow as their catchy R&B; beats got the crowd clapping along during their set. While the crowd seemed uninterested at times, Tonge evoked attention with his constant, and sometimes curious, onstage banter. “Listen to your parent’s kids, sex is overrated,” he said at one point, later asking the crowd, “Do you love us yet? I just need your love.”

With the upcoming election on everyone’s mind, even at CMJ, the band made their stance known. “Make sure you go out and vote Barack,” Tonge said. “We just elected another conservative in Canada and I would hate to see that here.”

Cartwheeling onstage before their last song, the Carps ended their set with just as much energy as when they began. While it’s often hard being part of such a diverse festival line-up, the Carps worked the stage as if they were the headliners and who knows, in a few years they just might be.

To read the original Cool Kids review posted on the official CMJ blog click here. To read the Carps review, click here.

Categories
Concert Reviews Festivals

CMJ Review: Canon Logic Lure Fans With Catchy Rock Songs, Sunglasses

Playing a 7 p.m. set on a Tuesday night may not be a band’s dream gig, but the Canon Logic worked it to their advantage. With sunglasses give-a-ways creatively imprinted with the band’s name on each pair and free downloads of their latest EP, the Canon Logic played to a packed crowd at Arlene’s Grocery that only seemed to get louder as their set progressed.

While their music has been compared to that of the Beach Boys and even the Beatles, the band brought their A-game to their CMJ Showcase and didn’t disappoint, as they had many in attendance dancing along and singing the words to each song. Drummer Mike Mignano likes to describe their music as “a mint-scented breath of fresh air.” While he admits it’s a corny catch phrase, realistically he says “it’s a gritty blend of harmony-driven pop,” which I couldn’t agree more.

Playing a 35-minute set, the Canon Logic’s performance featured a solid mix of songs from their last EP, “The White Balloon,” as well as songs that can be heard on their full-length album due out early next year. Their first CMJ performance, frontman Tim Kiely feels the set was unbelievable. “The fans were great. We had a blast; we always have a blast onstage. We felt pretty tight.” Guitarist Josh Greenfield agrees. “I could only see the first two rows of people. It wasn’t until the very end that I went up front and realized there was a pretty packed house, so that was cool.”

The five-piece band’s energy was apparent onstage as the three guitarists and bass player jumped around the stage throughout their performance, enticing and encouraging the crowd to do the same. Their set included fan favorite “Avenue of Criminals” as well as “I’ve Been Sleeping With Your Best Friend,” a song off their latest EP, the concept clearly chronicled within the title. “Delia” is one song where their ’60s pop flavor is showcased. With strong guitar, keyboard and drum accompaniment the band seemingly takes the audience back in time.

A diverse and devote fanbase, anyone from parents to grandparents to even Greenfield’s high school-aged sister enjoy their performances and frequent shows. “I think we have a wide range of fans. We like to try and bring everybody together,” Greenfield says. “We’re trying to pull from so many different influences. We really like the classic rock stuff and we also like what’s going on now. I think we have a good balance of the two, which allows everyone to really get into the music.”

Surpassing the band’s CMJ expectations, the early Tuesday set time didn’t seem to deter concertgoers. “It’s pretty cool to know that we can get a good group of people out at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night and they’re acting like its 11 p.m. on a Saturday; dancing, screaming, singing along. It was a good feeling,” says Mignano.

With hundreds of bands performing throughout the week, the Canon Logic continues to set themselves apart. “I think something that we do, which is the toughest aspect of our music, is having five people singing while also being able to handle the rock attitude,” Kiely says. “I don’t see many bands do it. I don’t know if I’ve seen a band do it and pull it off well. We’re really confident in what we’ve got going and I think that’s what separates us. And we’ve got great songs.”

If one thing is certain, a Canon Logic show won’t leave you bored. “You can expect a little bit of everything; some dancing, some singing along. We have a lot of songs that our fans come to shows to see and they’ve been learning the lyrics; they’re really easy to sing along to so they really enjoy getting into the songs and dancing and also head banging and rocking out,” Greenfield says.

Be sure to check out the Canon Logic’s MySpace and Blog for more info about their next record and catch their next show Nov. 8 at Maxwell’s in Hoboken! Check back in few days for more of my interview with the guys of the Canon Logic.

To read this live review, originally posted on the UWire click here.

Categories
Concert Reviews

Singer-Songwriters Jason Reeves and Tyrone Wells Entertain Crowd with Intimate Tales and Stellar Performances in Hoboken

Despite the holiday weekend, concertgoers flocked to Maxwell’s Saturday for an intimate night of music. While it’s uncertain who the main draw of the night was — Jason Reeves or Tyrone Wells — it is evident that at the end of the night, all walked away fans of both performers.

Jason Reeves took the stage shortly after 7 p.m. with ballad, “Pretty Eyes.” Since the release of his album, The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (and other frightening tales…) last month, I’ve been awaiting his local performance and he didn’t disappoint. His album has that acoustic singer-songwriter feel, but in person the musical accompaniment is much richer. Between acoustic, electric and bass guitars, as well as keyboard and light percussion features, the backing band only accentuated Reeves’ vocals during their nearly 40-minute set. Additionally, his onstage banter with the audience brought each song to life.

Before introducing second song of the set, “You In A Song,” Reeves told the crowd, “Don’t be afraid to sing along if you know the words. And if you don’t, make up the words, I won’t be able to tell.” Definitely livelier than the album version, Reeves’ band had many in attendance bobbing their heads and singing along throughout his set.

(To listen to “You In A Song, “for Windows click here, for Quicktime click here.)

“Anybody here from New Hampshire?” Reeves asked the room to which one fan yelled, “I’m from Toronto, Canada!” Before playing, “New Hampshire,” Reeves joked with the fan, saying, “Toronto is pretend New Hampshire in this next song.” With intriguing keyboard effects, the song was solid and had many intently watching the stage throughout additional drum and guitar interludes. Highlight of the song was when Reeves alternated from acoustic to electric guitar, awing the crowd with his prowess as he played. Screams could be heard from the audience and I couldn’t help but wonder if this is what it was like seeing John Mayer play before he began selling out stadiums. Definitely an artist to watch; I’m curious to see where Jason Reeves will be in a few years.

The rest of his set was solid and a bit reminiscent to story-time as Reeves told the crowd the meaning behind his next few heartbreaking songs. “This song is about my two least favorite words ever, especially when they’re put in a sentence together,” Reeves said. “If you’re breaking up with someone, whatever you do, don’t tell them that you want to be just friends because that’s bullshit,” he continued before introducing next track, aptly titled, “Just Friends.” Seeing him perform this song live, the listener felt the tension and anger more than listening to the album could ever get across.

Soon after, Jason and his band began singing the first few verses of “Reaching” a capella before his two band members exited the stage, leaving him to end the night onstage solo. His voice blending well with his guitar, Reeves walked away from the microphone to sing a few lines to the crowd. An intimate gesture, the room grew silent to hear him clearly.

Introducing last song of the night, “Gasoline,” Reeves told the crowd, “I’m not a mean and evil person, but sometimes people do something so messed up that you can’t help but get them back. For me, the best way to get back was to write a song about them,” he said before continuing his tale. “When you sleep with your boyfriend’s best friend, I don’t understand what else you’re supposed to do,” he said to a shocked crowd. “This is the super mellow version of the song. It’s no less angry.” Playing onstage alone, you could hear the angst in Reeves’ lyrics and guitar accompaniment. Most definitely the edgiest song of the night, words like, “She’s covering my heart with gasoline/I’m going down much faster than anything I’ve ever seen/Gasoline/She’s a heartless bitch, telling me to keep my mouth clean” told the story in itself.

Tyrone Wells followed Reeves’ set and proved to be just as good a storyteller. Wells’ nearly hour-long set impressed, as he had many in attendance singing along to fan favorites including, “Falling,” “Dream Like New York” and “Baby Don’t You Change.” In addition, Wells surprised the crowd by beat boxing. “Hoboken is bringing the old school out in me,” he told the crowd. “That was a turn table in case you were wondering.”

Reeves re-entered the stage, accompanying Wells on “Give Me One Reason,” a song they co-wrote together. By the end of the night, Maxwell’s was buzzing with excitement as lucky concertgoers stuck around to meet and chat with each artist. On tour until the end of the month, Reeves and Wells show no signs of slowing down.

Watch the video of Jason and Tyrone playing “Give Me One Reason” below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE-vEc55ODM]

You can read this review on Filter also. Be sure to check out both Jason Reeves and Tyrone Wells on MySpace. If you haven’t yet, you can read my interview with Jason from a few months ago here.

Special thanks to Deana Koulosousas for the great live shots of the show Saturday night!

Categories
Concert Reviews

Blast From the Past: Ben Folds at the State Theatre

Going through my old clips from college, I stumbled upon my review of Ben Folds‘ amazing performance at the State Theatre by Rutgers University, in New Brunswick. I had completely forgotten about this show in October of 2005. If I remember correctly, this is the second concert review I wrote up for the paper that year, with the help of Brent Johnson, The Daily Targum‘s managing editor at the time. Read it below and let me know what you think!

Ben Folds Energizes Crowd at State Theatre
By Annie Reuter and Brent Johnson
Targum Staff Writers

Strolling on stage, Ben Folds walked right to his piano and started pounding out the opening chords to “Bastard.”

The crowd’s energy had already been building, as the more than 1,400 in attendance at the State Theatre Thursday night waited over half an hour for Folds and his band to begin playing.

Folds harnessed that energy with flair, standing over his piano stool like a modern day Jerry Lee Lewis as he thumped through his first few songs of his set. The alt-pop singer-songwriter drew plenty of excitement from the packed crowd, which was much larger than estimated ticket sales showed last week.

Only 1,000 tickets were sold in the first week, but they eventually picked up, said Rich Klumb, a School of Engineering sophomore and member of the Rutgers College Program Council, which organized the event — the first time it had ever hosted a concert at the 1,800-seat New Brunswick theater.

The crowd shouted and sang along for most of the 20-song, nearly two-hour show. The set list included full-band performances of five songs from his latest album, Songs For Silverman, in addition to older songs like “Annie Waits,” “Zak and Sara,” “Where’s Summer B?” and set closer “Philosophy.”

There was also a short set featuring Folds playing solo at his piano. During this segment, he played his biggest hit, the melancholic “Brick,” as well as more obscure numbers like “Lullabye” and “Don’t Change Your Plans” — all of which were from his days as the frontman of the 1990s alternative trio Ben Folds Five.

Folds got the audience laughing during his witty between-song banter, which included stories about how he once delivered wine to an old woman blasting porn music in her house or how he recently fell off the stage in Japan. “I look down, and I’m bleeding all over the piano,” said Folds, after explaining why there was tape marking the end of the stage Thursday night.

The most laughs came when Folds played his version of Dr. Dre’s graphic, “Bitches Ain’t Shit,” complete with a lovely melody and some dramatic acting from him and his backing band. “This is a song I wrote with Dr. Dre,” Folds told the crowd. “I put some pretty chords to the lyrics.”

Folds also coaxed some audience participation, as he taught the crowd how to mimic the horn parts to “Army” and how to sing backing vocals to “Not The Same.” During the latter number, he ended the song by standing up from his piano, conducting the crowd as it sang the final few bars.

Folds closed the encore with perennial fan favorite “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces,” during which most of the audience stood up and bounced along to the perky melody and sarcastic lyrics.

While many audience members were from Rutgers, some traveled from out of state to see Folds perform. Rob Martino falls into the latter category. Traveling from Temple University, Thursday’s concert was the fifth time Martino has seen Folds live. “Once again he didn’t let me down,” he said. “My favorite part was when he played by himself. That’s when he used the crowd to be his band.”

“There are only a few people in the rain I would wait for, and he is one of them,” said Janaki Theivakumaran, a Rutgers College sophomore. “He made sure we all got autographs. I felt bad though because he was leaving for another city the next morning, so it was great that he stayed to make sure we got autographs.”

Theivakurmaran said she enjoed the concert as well. “It was one of the best concerts I have ever been to,” she said. “I thought [Songs For Silverman] was amazing, but he’s even better live. He really knows how to get the audience pumped up and excited.”

Categories
Concert Reviews

Matthew Perryman Jones’ Intimate Performance at New York’s Living Room

With his deep voice and welcoming stage presence, Matthew Perryman Jones entertained all in attendance during an intimate, candle-lit performance Thursday night at the Living Room. The singer-songwriter performed a 50-minute set showcasing songs from his most recent release, Swallow the Sea, as well as older fan favorites.

While some may recognize Jones from his song, “Save You,” featured on popular television shows “Private Practice” and “Kyle XY,” his set Thursday night proved that he is a versatile performer and one that is sure to be around for some time. Not quite a newcomer, Jones’ third full-length album has been receiving much praise and from the audience’s response, he has been leaving a lasting impression on concertgoers.

Thursday’s set opened with Jones alone on guitar for “Feels Like Letting Go” before the rest of his band joined in. At times, his vocals vaguely reminded me of a mellow version of Dave Grohl, maybe what the Foo Fighters would sound like if their music was made up entirely of acoustic ballads.

Singer-songwriter Kate York joined Jones onstage for a few numbers throughout the night, including “Without a Clue” – a song York and Jones co-wrote together. A bit faster than “Feels Like Letting Go,” their voices blended well together. “Sinking Wishes,” from his last album, Throwing Punches In the Dark, Jones explained as, “A song about chasing after somebody.” With lyrics like, “I’m taking a chance to find what’s real inside/I’m taking a chance this time on you/I’ve got nothing to lose” he got his point across.

“When It Falls Apart,” a catchy song co-written with musician Katie Herzig who performed later that night, showcased Jones’ deeper vocals. The keyboard accompaniment and light drumming only strengthened the performance. Watch a performance of “When It Falls Apart” below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUot3-9TMps]

Possibly the most diverse song of the night was “Motherless Child,” a spiritual song from hundreds of years ago, reinterpreted by Jones. “This is a really old song that I fell in love with and it found a place within me,” he told the crowd. Definitely an edgier song than his previous within the set, “Motherless Child” is a song that has the power to change the temperature in the room. One of his favorite tracks on his latest record, Jones has described the song as having a certain “haunted feeling and anger” to it. Extremely well structured, the song showcases a perfect blend between the dark instrumental interludes and Jones’ somber lyrics. Check out a video for “Motherless Child” below to see for yourself.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiX2QAMLeVQ]

“Refuge” was another song that resonated with the crowd. From his last record, Jones said the song was written about a time in his life “when I felt like I was going crazy.” Alternating from acoustic to electric guitar, you could feel the confusion in Jones U2-esque vocals and musical makeup. Closing the night with infamous song, “Save You,” Jones informed fans that while he had to leave for Nashville right after the show, he’ll be back to New York in December. From the response of the audience, I think they’ll be back to see him too.

Be sure to check back next Tuesday for my Q&A; with Matthew Perryman Jones!

Categories
Concert Reviews

Blast From the Past: John Mayer Concert Review on MTV.com

If you’re familiar with my music taste, you already know that I am a die-hard John Mayer fan. In fact, it’s one of those qualities that seems to be ingrained in my musical makeup and everyone knows about me. Even while interning at MTV News Online I’d get the occasional joke about my obsession with him. But, no matter what anyone thinks about Mayer as a person or his recent stints in all the gossip mags, his talent is undeniable. I wish I could play guitar even half as good as he can . . . but I probably should actually practice my guitar regularly to reach this goal. Below is my review of his Madison Square Garden concert from 2007. Feel free to read it below, or check it out on MTV here with a full photo archive of the show.

John Mayer Goes Out With Alicia Keys — At Sold-Out New York Show
Singer shows sold-out crowd there’s a lot more to him than pop.

By Annie Reuter

NEW YORK — With a guest appearance from Alicia Keys, sing-alongs galore and an intimate two-song acoustic performance on a small stage in the middle of the crowd, John Mayer’s sold-out performance Wednesday night delivered everything a headlining spot at Madison Square Garden should.

After a strong opening set from Mat Kearney, Mayer’s show began with the venue darkened before the sounds of Mayer’s guitar drowned out the screams from younger members of the audience. A blue spotlight revealed him as he began “Belief” solo before being joined by the rest of his band.

(See Mayer dazzle by checking out photos of the MSG show right here.)

As the 90-minute set (consisting primarily of songs from his latest LP, Continuum) progressed, he joked with the crowd often, introducing “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)” by saying, “In America, you’re allowed to be an a–hole.” While it seemed at first to be a political reference, he instead described a first date and surprised the crowd by saying, “This song is telling you I’m the type of person that will do you wrong.” With lyrics like “If my past is any sign of your future/ You should be warned before I let you inside,” Mayer got the point across.

The crowd went wild for songs like “Waiting on the World to Change” and “Stop This Train,” but longtime fans made their presence heard on older songs like “Bigger Than My Body,” “No Such Thing” and “Why Georgia.”

But even though Mayer, who won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammys last month (see “Timberlake Rocks; Blige Weeps; Chicks, Chilis Clean Up At Grammys”), has a pop audience many would envy (need we mention Jessica Simpson?), the crowd at the Garden showed that his efforts to diversify musically have worked.

Sure, there were plenty of teeny-boppers in attendance, but there were also parents with their children, couples young and old, businesspeople coming from work, and high-school and college students. And Mayer made sure that his show contained something for everyone: His solos and improvisations with the two guitarists in his band pleased the guitar geeks, and he dipped into bluesy John Mayer Trio mode for “I Don’t Need No Doctor” and “I’m Gonna Find Another You.”

And throughout the show, Mayer constantly let those fans know just how much he appreciates them. “I’m not mature enough to be the kind of person to thank you for how much this means to me,” he said after “Waiting on the World to Change.” And then later, “This [success] doesn’t exist without you. I’m not sure I deserve it, but I’m going to keep writing and playing and doing whatever I have to do.”

Perhaps taking a tip from the Rolling Stones, for his encore Mayer performed two acoustic songs on a small stage set up in the middle of the venue, singing “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and “Stop This Train” just feet away from surprised fans, bringing the intimacy of a small club to the nearly 20,000-capacity venue.

Mayer left the small stage at around 10:30, but had one more trick up his sleeve. Returning to the main stage, he played “Vultures” — saying at the end, “This is the best night I’ve ever had” — before beginning his last song of the evening, “Gravity.”

As the song seemed to be ending, female vocals were heard — and just as cries of “Who is it?” became nearly as loud as the music, out came Alicia Keys, who took over the song’s vocals while Mayer accompanied her on his guitar. “Keep me where the light is,” she crooned, as the song ended with the spotlights shining brightly all over her and Mayer.

Categories
Concert Reviews

Lights Resolve Win Opening Slot On Rock Band Live Tour

Last week a few friends told me about MTV’s Battle of the Bands contest where five New York-based bands compete at Webster Hall, the winner opening up for the Rock Band Live Tour featuring Panic at the Disco, Dashboard Confessional, Plain White T’s and the Cab, when it hits the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in November. I thought it’d be a cool contest to check out and when I realized Lights Resolve were playing I couldn’t be happier!

I originally met the LR guys back when they were on the Get A Life Tour with The Used, Straylight Run, Army of Me and Street Drum Corps. Since then, I’ve caught and covered a couple of their shows for my blog as well as MTV’s concert blog and interviewed all three LR members. The guys are the nicest, most down to earth people you’ll ever meet and deserve all the success that has come to them.

The show started at 8 p.m. as MTV’s Kim Stolz announced the guest judges — Ryan Ross of Panic at the Disco, Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional and rock writer James Montgomery from MTV News. Brendon Urie of Panic showed up late but shared his comments with each band. Each of the five bands took the stage for approximately 15 minutes, performing three songs. First up was Testing for Echo a five-piece Long Island-based band. A bit slow starting off, by their third song their energy emerged as the guitarists could be seen jumping around the stage.

The Canon Logic was up next and had strong stage presence. Quite possibly the most versatile act of the night, each song played sounded completely different than the previous. Whether it was the band unpredictably slowing down a song only to pick it right back up or their frontman suddenly dropping from his regular singing range to a deep tenor, The Canon Logic’s confidence exuded throughout their set.

Third band of the night was Kelsey and the Chaos. A bit reminiscent to Paramore, but much edgier, the musical accompaniment was strong, but overpowered Kelsey’s vocals. Kelsey and the Chaos definitely had the most energy of the night up to that point, but I couldn’t hear a word sung during the set.

Status Green had, no doubt, a fun set. When introduced, Stolz said their sound is inspired by music from the 1960s and when listening closely to their MySpace, you can hear this. Their ability to switch up their set between slower ballads to more upbeat, rockin’ songs is what makes them a great band. Despite not coming out the winner of the night, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear more from Status Green in the future as they had most in the crowd clapping along throughout their set.

Okay, you already know I am somewhat biased attending the show and rooting for Lights Resolve, so I’m just going to tell you this flat out before writing up my review of their performance. I know when studying journalism they teach us “objectivity,” but having seen the progression of Lights Resolve throughout many of their performances this year, I’ve become a fan and feel like a proud parent seeing how much their child has grown over the past few months. I know, silly. But Lights Resolve rocked Webster Hall and you don’t have to listen to my praise of them, their fans were singing along word for word and even those who didn’t come to see them were waving their hands in the air and clapping along.

Lights Resolve started off their set with “The Hills and Michael Jackson” — a catchy number that has their countless “whoa-ho’s” stuck in your head long after the song is over. “Lost and Jaded” was next up, a darker song but demonstrating that they can switch up the set and still stay interesting. For a three-piece band, Lights Resolve can hold their own. Poppy tune, “Another Five Days” ended the show and performances of the night to a venue of screams and applause.

After a long deliberation, all five bands and judges entered the stage to which Lights Resolve was declared the winner and opening act of the November 2 tour date. Chris Carrabba said they made his night while Ryan Ross said they “rocked harder than any other band” to which James Montgomery exclaimed, “Holy shit that was good, everything I like about rock.”

You can catch Lights Resolve opening up the Rock Band Live Tour November 2, in Newark, New Jersey, but if you can’t make that show be sure to check out their MySpace for more dates.

Special thanks to SantiagoFelipe.com for the awesome pictures of Monday night’s show!