Jason DeBord's Rock Subculture Journal

GROUPLOVE at The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan | Las Vegas, Nevada | 10/4/2012 (Concert Review)

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GROUPLOVE is one of those bands that, I think, will take a bit of hindsight to figure out… maybe a decade from now, in that their talent, earnestness, and originality seems boundless.  They are definitely doing their own thing, and in these somewhat darker times with people facing a lot of struggles and challenges, their unique and incredibly upbeat music is truly a breath of fresh, sweet air.  While they appear quite Earthy and friendly in appearance, and those familiar with the hits they’ve generated that have gotten the most airplay and attention may expect them to be a bit more quiet and acoustic-driven, by the end of their hour and a half long set atop a rooftop along the Las Vegas strip, they were completely rocking The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan.  Though only formed a couple of years ago, this band is going places, and it is definitely a journey on which their growing fans are happy to accompany them.

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Garbage at The Warfield | San Francisco, California | 10/1/12 (Concert Review)

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Last night at The Warfield was my second time seeing Garbage this year, having seen them back in April in Las Vegas.  I was astounded at how much the band has evolved in this short time, having just been resurrected earlier this year, now completely transformed into one of the most kick ass bands touring in 2012.  This group – that completely defies genre – burst onto the stage and played a tight and rearranged set, including many songs off their incredible new album for upwards of two hours.  They also brought out one of the best audiences I’ve been a part of all year (and yes, audiences do matter!), who could not get enough of this band that comes across as beings from another, much more interesting planet.  All in all, I think the fact that Garbage isn’t currently selling out huge stadiums is a tribute to the fact that the 90s was, as a decade, mostly filled with crap music (compared to the decades that preceded and followed), and somehow this band never received the recognition nor massive following that it deserved.  People in the 90’s generally had no taste in music and it was a weak era in pop culture, and Garbage is, in my estimation, one of the most outstanding group of artists born of that time, and the fact that they somehow got back together to make music and perform live better than ever is nothing short of remarkable.  Hopefully at some point the masses will catch up to what they are missing, as the concerts this band puts on are among the best live shows from any band today.

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The Go-Go’s and The Psychedelic Furs at Mountain Winery | Saratoga, California | 9/30/2012 (Concert Review)

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The Go-Go’s and the Psychedelic Furs closed out my own personally selected Summer concert series at the always awesome Mountain Winery last night and I can’t imagine a better send off, with two classic and important 80s bands in top form playing their many hits, back to back.  A bit of a contrast in styles (though both bands, in their own ways, were a result of and reaction to the 70s punk movement), it was very much a celebration of the wide ranging and innovation music born during my favorite decade.  The Furs opened with what I would characterize as the best live performance I’ve seen from them, and the Go-Go’s closed it out with a fun and energetic set that felt very warm and personalized for the audience.  A great night hosted by two stellar bands, and I feel fortunate to have had a chance to be part of it.

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Huey Lewis and The News at Mountain Winery | Saratoga, California | 9/28/2012 (Concert Review)

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“I am not perfect.  But I’m perfect for you.”  This was a sentiment expressed by Huey Lewis early on in his performance with Huey Lewis and the News at Mountain Winery last night, which was a reference to the fact that this was a make-up show for one that was canceled about a month ago.  A Bay Area native, the band certainly put in a lot of “heart and soul” into producing a very special concert last night, playing through many of their hits and going the extra mile to bring their special brand of rock and roll to the stage.  It was a great show put on by this classic band that helped to define the 80s while mostly defying the sound of their peers with a musical identity all their own.  As one might expect, they put on a classy, positive, high energy show in Saratoga last night.

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Daryl Hall and John Oates at Mountain Winery | Saratoga, California | 9/18/2012 (Concert Review)

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An ongoing personal tradition of mine, I have made a commitment to try to see Daryl Hall and John Oates perform live every year, preferably at my favorite venue – Mountain Winery in Saratoga – and am happy to have been a part of that event again last night.  As readers of the Rock Subculture Journal would likely surmise, music from the 80s is the foundation for my love of popular music, and among all those wonderful artists that were highly prolific in those times, I would personally rate Hall and Oates among the very top.  Billboard Magazine rates them as the number one duo of all time for very good reason – they are simply brilliant songwriters, and have published seemingly endless hits, and their live shows are some of the best I’ve experienced.  Last night I had a great vantage point from which to take it all in.

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Roxette at Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium | San Francisco, California | 9/14/2012 (Concert Review)

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Roxette played the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco last night, and more than delivered with their unique brand of rock infused pop to an eager audience, the majority of which appeared to be made up of truly hardcore fans of the Swedish band front by the duo of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle.  High energy, enthusiasm, and joy emanated from the stage as the band played through a set framed by their many international hits, having sold over 60 million records worldwide.  The fact that they were able to break out so big back in 1989 is a testament to their incredible songwriting skills, and having had four number one hits in the U.S. and nineteen Top 40 hits in the UK illustrates their ability to craft really catchy and hooky tunes that appeal to fans of music the world over.  More impressive is that they were able to break out globally back when artists were completely reliant on record labels and radio stations to be heard, long predating the ubiquitous nature of the Internet and all the opportunity it has brought to the masses since those days.  All that aside, they are a band that really need to be experienced live to fully appreciate their music, as their performance was stellar.

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Blondie with Debbie Harry & Devo (Double Headliner) at Mountain Winery | Saratoga, California | 9/11/2012 (Concert Review)

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Last night, Mountain Winery in Saratoga played host to a true co-headlining concert, with the two artists – Blondie and Devo – alternating opening and closing duties, date-to-date, as this joint tour gets underway, having kicked off just this week.  The show was mixed overall, with Blondie putting on a stellar performance in her opening slot and Devo powering through some technical glitches that diminished their quite obvious intent to provide some serious fan service.  Overall, it was a great night of 80s nostalgia for those in attendance.  Both artists brought their very unique styles and presence to the stage, and overall it was a great opportunity to experience two very different performances.

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The B-52s at Harrah’s South Shore Room | Stateline, Nevada | 9/8/2012 (Concert Review)

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So I just saw the B-52s three months ago (to the day) at Ovations Live! in Arizona… and from the experience, knew that I wanted to see them again, at the earliest opportunity.  So last night I found myself at Harrah’s South Shore Room at Stateline, Nevada, to more or less repeat the awesome experience from earlier this year.  And the band – a favorite of mine since childhood – did not disappoint.  Given the differences in the venue – 100% seated at Ovations Live! and with a mix of options at the South Shore Room including a vast GA pit in front of the stage, the latter was a feature that was a huge benefit for experiencing their incredible music live.  The set list was also completely rearranged since the last show I attended, so it was very much a fresh and unique experience, and as always they put on a phenomenal show.  I’m left wondering, as I write this, when I might get to catch them again.

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Styx at Thunder Valley Resort and Casino | Lincoln, California | 9/6/2012 (Concert Review)

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Last night I had an opportunity to see Styx perform at Thunder Valley Resort and Casino in Lincoln, California.  Really quite the performance… it’s rare these days when a band comes onto the stage, sans opening act, and just let’s it rip, and has the audience from the first riff.  Given that the band, born in Chicago, has been around since the 70s, they obviously have a stellar catalog of work to choose from, and the set tonight spanned everything from their more anthemic rock to popular hits on the ballad side, showing a real versatility in their musical style as well as an unusually democratic (small “d”) sharing of their various talents, and (quite literally) the spotlight.  It is obvious that these guys love to perform, feed off their audience, and seem to play together well, and really appear to enjoy their music and playing it live – together – to an enthusiastic crowd.  And given some back and forth, and my interview with Lawrence Gowan leading up to the show, and, well, just looking around within the amphitheater (which at least appeared to be completely sold out), their audience today very much spans many, many generations, with old and new fans alike just soaking in some genuine rock and roll.  Styx really delivered, and it was an awesome performance, from beginning to end. [Read more…]

Heart at Ironstone Vineyards and Winery | Murphys, California | 8/11/2012 (Concert Review)

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Heart launched their latest U.S. tour this past week, and played the Ironstone Amphitheater at Ironstone Vineyards and Winery last night.  They were an absolute force on stage, seamlessly moving from hard rocking songs to ballads, classic songs and newer material, they performed with power, style, emotion, and truly were magnificent.  They opened with the title track off their forthcoming Fanatic album, which shows that they still have the passion and ability to produce excellent music that represents their trademark style and incredible music ability.  But the most important thing I took away from this show is that this band really needs to be seen live to feel the full power of their music and gifts.  Really stellar event. [Read more…]