“Joy is not supposed to… it’s never meant to be this seamless stream of happiness, you know? Joy happens in moments, in little minutes, in little capsules of time…” Alison Moyet, talking about the ideas and themes and inspiration behind her latest studio album, The Minutes. As I gushed about in my preview last month of this very special three date, three city stop in the United States by New Wave icon Alison Moyet, she has been one of my all-time favorite vocalists, so I had really high expectations for this concert. I expected it to be a highlight among the approximate 100 concerts I’ll have attended by the end of the year. Remarkably, my expectations were exceeded in every way. Truly a fantastic concert and I know from being within the crowd of fans that I am not alone in my assessment. She was joined on stage by band members John Garden and Sean McGhee, and there were ample songs from her latest album (in my opinion maybe her best solo record of her career) as well as favorites going all the way back to her beginnings with Vince Clarke with whom she partnered with for Yazoo (Yaz in the U.S.). It is too bad for the masses here in the States that this must-see show is limited to just San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, but if you have a chance to catch one of the other two upcoming dates, it is well worth it. A phenomenal and unforgettable show by one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of my generation.
Alison Moyet to Make Rare Three Date Concert Stop in California and New York in November for “The Minutes”
Alison Moyet, who is personally one of my all-time favorite vocalists, will be making just three concert appearances in the U.S. this year – two in California and one in New York – in support of 2013’s The Minutes. The English singer-songwriter has published seven solo albums following her collaboration with Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Erasure) as Yaz (or Yazoo in the UK). This is definitely one of the tours I’ve most been looking forward to all year, so I expect it to be amazing. [Read more…]
Mazzy Star Launch North American Tour in Support of “Seasons of Your Day”, First New Album in 17 Years
Hope Sandoval and David Roback’s Mazzy Star launched their first new album in 17 years, Seasons of Your Day, last month, and are kicking off a modest North American tour running the month of November. It definitely ranks as one of the best albums of the year, so it should be a fantastic concert tour. [Read more…]
Cameo Holds Special Concert Engagement at Yoshi’s Oakland and Yoshi’s San Francisco, including “Funky Halloween”
American funk group Cameo will be having special concerts at Yoshi’s San Francisco on October 31std and at Yoshi’s Oakland on November 2nd. The band, best known for 80s hit “Word Up!”, will have a special Halloween show on the 31st, with a “70s vs 80s” costume contest. There will be two shows (early and later) on each date, so four concerts in total. [Read more…]
Thunder Valley Casino Hotel Plays Host To Hip Hop Halloween House Party with Whodini, Kurtis Blow, and Rob Base on October 25th
WorldOne Presents, Sacramento’s V101.1 & Maita Honda have put together the Hip Hop Halloween House Party at Thunder Valley Casino Hotel on October 25, 2013. The special concert will feature Whodini, Kurtis Blow, and Rob Base. [Read more…]
Savages Play “Silence Yourself” With Concert Tour Around The World Through The End Of 2013
London’s post punk band Savages will be touring the world through the end of 2013, supporting this year’s debut album, Silence Yourself. [Read more…]
Monophonics with AM & Shawn Lee Playing The Independent in San Francisco on Saturday, September 28th
San Francisco-based Monophonics will be bringing their “Psychedelic Soul & Heavy Funk” style of music to The Independent in San Francisco on Saturday, September 28th. Joining them on the bill are AM & Shawn Lee, who had an album release party in June that I reviewed, following the release of their second collaborative album this year, La Musique Numberique. Also performing will be DJ Bcause. [Read more…]
Arctic Monkeys World Tour Supporting New Studio Album “AM”
British indie band Arctic Monkeys are currently in the midst of their world tour supporting their fifth studio album, AM, which was released earlier this month. [Read more…]
Kings of the Mic Tour (LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, De La Soul) at The Greek Theatre | Los Angeles, California | 7/7/2013 (Concert Review)
I don’t go to very many hip hop/rap shows, but loved the artists that got their start (and really got that genre of music into the mainstream) in the 80s. My first ever concert, at the age of 14, was Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, and Ice-T at Cal Expo in Sacramento in 1987. So when I heard about this “Kings of the Mic Tour” earlier this year, and that it was headlined by LL Cool J, it was a must see concert for me. Unfortunately, the Bay Area show conflicted with other travel plans, but a date was added onto the end of the tour in Los Angeles at the Greek Theatre, so I knew that was the one to catch. I am certainly glad that I did attend that specific show Sunday night, as it seemed to be a special one on all counts (and clocked in at over four hours of nearly non-stop entertainment). However, the highlight for me took me back to that very first concert experience I ever had, as there was a special surprise guest… toward the end of the last set, Darryl McDaniels (from Run-DMC) joined LL Cool J on stage, and the two performed “Peter Piper”, which was amazing. Stunning for me, really. Overall, it was a very impressive and high energy show from start to finish by all artists involved, and it definitely left me feeling that I need to catch more old school hip hop shows, though I think the bar was set very high by this last stop on the Kings of the Mic Tour.
Weezer’s North American Tour Dates Through To The Next “Weezer Cruise” in Early 2014
American alternative rock band Weezer will be playing a mix of festival and stand alone headlining dates throughout North America in July and September, and then embark on their next “Weezer Cruise” out of Florida in early 2014. The Weezer Cruise will feature a number of other artists, like Cat Power and Ash, with two stops in the Bahamas and a private island beach party. [Read more…]