My Musical Skeleton in the Closet

All righty! Here's the first of my new posts, as promised. Here we go.

Now, I'm about to confess something that, up until now, I haven't shared with anyone. But Robert decided to blurt it out at the last McCauley BBQ so now my hands are tied. So here it is: I like Hanson. There. I've said it. BUT! Before you judge me, do me the courtesy of at least checking out the videos below so you can see what they sound like now. And it's not like this. I swear.

It all started back in the summer of 2001. I was still a college student, living at home during the break and house-sitting for my parents who'd gone... somewhere to do something for a week. I can't remember. Anyway, the point is, while they were gone, I stumbled upon DirecTV's Channel 101. I can't recall why or how I came across the channel, but at the time it was showing a bunch of different concerts. I always like having music on in the background when I'm doing chores so it's possible that I flipped it on while washing dishes or something. The point is that I found the channel and watched "Hanson: Live at the Fillmore." And not just once. The concert was shown every three hours or so for an entire month so I saw that concert a LOT. A lot a lot. (Just ask Robert.) Because the more I watched, the more I learned the songs, the more I liked the songs and the more I enjoyed watching. It was a vicious cycle. But one that led me to buy that CD (This Time Around) and each CD released since then. I watched and listened to it so much even Robert began to like them and now he and I share in our enjoyment of Hanson.

Do I enjoy their earlier stuff, like "MMMBop" and "Where's the Love?" Not really. But it's also been 13 years since those songs came out and, unsurprisingly, the now 30-, 27- and 25-year old guys in the band don't make music like that anymore. They're much more... rock n' roll. Less overtly pop. But they were SO hugely popular with their teenybopper music that people still associated them with that style of music, even all these years later. Which is why fans like me have to hide our like of the band for fear of being mocked. It's a sad, sad story, people. The guys themselves are not unaware of their predicament; check out this clip from their 2005 documentary Strong Enough to Break*:

(Fast-forward to the 4:11 mark.)

Robert and I have actually been to two of their concerts previous to the one we attended last month** but you've never read about it here, have you? That's right. Because as soon as anyone finds out I like Hanson, I get odd looks. And it's just too tiring having to defend myself and them all the time! (It's really a sad story here, people. Can you see the pain I've been in? I know!) But, and I'm not exaggerating, every time we've been to a Hanson concert, we've encountered THE longest line outside the venue. We see a lot of bands at the smaller venues - the Fillmore, the Warfield, The Great American Music Hall - and Hanson always has the most fans queuing up to get in early than any other band we've seen. And their fans are very enthusiastic; there were several cars decorated in the parking garage for the show. One car even had an "I'd rather be listening to Hanson" license plate frame. Are there a lot of girls? (*sigh*) Yes, there are. But there are at least a few guys there, even if it they are just accompanying their girlfriends. Are there a lot of parents there? No. (People always assume the crowd is comprised of a bunch of 10-year-old girls but I promise you it's not!) The crowd is mostly a bunch of early 20-somethings but there are other people our age there. I will admit to still feeling a bit out of place because I'm not squee-ing over one of the guys (sadly, Hanson men are not Hot Men), but since the band was playing at GAMH, Robert and I did our youzhe and sat in the reserved seats above the stage so it wasn't quite so bad this time. (Actually, it's too bad I don't find Taylor attractive since, with the way the stage was set up, I had a clear shot of his buns (or, at least, the place where a butt would've been if he actually had one) for the entire show. I'm sure someone would've given their eye teeth for the Butt Seat).

Are ALL their songs fantabulastic? No. There is no band I like that I unquestionably love each and every song - it's not possible. But Hanson is good and much, much better than you think they are. I swear! Give'em a try. C'mon.

"And I Waited" (the song I like best from their current album) performed in L.A. last month:

"Thinkin' 'Bout Somethin'" (the first single from their current CD) as performed on Conan's "Legally Prohibited..." tour. See? Conan likes'em.

The videos from the night we saw them (September 21st) are not so hot, but this is an acceptable snippet from their a cappella segment:

* I watched the documentary on our trip to Hawaii back in '07. At the time, it was offered as a podcast on iTunes so I loaded it up onto Robert's iPod and watched it on the plane. It's actually a very interesting documentary about how Hanson was affected by the merger of their label with Island Def Jam and how, afterward, IDJ sort of poo-pooed their music. So, after fighting the label for 3 years, they got out and started their own label. It really is an interesting movie about the music business. Honestly! I'm not a huge, Hanson-obsessed dork, I swear.

** Several months ago, I'd mentioned in passing to my parents that both Keane and Hanson were going to be in town but that Robert and I didn't have the budget to buy tickets like we normally would. So my parents did a little investigating and wound up buying us the concert tickets as an anniversary gift.

Nada Surf @ GAMH

Robert and I saw Nada Surf at the Great American Music Hall (just like we did back in September 2008) last Thursday and, once again, we opted for the geezerific reserved dinner seats. Only, unlike last time when we were one of about 6 people total in the reserved seats, this year the place was packed! We were squished in and seated next to each other like sardines, and then people decided it would be awesome to come stand right behind the seated people so we were trapped on all sides. The pros definitely still outweighed the cons (a seat, a meal [petrified as it may be - this year Robert and I both picked the pork chop and holy bejesus was it overcooked! It was like eating a shoe, I'm not kidding. I could barely choke mine down, so we splurged and ordered a Ghirardelli brownie sundae to follow it up. That was nice!], something to do between acts and a super-close restroom is still A-OK in my book) but I wouldn't have minded a wee bit more space so that I didn't emerge from the venue a hunchback. But, you take what you get, right?

We were seated directly above the band (again) and there was only one opening act (Telekinesis) so things were good. The BEST part was that former chimney/current bassist Daniel Lorca must have given up smoking because he lit nary a cigarette the entire set. It. Was. Fantastic! I was dreading coming home with the inevitable sinus issues that follow Nada Surf concerts in teeny, tiny venues but this time I lucked out. (I was so happy I didn't mention it throughout the night, just in case doing so might jinx me. But as soon as the last song ended, Robert and I turned to each other and went "He must've quit smoking!" We were excited. I'm sorry we're sad.)


We were so directly above the band, in fact, that I could read the set lists for both Telekinesis and Nada Surf. I loooooved knowing how many songs I had to sit through before the opening band went away!!! Fabulous.

The crowd was definitely a mix of older and younger folk so Robert and I didn't feel too, too old this time around. (Plus, sitting so close to the band you can really see how old they look. Kind of a bummer.) But both Robert's and my (and the band - the lead singer chatted the guy up at one point) was this guy:


Who looked like this:
And danced and sang during every single song EXACTLY as you'd imagine he would. Except during the Spanish song. But that was pretty much a bathroom/beer run song for the entire audience.

Anyhoo, it was a great show, great venue and probably the last concert we'll partake of for a while. Stupid no job.

a-ha: Norwegian for Awesome

I know, I know, I know, I know - I said I was going to post more often and then promptly ditched the blog. But it's not true! I was waiting for something in particular to happen before posting next and just today it happened. And just what is this fabulous thing, you ask?! Well, a-ha updated their site with reviews and photos of the concert Robert and I saw on the 16th. I KNOW! It's almost too awesome for words.

Now, I was a barely casual fan of a-ha going into the concert; I only knew about 5 of their songs off the top of my head. But, after seeing them in concert I am officially goo goo for a-ha. Those of you that have talked to me already know that it's true. They're just so good! And soooo maligned as a One Hit Wonder!!!!!! It really frosts my cookies. In fact, just to rub salt in the wound, I happened to be watching VH1 Classic's '100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s' in the hotel room before heading out to the concert and who should appear at #3 but a-ha and "Take on Me"! The nerve!!!! Now, while part of me was at least happy that they were in the top 5 (if you're going to misrepresent the band with the OHW label they should at LEAST be one of the best ones of all time, right?) the other part of me wanted - and still wants! - some clarification on just what criteria VH1 Classic is using to determine who is a OHW. Because, as I see it, a group that has two Top 20 singles ("Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on TV") as well as the privilege of performing one of the James Bond themes ("The Living Daylights." Okay, so they wrote for one of the Timothy Dalton 007 films - it's not their fault nobody liked the D-man!) is NOT a OHW. "Oh," you say, "VH1C probably is only counting songs that made it into the Top 10 on the Billboard charts." Wrong! Midnight Oil is in the list and their supposed OHW ("Beds Are Burning") only made it to #17! So just what DOES make someone a One Hit Wonder, VH1 Classics?! 'Cause I need to see some continuity here. Hmpf. Needless to say, I was all worked up before heading to the Club Nokia to see the band. And can I just point out (again) that both L.A. shows were sold out? Granted, it wasn't the world's largest venue - it seated about 2,500 - but still! Both shows! SOLD OUT! Because there are some good folk out there who appreciate severely under-appreciated and fabulous music. (Hey - it's pretty much just America that lost interest in a-ha. They're still super huge in Europe. And pretty much everywhere else [especially South America]. I know what you're thinking but no - they're not David Hasselhoff. They're popular and critically acclaimed elsewhere. Sheesh.)

(photos: a photo of the blasphemous segment on VH1C; Robert reading while I watch 4 hours of OHWs)

And it's not just me; Robert, who didn't really know any songs going into the show (except for the ones I made him listen to while driving down I5...) also agreed that it was a great show and that he was surprised at how much he now likes a-ha. I have converted him! Even though he thinks it's annoying Morten is so darn dreamy. (I think the part of the concert Robert liked best was seeing that Morten is [sadly] thinning a bit up top. It's true. Don't get me wrong - he's still hunky (he seems to get better with age, too, oddly enough) but he is losing a bit o' hair at the back. I was a wee bit bummed.) We didn't even have very good seats but with the way the venue was set-up, we still wound up with a pretty good view of the stage. I was a little disappointed with the crowd's level of participation (I was totally the dork waving and clapping and do whatever I was asked. And not just for the next eight-count, either, other loser-y audience people!) and with the fact that the band didn't do a ton to denote that it was their last-ever show in the U.S. but otherwise it was a fantastic show. They didn't even have an opening act - it's like the concert was made just for me! *sigh* I am having a-ha withdrawal. :o( Be sad for me.

If you are interested (and, really, after my rousing endorsement, how could you not be?!), HERE is the link to a bunch of other links for articles, reviews, etc., for all of a-ha's North American dates.

And here are a couple of fan videos from the show:

(Ol' Morty can still hit the high notes - whew! I'd seen some clips of the tour on YouTube and he sounded good but you never know... Back in the day, I went to an 'N Sync concert and JC Chasez could most definitely not hit his high notes. The show was one fontrum moment after another. So glad this was not the case with Morten!)

(The little montage they showed before the first encore.)

And since you can never have enough a-ha, HERE is the link to their Flickr page May 16th concert set of photos.

Robert and I heading into Club Nokia. Don't we (and by "we" I mean Robert, myself and my 4 extra chins) look excited?!

Me wearing my super cool a-ha shirt on the journey home. Robert wore his Nada Surf shirt so we looked like a matching pair... of dorks.

Bye bye, a-ha. I will miss you. But I'm glad I got to see you.

Cars and Coco

Okay, so, as I predicted, I'm totally waffling on my "big life decision" so I don't have any news on that front. But! I do have a few less important updates to apprise you of so here we go:

(1) I got my stupid stinky, leaky car fixed two weekends ago and it turned out that a clogged sunroof drain was the culprit. I didn't even realize my sunroof had a drain; in fact, it has two! The clogged one caused both the leak in the ceiling and the one in the floor and it only took 3 days and $450 to fix it. Happy happy, joy joy! Here's my excited face. :-| Stupid expired warranty. Stupid money sieve Saturn. I hate you both!!!

(2) Robert and I saw Conan at the Nob Hill Masonic Center on Friday night and I took a few cell phone photos from our last row seats (we were just left of center, though, so it really wasn't so bad).

The promo screens before the show

Conan asking if we like his beard (I totally do - he looks so much better! And less red in person...)

Musical guest Chris Isaak

The inflatable "bat from hell"

The show was good. Not GREAT! but definitely good. There was less stand-up Conan than I thought there'd be - he sang a lot of songs. Humorous songs but still... it was hard to understand him over all the music so I didn't really enjoy them as much as the straight comedy. Robert was suuuuuuuuper excited that Andy Richter was there... until he discovered that he wasn't so funny on this tour. The scripted banter was kind of stilted. There were a few SF-specific bits that were pretty good. Two "commercials" for local merchants (Glass Dildo Me and the Bushman at Fisherman's Wharf) and a very funny Triumph the Insult Comic Dog bit. Conan has been featuring local musical guests on the tour (Spoon in Eugene and Eddie Vedder in Seattle) so Robert was crushed to learn that Chris Isaak was the designated local go-to for SF. He is about one click short of straight-out abhorring the man and I don't really know why. I like Chris Isaak - I don't lurv him but I like him - so I was fine with the selection. Robert was pulling for Neil Young; I can't even begin to express my happiness that Neil was not there. (Apparently, Neil was there for the first show in SF (as a regular ol' non-musical guest) so we might've just made a narrow escape!) The parking garage under the Masonic Center cost THIRTY DOLLARS to park in which just about gave Robert a heart attack and a stroke at the same time. Even I was shocked and taken aback. I mean, I expect parking in the city to be ridiculously expensive but somehow I was not prepared for $30. We were feeling a little better about our choice, though, when we were able to vacate the garage in less than 10 minutes and saw the line to pay for the cheaper garage a half-block away stretching all the way around the corner. All in all a successful evening and not a bad way to spend a Friday night.

Music Minims 09: a-ha

I bought Robert and me some el cheapo nosebleed section tickets to a-ha's 'Ending on a High Note' tour last week and everyone I've told* has had the same reaction: " 'Take On Me' a-ha? I didn't know they were still around!" And while I am far from an a-ha groupie - I can't name the other two dudes in the band and I am only truly familiar with a handful of songs - I do enjoy the songs I know and thought catching them on their final tour would be kind of cool. Robert was surprisingly amenable to going so I snatched up the tickets and we're off to see them in May. (They're only playing in NY, Chicago and L.A. and we're seeing them on the final date of their final stop in the U.S. Lucky! Plus, the L.A. show the night before ours is sold out so there are some closet a-ha fans out there.) So! Just so you know there are lots of other songs in a-ha's repertoire, here are a few that I especially like. And, conveniently, Morten looks hooooooooooooooooooooot in most of the clips so, y'know, win-win.

(Oh, Morten is so dreamy in this performance. Yummers!!!)

(This is the video for the title track of their most recent album)

*Except for Work Mel. When I told her she said "a-ha?! But they only had one song! "I wear my sunglasses at night..."" To which I responded, "That's not a-ha, stupid! That's Corey Hart. Duh." And it is. See?

Today Sucks!

Mew. Double mew! I was supposed to see Depeche Mode at Shoreline tonight with Robert, my sister and my brother-in-law but nooooooooooooooo. Now it's been canceled. :o( Suck City, man! I am depressed.

Last night, Robert and I got home from the dog park around 8:45 or so and there was a message on the machine from Biji. He was calling to let me know that he'd heard on the radio that the DM show was canceled and he wanted to make sure I knew. Well, I'd heard nothing of this so I started shrieking and ran like a bat out of Hell to the computer. One look at the band's Web site confirmed the tragic news:

GAH! I frantically started checking my e-mails and, sure enough, at 8:52 the first one came in.

(August 11, 2009) Depeche Mode has been forced to cancel their scheduled appearance on Wednesday, August 12th at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California due to doctor's orders that lead singer Dave Gahan be on complete vocal rest for 48 hours. Because of their busy schedule, a new Bay Area date will not be rescheduled this year.

"San Francisco is one of the most important cities to the band and we are devastated that we have been forced to cancel this date," said Dave Gahan. "We hope to be back soon to play for all of our fans in the area."

Refunds will be issued at the point of purchase.

I called Biji to thank him for letting me know... but mostly to squeal in his ear about how bummed I was. He took it well.

Man! I should've known something like this would happen! I actually had good seats for this one - in the 100s section. I haven't been in the 100s at Shoreline in YEARS!!! Plus, there was to be only ONE opening act (thank you, Jesus!) and it was actually a band I knew (Peter Bjorn and John)! Waaaaah!!! The stars will never align for me like this again, I tell you!!!! Ugh. I mean, I hope Dave gets better and whatever - the man has already suffered a torn calf muscle and the removal of a malignant tumor this tour so he's had a rough go of things - but I'm selfish. I want to see Depeche Mode! I want to see the shirtless mic stand spin! It was the only thing that was going to pull me out of my back-from-vacation-blues funk! And now it's gone. With no hope of rescheduling. :o( Boo.

Nine Inch Nails: Lights in the Sky

In a word: AWESOME. Trent Reznor knows how to put on a damn good show and I enjoyed every minute of it.*

Now, I am not a hard-core Nine Inch Nails fan - which is to say I'm happy to stay out of the mosh pit on the floor - but I do like NIN very much. In fact, NIN was my first concert way back in '94 (when they were on tour with David Bowie... not a bad show to be your first concert, no?) and I've seen them twice since. I don't always know all the songs on the set list but the shows are such a kick that I think even those who don't know any songs would enjoy them. Assuming they like industrial music, of course. ;o)

Trent is a fantastic performer - the dude must be positively whipped (and his voice must be thrashed) when he's finished a show. He was a huge ball of energy during the show and his energy level never waned through the 30-song set. 30 songs! That's quite a show. Granted, there was an instrumental break in the middle of the performance but he still played several instruments - xylophone, piano and (I think) clarinet, to name a few - during the "break" so it's not like he ever just sat on a stool and hung out, you know? Plus, Trent puts a lot of thought into his stage show. Most of the concerts Robert and I go to have no stage show; I mean, what exactly are little guys like Nada Surf or Keane supposed to do at the Fillmore? Not much. And that's totally fine. But it was very cool to be reminded of just how awesome a good stage show can be. There were quite a few set changes and I'll try to explain each one (at least a little) through the photos below. Our seats were in section 116 of Oracle Arena so we were fairly close to the stage but off to its left so I didn't take any photos. A couple of fellow attendees did, however, and they're darn good. As I said, I have a few included in this post but if you want to see a few more, click here or here.

The set list:

999,999
1,000,000
Letting You
Discipline
March of the Pigs
Head Down
The Frail
Closer
Gave Up
Corona Radiata
The Warning
Vessel
5 Ghosts I
17 Ghosts II
19 Ghosts III
Ghosts Piggy
The Greater Good
Pinion
Wish
Terrible Lie
Survivalism
The Big Come Down
31 Ghosts IV
Only
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like A Hole

-Encore-
Echoplex
God Given
Hurt
In This Twilight



This is actually 3 separate screens, one in front of the other, making a composite picture. It moved and changed throughout the few songs during which it appeared... like, the shadows shifted and the clouds moved, etc.


Because we (me, Robert, Wade and Mel) were seated on the side of the stage, we didn't get a good straight-on view of the screens. For example, when the three screens tried to make one image (like in the previous photo) we just saw three separate images. But, we were at a good vantage point to see the roadies scurrying around to change up the stage sets. :o) During this part of the concert, the band moved up to the front of the stage and a screen that acted as a sort of audio visualizer (my brain is TOTALLY blanking on the word I want to use here. Argh!) dropped down behind them. Behind the screen the roadies were running around with flashlights trying to set up the instruments for the 'acoustic' set.




Trent started out the show in a maroon button-down long-sleeved shirt and about halfway through the show he changed into his standard black tee. I though he should've just sung shirtless (a la Dave Gahan) but no go. Hmpf.


This screen was also an audio visualizer but what was cool about it was when the song was over, a roadie came out and wiped the screen black using a flashlight. He just swept the beam up and down the screen to erase the blue image... I guess you had to be there. But it was very cool.








This screen was also interactive. It came out toward the end of the show and before the song started a guy (I think it was the drummer but I'm not positive) came out and touched some of the empty squares to make them red. (Usually, the touches corresponded to drum beats.) Then, after the songs were over, he came back and touched them again to make them hollow. It served no real purpose, I guess, but it was darn interesting!

You can see quite a few of the above light screens in action in the following fan video (from the actual Oakland show):

I basked in the glory of the concert all weekend... I am a huge dork. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to NIN coming back to town soon!

* I can't lie - I didn't really enjoy every single minute of the concert. I was a bit bored during the instrumentals... sue me.

Nada Surf

Robert and I saw Nada Surf at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco last night and I think it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Here's why:

(1) There was a parking garage less than 2 blocks away from the venue. Robert always tells me that there is parking nearby but it rarely is... This actually was. Sweet. Plus, it wasn't super crowded so we were out of there within 10 minutes.

(2) The bassist, Dan Lorca, who is a MAJOR chain-smoker, was out with a "twisted knee." While I still think the dude could've played sitting on a stool, I was stoked he was missing because every time I go to a Nada Surf show I come home with a sinus issue. I know, I'm a wuss but it's totally true - my nose/sinuses/allergies cannot handle 90+ minutes on non-stop smoke wafting. After this concert? Breathin' free and easy, baby!

(3) I twisted Robert's arm into buying old people seats. Hey, I am 491 days away from the big 3-0, people. I need to sit!!! And actually Robert's not a stand-er, either. I mean, if it was just an hour or something maybe but standing through set-up, 1-2 opening acts, intermission and a 2-hour set?! No, no, no, no, no. I can't go for that. Now, when Robert and I see bands at the Fillmore, we scope out a ledge to sit on a guard it with our lives. We have never been able to figure out how to finagle a seat at one of the tables on the 2nd floor. So when I saw dinner seats available at the GAMH, I told Robert to snap'em up. He didn't want to spend the extra money but I eventually convinced him that guaranteed seats would be awesome. And they were. Because we were "reserved" dinner folk, we got seats right at the ledge - we were literally directly above the band. We got a salad and choice of entree (I had teriyaki chicken with buckwheat soba noodles [which, yes, I actually did eat - and it was good!] and Robert had the flank steak with potatoes) included in the ticket price and only had to pay for sodas and any dessert (if we so desired). It was very cool to not only not have to worry about scurrying around and making time to eat before the show but we also then had something to do between sets. It was great! Plus, and you guys know how much I loved this, the bathroom was less than 100 feet from my seat. I could drink with abandon! It was awesome. :o) Robert concurred and thanked me for talking him into the seats before we left.


The pictures are not great, seeing as I only had my camera phone with which to take them BUT we were soooooooo close I had to take at least some kind of photo!! This is the lead singer, Matthew Caws.


Drummer Ira Elliott (who usually has a John Holmes-esque porn 'stache but was clean shaven this time out! Yet another reason to love this show!!!!) and Matthew.


Ira had drumsticks with tips that lit up for only one song (boo!) but they were very cool. I guess I'm easily amused.


Here are a couple Nada Surf tunes for your enjoyment, should you wish to check them out:

What Is Your Secret? (from The Weight Is a Gift)

Boomp3.com

Inside of Love (from Let Go)

Boomp3.com