[The Horrible Esthete]

Last night I got to see an old favorite of mine -- Widespread Panic -- and didn't even have to leave town, which is a nice change. An added bonus was the fact that Galactic was the opener, and this was the first time I would get the chance to actually hear a whole live set of theirs.

I was impressed with Galactic; talented, great energy. Most everything I had heard from them before was instrumental; last night they had a vocalist who essentially rapped over the grooves on about half the numbers...which I thought detracted from all but a couple of those jams. Best thing about their set was a very fat, bottom-heavy rendition of Zep's "Immigrant Song", which was the second to last number. That was done without vocals, and the sax player covered the vocal lines with his instrument. Killer. Oh - and the drummer for that band kicks ass.....

Panic was great as usual. I hadn't seen them in several years, mostly because Mike Houser's death left a distict void in the band's cumulative songwriting. I wasn't incredibly keen on the style of his first replacement (George McConnell), either. But I will say that replacing McConnell with Jimmy Herring was a brilliant move. Dude can play.

They too did a cover tune that was custom-cut to my liking: Tom Waits' "Goin' Out West". The Galactic saxist and drummer joine Panic for that one, and it shredded....well, at least for the first 10 minutes or so....until it, like every other number Panic does, turned into an aimless four-hour-hippy-space-jam. :roll:

[Tthip]

An added bonus was the fact that Galactic was the opener, and this was the first time I would get the chance to actually hear a whole live set of theirs.

I do not own any studio recordings by Galactic yet, but I have really been enjoying them lately.
Sirius plays the hell out of them.
Here is some live stuff for you, if you would like:
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[EPenguin10]

I've been meaning to post setlists from a few shows I've been to in the last few months but keep putting it off. Here's one that I enjoyed tremendously at Les Mains D'Oeuvres in Paris:

The Great Lake Swimmers
November 20th, 2007

Setlist:

Backstage With The Modern Dancers (Ongiara)
Various Stages (Bodies and Minds)
Bodies And Minds (Bodies and Minds)
Changing Colours (Ongiara)
Put There by the Land (Ongiara)
Where In The World Are You (Ongiara)
This Is Not Like Home (self-titled)
Passenger Song (Ongiara)
Rocky Spine (Ongiara)
Moving Pictures, Silent Films (self-titled)
I am Part of a Large Family (Ongiara)
There is a Light (Ongiara)

Encore: I Could Be Nothing (Bodies and Minds)

Ongiara: 8
Bodies and Minds: 3
Self-titled: 2

Other than Erik Arneson on banjo and Colin Huebert on drums, the band was accompanied by Julie Fader on backup vocals, flute, keyboard and guitar. Julie is currently performing with Sarah Harmer's band on tour...

The venue was extremely small and somewhat in the 'banlieues' of Paris. Will Johnson opened, pretty good folk artist. There were maybe 100 people there, very intimate with couches, etc...I spoke to the band afterwards, they were very chill. No word on a new album anytime soon...touring Canada's folk fests this Summer...

Other setlists to come (The Skydiggers, Angela Desvaux, Final Fantasy, Rrose Tacet, Keller Williams, Mick Hart, Ludovico Einaudi, Caetano Veloso). Hoping to catch Kathleen Edwards and Isobel Campbell this summer...

[The Heron Outside]

I'm looking forward to a two night stand with Broken Social Scene this weekend in Istanbul...

[EPenguin10]

Right on...I'm thinking of checking them out next week in Paris.

[ryan93]

I haven't been to any live shows since Blue Rodeo in February, but i have quite a few coming up that i'm looking forward to. I have tickets for George Thorogood & the Destroyers in Moncton in June, will also be going to see Collective Soul & The Tragically Hip at the FOL the end of June, then i have tickets for The Eagles & John Fogerty in August (Sam Roberts also on the bill), and then Alice Cooper & Econoline Crush in October. I still might end up getting tickets to Lenny Kravitz in October as well, but i'm not sure on that one.
There's rumors of both The Black Crowes and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers hitting the Maritimes, if it happens, i'll be at them both in a heartbeat.

[sean.bonner]

QOTSA next Tuesday!

[ryan93]

I thought about going to see QOTSA, but didn't end up getting tickets. If it was in Moncton i probably would have went.

[The Darkest Canuck]

Behold...The Arctopus!

Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so friggin' stoked, these guys are insane! I highly reccomend any fans of heavy guitar work check them out...they're a crazy kinda jazz/spazz metal band from upstate NY, that description doesn't really do them justice, but i suppose it's accurate enough...

anyway, can't wait! i'll try to get pics, or a video clip or something.

[MattyM]

Saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in the week, it was awesome. Here's the review I've sent to a couple of publications

A dimly lit former theatre with art deco fittings, the Hammersmith Apollo was the perfect venue for Nick Cave's music and the packed to the brim crowd on the first of his three nights there were testament to the lasting popularity of an artist who constantly reinvents himself.

The Nick Cave that we meet tonight is more laidback Aussie than brooding gothic songwriter, maybe having a family has mellowed him, or possibly he's just having too much fun dancing around the stage and interacting with the 'London Cunts' (his words not ours) in the audience, slapping out the beat when the stage monitors go down.

In a set littered with songs from throughout Nick & The Bad Seeds career, Dig Lazarus Dig stands tall, injecting a sense of fun into proceedings early on, without losing Cave's trademark biblical references. With the audience shouting suggestions left right and centre Cave launched into Tupelo, quietening the crowds right away and by the time the band threw out a blistering rendition of Red Right Hand, red lighting illuminating the Bad Seeds, the stage lit up with slashes of crimson and Cave's shadows thrown up on the walls 20 feet high as he prowled in front of the audience like a wolf stalking prey, everyone in the building was cowed by the power emanating from the performers. I Call Upon The Author reinforced how much the new songs in The Bad Seeds' repertoire have loosened them up and adding Jesus Of The Moon to proceedings to slow things down a little gave us an idea just how versatile the band are. That he can take a song like Deanna, one that barely grips you on CD and turn it, when played live, into an extended maelstrom of emotion, that leaves his audience emotionally drained, says everything about his ability to manipulate a crowd. With Warren Ellis thrashing about the floor with his Fender Mandocaster, and the rest of the band, keyboards, guitars bass and two drummer/percussionists. As Cave left the stage to whoops and cheers after his encore, the audience largely seemed unwilling to leave. With chants of his name ringing round the auditorium Cave returned alone, settling himself at the keyboards as the towering Thomas Wydler strides to his drum kit, to perform Into My Arms, even more heartbreaking live and stripped down than it's recorded origins. The crowds calmed and sated, Cave said his goodbyes and left, the lights came up and the audience emerged into the London night, every face wearing an expression of astonishment mixed with excitement at what was, without doubt, a night that will be long remembered.

[ryan93]

I saw George Thorogood & the Destroyers last night in Moncton, fantastic show! The band sounded really good, and the crowd was really into it. I had great seats too, in the 2nd row.

I was really impressed with the opening act, Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, they were really, really good. I will definitely have to pick up some of their albums.

[grimes]

I did the first night of nxne yesterday and as usual it didn't disappoint. I started off the night at the Mod Club, got there at about 8:00, just in time to see Ted Leo & The Pharmacists take the stage. I'd only heard a couple of their songs before and wasn't really expecting much, but they were actually quite decent. They were followed up by a standard kickass rock show from Sloan. They played a lot of material from their album that came out this week, and it will warrant a few listens based on what I heard. And of course they threw in a few old favourites to keep the crowd happy. After that I headed over to the Rivoli for the Collegen Rock Records showcase. Got there in time to catch the last few songs from Smothered in Hugs, and then solid sets from Mardeen, Two Hours Traffic, and The Danks.

Today I'm regretting the fact that I'm going away this weekend instead of sticking around for nights two and three. If anybody in the area is looking for something to do this weekend I'd highly recommend checking it out - at only $29 for a weekend pass you can't go wrong. Plus, it's one of the few times in Toronto you can get a beer after 2am, as several nxne venues will be going strong until 4! For the rest of us, Radio 3 will be broadcasting live tonight and tomorrow, including Great Lake Swimmers, Hey Rosetta, and Matt Mays & El Torpedo.

[The Darkest Canuck]

I'm going to see 50 Cent and G-Unit on Saturday :lol:

Seriously, it's so weird that they're coming to Sudbury of all places...there have been rumours that do to his recent legal troubles he may not be allowed to cross the boarder, but nothing official yet, leading me to believe that everything will go down as planned. I used to actually really enjoy these guys quite a bit when i was in high school, not so much anymore, but my girlfriend REALLY wanted to go, and sadly this as close as her and i may ever come to going to a show we can both enjoy, so i figured why not, i've always wanted to go to a big rap show, and she's a great girl and deserved a nice treat like this, so all and all it should be fun.

It's really cool to see that Sudbury is finally starting to pull in some bigger acts...(no offense to the hip, or any of the cool bands t hat have played here in the past, but the more the merrier!) now if only we can convince Pearl Jam to hit us up :thumb:

[The Horrible Esthete]

Jenna and I got to see another great Tom Waits show Saturday in Columbus. Most notable difference from the last tour was another fantastic guitarist: Omar Torrez.

Nice performance, killer setlist:

Lucinda
Way Down in the Hole
Falling Down
All the World is Green
Chocolate Jesus
Cemetery Polka
Sins of My Father
16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six
Trampled Rose
Cold Cold Ground
November
Black Market Baby
Hoist That Rag
Lucky Day
Innocent When You Dream
Lost in the Harbour
Lie to Me
Misery is the River of the World
Big in Japan
Dirt in the Ground
Make it Rain

Encore 1
Jesus Gonna Be Here
Eyeball Kid
House Where Nobody Lives

Encore 2
Time

[emperor penguin]

I went and saw Ray LaMontagne last night in Toronto at the Danforth Music Hall. The show was phenomenal. For anyone who hasn't heard of him check out some of his material. The man's got one of the best set of pipes I've ever heard, and his voice sounded better live than I've ever heard it.

He played almost all of the songs from his upcoming album Gossip in the Grain which hits stores on October 14, as well as a bunch from his first 2 albums.