the Aquarium, Beauty Pill, the Dismemberment Plan (09.01.03)

the Band: the Aquarium, Beauty Pill, the Dismemberment Plan
the Date: Monday Sep 1, 2003
the Venue: 9:30 Club (DC)

(Photo credit to Vinka and her Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/vinka/)

It was Labor Day. Summer was officially over, but there was one night of great music yet to be had.

The Aquarium opened. They were cool. I missed part of their set.

Then Beauty Pill came on. This band is from D.C. and is made up of Chad Clark (vocals/guitar), Rachel Burke (vocals/wurlitzer), Ryan Nelson (drums), Basla Andolsun (bass), and Drew Doucette (guitar). I really liked them. I picked up a couple of their E.P.’s at the merch table.

The Dismemberment Plan was the headliner. D-Plan is another indie rock band from D.C. The band members include Eric Axelson (bass), Jason Caddell (guitar), Joe Easley (drums), and Travis Morrison (vocals/guitar). Back in January, the band announced that they were breaking up. They then went about the country on a farewell tour and they just got back from a quick tour in Japan. This night was their final show, closing out their ten year career. Fittingly, they chose to say goodbye in D.C., at the 9:30 club to a sold-out house of fans. It was awesome. They played an extra-long set and there was a lot of back and forth banter between the crowd and the band that was fun. The band had a ton of energy and clearly was having a great time. They played a fantastic set, closing out with a great version of OK, Joke’s Over and ending the encore with Memory Machine. NICE!

(Photo credit to Vinka and her Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/vinka/)

Full setlist (not from this show, but from one around this time … sorry this is the best I can do): Do the Standing Still / Following Through / Sentimental Man / Academy Award / The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich / The Ice of Boston / The First Anniversary of Your Last Phone Call / That’s Where the Party Started / What Do You Want Me to Say? / The City / 8 ½ Minutes / Come Home / Gyroscope / Onward, Fat Girl / Ellen & Ben / You Are Invited / A Life of Possibilities / Back & Forth / One Too Many Blows to the Head / ENCORE / OK, Joke’s Over / Time Bomb / Memory Machine

You are invited by anyone to do anything
You are invited for all time . . .

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Radiohead (08.20.03)

the Band: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Radiohead
the Date: Wednesday August 20, 2003
the Venue: Merriweather Post Pavilion (Columbia, MD)

(Photo credit to ComandZed and her Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/zara/)

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks was the opening act. They were cool. I missed part of their set.

This was the first time I’d ever seen Radiohead in concert and it was AMAZING! The band consists of Thom Yorke (lvocals/guitar/piano), Jonny Greenwood (guitar/keyboard), Ed O'Brien (guitar), Colin Greenwood (bass), and Phil Selway (drums). I really got into them in college and must have played The Bends a million times.

Everything they played was fantastic and they chose a great setlist. Naturally, they played lots of tracks from Hail to the Thief such as 2+2=5, Sit Down Stand Up, Sail to the Moon, Go To Sleep, Where I End and You Begin, We Suck Young Blood, There There, I Will, Myxomatosis, and Wolf at the Door. Yikes, that was almost the whole album! They played a few classics from Amnesiac (Pyramid Song, You and Whose Army, and Dollars and Cents) and Kid A (Everything in Its Right Place, The National Anthem, How to Disappear Completely, and Idioteque). They also played some great O.K. Computer tunes(Airbag, Paranoid Android, and No Surprises). Man, they did all of these so well! And from The Bends they only played only Just, but that is one amazing tune. Surprisingly, they even played Creep from Pablo Honey. Nice!

All in all, the music was the closest to perfect any human could ever make. Each band member is really, really good at what he does. I still can’t believe that they were making such beautiful sound right in front of my eyes totally live! When they finished the second encore with Everything in Its Right Place, and as everyone slowly made their way off stage, Johnny remained, jamming out on his odd collection of self-designed musical devices, until he too made his way off, letting the magic of the beat carry the audience home. Awesome!

The complete setlist: The Gloaming / 2+2=5 / Sit Down, Stand Up / Where I End and You Begin / Airbag / Pyramid Song / Paranoid Android / A Wolf at the Door / Sail to the Moon / You and Whose Army? / There There / Go to Sleep / Dollars & Cents / We Suck Young Blood / Idioteque / Creep / The National Anthem / ENCORE 1 / I Will / Myxomatosis / Just / How to Disappear Completely / ENCORE 2 / No Surprises / Everything In Its Right Place

Delicious, delicious, delicious (Thom’s opening words to the crowd) . . .

Rockmaster General, French Kicks, the Walkmen (08.08.03)

the Band: Rockmaster General, French Kicks, the Walkmen
the Date: Friday August 8, 2003
the Venue: Black Cat (DC)

(Photo credit to David Loomer and his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/kidneybingos/)

Rockmaster General was the opening act. They are a local DC band. I completely missed their set.

French Kicks were next. They were great. The French Kicks are Nick Stumpf (vocal/drums), Lawrence Stumpf (bass), Matthew Stinchcomb (vocal/guitar), and Josh Wise (vocal/ guitar). All but Josh grew up in DC … so even though the band got together in New York, they are kind of a DC band.  I really liked their tune Wrong Side and picked up a couple of their CDs at the merch table.

The Walkmen were the main attraction. The band, made up of Hamilton Leithauser (vocals/guitar),Walter Martin (organ/bass), Paul Maroon (guitar), Matt Barrick (drums), and Peter Bauer (orga/ bass), are all natives of the DC area and have known one another and made music together since childhood (Walter and Hamilton are cousins). Walter, Paul and Matt were in a New York band called Jonathan Fire*Eater while Hamilton and Peter were in a DC band called the Recoys. Each band had a relatively short existence before the boys formed the Walkmen. So long story short, these guys are hometown boys too!

I was really looking forward to seeing these guys. I love their album Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone. This was a great show. My favorite tunes of the evening were Blizzard of ‘96, Wake Up, and We’ve Been Had (used extensively in a Saturn commercial - still love the song though).


Sometimes I’m just happy I’m older …

Kid Koala, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals (06.22.03)

the Band: Kid Koala, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
the Date: Sunday June 22, 2003
the Venue: Bull Run Regional Park (Centreville, VA)

(Photo credit to ravendave and his flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/ravendave/)

Kid Koala opened the show. I totally missed that performance. Oops. I arrived just before Jack Johnson came on stage. He was the co-headliner and the performer that drew me to the show. This Hawaiian-born, surfer-musician was great. Laid back, chill … just enough hippie-jam band to make me dance in a field in the middle of the Northern Virginia countryside. The setlist was a great mix of tunes from both Brushfire Fairytales and On and On. My favorites were Times Like These, Flake, and Bubble Toes (with Marley’s Stir It Up mixed in).

(Photo credit to Ben Harper’s website)

Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals were the main attraction. Ben Harper is the California-born singer-songwriter who helped Jack Johnson get his start. Mr. Harper and the Innocent Criminals, made up of Juan Nelson, Leon Mobley, Oliver Charles, Jason Yates, and Nicky P., were AMAZING! I really didn’t know much about Ben Harper, but this show made me an instant fan. I even picked up my first few Ben Harper CDs at the merch table. Ben and the gang played selections from their recent album, Diamonds on the Inside, as well as tunes from their previous material. My personal favorites were Excuse Me Mr., Burn One Down, Diamonds On the Inside and of course Faded (with Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love mixed in). Absolutely unbelievable show!

Full setlist for Jack Johnson: Times Like These / Plastic Jesus – Fall Line / Cupid / We’re Going To Be Friends / Losing Hope / A Pirate Looks at 40 (Jimmy Buffett cover) / It’s All Understood / Drink the Water / Mediocre Bad Guys / Sexi Plexi / Middle Man / Posters / Poor Taylor / Tomorrow Morning / Bubble Toes – Stir It Up (Bob Marley cover) – Bubble Toes / Wasting Time / Further On Down the Road – Ramble On (Led Zeppelin cover) – Further On Down the Road / Flake / The Horizon Has Been Defeated / Holes to Heaven / Trenchtown Rock (Bob Marley cover) – Garden Grove / Inaudible Melodies / Mudfootball / Rodeo Clowns

Full setlist for Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals: Bring on the Funk / Excuse Me Mr. / Brown Eyed Blues / Temporary Remedy / Ground On Down / Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye cover) / The Woman In You / Steal My Kisses / Diamonds on the Inside / So High So Low / Burn One Down / With My Own Two Hands – War (Bob Marley cover) / ENCORE 1 / Walk Away / Waiting on an Angel / I Shall Not Walk Alone / High Tide or Low Tide (w/Jack Johnson) / ENCORE 2 / Faded – Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin cover)

‘Cause I’m gonna burn one down . . .

Metropolitan, el Guapo, the Dismemberment Plan (05.28.03)

the Band: Metropolitan, el Guapo, the Dismemberment Plan
the Date: Wednesday May 28, 2003
the Venue: Black Cat (DC)

(Photo credit to Andrew Winn and his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/andrewwinn/)

This was a benefit show for Fort Reno. Metropolitan and el Guapo were the opening acts. I missed them, but picked up a couple of Metropolitan CDs at the merch table. Nice stuff … a little bummed I missed them. Note, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists were supposed to open, but Ted was having some voice problems and had to cancel … Metropolitan filled in.

The Dismemberment Plan was the main attraction. D-Plan is an indie rock band from D.C. The band members include Eric Axelson (bass), Jason Caddell (guitar), Joe Easley (drums), and Travis Morrison (vocals and guitar). I caught them almost a year ago in Houston and they rocked. This show was even better. The band was on their last tour after announcing their break-up in January. For this hometown crowd, D-Plan played a super-long set about 100% determined by requests from the audience. It was awesome! My favorite tunes were What Do You Want Me to Say?, Time Bomb, You Are Invited, and Back and Forth.

Full setlist: What Do You Want Me to Say? / Time Bomb / The Face of the Earth / The City / Do the Standing Still / Ellen and Ben / You Are Invited / Girl O’Clock / The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich / Gyroscope / Tonight We Mean It / Following Through / The Ice of Boston / Close To Me / Bra / That’s When the Party Started / Soon To Be Ex-Quaker / Life of Possibilities / OK, Joke’s Over / ENCORE / Rusty / Back and Forth

What do you want me to say?
What do you want me to do?
To let you know that I do mean it …

Damone, Further Seems Forever, the Juliana Theory, the Ataris (04.28.03)

the Band: Damone, Further Seems Forever, the Juliana Theory, the Ataris
the Date: Monday April 28, 2003
the Venue: 9:30 Club (DC)

(Photo credit to Lai and her Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/ltu/)

Damone opened. They are a Boston band consisting of Noelle (vocals/guitar), Dave Pino (guitar), Vazquez (bass), and Dustin Hengst (drums). They put on a nice rock show. I picked up their E.P. at the merch table.

Then came Further Seems Forever. These guys, Jason Gleason (vocals), Josh Colbert (guitar), Derick Cordoba (guitar), Chad Neptune (bass), and Steve Kleisath (drums), put on a great show.  I can't say I'm a huge fan, but it was entertaining.

Next up, the Juliana Theory played a great show. The Juliana Theory is Brett Detar (vocals/guitar), Chad Alan (bass), Joshua Fielder (guitar), Josh Kosker (guitar), and Josh Walters (drums). I was a little familiar with this band as I had picked up their 2001 E.P., Music From Another Room, some time ago while cruising the music stacks of Cactus Records in Houston. I liked the E.P. and really enjoyed seeing them live.

The headliners were the Ataris. The Ataris are made up of Kris Roe (vocals/guitar), John Collura (guitar), Mike Davenport (bass), and Chris Knapp (drums). They were touring to support the release of their recent album, So Long, Astoria. They put on a great show. They’re not really my thing (a little too pop-rock), but frontman, Kris Roe, is from Indiana, so I felt obliged to see this show.

Full setlist (not from this show, but from a show around this time … best I could do): Unopened Letter to the World / 1.15.96 / IOU One Galaxy / So Long, Astoria / I Won’t Spend Another Night Alone / Between You and Me / In This Diary / Your Boyfriend Sucks / Make It Last / Summer Wind Was Always Our Song / The Boys of Summer (Don Henley cover) / All You Can Ever Learn Is What You Already Know / ENCORE / The Saddest Song / Teenage Riot / San Dimas High School Rules / Astro Zombie

If I die tomorrow
Will this song live on forever? …

the Flaming Lips (04.20.03)

the Band: the Flaming Lips
the Date: Sunday April 6, 2003
the Venue: 9:30 Club (DC)

(Photo credit to someone on the internet)

Ridiculous! Fun! Amazing show! It was rock theater at its quirkiest! It was the Flaming Lips!

The Flaming Lips, consisting of Wayne Coyne (vocals/guitar), Michael Ivins (bass), Steven Drozd (drums/guitar/keyboard), and Kliph Scurlock (drums), is a rock band out of Oklahoma. To call the performance by the Flaming Lips at the 9:30 Club a concert is like calling the Mona Lisa simply a painting. This was an event that felt like the rock’n’roll equivalent of a revival meeting. There was video playing nonstop on a giant screen behind the band, giant balloons bouncing among the crowd, confetti cannons, crowd surfing inside a giant plastic bubble, fans in animal costumes danced on the stage, weird hand-puppets that made you feel uncomfortable, smoke and lights filled the air … it was one bizarre circus!

The Wayne and the boys were touring to promote their recent album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, so much of the set pulled from that album, but there were a lot of tunes from the Soft Bulletin album as well. They even got the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to some of the attendees! My favorite tunes of the evening were Race for the Prize, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1, Do You Realize??, Waitin’ for a Superman, She Don’t Use Jelly (an oldy-but-a-goody), and my new favorite, Thank You Jack White (For the Fiber Optic Jesus that You Gave Me). The most memorable part of the evening was seeing Wayne crowd surfing inside a giant plastic bubble … INSANE!

(Photo credit to someone on the internet)

Full setlist: Race for the Prize / Fight Test / Thank You Jack White (For the Fiber-Optic Jesus that You Gave Me) / The Gash / Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 / Lighting Strikes the Postman / In the Morning of the Magicians / Happy Birthday / She Don’t Use Jelly / Do You Realize?? / Waitin’ for a Superman / A Spoonful Weighs a Ton / ENCORE / What Is the Light? / The Observer


Do you realize that happiness makes you cry? . . .

Portastatic, Yo La Tengo (04.19.03)

the Band: Portastatic, Yo La Tengo
the Date: Saturday April 19, 2003
the Venue: 9:30 Club (DC)

(Photo credit to Sam and his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/sammich/)

Portastatic opened. This is the solo project of Mac McGaughan (formerly of Superchunk). Missed them … er, I mean him.

Yo La Tengo, consisting of Ira Kaplan (guitar/vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums/vocals), and James McNew (bass/vocals), has been around since the dawn of alternative music (i.e., the early 80’s). They were touring to promote the release of their tenth album, Summer Sun. I fell asleep during this show. I mean, I literally dozed off and almost dropped my beer. Gasp! Sorry, gang, this is just not my thing.

Full setlist (not from this show, but from a show around this time … best I could do): Beach Party Tonight / Georgia vs. Yo La Tengo / How to Make a Baby Elephant Float / From a Motel 6 / Madeline / Winter A-Go-Go / Season of the Shark / Today is the Day / Tiny Birds / Don’t Have to Be So Sad / Little Eyes / Autumn Sweater / Moonrock Mambo / Deeper into Movies / I Heard You Looking / Nuclear War (Sun Ra cover)/ Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House / You Can Have it All / Griselda / Time Fades Away (Neil Young cover)

the Music, the Vines (04.15.03)

the Band: the Music, the Vines
the Date: Tuesday April 15, 2003
the Venue: 9:30 Club (DC)

(Photo credit to someone on the internet)

The Music (that’s the name of the band) was the opening act. They were cool. I missed part of their set but I picked up one of their CDs at the merch table.

The Vines were the main attraction. They are an Australian alt-rock band consisting of Craig Nicholls (vocals, guitar), Patrick Matthews (vocals, bass), Ryan Griffiths (guitar), and Hamish Rosser (drums). They were obviously supporting their debut album, Highly Evolved. The set was fun and I danced around a bit. I especially liked Get Free, Outtathaway! and the band’s take on Ms. Jackson, a hallmark of rap duo Outkast.

I’m sorry, Ms. Jackson, I am for real . . .

Ex-Models, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (04.06.03)

the Band: Ex-Models, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
the Date: Sunday April 6, 2003
the Venue: Black Cat (DC)

(Photo credit to Peter and his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/peter_skinnywolves/)

I missed the ex-Models completely. Oops.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, consisting of Karen O (vocals), Nick Zinner (guitar), and Brian Chase (drums), are the quintessential minimalist, lo-fi, New York indie band. They were awesome and perfectly suited for the intimate Black Cat.

Karen O was outrageous! Songs like Date with the Night and Rich although great on the recent album, Fever to Tell, seem to gain new life as Karen danced her way through them. Describing Karen as energetic barely does justice to what she actually achieves on stage. It’s like watching a punk rock superhero as she whizzes from corner to corner; crawling, leaping, high-kicking. Everyone in the crowd fell head over heels in love with her, myself included.

My favorites of the night were Date with the Night, Y Control, Our Time, and of course the big hit, Maps.

Full setlist (not from this show, but from a show around this time … sorry, best I could do): Shake It / Kiss Kiss / Cold Light / Date with the Night / Bang / Rich / Art Star / Mystery Girl / Man / Black Tongue / Y Control / Maps / ENCORE / Blow Hard / Miles Away / Our Time


Wait, they don’t love you like I love you . . .