the Roots, Wilco (06.26.05)

the Band: the Roots, Wilco
the Date: Sunday June 26, 2005
the Venue: Merriweather Post Pavilion (Columbia, MD)

(Photo credit to Jeff Haskins and his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/jeffhaskins/)

The Roots opened. Totally missed them. Damn.

Wilco was the main event. They had recently played an amazing show at the 9:30 club back in February. Now in this outdoor venue, the wonderful weather seemed to feed the band’s energy. Wilco consists of Jeff Tweedy (vocals, guitar), John Stirratt (bass), Nels Cline (guitar), Glenn Kotche (drums), Pat Sansone (multi-instrumentalist), and Mikael Jorgensen (keyboard).

They played an amazing set, focusing mainly on songs from the band’s last two albums, A Ghost is Born and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. This provided amazing tunes, but some of the evenings best offerings came from older material.

My favorites of the evening were I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Hummingbird, Sunken Treasure, Heavy Metal Drummer, I’m the Man Who Loves You (where Nels absolutely destroyed the guitar), Jesus, Etc., Kingpin, The Late Greats, and I’m a Wheel … whew! I have a lot of favorites.

One of the highlights of the night, above and beyond the tunes, was when a very kind, very pregnant couple gave us their pavilion seats saying that it was too loud being up close to the stage for their unborn baby. Thank you, baby. Those seats were AMAZING!

Full setlist: Handshake Drugs / Company In My Back / Airline to Heaven (Woodie Guthrie cover) / A Shot In the Arm / I Am Trying to Break Your Heart / War On War / Hell Is Chrome / Hummingbird / At Least That’s What You Said / Sunken Treasure / Muzzle of Bees / Kamera / Heavy Metal Drummer / I’m Always In Love / I’m the Man Who Loves You / Reservations / Spiders (Kidsmoke) / ENCORE 1 / Misunderstood / Jesus, Etc. / Kingpin / The Late Greats / ENCORE 2 / Monday / Outtasite (Outta Mind) / I’m a Wheel / Something in the Air (Thunderclap Newman cover) / I Shall Be Released


If I could you know I would just hold your hand and you’d understand
I’m the man who loves you …

the BellRays, Bloc Party, Pixies (06.13.05)

the Band: the BellRays, Bloc Party, Pixies
the Date: Monday June 13, 2005
the Venue: Merriweather Post Pavilion (Columbia, MD)

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

I totally missed the BellRays, but found a great spot on the lawn just in time for Bloc Party. This British rock band is made up of Kele Okereke (vocals, guitar), Russell Lissack (guitar), Gordon Moakes (bass), and Matt Tong (drums). In support of the release of their debut album, Silent Alarm, they played nearly every track. These guys were fantastic! What a great opener for the main act, Pixies.

(Photo credit to Gregor Smith and his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/flc/)

Pixies were the main attraction. Long story short, in the late 80s/early 90s, they were gods of the alternative music scene, they broke up abruptly in 1993, now their back together touring the heck out of the world and giving all us fans what we’ve been craving all these years.

The band consists of Frank Black (a.k.a. Black Francis, a.k.a. Charles Thompson; vocals/guitar), Kim Deal (a.k.a. Mrs. John Murphy; vocals/bass), Joey Santiago (guitar), and David Lovering (drums). They really put on an amazing show! The Pixies played tunes that spanned their entire catalog including my favorites: Wave of Mutilation, Where Is My Mind?, Nimrod’s Son, Vamos, Levitate Me, Isla De Encanta, Caribou, and Gigantic (with which they closed the evening).

One of the highlights of the show was when the band paused for a moment to announce that their first full-length album, Surfer Rosa, released way back in 1988, just went GOLD! Nice!

(Photo credit to Gregor Smith and his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/flc/)

Full setlist: In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song) / Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf) / Where Is My Mind? / Nimrod’s Son / Mr. Grieves / Vamos / Bone Machine / Allison / Crackity Jones / Stormy Weather / Tame / Monkey Gone to Heaven / No. 13 Baby / Cactus / I Bleed / Broken Face / Levitate Me / Hey / Gouge Away / Dead / Debaser / U-Mass / Isla De Encanta / Caribou / Ed Is Dead / Planet of Sound / Gigantic


With your feet on the air and your head on the ground …