That young lady, who is 20, is obviously deeply troubled, deeply disturbed. Probably has confidence issues, probably an eating disorder. And I don't think anybody should have put her up on stage. That was disgusting.

Really?

Enjoy the Silence is one of my favorite Depeche Mode songs. This cover is great!

Cover Version 4 from Kristof Luyckx on Vimeo.

"I wanted to push the Hallelujah deep into the secular world, into the ordinary world," he once said. "The Hallelujah, the David's Hallelujah, was still a religious song. So I wanted to indicate that Hallelujah can come out of things that have nothing to do with religion."

Breaking down Leonard Cohen’s classic Hallelujah. I loved this song, even though it has been so played out in the last several years. If you like this song, you should seek out more Leonard Cohen songs.

I always wanted to know why they broke up. I figure it was relationships within the group that broke down. They did end on a high note, I suppose.

Spotify made its big U.S. debut on July 14, 2011.

In one week, we’ll be marking the streaming music service’s six-month anniversary.

And in one week, all those users who signed up for the free all-you-can-eat desktop music that day will find out that they’re going to be limited to just 10 hours per month now. You’re also only allowed to play individual tracks more than five times per month.

I have the pay version, using it on my iPhone. I’ve used it more for music discovery than as my main listening library. I’m debating whether to cancel it or not.

This song has been stuck in my head for the last few days.  Decent video with Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan.

The last time we saw Imogen Heap perform was at the Warfield. She was ill during that show, battling a cold. But the effects of the cold didn’t hamper her performance. She sounded great that evening. During this Friday’s concert at the Mountain Winery, Imogen didn’t need to battle being ill, but rather she fought the cold windy night. She was able to deliver another solid performance.

We haven’t been to a concert at the Mountain Winery since the remodel. Prior to the remodel, we saw two concerts and a attended a wedding there. It’s a great venue with beatuiful views. The drive up can be harrowing for some, as the roads and can get narrow and windy. The remodel helps to define the concert area, which if I recall, was previously one-level plus a bleacher or two. Now the venue has tiered seating which provides a great view of the stage from almost any seat. Parking is the standard steep price of $20.

We caught the last few songs by one of the opening acts, Geese. Interesting act, but not our cup of tea. They would later support Imogen during her performance.

Imogen came out swinging this tube-like object for the song “The Walk”.

The setlist included (not in order):

• The Walk
• Swoon
• Come Here Boy
• Wait It Out
• First Train Home
• Little Bird
• Canvas
• A-Ha!
• Breathe In
• Earth
• Improv
• Bad Body Double
• Speeding Cars
• Let Go
• Just for Now
• Goodnight and Go
• Headlock
• Tidal
• The Moment I Said It
• Hide and Seek

Imogen did something interesting with one of her songs, Earth. She has a contest in which the winner would come on stage to perform the song with her. The winner for Saratoga is shown below in this YouTube clip:

If I update my “current” iTunes tracks, it’ll cost me about $15. I’m waiting until they update their whole catalog to DRM free. I’ll then decide whether I should upgrade them or not.

Farrah and I went to the Bridge School Benefit concert this past Sunday.  The lineup for the concert on that day was:

• Cat Power
• Wilco
• Death Cab for Cutie
• Smashing Pumpkins
• Josh Groban
• Norah Jones
• Jack Johnson
• Neil Young (of course)

We chose to go on Sunday the day the Smashing Pumpkins were playing.  We would have liked to have watched Sarah McLaughlin, who was only playing Saturday, but Farrah had never seen the Smashing Pumpkins in concert. They didn’t disappoint.

I’m wasn’t familiar with Cat Power’s or Wilco’s music, but enjoyed their sets. Death Cab for Cutie had many fans in the audience, all enjoying their performance.  I recognized three of their songs, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”,  “Soul Meets Body”, and “I Will Possess Your Heart”.    I walked away from their performance wanting to listen to more of their songs.

Smashing Pumpkins were up next.  They came with two pianist, a trombone and trumpet player, a dual-violin player, and the regular core band.   I didn’t recognize most of the songs, some of which I think were new.  Josh Groban came out to sing “Disarm”.  It was a good performance, through he did forget some lyrics.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgMYb6WXSko?fs=1&feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&w=640&h=360]

The Josh Groban set was difficult to get into, though you can’t deny he has a strong voice.  Norah Jones had her (somewhat) new short hair cut.  She put a country vibe to her standards, and also sang a couple of Johnny Cash songs.  Jack Johnson’s set got the audience on their feet with ‘Bubble Toes’, “If I Had Eyes”, “Good People”, and “Banana Pancakes”.  His set had the overall crowed more enthused then anyone else that performed before him.  I can’t say how Neil Young’s set was since Farrah and I left right after Jack Johnson finished.

We did get to see Neil Young perform several times during the show.  He came out to beginning the whole shindig.  He subsequently came out to perform with different artist at the end of their sets, most notably with Josh Groban, Norah Jones, then Jack Johnson.

Other things to note:

• Shoreline didn’t charge for parking. Does anyone know why they don’t charge?  It seems like a money maker for them, but heck it saved me an expected $20.
• They charged $9 - $12 for a beer!  Robbery.

Overall, the concert was a nice mellow affair.  The concert began on a warm Sunday afternoon, that subsequently turned into a cold windy night (part of the reason we left early).

The other night Farrah and I went to Cafe Du Nord to see Rachael Yamagata perform. We enjoyed her first album, Happenstance, which is a somber but strong debut album. We downloaded and listened to pre-released tracks from her new album, Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart . Some of her songs on the album go into a more uptempo direction.

Cafe Du Nord, in size, reminds me of the old Cactus Club in San Jose. Except Cafe Du Nord is much darker and has the vibe of Bimbo’s 365 Club. We had dinner reservations which gave us reserved seating. We could see the stage without obstruction, able to enjoy the show while sipping a nice cold beer.

Rachael started off with Be Be Your Love and Letter Read, the first two songs on her debut album and two of my favorite songs. Letter Read was actually the first song I heard from her, a song where she sounds like Fiona Apple. Anyway, after hearing those songs I knew the show could only get better and it did. Rachael moved from the keyboards to an acoustic guitar which she didn’t plug in at first. She then explained she was battling a flu with some Jack Daniel’s. She was a trooper through, continuing with her set and engaging the lively audience.

She played for about 90 minutes total, going through songs like:

• Worn Me Down
• What If I Leave
• Would You Please
• Elephants
• Meet Me By The Water
• Faster
• Accident
• Would You Please
• The Reason Why

Part of her encore was Would You Please, a request from the audience. Rachael wasn’t sure she knew all the words but gave it a go, prefacing that she could not be criticized if she f’d up. She got through about 90% of the song. I really enjoyed her last song, The Reason Why.

I’d go back to Cafe Du Nord to see another show. The drink and food prices aren’t bad, but parking can be an issue. Well, it’s San Francisco, so parking is always an issue.

You can also find another review of this concert here.

I’m a bit late with my review of the Morcheeba concert Farrah and I went to last week.  The taxman could not wait, taking up all my spare time until today.

I knew of Morcheeba, owning a couple of albums, but to be honest I hadn’t really been into them.  I prefer Massive Attack’s music. Morcheeba has always taken a backseat on my playlists.  They are touring to support their latest album, Dive Deep.  I downloaded the album via Amazon and enjoyed it’s laid back groove.  It’s no Big Calm, but it’s worth a spin.  So when I heard they were touring, I asked Farrah if she wanted to go.  We haven’t been to a concert for awhile so why not?

It was difficult to get into the opening act, who’s name escapes me now.  It just wasn’t my cup of tea. It probably didn’t help that we were a bit tired and they sang in Spanish(?).  About a half hour after the end of their set, Morcheeba took the stage.

[Photo by Julien Genestoux]

I wasn’t sure what to expect.  All I knew was that they’ve had revolving lead singers since Skye Edwards was asked to leave.  The lead singer that night was Manda from Nemesea, who flew in from France.  Cool, huh?

Manda sang the new songs and the hits.  Songs I remember from that night, that I enjoyed Part of the Process, The Sea, Over and Over, Tigger Hippie, Rome Wasn’t Built In a Day, and the new single Enjoy the Ride.  I clearly enjoyed a lot of songs for not being a big Morcheeba fan.  This just goes to show you how good the performance was.

Friday night concerts are difficult at times.  You come home from work, you really want to enjoy the weekend starting that night, but an hour drive up to the City, plus waiting time for the band you want to hear, well, it’s just plain tough on the body.  I chalk it up to not being as young as I used to be. But I must say, Morcheeba lived up to what I thought the concert would be.  They put on a very solid performace at the always enjoyable Fillmore in San Francisco.

This review is about a week late, but it has taken me a bit of time to digest the Tori Amos concert Farrah and I saw last Friday. Tori is touring in support of her latest album, American Doll Posse. I wasn’t a huge fan of the new album, but after watching Tori’s performance, it makes me want to play the album everyday. I guess that’s what good concerts do to you.

The Venue

I like going to The Paramount Theater in Oakland. The theater looks great and the sound has always been well produce in the handful of shows I’ve been to there. Parking is very convenient, located directly across the street. The staff is nice and helpful, showing each attendee to their seat.

The Performance


Photo by ericskiff as posted on Flickr.

In Tori’s latest album, she sings her songs through various personas. I believe she performed first as Santa, then for the second half as Tori. Yes, I guess Tori is one of Tori’s personas. Her set list included:

• Body and Soul
• She's Your Cocaine
• Hoochie Woman
• Secret Spell
• You Can Bring Your Dog
• Raspberry Swirl
• Big Wheel
• Crucify
• Sugar
• Cornflake Girl
• Bells For Her
• Caught a Lite Sneeze
• Winter
• Cooling
• Virginia
• Hotel
• Code Red
• Precious Things
• Bouncing Off Clouds
• Hey Jupiter

We enjoyed the concert overall. I especially enjoyed Caught a Lite Sneeze, even though I saw her perform this song before. I believe Farrah enjoyed her new song, Bouncing Off Clouds

When we entered The Paramount there were several signs noting that the show was being taped. Farrah and I have only been to one previous show that was being filmed, Jack Johnson at the Greek Theater. [sample video] The Greak Theater is a big venue, so filming wasn’t obtrusive. Unfortunately, where we sat in The Paramount a boom crossed our viewing path often. This made parts of the performace frustrating to watch, breaking up the rhythm of the show for us.

End Result

Overall it was a good performance. I think it was the first time I’ve seen Tori do costume changes. This added a different element to the performace.

Set list information obtain from [here] and [here].

I wasn’t sure if I heard Marlon right when he was talking about Mandy Moore doing Umbrella at Music in the Park.  But I guess she could have since Yahoo! has her doing a cover of that song.  It doesn’t sound half bad.

But honestly, all I could think about as the video progressed was “Damn, how close do you need to be to the microphone?”

vimeo.com/8570692

Just received the spam announcement that Tori has a new album coming. Looks like she’s doing the different persona thing she did with her cover album Strange Little Girls

• Feeling Good by Michael Buble
• Smile by Lily Allen
• Tell Me 'Bout It byJoss Stone
• The Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani featuring Akon
• Glamorous by Fergie featuring Ludacris
• Say It Right by Nelly Furtado
• Nothing Left to Lose by Mat Kearney
• Lost Without U by Robin Thicke
• Thinking About You by Norah Jones
• I Am The Walrus by The Beatles
• Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt
• Le plus beau du quartier by Carla Bruni

• Money Maker Ludacris
• Fergalicious Fergie Feat. Will.I.Am
• My Love (Feat. T.I. & Timbaland) Justin Timberlake
• Show Me Janet Jackson
• Work It Out Jurassic 5 & Dave Matthews Band
• Chasing Cars Snow Patrol
• Better Regina Spektor
• When You Were Young The Killers
• Irreplaceable Beyonce
• Hurt Christina Aguilera
• Gravity John Mayer
• Mad World Michael Andrews
• Goodnight And Go Imogen Heap

Oh, my friends at Yahoo!, how I hope the rumor is not true. I went to only one YEP (Year End Party) out of three opportunities.

I missed The Flaming Lips and Earth, Wind and Fire, but did manage to see Ozamotli.  But Chris Daughtry? Granted, I would have voted for him, if I did that sort of thing. But if you’re going to have an American Idol perform at your Christmas party, can you at least get the current champ? Or better yet Kelly Clarkson?

Perhaps it’s a ruse. Maybe someone like Bob Dylan will show up?

What's your cell phone's ringtone? What made you pick it?

U2’s Vertigo is my default ringtone   You know the part?

Hello hello
I’m at a place called Vertigo
It’s everything I wish I didn’t know
Except you give me something I can feel, feel

I just never get sick of U2.  I’ve seen U2 several time in concert, both with BossaNova and farrah.  They always put on a great show.

Paris Hilton

"It will surprise a lot of people because there's real artistry coming from Paris."

This above quote is about Paris, France, right?

No, the article is talking about Paris Hilton and her catchy pop-reggae-island-beat song that is playing all over the airwaves.  I’ve seen the glimpses of the video on VH1 so many times - but I haven’t been able to sit through the whole thing.

Just goes to show you: anyone in the digital age can be made a singer.

What's the one CD that will totally remind you of the Summer of 2006?

Pearl Jam

Has the Summer of 2006 come and gone already?  Well, if I had to choose a CD for this summer, it would be Pearl Jam’s self titled release.  This CD was a return for Pearl Jam of sorts, at least to my ears.

The last CD I fully listen of theirs was 1998’s Yield.  Yield was a fine album, but I think I only remember two tracks from that album!

This one is chock full of rockin' tunes.  Pick it up when you can.

• Promiscuous (Radio Edit) - Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland
  
• SOS (Edited) - Rihanna
• World Wide Suicide - Pearl Jam
• Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
• Again And Again - Jewel
• Always On Your Side - Sheryl Crow & Sting
• Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper & Sarah McLachlan
• Bizarre Love Triangle - Frente!
• One - Mary J. Blige
• Hear Me Out - Frou Frou

Below is the list of songs we had on our wedding compact disc:

• Songbird Eva Cassidy
• Pualena Vika
• You've Got a Way Shania Twain
• Sunday Morning Maroon 5
• Every Breath You Take UB40
• Banana Pancakes Jack Johnson
• Is This Love? Bob Marley and the Wailers
• In A Little While U2
• Turn Me On Norah Jones
• The Way You Look Tonight Frank Sinatra
• You Are So Beautiful Nohelani Cypriano

• Get It Poppin' (Featuring Nelly) - Fat Joe
  
• Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
• Go (Feat. John Mayer) - Common
• Beverly Hills - Weezer
• Maybe I'm Amazed - Jem
• Falling Out Of Love - Aqualung
• Girl - Beck
• Dreamgirl - Dave Matthews Band
• Best Of You - Foo Fighters

Just downloaded [Fiona Apple’s O' Sailor] from iTunes.  It’s good to hear her voice again, but the song sounds like something off her first album.  But hey, I’m craving some new stuff.

Speaking of new stuff, anyone hear the new [Goapele] cd?  Man, I like some of these artist’s web sites that allow you to hear album tracks.  Granted you can’t download them - listening to the album through a Flash player (I’m sure there is a way around this), but it’s good to know they want to make their music accessible.  (Ok, her site says her album comes out December 27th, but on cdnow.com it says it’s already out.  Confusing.)

Ok,  back to Madden 2006.  What?!?!?  Yeah, Farrah bought me a copy yesterday :)

Thursday was one of the times I was glad I checked my spam email.  I get the weekly email from [Ticketmaster] about concerts.  I guess I missed the one earlier about [Esthero] coming to town, and only found out on Thursday when she was playing on Friday?!?!?

I called Farrah to quickly confirm we had nothing plan, and was able to purchase some general admission tickets online.  Finally, we get to see Esthero after missing her so many years ago.

Esthero in Seattle.  Photos taken by [OptimusCrimeDeux]

Esthero came out full of energy.  Her vocals were strong, her manner confident,  and her energy contagious.  She was chatty with the crowd, taking requests for a song here and there.  She was wearing a black strapless number that posed problems for her during the show (having to continually pull it up to hide the goods), but otherwise danced around like there was no tomorrow.  A great show.

Her set was a little under 90 minutes.  Some of the songs she sang (in no particular order) were:

• Wikked Lil' Grrrls
• Breath from Another (just an a cappella tease)
• OG Bitch
• Superheroes (a cappella - by request)
• Gone
• My Torture

ENCORE:

• Joey
• Wish You Away
• We Are in Need of a Musical Revolution