This is perhaps the most exciting and surprise tour announcement we’ve heard in a long time: the cast of GLEE is hitting the road together!
At last, you can hear the Bon Jovi – Usher mash up live. Belt out “Don’t Stop Believing” outside of karaoke club. Just go ahead and “Jump” for joy at the fun time you’ll have at one of the hottest shows of the season.
GLEE Live! In Concert takes the cast on tour just after the television season wraps and takes the cast to Phoenix, New York, Chicago and L.A.
Tickets go on sale March 12 at Ticketmaster.com for Phoenix and March 13 for New York, Chicago an L.A.
Here’s the tour schedule:
May 18 – Dodge Theatre / Phoenix, AZ
May 20 – Gibson Ampitheatre / Los Angeles, CA
May 21 – Gibson Ampitheatre / Los Angeles, CA
May 25 – Rosemont Theatre / Chicago, IL
May 26 – Rosemont Theatre / Chicago, IL
May 28 – Radio City Music Hall / New York, NY
This was my first time seeing Weatherbox perform so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a late show at the Jackpot in LawrenceKansas which made for a small and intimate setting.
I had never seen Second Star Operator before, and I was fairly impressed by them. The vocals were definitely there and several of their songs seemed to have a great hook. I look forward to seeing them again and would be anxious to hear what they would sound like if they were to go in-studio.
Next up was From Quiet Arms, which I have seen from time to time over the past few years. This band has always had great stage presence and has definitely maintained a consistent sound. They have continued to grow, both musically and professionally as musicians and as any band should strive to do, is improve and grow along the way. These guys like to go all out and try to bring anything they would do in studio onto the stage, this time with a lot more harmonizing vocals that I am used to hearing from them which I enjoyed quite a bit.
For the show being on a Tuesday, during a KU basketball game there was a decent amount of people out at the show. I noticed a lot of fans and friends of the local acts coming out to support and sing along with their friends and soon after the secnd band, From Quiet Arms performed the venue began to dissipate. Soon a new crowd of people came forward just as Weatherbox was getting ready to perform and the local crowd seemed to either leave or be hanging out towards the back of the venue at tables.
Weatherbox’s set started off by three or four solo songs by singer, Brian Warren just him and his guitar. His songs were all raw/acoustic in style- besides the fact that it was played on clean electric- but I definitely enjoyed his set. The rest of the band stood in the audience as he performed, which is part of the experience going to a show at such a small venue- the opportunity to interact with the bands.
The rest of the band joined Warren on stage as they kicked up the pace. After the first song with the full band the crowd in front of the stage began to thicken as local scene kids and the guys from Second Star Operator and From Quiet Arms trickled back in. The show definitely had an obvious separation of fans. There were those who were initially there for the local acts and those who came up later strictly for the headliner (not unheard of). There was several people right up in the front that were dancing and singing along the entire time while towards the back were those, like myself, hearing this band for the first time.
A few songs into their full band set they stopped playing and a mix of smiles were shared by the guys on stage. They revealed to the crowd that they had just acquired a new bassist (Landon Hedges of Omaha’s Little Brazil), and by ‘just’ they meant only hours before the show. I was not sure if that was an exaggeration or not but thought it was interesting. Pretty impressive if it was the truth, that this new bassist learned their whole set just before the show. They got ready to start the song back from the chorus when someone from the crowed yelled out “START FROM THE BEGINNING.” This motion was backed up by the rest of the audience, and not daring to disagree, Weatherbox started the song over again.
I hope that those in the crowd who, like me, were seeing this band for the first time were as taken with the band as myself and will make their way to see them again. They were excellent performers and enjoyed their entire set. As for the new bassist story, pretty impressive feat if he did learn that quickly.
Titus Andronicus, a five piece hailing from Glen Rock, New Jersey, are set to release their latest albumThe Monitor on March 9. This will be their first full-length album to be released by XL Recordings, and if their 2008 album The Airing of Grievances is any indication, this album promises dark lyrics paired with an unlimited supply of raw energy. Let us see if presuppositions ring true.
The first track, entitled “A More Perfect Union,” starts The Monitor with a one-two punch of exhausting energy and absurdly fun guitar riffs. “A More Perfect Union” is a surprising seven minutes long, yet it never drags or loses steam. The lyrics have not lighted up any from The Airing of Grievances, although with lines like “I’m looking for a ‘new’ New Jersey, ‘cause tramps like us, baby we were born to die,” there’s an exuberance to their desperation that makes them more Coen Brothers than Wes Anderson, more Burn After Reading than The Royal Tennenbaums.“Titus Andronicus Forever” acts as an interlude song, leading us to track three, “No Future Part Three: Escape from No Future.” The end of this song is sure to be a crowd-pleasing live encore selection with a call-and-response of “You will always be a loser…and that’s okay!” Titus dials it down a bit with military snare and jangly guitars of “Richard II,” although “dialing it down” for this band means little more than a subdued introduction that segues into a spastic, thrash-about tune with shouted vocals.
The next track, “A Pot in Which to Piss,” is the highlight of the album and possibly Titus Andronicus’ best composed song to date. Not wanting to spoil the many surprises this song has in store for the listener, just know that this track has the power to transport you to far-away settings, not unlike Neutral Milk Hotel or The Decemberists. Oh, and there’s plucky little piano riffs too. “Four Score and Seven” is an ever-shifting, mostly instrumental jam that alternately strolls and stomps. “Theme from Cheers” is a leaving-the-bar-with-good-friends-after-a-long-night-of-pints-and-billiards kind of tune, and “To Old Friends and New” and “…And Ever” move the album along nicely to the fourteen minute finale “The Battle of Hampton Roads.” These fourteen minutes serves as a nice bookend to the previous nine songs, romping through crescendo-decrescendo pairs like their lives depend on it. Wow.
This album shows almost no weaknesses, but there IS a relatively large bone that must be picked: the repeated use of spoken word samples throughout the album. This group seems to have such an outstanding grasp of how their songs flow, both within each individual tune and from one song to another. However, they don’t seem to understand how disengaging and interruptive these samples are (especially considering where they’re placed). There are four such samples interspersed in the album: the beginning of track one, end of track two, beginning of track five and end of track nine. Looking at these placements, it would seem that Titus was intending to use the samples as a cohesive force, much like the “Spider” songs functioned in mewithoutYou’s masterpiece Brother, Sister. If this was their intention, the opposite actually occurred; the energy (a word that could have been used at least thirty-six times in this review thus far) that carries The Monitor is unnaturally and forcefully halted each time. Let us hope they learn their lesson and omit these samples in future releases.
Rob Gordon, the protagonist played by John Cusack in High Fidelity, famously said about making a mix tape: “You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you gotta take it up a notch, but you don’t wanna blow your wad, so then you gotta cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules.” Titus Andronicus followed these rules to a tee on The Monitor, and the resulting album is quite an accomplishment. Minor technical nit-pickings aside, this album is like the illegitimate child of Born Ruffians’ Red, Yellow, and Blue and The Decemberists’ The Crane Wife. Highly, highly recommended.
Track Listing:
1. A More Perfect Union
2. Titus Andronicus Forever
3. No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future
4. Richard II Or Extraordinary Popular Dimensions And The Madness Of Crowds (Responsible Hate Anthem)
5. A Pot In Which To Piss
6. Four Score And Seven
7. Theme From “Cheers”
8. To Old Friends And New
9. …And Ever
10. The Battle Of Hampton Roads
Those Jokesters! Neon Trees teased us with an already awesome viral video for radio-hit “Animal,” but now they’ve got a new video. They’re bring out the beats and busting art in this Tim Burton-inspired music video that is sure to become a masterpiece in its own right.
Had you told me five years ago, when I was listening primarily to Morrissey and the Killers, that in a few short years I would be going mental over Londonfolk musicians and the music they make, I would have laughed in your face. I’m definitely not laughing now, having fallen in love first with Noah and the Whale, then Fanfarlo, and now Mumford and Sons. They’re the latest success story to come out of the London folk music scene and the band comprises four close friends (Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane), all in their early twenties, who came together thanks to a shared love of country, bluegrass, and folk. They describe themselves on their website as having “…fire in their bellies, romance in their hearts, and rapture in their masterful, melancholy voices.” I can’t think of a more appropriate description for men who have created a magnificently emotional album such as Sigh No More.
It was the first single from their debut album, “Little Lion Man,” aggressive with its driving guitar, banjo, and mandolin, that first brought the quartet fully to my attention. The chorus of “but it was not your fault but mine / and it was your heart on the line / I really fucked it up this time / didn’t I, my dear?” is more jaunty than it should be for the subject matter, but it works splendidly with the backing instrumentation. “Dust Bowl Dance” is a little slower but feels just as insistent.
However, it’s the reflective brilliance of “Winter Winds” (released as a single in the UK appropriately in early December 2009) that truly made me a Mumford fan. The beauty of this track cannot be overstated: I actually felt my heart ache upon hearing its first verse: “As the winter winds litter London with lonely hearts / oh the warmth in your eyes swept me into your arms / was it love or fear of the cold that led us through the night? / for every kiss your beauty trumped my doubt” (watch the official promo video below). Romantic? Yes. “Awake My Soul” and the closing track on the album, “After the Storm,” are equally gorgeous.
Successful folk music depends on strong vocals and equally strong musicianship, each providing support for whilst highlighting the other. Songs like “Roll Away Your Stone,” “White Blank Page,” and their current single “The Cave” showcase lead singer Marcus Mumford‘s authoritative yet poignant voice, beautifully supported by Winston, Lovett, and Dwane’s backing vocals, while also sounding more like traditional folk. The minor-keyed “Thistle and Weeds” later in the album proves the band can also excel in less poppy folk. “I Gave You All” is a wild card of the bunch, beginning as a seemingly soft, thoughtful piece before ripping hearts wide open halfway through the song.
Having been on the long-list for the BBC Sound of 2009 poll in late 2008, Mumford and Sons were just getting started on their steady rise to fame in Britain around the time I could have seen them live for the first time, had I known more about them. I might have seen them perform at Rock City in Nottingham, England, at the Dot to Dot Festival last May, had I not been interviewing Friendly Fires. I learned of my “mistake” in the most unexpected way: Friendly Fires‘s guitar tech appeared from nowhere shortly after our interview was over and announced to us all that we were fools to have missed such an amazing performance.
Thankfully, this quartet have achieved a level of success that has allowed them to tour North America, and I for one will definitely see them live when they come to my town. Need further evidence of how big they are? Despite having only been together for less than 3 years, there is already a Mumford and Sons spoof tribute band from Ireland called Sonford and Mums. What’s that they say, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” or something like that? I think Mumford and Sons deserve all the flattery bestowed upon them for their debut effort.
Sigh No More is available now on Glassnote Records in America (the band is signed to Island Records in the UK).
Tracklisting
01. Sigh No More
02. The Cave
03. Winter Winds
04. Roll Away Your Stone
05. White Blank Page
06. I Gave You All
07. Little Lion Man
08. Thistle and Weeds
09. Awake My Soul
10. Dust Bowl Dance
11. After the Storm
Tour Dates
May 13 – Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire / Montreal*
May 14 – Middle East Downstairs / Cambridge, MA*
May 16 – Fillmore at TLA / Philadelphia*
May 18 – Webster Hall / New York City*
May 20 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC*
May 21 – Beachland Ballroom / Cleveland*
May 22 – Wexner Center / Columbus*
May 24 - Lincoln Hall / Chicago*
May 25 – Varsity Theatre / Minneapolis*
May 29 – Sasquatch Music Festival / George, WA*
May 30 – 560 Club / Vancouver*
May 31 – Aladdin Theatre / Portland*
Jun 03 – Great American Music Hall / San Francisco*
Jun 04 – Henry Fonda Theatre / Los Angeles*
Jun 07 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix*
Jun 09 – Antone’s / Austin*
Jun 10 – House of Blues / Dallas*
Jun 12 – Bonnaroo Music Festival / Manchester, TN
Jun 14 – Bluebird / Bloomington, IN
Jun 15 – Off Broadway / St. Louis
Jun 16 – Record Bar / Kansas City, KS
*with the Middle East
In my time at Popwreckoning, I’ve been lucky enough to experience some fairly unforgettable events. To compare Bonnaroo to the Beaumont Club would simply be unfair. But last night, standing on the side of the stage watching six of my favorite local bands join forces to put together one of the strongest lineups I’ve ever seen locally, I couldn’t help but feel that the Pre-Sxsw Showcase might honestly outshine the best of our best achievements.
We honestly could not have done this without the help of countless people from the Kansas City music scene. Kcfreepress, The Pitch, Ink, Kansas City Star, Jayplayand Unewshave all done a great job of taking care of promoting the show. 96.5 The Buzz was very generous in allowing bands to come on their shows and speak about our concert. We of course couldn’t have done this without the help of Pat Fielder of Velocity Marketing and the Beaumont Club for hosting us. Of course we have to have to thank the six amazing bands who took part in the event. Without them there is no show. Lastly, we have to thank Jeff Tafolla of Saddle Creek Records for judging the event.
At the end of the night, Tafolla cast his votes for the bands he felt would best represent Kansas City at the 5th Annual All Together Now Showcase at the Bayou Lounge in Austin Texas. Those bands that will be joining us in Austin, Texas will be:
Thank you to everyone who came out to support us, the show and the Kansas City Music Scene. Last night, our scene looked amazing. Lets take that momentum to Austin and show the world why Kansas City matters. We look forward to doing this again.
Monday night at the Patriot Center in Northern Virginia was just the second show in a long string of North American dates for stadium rock heroes Muse. I’ve seen some crazy crowd footage from the band’s performances in recent years so understandably, I was concerned about an out of control general admission audience. An English friend of mine is a huge fan of the band and has seen them more times than he count on one hand. So I figured he would be the one to ask regarding concert safety, and our discussion went something like this:
Me: Okay, so the Muse gig in March is general admission. Where do I stand, so I don’t get killed by the mosh pit? Him: Don’t stand in the middle! Stand either to the left or the right, and you’ll be fine. Me: Really? Him: Yeah, you’ll be fine.
And he was right. By the time a friend and I arrived at the arena, there was already a long line going around one side of the building, so I figured placing ourselves front and center wouldn’t be possible anyway. As luck would have it, we ended up in “second row” on stage right, squarely in front of the exact spot where Matt Bellamy (lead vocals / guitar / piano) stood for much of the show, so it turned out to be an excellent vantage point.
Opening for Muse was Los Angeles band Silversun Pickups. Frontman/guitarist Brian Aubert had the daunting task of leading his band in front of crazy Muse fans, but I thought they did an admirable job, playing songs familiar to me off 2009′s Grammy-nominated Swoon like the fabulous “Substitution.” Dark-haired bassist Nikki Monninger dazzled in a magenta sleeveless dress, busting out the awesome bass lines to the Silversun Pickups song everyone should know by now, “Panic Switch.” While they had no problem filling the cavernous 10,000-seat arena with their brand of rock, I’m imagining they’d sound even better in a smaller club.
Even before one note was played that night, there was the question of three towers draped in gray cloth, standing on the far end of the stage. We didn’t know what these were for until the lights went down shortly before 9:30 PM, causing everyone in the now-filled venue to hoot and holler in approval as images of shadows started to “walk” up the towers, further building the suspense. Finally, cloth dropped, revealing Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme(bass guitar / backing vocals), and Dom Howard (drums) on their individual towers. What a truly dramatic way to usher in “Uprising.” Turns out these “towers” house fancy hydraulic lifts that allow the band to be raised high above us or when they feel like it, join us mortals back down on the regular stage.
The Resistance was one of my top 10 albums of 2009, even though when I first heard some of the tracks, sprinkled liberally with sweeping orchestral arrangements and Bellamy’s piano tinklings, I wanted to scream, “stop trying to be Queen!” (The band have, in fact, admitted their love for Queen, and Queen guitarist Brian May has indicated his appreciation for Muse’s music, so this shouldn’t have come as a surprise.) Now, having heard many of the tracks from the Resistance live a couple days ago and having it all sink in, all I can say is…wow. This Led Zeppelin fangirl from back in the day was not at all expecting an homage to the gods of hard rock by way of Jimmy Page’s guitar solo at the start of Led Zeppelin II‘s “Heartbreaker.” But if there was any better way Bellamy could intro “Supermassive Black Hole” on his guitar, I’d like to see him try.
It’s hard to pinpoint my highlights of the night, but the superbly sensual “Plug in Baby” (from 2001′s Origin of Symmetry) has to be at the top of the list. Bellamy is the consummate songwriter, and my impression from Monday night is that he is also the consummate performer as well. Whether wailing on his guitar or keytar, singing in his trademark falsetto voice, or banging away on the piano, the man has more talent in his body than should be allowed. Wolstenholme’s thumping bass and Howard’s drumming, along with Bellamy’s contributions, assured that every Muse song was played with deftness and might. The crowning moment was “Knights of Cydonia,” the precision of the commanding guitars and Howard’s drumming making this truly one rocktastic tune. Every single person in the arena sang along with Bellamy on the chorus of “no one’s gonna take me alive / time has come to make things right / you and I must fight for our rights / you and I must fight to survive,” all in one voice. Absolutely brilliant. This band from Devon, England has worked so very hard to get where they are today, and I’m so glad that finally they’re getting the mainstream success they deserve in America.
There’s a wonderful line in Muse’s current love song single, “Resistance”: “I’ll wait a thousand years, just to see you smile again.” Muse is one of those bands that if you love sweeping guitar rock, they’re sure to make you smile. I’m glad I won’t have to wait that long to see them: the wide, Muse-induced smile is going to return to my face this summer. If you want to see what you’re missing, check out the official promo video for the song below. (If you’re seeing them on this tour, you may want to skip it so you’ll be surprised!)
Muse Set List
Uprising
Resistance
New Born
Map of the Problematique
Supermassive Black Hole (with wicked Led Zeppelin “Heartbreaker”-influenced intro)
Interlude
Guiding Light
Hysteria
United States of Eurasia (no piano outro)
Feelin’ Good (Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse cover)
Helsinki Jam
Undisclosed Desires
Starlight
Plug in Baby
Time is Running Out
Unnatural Selection
//
Exogenesis
Stockholm Syndrome
Knights of Cydonia
Tour Dates
Mar 05 – Madison Square Garden / New York City
Mar 06 – Banknorth Garden / Boston
Mar 08 – Air Canada Center / Toronto
Mar 10 – Bell Centre / Montreal
Mar 12 – United Center / Chicago
Mar 13 – Palace Of Auburn Hills / Detroit
Mar 15 – Bridgestone Arena/ Nashville
Mar 17 – Fort Worth Convention Center / Dallas
Mar 18 – Toyota Center / Houston
Mar 29 – Rexall Place / Edmonton
Mar 30 – Pengrowth Saddledome / Calgary
Apr 01 – Pacific Coliseum / Vancouver
Apr 02 – Key Arena / Seattle
Apr 03 – Rose Garden Arena / Portland
Apr 05 – E Center / Salt Lake City
Apr 06 – 1stBank Center / Denver
Apr 09 – U.S. Airways Center / Phoenix
Apr 10 – Mandalay Bay Events Center / Las Vegas
Apr 11 – Pima County Fairgrounds / Tucson
Apr 14 – Oracle Arena / San Francisco
Apr 17 – Coachella Music Festival / Indio, CA
Finding myself in Seattle on a night before I have a seven page paper due is not a common thing, but on this particular Tuesday, I ventured to Neumos in Capitol Hill to see Scottish band We Were Promised Jetpacks, accompanied by local sweetheart band The Lonely Forest andBear Hands of Brooklyn. I hadn’t been to Neumos in a good two years, so I forgot how intimate the venue was. But it was quite obvious that a majority of the 16-year-old girls and boys were there to see The Lonely Forest, and the older crowd came out for We Were Promised Jetpacks, but Bear Hands held their own, truly being the opener.
They played songs off their debut EP Golden, as well as their second EP, What a Drag, released last month. “Can’t Stick Em” from the latter EP was my favorite of their set, with a driving tempo and vocalist Dylan Rau building from the softer harmonies at the beginning to getting stronger and louder to meet the gritty guitar riff. Actually listening back to it now, Rau’s voice reminds me a little of David Portner of Animal Collective, how it teeters on the edge of notes. So if you like fuzzed out guitars and multi-layered harmonies, check Bear Hands out.
After Bear hands finished their set, it was close to 10, so the anticipation for Lonely Forest got to build for 20 minutes. Surrounded by crazy fangirls and one even crazier fanboy, I filtered through my pictures from the last hour. Then at about 10:15, The Lonely Forest got on the tiny stage and immediately thanked the all-ages crowd. Playing a selection from last year’s debut critically acclaimed We Sing the Body Electric, as well as some new songs, The Lonely Forest kept the energy going throughout their set. By the 3rd song, front man John Van Deusen was already sweating profusely from his temples, switching from keyboard to guitar. It’s just a testament to how passionate this band is about their music and about their fans. And it doesn’t hurt that they’re great musicians too. The Lonely Forest closed out their set with “We Sing In Time,” which made the whole room sing a long, especially the crazy fangirls standing up front with me.
I liked what I heard of the new songs, and they were more upbeat and sunnier than We Sing The Body Electric, but I didn’t grab the set list, so I have no idea what the titles were. Just keep your eyes peeled for their new songs, and possibly a new album in 2010.
By 11:20, my feet were sufficiently aching. Every so often when the security opened the side door the gust of wind provided a sudden bit of relief from hot and sweaty venue. After a very long intro of “A Half-Built House,” with dozens of loops of the same voice repeating numbers, We Were Promised Jetpacks finally came on stage and dove into “Keeping Warm” off These Four Walls. I haven’t been listening to We Were Promised Jetpacks for long, but I loved how casual they were. The four guys just walked up on stage and started playing. No grandiose entrance or anything, and they were awesome. It could be my bias for UK bands, but for some reason, the Scottish accent makes all songs sound so much cooler.
After the first few songs I made my way out of the crowded front to get some water, and I noticed that the crowd had completely changed. The young fans that came to see The Lonely Forest had dissipated and most of the people I weaved through were older, who’d come to see We Were Promised Jetpacks. It was almost midnight, so that could be why, since it was a school night. And still as I stood off to the side, We Were Promised Jetpacks had the same impact in this tiny venue as if I standing right up front.
Tonight, March 5, at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City, Miss., PopWreckoning is pleased to present a Pre-SXSW battle of the bands. Winners of the evening’s showcase will be given the funds to go to the 2010 SXSW festival where they’ll perform at the ATN showcase. Jeff Tafolla of Saddle Creek Records will judge.
Thieves are playing tonight’s show at the Beaumont. They go on at 11 p.m.
The alternative act recently put up their critically-acclaimed Divider for free download. Thieves features Salar Rajabnik, Ryan Hiser, Chet Kueffer and Wayne Zimmerman.
Tonight, March 5, at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City, Miss., PopWreckoning is pleased to present a Pre-SXSW battle of the bands. Winners of the evening’s showcase will be given the funds to go to the 2010 SXSW festival where they’ll perform at the ATN showcase. Jeff Tafolla of Saddle Creek Records will judge.
Roman Numerals are playing tonight’s show at the Beaumont. They go on at 10 p.m.
The alternative rock act is easily recognized as one of the staples of the current music scene in Kansas City. It’s members help out not only with the band, but with many other musical projects. Roman Numerals feature William Smith (guitar, vox, stylophone), Steve Tulipana (vox, guitar, bass, synth), Pete LaPorte (drums, electronics), and Ryan Shank (drums, electonics).
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Concert Calendar
Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO
Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS
Had you told me five years ago, when I was listening primarily to 
I hadn’t been to Neumos in a good two years, so I forgot how intimate the venue was. But it was quite obvious that a majority of the 16-year-old girls and boys were there to see The Lonely Forest, and the older crowd came out for We Were Promised Jetpacks, but 
