popwreckoning

Bright Eyes made their return to St. Louis after a decade-long wait to a sold out Pageant.  Dawes opened the show and gave a special midnight in-store performance at Vintage Vinyl to celebrate the release of their new album Nothing Is Wrong.

Below are a few photos:

Sacremento’s legendary nu-metal experimental rockers Deftones are currently on tour with the Dillinger Escape Plan.

Photographer Jon Gitchoff caught up with the show during its St. Louis stop at the Pageant and shares these photos chronicling the event:

Deftones

The Dillinger Escape Plan

Top 3 Albums of 2009:

• The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
• Arctic Monkeys – Humbug

Best Show of 2009:

• Monsters of Folk on Oct. 30 @ Auditorium Theatre in Chicago
• Avett Brothers on June 25 @ The Pageant in St. Louis
• JAY-Z on Nov. 12 @ Assembly Hall in Champaign, IL
• Neko Case on Nov. 5 @ The Pageant in St. Louis
• Morrissey on April 8 @ The Pageant in St. Louis
• Coldplay on July 24 @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis

Most Anticipated in 2010:

• Spoon – Transference

Most Overrated in 2009:

• Dan Deacon….. seriously…. I don’t get it.

Favorite Musical Memory of the Decade:

• Seeing Bruce Springsteen for the first time on Aug. 23, 2008. Truly life-changing.

The past 30 days have been a doozy in the greater Chicago area for fans of music as The Pixies had a three night Dolittle showcase at the Aragon Ballroom, Arctic Monkeys brought the haunting fuzz rock of Humbug to the Riviera Theatre and The Flaming Lips headlined one hell of  a Christmas show with the likes of Phoenix and Pete Yorn at the All State Arena. Photos below.

Expecting a return to the days of the Blue album or Pinkerton from Weezer?  Quit living in a world of naivety. Weezer doesn’t want to be that band. They’ve been there; they’ve done that. This new change in direction is due to Rivers Cuomo’s new found flair for pop music , allowing the touch of Butch Walker and a cast of pop/rock masterminds such as Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects. I’m here to pose the question that’s the elephant in the room, and that would be, is that really such a bad thing? Here me out now, Weezer was always at their best with crunchy guitars and geeky hooks and with this album they offer a glimpse into the promise they can have in a new found world of making pop music.

While I prefer the Weezer of old, like I’m sure most of you do, I can’t help but appreciate Rivers and gang for taking a big, big chance with this change in style demonstrated to a T with the incredibly catchy single “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To.” Weezer was never one to add too many things to the melting pot, so with these new found collaborations, one can only imagine the random Rivers has in store for us. I’m referring to those Spinner performances with Kenny G (yes, Kenny G, Chamillionaire and Sara Bareilles which you can see here

While the flair for pop doesn’t always work, I’m looking at you “Can’t Stop Partying,” the pop shines through when they let the whoa’s fly in “The Girl Got Hot.” One gripe I have is that some of the lyrics are a little too tongue in cheek with their references to partying, clubbing and simple premises, but this definitely is their best album in quite some time following the so-so Red album of 2008 and Make Believe of 2005. For those who lost faith, this album could make you a believer again.

Simply put, Weezer just wants to have fun, won’t you join them?

Track listing:
01. (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
02. I’m Your Daddy
03. Girl Got Hot
04. Can’t Stop Partying
05. Put Me Back Together
06. Trippin’ Down the Freeway
07. Love Is the Answer
08. Let It All Hang Out
09. In the Mall
10. I Don’t Want to Let You Go

Weezer: website | myspace | @ maryland heights

What is there to say about this show? Having the pleasure of seeing three of the best singer/songwriters music today share the stage was a surreal experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Going into this show, I really didn’t know what to expect, not having seen any of the acts in any capacity, but the show atmosphere setup and atmosphere had the feel of seeing Dylan- you knew you were seeing/experiencing truly special.

Something really to admire is how the show is structured, shifting from tracks from their self-titled, Monsters of Folk, into songs from each other’s extensive back catalogue of indie-rock classics. Each of the three, Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Jim James had mini sets of acoustic songs with a combination of another member (M. Ward and Jim James harmonies were full of such soul). Of the three M. Ward was the one I was the least familiar with, only knowing him from She & Him, but his solo set made me a believer and left the crowd in awe as his solo set, receiving a standing ovation and me making a personal note, “For the love of God, as soon as you get home, get some M. Ward albums.”

As the show hit the 2 hour mark, the M.O.F really hit their stride as Jim James steals the show (with his stellar white boy dance moves that would give Dave Matthews a run for his money), as he leads the band through My Morning Jacket‘s Smokin’ From Shootin’ and Monsters of Folk’s Losin’ Yo Head. Not to be outdone, Conor Oberst adds some punch to his verse of Smokin From Shootin’ as M. Ward holds down the keys and guitars rather masterfully.

This is a show that completely blew me away: plain and simple. After three hours, Jim James added, “Boy Chicago, you sure know how to treat a lady.” Chicago experienced something truly special that I will proudly recall for years to come.

Set List:
Say Please
The Right Place
Soul Singer in a Session Band (Bright Eyes)
Slow Down Jo
Ahead of the Curve
Lullaby + Exile (M. Ward)
We Are Nowhere and It’s Now (Bright Eyes)
The Big Picture (Bright Eyes)
Golden (My Morning Jacket)
Baby Boomer
Bermuda Highway (My Morning Jacket)
Look at You (My Morning Jacket)
Man Named Truth
Vincent O’Brien (M. Ward)
One life Away (M. Ward)
Wonder (The Way I Feel) (Jim James w/ M. Ward)
Lime Tree (Bright Eyes)
Dear God
Temazcal
To Save Me (M. Ward)
Goodway
Smoke Without Fire (Bright Eyes)
One Hundred Million Years (M. Ward)
Chinese Translation (M. Ward)
Bottom of Everything (Bright Eyes)
The Sandman, The Brakeman and Me
Map of The World
Smokin’ From Shootin’ (My Morning Jacket)
Hit The Switch (Bright Eyes)
Losin’ Yo Head
//
At Dawn (My Morning Jacket)
Whole Lotta Losin’
Another Travelin’ Song (Bright Eyes)
His Master’s Voice

Monsters of Folk: website

What is there to say about Day 2 of ACL? After such a beautiful Day 1, the rain came and stuck around for the most part of Day 2. When I realized this rain was not going to pass anytime soon, I invested in a poncho. The beautiful Zilker Park was left a muddy mess in mere hours, but festival goers embraced the rain and mud, most opting for bare foot and whatever plastic they could find to shield themselves from the elements.

Starting off my day was Deer Tick who I had heard such good things from coworkers, but I was left underwhelmed, perhaps due to the dreary weather. I made my way to the Livestrong stage to see Alberta Cross (who later received a shout out from Mr. Dave Matthews during his headlining set). The rained eased up as they made their way through their bluesy set, but I had other places to be so I made my way to the Felice Brothers to get a good spot for Grizzly Bear as well and that’s unfortunately when the skies opened and the downpour began. Grizzly Bear pushed themselves rather far back in the stage and didn’t move or interact all that much. So while I appreciate the songs, I left feeling a little mixed on their set.

With a quick jaunt to the media to load up on free snacks on my mind, I made my way back in the rain. Once I was full of Coca Cola and all natural snacks, I braved the elements to see my personal highlight of the day and that was Bon Iver. I had not heard much about his shows, but I was floored at his soulful vocals and haunting harmonies with his backing band, making the rain feel insignificant. After Vernon’s wonderful set on steel guitar, I made my way through the mud to Mos Def. While I was initially disappointed by his tardiness and hiding behind a drum kit for the first two songs, the showman Mos Def I have come to love and respect graced the front of the stage mic in hand working the rain shocked crowd into a frenzy.

After enjoying the wonderful catered BBQ in the media area, I made my way to Dave Matthews Band. Now while I’m not what I’d consider a fan, I do have an appreciation for the sheer musicianship Matthews and gang demonstrate on a nightly basis; I also have to appreciate a cover of Talking Heads “Burning Down The House” While nothing can live up to David Bryne’s vocals on the track, DMB’s version was rather lively and Dave’s dance moves worked the mud-covered fans into hysteria. After their set, I decided to call it a night and waited for my free shuttle back to my hotel to rest up, clean off my shoes (remember, ALWAYS pack more than one pair of shoes) and rest up for Day 3.

Austin City Limits: website | day 1

Having seen the Avett Brothers at Austin City Limits earlier in the month, imagine my delight as I was fortunate enough to cover the Brothers Avett once again as their tour made its way to Urbana, IL home to the University of Illinois.

While I enjoyed their set at ACL, I much preferred the rowdier atmosphere of the Canopy Club as the brothers ripped through songs fast and slow, with much of the set list composed of tracks of their newest release, I and Love and You. If you haven’t gotten a copy of yet, shame on you It’s one of the best records to come out in 2009 in my humble opinion.

The brothers ability to give it all they have night after night deserves the recognition its received plain and simple. In addition to showcasing their versatility with each song, they find themselves with different instruments sometimes sprinting from drums to keys mid song. The energy is always high, providing good reason as to why the Avett Brothers have become what they are today, a band deserving of their very dedicated fan base.

Highlights of the set include the duet with opener Nicole Adkins in “Swept Away,” the solo rendition of “Black, Blue” and the hootin’ and hollerin’ as the bluegrass breakdown of “Laundry Room” brought the evening full circle. Having seen them three times now this year, I can truly say each show is a different experience and I look forward to seeing them again very soon. I only encourage you to see this band now before you start kicking yourself for waiting so long, I know I am.

Set list:
01. And It Spread
02. Shame
03. January Wedding
04. I Killed Sally’s Lover
05. Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise
06. Telling Time
07. The Weight of Lies
08. Slight Figure of Speech
09. Black, Blue
10. The Perfect Space
11. At The Beach
12. Skin and Bones
13. It Goes on and On
14. Famous Flower
15. Die Die Die
16. Please Pardon Yourself
17. Laundry Room
18. Paranoia
///
19. Swept Away
20. Ill With Want
21. Talk on Indolence

The Avett Brothers: website | myspace

My day began with Google maps getting me lost, eventually finding my bus and away I went on a rather beautiful day to begin my Austin City Limits experience. After checking in at the media tent, I made my way to catch the wonderful bluegrass/punk stylings of the Avett Brothers who kicked off my day with a bang, mostly taking material from their recently released I and Love and You (which shall go down as one of my favorite records of 2009).

After the close of their set, I made the trek to the XBOX 360 stage to discover one of my surprises of the festival and that was The Walkmen. Let me just say that I had no idea what to expect, but I was left rather impressed by Hamilton Leithauser’s stage presence as The Walkmen incorporated a rather wonderful horn section, bringing their material to another level.

To my liking, I didn’t have to do all that much walking after seeing The Walkmen as I wandered over to the AMD (West) stage to see the French stylings of Phoenix. Their dance/pop wowed the crowd as they kicked things off with “Lisztomania,” sending the crowd into a dance frenzy which didn’t stop for the remainder of their set.

After a break to rehydrate, and load up on delicious all natural snack in the media area, I made my way back to the AMD stage to catch the last few minutes of Raphael Saadiq who brought the soul, setting the mood for John Legend to take the mainstage right after Saadiq’s performance.

After enjoying Legend’s serenading of the lovely ladies at ACL, I made my way to what had to be the most-hyped performance of the festival, Them Crooked Vultures. Three words come to mind when asked to describe this new band of Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones and Josh Homme and those three words are, heavy as fuck. Grohl’s child-like grin throughout the set just showed how much he enjoys being behind the drums again. Homme’s solos danced around Jones’ heavy bass lines with Grohl setting the fast tempo. Homme is often the overshadowed member of the band and to his credit, he holds his own on the guitar and with vocals that pack a punch.

Following that kind of performance is quite the feat that was left upon the shoulders of Day 1 headliners, Kings of Leon and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. After seeing Kings of Leon just a few days before in St. Louis, I decided to finally experience the visual craziness that is Karen O in person. Heavy on costumes, spit takes and growls, Miss O danced around with an infectious smile closing Day 1 with songs mostly from It’s Blitz, not that I’m complaining, it’s my favorite YYY’s album. After their set, I made my way off the grounds and discovered the joy that was free shuttle service to my hotel. For that, I must confess my love to you Austin and was left looking forward to Day 2 after a night of well-deserved rest.

Austin City Limits: website

Kings of Leon, currently on a run of headlining the biggest festivals throughout the states, announced a headlining tour to carry throughout the end of October which featured an excellent headlining performance on day 1 of Austin City Limits when they were joined by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, but PopWreckoning was lucky enough to catch up with them before ACL. In regards to their St. Louis show, their show presence and abilities continue to grow as they become one of the bigger names in rock today. They showcased material both new and old for thousands of screaming St. Louisans who packed the Scottrade Center. Photos below.

Kings of Leon: website | myspace