popwreckoning

When Electric Six was forced to cancel their October 30 tour date they promised to make up their Kansas City stop. Thursday, March 31, they’ll roll into The Riot Room alongside The Constellations and Kansas City’s Antenna’s Up. Popwreckoning has been blessed with the opportunity to gave away four sets of tickets to the show.

Winning them is easy. All you have to do is answer the following question below by leaving us a comment: What is your favorite Constellation and why? Please be sure to leave us a WORKING email address and first and last name in which we can contact you at. This contest will end Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m. CST. You will be contacted that evening to let you know if you have a place on the guest list that evening.

As usual, I’d like to thank you for reading Popwreckoning and would like to wish everyone the best of luck.

The first day of Lollapalooza was basically goo goo for Gaga day. The line up was stacked with glam, synth-heavy, dance-loving bands leading up to the fashion icon’s performance and the crowd was packed of Lady Gaga wannabes. They could be found flooding performances by My Dear Disco and Semi Precious Weapons at the BMI Stage. Whipping it good to Devo and continuing the dance with Hot Chip before the queen’s own show.

However, though the blonde wigs and pleather jackets reigned supreme, there were still plenty of fans gathered rocking real leather jackets and tight black jeans, while they waited for their beloved the Strokes to reunite on the Budweiser stage. These were the fans that could be found singing along to “Dominoes” with the Big Pink or chilling on the lawn with the Black Keys. These were even the hipsters at Wavves and the Dirty Projectors.

And of course, you did have a smaller crowd that was prepared to bounce between both headliners.

For me, my day started with Chicago’s own BBU. I had flown in to Chicago from Kansas City and immediately hopped on a CTA train to drop my bags off where I was staying before heading to the fest. The train was packed and I was wedged between baseball and music fans. At one stop a large posse of people hopped on the train shouting, “Lolla, lolla, lolla.” They tried to get the train to join in. One of the women in the group laughed and shook her head, pretending to be embarrassed by the boys’ antics, but still having a great time. The group asked who was heading to the fest then revealed that they were BBU and that they’d be performing on the Perry’s Stage. Some older woman on the train, who had probably never listened to hip-hop before, asked what they sounded like and if they could sing for us. Guess what? They did. A very brief little rap before more chants of “Lolla!” It was fun, rather than annoying, to have the ride disrupted by this group and I was glad I got to have this unique introduction to a group that I probably would have otherwise skipped.

Eventually, I made it to my stop and dropped my bags off at my friends. Then it was immediately back on the train to ride to Monroe and the fest. Train delays, and then a ridiculously long walk to the press check-in meant that I missed more morning acts (These United States, Wavves, Javelin, Foxy Shazam, etc) than I would have liked and my feet were already sore before even walking to a single stage. I booked it to catch the tale end of the pop rock piano tunes of Jukebox the Ghost. The DC-trio plays songs that I think puts Ben Folds to shame. I stuck around waiting on My Dear Disco to take over after them on the BMI Stage. I had just spoken to the group the day before, and was excited to see that their music lived up to my expectations: unique instrumentations to craft fun dance songs that got the crowd moving despite the heat.

I then went on a trek down to the Hard Rock Hotel to grab a tasty bite to eat and a few drinks, while enjoying an acoustic set from the Constellations. This was the perfectly blend of jazz, blues and rock to accompany my meal. All the vocals blended together perfectly and single “Felicia,” was so upbeat and catchy, that I completely forgot my veggie wrap because I was so absorbed. After their set, I explored the rest of the music lounge. People were getting tattoos, enjoying DJs, getting massages, and having their hair-styled. It was a pretty sweet set up, but there was still plenty of music to be heard back at Grant Park.

Perhaps the most talked about incident of the day happened about midway through Friday. Gaga tour mates Semi Precious Weapons were owning the BMI Stage when the headliner herself joined them on stage. She did some impromptu drumming and singing, a little provocative dancing and then ended with a stage dive into the crowd. Insane! It was a great treat for the smaller crowd gathered there while the indie kids were listening to Neko Case sing with the New Pornographers and a little bit of an older crowd broke out their dome hats with Devo.

For me, the highlight of my day was the BMI Stage, but it was the performance of Neon Trees that I thought was the best. These guys are poised for success with their easily accessible songs perfectly crafted for singing and clapping along. Tyler, the lead singer, knows how to hold the crowd in the palm of his hand – or even the claw of his hand. He really takes the single, “Animal,” to heart and rawrs and claws at the audience. The band has the added perk that it not only sounds a bit like The Killers, but it also was discovered by the Killers.

Since I’ve seen the Black Keys multiple times this summer I excitedly ran over to watch Hot Chip. Fully ready to dance, I was a bit disappointed with the performance. Sure, Hot Chip played the singles and songs you wanted and yeah, it was cool to hear them dedicate a song to Gaga, but they were boring. They never moved. How can a dance band expect people to dance if they don’t even want to move to their own music? For all I knew, they were just playing CD recordings because there really was no reason for the band to be on the stage. Continuing the disappoint was Chromeo. Lots of lights, and it wasn’t so bad when it was just the music, but the vocals, I could have done without. They were obnoxious, repetitive and just didn’t offer anything of substance. I was more than over their nonsense and ready for my headliners: Lady Gaga and The Strokes.

I’m still processing the spectacle that was Lady Gaga, so check back in a few hours once I have my thoughts sorted. For now, enjoy a few photos from the performance.

Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga. What to say? Gaga’s Lolla show is pretty much the spectacle that she’s been touting across the country for her tour. It’s a mix of an actual concert and a Broadway production. The plot of the show is that Gaga and posse have to get to the Monster Ball-an incredible place where you can be your true self-but the car is broken down. Gaga, of course, says she can save the day and goes to tinker and play around in the engine, which doubles as a piano. The staging is cool, but it is all just a bit over the top as well. Dramatic pauses that lasted uncomfortably long left you praying that she’d just start singing already; gross, bloody photos graced the megascreens; and then there were motivational speeches. Oh My Gaga the speeches. Look, I give the lady props. She actually has some talent and knows how to work a crowd. Heck, she really knows how to work a piano. But the near-crying routine? I didn’t realize this was some weird motivational speaker I was watching. I thought I was supposed to at a concert. Too much. When Gaga started going off on how inspirational we all were and she started tearing up, that’s when I bailed. I needed music and I needed it to rock. Fortunately, the Strokes had me covered. It was moreso a visit to the classics of their catalogue, so sorry that I can’t give anything away about what to expect from a new Spring album. All that matters is that they still sound amazing, they kill the guitar solos and damn, is it good to have their no-nonsense rock back.

Check back for more updates and recaps from Lollapalooza Saturday, Sunday and the after shows.

Like Passion Pit, Hockey is an American band I was introduced to last winter not by American radio but by the lovely Nemone Metaxas, one of my favorite DJs on BBC 6music. I loved the exuberant “Too Fake” the first time I heard its electronic dance pop goodness through my computer speakers. My interest in the Portland band was further piqued when I learned they had toured in the UK in early 2009 as support for Friendly Fires. The problem was getting a chance to see the band stateside. The band has toured North America a couple times now, but had never played in D.C., so when I got the alert a while back that they would be playing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel, I was chomping at the bit.

The opening act for the night were the Postelles, a New York City band that Rolling Stone has described as “channel[ing] Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello and – more recently – the Arctic Monkeys and the Strokes, building songs from brief guitar stabs and sounding like the wound-up early hours of what will be a long Saturday night on the town. There are elements of both mod and post-punk, but the Postelles have a sneering attitude all their own…” Interesting description. Frankly, they sound to me more similar to New York-based indie rockers Locksley and Sunderland, England’s Frankie and the Heartstrings, bands that have gone back in time to perfect the ‘60s pop / rock ‘n’ roll band model.

Make no mistake: the Postelles have a sound all their own and they sound great live, led by lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk’s yearning vocals. Sometimes I wish I had the talent to come up with a good pop melody. The Postelles definitely can, as evidenced by the guitar-jangly “Sleep on the Dance Floor,” one of their set’s highlights. The title of the song “Hey Little Sister” sounds like it was written by Lennon/McCartney (do “Hello Little Girl” and “Little Child” ring any bells?), and I thought it was just amazing live, guitarist David Dargahi taking on lead vocals and mixing things up a bit. In a way, I was glad the Constellations canceled, because that meant we got a longer set from the Postelles than fans in other cities. The band’s debut EP White Nights was released the first week of March on Capitol Records / Astralwerks and is available now.

The Postelles Set List
Looking Glass
White Nights
She She
New song
Beat on the Brat (Ramones cover)
Stella
Hey Little Sister
Can’t Stand Still
Sleep on the Dance Floor
1, 2, 3 Stop

Hockey were supposed to go on at 10 (with the Postelles at 9) but they didn’t actually get on stage until 10:40, fortuitous for latecomers who crammed in at the front of the stage. When the band came on stage to tinker with their instruments, lead singer Ben Grubin flashed me a grin, so I knew I was in for a good show. Their debut album Mind Chaos is such a fun, fun record that I had way too high expectations, envisioning that they’d all appear dressed as colorfully as their record with hats and bandannas, and be jumping all over the stage. No such luck.

Instead, Grubin came on in a trademark hoodie but soon peeled it off to reveal a stripy white and orange tunic over black jeans. He was bopping around the stage excitedly and man-handling his microphone reminiscent of another of my favorite musicians, Londoner Patrick Wolf. Alternately between guitar, harmonica (for the folky “Four Holy Photos,” proving the band’s versatility), and a percussion set-up, he was clearly the star of the night. Seeing that Wednesday was St. Patrick’s Day and the crowd at the RnR was rowdier than normal for a weeknight, a new song that I think is called “DJ” seemed entirely appropriate, introduced by Grubin as “[Irish] jig and bluegrass music.”

“3 A.M. Spanish” was a high point of their set, the bass lines from Brian White and hot beats from touring keyboardist Ryan Dolliver just fabulous with Grubin’s hip hoppy vocal approach, punctuated by yelps for the chorus. They also didn’t disappoint with my absolute favorite song from Mind Chaos, “Song Away.” If there was ever a song that could lift your spirits, this is definitely it, with its refrain of “tomorrow’s just a song away.” And really, it is, isn’t it?

Check out this video of the song from their performance at Lollapalooza last summer. I hope this explains why I don’t have too many good photos of him, the man cannot keep still! Just thinking about it, I’m so eager to see the band again very soon.

Hockey Set List
Work
Learn to Lose
Rebels Marry Young (new song)
3 A.M. Spanish
Four Holy Photos
DJ (new song)
Curse This City
Song Away
Preacher
Wanna Be Black
Everyone’s the Same Age
Too Fake
Put the Game Down

Tour Dates
Mar 21 – Snug Harbor / Charlotte
Mar 23 – Mercy Lounge / Nashville*
Mar 24 – Drunken Unicorn / Atlanta*
Mar 25 – Cafe 11 / St. Augustine, FL*
Mar 26 – Club Downunder / Tallahassee, FL*
Mar 27 – Bottletree / Birmingham*
Mar 29 – Thirsty Hippo / Hattiesburg, MS*
Mar 30 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge*
Apr 01 – Warehouse Live / Houston*
Apr 02 – Emo’s / Austin*
Apr 03 – Loft / Dallas*
Apr 05 – Brewing Company / Santa Fe*
Apr 06 – Larimer Lounge / Denver*
Apr 07 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Apr 08 – Neurolux / Boise*
Apr 10 – Wonder Ballroom / Portland*
Apr 16 – Coachella Music Festival / Indio, CA
* with the Postelles

Hockey: website | myspace | @ Lollapalooza 2009 | interview with | @ Midland
The Postelles: website | myspace

Here’s a tip for all of you would-be concert goers: SHOW UP EARLY. For those who come just to see the headlining act, you’re missing half the fun of going to a show: discovering new music. Besides, if you’re not enjoying the opener, sit down at the bar, imbibe an adult beverage or three, and get stage-front before all the stragglers arrive. This advice was rarely more salient than on the evening in question, and if you were one of the few that showed up to Visulite early, you understand completely.

Happy Chichester kicked off the event. As awkward and shy with the crowd as the late Mitch Hedberg, Happy transformed as soon as he began to play. To call him a singer/songwriter would be a great disservice as his versatility and multi-instrumental prowess cannot be overstated. Most of his songs began with him beat-boxing and then looping the beat (and sometimes two beats), then playing guitar or keyboards over the beat(s) while singing (or even rapping). Happy played and sang with energy and confidence, and his songs were instantly infectious. His style was constantly shifting, bouncing from Jack Johnson-esque quiet acoustic jams to raucous piano chops behind tongue-in-cheek lyrics. “This serves as a get-well card to a country at war” was the way he chose to introduce his final song, and unlike many other artists, he was able to be pseudo-political without climbing on his soapbox.  Thus ended act one of three.

Next up was an Atlanta octet named The Constellations. To see this band live and not dance should be a punishable offense; all eight members work as a well-oiled machine, churning out funky, groove-filled tunes with both precision and soul. The bass player is funky as can be (complete with afro), the drummer was tireless and frenetic, and the chemistry of the band was unmistakable. With influences that seem to range from Motown to Harlem to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, The Constellations’ set can only be described as an ass-shaking, tambourine-slapping, hand-clapping, rhythmic, seeped-in-sex, sweat-stained, alcohol-soaked party. Do not miss this act if you know what’s good for you.

The final and headlining act was the chameleonic RJD2, touring to promote his upcoming record The Colossus. A producer/DJ/electronics geek, RJ started his set with a frantic mix of instrumental hip-hop and sample-heavy DJ artistry. Literally running between his Mac and three different turntables, RJ never missed a beat and kept a constant look of intense concentration on his face, scratching and switching records with calm precision. A few minutes into the set, RJ ran off the stage and quickly returned wearing a belt with a drum machine buckle and a welding hood covering his face. In the strangest and possibly most entertaining portion of the show, he performed in this enigmatic manner as the crowd was both amused and completely transfixed. After another quick costume change offstage (but not before declaring that “the weird part of the show is over”), he returned again, but this time with an accompanying band in the form of a drummer, bass player, and keyboard player (Happy Chichester again). RJ donned an electric guitar, and the band thrashed and grooved their way through several minutes of intrumental psychedelica. Switching gears yet again, he abandoned his guitar for his DJ stand but kept the band on stage. Mixing drum machine with real drums, sampled keys with real ones, and a screen displaying strange documenteries behind them, the group hit their stride and gelled beautifully, carrying the appreciate crowd with them all the way to the end of the set. As if he hadn’t displayed enough facets of his musicianship, RJ ended the night with a solo acoustic song that gently lowered the energy of the building. The Colossus drops on January 19th, and you would be remiss not to show support for this innovative and entertaining artist.