Thu 9 Sep – The Clientele, Lay Low, Donovan Quinn & the 13th Month

A quiet, Thursday night show. Lay Low from Iceland was coy but her solo sound was very lacking…although people seemed to be enraptured by her performance…I just didn't get it.

The Clientele are one of my favorite bands, very consistent, and they're also my second most played band of the last two years. I've seen them before and it's never a life changing experience, and this was no different. Sound problems early (quiet vocals even though they're a quiet band) and clear frustration on Alasdair's face…

Fri 27 Aug – Cap'n Jazz, Abe Vigoda

…I really don't know what to say here. Amazing doesn't really cut it, I guess the feeling is more akin to thinking I was the only one in the world who loves this band and then finding out all of a sudden in a burst of guitars and crowd singalong that I was not alone. The songs sounded perfect. Morgan and I got sweaty and knocked down and picked up and I lost a shoe and sang myself hoarse. There was crowd surfing and moshing and general cares-to-the-wind good times. Wow. I…

Mon 23 Aug – The Hold Steady, JAILL

Long, hungover drive from Sea Ranch over the mountains into the Anderson Valley, over the mountains into Ukiah, around North Clear Lake and through to Williams and up the Sacramento river to Chico. Snagged a motel room and hit up the Banshee for pregame PBR and Jameson. Met some locals out front of the show, gave one my extra ticket and he bought me a couple of beers. The show was in an old movie theater and was not the best rock concert setting, and the sound sucked, but I didn't really…

Fri 25 Jun – Pavement, Quasi

What a wonderful night, all around. Got pre-game drinks with Sarah M & Jackson, took the bus up to Berkeley, and the weather was killer. Ran into an old friend who works at the venue and he bought us a beer. Sat high up on the cement. Quasi. Whatever. Pavement were fucking killer, and I am not the biggest fan in the world. I felt like I was part of Bay Area music history being at this show…there were SO MANY PEOPLE and they were all super into it. The sound was perfect. Took…

Fri 11 Jun – Tortoise

We got there late due to slow dinner complications, but I was surprised at not only how good Tortoise were, but how amazingly INTO IT the crowd was. With the Music Hall about 3/4 the way full, the five members of Tortoise switched off instruments (including but not limited to: two drum sets, two sets of vibes, keyboards, guitar, bass, and handclaps) like mad and basically post-rocked out like shit. The sound was perfect. Although it wasn't full, the people in attendance were into it and that kind of ruled. There was also some insane…

Thu 27 May – The National, Ramona Falls

The place was packed, packed full of yuppies. I have perhaps never heard so many people talk loudly over a main act in my life, it was very surprising. The band took awhile to get going, but after "Squalor Victoria" things started to pick up. I moved spots, off the floor where the sound was good but quiet and up to higher ground where the sound was awesome. The songs got better, more intense, and by the time "Mr. November" rolled around in their encore there were people dancing in the aisle,…