Tonight was the kick off of their new tour for their 6th Album Sainthood which is released on Tuesday (though their album has been streaming on MySpace for a few days, so we could hear it first). The Quin sisters were amazing as usual, not only in their playing, but of course in their banter, which is what makes their live shows so much fun, in fact I think my wife enjoys it more than the show. They are hysterical, honestly they could do a comedy album! Actually I would love to hear an album of theirs with songs, and banter in between each! The show was excellent, and I just wish they were like Pearl Jam and released each concert on MP3 could purchase later, because I would love to have copies of all the shows I have seen of there’s, as they are all great shows, and quite amusing.

The sisters started off they show, with a song that sounded like a 50′s pop song, sung by them, that played before and as they came out over the PA. What this is, I don’t know, but I like it. (If anyone knows what this was, I would love to hear it!)

The set list was a great mix. They started off with a group of popular songs, then rocked through 6 new songs, followed by another 4 or 5 old songs. After this was 7 more new songs to finish out the complete new album, and then back to old favorites.

Tonight there was no encore, they just played through, as it seems Sara hates the awkwardness of Encores, since they are just expected now (which I totally agree with), and it felt like they played a greatest hits as well as the whole new album, so to me it was a nearly perfect set. And the girls were on top form.

I was also surprised to see a lot more guys there this time than at previous shows, though we were still in the definite minority, with lesbian couples making up the majority of the attendees. The only thing bad about that, is the excited audience was so high pitched it tended to hurt my ears, but that can only be expected at a Tegan and Sara concert.

Loved the new light show too. They had 8 lights that would turn around and do all sorts of different lighting things, and looked cool against their large paint by numbers back drop.

These girls rock, and I can’t recommend seeing them any more highly, because they are so much fun to see live, and they will convert you into fans!

Their opening band was a girl from Portland called Laura Veirs, who was very indy. I enjoyed her set, though my wife did not.

Stereogum has photos from the Oct 26th show at their site.

The opening bands were 3 punk bands, Anti-Flag, The Briggs and Jackson United, and maybe I could have liked their music OK, as I used to dig that style of punk, but the thing is with the sound system so loud, they honestly hurt my ears so bad, I wanted to go lay down. I mean Kelly’s ears were still ringing the next evening, and that is too much! Not knowing the music and having it be hard punk and that loud just made it unbearable. Honestly I should have listened to Kelly and gone at 10:30 PM instead of 8:30 PM.

Now Flogging Molly was of course amazing. Dave King was amazing as always, and I will never get how they play their songs almost 50% faster live than on their albums (giving them their punk aspect of their celtic punk music) and play them so well. He is amazing. And it was cool to hear that he married Bridget Regan who plays fiddle, tin whistle and uillean pipes.

The thing about Flogging Molly is they don’t have one bad song, so it is good to hear every song, though I do wish they had played the Worst Day Sing Yesterday, but that is a small complaint. These guys are too amazing to complain about.

Now the sound system did hurt them as well, with some of Regan’s flute being so loud it hurt my brain. Just too damn loud.

I have taken Kelly to quite a few shows, but I have never seen her look so happy, even with her ears hurting. I mean she was beaming ear to ear, and confided that she thinks Flogging Molly is the greatest live band ever, and I must say they are right up there.

These guys should be so much bigger than they are.

The show opened with Girl in a Coma, a 3 piece female band from San Antonio Texas. 2 sisters, the younger lead singer Nina Diaz who sings and plays guitar, her sister on drums Phanie, and their friend Jenn Alva on bass. These guys are signed on Joan Jett’s label, and they rocked the house. These guys are pretty hardcore, and Nina has a great voice, and rocks on the guitar. These riot girls are fantastic, and once I will certainly be picking up their CD.

City and Colour is an acoustic side project for Dallas Green, the rhythm guitarist and singer for Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire, who I have never heard of before. Dallas was alone here, and played a fantastic set, because he has a powerhouse voice. He looks like a bearded, bespectacled geek, except for the tattoo sleaves, but he had some killer music going on. Well worth checking out.

Then came Tegan and Sara, with 3 backups, and they played an amazing set. They started with Tegan songs, 4 or 5 in a row in rapid succession. And while I think I like Tegan’s songs better, at the last show I was not as impressed with her voice as Sara’s, but this time around, she rocked the house with a fantastic voice, that is a bit lower than Sara’s. I was worried at first, because they did not banter, but they soon made up for that, and their banter was as hysterical and ridiculous as ever. They are so much fun, and Sara rocked her set as well, and they started mixing it up. And I was happy they played some of my favorite songs including Nineteen, as well as a 2 songs I didn’t know, one of which was one of Tegan’s sound check songs, which I loved.

They declared they were leaving for an encore, and came back after about 3 minutes with both girls in glasses (must have taken out their contacts), but this time with guests. First Tegan came out with Dallas, and played one of their songs, but his variation, which sounded amazing.

Next they came out with another guest, I believe this was Matthew Sharp, a founding member and bass player for Weezer, and they played a couple of songs with him. The first was Tired of Sex, and then a Sara song Back in Your Head, which Dallas came out for as well, to end the show!

A fantastic show, only marred by the bright lights, which often blinded the audience.

A funny note was all the cameras taking pictures, and video of the show. In fact I counted more than 40 cameras at one point, and this was after I got padded down coming into the show. How weird is that?

The fan site Tegan and Sara has some videos from the show up already. Check them out!

You can see their hug here on YouTube. And them talking about their high school experience, also on YouTube. Some more of their funny banter. Their Tired of Sex cover.

The show was at the beautiful Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles, not the best neighborhood, but a gorgeous theater and completely redone. In fact I had been in here before when I was working on a commericial that had shot there when the theater had been closed down for a number of years. I really want to go back, I wonder what else is playing there.

The show started around 8 with the amazing New York opening band NORTHERN STATE. This band has 3 female rappers in their early thirties, total New York girls, a few a little chubby, and one quite tall, and then a blond on the guitar and a guy playing the drums. You can tell they are huge fans of the Beastie Boys (and in fact 2 of the songs on their new album are produced by them), and they put on a totally amazing live show. Both Kelly and I picked up their new album, CAN I KEEP THIS PEN?. This is a fun album, though they are better live! And I guess they have had a song on GRAY’S ANATOMY as have TEGAN AND SARAH. This was an awesome set, and we get to meet them because they were running their booth after they played. Nice!

Then came who we came for Tegan and Sarah, and right off the bat they were amazing, and really changed Kelly’s mind. This was because Tegan (the twin with the big tattoo on her right forearm) started off singing and her voice is amazing, even better than on their records. In fact at time she had the vocal power of Sinéad O’Conner. She has an amazing voice, and I realized I actually like her songs better, as they are popier. Sarah is funnier though, even if her voice isn’t quite as good, or at least took longer to warm up (and she sang her better songs near the end of the show).

They were both hysterical in their stories, but Sarah is as I said funnier. She had us cracking up, while Tegan seems to have a drier humor. They would chat, and have the whole audience in stitches.

I still want to know why some idiot girl threw her gum at Sarah, because “she loves them.” that is just fucking weird.

This was an AWESOME SHOW! And I hope to see them again on their next tour!!!

The album starts out with the amazing IT’S ALRIGHT, which shows a bit of a shift in subject matter, the first album being about Sex and Drugs, the second being about Drugs and Death, and the this one adding a lot more love to the mix. This song is about the world bringing him down, but it is all alright as long as he is with his girl. Quite a sweet song actually.

SWEET LITTLE KISSES is also about love, though love and sex, which Mike does delve into a lot. It is a very enjoyable song with an excellent chorus, about loving you right, where the viola really mixes in with the guitar very well.

I’LL BE YOUR HEROIN is another show stopper. Again singing about a woman, and how he will be the monkey on her back, her heroin, making her life easier and better. A classic Mike TV love song, seen from a perspective that the normal music world doesn’t go into. Again the Viola really adds to the song.

I’M A GONER catches you right off with a great tune, and another song about a girl. This one about a fan of his music, and how hard he fell for her (do I sense a pattern?) and how he will probably hurt himself again because of this girl. And there is a great line all about all there songs sounding so happy, but feeling so sad, which is certainly a long standing theme with Mike TV.

IT MUST BE LOVE is another Love song about how jealous and horrible he feels when his girl hangs out with other guys, or even has other guys looking at her. I guess Mike must be falling in love this time around. Another excellent tune.

THE LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURNS is another love song, but again from an angle you don’t usually here. Here it is being too broke to be in love, because he can’t afford to be with her, and their relationship can only be sex and lust, though he would love to have so much more. Another great song.

TIGHTEN THE VERSES is song that is is Mike being completely down on himself and everything he does, and it all comes down to him wanting the girl around. Another beautiful love song from Mike’s unique perspective.

NOTHING KEEPS US APART is a love song about a man trying to make the life of his lover better. He knows there is nothing he can do about her problems, because she won’t let him in, and she has been hurt too badly, but he will be there for her. Really another wondrous love song courtesy of Mike TV.

YOU’RE GONNA DIE ALONE breaks away from the tone of the love songs (though does fit in), with him ranting about this woman and how bad she is, and how she is going to die alone because she is so bad. This time you wonder how much she hurt him to make him hate her so badly.

EVERYBODY GET MOVIN’ is a great song about sitting stuck in LA traffic and wanting to crash your car and light it on fire, and hoping everyone dies. The feeling everyone has had in Los Angeles traffic, but usually don’t say out loud. And of course could also be interpreted to be about relationships…

THIRTEEN is a song I have loved for a long time, since he used to play this before the first album, but the song has gotten even better with the new lineup. It is about a thirteen year old sneaking out, and being in love, having had to grow up too fast in this new world. And with an absolutely stirring chorus. This song will not ever leave you.

5TH & SPRING is about a girl who is ruining her life with her drug addiction, and lying about it to her friends and herself. Another great drug song that makes you feel for the character.

GET WHAT’S COMING TO YOU is another twisted love song. This song is about him being the only guy for this woman that is so hard and vicious, but he can’t stop, and only wants to be with her. The music and the viola really go along with the twisted vision of this song.

CRIME & HERESY Another love song with a twist, this time wanting to live a life of crime with the woman he loves. Quite an enjoyable tune.

FUCK YOU (I WANT TO) is an amazing song. This really shows Mike’s lyrics off, because this is one of those things that a guy might think, but would not say out-loud, but here is MIKE TV screaming at the top of his lungs about how he wants to fuck his girl hard and raw! This songs rocks, and you have to see it performed live to really appreciate how much this gets an audience worked up.

YOU’RE THE INFECTION draws you in with it’s melody, and is another love song, but again twisted. About how this girl is not good in so many ways, but she is lovely for him, and he doesn’t want her to leave him, she is dangerous and everything he really wants. You will enjoy this for sure.

The album closes out with NOTHING TURNS ME ON, which is of course another twisted love song. His whole life is boredom and ennui, and nothing goes right, nothing helps him at all, except of course her, his one girl.

•••••

This is really such a beautiful album of love songs. Mike TV has always had such incredible lyrics and tells such vivid stories, and the music here really rocks and brings you along on this journey. If you buy this album and only this album this year, you will not be disappointed. Thanks Mike.

The Electrolites
Yes Dear
Get Set Go
Midway
New Maximum Donkey

My only complaint is the sound system was pretty inferior. The mix was bad, and the vocals were hard to hear, and some of the speakers sounded blown. Still the performances were all top notch.

The Electrolites and Smedly were awesome as always. This time with only a 3 piece band. Smedly’s keyboard playing seems to have gotten even better, if that is possible, though his voice didn’t sound as practiced as last time I heard him play. Still an awesome set.

Nate was back with Yes Dear and a new lineup this time, as a 4 piece. Nate sounded great as always, though the band could use some more practice I think. Still have always loved his songwriting.

Get Set Go was incredible. I loved the new sound, which really sounds like the hardness of the first album with the beauty of the second album. Mike TV pulled it off. This album is going to be huge!!!!

Midway was decent. Honestly not my favorite band in the world, though I do like the song Shadows a lot. Don’t think the singer is the best though, and kind of think Sean needs his own band where he can sing. Oh well. The band is really talented.

New Maximum Donkey was as awesome as always. Playing 2 new songs which were fantastic. One being hysterical and the other serious. Benny is really the Mick Jagger of comedy rock! He has such stage presence. Awesome!!!

••••

Great to see all the bands together again! The only depressing thing was having everyone from Arlo in one place, and not having Arlo play. I really wish Arlo would get back together. I love the Electrolites and Yes Dear, but Sean needs a place to sing and I think they were all better together. And I would love to hear Arlo with Smedly on the keyboard and a new bass player. That would rock. Oh well, I can dream.

This includes a complete concert, the HBO Episodes, their music videos, and

I had never heard of MUSIC, until I started listening to the music my girlfriend Kelly had listed on her MySpace profile, and some of the bands I was not so hot on, like the RASMUS, but I started listening to Muse and specifically the album ORIGIN OF SYMMETRY and I really liked it. Muse came off as huge lovers of both RADIOHEAD and PINK FLOYD, 2 of my favorite bands as is. So I started listening to THE MUSe and have really enjoyed their music, and ended up signing up for their mailing list, so when they had an LA show (only one week after their new album BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS was scheduled to come out) I ordered 2 tickets, one for me and one for my girlfriend. And I must say this was an incredible show. The opening band from New York wasn’t too impressive, but I had no idea just how talented the Singer/guitarist/piano player Matt Bellamy really was. If you can check out these guys on tour, you will not be disappointed.

Honestly I never thought their could be a live DVD that topped the m-flo Astromantic DVD, but this one managed to do it. Not only do they get back some of the people who were missing from the Astromantic DVD like BoA, but they do the whole concert this time with Banter and have a short behind the scenes at the end of it, plus Lisa sings 3 songs with m-flo! Nice!

David Gray finished off his US tour for his recent album Life in Slow Motion with a packed show at the Gibson Ampitheater. Actually first saw him play in college, when he certainly wasn’t so big, since his first album A Century Ends was released in 1993. Took my girlfriend who only knew 2 of his songs, and I am pretty sure she enjoyed it too, Gray is such a talented live performer and so is his entire band.

From the sequel to the seminal Live Aid concert of the 1980′s, and once again to help the poverty stricken in Africa. This concert took place all over the world on July 2nd 2005, and features many prominent musicians the world over, but I have to admit I bought it for one reason, and one reason only. I bought the DVD to see and hear the return of Roger Waters to Pink Floyd. In fact I would be much happier with Pink Floyd reunion concert. Sure their are otehr great bands there, but Floyd is the reason to watch. In fact I have to admit to not even watching the whole DVD, as I don’t like most of the bands. I guess that is what turning 30 is.

And awesome show, just a couple of days after New Maximum Donkey released their album (and it is available on Amazon). My first time at the Old Town Pub, which is a tiny little place, though with a nice little courtyard, and they only serve beers and cider, though they have a lot. And it is certainly better lit than T’s.

I could only stay for Yes Dear last night, but I do so love The Troubadour as a venue. I sat up top and had the best view of the show I could want, except I wish I could have had my good digital still camera, as I could have taken some amazing pictures. It was a great set, as usual, my only complaint being that it should have been longer because they weren’t the final headliner!

I have been a fan of m-flo since I first heard them. These guys are a totally off the wall Japanese Dance band. My friend Ashanti Luke is responsible for turning me on to them. And I have almost every release of theirs except some of their earlier videos and some of their singles that haven’t been available for some time. These are Japanese who were American School students in Japan, and were Originally Verbal the singer, Taku Takahashi the DJ and Lisa, but Lisa left the band to go solo. Her first album sucked, though he latest album Gratitude was very good. Well I was worried about m-flo, but I shouldn’t have, they did what they had done with the album m-flo turns it out which is a compilation of them with other singers and performers, and began releasing the m-flo loves singles with various different artists, which culminated in the album ASTROMANTIC and later INSIDE, and in fact they have released some new loves albums lately and have more on the way. Well this DVD is live footage and the existing music videos. Damn does this make me want to see one of their live shows!

Wow. I wasn’t too into the other bands, but the Yes Dear set was amazing. It gave me visions of seeing Arlo again. Damn what an amazing set. Much longer set than last night, 10 songs this time (I guess that is their whole set at this point). Wow!

Went to the show at the Alterknit lounge last night, and it was pretty bad ass. Didn’t get to stay for the whole show because my girlfriend was exhausted and it really isn’t her music (we really don’t like the same music, except maybe some Wong Faye). I did catch Ahmast

An amazing night, as usual at T’s. A few way too drunk fans of one of the bands really kept me from video taping, but I brought my girlfriend and she got her first exposure to the scene, which was cool. I think she enjoyed Get Set Go and I know she loved New Maximum Donkey so…

I got an ALPINE CDA-9827 and the Alpine iPod interface. While I like the audio quality, and the fact that it charges my iPod, I think the interface is garbage. It is like putting a Ferrari engine in an old VW bug. Why you ask?

The 3rd of Dr. Modo’s last shows with Get Set Go was tonight at T’s, and it was a phenomenal show.

I have been listening 2 the album, EP, and 2 singles I got. I am dyeing for his next album which comes out next month.