Lollapalooza day 1 reviewed

I got a late start but here was my day:

The New Pornographers - Very good. Only caught a few minutes but they sounded good and the crowd was enthused.

Matt & Kim - Great. I saw them before in nyc opening for cut copy and they were awesome then too. Kim has longer hair now but they have that same great energy and antics. Matt even climbed 100 feet up the side of the stage. I want to hang out with those kids more than anything!

The Black Keys - Great. I just saw them so I wasn't paying attention that much but they're awesome.

Erol Alkan - Very good. A random new friend took me to this and I skipped Hot Chip I mean I just saw them and I was down to try something new. Erol Alkan was a good scene there was room to dance so everyone was just letting go and having fun. It had more of a Bonnaroo vibe than any other show today.

Chromeo - Best of the day. I've been dying to see these guys live and they were awesome. I think this was the best show of the day. They were energetic and upbeat and good to dance to. I'd looooove to see them again.

Lady Gaga - Good. I chose Lady Gaga over The Strokes because although I listen to The Strokes more, Lady Gaga is truly an icon of our time and a performer. I felt like I was at the theater with all her costume changes, props, dancers, and monologue interludes. There were several slow songs in the middle where I got bored but it was a solid show overall and very entertaining.

I missed Devo, Dirty Projectors, Tiga, and The Strokes. It breaks my heart but I simply cannot be in two places at once. I think the one I regret the most is Tiga because I never hear about him doing shows in nyc. Aaaaaand now I'm late to go see Midnight Conspiracy...

the black keys concert review

I am going to start this review with a quote from the film Kinky Boots (2005). "You are making two and a half feet of irresistible, tubular sex." The same could be said of The Black Keys except replace "feet" with "hours".

I saw The Black Keys this past wednesday, July 28th at the central park summer stage. The Morning Benders opened for them. The Morning Benders are adorable. Like stick figures with guitars. I'd never actually listened to them before but I'd definitely heard good things about them and I know they've been playing a lot of shows this summer; apparently they released a cd last month.. They were really good. The songs were all different enough (a pet peeve of mine with artists i don't already know) and I was really impressed that these kids were so skilled. Seriously they look like they're all about 15. I couldn't corroborate that in the brief google search I just did. They wanted people to sing along and they said they'd be hanging out at the merch tent to make new friends and I would've gone if I hadn't been so close to the stage and excited for The Black Keys. Bottom line: they're adorable, I'm going to start listening to them, and I'm seeing them again at lollapalooza.

Then there was a pretty long break before The Black Keys. I was grateful for my cold Corona and the sun was setting in everyone's eyes but it was totally worth the wait. The Black Keys have such a sexy sound and great stage energy. Clearly they were born to be stars and have lived up to it. (side note: Dan Auerbach had a haircut and scruffy beard and apparently is really attractive under all his usual hair) They played a super long set, too, so I really got the bang for my buck, so to speak. Halfway in, a bassist and keyboarder came up to play songs from the new album, Brothers, and I wasn't as enthused. The bass was good but I didn't feel the keyboard fit or maybe the sound was wired awkwardly, I don't know what it was but that segment didn't last very long. They wrapped up with some megahits like "Your Touch" and "I Got Mine", left, came back for a two-song encore, and left the stage again. I made a run for the exit but I heard them starting a second encore right after I left. Seriously this was a long show and they had another one right after at Terminal 5 so I was happily surprised they just kept playing. On the other hand, I see a lot of artists who have one or two albums out so of course going to a show where the artists have a bevy of material to choose from is going to last longer.

In short, if you don't listen to The Black Keys, you MUST. They are a blues/rock duo from Ohio and uniquely talented among the live acts performing for this generation. A great concert gives you that tingly feeling you get right before you first kiss someone. I felt like that when I saw The Black Keys at Bonnaroo and I felt like it again on Wednesday. Youtube em, buy em, go to their concerts! Irresistable, tubular sex.

aaaah awesome summer concerts!

there's no better motivation to survive finals than a summer full of kickass music. i'm contemplating bonnaroo if i can find people willing to road trip it with me. here's what's planned for nyc so far:

June 17 - Neon Indian at the music hall of williamsburg. i have been dying to see them live seriously psychic chasms is one of my favorite albums of all time. if i go to bonnaroo i'll get to see them twice in one week. crazy. ON SALE FRIDAY
June 21 - Goldfrapp at hammerstein ballroom. eh, goldfrapp is cool but not a top priority. right now i have to prioritize due to cash flow issues. it's $42.50. her new album is solid i've just always found her a little too pop-y. ON SALE FRIDAY
June 30 - Passion Pit and Tokyo Police Club at governor's island. i just saw passion pit like the other month so i'm def not going to this. they were ok live honestly i preferred their recorded stuff. also there were huge amounts of teenyboppers which, to me at least, detracts from the experience. $40. ON SALE NOW
July 24 - M.I.A. on governors island. i already saw m.i.a. in concert last year and it was great so i'm not so eager to go again so soon especially to governors island cause then you have that ferry and the whole thing is $60. ouch. if you're interested, though, she's good live. looks like ninjasonik and some other artists will be there too. ON SALE NOW
July 28 - The Black Keys at the central park summer stage. $35 so i gotta save up cause of all the other tickets i'm buying and cause they're not a tip-top priority but yeah i bet theyre awesome live and their show for the day before (July 27th) already sold out. Also, they'll be at bonnaroo if i can go. ON SALE NOW
August 4 - HOT CHIP with Hercules and Love Affair AND Holy Ghost! at the central park summer stage. $35 just bought my ticket i am so obsessed their new album is awesome! Now who's coming with? And Hercules and Love Affair and Holy Ghost are hotness and will surely bring their own fans =) ON SALE NOW
August 21 - Crystal Castles at terminal 5 AAAAH i'm SO excited. c'mon it's crystal fucking castles!! bummer it's so expensive looks like it's $45. I predict this concert will sell out faster than you can blink. ON SALE FRIDAY

i have my phone programmed to remind me when to buy the neon indian and crystal castles tickets. is anyone else as excited as i am? are there any missing from the list? let me know

passion pit concert, originally uploaded by sassafrassgirl13.