Rod Stewart: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
27
Jul

Yes, I was late to a friend’s birthday party because I went to a Rod Stewart concert! I had entered a contest through the Houston Chronicle via Twitter, just to see if I got lucky. I won four covered seats at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX. I called my dad and asked if he liked Rod Stewart and his responses were, “Well, he’s getting kinda old,” “he used to dance quite a bit, but he’s probably too old now,” and “usually when they get older they don’t perform their songs from top to bottom. They’ll shorten ‘em because they get winded.” We went anyway.

We were pleasantly surprised, to say the least. He put on a great show. The man still gets good use out of his dancing shoes and he played for a good hour and a half. While I didn’t record the full setlist, I have provided an incomplete and out of order listing of what I remember.

The blue suit jacket he appeared in was just one of three ensembles. His last quick wardrobe change was jeans and a cowboy hat, seeing as he was in Texas.

He did a Sam Cooke cover of “Twistin’ The Night Away” and credited the late Mr. Cooke as one of his influences back when he was a kid. A cover of Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” by a back-up singer/dancer nicely filled what I assume was a much needed back stage break.

Homage was paid to Michael Jackson, as footage of him with the Jackson 5 in their 70’s bell bottoms and tasseled vests flashed across the JumboTron.

During “Hot Legs” he kicked soccer balls into the crowd, something he’s been known to do at live shows, as he’s a fan of Scottish national football. Following his “Maggie May” encore, he made his way to the curtain and literally leapt off the stage and out of sight.

Rod Stewart

1. Some Guys Have All the Luck
2. Forever Young
3. The First Cut Is the Deepest
4. Twistin’ The Night Away (Sam Cooke cover)
5. Downtown Train
6. You’re in My Heart
7. Proud Mary (Tina Turner cover)
8. Have I Told You Lately
9. Hot Legs

Encore

1. Maggie May

Introducing The Blue Effect
20
Jul

The Blue Effect

Picture courtesy of The Blue Effect
Biography submitted by keyboard and back-up vocalist, Brian Burgoyne, and bassist, Peter Livesey.

With a vision to become a pop band that did not sound like every other pop/rock act out there today, The Blue Effect has honed a retro sound, driven by piano and saxophone, with a distinct 1960’s-influence.

Formed in 2007, the band has created a full length album available on iTunes released under their former record label, Diversion Productions, in Southfield, Michigan. The band has been a featured artist on Break Thru Radio (highlighting top college bands) and their song, “Mother Mary,” was the song of the month in April for an online showcase of Singer/Songwriters. This summer, the band has played high profile shows throughout Michigan such as the Crofoot Ballroom, Pike Room, the Blind Pig, the Modern Exchange, and St. Andrews Hall. July has seen the band touring the Midwest, headlining at the Verve in Indianapolis and co-headlining at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago. They are currently looking for a serious management company to bring them into the regional/national music scene.

Below please find mp3’s of “Whole” from the album, The Blue Effect: Tonight’s Entertainment, and “Apparantly” and “Follow Me” from their self-titled 2008 EP. “Follow Me” is their best produced song, according to Peter.

[audio:Whole.mp3]
“Whole” by The Blue Effect

[audio:Apparently.mp3]
“Apparently” by The Blue Effect

[audio:Follow Me.mp3]
“Follow Me” by The Blue Effect

The Blue Effect - The Blue Effect - Follow Me

“Lines” by Electric Touch
14
Jul

Austin-based Electric Touch played Warehouse Live on Friday with The 71’s. I had gone outside but came back just in time to hear them address the crowd with their British accents and then do a cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” Their self-titled album comes out August 26, 2009 on Justice Records. “Lines” is a great song but visit their MySpace and have a listen to my other favorite, “Give Me A Sign.”

Electric Touch

Picture courtesy of the Electric Touch MySpace page

[audio:Lines.mp3]
“Lines” by Electric Touch

“Laughing With” by Regina Spektor
13
Jul

Regina’s fifth studio album, Far, was released June 23, 2009. When it comes to Regina Spektor I have mixed feelings. I like her ballads but I have a hard time with songs like “That Time” from Begin to Hope. I dislike the guitar and even the way she sings the song, even though I love her voice. Some of her delux demos, like “Music Box,” bother me as well. On the other hand, I love the piano ones, such as “Real Love.”

I have some favorites on 11:11, including “Sunshine,” “Buildings,” and “Rejazz.” It’s clear to see her influence on artists like Kate Nash. I must be the billionth person to compare the way Kate and Regina speak their lyrics, as in “Consequence of Sound” from Songs.

As for Regina’s newer stuff, “Better” from Begin to Hope is a good song and of course “Laughing With” from Far.

“Honey in the Sun” by Camera Obscura
6
Jul

Camera Obscura
Image above at the Helpless Dancer WordPress

The indie pop band from Glasgow has just finished the North American leg of their tour and is now headed back to the UK and Spain. They made their TV debut on my favorite late night talk show, The Craig Ferguson Show.

Plus, they have a video for their single “Honey in the Sun” from their album, My Maudlin Career.

Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career - Honey In the Sun

500 Days of Summer
3
Jul

500 Days of Summer
Image courtesy of the Minneapolis/ St. Paul International Film Festival Official Site

“You should know up front, this is not a love story.” Are you sure Mr. Webb? Isn’t it about the heartbreak of being in love and not being loved back? Isn’t it about the difficulty of being loved and not loving back? Furthermore, isn’t the overall theme based on the concepts of fate and true love? Although the movie doesn’t culminate in the way a traditional love story would, it is most definitely about love. I cannot count the amount of times I recognized a goofy grin painting my face while viewing this movie. One that lasted well past its initiating scene and, every time I realized the expression had not left, I felt a little silly. I always say I’m no hopeless romantic.

Zoey Deschanel plays a character that I would imagine her resembling in real life. Summer is honest and free-spirited. She’s someone who knows what she wants out of life and, coincidentally, what she doesn’t want. On the other hand, Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, lacks confidence and is unsatisfied. He holds a job that he has settled for because he doesn’t think that he can hack it doing what he really wants to do. Furthermore, he believes that Summer is the girl of his dreams but that he could never nab a girl like her. Conversations he shares with his buddies provide evidence of the latter belief. The fact that we hear the guys talking about the girl, instead of the more common reverse, is refreshing.

Humor prevails in even the darkest of moments. For instance, while fleeing Summer’s apartment following their first confrontation, Tom quickly descends the stairwell and, rather than consuming the scene solely with frustration and agony, director Marc Webb must have thought, “ok, something else needs to happen on these stairs.” Thus, the obstacle of two girls blocking his exit. Tom must now react and he does so with an impatient display of politeness. He invites the girls to pass first with an annoyed, “after you,” and an exaggerated guiding gesture.

Another thing I love about Marc is that he’s not afraid of taking risks and being inconsistent. At times this movie does seem like your typical romantic comedy. Until the rib-tickling song and dance number illustrating Tom’s elation at possibly having a chance with Summer. Or, the split scene showing his expectations of how a night in Summer’s presence will unfold while, at the same time, revealing the reality of how the evening actually goes down. Again littered with hilarity, I’m sure you can guess which side contains a better chain of events for Tom.