Can Fans Damage a Band?

I’m watching the news and it’s all about Tiger Woods and his ‘mishap’, his pulling out of his own golf tourney, and speculation that he’s having an affair even though the lady in question emphatically denies it. Got me to thinking about what this might do to his reputation – which in turn got me thinking about bands and their reputations, and wondered if fans’ can have a damaging effect on a Rock and Roller’s reputation ? Seems like an oxymoron doesn’t it? Damaging a band’s reputation – I mean, it’s supposed to be all about the ’sex, drugs, and rock and roll’ right? Hmm.

Got me thinking about U2.  Three years ago, when the band was taking a short break in the South of France (during their Vertigo Tour), some photos surfaced – Bono in loosely buttoned shirt, khaki’s, and mandals with bare feet. The photo showed Bono with two very young teenage girls in matching silver sparkly bikinis and one of them was sitting on Bono’s knee. They were sitting at a table in what looked to be a beach style bar. At the time, the outcry amongst die hard U2 fans was heard round the globe – most were smart enough to know he wasn’t cheating on his wife (as the fans said – IF he ever cheated on Ali, he’d be 6 ft under so fast the world would be shocked). The outcry was for him to put himself into such a compromising position without realizing what impact this photo might have on his humanitarian pursuits. It was rumored later that the two ‘girls’ were older than first thought, had approached him on a public beach specifically to get a photo op and had sold the pictures to a tabloid. The speculation was that no woman would wear the same bikini as her friend and be seen in public like that   It was a setup pure and simple, but it could have had huge damage to the band, his personal life, his other business pursuits if people had of believed something was going on.

And what about poor Eddy Vedder of Pearl Jam – he was in Vancouver a year or so ago for a solo show – There were a few fans waiting outside for him to come out after sound check – word was he does that quite frequently. However, one loud abrasive woman fan decided to bang on doors and yell at the top of her lungs – Eeeeddieeeee.. come out come out Eddieee… and that was it. Not only did he NOT come out but security was sent out to chase the other fans away – amidst major grumbling of course. Some people thought he should have come out to see them regardless of what he deemed inappropriate or perhaps even threatening behavior by one fan. And what about another heavy metal rock band (who shall remain nameless) that I did an interview with on their bus – in the middle of the interview a group of unruly women were suddenly outside the bus banging on the bus calling out to the band – thankfully they have security and management to deal with this before it gets out of hand, but I’m sure some of them go tell all their friends how unfriendly the band was (without telling them of their own weird behavior)

Fans often cross the line – I’ve seen video of Bono absoluley mobbed by fans – smiling and trying to sign as many autographs as possible, talk to as many fans as possible – and then having to leave due to personal security issues. I know of people that were there in person who didn’t get their autographs, didn’t get their face time with Bono and bitterly complained to all who would listen, about how the band doesn’t care about their fans, about how rude Bono was to them, etc etc until someone dug up the video to prove not only were they overreacting but outright lying… and this too can damage a band I think.

And then the rumors of infidelity – back to what people are saying about Tiger Woods without proof… even though bands are supposed to be all about the ’sex, drugs etc’ I think it can still damage a band if women fans spread rumors of affairs with band members. (And yes of course lots of them do have affairs – but lots of them nowdays don’t too). I wonder how many tales to friends of sleeping with or being propositioned by a band member is more wishful thinking than fact, or how many tales are told out of spite for being turned down outright? (and what did those fans think when they saw me entering that heavy metal band’s bus I wonder?)

So what is it about us that we can’t stand success and want to drag people down into the mud as soon as they show signs of success – why do we have a need to stretch truths, exaggerate brush offs, tell tales to build ourselves up with our own peers… at the detriment of someone else we dont know, some public figure… it will be interesting to see what comes from all this with Tiger, and personally? I hope nothing.

*State of Shock Rollin across Canada

State of Shock with Long + McQuade guitar winner

The other day, I drove 1.5 hrs from home to Kamloops, BC to see Vancouver band State of Shock. Each way. Too far to go? Not on your life -this is State of Shock we’re talking about!

The band has been working with Long and McQuade at various locations as they cross Canada on their current tour – at most stores the band does an acoustic set list before signing autographs for fans in the store. The Kamloops store is too small for a 5 ‘man’ band and so this night it was just an autograph signing – and giving away a brand new Long and McQuade guitar signed by the band, to one lucky fan. (a guitar giveaway is done at each store).

The band was fashionably late due to scheduling conflict and personally apologized to the fans waiting at the store – nobody seemed to mind though. The band wandered the store chatting to people one-on-one and signing State of Shock posters, taking photos with fans and waiting for all entries into the draw to be completed. The winning name was drawn, and one of the band suggested a personal phone call to the winner. Guitarist Kadooh (beanie hiding his trademark blond mohawk) did the phone call and our half of the conversation gave us “no, I’m not shitting you, this really is Kadooh from State of Shock and yes you really did win.” The incredulous fan was down to the store in about 5 minutes flat to pick up his winning guitar, and the band made sure that he got a picture with them all – guitarist Jesse Wainright ensuring that he had the photo on his own camera as well (he records each and every winner while they’re on tour). After a few more autographs and hugs, the band left to do whatever bands do prior to the show – which I also attended.

THE SHOW

Despite it being a Monday night, a later start (10:30pm) and not much local publicity for the show, the venue was jam packed with people braving the cold to come see State of Shock rock it like only they can! They jumped on stage and ripped into the title track of Life, Love, and Lies with full on energy. The crowd (which was giving the stage a comfortable buffer zone despite no barriers and no bouncers) ate it up singing the chorus and jumping to the melody. With no stopping between songs the band launched into Hearts that Bleed and Too Pretty which had the crowd (and the band) pogo-ing. Singer Cam Melnyk addressed the audience telling us he was going to sing us a ballad – The Best I Ever Had – and as he sang he knelt down right on the edge of the stage, took a girl’s hand, looked her in the eyes and sang directly to her much to her delight (and her friends’ envy). By the time the band started into the next song, the audience had tossed aside all thoughts of a discrete buffer zone and we were literally hanging on the edge of the stage – much to the delight of the band who genuinely love their audiences and encourage that closeness.

The remainder of the setlist consisted of most of the tracks from ‘Life, Love and Lies’ including Honeymoon’s Over, Different Day, Stupid Lives, Pieces of You, Money Honey (which wasn’t on their set list), and some songs I was unfamiliar with, including Rollin (which I really love!). The band seemed to have minor sound issues at one point but nobody noticed as they took it in stride – the band left the stage to sort it out as Cam sang a Pearl Jam song accompanied by guitarist Jesse Wainright who sat on a bar stool with an acoustic guitar… the crowd loved it and it gave Cam a chance to highlight his voice without the added drums and electric. By the time the song was over, the band was back on stage to kick it up a notch if that was possible! And they did.

What I really love about State of Shock is that they all move! I don’t know how many bands I’ve seen over the last year that stand in one spot glued to the floor (or their guitar pedal boards), seemingly frozen by fright…. this band moves. Kadooh and Jesse switch spots frequently to use each other’s microphones and give fans a chance to see them; fans aren’t going to push and shove to the other side of the stage to see a different band member so this is brilliant on the band’s part. Bassist Alley Toews bounces around too – sometimes so bad that she has bruises on her hip from bashing into Kadooh or Jesse. Cam too moves – and all band members frequently stand by the drummer, Johnny Philiippon who has a style that is unique; he’s got flair without being flashy. I’d like to say he’s the hardest working member of this band – most drummers are – but this band all work equally hard! And the great thing is they’re having fun at the same time; it shows on their faces and the faces of the crowd in front of them.

A few more songs, a few guitar picks tossed out to the audience and sadly, it was over. The band waved their goodbye’s, Johnny tossed his sticks out to a few lucky fans, and that was it – however, the house PA system announced that the band would be out in the foyer in 15 minutes to sign autographs and meet with the fans. Very Cool!

If State of Shock is hitting your city, be sure to go see this hard working, fun loving, kick ass rock band. I drove 3 hrs to see them without hesitation – they’re that good.

You can find more info about them on their MySpace where you can listen to some of their tunes, or their website Here

Their current tour includes the following dates:

Nov 27 Calgary Alberta
Nov 28 Brooks Alberta
Nov 30 Lethbridge Alberta
Dec 1 Edmonton Alberta
Dec 2 Saskatoon
Dec 3 Winnipeg
Dec 4 Thunder Bay Ontario
Dec 5 Kenora Ontario
Dec 7 Peterborough Ontario
Dec 9 London Ontario
Dec 10 Kitchener Ontario
Dec 12 Toronto
Dec 18 Regina Saskatchewan
Dec 19 Lloydminster Alberta

State of Shock covering Pearl Jam acoustic – Cam and Jesse

*update: a really cool compilation video from Rebekah H - I cant embed it so click here: State of Shock in Kamloops

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*Blaze of Glory – hanging with the Band

This past weekend I got a unique opportunity to spend time with some new friends and their band, Blaze of Glory, and just tag along all day with them doing ‘whatever’. It was pretty cool to get some insight into what the average rock band does on their day off.

Blaze of Glory is a kick ass Bon Jovi tribute band from Vancouver comprised of Ted Moore on vocals, Randy Robertson guitars, Doug Grant drums, Mike Champigny bass, and James Meyer on keyboards, and all band members are stellar musicians from various Vancouver recording acts including Nick Gilder, Doug and The Slugs, Krome, and The Devin Townsend Project.

Arriving in Kamloops around lunch time, my phone rang and it was Ted inviting me to come have lunch with the band at the club they were playing that night, On the Rocks. Standing in the parking lot of the local Starbucks, I did a 180, looked across the highway, and had to stop myself from waving – the club was just across the highway and up on the hill

Ten minutes minutes later Doug was finding me a chair to join the band at one of the larger tables near the back of the club, and Ted was introducing me to the fellows I didn’t know yet – James and Mike, as well as the band’s sound engineer, Orest Patraschuk and lighting director, Dave Dyer. The waitress came to take my order and Mike and I began to talk about photography and art while the others finished their respective conversations. By the time I’d had my fill of Calamari the band was into a full on discussion of the previous night’s performance and planning minor tweaks to both sound and lighting for the performance this evening.  I looked over into the opposite corner of the club and saw the stage – a decent sized stage for a club, but I expressed my wonderment on having a 5 man band with room for drum kit, keyboard and a singer who likes to move and get involved wholeheartedly. They all just smiled at me

Lunch over, we discussed what the afternoon’s agenda was – I had an item in my car to deliver to one of the band members (he took it to Vancouver for me) and a few of the guys wanted to go to the local music store, so we all headed back to the hotel two doors down to regroup and go from there.

Once at the hotel my item was delivered, Orest the sound man went to do the unglamorous task of laundry,  James headed to his own shared room for a quiet time, and Doug and Mike went off to do their own thing. Ted, Randy, Dave, and I piled into Randy’s van and headed to the local Long and McQuade music store to drool over guitars, amps, and all such manner of heavy metal rock and roll instrumentation.

After a good hour of wishful thinking by the guys (on what new gear they’d love to have) and equally wishful thinking on my part (I wish I could play that electric guitar my brother gave me last year when he upgraded) we left the store richer in experience but no poorer in pocket and headed back to the Starbucks which is attached to a Chapters book store. The guys were like kids in a candy store even more so than at the music shop! Ted poured over a Bon Jovi glossy hard cover for long moments, the odd sigh coming from him as he would discover a rare photo inside. Randy picked up a Kiss book and he and Ted compared notes on various photos from that book – recalling dates and tour info like it was yesterday. It wa an interesting experience to stand beside them both and listen to the chatter about their memories of gigs and concert going as ‘fans’ – I loved it.

After picking up a drink to go, we rounded everyone up and headed back to the van. On the way back to the hotel, I peeked over the back seat into the ‘cargo hold’ at the carefully stacked and wedged guitar cases – and soaked up the ambience of being in a band van Piling out of the van for the last time, it was hugs from Randy, a quick goodbye to Doug at his room, and a hug and official Blaze of Glory press badge on lanyard tucked into my pocket from Ted,  and I was off to my own car for the hour plus drive back home.

Many thanks to Ted, Doug, Randy, James, Mike – Blaze of Glory, and their sound and lighting engineers, Orest and Dave, for a really cool day. If Blaze of Glory is playing a show near you – be sure to go.

*photos and poster courtesy of Dave M. Trace Reflections Photo-Graphics and used with kind permission. Be sure to check out Dave’s site

*Stone Temple Pilots Rock Kelowna’s Prospera Place

The buzz for Stone Temple Pilots at Prospera Place in Kelowna, BC, was palpable from 6 blocks away. As I drove in from the main highway, down the waterfront street, and into the venue parking lot, I could see many groups of people hurrying from parked cars towards the arena. As I too walked from my car to the venue, the buzz grew and I could overhear small pockets of excited conversations all around me.

Inside the venue, people scurried to find their seats. The choice spots at the front of the rail had already been scooped up by eager fans standing in line hours before show time. Even with those spots gone, the General Admission floor was filled nearly to capacity by fans anxious to be as close to the band as humanly possible. A group of girls at the front were wearing white t-shirts all with the same hand-lettered message for singer Scott Weiland. Others wore glow in the dark bracelets or necklaces, and many clutched plastic cups of adult beverages, which they readily raised high in exuberant toasts to the band about to hit the stage.

Read more AT Rockstar Weekly
See more STP concer photos At Rockstar Weekly Gallery

*Why U2 remains the ‘biggest band in the world’

U2 has been my favorite band for as long as I remember being interested enough in music to actually attend concerts – and over the years even as my musical tastes changed, bands would come and go on my ‘top 10′ list, but U2 always remained. I’ve always gone to see U2 live in concert whenever I possibly can; in fact, in all the years of concert going, I’ve only missed the band once – Easter vacation and I was already booked for 10 days somewhere else but I did seriously consider cancelling my holiday! This time was no different – I’ve recently moved away from Vancouver, but bought my tickets months ago knowing I’d make the 5 hr trek back to the coast to see this band.

I can honestly say I’ve never seen a bad U2 show. I’ve been to shows where Bono was so hoarse at some points that he’s had to encourage the audience to sing the song with him, for him – and they do. And somehow his voice kicks in again and he’s able to continue pushing his limits, and its grand, and wonderous, and somewhat magical.

Last time I saw U2, I was able to see the band up close and very personal. I bought a general admission ticket, stood in line for nearly 24 hrs in an ice storm in the middle of December, and was 3rd in line to get into the venue. I magically ended up in the inner circle (fans called it the Bomb Shelter) and was literally so close to The Edge, that if not for the very nice security guard, Mike, I could have reached over and tied Edge’s converse Chuck shoe laces together! It was most literally the best night of my entire life, past or present. How on earth can you ever top the experience I had that night with 15 of my closest friends, some as far away as Belgium?! You cant. So I was hesitant about seeing U2 this time, knowing that instead of a 20,000 seat venue it would be 55,000 people. Instead of doing general admission, I would be in a reserved seat. Instead of being close enough to Edge to hear him harmonize on I Still Havent Found What I’m Looking For (without hearing it on the speakers and mic), I’d be so far away that Edge would look like a miniature figurine… I had a hard time getting excited about attending this show… all because of these differences. Until 2 days prior to the show that is. Suddenly I could hardly wait! It was difficult to sleep the night before the show but somehow I managed; fueled perhaps by dreams/memories of my last U2 concert.

The stage for the show was phenomenal ( you can see by the photo above); its been dubbed ‘The Claw’ and extended to about 10 feet within the top of the venue roof. The massive black bands at the top are banks of speakers and the stage in the middle was connected to the outer ring by two moving bridges that rotated around and allowed the band to walk from the inner to the outer walkways – right over fans’ heads! The crowd was incredible – a massive sea of bodies all waiting for one thing – the band.

After a quick changeover from Black Eyed Peas equipment and a very brief soundcheck, the speakers cranked out David Bowie’s Major Tom amid smoke pouring out from all 4 legs of the ‘Claw’ and as the song reached its crescendo, the lights dimmed down and suddenly Larry Mullen Jr was walking out in pure white light to his drum kit with a purposeful stride. Sitting at the drums, the man who started the band 25+ years ago, started the show and we were in for over 2 hrs of an experience unlike any other.

The band opened with Breathe (which I didnt think was a good opening song actually- too slow), Get on Your Boots (which got the crowd going full force), then straight into Magnificent – my favorite song from their new album,  then into some older crowd pleasing favorites: Mysterious Ways and Beautiful Day, then my personal favorite, Still Havent Found What I’m Looking For. The audience had sung snippets of each song leading up to this one, but when this song hit – it was 55,000 strong singing and without the heavy guitars and drumbeat to muffle our singing, it was clear, strong and electric. “Take us to church Edge,” from Bono on the chorus and God was walking through the room. (Bono’s term). My friend recently tweeted from his own U2 experience that he was ‘replenishing my soul,’ and indeed tonight so was I. This, like most U2 concerts, wasnt just a show, but like being in an old time Gospel Tent Revival meeting.

At this point, Bono spoke to the audience, telling us that the band’s very first roadie was attending the show all the way from Dublin – Mrs The Edge – Edge’s mom who had tooled the band around in her van when they were fresh faced kids just starting out. He also informed us that Bill Gates was ‘in the house’ and it was his birthday so we all sang Happy Birthday to the man who has helped Bono with DATA and fighting AIDS in Africa and we cheered for him.

A few more toned down songs- Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of and No Line On The Horizon, the title track of the new album, then kicking it up a notch with Elevation, (which saw Edge doing pogo while playing guitar and the audience following suit en mass), In A Little While, Unknown Caller, Until The End Of The World (hey Judas! was Bono’s rallying cry), The Unforgettable Fire  (never thought I’d hear this one live), City Of Blinding Lights (my favorite from last tour!), Vertigo,  then a treat with I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight which saw Larry leaving the standard drum kit and walking the 360 ramp with a portable drum and all 4 band members roaming to try and include the entire audience in the experience. It had this funky tribal feel to it totally different than the album version and I loved it. Sunday Bloody Sunday with references to Iraq, MLK, and Walk On for Burma’s Aung Sun Suu Chi, complete with One Campaigners and Product RED supporters in Aung Sun face masks walking the ramp, finished the set before the band left the stage in darkness.

We were greeted back by a taped message from Bishop Desmond Tutu thanking us for WE being those people who had stood up against Apartheid, who had campaigned for AIDS medicinces in Africa, who had raised our voices and as a result the stats on children in Africa now in school, now on AIDS drugs, now surviving, and grown by leaps and bounds. This segued into One, and Bono singing Amazing Grace on a darkened stage with a single spot light and thousands of cell phones like tiny stars in the night sky. Shivers. Where the Streets Have No Name finished it out and I was content. My soul too had been replenished.

Second encore brought back perennial favorites – Ultra Violet, With or Without You – and the band chose to close with Moment of Surrender (rather than their traditional closer – 40) which seemed fitting somehow.

All in all, this show was less rock and roll than typical past U2 shows, less preachy or political comments from Bono but it had the same impact – he used the band’s music to preach love, peace and faith to the masses instead of his commentary inbetween the songs. The support of the fans on all levels is still there – from singing for him when his voice started to crack on With or Without You, to raising the roof to show support of his and the band’s humanitarian pursuits on Where the Streets Have No Name and One. This band is unlike any other – what rock band could ever stand on stage and sing Amazing Grace and have people sing it with them?

U2 singing Amazing Grace into Streets intro

*Collective Soul is just getting started on shaking the world

I recently moved from Vancouver to a smaller community and so bring my big city thinking and ways with me. This was inherently apparent the night I attended the Collective Soul concert in Kamloops at the Interior Savings Center Arena.

My tickets were General Admission (the only way to go for a Collective Soul show) and expecting the same sort of crowd here as on ‘the coast’ I convinced my concert partner that we had to be to the venue early to maintain a decent spot in the lineup and therefore guarantee a spot near the front of the stage. We arrived around 6:15pm with doors opening at 7pm, and expected a lineup around the block so were bowled over to find three young teenagers – and us! We decided to go for a walk in the park next door and come back in 15 minutes and when we headed back we found the same three teens and a total of 6 other people waiting for doors to open.. very odd! We decided to stay, and I engaged some of the waiting fans in conversation, finding out that the three boys were 15 yrs old and loved Collective Soul, CCR and other ‘old skool’ bands rather than new music. One fellow had driven all the way from 100 Mile House to see Collective Soul, and one local couple had bought tickets for Vancouver, then a week later, found that Collective Soul was coming to town, bought two more and so were doing what I was – back to back CS shows for the weekend. I had a good time listening to them all speak about why they love this band so much; the main theme running through all comments was that the men in the band are basic, down to earth, good people. Plain and simple. The fans have a respect for them as they put their actions where their music says it is – in love, forgiveness, acceptance, and hope. Waiting for doors to open afforded me a very cool experience.

7pm doors – in we went, down the stairs, into the hockey arena and onto the floor -which was supposed to hold about 500 people. There was the initial rush but we soon realized the stage was wide enough to accommodate many more listeners on the railing than the usual casinos or clubs the band plays. Also.. there were not many people there yet! The show was set to start at 8pm with one opening act only, and quite literally, the arena did not start filling up with people until about 15 minutes before show time – then suddenly there was a huge surge of fans all scrambling to find the ‘perfect’ floor spot to stand and watch for the rest of the evening. As I said, very different than the coast where some bands will have lines of fans the day before the show!

The opening band, Crash Parallel was not bad – the sound was a little off as it tended to float up to the rafters and bounce around without being absorbed by bodies; the arena had been configured to about 1/4 of its standard size to accommodate about 1500 people for this show. The band played a solidly decent set that lasted about 35 minutes, and thanked Collective Soul for the opportunity to tour with them and then it was tear down and move out for their gear, and setting out setlists, beverages for the band and testing the lights and sound and next thing it was show time.

The band opened with Welcome All Again in pitch black at the start, then neon vertical light stands kicked in and the rumble started and the crowd went nuts, and the band was on stage in full performance – all this within seconds. I don’t particularly like this song on the album, but live it definitely gave me chills and a sense of heightened anticipation. I think it was the perfect choice for opener. From there, straight into more guitar soaked songs with a one-three punch of Heavy, Listen, Tremble for My Beloved, and Why Pt.2, before taking it down a notch with Needs; one of my favorite Collective Soul songs, and so I stood with eyes closed singing full volume not caring if I was off key in my friend’s ear – or if rhythm guitarist Dean Roland (who was mere feet from where we stood) heard me either.

Song ends, band kicks back into overdrive with a new song, Fuzzy, which includes whistling in the intro by front man Ed Roland and bassist Will Turpin – but most of which was unfortunately lost in the massive empty air of the arena. The song is playful, flirty, slightly slower tempo than most of their other songs but finishes with a kick ass drum solo by Cheney Brannon and on the album there is a man yelling ‘yeah’ at the end. Fans have speculated who that is – tonight we know! Ed holds his microphone stand by the bass, trying to tip it into the space that is Cheney’s magic domain but the man is so caught up in pounding the living daylights out of the skins that he doesn’t even come up for air until he realizes the audience’s eyes are all on HIM. Finally, laughing along with the rest of us, he yells ‘yeah’ into the mic and so ends Fuzzy.

Another new song, She Does(I love this one), followed by December and as I look around at the band and the audience I have a sense of deja vu – of almost a waking dream really – of what it must have been like for the band back in the 90’s playing to stadiums packed to the rafters.. and I wonder at this because I’ve not seen Collective Soul until just recently so wonder where this impression has come from. I realize that the band has stepped it up a notch not only in the new gear, the lighting, the new album, but also in the overall performance on stage. Where they would stand in their respective corners and intermittently interact with each other with Ed trying to engage the audience almost singlehandedly, tonight each and every band member is putting his heart and soul into reaching out to the audience and moving around the stage to play off each other; there is a shared responsibility – and they all seem more relaxed despite the higher energy they’re putting out!

December segues into Shine then Hollywood and the band just isn’t into stopping or giving us a rest from yelling, singing and dancing but this is a good thing! Things get quiet after Hollywood as Ed takes time to introduce the band – starting with guitarist Joel Kosche and panning around the stage to complete the introductions – then the familiar strains of The World I Know are coming from his guitar and another Collective Soul song that has me standing with eyes closed singing softly this time, to myself. From here, we’re given a treat of hearing Joel Kosche take over singing duties and the band backs him up on I Dont Need Any More Friends, a song he wrote that was included in the band’s last album, Afterwords. Better Now ends the set list and the band come up front briefly to wave and smile at the appreciative audience before leaving the stage as the lights dim down into darkness.

Being in a hockey rink affords the audience and advantage – there are wooden floors on which to stomp 1500 pairs of feet and the noise became deafening until at last the band came out to do their encore. Dig, Staring Down (absolutely love this one), Where the River Flows, and Run round out the last of the show, and where Run used to be a song I wished they’d retire from the set list, tonight it seems completely fitting. Where Ed used to serenade each man off stage one at a time, tonight, they all came forward as a group, as a band, before leaving the stage with Ed following them like a wandering minstrel, acoustic guitar in hand finishing the song in the wings behind the stage

My friend and I left in a state of wonder and contentment, and anticipation for the next evening’s show – I had no idea how they were ever going to top what I had just seen (it’s the best Collective Soul concert I’ve ever been to) but…. they did!

You can read the full review of Collective Soul in Vancouver HERE
And you can view all photos for both shows HERE and HERE

Jann Arden ‘Free’ – cd review

Its not often that I rush down to my local record store to buy a new album on release day; I’m a cautious purchaser preferring instead to hear a few of the singles on radio prior to buying an entire album but this album was different. I”ve been following Jann Arden on Twitter and reading her blog entries at her Myspace for over two years now, so I felt pretty confident that her new album would be something I want in my collection. INDEED!

I’m sitting here listening to FREE at this moment, typing my thoughts and impressions on the fly, and I’ve decided not to go back and edit any of it -which is just strange for a writer but there is something exciting about doing it this way! The album wallet is a very delicate shade of lavendar/lilac with a picture of Jann on the front, and a blurred photo of Jann on the back along with the track listing. The album liner is tucked inside the inner pocket where it won’t get bent out of shape – usually I pour through the lyrics as I listen to a new cd, but Jann’s voice is so clear, so crisp on this album, that I have no need to read the words as she sings.

The title track, “Free” speaks of breaking out of expectations everyone else has placed upon her – of having people change her hair color and telling her what to be, how to think, what to say – and how she’s now her own person and finally standing on her own two feet at last. It’s a song of finding herself and being herself without all the strings attached by others.

“Daughter Down” combines possible childhood memories with ponderings about being brave enough to cut the rope and go off on her own – ‘would I be that brave if I had one more day’.The end of the song leaves the listener to make up their own mind if the singer has been brave enough to follow through.

Read the rest of this review at The Portal Magazine Blog

You can find Jann on
Twitter
Myspace
Web

Blues Traveler in Nakusp, BC

Each year I attend the Nakusp Music Fest in July in Nakusp, BC. Each year, there are great bands, decent bands, and some that I have no desire to go look up when I get back home. Sometimes the ‘headliner’ is overshadowed by the band before them, and sometimes, as happened this year, the headliner cancels last minute due to scheduling conflict and another (more enjoyable) band takes their place. This ‘happening’ was all it took to convince me to make the 7 hour trek from Vancouver to Nakusp and purchase a last minute ticket.

Saturday afternoon had been sweltering, and I only allowed myself to watch one band in the hot sun; that hour was enough to almost do me in. A short nap and a cool shower did wonders to revive me in time for a nice dinner on the local hotel patio, then back over to the Fair Grounds to catch the remaining bands. Even in the early evening, it was still muggy but huge thunder clouds began to form around sundown and an amazing warm breeze kicked up and by the time Blues Traveler came on at 10:30pm, it was like being in a tropical paradise – just the right amount of warm wind, and cool air coming from the completely grassed-in area. Wonderful place for a concert.

I have to admit, I’m not a huge blues fan, and the only Blues Traveler song I’m familiar with is their 1994 hit Run-Around. But, prior to the concert I had found Blues Traveler on Twitter (@blues_traveler), and singer/founder John Popper’s ‘tweets’ were so engaging, so ripe with humor and joy of living, that I was intrigued and wanted to see this band in action, live on stage.

The show was fabulous. John is a harmonica master; switching effortlessly from one to the next without missing a beat. Bassist Tad Kinchla never stopped moving all night (except once, to pose for my camera when he realized I couldnt’ ‘capture’ him). Keyboardist Ben Wilson and guitarist Chan Kinchla put as much energy into their performances as Tad, and drummer Brendan Hill was tucked neatly behind a speaker (from where I stood viewing) but I could see his sticks and hear his pounding and he too put 100% effort into it. The entire band played off each other and off the audience (many of whom knew every song and sang along with the band), and it was just a really great show.

At one point, John addressed the audience, telling us how beautiful Nakusp was; and telling us that he’d been informed by the locals that it was pronounced ‘naKusp’ (true) then he introduced the band, and we discovered that Chan was Canadian (which elicited many cheers) and John acknowledged the bands that had been on before Blues Traveler, thanking them. Something that I’ve not seen many headliners do recently, but which showed just how classy these guys are. They raised a toast to us, the audience, a toast to us Canadians, and another toast just for good measure and on to the next round of songs… great stuff.

The evening ended at midnight- just in time as moths began to flock towards the only lights in the area – and a laser light show followed the band off the stage as the happy festival goers left the fair grounds for their homes, or in the case of visitors like me – their tents, campers, trailers or hotel rooms. I left with a new appreciation for a band that has an extensive back catalogue of songs that I plan on catching up with!

Review of Welcome All Again music video

Tomorrow, Collective Soul will ‘Officially’ release their video for Welcome All Again-their second single from their new Self Titled album (also known as ‘Rabbit’). Currently, it’s been ‘leaked’ in low resolution on MSN for USA viewing only. You can find it HERE Come back tomorrow for a world wide link to the ‘official’ release in Hi Rez.

If you’ve read my review you know I’m not a huge fan of this song; preferring instead their first single, Staring Down. However, the video for Welcome All Again interests me enough to write about it.

The video starts out the same way the song does-high energy, intense, capturing your attention. The lights on the high rises and office towers are synced perfectly to the beat of the music-and the information junkie in me wants to know how they did it-easy enough to do when the lights are horizontal or vertical and you only see the lights-but the diamond pattern on the residential tower where you can actually see into the apartment window-thats just downright intiguing!

I love that the band is in this video as well – at the very beginning of the video, one isn’t sure if they’ll make an appearance but then suddenly there they are; not overpoweringly featured, just enough. I really like that each band member has his own color spotlight in those shots and that Ed’s color is white (he frequently wears a crisp white shirt in live concerts) Also… Dean fans will get a treat – he has a microphone in front of him for the first time since…. well, since ever? The magic of video is such that he may or may not actually be singing

The shots chosen for the bridge of the song are perfect; night melding into day with stars, satellites, and celestial bodies moving in slow mo – then it breaks into full tempo again with full action. There is also a great close up of Joel playing guitar – all you see is his hand and the guitar neck but the wedding ring is the dead giveaway as to who’s hand it is.

Other bits that stand out for me include:

-Will doing some head bopping throughout the song – love it. Also quite like how Will looks directly into the camera in most shots – basically looking right at you; the audience
-stacking and un-stacking of empty shot glasses – symbolic? What’s different about the shot glasses is that you can see daylight turn into dusk through the window behind the action
-rain drops bouncing on a flat surface-they’re filmed in such an amazing close-up that they look like they have tails of light
-one shot of the band has circles of white light cascading over them-not high tech by any means but it gave an ambiance to the shot which I really liked – as opposed to just showing the band standing there. I also appreciated the look and feel of the shots of the band from side view – again the lighting and the symmetry caught my eye as much as the band did
-panorama of the top of a mountain range – stunning
-airplanes – the filming was done on the flight path of small commercial planes – it’s amazing to me how many flights there are in a short time span
-the ending – spotlight on Ed as he sang the last line: Welcome All Again. Isolated him and the words -the song’s title actually – quite effective.

All in all I found this video to be a smorgasbord of visuals. I had to watch it a few times to catch everything as they zip past so quickly!

The video itself is shot in time lapse photography, from a single camera (except for the live shots of the band) and although the images don’t relate directly to the song (I half expected to see shots of the band skinny dipping and jumping off tire swings into the lake ) I personally think it’s a much more interesting video simply because it doesn’t predictably follow the song lyrics.

Welcome All Again video was produced by Ross Ching, an up and coming producer and cinematographer based out of San Diego. You can find his website HERE and follow him on Twitter @rossching You can find the finished video HERE along with some really cool info on the overall making of the video – INCLUDING how Ross did the diamond shape in the High Rise

All screencaps in this review were used without permission (but with good intent) and are property of RoadRunner Records ©2009

This is How I Live – Sam Roberts in Concert

When you meet Sam Roberts in person he is the antithesis of a rock star; soft spoken, polite, attentive – when he speaks to you, you are quite literally the only person in the room. But there is an intensity there too just below the surface, and it comes boiling up and out the second that Sam steps out onto stage with his band.

I’ve heard nothing but positive things about Sam Roberts Band live and the show I attended the other night proved that everything I’ve heard is an understatement!

Ten minutes before show time, venue security was suddenly beefed up and you could feel the anticipation mounting. Five minutes before show time, the fans were on their feet but still respecting the boundary line between audience and security personnel. One minute before show time and eager fans were pressed up against the fencing, with the security personnel on the opposite side. There was no element of danger to it though; it was all in good fun … and then bang! the show started.

Read the entire review HERE

Sam Roberts Band website
Sam Roberts Band Myspace