WHERE TO NEXT?By Michael Silver, Music Junkie
It’s early August and we’re at the point where summer love is in the air. Most of us have taken our vacations from work, traveling locally or perhaps globally. It also means the fall semester is around the corner, but who wants to think about another 12 units of dreadful classes? There’s still so much time left to explore in music and in life. Let’s take a trip.
Looking back on an already memorable summer, the 2010 edition started in June with Story Structure 250, a six-week creative writing course at Cal State Fullerton. To my surprise, this class was not only entertaining and pain free, but it inspired yours truly to get back on the proverbial horse of writing (such as this blog) and crank out a 20-page treatment of my Coachella 2007 experience. It may turn into a movie one day, who knows!
July was eventful, starting with a Kings of Leon concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. My one time seeing them previously was at the aforementioned Coachella…back then they had a small fan base, mostly die-hards from the Midwest and South region of the country. Now, they’re literally the “kings” of alternative rock. The first single, “Sex on Fire” was a smash hit, whether you love it or hate it. The band went on to win three Grammy’s this year for “Use Somebody,” the second single off their album Only By The Night.
Side note: this album was released in late 2008, yet still is pushing copies every week…CD’s are still alive!
The Irvine show was packed with 15,000+ in attendance which was a pleasant surprise considering how the “experts” have declared the touring business to be on the decline. It shows if you make quality music, the people will pay and come out in support. The Kings’ set was a mix of all their work, starting with “Crawl” and personal favorite jam “My Party.” Singer/Guitarist Caleb Followill crooned all night as the ladies screamed for his attention. The old school black and white video projections on the jumbotron gave it a vintage feel. Early on Caleb said, “Are you guys doing good? We got a lot more for you” and he wasn’t lying. Nearly two hours later the encore concluded with “Black Thumbnail,” their first single from Because of the Times. Safe to say no one went home disappointed.
Next on the tour schedule was none other than prog-metal veterans TOOL. Set to perform on back–to-back nights in LA, I scored orchestra tickets to the latter. Utterly blown away by their stage visuals and clarity of the Nokia Theatre sound, this was a special evening. There are not many venues I’ve yet to visit so this was a double bonus; seeing a killer band and scratching off Nokia from the list. Inside this magical palace you will find two giant LED screens placed on each side of the stage. They grab your attention immediately, measuring 16 feet high by 29 feet long (I did my researched). The screens played an integral part for the bands special effects.
TOOL have a sound unlike any band out there, the loud intense riffs by Adam Jones thuds through the speakers as singer Maynard James Keenan leads on an epic metal voyage. Ranging from five to sometimes ten minutes in song length, the rhythm section keeps the pace moving while the crowd eats it up. Everyone started the night in his or her seat but when the lights go dark, we’re all on our feet in chaotic anticipation.
“Jambi” was one of the tracks I enjoyed most, the visual eye candy was in full effect. A large screen behind the band projected twisted images of aliens, humans, the sun and moon…a little of everything from our universe. Maynard, the anti-rock star stood in the back with almost no lighting, prodding his boxed area. Screaming to the heavens and daring us to chant back it felt like a release on life with 7,000 of my closest metal heads. The band hasn’t release new material in over four years but they sound as relevant today as the next. While they rocked songs from 10,000 Days like “Vicarious” and “The Pot,” it was older gems such as “Schism” and “Lateralus” that had people going insane. Feeling the bass lines rattle my core can hardly be reenacted, let alone described. I highly suggest seeing a rock show at this venue if you couldn’t tell already.
The summer is cruising by a rapid pace, don’t get stuck at Disneyland or the beach like everyone else…get out there and explore what a live show has to offer. Music makes the world go round, I truly believe that. Good mood, bad mood…it doesn’t matter. Music can change ANY mood.
Upcoming shows worth your time and money:
-Long Beach Funk Festival – Sat. August 7th
-HARD Summer Music Festival – Sat. August 7th
-KCRW’s World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl w/ Chemical Brothers & Yacht – Sun. Aug 22nd
-Sunset Strip Music Festival – Sat. August 28th
-Pacific Festival OC by Steve Aoki & Friends – Sat. Sept. 4th
There’s always a story behind a good show. Thanks for reading my adventures. If you would like to chat it up about all things music/sports/politics/life related…or whatever is on your mind…hit me up on the web. Twitter.com/BigEastSilver
Peace and Love.
