PurrView #29 - TV on the Radio w/ Arctic Monkeys - Las Vegas

www.TVontheRadio.com

On Friday, September 23, I caught TV on the Radio as they played the Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Opening for them was Arctic Monkeys out of the U.K.-- who had me shaking my derriere to  joints of theirs like "Fluorescent Adolescent" http://youtu.be/ma9I9VBKPiw and "Brianstorm" http://youtu.be/30w8DyEJ__0 -- and Smith Westerns (who, I am sorry to say, I was too fashionably late to catch that night).

The Boulevard Pool, which overlooks the Las Vegas strip from four stories up, turned out to be a superb venue.  With plenty of room to dance (thanks to the pool partly being drained), sufficient bar service (I never had to wait more than five minutes for a nice, stiff drink), and various pleasing vantage points, it was a sumptuous treat for my senses!

The band arrived on the property earlier in the day and was seen at a few spots around The Cosmo, including the casino floor, as well as enjoying the property's poolside amenities. Though band members Jaleel Bunton and Kyp Malone happily sat and conversed with fellow hotel patrons at the poolside bar at about high noon on Friday, the band flaked on the pre-show meet & greet, then hightailed it out of there directly after their set.

TV on the Radio has come to be one of my favorite and most beloved bands. I even secured my ticket all the way back in June. Though they put on a great show, rich with soul, energy, and their unique indie-experimental-punk sound, something (admittedly) seemed to be amiss. Through conversation with friends of mine who also attended the show, we could only assume that this is mostly due to the fact that TVOTR lost their eclectic and talented bassist-- Gerard Smith-- on April 20, 2011 to lung cancer, eight days after their latest album was released. (They have since continued to tour with replacement bassists, but have not solidly filled the void that Smith left, as of yet.)

TVOTR started their set with "Second Song," from their latest release Nine Types of Light; and of course performed the album's key song and love ballad "Will Do"-- a must-see video ( http://youtu.be/dXLpXu9T7j0 ). The nighttime Las Vegas heat didn't keep front man Tunde Adebimpe from wailing and flailing his arms and body in his usual onstage style. As the sweat escaped his pores, the band's eclecticism and musical prowess enveloped the audience, even all the way through the three-song encore. The set list consisted mostly of tunes from Nine Types of Light, including an energetic rendition of "Repetition" and a funky presentation of "Caffeinated Consciousness." But the band certainly did not fail to also bring us past-time hits like "Staring at the Sun" and "Wolf Like Me"-- the hit that seemed to elicit the strongest response and energy from the audience, and had the fans bouncing in unison ( http://youtu.be/j1-xRk6llh4 ).

(Check out my review of Nine Types of Light --> http://purrview.blogspot.com/2011/05/purrview-10-tv-on-radio-nine-types-of.html )

TV on the Radio pushes onward with their 2011 Nine Types of Light tour, hitting up two more west coast performances in Hollywood and Oakland, before making their way to the east coast, where the Brooklyn band's roots lie. Tonight, September 25, they play the Hollywood Bowl with (once again) Arctic Monkeys and Smith Westerns; but also part of the line up are Warpaint and Panda Bear. Though they lack the presence of their dearly departed bassist, TVOTR continues to grace us with their relentless disbursement of good music and good vibes...

 Lots of love, TV on the Radio!

~Meow~

Pennies

PurrView #28 - Dusty Sunshine

Last Saturday, September 17, I had the pleasure of catching Dusty Sunshine play with fellow locals, Coastwest Unrest at Artifice. Comprised in part of individuals from other great Vegas acts like The Clydesdale and A Crowd of Small Adventures, the five lady/one gentleman group of musically versatile and talented scenesters graced our ears with floating, angelic vocals and dreamy, emotional lyrics about anything from being in love to being in jail!

Band members Summer Soll, Heidi Guinn, Chani Leavitt, Megan Wingerter, Courtney Carroll and Jason Aragon made their live debut as Dusty Sunshine about a year ago, and have played out around town at joints like The Bunkhouse and The Lounge at The Palms, presenting us with a sound that is at times, doo-wop in nature and at other times, foothills-blues sounding. Dusty Sunshine member Heidi Guinn advised me that their sound has even been dubbed as "salon-shop quartet"-- a perfect description for an aspect of the sextet's unique sound!

Each song that they played was fortified with perfectly harmonized vocals, smooth, rolling bass lines, acoustic guitar, and even touches of violin, mandolin and autoharp to optimize Dusty Sunshine's beautiful, soulful sound.  They are seemingly a group of choral superheroes-- or more fittingly, super-sirens-- with their hypnotizing, ethereal voices. Dusty Sunshine tantalized my senses and had me closing my eyes and sighing to their sweet sounds.

I definitely look forward to catching them again as they play at the grand opening celebration of The Barrymore at The Royal Resort this Wednesday, September 21. But more importantly, I can’t wait to pick up Dusty Sunshine's first album; a nine-song repertoire that they just finished recording two weeks ago. They're now in the stages of picking the album's artwork, and the album release party is October 29, as they play Beauty Bar with Deer Tick. Be sure to join the celebration and pick up a copy… their heavenly voices just might inspire you to croon your own heart out; but chances are, it won't sound as fine as those girls!

~Meow~

Pennies

PurrView #27 - DMB Caravan - The Gorge

Where do Dave Matthews Band fans go to quench their DMB thirst? They hop on the Dave Matthews Band Caravan, of course! A moving festival with an ever-so- faithful following, DMB Caravan draws in thousands upon thousands of the band's fans at each stop. They leave their respectable corporate nine-to-fives to cash in a few of their vacation days; to get dirty, camp out, dance, and surround themselves with mesmerizing folk sounds at one of the most pleasant music festivals I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

(Myself at The Gorge, overlooking main stage)

Though I hadn't previously experienced Dave Matthews Band live, I have experienced numerous massives and music festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo. I can honestly say that DMB Caravan is the cleanest, most organized, most positive-vibe-infused music festival that I've ever experienced! It was tens of thousands of happy Dave fans coming out to have a good time for a weekend; and I've learned that there is absolutely no room for shadiness or drama at a Dave show! Taking it easy is the name of the game among these folks. And locking your car, tent, or campsite is never a thought that crosses your mind at DMB Caravan. Trust, faith, love, positivity and nature just permeate the air at the Dave Matthews Band Caravan!

 I've always been a fan of Dave Matthews Band, but had never seen them live. This is much to the dismay of some of my best friends, who have all seen him-- literally-- dozens of times. My best friend, DJ stated that this was roughly his 30th DMB show; and Mark, who I met at Seattle's SeaTac airport wearing a DMB Caravan T-Shirt, proudly stated that this was his 52nd Dave show; and Julian, whom I also met at the airport flew in from Belgium to attend all 2011 DMB Caravan stops, and stated that this was his 25th time seeing Dave; as well, I met two sisters, Jody and Sharon from Anaheim who proudly stated that this was their 70th Dave show! DMB fans are some of the most faithful followers and fans that I've EVER met.  

Earlier albums like Under the Table and Dreaming (1994), Crash (1996), and Before These Crowded Streets (1998) stole my heart as a youngster and became a folk-hippie staple in my coming of age and among my generation.  I've lost myself in songs like "Dancing Nancies"—which Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds closed their afternoon set with on Sunday—and "Crush"  on many a foggy occasion. And on the occasion of Labor Day Weekend 2011, I experienced Dave and the DMB Caravan for over three days at Washington's famed venue, The Gorge-- located about a 2 hour drive from Seattle.

(The Gorge by day)

September 2-4, Dave Matthews Band headlined the festival at the end of each day. But the event also consisted of three separate stages in this beautiful, unique venue with other great bands and acts filling The Gorge with music for miles and miles, as The Gorge is actually a natural amphitheatre and canyon along the Columbia River.

(GogolBordello.com)
 

On Friday, I finally caught an amazing act that I've been dying to see for years-- Gogol Bordello! This gypsy-punk band of crazies certainly lived up to their reputation and had The Meadows stage hopping with their own style of psychogypsy-punk vibes; any festival-goers sporting a studded belt could be found at that stage… Their powerful set had the crowd dancing, thrashing, jumping, and yelling, "Start Wearing Purple!"  Jenny-O also performed on Friday, but really should have been reserved for the night-- her psychedelic Lissie-sounding electronic folk tunes almost put me to sleep in the high-sun heat of the day. Washington D.C.-based, Soja, set the mood of the day with their undeniably magnificent reggae sounds!

(DC's own Soja - pic borrowed from Irieites.de)

On Saturday, I had the privilege of once again catching one of my fave San Diego bands-- The Silent Comedy. The Silent Comedy always seems to make themselves one with their audience, as you can see in the next picture. Frontman Josh Zimmerman can be seen below getting deep down into the crowd and bringing them low to the ground to hear and feel what the earth is saying. Saturday also hailed a performance from The Roots. The Roots really need no explanation as to who and what they are; but if you're still at a loss, you might recognize them as Jimmy Fallon's house band. Devotchka was another notable performance of the day that had every pseudo-hippie dancing their butt off! And to top the night off, when Dave Matthews Band performed with Warren Haynes as guest, they closed with a splendid cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" that sent goose bumps running all over my entire body!

(The Silent Comedy's Josh Zimmerman getting down into the audience)
 

On Sunday, the good vibes relentlessly continued to radiate. DMB's final performance of this stop was (as stated by every DMB fan I spoke to) one of the very best live sets from the band. I would have to say that I completely believe that, as it was an amazing and hypnotic set that began with the beautiful sunset in the background (as pictured below) and went well into the night, closing with a cover of Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself (Again)." Dave was not shy about his good mood and dance moves either, as he broke it down with his funky, country style swag and dance skills. But earlier in the day, a memorable and sun-shiny set from Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros had the entire crowd-- from front to back-- dancing to beloved tunes of theirs like "Home". Also earlier that afternoon, Philadelphia's Dispatch packed the grass of the main stage with free-spirited indie-roots fans dancing around and being merry.

(sunset, final day)

Dave Matthews Band Caravan was an experience that left me with a feeling of satisfaction and gratification. From the campgrounds, to the stages, to the people, to the view, to the sheer magnificence of the gift from God that is The Gorge, the festival was worth every penny and every ounce of travel and effort it took to get there. I know in my heart that-- DMB Caravan or not-- I will once again find myself at this spectacular, breathtaking venue. Kudos to DMB Caravan and blessings to Washington's The Gorge!

~Meow~

Pennies