Don't "Rush", "Hold Steady" or You'll "Waste" Your Whole Weekend, (With A Little Bit of Mambo)
As I browse the concert listings I am filled with a variety of disappointments. First of all, if you're reading this, you're already too late to go and check out MC Vagina at the Zombie Lounge. That happened on Wednesday. Surprisingly, the good MC has a MySpace page.
My second disappointment happened when flipping past the ad for 4th and B. LIke Electric Waste Band keyboardist Paul Bell pointed out in our interview a few days ago, it seems as if 4th an B's days may be numbered due to the 600 pound gorilla that is the House Of Blues. As I scanned their listing, however, I thought for a moment that they had not gone down without a fight, without firing one last shot towards the HOB. But then I noticed that their show on February 18th did not actually say Lou Bega like I had first thought, but actually Louie Vega. They may as well pack it in now.
Despite the lack of a few big names, there are some entertaining options this weekend. Badfish, a Sublime tribute band plays at Cane's tonight. Every year or so, I will find myself surprised that songs like Santeria are still being played on the radio. There's nothing wrong with the songs, but they're in a strange valley of music that is above novelty hit, but really doesn't have classic staying power. Seeing how much faux enthusiasm these guys could deliver to their 4,000th rendition of What I Got Could be entertaining...
Tea Leaf Green
Or you could go see the Electric Waste Band open for Tea Leaf Green at the Belly-Up. Tea Leaf Green looks to be a jam band, their set lists on the website have a lot of ->'s in them, indicating that songs transfer into one another. I will probably go and check out the EWB and see what I think of the band. The show starts in Solana Beach at 9:00.
Tom Rush - The Circle Game
Saturday, one of my dad's favorite performers, Tom Rush, is performing at Acoustic Music San Diego. I wasn't aware that this venue existed, and it looks like Tom Rush is the only name I really recognize on their lineup for the next few months. It doesn't really seem like Tom Rush gets his due these days, you never really read about him or hear anyone reference him in their reviews. His album "The Circle Game" featured his original work, as well as songs written for him by Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, and is worth checking out if you're a fan of any of those artists. Key tracks include the title track, featured on the Wonder Years, "Rockport Sunday", a great instrumental, and "No Regrets", the song that was playing when my dad asked my mom to marry him. The show on Saturday costs $25 dollars.
Saturday, the options also include the previously mentioned Louie Vega, (come to think of it, it's probably a safe bet that he goes by Louie to avoid the embarassing confusion. Try a bit harder Louie, Mambo #5 still carries some serious weight around here.)
The Hold Steady
For Sunday, there's really only one option, which is The Hold Steady at the Casbah. These guys are another band that I've yet to really gain the full appreciation of that other critics seem to grasp easier. However, I am willing to give them a chance, due to a formula that I recently developed for whether or not a concert is worth taking a risk to go see if you're not already in love with the band. If you're on the fence with a record, a great live performance can be the kind of thing to push you through into loving it. But how to tell if a show has the potential for greatness?
1. First of all, if you've got live reviews floating around out there, they're worth looking into. Pitchfork, for instance, published a live review of the band last week. Even though it includes the word "Meta," it appears to use it in a positve way.
2. You've got to listen to the record and see if there are opportunities for the live experience to expand upon what is recorded. Before seeing the Arcade Fire at the Casbah last year, I was equally as on the fence, but then I realized that "Wake Up" was probably going to be the show-opener, and that it was the kind of song that could really blow a crowd out of the water. Listen to the breakdown that happens with a minute and a half left in the song "Hornets! Hornets!" The organ, drums and wah-wah guitar could proove just as dramatic a way to kick off a set. The Hold Steady seem to be talented enough, real musicians that they will make it their priority to seize upon chances like these. This won't be like seeing the Strokes or Kings of Leon, where every solo is note for note with the record.
3. Do you not "Get" the record? Don't understand it's hype? It's possible that a lot of the hype has come from people who HAVE seen the band. The Hold Steady is from Brooklyn. If you've read reviews of them, and I have in sources as differing as Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and The New Yorker, don't forget where a lot of these people writing the reviews are living. The live access, though it might not be what they are reviewing, could still be fresh in their heads.
With these thoughts in mind, I'm gonig to try to see the ban on Sunday. Unfortunately the Casbah's website has been down since yesterday, so I have no way of knowing if tickets are still available. Nevertheless, that's where I will try to be.
The Hold Steady's official website is: http://www.theholdsteady.com/
The band performs Sunday night at The Casbah with Swearing at Motorists and The Daffodills. If you're still on the fence as well, head over to Podbop for some free Hold Steady MP3s
UPDATE: The Casbah's website is offline, but tickets for the show can still be purchased for $10 at http://secure.independenttickets.com/index.php
