The Big Gigantic 2/20/13 Toads Place

Capacity crowd of 20 yr olds to see drum and sax combo BG. Found a relatively safe viewing location amongst the throng. A young wide-eyed hipster could not stop high fiving me the entire evening. Kids in shorts (it was single digits outside), shirtless binky sucking next,next gen hippie converged at Toads for the scene. The show was similar to the 2011 GOTV Saturday late night, two white guys one played drums while the other played sax and laptop. Computer generated bass shook one's leg hair but the music was not inspired. Vocal snippets and computer crescendo seemed to move the crowd, but not me. This music is more of a backdrop for the scene, kind of like disco for the times. It's ironic that BG used to be affiliated with the Motet, one of the best percussion-heavy jam troupes in Colorado history. I left early for an easy exit to see the streets crawling with cops poised to scoop up those with the largest pupils. As with most music like this, it is best heard outside.

The Residents, Iron Horse Northampton MA 2/13/13

I consider myself fortunate to have persevered blizzard charlotte's aftermath to view the "40 Years of Weird" tour by the Residents. While I cannot begin to explain the checkered history of this avant-art-rock collective, my notes on the evening's festivities seem like the best kind of review. To set the stage, two giant inflatable snowmen with intertwining candy canes form an entrance to the stage. The players, Randy: lead singer/talker dressed as Santa, Chuck: keyboards and electronics, dressed as a chicken, and Bob: on guitar, dressed as a bug. Here goes: Picnic n the Jungle//Demented Midget in a co-dependent relationship with a giant//Struggles//Snakefinger dies of a heart attack in Austria in the 80s// Randy has fight with his swivel chair shaped like a huge pair of lips//between songs Randy rocks autistically on candy cane entrance// chuck lives on a chicken farm, randy lives with cat Maurice on West Pico in LA// randy was beat by eddie murphy for the donkey voice in the Shrek movie...fahk//chuck aims electronic etchasketch at keyboard for a feedback solo//bob seems like Buckethead in his metal-prog approach to guitar//randy has been married 11 times//mandy's butt->everything is black// friend lenny does porno films, rnady's profile pic has him with fake phallus so he "couldn't even make it in the porno business!"// maurice gets hit by a car but only needs a small amputation//lost all money in media-rich "mole" phase in the 90s//randy kicks candy cane, it deflates as he exits// bob skronks out a version of "o tannenbaum" as randy blows up a huge christmas tree with eyeball as the star// closes with "auld lang syne"...............wow

Nels Cline w/ Julian Lage 12/21/12 Arch St Tavern

A night of guitar duo improv with these two masters at the renewed Arch St. was a treat. Nels Cline shelved his day job as lead axe-wielder for the band Wilco for a night of improv with the prodigy Lage. Those expecting Wilco hits or Frosty the Snowman were sadly disappointed. These two guitarists are on top of the food chain for speed and sheer dexterity. Cline, a so-cal native plays like a cross between Wes Montgomery and Walter White. Lage, while young, is no understudy ( see my review a few years back of the Firehouse 12 show). Guitar nerduosity at its finest.

Baroque Blues with Robert Zott at Artspace 12/7/12

What if Marcel Duchamp and Koko Taylor had an illegitimate child at Captain Beefheart's house in the Arizona desert? This progeny would be Robert Zott. We met him at erector square at city-wide open studios in October. An artist and blues guitarist, Zott is a real original. This performance was held at the Artspace Gallery. Zott's pieces included the use of "ready-mades" for lack of a better term. The first song showcased him singing into a submarine's talking tube that gave a weird echo effect. The next piece involved video close-up of a watch that acted as a metronomic percussion. A flight box lifted from a 737 acted as a music box for the next song. A video mashup of Zott playing an inverted flying V guitar projected him to be a human compass. The final piece went down outside on Orange St. Zott had his amplifier rigged to a propane tube that acted as a visual "equalizer". As notes were strummed, the propane flames danced in proportion to the sound. Part inventor, part blues man, Robert Zott is a true artist

Simone Felice w/ Smoke Signals 12/2/12 Cafe Nine

Opener Smoke Signals was a two man guitar outfit that played high energy rock. Played a good cover of Springsteen's Atlantic City.
   Simone Felice had a three piece outfit with fiddle, standup bass, and Felice on guitar and vocals. Felice, better known as one of the Felice Brothers and the Duke and the King, played songs of drugs, booze, prostitution, and abuse because "that's what I know best growing up in a degenerate community in upstate New York." Capable playing and singing. Covered I Shall Be Released in homage to neighbor late great Levon Helm. Felice also covered Atlantic City, seems that superstorm Sandy reached all the way up to the Catskills.

Black Light Dinner Party w/ Child Actor 11/28/12 Bar

Opener Child Actor was billed as a local electronica duo with one member studying with Anthony Braxton at Wesleyan Univ. They also were purported to be pals with the local hip hop presence Ceschi. These notes attracted me to this show. Unfortunately, synthy shoegaze dreampop highlighting the female breathy vocals was what materialized. Child Actor may have talent, but they found it difficult to pull off live.
    Black Light Dinner Party from NYC were more polished. Their sound was like Grizzly Bear with high range vocals and washes of sound. Keyboards, drum, bass, and guitar-vocals. Tight songs with thoughtful lyrics look promising for BLDP.

The Steel Wheels 11/16/12 Cafe 9

Oregon string band billed as a cross between The Avett Bros. and Old Crow Medicine Show was a very apt descriptor. Made it in for their second set which was great. Lead singer played acoustic and banjo, a second acoustic with mandolin, fiddle , and string bass rounded out this very tight quartet. Made great use of their old-timey microphone for There's a Rain Comin Down with close-vocal harmony and shaker stick. Covered a Tom Waits tune and closed with a great Shape I'm In by the Band.