Public Image Ltd. @ 9:30 Club (10/8/12)
The image of fading rock stars maintaining an existence that flies directly counter to the proclamations of their younger selves is a (increasingly) common one. The irony is exceptionally strong for John Lydon (né Rotten), thanks to his immortalization at the hands of Neil Young. Yet for all of the changes that have taken place over the course of his career, one thing has remained constant: John Lydon is a brat. He’ll freely admit it. It’s the trait that got him into the Sex Pistols, it’s the trait that made them famous, and it’s the trait that has kept him in the public eye for over 30 years.
Off-stage, this characteristic manifests itself as bravado that belies a high level of intelligence, and an unparalleled ability to tweak social norms. The man gains a perverse satisfaction from wiggling his way out of any and all attempts by his critics, his fans, and even his peers, to define him. As a young musician, he made headlines for his offensive lyrics and outrageous publicity stunts. As a veteran musical authority, Lydon has proclaimed himself single-handedly responsible for the entire punk (and possibly post-punk) movement. In his mind, none of his contemporaries were worth squat musically, they couldn’t stack up on the charts, and if they dared to be more successful or experimental or (gasp) outlast him, they were all sell outs (while he of course remained pure). Yet love him or hate him, you didn’t ignore him.
On stage, however, Lydon’s brattiness has made for some pretty great, in fact legendary, music that demands grudging acceptance of his overtly lofty sense of self-worth. Both the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd. are seminal, genre-changing groups, without whom rock and roll would have been forever left to the likes of Boston and Duran Duran. The genius behind the influence of these bands is driven by his unpredictable idiosyncrasies: only Rotten could get away with decrying abortion, facism, sex and the British monarchy on a single album, and then immediately turn around and reject his own method of rejection (as well as his name and stage character).
Given these personal inconsistencies, no one is ever really sure what to expect from Lydon. He is part artist, part performer, part P.R. man. So it was for a show at the 9:30 Club by the current version of Public Image Ltd. And as expected, Lydon delivered the unexpected.
For Lydon the artist, two words you would never think to use as adjectives are “humble” and “dedicated.” But backed by an incredible backing band who managed to stay impressively faithful to the funky rhythm section and piercing guitars of the original incarnation, Lydon gave an energetic, inspirational performance, featuring some amazingly dexterous singing (kept in tune by a bizarre routine of swigging water, then bourbon that he would quickly spit out into a spittoon in the middle of the stage). Alternating between high and low-pitched vocals, Lydon sang from the deepest pits of his lungs, carrying the group through an impressively manic dance-rock set that clearly drew the blueprint for bands like LCD Soundsystem.
Musically, rather than being anonymous sidemen backing a legend, the band was instead the perfect foil for Lydon. Guitar player and Rasputin look-a-like Lu Edmonds used an array of quirky instruments to spin out meandering, amelodic riffs that served as stark counterpoints to Lydon’s vocals. Meanwhile, bass player Scott Firth carried the songs with a masterful imitation of original PiL member Jah Wobble’s legendary playing, while drummer Bruce Smith’s dexterity demonstrated why he has been a key player in several notable post-punk bands (including The Pop Group and The Slits). Indeed, the performance was so strong that it would have been completely appropriate for Lydon to step aside while the band tried out some of PiL’s famous instrumentals (he didn’t, obviously).
The characters played by Lydon the performer varied from song to song, sometimes angry, other times motivational, always to be taken with a grain of salt. He chided the under-capacity crowd for not being louder or more energetic. He made a few snide comments about politicians, but kept surprisingly apolitical. He led the crowd during a sing-along of “Rise,” and engaged the audience in a call-and-response during the halting, screeching set-closer “Religion.” Of course, being Lydon, his calls were not for cheers or applause, but rather on whether to turn up the bass levels to nearly eardrum-bursting conditions. He even *gasp* thanked the crowd enthusiastically after the encore, a far cry from his instigator days.
The show was not without its faults. As Lydon noted, the crowd was unusually sparse and subdued (though competing indie shows at U Street Music Hall and Black Cat probably played a big factor). The set list was short and slightly heavy on new material. Most annoyingly, every time the band built some momentum in one of their songs, they immediately followed with a slow, stilting song with no beat. It was a frustrating ordeal that sapped the energy out of the room and aggravated the crowd, playing into their disengagement. Now that I think about it, it almost seems like it was intentional…
Set List:
- This Is Not a Love Song
- Deeper Water
- Albatross
- One Drop
- Flowers of Romance
- Disappointed
- Warrior
- U.S.L.S. 1
- Reggie Song
- Death Disco
- Bags/Chant
- Religion
Encore:
- Out of The Woods
- Rise
- Open Up
The Jesus and Mary Chain @ 9:30 Club (9/9/12)
Loud. Really LOUD. As in, earplugs just brought things down from deafening to ear-splitting. Then again, I wouldn’t expect anything less from The Jesus and Mary Chain, kings of aural distortion. The loud bug even trickled down to both opening bands. The Vandelles played a set that was occasionally rocking but short on excitement, while the Psychic Paramount specialized in atmosphere, featuring a tripped-out light show accompanying the same song over and over (or at least that’s how it seemed) for 45 minutes. The force of the vibrations seemed to strain the foundations of the 9:30 Club to their limits before the headliners even made their appearance.
By the time The Jesus and Mary Chain came out, hipster excitement was in full swing. Flannel and earplugs were the evenings preferred uniform as the now-five piece band strode on stage, looking more like senior lecturers than the wild rockers they had been during their youth. Well, all except for William Reid, the unlikeliest guitar god in rock history. With a reputation based on noise and distortion (and a current look straight out of the Black Francis diet-and-exercise routine), Reid’s rockstar theatrics come more from the noise he manages to wring out of his axe than any posing or visible excitement. Several of Reid’s rifts seemed to drift into Gang of Four territory, before whipping back into a grunge Wall-of-Sound. Jim Reid was barely audible beneath the waves of guitars (especially when his microphone cut out mid-set), though his predilection for whispered vocals made this less of an anomaly and more of an expectation.
Momentum was a big problem throughout the show. Every time the band revved up and started getting some energy for the crowd, something would slam it to a halt, whether it be equipment malfunctions (rhythm guitarist John Moore had at least two of his guitars go haywire) or a poor choice of set list. Extemporaneous jamming is clearly a no-no, as all songs nicely wrapped up on time, and the set was disappointingly short (though given their reputation, probably as long as could be expected). Several songs from the landmark Psychocandy were performed, including a duet version of “Just Like Honey” with the bass player from The Vandelles. But the crowd’s enthusiasm never waned, as evidenced by a post-show tussle over a copy of the set-list. Reputation goes a long way.
Set List:
- Snakedriver
- Head On
- Far Gone and Out
- Between Planets
- Blues From A Gun
- Teenage Lust
- Sidewalking
- Cracking Up
- All Things Must Pass
- Some Candy Talking
- Happy When It Rains
- Halfway to Crazy
- Just Like Honey
- Reverence
Encore:
- The Hardest Walk
- Taste Of Cindy
- Never Understand
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band @ Verizon Center (4/1/12)
The Stones have done it longer. Led Zeppelin did it louder. U2 does it with more spectacle. But no one gives a concert quite like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. For more than 3 hours, they (or more accurately, Bruce) rocked an April Fool’s Day crowd at the Verizon Center like an opening band singing for its supper. The famous Springsteen stage histrionics were all present: massive guitar solos, stage sprints, crowd surfing, and even a reprise of his famous Super Bowl camera crotch slide (this time joined by a 10 year old boy pulled from the crowd). Strangely, all of Bruce’s energy only served to push him further away from his always steady but never spectacular backing band. Clearly, the loss of Clarence Clemons has removed an element of cohesiveness that cannot be replaced (though his nephew did a decent job musically). However, that can’t explain Little Steven’s near invisibility or Nils Lofgren’s timid playing. Even Max Weinberg’s drums seemed muted.
Not that any of this mattered to the crowd. Springsteen fans are perhaps the most dedicated crew of aficionados outside of Deadheads, and the ones surrounding us in the floor standing-room section knew every song after three notes and sang their hearts (and vocal cords) out. Springsteen’s modern canon dominated the beginning of the set list, with nearly half the songs coming from albums released since the E Street Band was reunited more than a decade ago. Born to Run was well-represented as always, but the personal highlight of the night was a tour premiere performance of “Adam Raised a Cain” (notwithstanding the idiot behind me yelling throughout the song).
Springsteen’s rare ability to reduce grown, professional men to a slobbering heap of drunken yodelers cannot be matched (well maybe by Jimmy Buffett but no one has ever envisioned the themselves escaping Margaritaville). Somehow, their perceived dedication only reminded me of current state of rock concerts, in which getting to nostalgically sing along to your favorite song trumps the band’s actual performance. Watching these bozos wrap their sweaty arms around each other’s shoulders as they belted out off-key harmony vocals reminded me not of blue collar folks legitimately touched by Springsteen’s down-to-earth realism, but rather drunken frat boys singing “Pour Some Sugar On Me” at last call. This is through no fault of Springsteen’s, as demonstrated by the set list- he pulled out “American Skin (41 Shots)” (in honor of Trayvon Martin) and seemed reluctant to do “Dancing in the Dark.” To me, the most honest moment of the night was when Bruce relayed his love of Smokey Robinson and the entire Motown scene before making his way out to a platform at the center of the crowd (almost within touching distance for us) to lead the crowd through a medley of the Motown standards “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “634-5789.” Most definitely a preacher amongst his congregation.
Set List:
- We Take Care Of Our Own
- Wrecking Ball
- Night
- Death to My Hometown
- My City of Ruins
- Seaside Bar Song
- Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?
- Jack of All Trades
- Trapped (Jimmy Cliff cover)
- Adam Raised a Cain
- Easy Money
- She’s the One
- Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
- The Promise
- Apollo Medley- The Way You Do the Things You Do/634-5789
- American Skin (41 Shots)
- Because the Night
- The Rising
- We Are Alive
- Thunder Road
Encore:
- Rocky Ground (With Michelle Moore)
- Out in the Street
- Born to Run
- Dancing in the Dark
- Land of Hope and Dreams
- Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
The Beach Boys @ Merriweather Post Pavilion (6/15/12)
Is there a better way to spend a summer day than by listening to the Beach Boys? Through 50 years of Endless Summer, their soaring harmonies and catchy tunes have kept the good vibrations going. At least musically. The off-stage acrimony and drama that underlay their entire career was such a complete contrast to their on-stage image that few could believe that such tension could produce such beauty. After decades of keeping everything hidden, the cover finally blew off during the 1990’s, when Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine each split from the Beach Boys enterprise to form their own touring band, a poor substitution for the real thing. Thus, it was with great surprise that the world greeted a somewhat reunited band for a summer tour. Wilson, Love and Jardine put away their disagreements (and recognized the profits to be made) and finally rejoined forces, bringing along longtime 6th Beach Boy Bruce Johnston, as well as original member David Marks. For a public obsessed with nostalgia (to the point that two of the biggest summer tours involved D-list 90’s bands such as Gin Blossoms, Marcy Playground and Creed), it was perfect timing.
My expectations had been primed by last year’s Brian Wilson show, so I was ready for a night full of sing-alongs and competent yet rarely exciting performances. The band managed to easily scale this barrier, coming out alternating their classic hits with lesser known album cuts, starting with the appropriate “Do It Again.” They dug into their catalogue for “Disney Girls” and “It’s OK,” before swinging back to hitsville with “Surfin’ Safari” and “Surfer Girl.” Obviously, the band is smart enough to know what the fans want and expect. However, I was impressed as they continued to throw in a few jabs even as they stuck to the tightly-crafted nostalgia script. Following a two-for of “Why Do Fools Fall In Love?”and “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man),” the group threw in winking nod to the absurdity of men in their late-60s singing teenage love songs, singing “It’s so sadddd.”
The biggest question for me was how the group’s harmonies would hold up, especially on the more intricate songs. Brian has long since lost his famous falsetto, and Carl Wilson’s death removed the other tenor voice. Thankfully, the Beach Boys are smart enough to have a top-notch backing band that can hit the famous high notes, so their vocal failings were easily hidden. The group perfectly hit the ending of “This Whole World,” before moving into a perfect rendition of “Kiss Me, Baby” that they followed with a surprisingly top notch version of “Please Let Me Wonder.” Sadly, few in the crowd appreciated these non-standards, spending most of the evening treating the performance as background music. Not helping matters, Mike spent every song interval hawking the band’s new CD, which was represented by two bland cuts that had the crowd stuck to their chairs or running to the bathroom. “I Get Around” led into the set break, which Mike jokingly referred to as naptime.
The second set began with all five members huddled around Wilson’s white baby grand piano, singing out the luscious “Add Some Music to Your Day.” At this point, it seemed like the group had managed to turn back the clock to their heyday. That illusion was quickly shattered when, during “Heroes and Villains,” Wilson unleashed a clearly audible throat clear mid-verse. To his credit, he kept singing, but it was a pointed reminder of the ravages of age that did not escape anyone (I can only imagine the anger seething within Love at that point). A mini-Pet Sounds suite, fittingly topped off by “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times,” eased the atmosphere.
For a night already drenched in nostalgia, it made little difference that performances of “God Only Knows” and “Forever” were performed by video versions of Carl and Dennis Wilson, respectively. The set finished with a run through their biggest sing-alongs, including “California Girls,” “Help Me Rhonda” and “Surfin’ USA,” though my friend Brett ironically pointed out that several of the best-received songs they did (“Rock and Roll Music,” “Peggy Sue,” etc.) were covers. Sadly, though not surprisingly, the group broke out “Kokomo” for the encore. They earned slight redemption for closing with “Barbara Ann” and “Fun, Fun, Fun” to let the crowd escape into the night on an up note. The Beach Boys were back, even if they had never really left. “So I’m going away/but not forever.” How true.
Set List:
- Do It Again
- Little Honda
- Catch a Wave
- Hawaii
- Don’t Back Down
- Surfin’ Safari
- Surfer Girl
- Wendy
- Then I Kissed Her (The Crystals cover)
- It’s OK
- This Whole World
- Kiss Me, Baby
- Isn’t It Time
- Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers cover)
- When I Grow Up (to Be a Man)
- Darlin’
- Please Let Me Wonder
- Be True to Your School
- Cotton Fields (Lead Belly cover)
- Disney Girls
- Ballad of Ole’ Betsy
- Don’t Worry Baby
- Little Deuce Coupe
- 409
- Shut Down
- I Get Around
Set 2
- Add Some Music to Your Day
- Heroes and Villains
- California Saga: California
- Sloop John B
- Wouldn’t It Be Nice
- I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times
- Sail on, Sailor
- In My Room
- All This Is That
- That’s Why God Made the Radio
- Forever (Dennis Wilson on video)
- God Only Knows (Carl Wilson on video)
- Good Vibrations
- California Girls
- All Summer Long
- Help Me, Rhonda
- Rock and Roll Music (Chuck Berry cover)
- Do You Wanna Dance? (Bobby Freeman cover)
- Surfin’ USA
Encore:
- Kokomo
- Barbara Ann (The Regents cover)
- Fun, Fun, Fun
Radiohead @ Verizon Center (6/3/12)
For a superstar, A-list band, Radiohead is still held by its fans as the little indie band that could. How else to explain the number of people who actually paid to download the freely available In Rainbows? The love is reciprocal, as the band has stuck to its indie ideals throughout its two decades together, even if that meant creating “music” that alienated mainstream followers (like me) who never graduated past (the incredibly overrated) OK Computer. So the idea of seeing them in concert was simultaneously and worrisome; given every great review of a Radiohead show I’ve heard, I was concerned that I was merely hearing from the converted. Not being a huge fan myself, and lacking an intimate knowledge of their catalogue, I challenged Radiohead to impress me based purely on performance. I was in the perfect position to be won over. And I was. But not for the reasons I expected.
Opening act Caribou put on the kind of atmospheric light-show that would have been perfect for the 
9:30 Club or Black Cat. Unfortunately, the mammoth bowels of the Verizon Center zapped most of the effect. Radiohead received the standard hero’s welcome, as the crowd roared its approval for every intro. Epitomizing the fanbase were two large, unshaven gentlemen in front of us, both wearing overalls and reminding me of the infamous McGuire twins sans motorcycles. During each song (which they heartily sang along to), one would offer up his hands in prayer to the heavens, and the other would respond by making it rain. These gestures were as animated as the crowd got, unsurprising given that Radiohead’s repertoire is not exactly Tom Petty sing-along style. Obviously, the only two songs that I knew (“Airbag” and “Paranoid Android”) were the only ones that stuck out for me. The rest of the songs were interesting enough, but given the band’s disdain for hummable melodies or standard song structures, nothing was going to get stuck in my head.
Visually, however, it was the most stunning show I have ever seen. The band played against a screen backdrop- not so unusual. However, the specialty came from a series of smaller screens hanging above the stage that moved up and down, sideways, even at one point all planking above the band. The camera angles were not standard face or instrument shots, but rather came from angles at the side, on the floor, or behind an amp. Colors brightened and faded as the screens shone their projections outwards. It was almost impossible to watch the actual performance, given the captivating swirl of digital activity happening simultaneously. For an expert fan, it may have distracted from the songs, but for an amateur, it was the perfect complement to the wall-of-sound musical performance from a major league band that still wants to think it is playing in the minors.
Set List:
- Bloom
- Airbag
- Kid A
- Bodysnatchers
- Staircase
- Codex
- Meeting in the Aisle
- The National Anthem
- Nude
- Morning Mr. Magpie
- Identikit
- Lotus Flower
- Go to Sleep
- The Gloaming
- Feral
- There There
Encore:
- You and Whose Army?
- 15 Step
- Supercollider
- Paranoid Android
Encore 2:
- Give Up the Ghost
- Separator
- Reckoner
Rollin' and Grumblin' 