September 28, 2019

Ezra Furman / Shilpa Ray - Bowery Ballroom Septemeber 14, 2019


Ezra Furman


This was one of the best concerts I've seen in awhile.  I'll have more to say about it but for now here are my photos.











Ezra Furman's Set List

Suck the Blood from My Wound
Calm Down aka I Should Not Be Alone
Rated R Crusaders
Haunted Head
Trauma
My Teeth Hurt
Body Was Made (arrangement ala Lou Reed)
Psalm 151
In America
Maraschino-Red Dress $8.99 at Goodwill
I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
My Zero
Transition From Nowhere to Nowhere
No Place
Driving Down to L.A.
Love You So Bad
Evening Prayer aka Justice
Thermometer

Encore

On Your Own
Police on My Back (The Equals cover)
What Can You Do but Rock 'n' Roll


Shilpa Ray







Opening DJ




May 12, 2019

White Lies / Acid Dad - Irving Plaza May 2, 2019



White Lies

Thursday night was my 3rd time seeing White Lies and it was the best time so far.  White Lies seemed very relaxed playing to a New York crowd that sang along with most songs. Several people in the audience kept yelling up to frontman, Harry McVeigh, wishing him a Happy Birthday.  McVeigh was his normal animated self throughout the set  which can at times seem a bit overly dramatic. That's not a criticism; I think it's what makes him endearing to the audience in contrast to the rest of the band's stone faces. Jack Lawrence-Brown occasionally cracks a smile and humorously  took a photo of the audience from behind the drum-set at the end of the show.  Charles Cave however stays serious on bass; I'm sure he's part of some audience member's S&M fantasy minus the leather gear. Hmmm...maybe it's the bald head and the beard.  

Anyway, I love the band's new album "Five," I think it's their best so far. Though I'd been listening to the album on Amazon, I bought the vinyl version online after the show.  It's even better on vinyl.  Okay - I will admit it - White Lies is still one of my faves.











White Lies are:
Harry McVeigh (lead vocals, guitar),
Charles Cave (bass guitar and backing vocals),
Jack Lawrence-Brown (drums).

 Joined on tour by:
Tommy Bowen (Keyboards)



Setlist
Time to Give
Farewell to the Fairground
There Goes Our Love Again
Is My Love Enough
Getting Even
Unfinished Business
Joe
Don't Want to Feel It All
Take It Out on Me
Never Alone
Big TV
Kick Me
Death
Tokyo
To Lose My Life

Encore
Change (Harry solo)
Fire and Wings
Bigger Than us





Acid Dad



As an opening band I really enjoyed Acid Dad's 30 minute set and so did the rest of the audience.  But once their set was over it didn't leave a lasting mark.   The 60s influenced guitar playing with 80s pacing was really enjoyable.  But in many respects there guitar playing was too good to come off like some lo-fi band.  In other words,  I hated the fact that the vocals were behind the guitars and I couldn't really distinguish one song from the next. Not that the songs all sounded the same, it's just that they were all in the same tempo with no real vocals to hold on to.  There were people buying Acid Dads albums after the show, so perhaps it's just my perspective based on the music I listen to where the vocals are traditionally upfront.






Acid Dad are:
JP Basileo - Bass
Sean Fahey - Guitar/Vocals
Vaughn Hunt - Guitar/Vocas
Trevor Mustoe - Drums


May 19, 2018

Editors - Irving Plaze - May 15, 2018


Editors have been one of my favorite bands for awhile now.  On Tuesday night Editors kicked ass! These are the photos from that show. I also saw Editors on April 1st at the Temprodrom in Berlin while on vacation, they were really good but not compared to how powerful they were in NYC.  














Irving Plaza / May 15, 2018
Hallelujah (So Low)
A Ton of Love
Formaldehyde
Darkness at the Door
Violence
No Harm
Blood
Munich
An End Has a Start
In This Light and on This Evening
Nothingness
Sugar
The Racing Rats
Ocean of Night

Encore:
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors (Acoustic)
Cold
Magazine
Papillon
Marching Orders




Editors are:
Tom Smith - lead vocals, guitar, piano)
Russell Leetch - bass guitar, backing vocals
Edward Lay - drums, percussion, backing vocals
Justin Lockey - lead guitar
Elliott Williams - keys, synthesizers, guitars, and backing vocals



Tempodrom, Berlin, Germany / April 1, 2018

>Hallelujah (So Low)
A Ton of Love
Formaldehyde
Darkness at the Door
Violence
No Harm
Lights
Blood
Munich
An End Has a Start
In This Light and on This Evening
Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
Nothingness
Belong
Sugar
The Racing Rats
Ocean of Night


No Sound but the Wind (acoustic)
Cold
Magazine
Papillon
Marching Orders