Boston

Apparently, Boston has a big indie rock scene; seafood, Italian, and Chinese is really popular there (some of my fav kinds of food); and old cool looking architecture. One of the best things: a music venue called Great Scott. How awesome is that? I almost want to live there if it wasn't for the snow in winter. Cali weather has totally spoiled me. I can't handle the cold very well. Oh well, I would still love to visit.

Random Ninjas @ Key Club

Let's just say I'm kind of having a dry spell for June and July. I don't know what it is about these months, but I guess most bands take vacation around this time? Anyways, if anyone has ANY recommendations for bands I should check out (hopefully, you can tell what my taste in music is like according to some of my past entries...), then please PLEASE list the bands in my comments.

It was my first time going to Key Club. For some reason it doesn't seem like many bands play there even though I've heard of it, and it seems like a major place to perform at. Perhaps it's because it's a smaller venue and seems to cater more to older audiences (there's a restaurant on the balcony. What kid would ever want to eat up there?). The place was much nicer than I thought it would be. So, there was some sort of showcase going on that night for some major record labels. I went to see W's friend's band, Random Ninjas. I didn't realize there was a showcase until I got inside, so I didn't bother to record the names of the other bands that were on that night. Maybe it's better for those other bands that I don't know their names because I must admit that most of them were pretty bad. We got there around 9pm. We saw 5 bands perform before Random Ninjas got on stage.

Band #1 (The Worms?):
I just don't understand why people insist on playing mid-90s rock. I hate that 30 Seconds to Mars brought that fad back. I admit to listening to it back in the day, but back then it was new! Now, it's just getting tired. And 30 Seconds to Mars isn't even THAT good. I'm sure they got on the radio because they have a pretty frontman, ahem Jared Leto. Anyways, all I have to say about the first band we saw is "Fuel called and they want their songs back".

Band #2 (Laz something):
It was this this band who's named after a person, probably the lead singer. Admittedly, he wasn't THAT bad. His music was kind of funk/jazz/pop. Sort of Maroon5, Jamie Cullum type stuff. It could be radio friendly. The only thing holding them back would probably be the lead singer. He was a keyboardist who also seemed to think he was Elton John. He threw on a silly hat, Slash style, and proceeded to play and dance around.

He was entertaining, but not the best looking guy and he had some really scary wide-eyed facial expressions when he got really into his singing. It made him look kind of creepy or like he was possessed. I think that band would have a better chance of getting signed if they had a more attractive singer...who didn't look like the devil...in a silly hat... Also, they apparently are so bad that they need a gimmick like 3 half naked girls in sequined bikinis, dancing with angel wings and later (after they put on some clothes) stripping and handing out merch.

Band #3:
Were these poor, slightly overweight, high school brothers. They were pretty young and obviously inexperienced. It was as if they were in the garage playing air guitar, it was so bad. The singer looked really nervous, couldn't sing loud enough (or the mic was too low), paced back and forth, and kept almost tripping over the wires. I have to give one of the brothers (the one with the shortest emo cut) some credit for getting really into the music and jumping around. But the rest of it looked kind of rehearsed, especially at this one moment where all 3 of them converged. Also, their lyrics were really unoriginal and so was the singing style. Well, the style was typical of mid-90s rock, but his voice definitely wasn't strong enough. It was like he thought he was just singing along with the radio in his room, what Simon Cowell calls a "bedroom voice". They were so bad that I really couldn't stop laughing at them at certain points. At one point, W said "Didn't P.O.D. already write this song?" I had to turn away from the stage towards the rail because I would've keeled over from laughing so hard because it was so true. They were so bad I almost felt embarrassed for them. It probably didn't help that we were standing in the back cracking up at the awfulness of it all. Also, he probably had the smallest crowd on the floor. Seemed like it was 5 members of his family cheering them on. The only good thing about them was that they probably made the next band sound really really good. It really made me question how bands got into this showcase.

Lady Fox:
Ok, the previous bands didn't advertise their band names that well or they didn't mention it enough or it sounded really weird, so I couldn't really understand what they said, but this band mentioned their name and website over and over again. So, the lead singer was attractive at least. She was dressed in few clothing (daisy dukes, knee high boots, lowcut tank, at least she wore a long sleeve shirt over it, but unbuttoned very low), so she came off as a late 20something-year-old, but I couldn't really tell because of the lighting. I'm hoping she was that age because she was dancing like Fergie. It was pretty R-rated and there was a lot of booty-shivering. But she had a pretty good voice (or maybe it sounded really good because the previous act was SO bad), a bit Joss Stone like and her music was catchy enough. Sort of R&B-ish soul. I also found one of her dancers pretty entertaining, he was so flaming. She really knew how to work the audience and was definitely much more professional than the previous band. I felt kind of bad or her though because she was about to start her last song and she did her intro for it and then some other band's music came on and it was just like the Oscar's. Everyone looked a bit confused and they packed up and left without a word. I guess they were running a bit late with the schedule.

Band #5:
So, these hardcore death metal looking guys (wearing Dickies, black shirts, one guy had a long goatee, another guy looked like a greaser, they were all big tough looking guys) come out on stage to set up. I was thinking "Oh gawd, not another mid-90s rock band." We joked about how funny it would be if all of a sudden they broke out into acoustic folk rock. As soon as they started playing, we were amazed because they started out on acoustic electric and they were playing FRIGGIN COUNTRY. You could see the look of shock on everyone's faces, but I thought it was so punk rock that they defied convention like that. They weren't bad as a country group, and it was kind of cool that they looked so mean that no one could really make fun of them anyways because they could totally kick your ass in a second.

Random Ninjas:
The only band to proudly display their name on a giant banner above the stage. They definitely brought the most energy (and people) to the floor. They worked the crowd pretty well. Got them to participate in the songs. The last time I heard their stuff, they sounded more like anime music, but this time around, I thought they sounded much better. They're starting to lean more towards a kind of rap rock style with Japanese female vocals. The sound on the mics was really bad, but otherwise, they put on a good energetic performance.

I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie

How I wish you could see the potential, the potential of you and me
It's like a book elegantly bound, but in a language that you can't read - just yet
You gotta spend some time--love, you gotta spend some time with me
And I know that you'll find--love, I will possess your heart

There are days when outside your window, I see my reflection as I slowly pass
And I long for this mirrored perspective, when we'll be lovers, lovers at last
You gotta spend some time--love, you gotta spend some time with me
And I know that you'll find--love, I will possess your heart

You reject my advances and desperate pleas
I won't let you, let me down so easily, so easily

You gotta spend some time--love, you gotta spend some time with me
And I know that you'll find--love, I will possess your heart


I like the lyrics in this song, especially the first verse. And I love how ballsy it is because if you say this in the wrong way, you can totally sound like a stalker. :P

Stereolab

Stereolab is so ambient. I don't even know what they're singing about
half the time.

The Presets @ El Rey

Walter Meego
opened for The Presets. It was a three-man band. The lead singer was wearing a grandpa cardigan and another member was wearing a Chicago Bears sweatershirt. It was kind of odd to see guys dressed like this playing electronica. W thought the singer looked like Cillian Murphy. I think not, more like the lead singer from Phantom Planet, but he was still pretty nonetheless. The singing was hard to hear. His voice wasn't exactly strong, but it wasn't bad. I liked that the guy doing the mixing was really into the music. He was dancing and bobbing his head and singing along. And it was interesting to see guitars being used even though they were kind of faint. The beats were just WAY too loud. Seemed like all I could hear was THUMP THUMP THUMP DA DA THUMP THUMP THUMP. Some of the songs were good though, the ones that had catchy guitar riffs. They didn't really do any talking in between sets and when they were done talking, they kind of just thanked everyone, mentioned their name, and left the stage. They weren't that memorable.

It was a sold out show. I was kind of surprised at how empty it was when we got there. There were less than 20 people standing at the front of the stage before Walter Meego came on. We had time to get 2 drinks and sit at the steps and chat. There were still barely any people standing near the stage and we arrived a bit late. However, after the first act, the floor started to fill up a bit more. When The Presets came on, it was crazy. I could barely see where the floor ended, there were so many people crammed into there. As soon as the first song started, I could tell someone was lighting up in the back. I was a bit surprised because it was an all ages show.

The Presets
I hadn't seen The Presets since they opened for The Rapture. The crowd didn't really know who they were, but they were still good and you could tell people were liking them by the awkward indie head bobbing they were doing. You know, where they're kind of afraid to dance, but the music is so good, they can't stop, so all they can do is stand in one place, cross their arms, and bounce a bit. Anyways, I was blown away when I first saw them. I went to buy their CD as soon as the show was over. The album was SO good. This time around, they definitely expanded their fanbase. They were headlining AND the show was sold out. Also, it made it a lot more fun this time because everyone knew the lyrics, and the handclapping was infectious.

I must say, at first I didn't like their new album as much because it sounded more like typical techno. I preferred the more indie rock/pop/techno of the first album. But the more I listened to the new album, the more I started to like it. Even though it's more techno, there are a lot of good songs on there that are really catchy. I still prefer the older album because it sounds atypical of techno, but the new album is still really enjoyable for that genre.

I loved how into the music everyone was. They were all dancing, fistpumping, ravedancing, any dancing, it was fantastic. I haven't danced so much since I saw The Rapture when I fought my way to the front. We were also at the front this time around and broke out the glow sticks (2 sticks for $1 at Target, baby! As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to have them for the show!).



We were the only ones with glow sticks, but we also saw someone with a blinking red bracelet and some people wearing glowing bracelets. So, I'd say this is probably the closest I'll ever get to being at a rave. It was incredible. And I know the music will NEVER be this good at a real rave.

They started off with "Talk Like That", which was perfect because it has the dramatic organ playing in the intro. One of my favorite songs from their new album, "Apocalypso". They played all my favorite songs from both albums. You could hear EVERYONE singing along to the songs from the first album. My favs:

Beams:
- Are You the One?
- Down Down Down
- Girl and the Sea - which I normally find kind of slow going, but it was way better live than on CD and they managed to make it much more danceable live.
- Girl (You Chew My Mind Up)
- I Go Hard, I Go Home
- Steamworks

Apocalypso:
- Eucalyptus
- Kicking and Screaming
- My People
- A New Sky
- This Boy's in Love
- Together
- Yippiyo Ay - sounds really 80s, but super catchy.

It was so great to hear all my favorite songs and they ended with "My People" before the encore, which was PERFECT. I had been waiting to hear that ALL night (I'm sure everyone was waiting to hear that), so all the anticipation made that song even better. It was soooooo good. Everyone was jumping around, hands in the air. The Presets rocked it so hard and then when the song was over and they left the stage, you could practically hear this collective sigh from exhaustion. No one left, of course, and then they came back out for one last song and it was AMAZING. It had these ups and downs and then this great climax near the end, in which we threw our glow sticks onto the stage. Impeccable timing and then it was over. I love when bands end the show with this amazing last song that leaves you wanting more and thinking "DAMN, that was one of the best shows I've been to in a LONG time." and it's true!

High Note: Hearing "My People" live, waving glow sticks, and seeing people actually DANCE at a show. Also, people were surprisingly polite. One guy moved in front of me and then turned around to ask if he was blocking me. Another guy let W stand in front of him and accidentally stepped on my foot while he was dancing and actually apologized.

Low Note: This girl next to us was dry humping her man, making out with him, and falling all over the place. She was totally gone. Luckily, she didn't fall on me because I would've been pissed.