Brief Concert Rundown...

Last week marked the week I had been waiting for for quite some time. My first Girl Talk show AND my third Ray LaMontagne show. Wow. Both shows were equally amazing but for totally different reasons. Here's a brief rundown of my experience at each show.

Girl Talk
WHEN: Monday, November 2, 2009
WHERE: House of Blues, Boston
RUNDOWN: Total shit show. First things first, I think it was an all ages show. People watching was amazing. Teenage hipsters (young adult hipsters and 40+ hipsters were there too) were plentiful, teenage girls wearing hooker boots & Flash Dance sweaters were in abundance...as was the smell of beer, sweat and pot. That all aside, the show was better than I expected. Toilet paper was being shot into the air and after a few drinks, I let loose and had a good time. I was consistently bopping along to the beat but it wasn't until I downed my third $8.00 PBR that I unbuttoned my shirt and started grinding against my girlfriends. Greg Gillis put on quite the show, drenched in sweat at one point, he ripped his shirt off. I can't believe the guy is my age! My favorite part was when security opened the flood gates and let a stream of children...err...teens...onto the stage. It was tremendous! I, meanwhile, was perched happily along the side of the stage in front of the bar. Perfect standing spot. Definitely one of the most energetic and exciting shows of my life (thus far).

Ray LaMontagne
WHEN: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
WHERE: Wang Theater
RUNDOWN: Totally relaxed. That's how I feel everytime I see Ray LaMontagne live. There's just something SO passionate about his voice...it's nearly orgasm-inducing (sorry to sound so perverse). The last time I saw Ray was last year at the Opera House in Boston. That show saw Ray perform, backed by a full band, back-up singers - the works. This time, it was just Ray, his guitar (s) and the occasional harmonica. Stripped down and rockin' a cowboy hat - Ray was a man of few words. What words he did have for the sold out audience were soft. He did joke back and forth with the audience... rhetorically asking which song he should sing next. He also let it slip that he hopes to have the next album out by February 2010. YES! With a new Ray album, comes a new Ray tour. Ray said that if he had his way, he would only perform songs from each CD once. Record a CD, perform it...record another CD, perform it. Ray lamented on how it was hard to bring himself back to how and what he was feeling when he wrote certain songs. Somehow, he trucked on and put on a terrific show. LaMontagne is one artist that I will love forever and always - whether I'm 28 or 88.

Next up...Passion Pit in January at the House of Blues Boston (1/6/2010), followed (hopefully) by Lady Gaga in New York City at Radio City Music Hall (1/20 - 1/21/2010).

To Rock or Not To Rock: Should I Go To the Perez Hilton Presents Tour 2009?

ARG. No money! Too many other expenses. As a self diagnosed "Fool_4_Music" I love going to see a live gig WHENEVER I can. Just saw the Noisettes, going to see Kylie Minogue in October, Ray LaMontagne and Girl Talk in November...

My predicament is DO I GO and see the Perez Hilton Presents Tour 2009? I'm very tempted. Performing at the House of Blues in Boston on September 14th we have: Ladyhawke, Ida Maria, Semi Precious Weapons and (my favorite) Frankmusik. Missing from the lineup that night? Sliimy, Eric Hutchinson and Julian Perretta. I feel like these artists are all part of that NEXT BIG THING wave of bands from Europe crossing over here. Now is my chance to see them, right? Before they all blow up or fizzle away back to Europe? Tickets are only $27.00 each ($24.00 each if I get a four pack). Anyone in Boston want to go with me? That's a lot of music for $27.00 + $10 - $12 in service fees! Let me know!

The tour kicks things off in Atlanta on September 10th, 2009. Check out the list of tour dates and buy your tickets HERE!

Fall Concerts! Going To Girl Talk & Thinking About Ray LaMontagne

I'm so excited! I just bought tickets (last night) to go see Girl Talk live at the House of Blues in Boston. The concert isn't until November 2nd, but MAN I can't wait for this show. I tried to get tickets last year when he played in Massachusetts, but they were sold out already. I paid $10.00 last year for the physical copy of his last album, Feed The Animals, but you can pay whatever you want and get the digital version. From $0.10 to $10,000! From what I've heard, this guy is OUT OF CONTROL live. Get your tickets now at Ticketmaster.

Check out Girl Talk on the web: Official Site

So...apparently Ray LaMontagne is going on a Fall tour. BLAST! I don't have $$! The pre-sale starts on August 3rd and he's doing a stripped down acoustic set. This sounds AMAZING. His vocals make me melt, and as impressive as it was to see Ray, backed up by his band, it's HIS voice that I want to hear. It's his voice that literally brings tears to my eyes...so in all likelihood, I'm going to see this show. Anyone want to go with me? Tour dates are below and the concert kicks off in Maryland, October 15th.

October 15 - North Bethesda, MD Music Center at Strathmore
October 16 - Baltimore, MD Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
November 1 - Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
November 4 - Boston, MA Wang Center
November 7 - Upper Darby, PA Tower Theater
November 9 - New York, NY Beacon Theatre
November 12 - Chicago, IL The Auditorium Theatre
November 13 - Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
November 15 - San Francisco, CA Nob Hill Masonic Center
November 17 - Denver, CO Ellie Caulkin Opera House
November 20 - Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre

Check out Ray LaMontagne on the web: Official Site//MySpace//Facebook

Jib Kidder - Windowdipper

I love shows like American Idol and So You Think You Dance because they constantly are turning me on to new music, and new artists. Last night on the results show, one of the contestants at the bottom (Ade) had to "dance for his life" and he did this fabulous contemporary/hip-hop routine, choreographed to this WACKY-fun song by Jib Kidder.

Now, I've never heard of Jib Kidder before but WHOA "Windowdipper" drew me in FAST, given that Ade only had a couple of minutes to impress the judges. The intro uses all of these Microsoft Windows blips and blops. I watched the video today from work on my computer and kept thinking how my computer was about to die. So trippy! The song can be found on iTunes.

Apparently Travis Wall, runner-up on Season Two of SYTYCD has choregraphed a routine to the same song. Pretty hot as well! I'm obsessed with this song now. OBSESSED. Jib Kidder reminds me a little bit of Girl Talk in the way that he infuses so many elements from different songs, but the guy is totally unique. It's a new kind of MASH-UP and I love, love, love it!

Check out Jib Kidder on the web: Official Label Site//MySpace//YouTube