Media Junkie

Record Store Day 2012 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., The Hard Lessons, and Phantasmagoria

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
wsg. The Hard Lessons and Phantasmagoria
Live at the Majestic Theatre
Detroit, MI
21 April 2012

Just because I haven't been posting concert recaps lately doesn't mean I haven't been attending any.  Indeed, I've attended so many it has actually been difficult to keep up, but once in a while a show comes along that you simply need to capture every memory from.

Yesterday was National Record Store Day, an annual tradition designed to support local record stores.  Bands both big and small celebrate this day with exclusive releases, stores celebrate with sales and often do more business this day than any other, and music aficianadoas line up early to get their hands on the goodies.  One such band was Detroit's newest hometown heroes, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr..

When we last left Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott, the duo were beginning to make quite a name for themselves.  After appearances at festivals like SXSW, Lollapalooza, and the local Arts, Beats, & Eats, DEJJ have become a bonafide success - so much so that both Epstein and Zott were finally able to quit their day jobs and live off their music.  They began to amass fans all around the country, and even toured Europe briefly, but the duo - who still reside in Metro Detroit suburbs - have never lost sight of where they came from, which always makes hometown shows something more special than your typical concert.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  With local record shop UHF Records erecting a pop-up shop to sell merch, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.'s Record Store Day exclusive 12", and three bands on the bill, this was going to be a night to remember.

Rock Band - My Morning Jacket - Live at Meadowbrook Music Festival, Rochester, MI - 16 August 2011

Back in 2008, I agreed to go with my brother to see southern rockers My Morning Jacket live at Detroit's Fillmore Theater (formerly the State Theater).  I walked in unexcited, only knowing one song beforehand, but I walked away feeling it was not only the best concert I'd seen that year, but one of the best I've seen in nearly 100 shows.

Three years later, and having seen over 100 concerts now, I am once again left feeling that My Morning Jacket are, quite simply, the best live band in existence after their incredible show at Meadowbrook Music Festival Tuesday evening.

Racing Home - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Live at St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI - 25 June 2011

[Note: This post will be updated with pictures at a later time.  For the time being, I felt it was more important to get the text up before the show becomes ancient history.]

How far Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. have come.  What began as a side project for Detroit natives Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott has blown up into a full-scale national tour, both in support of other bands and as headliners, and a near-endless stream of rave reviews for both their debut record, It's A Corporate World, and their live sets. 

Despite my somewhat mixed feelings for It's A Corporate World - and make no mistake, I warm up to it with each successive listen and begin to see the band as its own entity instead of a side project - never let it be said that Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. don't give it their all on stage.  They're living proof that a good work ethic pays off, and even if they gave half of the effort they did for their homecoming show in Detroit, capping off a long national tour, anyone who's seen them live can attest to their electrifying performances.

The Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. I saw on Saturday was a completely different band from when I saw them in their infancy, playing locally around Detroit.  With two great musicians at the helm, they've always been a great live act, but the level of showmanship they now display rivals bands with considerably bigger profiles (and financial backing). 

Bell X1 - Live at The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI - 10 June 2011

Have you ever left a concert knowing that you just experienced something incredibly special?  That was the feeling I had when leaving Bell X1's acoustic set at The Ark last October.  A relatively small tour, Ann Arbor was one of the lucky locations treated to the intimate event, and The Ark was the perfect spot for it.  Though it resembles a scaled-down college lecture hall more than a concert venue, the amazing technicians there provide some of the best sound for live bands.

I wasn't surprised to see Bell X1 return to Ann Arbor in support of their new record, Bloodless Coup - the band has played in the college town on their last two stops in Michigan - but I was shocked to see them return to The Ark for a full-band set.  How would the small venue handle a more electric set?

Remarkably well, it seems.  Bell X1 showcased why they're one of the best live bands in the world - a finely oiled machine that simply never misses a beat - and those in attendance were witnesses.  Upon entering, we were surprised to see rows of folding chairs replaced the tables from our last visit, and we quickly made our way front and center, while the two attendees ahead of us in line took the other two center stage seats (as well they should have, as the four of us had been waiting out front for at least an hour).

Despite being forced into chairs, it was a marvelous show that began with a marvelous opening set from Jarrod Gorbel.

The Lonely Forest - Live at the Pike Room, Pontiac, MI - 25 May 2011

I've said in the past that the Pike Room - the upstairs of Pontiac's Crofoot Ballroom - is one of my favorite concert venues.  It may be small, capable of holding little more than a few hundred people, but the sound is outstanding and when you get a good band with a tightly packed crowd of devotees, it makes for a fantastic concert experience.

Last night, however, the Pike Room was a somewhat depressing place to be as less than 30 people made it out to see two terrific indie rock quartets - The Blue Anthems, a local band stemming from Royal Oak, Mich., and Anacortes, Washington's Lonely Forest, whose latest record Arrows is a shoe-in for my top ten of 2011.

In spite of the criminally small crowd, both bands played spirited sets.  Whether it stemmed from the horrible weather, causing flooding all over the Metro Detroit area, or a lack of exposure, it's a shame there weren't more people there to see them.

Adele - Live at the Royal Oak Music Theater, Royal Oak, MI - 23 May 2011

Wondrous.  Extraordinary.  Astounding.  Incredible.  Amazing.  Magical.  Remarkable.

All of these terms and more can be used to describe English singer-songwriter Adele.  Her sultry, soulful voice, her heartfelt (and often heart-wrenching) lyrics, and her inestimable talent.  After only two albums, and the uncharted growth as an artist she's displayed between them, one gets the feeling that Adele is just getting started on her path to superstardom.  Her current record, 21, has sat atop the Billboard charts for weeks on end.  Her ever-expanding popularity leaves her poised to become one of the elite female vocalists, potentially a legendary artist.

It's good to see true talent get rewarded.  Adele deserves her success.  In an industry that thrives on overproduced, oversexualized female singers like Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez, Adele has emerged to remind people that hard work and emotionally evocative material still pays off.  Her songs strike a chord with anyone who's ever been in love, and particularly those who've lost it - not in a trite Britney Spears or Taylor Swift high-school-crush-gone-wrong kind of way, but a mature, vulnerable, albeit bitter way.  Her songs touch people in meaningful ways, and her delivery is second to none, outclassing every so-called R&B singer you can think of with her powerful voice.

Such was the case last night at the Royal Oak Music Theater where Adele played to a sold out, frenzied crowd who sang along to each number and cheered as loudly as I've ever heard.  Have you ever been to a show where you walked out and knew you had just witnessed something special?  That was the feeling I, and undoubtedly other attendees, had walking out.  This will probably be the last time any of us will get to see Adele in a relatively small venue, and the singer put on an enthralling set just shy of 90 minutes to make it a night to remember.

Confetti, Catfish, & Cursing - The Flaming Lips, Live the Fillmore, Detroit, MI - 13 May 2011

You know those lists of bands you absolutely have to see before you die?  If The Flaming Lips aren't at the very top of it, you can be assured that particular list is full of garbage.  The Flaming Lips put on a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed, and once you've seen it, your perception of concerts will be forever changed.

Though they weren't touring behind anything specific, The Flips put on an eclectic show, a mixture of fan-favorites, a few rarities, tracks from their experimental double album Embryonic, and the live debut of the new song "Is David Bowie Dying?" 

The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger kicked the night off with their own experimental, psychedelic rock, obviously influenced by lead singer and guitarist Sean Lennon's father, the late, great John Lennon.  Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised - though it's nothing I would purchase - by the short set.  It complimented the Flaming Lips' unique style and sound very well, although it was considerably moodier and more guitar-driven, with Lennon showcasing some incredibly impressive skills on the instrument.While waiting for the Flaming Lips to set up and take the stage (as usual, the band did a lot of their own stage set up themselves), we were "treated" to a man who must have been on a cocktail of every illegal substance, and probably some legal ones, in existence, shouting obscenities at the stage and looking for his wife (he was there alone, for the record).  It was funny for a moment, but the crowd around me quickly tired of him and began trying to squeeze him out of the area. 

This type of experience is somewhat common at a Flaming Lips show, of course, and you take it with a grain of salt.  People high on drugs, people dressed up in crazy costumes, people in their sixties and even a few children are all common at a Lips concert.  Ultimately, the band's message of peace and love (hippie stuff, I know) takes precedence and the whole crowd is left on an emotional high (if not a chemical one, for those who enjoy that sort of thing).

The Silent Years & More Live at The Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI - 28 January 2010

It's getting harder and harder to come up with semi-clever subject lines and bad puns for these posts, but I always enjoy writing them more than any other.  These concert memories serve as a snapshot of my life that I can go back and read one day when I'm old and my currently exceptional memory has failed.  Sure, they serve a dual purpose of helping to promote the bands I love, but ultimately these posts are for me.

That said, the first concert of 2010 was worth the 45 minute drive to Ann Arbor.  Even waiting outside the doors past their scheduled opening time of 9:30 in weather that felt like -2 degrees (according to the Weather Channel) was worth it because the music inside Ann Arbor's famous Blind Pig was mostly top notch.  Not even the technical problems that plagued every act could mar the evening.

As we sat outside the little dive bar that has played host to many legendary musicians in the early days of their careers, sure the doormen inside were mocking us, I could only think that it was fitting that The Silent Years would take that stage in a few hours' time.  If there is any band more deserving of success in the world right now, I have not found them.  You can have your Animal Collectives and Vampire Weekends and whatever other bands Pitchfork Media puts their seal of elitist bullshit approval on - I'll take The Silent Years each and every time. 

But the evening was about more than just my favorite band.  Local musician Jeremy Freer would be playing with his new band, The Juliets (which features Silent Years contributor Kaylan Mitchell on the cello), as well as the folksy-bluesy-rock stylings of The Ferdy Mayne, whom we'd seen once before at the Gold Music & Arts Festival (if a trailer set up in a parking lot can truly be called a "festival").  The one unknown of the night was Farewell Republic, a collection of non-Michiganders who banded together at the University of Michigan and were playing their tenth show at the venue. 

Pure Entertainment - Pure Detroit's 11th Birthday - Live at the Magic Stick, Detroit MI - 11 December 2009

It must be obvious that as a Metro Detroit local, I am a big supporter of local bands and businesses.  I frequent mostly independent local record shops such as Record Time (shameless plug for the best record store in Detroit), love local bands such as The Silent Years, The Summer Pledge, and more recently, The Great Fiction, and proudly wear Made In Detroit and Pure Detroit apparel. 

In celebration of Pure Detroit's 11th birthday, 11 bands and artists gathered together last night at the Magic Stick for over five hours of pure entertainment.  A diverse musical lineup that stretched from psychedelic rock, funk, hip-hop, pop-rock, country, electro, and bluegrass ensured that there would be something for just about anybody, and showcased some of Detroit's best bands.

A Nice Time - Moby, Live at St. Andrew's Hall - Detroit, MI - 29 September 2009

I must admit, I was not a Moby fan from the beginning.  I, like many others, discovered Moby through his critically acclaimed album Play.  For what it's worth, the music elitist in me feels it's worth mentioning that I was on board before the album became a success, having heard several tracks on the local NPR station (most notably "If Things Were Perfect", which remains one of my favorite songs on the album). 

We first saw him live at St. Andrew's Hall in 1999 in front of a small, but incredibly energetic crowd.  This was still our earlier days of discovering electronic music and one of the first genre concerts we'd been to, so we had little idea of what to expect.  The crowd was packed in so tight that when they jumped, you jumped - mainly because you were practically lifted off your feet anyway. 

Moby was a ball of energy, running about the stage, playing his guitar, switching to bongo drums, and keyboards - though I'm pretty sure about 95% of the show was all pre-recorded DAT tapes back in those days.

We've seen him many times since then - traveling for the second leg of the Play tour in 2000, where I discovered Hybrid, at the Area: One and Area: Two festivals with the likes of Outkast and the legendary David Bowie, and in mid-sized venues such as our own State Theater (now known as the Fillmore Detroit) - but it seems apropos that 10 years after our first experience and touring behind his best album since Play, Moby would return to the place we first saw him at.  Only this time, the experience was much different.