Waldorf and Stattler Summer Music Tour 2010-part two

For the most part, I rarely ever go and see the same band multiple times. I get bored. The ADD kicks in and I really hate to see the same show twice. I have a few exceptions to this rule:
*Show is free
*I know people in the band
*Keane
*The Avett Brothers
Let’s take a moment to touch on each of these 4 items (yeah, I know you really don’t care, but you are stuck reading at this point, so just go with it!).
Free show-Dude…really? It’s free! Even if the band sucks, it’s a free night of music and people watching. So grab yourself a beer, sit back and just the go with it. Trust me on this one!!!

Personal Groupie- How can you NOT go and support people that you know? They have to start somewhere and if they can’t play and annoying the hell out of their friends and family, how are they going to make it big enough to annoy complete strangers? I really don’t care if they play the same set list night after night…I will be there. I might heckle them, but at least I showed up.

Side note, cuz, well…this does fall under the heading of “Waldorf and Stattler Summer Music Tour 2010” and I have not said one thing about this group yet. LuvTap. Go see them. I know them and adore all of the members in the band. They started out as the house band for the Barrel Room and also play a random Wednesday at Candy (I think they are there THIS Wednesday, if you are looking for a good time) and also Sunday nights at 915. Show em some love…just do it! Pretty please? For me?????

Keane-I just think they put on a pretty great show and while I like their CD, I love them live. I will admit that the first time I heard Keane was at a show they played in Portland. Stattler dragged me to it and I had no clue of who they were or any of their songs. It did not matter that I had never heard one note of one song…the show was so great that they won me over and I have them multiple times now. And yes…I do own their CD’s at this point!

The Avett Brothers- OH MY FUCKING GOD…BEST SHOW EVER! Ok, I had to get that out of the way! I saw them last month when they played at the Edgefield and was blown away by the talent and energy of this group from North Carolina. The music is a mix of rock, blues, country and bluegrass (you should see them rock a banjo…just saying). The energy level during one of their show is off the charts. They don’t stop for one second…and the crowd loves it!

Last week I heard that they were going to be coming back to Portland for a small benefit concert at the Crystal Ballroom, and I knew that I just had to go! Tickets went on sale at 12:00 and by 12:01 my tickets printed and in my hot little happy hands. I will admit that I giggled when it read “General Admission Tickets 3 and 4” and silently cursed the holders of “General Admission Tickets 1 and 2” Bitches…those should have been mine! And all of that was followed up with a nice little happy butt wiggle dance and odd looks from my co-workers.

The show was small, about 500 tickets were sold making for a nice show. Normally I would just hang back in the drinking section with the other sane adults and enjoy the show from a respectable distance. NOT LAST NIGHT BABY! To the shock and horror of my friends, I announced, “I’m going in!” Game face on…I made my way through the sea of young men with freakishly long hair and porn star stashes (PS…dudes…this look is just killing me. It is NOT 1974!) to the front of the stage. BRING IT HIPPIES! It was hot. Smelled like feet and I am sure that some random white person dreadlock touch me at some point :shudder: but it was so worth it! They played an awesome show. AWESOME. From the first song to the last…not one complaint from me or the crowd…even the non high part of the crowd!

I know that I said this the last time I blogged about this band, and if it is getting old…SCREW YOU…it’s my blog! :) but you have to go and check them out. Even if you are not a fan and the songs that you have heard on the radio are not really your thing, seeing them just once in concert will change your mind and make you a lifelong fan.

Just remember—stay the hell away from me with your crazy white people dreads, ok? :-)

Waldorf and Statler Summer Music Tour Part One

My original plan for this summer was music, music, music and more music. So much music that I had a name for it – The Waldorf and Statler Summer Music Tour. I am sure you have a few questions at this point, so let me take a moment to break it all down for you:




Waldorf and Statler – The two grumpy old dues from the Muppet Show. Also the name

that my best friend and I use to describe how we are when we are together.



My best friend was going to be home this summer from NYC (where she has lived for far

too long) and she was going to travel with me (oh…BTW…I am Waldorf in this whole

thing…if it matters to anyone) and we were going to hit up local dives to hear local craptastic groups.



IT WAS GOING TO BE EPIC!



And like most of my crazy, dreamt up late at night plans…it never happened.





Due to (god hating me) circumstances beyond Statlers control, she was unable to move back home as planned, and had to push that back a few months. Also (after much crying on my end) there might be a trip planned out to see her…so really…it will all work out in the end.



So I decided that this summer of music would just have to go on without my trusty partner in crime and this weekend was the kickoff to The Waldorf and Statler Summer Music Tour….well…sorta as it was just me, but I think you get that by now.



I started off the tour with a trip out to the Edgefield to see The Avett Brothers. And while I am known for being a bit of a smart ass and critical…I have not one negative comment to say about this show or this band. Yes, I know…hell just might have frozen, but really…THEY WERE THAT GREAT! I will admit to being a new fan of the band and not knowing some of the older songs that they did, but that was not really much of an issue as even the songs that I did not know where awesome and they KILLED IT! The band had high energy from start to finish and had the whole crown on their feet for the whole show (the show was outside and it was hot, so that is saying something!)



If I had never heard one of their songs, I would have been a huge fan after seeing the show..that is how good it was!



The second stop on the tour was immediately following The Avett Brothers show, but at a different location. This gig took us (and not us as in W&S, but I dragged a derby friend along with me. Poor girl didn’t have a choice really as I was driving!) to NW Portland and a lil bar called Slabtown. Now, I will admit to being a fan of the dive bar, but this was not a place that I had ever been to and if it weren’t for the fact that my friend was playing in the band, I don’t think that I would have EVER gone to. But…location is really not the point of this. The band was the point and that is what I am getting to.



The band was The Madison Concrete and simply put—THEY WERE AWESOME. True…I know the lead singer, so I went into the show knowing that it would be good, but after watching them and seeing how the crowd reacted to them, it was honestly just a great show. The music is a rocking/soul kind of thing with some covers that we all know and love, but by no means was this a mellow show. The band was moving and working just as hard as the crowd. A good sweaty time was had by all and I will make sure to add them to more tour stops!