So, last night’s Weezer show was my fourth, and it was definitely the most unique.  The other three shows, two in support of Maladroit, one for the Green Album, were pretty straightforward.  Everybody stood in front of their mic, Rivers occasional muttered something funny between songs, they left the stage then came back for one or two more.  Simple.  The last show had flame spurts on a couple of songs, that was different, but otherwise it was a pretty basic show by a band that rocks really hard.
I’d always known Rivers was kind of goofy (consider that the first words you likely heard him sing were “What’s with these homies dissin’ my Girl?”), but he seemed pretty reserved on stage.  This made sense on the Extended Midget Tour (supporting Green), because everything about the Green Album seemed like a back-to-basics exercise, Rivers testing himself to see if he could still write pop songs.  On the Enlightenment Tour (I think I caught the European leg of it in Birmingham, it was in support of Maladroit, at least) things were beginning to loosen up a bit.  More songs from Pinkerton (at the Salt Lake show there were more from Pinkerton than from Maladroit), full renditions of “Only in Dreams,” covers, and pyrotechnics, but, like I said, pretty basic stuff.
Then there was last night’s show.  I missed out on most of the promotion for Make Believe, but I caught some AOL Sessions and I knew that if I ever saw the Weez again, it would be a distinct thing from previous shows.  I expected keyboards, and I’d heard that Rivers had a little drum kit that he occasionally played.  I didn’t expect a mini trampoline, or that both Scott (bass) and Brian (guitar) would have keyboard rigs.  To keep me from rambling too much, we’ll do a list.  You kids like bulleted lists, right?

• Rivers didn’t sing lead on every song.  Much like the new album, vocals were shared by various band members.
• This allowed Rivers to become untethered from his microphone and wander the stage as he pleased.  This is why there was a trampoline.  It also meant thatRivers got to play harmonica on “My Name is Jonas,” every other time I’ve seen them it’s just been done on guitar.
• Rivers has often been compared to Brian Wilson because he’s a little eccentric and obsessed with writing the perfect pop song (I guess if he stops singing altogether the comparison can be pushed further), but last night he reminded me more of Andy Kaufman, or, more specifically, Tony Clifton, with the way he shuffled around the stage and made bizarre shaking motions with is hands.
• Tom DeLonge and Atom Willard performed on “Undone - the Sweater Song”, Tom singing and Atom on drums so Pat could play guitar.  Rivers also utilized his drum kit for the build up of this one.
• I’m a sucker for cover songs, and we got two last night. Pat surprised us all by singing and playing guitar on a cover of Oasis’s “Morning Glory.”  Well, he surprised me, at least.  I don’t know how many other people even knew the song.  The other song will be discussed in conjunction with the encore.
• Lots of audience participation.  We were instructed to start of “Dope Nose.”  I felt so important.
• The Hootenanny: you’ve probably heard all about it.  A group of lucky fans get to take the stage with whatever instrument they play and join the band and the audience in a couple of songs.  Lemme tell you, “Beverly Hills” sounds like it was meant to have a saxophone solo.
• After the Hootenanny, which served as the first encore, Weezer’s fifth man Karl Koch (who, earlier, had played Moog on the song “King”) set up a Weezer-styled phonograph, took out a red vinyl copy of the new album and played “Heartsongs.”  During the verse about Nevermind the band came back out (Scott dressed like the Italian Stallion) and played a cover of Nirvana’s “Sliver” before ending the set with “Buddy Holly.”
• As usual, full setlist available at my personal blog.

If you’ve never seen Weezer before, there’s never been a better time (except maybe early ‘97).  Do it do it do it.  I’m tired of writing, any questions you have, though, will be answered.  Ask away!!  Pictures later.
Regarding the opening acts, Tolchok Trio were pretty good and Angels and Airwaves sound like your copies of The Joshua Tree and Disintegration had sex and cried themselves to sleep afterward.

I was really late to jump on the Say Anything train. A friend of mine, maybe a couple of them, put “Alive With the Glory of Love” up on their MySpazz profiles back in the spring of ‘06, and I couldn’t get past the first 30 seconds of it. I thought, A band called “Say Anything” and a song about the glory of love, and an opening that screams of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.”* 80’s pop culture reference, much? I was pretty turned off, even more so at the over the top second single “Wow, I Can Get Sexual, Too” which, I know, is supposed to be over the top, but it did nothing to change my mind. When, in fall of ‘07, Dave finally came across “Alive With the Glory of Love” and made me listen to all of it, I realized it’s a pretty good song, but left it at that for a few months.

Then, yesterday, I was walking home from work, listening to the Notwist (which, if you don’t know, is German lo-fi with little electronic bits, pretty far removed from Say Anything’s bombastic emo-pop swagger) and it struck me: I haven’t seen the music video for “Alive With the Glory of Love” yet. It’s probably pretty good, right? Maybe YouTube has some good live versions and stuff. So it’s strange that, when I did hit the YouTubes, I didn’t go straight to the official vid. Or a fan-made video, or a live performance, even. The first video I watched was Julia Nunes (pronounced ‘noons’) doing an acoustic cover of it for Valentine’s Day. That’s right, a girl with an acoustic guitar covering the song I wanted to hear. Good gracious it was good. So good, in fact, that I listened to her sing it again. And then checked out a few more of her videos before actually watching the Say Anything video. Then I went back to Julia’s for a while.

Her rendition of the songs was excellent because she seemed so in tune with the vibe of it. It could be read as a really depressing song, somber at best, as it’s about how a romance is affected by the holocaust (based on Max Bemis’ grandparents, who were holocaust survivors). But it’s not a downer, it’s about devotion even in the face of dire circumstances, and love actually prevails! Strange and refreshing from a genre that can be so cynical (more on Say Anything defending their genre later). Julia hits the song with an excited, positive energy that’s perfect for it.

So now I’m slightly hooked on Julia Nunes. She also writes her own songs and plays ukulele. And is capable of using editing software so as to not only keep her videos interesting, but also harmonize with herself, which makes the singing of a song like “Alive With the Glory of Love” much more effective. If you are also smitten with her, she’s got a CD available, too. It’s entirely possible I’ll post about her again.

*I know the opening of “Let’s Dance” is a reference to “Twist and Shout” but the Ferris Beuller’s Day Off reference to keep with the 80’s theme was more of a stretch.

Julia Nunes official | Julia on MySpace | Julia on YouTube

buy Left, Right, Wrong.

Author’s note: Turns out everybody except me knew that Sound the Alarm and Under the Boards were part of a trilogy. Why did nobody tell me? So the concept runs a bit deeper than what I mention, and the third installment, Daybreak, should be out next year.

I’ve been around Saves the Day fans long enough to know that you’re not supposed to like the new album. It’s the same as Weezer fans, the bigger the fan the less they like the new album. I really do try to buck this trend and at least accept the new album on a provisional basis. It’s worked well for me in the past, as Maladroit is my favourite non-classic Weezer album, and I appreciate In Reverie more than I think the bulk of Saves the Day fans do. But I don’t think Saves the Day’s new album, Under the Boards , has much chance of becoming my favourite. It’s not bad, it’s just…well, you’ll see.
When StD put out Sound the Alarm last Spring, I was a little worried about Chris Conley. That album is by far Saves the Day’s darkest effort, with even the boppier songs like “Eulogy,” “Dying Day” and “Diseased” delivering pretty twisted imagery. That’s nothing new for StD, Chris has long been suggesting things like

Won’t you tell me the next time that you’re choking/I could run right over and shove some dirt right down your throat

or

If not I’ll take my spoon/Dig out your blue eyes/Swallow them down to my colon/It’s gonna burn like hell tonight

But on Sound the Alarm the themes were less about being upset with other people, and more about being upset with oneself. Also paranoia and madness. So I think I was justifiably worried about Chris.
A few months later, tired of going through a middle man to update the official website, the band created their own using Mac prowess and started posting videos. This let me make sure that Chris was doing okay, but they kind of stopped coming as they went in to record Under the Boards, which was the next I heard from them, aside from the acoustic show at Kilby .
So it turns out that UtB is a concept album and all thirteen songs were written prior arrival at Electric Ladybug for recording. It’s about a breakup, which is something we’ve heard before, right? But I’ve never heard an album so comprehensive about it. The title track, which opens the album, is told from after the events of the album take place, the way Fight Club starts at the end, y’know? “Radio” shows a relationship struggling but with our protagonist “trying to make the one [he] loves happy.” In “Can’t Stay the Same” the relationship has peaked, both parties realize they’ve had their best moments already and things are doomed. The next three songs are the protagonist beating himself up for the inevitable breakup; initial anger; and then the post-breakup slump. “Bye Bye Baby” is a man’s attempt to massage his ego by saying “I never needed you anyhow!” From here to the end of the album the sentiments bounce around a little bit from wistful to defensive to violent to ultimately frustrated to, in the end, kind of resigned. “Kaleidoscope”/”Woe” (a lot of the songs blend into each other like on old Pink Floyd records) gives us the heaviest moments ever heard on a Saves the Day record, and Sound the Alarm had some freaking heavy moments. And even though this album has some fairly boppin’ songs, like StA, it still ends without a positive resolution. Hopefully Daybreak clears this up because as good as this album is, there’s no way I’d be able to put in on as freely and any of StD’s first four. To help you determine where you stand I’ll give you a sample from both sides of the pole. Enjoy!

Saves the Day // MySpace // Buy Under the Boards

 Saves the Day - Get Fucked Up [3:03m]: Play in Popup | Download
 Saves the Day - Kaleidoscope [3:18m]: Play in Popup | Download

So I put it off for a bit, but I should tell you a little something about the X96 Big Ass Show. For those who don’t live in the SLC area, every year X96, the station where I intern, gathers bands and puts on a Big Ass Show. The only really bad part of this is that the Used get preferential treatment, being from Orem and all. They headlined this year and back in ‘02, which was the other time I attended, and neither time did I enjoy their set. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The complete lineup was:
Victim Effect ( whom I hate)

Schoolyard Heroes

Madina Lake
I Hate Kate (who cancelled)
Cold War Kids
The Starting Line
Sum 41
Jimmy Eat World
Social Distortion
the Used

I wanted to listen to the following bands :
Cold War Kids
Jimmy Eat World

I spent the rest of my time there manning the X96 booth, which was in an awkward position. The show had been moved inside to the Salt Palace due to inclement weather, which makes positioning two main stages and a local stage a little difficult. I’ve drawn a diagram to explain where everything is, and as you can see the position of the Live and Local stage in relation to the booth made it hard to hear anybody clearly, but I will tell you what I learned.

Bands I watched: Cold War Kids were a last minute addition to the lineup, because evening DJ Corey O’Brien is a fan and they were touring with the White Stripes when that tour got canceled. They got stuck with a short set, only playing six songs, but they are energetic and fun, and I imagine if you get to see a full set they will rock your socks at least most of the way off.
I’ve seen Jimmy Eat World live before, but at the time I did not know their music (it was summer of 2001 and they were supporting Weezer, Bleed American hadn’t been released yet and the only JEW song I knew was “Seventh Stranger” from The Duran Duran Tribute Album). All I remember is that they were awesome, and I think they played “Sweetness.” So it was with high hopes that I entered the crowd for Jimmy’s set. And…it was pretty good. A good selection of songs, three from Clarity (”Lucky Denver Mint,” “Crush,” and “Blister”), no moshing during “Hear You Me” and plenty of crowd sing along. A lot of this was ruined for me, though, because Utah still seems to think that moshing is cool, and also that if a band has guitars and drums, then they merit moshing. Correct me if I’m wrong, but everybody else has moved on.

Bands I did not watch: Victim Effect still start their set with synchronized headbanging, and I still loathe them. And their fans. Schoolyard Heroes have a very squeally lady for a singer, but not the cute kind of squeally. Madina Lake are…loud, I guess. I Hate Kate were absent. I didn’t hear a note that the Starting Line played. Sum 41 curse a lot and like to point out to a room full of Utahans that there are a lot of Mormons in Utah. Good job, guys, now shut up and go back to sounding exactly like Blink 182. Speaking of shutting up, Mike Ness of Social D still likes to wax long on the mic between songs, but they put on a decent set (the local stage had shut down at this point, so I could hear them) and still do an excellent version of “Ring of Fire.” I still think the Used are trying too hard to look hard, just ‘cuz compensate for being from Utah County, like if they aren’t doin’ crack and makin’ out with My Chemical Romance somebody might think they’re Mormon. But “Taste of Ink” is an enjoyable song, and they played that.
If you want to look at three hundred or so unorganized photos from the event, you can do it here.
I think you should all listen to Cold War Kids, so here are two excellent songs.

 Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up To Dry [3:39m]: Play in Popup | Download
 Cold War Kids - Saint John [3:29m]: Play in Popup | Download

I do this thing sometimes where I forget why a band is one of my favourites, and then I feel stupid for having ever doubted them. This happened at the Saves the Day show last night, and happened hard. I’d been in a super dodgey mood most of the day and considered not going (see here to find out why), but then I was reminded why I like Saves the Day: Chris Conley writes a damn good song.
Holy Hell that sounds like my Pumpkins review. How pretentious of me.
Anyhow, this show was everything it should have been. The Friendly Confines (generally Wrigley Field, from here out it will refer to Kilby Court) made for an intimate setting, even though a lot of StD fans are pretty tall, I guess? Couldn’t see well in the back. Only two band members are on this tour, Chris and Dave, and they don’t have mountains of equipment to hide behind. If you don’t appreciate audience sing-alongs, this is not the show for you. For me, in a way, it was like any other time listening to StD among friends: once you know what song it is, sing your lungs out.
Two songs from the forthcoming Under the Boards were played, “Radio” and “Stay.” The latter is found on a Vagrant sampler given out at this summer’s Warped Tour, the former is an excellent little song “about trying to make the one you love happy.” That’s something like what Chris said. I’m really looking forward to the new album, what I’ve heard is pretty choice.
It was really nice, since I’d been having a crappy day, to hear “Don’t Know Why”, which Chris claims as his blues. Singing that with everyone else at Kilby made me feel a lot better. Also, I got to talk to Chris after the show and he gave me a hug. I’m feeling better now, thanks.
I wish I were coherent, but I just don’t sleep enough for that to happen. Sorry, love.

 Saves the Day - Don't Know Why: Play in Popup | Download

Zakk Wylde, of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society fame, is somewhat of a guitar wildman, yet he's been known to say that the true test of musicianship is in an acoustic setting. "The acoustic guitar kicks my ass every time," he says. This isn't Saves the Day's first venture into the realm of acoustic music. In the early days, when they were still touring with hardcore bands, they released an EP of original acoustic tunes (and one awkward cover) before it was trendy to do so. This time they've revisited some old favourites with stripped down arrangements. Some choices– "Freakish" from Stay What you Are, "In My Waking Life" from In Reverie– seem obvious choices. What I'm thankful for is inclusion of tracks that were originally pretty loud and fast and hard to follow for the uninitiated. The reworking of "You Vandal" is especially poignant, as it showcases a sweetness that's traded for energy in the original. On solo performances of "Waking Life" and "Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off to Heaven" (the latter especially), Chris Conly shows the strength of the songs, as they sound like they've always been meant for a lonely acoustic guitar.

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