I’m posting this for the sole purpose of making sure my roomate Dave is never more than an internet connection away from hearing this song. He’s been known to get cranky when he can’t. It’s from Blind Melon’s second record, released just months before frontman Shannon Hoon’s fatal cocaine overdose.

I never felt that Blind Melon got a fair shake because they will forever be known only as the band that sings that “No Rain” song. Dave thinks about it like “No Rain” is a song from the radio. The stuff on Soup is actually Blind Melon. It’s the same way I think of “Creep.” It’s a song that’s generally associated with Radiohead, but real Radiohead is stuff like “The National Anthem.” Unfortunately for Blind Melon, their iron lung didn’t get a chance to sustain them long enough to make a greater impression.  So I’m going to try to do my part to share something else.  Also their cover of the Schoolhouse Rock classic “Three is A Magic Number” and, because I mentioned it, “The National Anthem.”

 Blind Melon - Vernie [3:16m]: Play in Popup | Download
 Blind Melon - Three is a Magic Number [3:14m]: Play in Popup | Download
 Radiohead - The National Anthem (Live) [4:58m]: Play in Popup | Download

So I had admitted earlier that I felt a fair amount of trepidation regarding last night’s Stone Temple Pilots show.  I’d read bad things,  I kind of floundered to come up with an ideal setlist, and, in doing so, I came to terms with how I really feel about Stone Temple Pilots.  But in the end I think these things just served to keep my expectations in check, which turned out really well for me.
I already expected them to open with “Big Empty,” having read more than one account of things happening this way, and I was really okay with that.  I thought it was a good way to ease into the show, and Dean’s guitar on that one is well highlighted.  “Wicked Garden” was next, and the first of eight (8) songs from .  Eight.  Including two that I didn’t even recognize (I’ll post a complete setlist once I figure out what they were).  I find this notably odd, especially when compared with the Smashing Pumpkins only playing one song that was even from the Gish era (Of course the Pumpkins had something to promote, STP were just there to play and try to be famous again).
Scott didn’t seem to be under the influence of anything, but I’m a horrible judge.  I just figure he always minces about like that, palm out, twisting in his Beatle boots.  If he muddled the words to anything, it was to songs I don’t know the words to, either (and likely while I was trying to sing along to said songs).  His voice sounded okay, a little nasal on “Big Bang Baby” but that’s his choice.  It was pretty nice, actually, to hear some of those early songs sung with the more distinct voice Scott cultivated later on.  I’d also read complaints of Scott rambling on between songs, and he was fairly talkative early on, mentioning how they didn’t usually make it through SLC when they were touring before, but beyond that not much.  Nothing distracting.
Overall it was a good show.  Worth my $10 discount ticket.  Probably not worth full price, but that’s me.  The breakdown of albums represented was a little telling: 8 from Core (9 if you count playing “Wet My Bed” over the PA as they took a curtain call), 4 from Purple, 3 from Tiny Music…, 2 from No. 4, and 2 from Shangri-la Dee Da, and only one from last Friday’s list (”Too Cool Queenie,” it kind of made my night).  It appears we did it to ourselves, as the STP website has a feature that invites you to build a setlist.  It’s the right way to do a tour like this, and I really wish I’d taken some initiative with that, but alas.  Looks like Vegas on Saturday is going to have a much better set.  I approve.

I wasn’t planning on seeing Stone Temple Pilots on their reunion tour. I saw the Smashing Pumpkins last September, Meat Puppets & Built to Spill in March, and my roomate just saw the Breeders a couple weeks ago, so I figured we had our reunions shows taken care of. I mean, I love STP, they were my first proper alt rock band, I own all their albums (though Core was just taped from my friend’s copy, I’m fine with that, though), but I’ve never considered them a live band. Still, when I was presented with a chance to buy tickets for $10 a piece, I couldn’t pass that up at all.

And then it hit me that I never really thought about STP in a live setting. I know they’ve been on the Family Values Tour (though I always cringe a bit when I’m reminded of Scott Weiland’s brief association with Fred Durst). I’ve seen pictures of Scott Weiland dressed flamboyantly and brandishing a megaphone on stage. I just never stopped and pondered how great “Interstate Love Song” must be live. It hit me today that I don’t know what song to expect, or even what I really want to hear. The radio spot promoting the show uses “Dead & Bloated”, “Wicked Garden”, “Creep”, “Sex Type Thing”, “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart”, “Vaseline”, and “Interstate Love Song” but I can’t imagine the show being so Core-centric. What with the band growing and maturing beyond their pretty straighforward and oft-bland first album. I see STP as having peaked at Tiny Music… and the slumped until the break up, but still ending as a much better band than they started as. Still, the only post-Purple song on the ad is the STP song from Guitar Hero II. But then you really shouldn’t take those spots too seriously.

So I decided to put my mind to it and present you with a bunch of songs I want to hear at Tuesday’s show. I wanted to do this with the Pumpkins show, but those would have been total longshots given the depth of the Pumpkins’ catalog. STP only had five albums, and they aren’t promoting new material and they aren’t known for prolific B-sides, so I feel good about this. My biggest trial coming up with this list is trying not to simply put up all thirteen tracks from Tiny Music… I mean all of ‘em, too, even the simple instrumental segues “Press Play” and “Daisy.”

Anyhow, here are some STP songs I’d love to hear (except “Christmas Time is Here”, but it was too cool to pass up). But doing a little research before the show, looks like I’m in to be disappointed. But hey! Artie Fufkin promised that if (when) Weiland gets put back into rehab and has to cancel the concert, then we’re having a Stone Temple Pilots Singalong at his house.

 Stone Temple Pilots - Adhesive [5:35m]: Play in Popup | Download
 Stone Temple Pilots - Art School Girlfriend [3:35m]: Play in Popup | Download
 Stone Temple Pilots - Christmas Time is Here (live) [3:33m]: Play in Popup | Download
 Stone Temple Pilots - Ride the Cliché: Play in Popup | Download
 Stone Temple Pilots - Too Cool Queenie [2:48m]: Play in Popup | Download
 Stone Temple Pilots - Kitchenware & Candybars/The Second Album [8:06m]: Play in Popup | Download
 Stone Temple Pilots - Pop's Love Suicide: Play in Popup | Download
 Stone Temple Pilots - Meat Plow [3:37m]: Play in Popup | Download

So, I got my car registered yesterday, and in honour of that, I present to you “DMV” by Primus. I’m actually surprised I didn’t do it when I got my driver’s license because I sure played it on the Exposure Box. It really wasn’t a bad experience; it took forever but I went to Subway for a $5 footlong instead of sitting around with the dregs of society that always seem to be at the DMV on their lunchbreak. It’s the oddest thing. Anyhow, this song is pretty kickin’, from the start and spacious Pork Soda album. Rock it, okay?

 Primus - DMV [4:58m]: Play in Popup | Download

A week ago today a bunch of rock legends came to town. Boise-based indie kids Built to Spill and Arizona-native original alt-country/cow-punk drunkards the Meat Puppets. I saw Built to Spill because I was supposed to. I was really there for the Meat Puppets and, even though Cris Kirkwood looks like a zombie muppet, they did not disappoint.

Playing songs from various stages of the band’s career, including all three songs that Nirvana made famous on their Unplugged in New York album (they all come from Meat Puppets II) , the Puppets set was totally worth the price of admission alone. I’m bummed that they didn’t get the chance to play an encore, even though ending the set with “Comin’ Down” and following it up with “Lake of Fire” sure sounded like a closer/encore combo. Beauty, eh?

Built to Spill, well…I only know two songs, and they played one of them, but it was pretty early in the set. It was good music, but I was tired (clubs that make their money on booze do better to let shows run later. I hate it). And though they have a lot of pretty catchy numbers, that’s not really what they’re about these days, and the loyal BtS fans don’t wanna hear that noise anyhow.

So I enjoyed Built to Spill’s jammy bits and went on my way determined to buy the Meat Puppets’ Too High To Die, and album I had taped years back, but wanted on CD. Especially since the song I needed to share with you wasn’t on Dave’s computer or hanging out elsewhere on Internet. So, I present to you “Comin’ Down/Lake of Fire”!! “Lake of Fire,” as I mentioned, was originally released on 1984’s Meat Puppets II, but they re-recorded it in ‘93 as a secret track on Too High to Die. Also, enjoy the Built to Spill song that I know and they played. It’s “Distopian Dream Girl” from ’94’s There’s Nothing Wrong with Love. Good rockin’ times!!

Oh yeah, Built to Spill is gonna be at Langerado, too!

Meat Puppets ‘Space | Meat Puppet Official | O.G. Meat Puppets Official| Built to Spill ‘Space | Built to Spill Official

Buy dat mess, k?

 Built to Spill - Distopian Dream Girl [4:24m]: Play in Popup | Download
 the Meat Puppets - Comin' Down/Lake of Fire: Play in Popup | Download

• "State of Love and Trust" from the Singles soundtrack
• "Crown of Thorns" originally by Mother Love Bone, also from the Singles soundtrack
• Covers of songs by the Who, the Ramones, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, and probably a few other I don't recognize by title
• Old material, new material, rare material.

All this for about $35 bucks, really isn't bad, but I'm so broke right now that this is kinda killing me.  So, I may as well say it, I've got a birthday coming up, if any of you love me enough.  In the mean time, enjoy "State of Love and Trush" and imagine this mess live and up in your grill.

Pearl Jam Official Website // MySpace // Buy Live at the Gorge 05/06 for THIRTY bucks @ Amazon 

Pearl Jam - State of Love and Trust

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/stateofloveandtrust.mp3]