Mike Relm
8:00 PM
This was a turntablist (DJ) from San Francisco. (I released a derisive guffaw when I first heard the "turntablist" term, but apparently that kind of response is looked down upon in certain circles. Mainly in circles that use the term "turntablist.") Now, typically, I could care less about DJ's, but as I watched this guy's show, I realized that if you incorporate movie or TV footage into something, I'll find it entertaining. This guy had a DVD scratcher that let him manipulate the on-screen video along with the audio. For his mixing purposes, he incorporated scenes from two of my favorite movies - Fight Club and Office Space - along with various other films. Buzz took this picture (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ldandersen/113670438/in/photostream/) when good ol' Mike was mixing a Bjork video. Notice how much nicer Buzz's pictures are.
Point of interest: This show was at the Blender bar, which apparently caters to an extremely tall clientele. While using the bathroom, I was barely able to get the corresponding bit of my anatomy to a level that would allow me to use the facility in an appropriate manner. If I were a few inches shorter (like Buzz...he may be able to take nicer pictures, but I'm taller), I would have had to have been on my tiptoes.
Magnet
9:00 PM
This was a one man show, and this guy had talent. He just sat in a chair surrounded by an electric guitar, banjo (also electric), a sitar (also, also electric) and a bunch of pedals and made it sound like he had an entire band accompanying him. It was impressive. He'd pick up an instrument, play it for a song, put it down, pick up the next instrument and start playing it.
Flogging Molly
10:15 PM
A few of my friends had recommended these guys, and I was not disappointed. They were kind of like a Celtic Gogol Bordello (if you don't know who that is, just keep reading), at least, that's what I thought when I saw them. So, if Gogol Bordello = gypsy punk, then Flogging Molly = potato eating, alcoholic (Irish) punk.
The Living End
11:30 PM
I had never heard of these guys, but by a little ingenuity and hard work, I made it right up to the front stage for their show. While Flogging Molly had seen fit to incorporate a fiddle into their act, these guys went for a full-blown cello - a cello, I should point out, that the cellist saw fit to mount several times during the show (see image below).
(Note: The actual instrument may not have been a cello, but I am not an expert in classical instruments.)
I think I should also point out that these guys started out in full suits and jackets. After the first couple of songs, they had peeled off the jackets. By the end of their set, they had sweated through their white shirts so thoroughly that it looked like we were watching a wet-tshirt contest...with very ugly women...very ugly.
Gogol Bordello
12:45 AM
These people are the Platonic ideal of live music. I may not have been to as many live shows as some people, but I defy you to find a band that can put on a show like these guys. As a brief recap, I was first exposed to Gogol Bordello last year at SXSW, and I have been in awe ever since. The band is a mixture of old-world gypsy music (a la accordion and fiddle) and new world punk. They are expert showmen, and every time I have seen them, they have had the crowd simultaneously whipped into a frenzy and eating out of their hand. (I may point out that having a frenzied anything, crowd or otherwise, eat out of your hand is a rather dangerous task and should not be tried without the proper adult supervision.)
In addition to those on instruments, there are two attractive female percussionists that perform acrobatics, dance, provide backup singing and beat the crap out of various and assundry items, ranging from a red fire pail to cymbals to the big drum that you see below.
As you can tell from the closeness of this picture, I was still right up on the stage for this band. In fact, I was so close I could taste their sweat...because they kept leaning out over the crowd and various body fluids fell upon us. (The less said about that, the better.) Unwanted fluid exchanges aside, I was well pleased with my location for the show. You see, I had precisely and specifically calculated my locale to make the most out of this show. As you all may know, during their finale, the above percussionist will throw said drum out onto the crowd, climb up on it and drum surf while continuing to beat the living crap out of the drum.
Now witness my moment of glory!!! - The image below, while rough, reveals (from bottom to top) my arm, leading up to the bottom of the huge drum, leading up to the well-toned posterior of the hot female percussionist who was riding the drum.
That's right. This year, I was under the drum. I snapped several pictures during this period; unfortunately, you are looking at the clearest one...Anyway, after the band had been going for a little while, the lead singer also dove out into the crowd and then climbed up on the drum to join the percussionist. Now, I couldn't exactly see everything that was going on up there, but I can tell you that one of them was jumping up and down, and eventually, the lead singer ended up swinging from the rafters of the venue. All in all, this was an amazing show, and I doubt I will ever have a live music experience that could top it. By the end of the night I was soaked with sweat, hopped up on adrenaline and sore as a linebacker.
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