Show List - 2007

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything – everything you’ve ever heard about having a baby is true. Your brain pretty much turns into mush, and any free time I have is precious and not spent writing…or even thinking, really. Still, I’ve taken to the whole dad thing pretty well, and as we approach Iggy’s first birthday he’s turning out to be an amazing little guy. I won’t bore you with any sappy details, but I’ll just say that it’s all been worth the work and hardships we’ve experienced. Also, things are looking up brain activity-wise. I’ve put the Netflix membership on hold, and I’ve been spending many of my evenings...reading??!!?? Wow – could writing be far behind?

One thing I wanted to be sure and do was put up a list of all of the shows I saw in 2007. Last year, I predicted that my going out to see live music would be “greatly reduced” due to my upcoming fatherhood. Well, last year I made it to 60 shows, and this year I made it to…52!!??!! Wow, not quite the reduction I expected – that’s still an average of one show a week. I'm hoping to also put up another "Best of 2007" type of list, we'll see if that happens.

A few observations, and then on to the list:

-One of the best things about being a live music fan in Denver was the free tickets that local promoters NIPP would give out. Unfortunately, huge faceless national promoter AEGLive have taken over most of their venues and the freebies are now a fond memory. Ticket prices have gone up, as well as drink prices, making shows at the Bluebird and Ogden more expensive than they used to be. Oh, and LiveNation took over the Gothic, so no more free shows there either.

-I lucked into a few freebies from Radio 1190, a commercial free AM station out of Boulder. You’ll notice I had quite a run there in November…I honestly expected someone to call me from the station and tell me I was cut off.

-Some of the better bands I saw in 2007: Radio Birdman, Stooges, Thermals, You Am I, Gore Gore Girls, Ted Leo, and The Ponys. The worst show I saw in 2007: Marnie Stern. Ugh...that's all I can say, ugh.

-I saw the Breezy Porticos so many times in 2007 that I'm pretty sure that I'm an honorary member of the band at this point.

-We’ll see how 2008 turns out on the live music front - so far, my list is empty. Then again, this is always a slow time of year for shows in Cowtown. On the horizon: Black Lips, New York Dolls, The Pretty Things…

1. 1/6/07 Breezy Porticos @ Larimer Lounge (free)
2. 2/9/07 Suzy Homewrecker/Little Fyodor @ Old Curtis Street Tavern
3. 2/20/07 The Ettes @ Larimer Lounge
4. 2/22/07 Breezy Porticos @ Meadowlark Lounge (free)
5. 3/6/07 Gito Gito Hustler/Hemi Cuda @ Benders Tavern
6. 3/10/07 Albert Hammond Jr./Mooney Suzuki/Dead Trees @ Marquis Theater
7. 3/22/07 The Thermals/Hot IQ’s/Lion Sized @ Hi Dive
8. 3/23/07 Breezy Porticos/Gingerbread Patriots/The Still City @ Hi Dive
9. 4/6/07 The Moog @ Benders Tavern
10. 4/7/07 The Ponys/Deerhunter @ Larimer Lounge
11. 4/17/07 The Stooges/Sistas in the Pit @ Fillmore Auditorium
12.4/21/07 Sean Lennon @ Bluebird Theater (free)
13. 4/22/07 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists/Love of Diagrams @ Gothic Theater
14. 4/27/07 The Dollyrots/Swanks/Dropskots @ Bluebird Theater
15. 5/19/07 The Omens @ Hi Dive
16. 6/15/07 Breezy Porticos/Bad Weather California/Action Packed Thrill Ride @ Hi Dive
17. 6/26/07 Marnie Stern/Team Awesome @ Larimer Lounge
18. 7/3/07 Monofog/The Prids @ Benders Tavern
19. 7/14/07 Radio Birdman/Pearline/Last of the Badmen @ Bluebird Theater
20. 7/21/07 Tokyo Police Club @ Larimer Lounge (1190 freebie)
21. 7/22/07 Polyphonic Spree/Jessica Hoop @ Gothic Theater
22. 7/24/07 You Am I/Dualistics/3 on a Match @ Hi Dive
23. 8/1/07 The Adolescents @ Marquis Theater
24. 8/6/07 The Beltholes/Primasonic @ Larimer Lounge
25. 8/10/07 Harry and the Potters @ Denver Public Library, Central Branch (free)
26. 8/14/07 Ladybug Transistor/Papercuts/Widowers @ Hi Dive
27. 8/19/07 Red Pony Clock/Breezy Porticos @ Rhinoceropolis (free)
28. 8/24/07 Detroit Cobras/Dan Sartain/The Willowz @ Bluebird Theater
29. 8/31/07 The Apples in Stereo/Cat-a-Tat/Cowboy Curse @ Bluebird Theater
30. 9/1/07 Wilco @ Fillmore Auditorium (free, but only saw the encore)
31. 9/8/07 Soda Pop Kids/Lion Sized/Eyes and Ears @ Hi Dive
32. 9/11/07 Jennifer Gentle/The Dodos @ Hi Dive
33. 9/17/07 Pure Country Gold/Tuff Luvs @ Larimer Lounge
34. 9/19/07 The Vibrators/Primasonic @ 3 Kings Tavern
35. 9/20/07 Gore Gore Girls/Sleeper Horse @ Hi Dive
36. 9/22/07 Breezy Porticos/Six Months To Live/Blue Million Miles @ 3 Kings Tavern
37. 9/24/07 New Pornographers/Lavender Diamond @ Boulder Theater
38. 9/29/07 Holly Golightly/Eyes and Ears/American Relay @ Larimer Lounge
39. 10/7/07 Gito Gito Hustler @ Benders Tavern
40. 10/22/07 Electric Six/Gore Gore Girls @ Larimer Lounge
41. 10/31/07 The Raveonettes/The Swayback @ Bluebird Theater
42. 11/3/07 The Ponys/The Knew @ Larimer Lounge (1190 freebie)
43. 11/5/07 The Pipettes/Nicole Adkins & the Sea @ Walnut Room
44. 11/9/07 Thank God For Astronauts @ Hi Dive (free)
45. 11/9/07 Neil Hamburger @ Larimer Lounge (1190 freebie)
46. 11/10/07 The Thermals @ Gothic Theater (1190 freebie)
47. 11/12/07 The Hold Steady/Art Brut/Blood Arm @ Ogden Theater (1190 freebie)
48. 11/15/07 Saturday Looks Good to Me/Old Time Relijun @ Hi Dive (1190 freebie)
49. 11/19/07 Spindrift/Moccasin/The Dan Kaufman Superstar Eruption @ Larimer Lounge (free)
50. 11/24/07 King Khan & BBQ Show @ Benders Tavern
51. 12/7/07 The Squirrels Xxxmas Show @ Tractor Tavern (Seattle)
52. 12/15/07 Breezy Porticos/Bad Weather California @ Meadowlark Tavern (1190 freebie)

RIP - Vampira

Two Dreams

I rarely remember my dreams, but I had a couple recently that stuck with me. I thought I’d share what I can remember from them here.

My son, the lawyer

In this dream, my son Iggy is working as a lawyer for a nonprofit agency. No, he’s not grown up – he’s still a baby. He’s with a woman I’ve never seen before, and my wife expresses her concern: “I don’t think that woman likes babies, I’m afraid she might try to kill our son.” Alarmed, I respond “Well, why in the world are you leaving her alone with him?” “I have to!” she answers, “He’s her lawyer!” At this point, I hear the woman conversing with our son, who is speaking in an adult voice. She asks him how old he is, and he answers “I’m 25 days old.” She proceeds to tuck him into his crib, and the whole time she does this Iggy is giving her legal advice. I don’t remember anything beyond that point.

The Job Review

I am on the roof of a high-rise building with my boss, looking out over the edge. We’ve just completed my job performance review, and I’m handed a piece of paper which I sign. Sliding the paper back along the ledge, a breeze catches it and I lose my grip. I grasp at the piece of paper, but it’s out of my reach. To my shock, my boss jumps for the paper and tumbles over the edge – I watch him fall, and crash to the sidewalk below. I don’t remember anything beyond that. Oh, and my boss isn’t my current boss, or anyone I’ve ever worked with before – it’s Pete Shelley from The Buzzcocks.

Top 50 2006

Here is a list of my personal “Top 50” for the year 2006. No real guidelines this time – I’ve just listed 50 random things, in no particular order, that made life more enjoyable for me in 2006. I’ve added comments on some of these, but not all of them. Below you’ll find CD’s, concerts, random life events, sandwiches…whatever. In their own way, each of these things rocked my world. It’s all good:

1. Feeling our future son kick around (now that’s what I call a “mosh pit!”)
2. Zolar X – live at the 3 Kings Tavern in Denver and at El Corazon in Seattle (I love these space aliens – they put on an amazing live show)
3. New York Dolls – live at El Corazon (truly inspiring)
4. Be Your Own Pet – s/t CD (ripping bratty punk – great stuff)
5. Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped CD (my favorite thing they’ve done since Goo)
6. Emails from my childhood best friend OBRAD (back in touch after 26 years!)
7. Yo La Tengo – I’m Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass CD
8. Head – No Hugging No Learning LP (I’m actually still waiting on my vinyl, but a friend emailed me this as a “you send it” file – awesome stuff, I miss getting to see these guys play)
9. This Filthy World – John Waters Live DVD (his one man show – hilarious stuff)
10. Len Price 3 – Chinese Burn CD (this actually came out in 2005, but I didn’t track down a copy until this year – think a power pop version of Thee Headcoats)
11. Mission of Burma – The Obliterati CD
12. Mudhoney – two nights live at the Larimer Lounge
13. Art Brut – live at the Hi-Dive
14. The Office – TV show (this keeps getting better and funnier)
15. Sonic Youth – live at the Gothic Theater (best show I’ve seen them do in years)
16. Little Miss Sunshine DVD (“she’s a superfreak, superfreak…”)
17. Art Brut – Bang Bang Rock & Roll CD (“my little brother just discovered rock n’ roll…”)
18. Pizza and beer at the Big Time in Seattle (I’ve never found anything to match it in D-town)
19. Buzzcocks – Flat-Pack Philosophy CD
20. ADULT. – live at the Larimer Lounge (cool duo – what Suicide would sound like fronted by Siouxsie)
21. Cheeseburgers at Herb’s Tavern in Friday Harbor
22. Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume 10 DVD Box set (more episodes of the best TV show ever – huzzah!)
23. The Daily Show – TV show (I never miss it)
24. Finding good beer on sale at Applejack Liquors (amazing how this can make your day!)
25. The Record Show I attended in October (not because I found anything that was all that great, it was just fun to spend several hours pawing through old vinyl)
26. Parties at Terri’s pad (aka “doin’ the Lido Shuffle”)
27. The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder: Punk & New Wave DVD (See: The Plasmatics blow up a car! Iggy missing a tooth! Paul Weller acting surly! John Lydon and Keith Levine acting even surlier! Elvis Costello looking really young! Patti Smith sounding like a hippie! The Ramones being the Ramones! Kim Fowley wearing ridiculous makeup! Tom Snyder smoking at least 8000 cigarettes!)
28. The Colbert Report – TV show (you can never have too much truthiness)
29. Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood CD (oh, that voice…)
30. The Beatles – Love CD (I wish they’d taken this a bit further, but still an interesting listen for Beatles fans)
31. The Who – Endless Wire CD (better than you’d expect, especially the second half)
32. Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit CD
33. Mr. Falconyeti’s stories about working at Mr. Tomato’s in Boulder (Tomatogate!)
34. The Marked Men – Fix My Brain LP
35. The Black Angels – Passover LP
36. Destroyer – Destroyer’s Rubies CD
37. X – live at the Ogden Theater (Billy Zoom!)
38. Trouble Man DVD (great blaxploitation from 1972, finally available without resorting to crap copies on Ebay)
39. The Raconteurs – live at the Fillmore
40. The Fall – live at the Boulder Theatre (chaotic and fun – long live Mark E. Smith!)
41. The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers CD (wow, something Brendan Benson was involved with actually moved a few units – it’s about time!)
42. Sparks – Hello Young Lovers CD
43. The Fiery Furnaces – live at the Bluebird
44. Visiting Soulsville in Memphis (worth the admission price just to see Isaac Hayes’ pimped out Cadillac)
45. Sloan – Never Hear the End of It CD (actually, another “you send it” file from Scott, I don’t think this is available outside of Canadia yet)
46. My Name is Earl – TV show
47. The Buzzcocks – live at the Bluebird
48. New York Dolls – One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This CD (won’t make anyone forget their two original albums, but this definitely has its moments)
49. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls DVD (The Carrie Nations!)
50. The Who – Sell Out LP (heavy vinyl, original mono mix, reproduction “psychedelic” insert, and amazing sound – thx JT!)

A few random observations:

2006 was the year that the li’l woman bought me a cell phone and an iPod. A few people I know have read these occurrences as “signs of the apocalypse.”

I only saw two movies in the theater in 2006, and they were both at the bargain theater! However, I’ve had a Netflix subscription all year, so I’m seeing more movies than ever before. They just happen to be weird old cult films and documentaries, mostly.

I think I’m the last person in the world who still uses a VCR to copy TV shows when I’m out. Everyone else either has a DVR or a Tivo. It’ll probably be awhile before I “upgrade,” seeing as I hardly watch television anymore.

We’ll see what I can find to write about in 2007 – I vow that this won’t become some sort of overly precious “baby blog.”

Show List – 2006

First off, I hope anyone reading this enjoyed their holidays. Ours were, for the most part, nonexistent. I had to work Christmas Eve night, and then get up and go in on Christmas morning. We managed to have dinner that night with my family, but it felt a bit rushed. Between the two blizzards we endured, and the awful colds that had us bedridden at times, we weren’t feeling all that festive this year. Throw in missing the Squirrels XXXmas show (this would’ve been 15 in a row for me), and my wife’s family having to cancel their visit… Thank goodness for my annual double feature (The Van and Massacre at Central High – which was postponed a day due to the second blizzard) and catching A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve, otherwise our holidays would’ve been a total wash. Hopefully, next year will be better.

Also, we’re at the point of the year where shows in Denver are few and far between. I thought I’d take this opportunity to put up a list of all of the shows I managed to catch in 2006, a total of 60. I guarantee you that this number will be greatly reduced for 2007, seeing as we’ll be parents next month.

1. 1/7/06 Dressy Bessy/Little Fyodor/Blacksmiths @ Bluebird Theater
2. 1/27/06 Orangutones/Calf Branders @ 3 Kings Tavern
3. 1/29/06 Suzi Homewrecker @ Larimer Lounge (free)
4. 2/20/06 Zolar X/Squirrels/Sacred Truths/Space Creatures from the Year 3000 @ El Corazon (Seattle)
5. 3/9/06 Stereolab/Hot Chip @Gothic Theater
6. 3/11/06 Exene Cervenka & the Original Sinners/7 Shot Screamers @ Hi-Dive
7. 3/16/06 Black Water (Doobie Brothers tribute act, lol) @ Walnut Room
8. 3/22/06 Blowfly/Despot @ Hi-Dive
9. 3/24/06 “Japan Night” @ Bluebird Theater (TsuShiMaMiRe, Ellegarden, Pe’z, Stance Punks, The Emeralds, Rodeo Carbureter)
10. 3/29/06 Gito Gito Hustler/Spanks /Fuckin’ Orange @ 15th Street Tavern
11. 3/30/06 Soledad Brothers/Heartless Bastards @ Larimer Lounge
12. 4/1/06 Orangutones with “Burlesque as it Was” @ Oriental Theater
13. 4/5/06 The Cops @ Larimer Lounge (free)
14. 4/6/06 Chrome/New Ancient Astronauts @ Bluebird Theater
15. 4/10/06 Spoon @ Gothic Theater (free)
16. 4/14/06 Dinosaur Jr./Priestess/Monofog @ Fox Theater
17. 4/15/06 Boss Martians @ Benders Tavern
18. 4/21/06 The Eames Era/Breezy Porticos/Phillip Roebuck @ Benders Tavern
19. 4/25/06 The M’s/Deathray Davies @ Hi-Dive
20. 4/28/06 The Sounds/Morningwood @ Ogden Theater (free)
21. 5/5/06 Art Brut/Bird Monster/Constellation @ Hi-Dive
22. 5/17/06 Dead Moon @ Larimer Lounge
23. 5/26/06 The Fall/Dario Rosa @ Boulder Theater
24. 6/16/06 Epoxies @ Hi-Dive
25. 6/16/06 Black Angels/Hopewell @ Larimer Lounge
26. 6/20/06 Fiery Furnaces/Phantom Buffalo @ Bluebird Theater
27. 6/27/06 Sonic Youth/Awesome Color @ Gothic Theater
28. 6/30/06 The Bellrays @ Larimer Lounge
29. 7/6/06 Ray Davies @ Paramount Theater
30. 7/14/06 Electric Eel Shock @ Bluebird Theater (free)
31. 7/14/06 Thank God for Astronauts @ Larimer Lounge (free)
32. 7/15/06 Briefs/Mansfields/Cheapskates @ Bluebird Theater (free)
33. 7/16/06 The Raconteurs/Kelley Stoltz @ Fillmore Auditorium
34. 7/18/06 The Buzzcocks/Adored @ Bluebird Theater
35. 7/19/06 Immaculate Machine/Breezy Porticos/Cowboy Curse @ Hi-Dive (free)
36. 7/28/06 Orangutones/Long John Thomas & the Duffs/Get 3 Coffins Ready @ 3 Kings Tavern
37. 8/2/06 Futureheads/Tapes n’ Tapes @ Bluebird Theater
38. 8/5/06 Harry and the Potters @ Central Library (free)
39. 8/5/06 X/Rollins Band/Reno Divorce @ Ogden Theater (free)
40. 8/17/06 Gary Numan/New Skin @ Fox Theater
41. 8/26/06 Devo/Psychedelic Furs/When in Rome @ Citylights Pavilion
42. 9/3/06 Orangutones/Dario Rosa/The Knew @ 3 Kings Tavern
43. 9/7/06 Queers/Hard-On’s @ Bluebird Theater
44. 9/10/06 Zolar X (and a few songs by Thor) @ 3 Kings Tavern
45. 9/15/06 Mudhoney/The Geds @ Larimer Lounge
46. 9/16/06 Mudhoney @ Larimer Lounge
47. 9/19/06 Thank God For Astronauts/Everything Absent or Distorted @ Larimer Lounge
48. 9/22/06 Mark Mallman/Thank God For Astronauts/Lord Zorplin @ Hi-Dive
49. 9/27/06 Deadboy and the Elephantmen/The Knew @ Larimer Lounge
50. 10/6/06 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/Architecture in Helsinki @ Gothic Theater
51. 10/10/06 Art Brut/We Are Scientists @ Bluebird Theater
52. 10/12/06 SSM @ Benders Tavern
53. 10/13/06 ADULT./Vicki @ Larimer Lounge
54. 10/16/06 Willowz/Fresh Kills @ Larimer Lounge
55. 10/25/06 Detroit Cobras/King Kahn & the BBQ Show/Taylor Hollingsworth and the Spider Eaters @ Bluebird Theater
56. 10/26/06 Black Angels/The Tyde @ Larimer Lounge
57. 11/11/06 New York Dolls/Supersuckers/Chesterfield Kings/Charms/Greatest Hits @ El Corazon (Seattle)
58. 11/30/06 Breezy Porticos/Kissing Party @ Hi-Dive (free)
59. 12/2/06 Lemonheads/Vietnam @ Bluebird Theater
60. 12/8/06 The Blasters @ Bluebird Theater

I’m going to try and put up some sort of “best of” for 2006 soon, hopefully before 2007 is too far underway.

RIP - James Brown

Best Party Ever

I was at the liquor store on Tuesday evening, stocking up the beer fridge in preparation for the snowstorm that is scheduled to hit this afternoon. Two guys were pushing a cart around, apparently buying for a party. I overheard one of them say to the other:

“Dude, we should really mix it up – let’s get Bud Light and PBR.”

I would’ve asked for an invite at that point, but I was too busy trying not to laugh. However, in this increasingly divided world of ours, it’s good to see some young people with an appreciation for diversity.

On a side note, I heard My Sister by Juliana Hatfield on the store’s background music. Does anyone else remember when she was going to be “the next big thing”? Somewhere, in my vast piles of stuff, I’m sure I still have a signed set list from the first time I saw her live (at the much missed Backstage in Ballard). This was right after the Hey Babe album came out, before the hype really started, and I was quite smitten with her. She was opening for The Lemonheads, and Evan Dando wore a dress for their set. Speaking of which…

I saw the latest version of The Lemonheads a few weeks ago at The Bluebird. I’ve never been a huge fan, but I was curious enough to check it out. After reading so many articles mentioning that the new rhythm section was borrowed from The Descendants, I was a little disappointed to see that it was just some random guys on bass and drums. The show was pretty low key, with an older crowd, and the band sounded pretty good. Despite all of his well documented drug problems, Evan Dando’s voice still sounds pretty good, especially on the acoustic numbers. (It must also be noted that he still has no stage presence to speak of – he’s one of the most charisma free performers I’ve ever seen.) I recognized a few of the old tunes – It’s a Shame About Ray, Bit Part, Big Gay Heart, My Drug Buddy, and The Outdoor Type. It was an enjoyable show, if nothing overly exciting.

Buying my ticket that night, I noticed a sign taped up in the box office that read “absolutely NO stage diving or crowd surfing.” For that evening, maybe they should have changed it to “absolutely NO reliving of your 90’s heyday.” Checking out the crowd, I couldn’t imagine anyone in attendance participating in either activity. Hmmmm, maybe if they were to drink Bud Light and PBR….

Music, or oatmeal?

I’ve been hearing about a Denver band, The Fray, for well over a year now. Their rather swift climb “to the top” has been chronicled in the local press pretty extensively. If you were to show a photo of the band to me, it’s likely that I would immediately respond “oh yeah, that’s The Fray.” I’ve honestly seen that many articles about them. The music editor of the local arts weekly, Westword, has been an extremely vocal supporter. He mentions them in his column pretty much every week, and has devoted the entire column to them on several occasions. He has even gone so far as to chastise a few local radio stations for not adding The Fray to their play lists. This week, he excitedly announced that they had been nominated for two Grammy awards. At this rate, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was to arrange a parade through downtown in their honor.

Despite the hubbub, prior to this weekend I had never actually heard a song by The Fray. Not really all that surprising, seeing as I don’t listen to commercial radio, but still a bit curious. However, my blissful ignorance ended late Friday night when I saw one of their videos on VH1. First off, the title of the song was painful in itself – How to Save a Life. The song was downbeat, and incredibly whiney. Not sad, mind you, but whiney – like an annoying person who is always complaining and won’t shut the hell up. The video itself was even more painful, as it featured lots of close-ups of the band members wearing pitiful expressions. If that wasn’t enough, this was interspersed with shots of other people crying and looking really sad…I think there might have also been some hugging involved, but I can’t remember for sure. All I could do was sit there and think “So this is what all of the fuss is about?”

My friend Paul once described the band Coldplay as “the musical equivalent of the color beige.” In other words, they’re blander than bland. Riffing on that, I’d like to make the following statement: The Fray is the perfect band for people who find Coldplay a bit too raucous. You’ve been warned.

Satan Claus

A coworker was telling me a story recently, about when her son was very young and attending a Lutheran school. Her family isn’t religious, but they sent him there because the public schools near them weren’t very good. Like many schools used to do, they would put on an annual Christmas pageant. She said the pageant was cute at first, with all of the kids dressed in costume and singing and acting out short vignettes with a holiday theme. Later in the show, however, they had a young child come onto the stage in a devil costume. He had horns, a pointy tail, and a pitchfork – the whole nine yards. Upon reaching center stage, he was swarmed by other children who pelted him incessantly with Nerf balls. My coworker was a little taken aback by this, and felt bad for the kid playing the devil. This (among other things) led her to the decision not to reenroll her child at that school.

Now that I have a son on the way, I can only hope that someday he’ll have the opportunity to play the devil in a similar school production. I’m pretty sure this is what as known as “living vicariously through your children.” I never got to do this myself, which has led me to the conclusion that I had an incomplete childhood. Oh, and I promise to put it on a Christmas card if it ever happens.