Review by special guest correspondent Angeleeta Sosnowski

You know a show will be good when you get a contact high in the parking lot.  It will also have touches of irony that you’ll love, like the line for the men’s restroom being about 200 guys deep while the girls could walk and out in a matter of minutes.  I must mention that I am a fan of Tool. However I have come in and out of their work over the years. I don’t have a poster on my wall or their complete song collection on my iPod.  I do appreciate talented musicians with something to say, and Tool definitely falls into that category.

Tool is one of those bands that demands to been seen live at some point.  Danny Carey on drums and Justin Chancellor on bass have developed the ability to make the incredibly challenging riffs in any Tool song seem effortless. And that teamwork was on brilliant display Saturday at the Verizon Theater in Grand Prarie.  With no new music in sight, Saturday’s show was what many a fan desires: the best from past work without any new questionable material to have to wrap your head around. Maynard and the boys delivered early, with “Stinkfist” (complete with video) causing a massive roar and sing a long from the crowd early in the show.  Sadly for me, this was as deep as Tool went into their catalog, so no “Sober” or “Prison Sex” live for the fans.

Many of high points of the show came from Tool’s most recent album, 2006’s 10,000 Days, with “The Pot” being my personal favorite. I’ve always enjoyed the sharp social commentary that Maynard’s lyrics hold which are perfect for so many situations. Plus nothing says awesome like the middle aged white guy from suburbia behind me screeching lyrics at the top of his lungs.  The crowd was so into “Vicarious” off of the same record at one point you couldn’t hear anything but male fan voices belting out lyrics.

Tool were experts at building the energy throughout the show with it reaching its apex at during the encore.  I have always been a huge fan of the song “Aenema“, so to see it live was a great moment for me.  With the ‘what if’ that are floating around out there in pop culture about the year 2012, a song about change in its most visceral form is a perfect way to end the show.  It was another moment where the crowd was almost as loud as the music supporting it as we chanted ‘learn to swim, learn to swim’ over and over. It’s been quite some time since I’ve been to such a powerful show where the entire crowd stood the entire time.  Where you were dazzled by the musicianship on stage as well as the light show that accompanied it.  As my friend said as we left, “that was fucking awesome.”

Carina’s picks (photos and video courtesy of Carina Contreras)

1. Bonnaroo Music Festival: Being up front in the pit for The Black Keys, Eminem and Arcade Fire made the 14+ bus ride to Tennessee worth it. Matt and Kim probably had one of the best sets at the show.
Festival Highlights: Florence + the Machine, Wiz Khalifa, Bassnectar, Band of Skulls, Explosions in the Sky, Robyn

2. Florence + the Machine @ Central Park SummerStage and The Creators Project: I saw Florence + the Machine 7 times in 2011 and it is too difficult to break down which was particularly my favorite. I was lucky enough to meet Florence Welch backstage at the SummerStage show. It was no ordinary meet and greet. My friend and her mom, as well as myself, hung out with Welch for at least 40 minutes talking about various subjects such as tattoos, ‘Eastbound and Down’ and Jon Hamm. At the Creators Project, Florence + the Machine premiered new songs from ‘Ceremonials’ under the Manhattan bridge in Brooklyn.

3. Bush @ Bowery Ballroom: Originally I bought these tickets for the simple nostalgic factor. Bowery Ballroom only holds about 550 people, so this was probably the smallest venue they were playing this tour. First off, Bush has a really dedicated fan base. I spoke to fans who have seen Bush perform close to 100 times! Wow! This was one of the sweatiest concerts I have been too. Gavin’s sweat dropped into my eye.

4. Foster the People @ Brooklyn Photo Studio: Imagine seeing Foster the People in a tiny loft that has no stage. Right before ‘Torches’ came out, Foster the People tweeted about the intimate event, which would start at midnight. I immediately signed up. They played their full album. With only two songs released, Mark Foster and Co certainly knew how to rock the crowd. Nonstop dancing!

5. The Naked and Famous @ Pianos: This happened to be my birthday and on a drunk whim, I stumbled over to the bar/venue, Pianos. They opened for the Foals earlier in the night and decided to put on a full show at midnight. Great intimate performance and a 14 song set list!

6. Mumford and Sons @ PC Richards Theater: Mumford and Sons were already selling out 3000+ capacity venues. I was fortunate to win a contest into a more intimate setting with only about 250 people. The set was short, but the banter between the band members was priceless.

7. Cloud Cult @ Maxwell’s: I wish more people were into Cloud Cult. First of all, they paint on a spinning easel on stage! They rarely tour – and their latest album might be one of the top albums I have heard ever.

8. Matt and Kim @ Altman Building (as well as Bonnaroo): You are guaranteed a great time at a Matt and Kim show. Windows was hosting an intimate event in NYC to promote their new phones and Matt and Kim were the musical guest. I have seen them perform at Bonnaroo and was excited to see them again. As always, they put on an energetic performance.. standing on their drum kit and interacting with the crowd.

9. Givers @ Ace Hotel for CMJ: Sadly, the set was very short, it made me want more. Hands down the best show I saw during CMJ this year. It was a light, comical, and an impressive performance. Expect great things from them in 2012.

10. LMFAO with Swizz Beatz @ Pier 36: Yes – the famous Party Rockers made my list. I originally went to the event for the free vodka, but came out rather impressed! LMFAO really know how to get a crowd going. I will admit, I know all their radio played songs (They are hard to miss right?), and I sang along… The break dancers on stage and costume changes made me understand their appeal. Swizz Beatz was another additive bonus. He sang the ‘Ruff Ryders Anthem’… enough said.

Almost made the cut: Lykke Li @ MTV Unplugged (very hard to not include), K.Flay, Phantogram with Exitmusic, Wye Oak with Caveman, Eliza Doolittle with Emily Grenne, Ellie Goulding.

Mark’s picks (photos and video courtesy of Mark Ambrose, Michelle Pelissero, and Caleb Dickerson)

Although this was only a half-year for me and concerts, I am looking forward to an even bigger and better 2012. My goal for this year is to reach at least 20 shows (at least 2 per month) and a minimum of 10 artist reviews/live show reviews and maybe an interview or two. 2011 was definitely a great year for up and coming musicians and bands and 2012 is looking to be just as good if not better. Happy New Year to all and remember to keep rockin’!

Here are my Top 10 Shows for 2011 (in no particular order):

Fair To Midland/Dead Letter Circus – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX – 12/23

Young The Giant Unplugged: Windows Mobile Event – F.I.G. – Dallas, TX – 11/16

The Naked and Famous – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX – 10/20

AWOLNation – ACL 2011 – Austin, TX – 9/18

Gorilla vs Bear Festival – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX – 7/23

Girl Talk – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX – 6/28

Rock of Allegiance Tour feat. Buckcherry/Papa Roach – Verizon Theater – Dallas, TX – 8-24

Sublime with Rome/311 – Gexa Energy Pavilion – Dallas, TX – 8/13

The Joy Formidable – Fun Fun Fun Fest 6 – Austin, TX – 11/4-11/6

Public Enemy – Fun Fun Fun Fest 6 – Austin, TX – 11/4-11/6

Ben’s picks

1. AWOLNATION

My first time seeing them was at a sold out show at The Prophet Bar in Dallas in August. The energy was intense, especially for this size of a venue. The crowd was fun and rowdy, and there was plenty of moshing, stage diving, and crowd surfing.

2. Weezer

Their performance in Frisco, TX during 102.1 The Edge’s Edgefest in April was nothing less than phenomenal! In reality they stole the show from the headliner Jane’s Addiction, and this could have easily been my #1 pick. All ages were into it, and the energy was amazing.

3. Warpaint

This is a group of all hot chicks from Los Angeles that I discovered while researching SXSW. I was completely blown away by their sold out show in the intimate setting of The Loft in April. Their live performance was simply stunning and magical, almost hypnotizing.

4. Phantogram (photo by Katie Covens)

This sold out show was also at The Loft, in November, with Reptar providing opening support. I liked Phantogram and was expecting a good show, but they completely blew my expectations away! Maybe it’s the way that Sarah and Josh work together, maybe it’s the strobe lights…either way, it was mesmerizing.

5. Toro Y Moi/Unknown Mortal Orchestra/Bass Drum Of Death

This lineup was destined to produce a sold out show at Club Dada. At the last minute, which was just a few hours before the show, the venue decided to move the performance outside. The weather was near perfect, and the combination of the location and lineup made for one of the most memorable shows of the year.

6. Foster The People/Gardens & Villa

This sold out show at The Loft was a highly anticipated one, and didn’t disappoint. It was my first time being introduced to Gardens & Villa, and it was great seeing both bands together. Will probably be the last time that Foster ever plays a venue this small. This was my 2nd time to see them, the first was at SXSW, which we also have video of.

7. Jane’s Addiction

Many who watched the group headline at Edgefest in Frisco were disappointed, especially after seeing Weezer play first. To me it was still a highlight, even though they didn’t play “Jane Says”. They had great chemistry, and even had dancers hanging from the rafters.

8. Coheed & Cambria

What a great time to catch this band in April at the Palladium Ballroom. They performed an entire acoustic set first, took a short break, then came back out to play another full set normally. They are great live, if there was any doubt.

9. Incubus/Young The Giant

Incubus is one of my favorite bands, and this was the 3rd time I watched them, in September outside at Gexa Energy Pavilion. Young the Giant were a great opening band, yet the stormy weather was so awfully bad Incubus almost didn’t get to perform.

10. Off!

My first chance to see the legendary Keith Morris of  Black Flag and Circle Jerks fame, who is 56. This was the first hardcore punk show that I’ve ever been to, and I won’t ever be the same! They played for about 40 minutes and the most, and most songs were under 2 and 1/2 minutes long. They moshing and stage diving was impressive!

Honorable Mentions: Could almost just have easily included the following shows in my list: Givers, Trash Talk, Portugal.The Man, Naked and Famous, Dirty Heads, Peter Bjorn & John, Yelawolf, Rittz, Death From Above 1979, Public Enemy, St. Vincent, Odd Future.

Review, Photos, and video by Mark Ambrose

What’s better than spending time with family, friends, and loved ones over the holidays and drinking eggnog next to a warm fire? Rockin’ out the eve of Christmas Eve at a great music venue in Dallas, that’s what! Production company, Escaping The Ordinary, led by Ty Griffin, brought Fair To Midland and Dead Letter Circus to Granada Theater fans this weekend and I have to say it was quite a good turn out, considering it was a holiday weekend when most people would be out of town or with family. With a total of five bands on the bill, including the aforementioned, the show started a little early for a Friday night with doors at seven and the first band at eight.

We arrived a little after Australian natives, Dead Letter Circus, started their set and I was intrigued to hear more of before rushing off to wait in line for a cold brewski. I had got into the auditorium and up by the front of the stage just in time to hear their first ever released single, “The Space On The Wall”. I was impressed mostly by their stage presence and progressive/hard metal sound; they have been compared to bands like The Mars Volta and given the chance, I would definitely check these guys out again as they bring a lot of energy to their shows and their fans really seem to be into it. By the way, this was their very first show in Texas ever.

Prior to the show, I had a chance to chat with a good friend of the band and was told that Andrew was not feeling well that evening but would perform anyway. From the looks of his jumping around on stage and climbing/hanging from the lighting scaffolding, he appeared in better health than as it was described. What a trooper! Their was a Christmas surprise for two lucky FTM fans before the set; with help from the band, one fan proposed to his girlfriend on stage in front of the entire venue. I’m happy to report that she said “Yes” and her boyfriend/fiancé even shouted it into the microphone for all to hear. How awesome is that?!

The entire show was filled with intense energy, and chanting from the crowd almost through the entire show, with the occasional “FTM” chant heard at most of their concerts. The band played some songs from their new album, Arrows & Anchors, along with songs from their earlier EPs and single releases. Andrew was also doing quite a bit of crowd surfing while still hanging onto his mic and trying to continuing singing during the songs while lead guitarist, Cliff, continued to rock out shirtless the entire set. Towards the end of the show, the lead singer of DLC came out to sing a song with the band to return the favor from earlier in the night; Andrew and the rest of the band were on-stage during one of DLC’s songs playing the drums. There was even a point when Kim was on top of Andrew’s shoulders during the set.

At the end of the show, Sudderth, came back on stage to propose to his long-time girlfriend and lead singer of the band IWABO, Krysta Cameron. What some fans may or may not know, is that the couple had already been engaged almost a year prior, so that leaves you thinking: Why did Andrew steal the limelight and glory from one of his fans by “one upping” him and closing out the show with a fake and duplicate proposal to his fiancé? To that, we may never know.

Fair to Midland was formed in 1998 by friends Andrew Darroh Sudderth (vocals) and Cliff Campbell (lead guitar) in Sulphur Springs, Texas; located about 60 miles north east of Dallas near Greenville. It wasn’t until after releasing their second album, inter.funda.stifle, in 2004 before the band was signed to a major label after being independent for almost a decade.

That new album brought along with it massive attention that eventually led to a label deal with Serj Tankian’s (System of a Down) label, Serjical Strike, in 2006. The band were winners of the Dallas Observer Music Awards multiple years in a row for best metal category and even decided to kick off their most recent album release this past July at Deep Ellum’s own Curtain Club. In recent band news, long time drummer and band member, Brett Stowers, announced his resignation from the group in early November, almost a year after helping complete their newest album; replacing him and currently touring is new drummer, Logan Kennedy, who seems to be filling into Brett’s shoes quite nicely.

Pennsylvania’s Asher Roth took over Brooklyn Bowl last night in NY. The celebration was in honor of the release of his album Pabst & Jazz, which you can download for free from his official site. This dude can really rap. Lyrically, well it isn’t about loving college anymore (although you cannot help but love that song).

Jazz artist, Jonathan Batiste opened the show with the Stay Human Band. He recently released a new CD/DVD “MY N.Y.”. They were one of the more unique openers I have ever seen. Batiste stated that  they performed and recorded the album in subway stations and on street corners throughout NYC. Besides performing original music, Batiste and Co covered Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance”, The Fugees’ “Ready or Not”, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, and Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely”.  I recommend checking them out. Very uplifting.

Hassani Kwess, who is featured on the title track “Pabst & Jazz”, got the crowd pumped and ready for Roth’s performance. Asher Roth, who just signed to Def Jam, certainly knows how to work a crowd. The album was released on Tuesday, but there were several fans up front singing the lyrics with Roth. Roth instructed the crowd when to light up their joints and asked people to crowd surf. I am sure the owners of Brooklyn Bowl were very happy about this. The crowd fed off Roth’s energetic performance and he definitely established new fans. Action Bronson joined Roth on stage for “Choices”. One of the highlights was the performance of “Dope Shit”, which had the packed crowed yelling “they want that dope shit!”

After playing several tracks from Pabst & Jazz, Roth satisfied the crowd with “G.R.I.N.D. (Get Ready It’s A New Day)” remixed into “Jump On It”, “Lark On My Go-Kart”, and “I Love College”.  We should have some videos posted soon from the performance. Until then enjoy a few pictures from last night as well as the video for “In The Kitchen”, which is off of Pabst & Jazz.

See More Pictures via Flickr

The world felt vacuous on Sunday morning. The air was strangely silent and stagnant. It was impossible to ignore the contrast between the halcyon morning and the preceding sonorous night. Beats were pulsing through my mind all throughout the following day. I’ve never had a wild music-filled night in downtown Dallas, quite like this one in November. The Saturday night was seemingly infinite, with the additional hour of daylight savings. It was a common question, amongst party-goers, whether it was the first midnight or the second midnight.

Sound Tribe Sector Nine(STS9) played a sensational show at House of Blues in Dallas. The band’s set had evolved to a new level since the last time I had seen them play at House of Blues in 2008. The stage was comprised of numerous screens, strobe lights, and amps. STS9 seems to be acknowledging a change in their audience demographic. The visuals speak to a younger electronic driven crowd. Not to say that STS9 hasn’t been known to use a lot of lights for their performances. However, I’d never seen them use lighting of this magnitude before. The band seems to be evolving with the electronic scene, meanwhile still maintaining their jam-band funk roots.

The smile on David Murphy’s face was larger-than-life. Murphy, who plays bass for the band, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor back in January. He has since recovered. In fact, he appeared to be rejuvenated. David Murphy and Hunter Brown both played with enthusiastic animation continuously. It was awe-inspiring to watch them close their eyes and play poignant phrases back and forth. This is where STS9’s jazz influence shines through. When Murphy and Brown play conversational fragments, they somehow create an instrumental narrative of dueling instruments. One asks a question, the other answers. Jeffree Lerner, David Phipps, and Zach Velmer each performed flawlessly, which is to be expected. Lerner and Phipps both had their own solo moment during the show, which in my opinion, is extremely respectable. All members of a band deserve a few minutes of individual acknowledgement! Based on the stellar performance, I think it is safe to say that STS9 was genuinely excited to be back again.

Review by special guest correspondent Kristen Reed

Last week, North Texas music fans showed up in droves to see My Morning Jacket, which consists of Jim James (vocals/guitar), Tom Blankenship (bass), Patrick Hallahan (drums), Carl Broemel (guitar/saxophone/vocals), and Bo Koster (keyboards/ vocals), perform at the Verizon Wireless Theater. As someone who had never seen the Louisville, Kentucky musicians perform live, I did not know what to expect from their live show, but I was pleasantly surprised by their set. My Morning Jacket began their set with a slow build up that utilized the crowd’s growing anticipation and made the theater was crackle with musical tension. Unlike most front men, Jim James did not stand front and center during their performance, which forced the audience members to pay attention to the band as a whole instead of letting their gaze rest center stage. He also kept things interesting vocally and displayed his versatility by going from low and guttural in one song to light and almost ethereal in another.

Broemel’s backing vocals subtly complimented the guitar melody beautifully while nicely contrasting to the lower-range vocals of James. The band as a whole had a full but not overwhelming sound and effectively used dynamics and various levels of intensity, and that usage was a testament to their musical maturity. The perfect sound balance throughout the night gave My Morning Jacket a strong unified sound, but still enabled the listeners to differentiate between each instrument being played. Throughout the set, the band piqued my interest by changing up the instrumentals from time to time by having their guitarist play the keyboard or the saxophone, which he did with the same attitude and flourish that he had while playing the guitar, and having their lead vocalist either play guitar as well or strut about the stage sans instrument. There was also one song during which Broemel’s played an almost banjo-esque guitar riff that gave the song in question a much appreciated blue grass-y feel.

Watching a band that did not rely on humor or sexuality to excite the crowd was also very invigorating. My Morning Jacket has musical strength and confidence that many younger bands should emulate. They were not afraid to have musical interludes filled with solos that testified to each of their individual their musical abilities. Every time the band began a new song, the audience’s energy and interest was renewed and the bands’ and audience’s energy ascended in a gradual crescendo throughout the night that lead to an explosive, percussive climax at the end of My Morning Jacket’s set.

As someone who had only listened to a few snippets of My Morning Jacket’s music before Wednesday night, I was extremely impressed with their performance. They are a band who can—and hopefully will—stand the test of time because of their musical prowess, poise, and ability to mesmerize their audience. If you are a fan of true rock music with a southern, sometimes psychedelic flavor, My Morning Jacket is definitely a band that you should spend an evening listening to whether live or from the comfort of your own home. Either way, these Kentuckians will not disappoint you.

Photos, Video and Interview provided by M.E. correspondent Jason Henshaw

You guys started in ‘03 in ATX via an ad in the Austin chronicle. Did you guys know that this would work out?

Aaron: No we just went, we didn’t really have… I don’t really know, we really didnt know where we were going did we?
Thomas: No, we just both wanted to make music that was different, so we just got together and started doing that. That was the only rule
Aaron: Yeah, I think thats still the rules.

For the fans that don’t know, How did you guys choose the band name?

Aaron: Literally, it just came into our head, its was seriously like we were doing a play called Ghost Sonata… Well we were working on music for a friend that was doing the play Ghost Sonata by August Strindberg and with the help of Telescope pictures, it came out. And that is the only way I can explain it. It wasn’t like anything I thought about.

…It just kind of clicked?

Aaron: It really did.

Did you guys have any alternates that you were working with?

Thomas and Aaron: no

What is your favorite song to play live?

Thomas: I like “Midnight Voyage” Aaron: Im digging “Midnight Voyage” cause its always part of the set where you’re really starting to get out there. Like mid-set … Its vibey, its got a good vibe

Now that you guys are touring all over the place, do you have a particular part of the world that you were like “what the hell, where did all these fans come from”?

Aaron: You know honestly, I can tell you we are watching it grow and its like Thomas and I said from the beginning… its been about us trying to do something creative together. We really found that communication together so thats been what has really been good. Thomas: I can say ‘what the hell’ about where the people learn to drive in Brazil. (laughter) Thats just flat out scary what they do there.

… did you almost get run off a cliff?

No but I had to stop looking at the road of the first trip…

WORD ASSOCIATION:

Occupy:
Thomas “territory”
Aaron “space”

Bacon:
Aaron “grease”
Thomas “eggs”

Earth:
Aaron “wind”
Thomas “Martians”

Texas:
Thomas: “LONE STAR STATE BABY!!!”

Beer:
Thomas “good”
Aaron “cold”

Your last album was a little over a year ago, is there a new one in the works? Can you give us a little insight into that?

Thomas: I think we are going to get to work after the new year. Aaron: Yeah, were gonna start jammin, trying to find it.

You guys thinking about any new techniques or anything new you are gonna do on the next album?

Thomas: New techniques, thats the name of the new album!!!! Aaron: Yeah I like that, i really like that. (laughing) you might have just hit the bell, thats a really good name.

What are your thoughts about the death of the CD?

Thomas: To me I really don’t care anymore, all the other stuff is cool, but when they come to the live show they get more of the sound. Aaron: Yeah, who knows with all the other stuff its all legalities you know mortality, live or die you know. But the live show will always go on.

Yea, your shows are so energetic. So upbeat, its like an energy around you, do you think that is why your fan base is so strong and loyal?

Thomas: Yeah, they are part of the show you know…When you look at the audience they are actually involved with the energy of the show. Its like fuel to the fire. Aaron: Its like a circulation man, sending out positive energy and they send it back, its like a constant ball of energy.

So in an old interview, you guys said the craziest venue you played was in a mormon town in Idaho. Has there been any other venue to top that?

Thomas: For weirdness? I have to say no. Aaron: Yeah that was pretty odd. Thomas: They were all serious before the show and took us aside and said heres the deal. “No cursing, no drinking on the stage, no this, no that. Aaron: But then that seemed like all that was out the window as soon as the music started. There still was no alcohol but all the rest was crazy.

Finally, I believe “Sad Sad City” was featured on the remake of 90210? What were your feelings on your music being used in Hollywood?

Aaron: i think its the same thing we feel about music, its whatever, thats all bonuses, thats stuff that spends off the creativeness. As long as we create good music its bound to happen.

As for the live show, as you can see by the accompanying media provided, the live show was delivered as advertised.

I was only newly exposed to the break out artist’s work, thanks to the greatest invention since the iPod: Spotify. I was so late to the St. Vincent party actually, that I not only neglected to set up an interview, I didn’t have tickets. A really good friend of mine had an extra one, courtesy of a local radio station, so we made plans to attend both the acoustic appearance and Sunday night’s gig. My first experience of this incredible artist was at the free in store. Good Records continued their fine tradition of having select acts scheduled for shows in town to make a pit stop.

Annie played 5-6 songs, along with another member of her touring entourage, who played keys/organ to back her up. She seemed pleasantly surprised at the great turnout, probably 100-150 strong, packed into one of the area’s best vinyl shops. All from her newest release Strange Mercy, she played “Year Of The Tiger”, “Strange Mercy”, “Cheerleader”, and “Cruel”. The amazing sound of her voice filled the building, as everyone in attendance squeezed in close to get a glimpse. In between songs, she reminisced about coming to this same store to see The Toadies in high school. She also jokingly said that grasping an acoustic guitar made her feel obligated to tell a story before each song like VH1 Storytellers. Although having every one’s attention from the moment she stepped on stage until graciously signing the last autograph afterwards, it would take Sunday night’s concert to display all of her magic.

As is becoming the usual with shows lately, there was not just one demographic represented. The upscale venue was filled with teens, hipsters, and yes even senior citizens. To understand just how great of a turnout this was, remember that both the Cowboys had just finished winning their game, and the Ranger’s World Series game that night had just begun. To say the show was stellar and mesmerizing would be a good place to start. Joined by three others on stage (drums, guitar, and keys/synth), they started with “Year Of The Tiger”, then continued with “Cheerleader”, “Save Me From What I Want”, “Actor Out of Work,” “Chloe in the Afternoon”. Later they also did “Just the Same But Brand New,” Marrow” and “The Party”, “Neutered Fruit”, “Cruel”, and “Your Lips Are Red”. The stage lighting used in the size and space of this venue were nothing short of spectacular and captivating. When experiencing St. Vincent live, you not hear the music, you feel part of the music.

It would be difficult to over exaggerate the brilliance of this young emerging starlet, whose music is as strikingly as beautiful as she is. Annie is at once both enchanting and engaging. She is one of the rare performers that can make each person in the auditorium feel as if they are the only one that she is singing for. The love and appreciation she has for fans is apparent for all to see, which explains why they feel the same way towards this girl next door gone famous.

Voodoo Experience 2011

So after three days of worshiping music at VOODOO, I can say but three things, yes, yes, and HELL YES! Day one started out kind of slow, the weather was nice all week, but Friday turned out to be a cloudy, rainy, cold and miserable day.

The best energy came from the “Le PLUR” stage (PLUR stands for “Peace. Love. Unity. Respect”) and the “Deja Voodoo” tent. I had a little bit of a hard time finding out where to get the press credentials. Apparently the parking attendants hadn’t been told where to send people. I was sent about a half mile out of the way and ended up with a ride to the press tent on the back of the golf cart with the person handing out maps to the attendants… Irony. When she hands the person who sent me to the wrong place a map, he apologized, telling me “Sorry, you were the guinea pig…”…right? Having signed the proper paperwork and legal mumbo jumbo I was finally able to start the experience…

With the weather the way it was, it seemed to take alot for the crowd to get into it at first. I liked Fleur Debris w/ special guests Dan Dyer, the song “On the Side” was really nice with good blues guitar and sax play that mixed with soulful vocals. Caught the end of Civil Twilight and wasn’t really impressed, they seemed to have trouble with the sound. The first band that really stuck out was The Wombats (to the left), a punk band from the U.K. The Wombats, who had good energy. Everyone got a kick out of the singer dedicating two love songs to prostitutes then saying hi to his “mum” in the crowd. Playing with balloons on stage and cracking jokes, it was an upbeat and lighthearted show that got me in the mood to rage. I would recommend catching them live if you get the chance, a good sound and atmosphere.

When I left “Le Carnival” stage, I started wandering in no particular direction waiting for the “spirit of voodoo” to guide me. This is when I found Kora Konnection fet. Morikeba Kouyate playing one of the oddest instruments I have ever seen. Kouyate said… “in Africa it’s called the instrument of kings.” Named a Kinobe, it had a pleasant and mellow sound that was a strange contrast to the Punk we just left. This to me, is the spirit of VOODOO, so many different artist spreading their sound. This to me, is the spirit of VOODOO, so many different artist spreading their sound.

Able to catch some of Blind Pilot, a nice acoustical sound with positive vibes. Dirty South had the crowd into it on the PLUR stage with hard bass lines and high energy techno. I always love when the crowd gets into it, and this crowd was no exception. Maya Jane Coles had the Deja Voodoo tent hopping with deep tech house and smooth mixes. The girl has style, sporting short blue hair and a massive gold chain… I can dig it. Mates of State, I didn’t really care for it myself, overall, just didn’t sound good live and left something to be desired.

This brings us to Ani Difranco accompanied by New Orleans’ own Ivan Neville and Herlin Riley. Again, terrific energy and sound this combo shared. There was a small venue feel to the performance that left you feeling a more personal connection to the music. As for Herlin Riley on the drums, what can I say? Terrific. This trio meshed well together and came across as though they really enjoyed playing together. Next door at Preservation Hall, members of Morphine w/ Jeremy Lyons impressed me with their smooth rock flavor. I particularly like the song “Different”. Fitz and the Tantrums, who had great atmosphere and really got the crowd into it. Though Michael Fitzpatrick’s vocals were a little flat to my ear, if you are a fan, you would probably like their live show.

I ended up backstage at this point, looking to see if I could run into any artists, maybe get an interview but no luck. I did run into roaming performer Erik Brown (locally known as D.J. Unicorn Fukr) getting ready to “parade” around VOODOO with the “Mardi Gras Bull and Beat Bot electric 2nd line”. This is basically a dance party on wheels accompanied by fire dancer Jackie Bridgers. I followed them as they made their way around the park starting a spontaneous dance parade. As they stopped, fire shot from the top of the “beat bot” and a circle of festival goers gathered around one boy. In the center of it all, no older than 11 or 12, the boy was dancing his heart out as the crowd chanted, “GO, GO, GO!!”. This was an absolute joy to be a part of and something that kid will remember for the rest of his life. At this point I started thinking about the impact we all have on each other, how positivity breeds positivity. In that moment there was no judging of talent or ability, it was simply a group of people encouraging someone to do something without hesitation, without fail.

Next, we ended up at the Deja Voodoo tent where Claude Vonstroke was tearing it up with house music and the party was in full effect. Unfortunately, I had to tear myself away from Deja Voodoo to catch Soundgarden and let me tell you I was less than impressed. The crowd was huge and I did like hearing some of their older songs live but Chris Cornell’s voice just isn’t what it used to be. Nostalgia value alone is what made it worth hearing Soundgarden at all.

The night ended with us at the Deja Voodoo tent bumping to some more house music provided by Cassie. She impressed me with her long smooth mixes and funky track selection. Overall I liked day one, it seemed that a fantastic festival was beginning.

…Dr. John (to the right) and much more on Day Two

A bit of advice…driving back and forth from Baton Rouge to New Orleans in not (laughs) recommended. With more time to plan, I would have gone with a hotel. With that being said, I got to City Park a little later than I would have preferred on day two and three due to travel time. Lesson learned…

Caught the end of The Happy Talk Band and didn’t feel the energy. Chris Thomas King had the blues going in full effect at Preservation Hall and Daedelus was dropping smooth Dubstep on the PLUR stage. Boots Electric wasn’t very good live, they sounded like regurgitated rock n’ roll and not very good regurgitated rock n’ roll at that. Making it over to the Bud Light stage, Ozomatli had the crowd dancing with high energy classic Latin rhythms and a blend of Hip Hop style. The showmanship added to the mix and made this a show worth catching. At Pres. Hall, Gordan Gano w/ the Lost Bayou Ramblers, was one of the most unique acts of the day. Blending classic Cajun Zydeco with Punk Rock drumming, this odd grouping was fun to watch. Two fiddlers and singing in Cajun French made for lighthearted music and everyone grinning from ear to ear.

On the main “Le Ritual” stage, Mastodon was raging with mathematic Metal and harsh vocals that seemed like it could wake the dead. At this point chaos seemed to have descended on VOODOO. Metal on the main stage, The Fort Knox Five on the PLUR stage, Zydepunk at Pres. Hall and the New Orleans Bounce Extravaganza at “Le Carnival”. All in such a vast contrast that it was almost overwhelming. This is where City and Colour come into play, almost like the eye in a huge storm, the mellow acoustic sounds coming from the Bud Light tent drew you in like a magnet. Both “Body in a Box” and “Sleeping Sickness” were great live, as the melodic acoustics echoed through the sea of people. When Dallas Green picked up the electric for “Sorrowing Man” it really pumped life into the crowd. Call it personal opinion, but Social Distortion on Ritual stage did not live up to the hype.

Over at the PLUR stage D.J. Z-Trip was setting it off with a massive blend of old school Hip Hop with new school “flavah”. Bringing serious scratch skills to the mix and playing classic rock anthems like Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”, along with Old Dirty Bastard and Adell, Z-Trip had the crowd more than into it as they began screaming, singing and dancing along. The night was kicking off right and the party was just getting started.

On the way to see Snoop we were able to check out X, a punk band seemingly from the 80’s features Exene Cervenka, who can still wail. Got to see Snoop for the first time and had a blast. I didn’t feel so old watching 16-18 year olds going wild and singing along to songs I listened when I was that age. Snoop ended his set with “I’m Snoop Dogg and I represent peace, love and soul and that’s all I see all over the world, is peace, love, and soul.”

Got to catch some of the Illuminasti Trio plus 1 feat Mike Dillon, James Singleton, Skerik and Brian Coogan. What we caught sounded like psychedelic music using classical instruments. It was smooth and very creative and would have been nice to catch the whole show.

By this time, Girl Talk had the crowd going wild at the Le Plur stage, he came out dressed as “Freddy” from Nightmare on Elm St. Started off mixing Ozzie into Ludacris, when around 30 people all run out on the stage, start dancing and jumping around while they shot streamers into the audience. It was a fun show to watch and worth it to anyone that’s a fan of popular music.

Claiming they hadn’t been back to New Orleans in so long because of a one night stand in which “the guy never called back”, the top billing of the night at Le Ritual was Blink 182. The San Diego natives played a really good set that had the crowd screaming and yelling and going absolutely insane. One girl jumped the guard rail in tears trying to get to the band. “Carousel” and “All the Small Things” were good live, one fan seeing them live for the first time said, “I loved it”.

Ending the night at the Deja Voodoo tent, then heading to 1135 Decatur and at the Dragons Den listening to local electronic artists and D.J’s. Trying to leave NOLA we got caught in a massive Frenchman Street party. This road was crawling with hundreds, if not thousands of people. Jumping and dancing on the car in front of us, showing once again why New Orleans is legendary when it comes to throw-downs.

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On the final day of VOODOO I wanted to talk to as many of the festival goers as possible. I had no idea what I was in store for!! Day three turned out to be one of the best musical experiences of my life.

As I mentioned before, we arrived a little late on the third day. We did manage to catch Fishbone and as always, loved what they were doing. Any chance you get to see Fishbone, you should take it as their show is pure fun! Getting our feet under us, we headed over to The Limousines on Le Ritual stage. Dressed in cheesy skeleton outfits, like the ones the “Cobra Kai” kids in the original Karate Kid movie. You know, when Mr. Miyagi kicked their ass… I digress, Eric Victorino led the crowd in a sing along about ice cream, but the sound left something to be desired as well.

Mannie Fresh had the crowd bumping on the PLUR stage, but i wanted to for sure catch Dr. John. Simply put “Mac” Rebennack (in the rock n roll hall of fame) is the MAN. Hearing about his live shows from my parents made this a must see for me and he did not disappoint. It is definitely toned down from the huge costumes and theatrics I heard about from them, but it is still a show worth seeing. Walking out on stage with his elaborate cane and the band singing “If you don’t like what the doctor say, then jacomo fi-na-ne”. There was a certain air to the show that almost mesmerized you, living legend is the only way to describe it.

On our way to see Odd Future we found “the Noisician Coalition” which was basically a parade of odd instruments wielded by even more odd people… I LOVED IT!!! Similar to the “electric 2nd line” I followed on day one, it seemed to encompass all that is the spirit of VOODOO and it set the tone for the rest of the night. When the parade -more like a marching band of the morbid- came to the front of a stage with no music, it would slow down. Then, everyone stopped playing music to raise fingers to their ears as if to ask where the beat had gone? They seemed almost mystical as they made their way to the front, briefly stopped and proceeded with the show. Easily one of my favorite memories of VOODOO. One of the members ‘invited’ the new arrivals telling them “We’ve been waiting for you all day, this is for you!” “C’mon guys hurry, we’ve been here for hours waiting for you!!” I thought this symbolized everything that is this experience. Be here now, worship the music!

Missing out on Odd Future to follow around the Noisician Coalition was well worth it. Talking with a photographer I found out Odd Future poured water on photographers in “the pit” ruining several cameras. More about this in our FFF coverage as well. She also told me one got kicked in the head, experiencing the Noisician Coalition opposed to this seemed like a blessing from “the spirit of voodoo”

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Once again surrounded by the madness of VOODOO we made our way to Portugal. The Man (pictured to the left) and I was impressed to say the least. Before the show started John Gourley was talking to a few of the photographers. Everything seemed down to earth and lighthearted, with the band joking around during sound check. When it finally got started the bass play of Zack Carothers and synchronicity of the band really took hold. With exceptional change ups and great harmony, Portugal. The Man was one of the better shows of VOODOO.

After that it was time for TV on the Radio… Real simple, great show!! I loved the energy the band put out, playing up beat songs that crossed multiple genres. Straight from the soul, telling the crowd “you’re beautiful”, and with lyrics like “If you are fucking with mind control, I am gonna eat your soul!!!”, the message was loud and clear. The sound wasn’t great for T.V. On The Radio but it was still a good show live.

At age 15, back in 1997, DJ A-TRAK was named the youngest DJ to win the DMC’s. We caught the end of his up-beat-electro-house set. Hanging out around the Plur stage, I was able to talk to some of the festival goers. Throughout my three days, one thing was sure. It’s the people of Voodoo that truly make this a signature experience. For instance, I got to meet some cats from Australia attending the University of Florida who said VOODOO reminded them of the “outdoor festivals in Australia”. This is also where we met “Batman”, he looked lost, so I asked him what he was looking for. He replied “a god damn ninja on vacation..” He then kicked his cup, I couldn’t refuse a bit of downtime, so I asked “what did that cup do to you, man?”

Batman: “fuck that cup”
me: “why fuck that cup?’
Batman: “’cause it got me so drunk, I was trying not to be drunk.”
me: “you didn’t try very hard”
Batman: “I dabble, I dabbled, you know what I mean. I dabble in things, I dabble in getting drunk sometimes”
me: “you dabble in things some times? It sounds like you need to make an all out commitment to one thing or another, then you’ll know exactly where you’re at and where you’re going then, right?”
Batman:”I don’t even know”
me: “well there’s a start”
Batman: “no but seriously”
me:”seriously”
Batman: “I really wanna find my friend”
me: “where are your friends”
Batman: “he’s a ninja…”
me: “he’s a ninja?”
Batman: “but he’s on vacation, it’s exactly how it sounds. no but he’s dressed as ninja, but he has on like some Hawaiian shorts on”
At this point Nick “the ninja on vacation” comes running up out of nowhere screaming “BAAATMAAAAN” I say “there he is.. We’ve been looking for you everywhere” Nick replies with “I have been looking for Batman Forever” I told him “we found batman… forever” I then ended up in a conversation with Nick about the difference between him and an economist . We parted ways with “Batman Forever” and Nick “the ninja on vacation”.

Yup, so far VOODOO had been fantastic, but everything was trumped by The Raconteurs.

The Raconteurs opened with “Consolers of the Lonely” lights flashing and Jackie White going off on guitar, the show was on! As the jacket came off and things heated up, Whites play during the song “Level” did not disappoint. All show White was exceptional, the mix of blues and southern rock influence brought the spirit of music full force. Brendan Benson’s lyrics hit home for many fans in Louisiana, with songs like “Many Shades of Black”, “Broken Boy Soldier” along with “Consolers of the lonely” you can definitely hear the Louisiana influence. “Steady as She Goes” was great to hear live and one of the best songs of the night, getting the crowd involved having them chant “are you steady now?” after the lyrics “steady as she goes”. The show had great energy with amazing instrumental play throughout by the entire band. This was the best performance at VOODOO, the sound was great, the play was better. One fan claiming “I had no idea how good they are” another saying “best live show they have ever seen” The Raconteurs have solidified themselves as one of my favorite bands of all time. If you get the chance to see them live DO NOT pass it up!

Catching the end of Fat Boy Slim was really nice, it didn’t have the same intensity as The Raconteurs but was still good. Talking to some of the fans who saw the whole show, they said it was “great”. The light show was fantastic with blue & green lasers and messages on the wall behind him. Ending the night once again at the Deja Voodoo tent listening to the funky house of Soul Clap, lots of fans seemed reluctant to leave and i shared the sentiment. VOODOO 2011 was in the books. As they say, a memory for many that will last a lifetime.

We arrived a bit later than we had planned, which resulted in us missing Active Child.  Pat Grossi is staying quite busy, also having another scheduled show in Dallas tonight.  We showed up just in time to watch the last 3 songs  of Purity Ring, which were being streamed live by Pitchfork.  The duo drew quite a large size audience.  They seemed to have some sort of homemade type of instrument, created with some welded brass pipes.  We then made our way over to watch Tinariwen, a 6 piece which are poet-guitarists from the Southern Sahara desert.  We were joking that they looked like terrorists, and so did most in the audience since there were so many bandannas from all of the dust.  Their live music sounded very tribal and very trance like, many were dancing to the rhythm of the beat.  It’s probably safe to say that no one knew any of their lyrics, but the majority were still into them.

Next up was very popular The Joy Formidable trio from Wales.  They started roughly 10 or 15 minutes late, but quickly caused everyone to mostly forgive and forget through their energy and enthusiasm.  The three of them are tight musicians who are difficult not to enjoy seeing.  Part of their setup was a gong placed in the back center of the stage that commanded attention. To state the obvious, the lead singer can rock out and has an accent—she’s so hot!  They waited until the very last song to play their hit “Whirring”.  Immediately following them were tUnE-yArDs.  Merrill Garbus appeared on stage solo to begin with, with face paint and costume.  She was captivating from the moment she stepped on stage until the very end.  Her band appeared during the start of the second song.  Some songs in their set included both “Bizness” and “Gangsta”.  The Joy Formidable and tUnE-yArDs were both sets that we were compelled to watch through their entirety.

We took a break to regroup and recharge, and were able to sit down with Fat Tony for a few minutes for our first interview during the fest.  We grabbed some pizza and beer then caught the last half of Ra Ra Riot’s set.  Seeing them live previously, I expected them to sound phenomenal, which they did. Austin seemed to enjoy their set, as a large mass of fans gathered both to watch and participate. They pulled from songs both old and new like “Boy”, “Can You Tell”, “Dying Is Fine”, “Too Dramatic”, “The Orchard”, and “Oh, La”.

Afterwards M83 from France began to play and it felt as if the collective mood and consciousness of the crowd became one.  Suddenly it was as if we were in the Matrix movie where everyone was dancing in a cave!  The females in attendance seemed to be really be into M83, so he definitely should be considered successful now.

After the set, we made our way to the other side of the Orange stage, where we ended up easily spending most of our time today.  Girls, from San Francisco, kicked off their set strongly and positively, complete with 3 African American gospel background singers.  The stage was decorated simply with stringing lights and flowers.   They incorporated songs from both of their records like “Honey Bunny”, “Lust For Life”, and “Vomit”.  They were incredible live,

we caught at least half of their act at dusk.   It was great to see how the amount of those attending kept increasing throughout the day and night.  As time began to give way from afternoon and turn into evening, the choices of which concerts to choose from became increasingly and exceedingly difficult.  So once again my friends and I did what any small staff of bloggers would do: split up to catch as many as possible.

I think everyone had really high expectations of Swedish superstar Lykke Li, or at least we did.  She kept the enormously packed audience anxiously awaiting her arrival, in part due to her impressive stage set up.  There were black curtains which were being blown everywhere in the strong winds, and what appeared to be an incredible lighting and strobes.  The most stage fog you have ever seen in your life kept being pumped out, perhaps with the intention that it would prevent the restless crowd from being able to see how late she was.  This wasn’t the most considerate gesture, considering it was hard enough to breathe already from all of the dust.  We thought maybe there was a good reason for the delay, but she appeared to just be chilling in the green room when we walked by.

She finally appeared at least 20 minutes after being scheduled.  I haven’t yet been able to confirm with 100% accuracy, but would be willing to bet money that the red headed drummer from Sweden’s Miike Snow was part of her band.  Overall the show was good yet underwhelming.  I guess it was like a movie that you keeping hearing about so you finally give in, just to leave confused as to why it was so popular.  Hopefully I don’t sound too bitter or cynical, I would like another chance to see her again another time.

Next up was the first part of Cave In, who both looked and sounded really good.  Their rock sound really seemed to gel with those attending.  We could hear Hot Snakes from where we were positioned, but weren’t able to actually make it over to watch.  It was too bad since they sounded impeccable.  For any die hard Nirvana fans, it was impossible to miss the Wiper’s influence on this group.  It made us really want to see them live. One of the most surprisingly impressive displays to the fest was by Childish Gambino.  Donald Glover, the actor/musician is a stand-up comedian on the hit NBC show Community.  He performed both at the comedy tent, then later did hip-hop on the blue stage which we saw.  He drew a large gathering who were intensely into his stellar showcase.

We were able to catch about half of Neon Indian’s act, of the festival favorites.  Alan Palomino led his band through a collection of tunes from both their first record and new one.  This must have appealed to most, who were happy to sing and dance along.  We heard “Hex Girlfriend”, “Polish Girl”, “Deadbeat Summer”, and “Should Have Taken Acid With You”. We caught a brief glimpse of Spoonat the beginning of their set.  They started immediately into their performance, infusing a much needed second wind of energy into the tired masses.  The brief intro we experienced from the hometown Austin heroes only wet our appetite for more.

We walked over and briefly experienced the classic British punk rock sound of The Damned.  We watched the latter half of their set, which was better attended than I expected.  The band has been around nearly as long as I have been alive.  Dave Vanian, the frontman, was decked out in a suit as is his tradition.  Formerly working as a grave digger, he is credited for transporting the goth look to rock.  It was probably fitting they played the bill since they also played the original punk rock fest in England in the 70’s.   They also made a joke about being cold, a reference and diss aimed at Danzig. The final act of day 2 was none other than Major Lazer. What makes a festival so exciting are the never ending surprises. On stage with the popular electronic act was none other than Diplo, filling in as guest DJ. During the set, it seemed like the world around us evaporated and that Austin turned into one giant dance party.

Day 2 has finally come to an end, and we are getting ready to end our last day here. There are more photos and videos to edit and upload then the amount of time we have actually spent here so far. But no worries, make sure you keep it posted here, and our Facebook page and Twitter account for real time updates as they happen, and for more in depth reviews, video and photos next week.

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You can also follow Ben and Mark as we are live tweeting from the event:

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