FIB Heineken Fest in Spain: A Music Lover's Dream

Benicassim by night

From Benicassim, Spain: Festival Internacional Benicasim featuring 4 nights of incredible indie music, including Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Amy Winehouse, and Wilco, and blasts from the past such as Iggy Pop, Human League, Devo, and B-52s.
(July 19-22)

Benicassim by day

Recommended beverage to go with this show: a rail drink (this fest was sponsored by Heineken so the beer option was out)

In the sleepy seaside Spanish town of Benicassim, local population of 13,900, some 50,000 mostly-Europeans invaded for a 4-night indie rock music fest. Now in its 10^th year, Festival Internacional Benicasim (FIB) is a mad mix of indie and electronica bands from around the world. The bands and deejay tent rage all night long; rest and recovery occurs during the day on the lovely beach, where folks can detoxify in the salty waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Tens of thousands of people utilize the campgrounds by the Fest. My group (which consisted of 10 Brits, a Swiss guy, and me, the American) opted for a hotel. Luckily, our hotel was a block from the beach. The downside was we had a 30-minute walk to the Fest side, partly over rocky, unpaved roads, 15 minutes of which was just walking the perimeter to the entrance. There was little infrastructure to support the mass visitor influx but the quality of this fest was so top notch that it made any hassle getting in and out of the town worth the effort.

Ironically, a large number of American bands dotted the line-up on the main and side stages. I thought, “Am I flying all the way to Europe to hear American bands?” There, though, I took great pride in this fact and the notion it’d be unlikely to have many of these eclectic, talented U.S. bands on the same bill in the States.

Such American headliners as Wilco, Bright Eyes, Albert Hammond, Jr. (guitarist from the Strokes) and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club gave truly stunning performances. I would’ve been happy to skip the B-52s, quite honestly, but the cleaner bathrooms were near the main stage so I had to endure “Rock Lobster,” not my favorite tune.

Below, you’ll find some brief random perceptions about the acts I saw.

Best of the Brits: As expected, headliners Muse, the Magic Numbers, and Arctic Monkeys all played brilliant sets. Amy Winehouse fought back her alcoholic, anorexic tendencies to perform; her jazzy-reggae tinged rock was something special.

Old white guys can rock! This fact was proven by headliners Devo and Iggy & the Stooges.

Great bands to dance to: Americans Ok Go and !!! (Chk Chk Chk) as well as the Brazilian CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) get my vote.

Best flamboyant showman: Why, Rufus Wainwright, of course. His pure voice and ebullient personality made it worth showing up early one night to catch his set.

Wish I caught more of them: On the side stage, I only caught a sampling of Swedish rockers Peter, Bjorn and John but it sounded incredible.

Band with the worst commute: The Klaxons. They’re British but got stuck in the monsoon and couldn’t get to Spain in time for their headliner set. But troopers that they are, they made it and performed later in the evening on a side stage.

Best act not actually in the intended line-up: Who Made Who from Sweden performed in the main stage slot originally scheduled for the Klaxons. Dressed in skeleton garb, they positively rocked the place.

“Damn, they didn’t play…” Arctic Monkeys didn’t play Mardy Bum. Ok Go didn’t play A Million Ways.

Most talented deejay. Armand Van Helden from New York. Ok, he was the only one I saw/danced to but he was really, really good.

Band I couldn’t avoid despite my efforts. B-52s. I just didn’t feel the need to hear “Rock Lobster” or "Love Shack" live but the nicer bathrooms were near that stage so I heard part of their set. If you like these guys, it sounded pretty good. “Roam” was more than tolerable.

Bands I am most upset I missed. Sad but true. Due to scheduling, I missed The Rapture, Human League, Calexico, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah…entirely.

It was a wonderfully exhausting trip!

Technorati Tags: FIB Heineken Fest, Benicasim, Festival Internacional, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Amy Winehouse, Wilco, Iggy Pop, Devo, B-52s, Ok Go, Peter, Bjorn & John

John Mayer, Ben Folds, James Morrisson Play the Verizon Center

July 25, Verizon Center, Washington D.C.

While Ben Folds is arguably as big a deal in music as John Mayer, (in my opinion, even more so) the sound quality was feeble until headliner Mayer took the stage. Both Folds and brilliant Brit newcomer James Morrisson, who preceded him, truly got the shaft on sound quality.

Folds, however, rose to the occasion, playing a fantastic (if short) set spanning his various albums. He opted to play "Underground" instead of his more frequent choice, "Philosophy," from his debut Ben Folds Five album. Also of note, Folds performed a lively and creative cover of "Such Great Heights," a song originally recorded by the Postal Service.

Mayer and his band appeared after a leisurely 45 minute break following Folds's set. Ironically, I expected to be annoyed by the thousands of screaming 13-year-old girls but, instead, the annoyance came from an older (probably pushing 60) very drunk and obnoxious redneck couple a few seats away who both yelled constantly and always at inappropriate times.

Mayer's sweet-smoky voice filled the arena as he rolled through a well-selected 100-minute setlist. Amazingly, his somewhat overplayed debut single "No Such Thing" still sounded fresh and impressive. The highlight, for me, was the encore, in part because the redneck couple finally left in the middle of it. Mayer sang two songs acoustic, surrounded by some of his bandmates who accompanied him on acoustic guitars. He then finally whipped out some of his blues for the final song, all plugged in, for the rollicking tune, "Crossroads."

The Phantom Visits Washington

Phantom of the Opera
at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. July 10

Recommended beverage: a glass of Pinot Grigio

On a two-month run at the Kennedy Center's Opera House, The Phantom of the Opera is a visually stunning production filled with superb singing. This production did everything right, from the cast to the magnificent set and costumes.

Props play a central role in this story, perhaps more so than in any other musical. The chandelier, the monkey music box, the mask--all symbolic of the elusive Phantom.

Female lead Marni Raab elegantly performed the role of Christine Daae. She sang with a sweet yet powerful voice, effortlessly hitting the highest notes. At this show, Christine's lover Raoul was played by understudy Sean MacLaughlin, who gave a strong performance. Most exceptional, though, was the Phantom himself, played by John Cudia, who has played both the Phantom and Raoul, as well as just about every character in Les Miserables, on Broadway. Cudia's voice sent chills through me, particularly in the first act when he sang "Music of the Night," during which my tears uncontrollably flowed. One could feel the raw emotion, the Phantom's loneliness and frustration, in every note he sang.

The haunting story is based on the book Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which is set in 1911 in a Parisian opera house, first opened in London in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988, then starring Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. This national tour, in Washington until August 12, is well worth checking out.

The Police Reunion Tour: Wrigley Field

Chicago
July 5, 2007

The much-anticipated Police reunion tour came to Chicago’s Wrigley Field for two nights in July and I traveled from ‘many miles away’ to check out the first of the two nights. When Sting first spoke to the crowd, he mentioned that, back in 1983, the band had played Comiskey Park (home of the White Sox and, hijacked by corporate America, is now called U.S. Cellular Field), drawing loud boos there in Cubs territory. But drummer Stewart Copeland silently diffused the situation, sporting a Cubbies jersey. The show was generally well-received; the crowd sang along, danced, and cheered for the Police’s 20-song set, packed mostly with beloved hits. The one exception, it figures, was my own section, among the last rows with my back toward West Addison, in which the crowd seemed comatose.

Once the biggest band in the land, the Police opted to keep themselves a trio; Sting on lead vocals and bass, Copeland on drums and percussion, and Andy Summers on guitar and backing vocals. No extra instrumentation or sound effects, just the simple, raw sound. The band was tight, and Sting’s voice strong, but the show lacked the anticipated high energy level. They dragged at times as some of their reworked arrangements fell a bit flat, particularly the slow version of the generally snappy “Don’t Stand So Close to Me.” On occasion, their song transitions lagged and sputtered but one constant was Summers’s skillful guitar playing, which especially helped breathe some life into the latter part of “Driven to Tears.”

The stage was basic with nice use of lighting effects on the screens (free-standing ones set up for the concert as Wrigley, in its magical simplicity, remains one of few ballparks without a JumboTron). Just before their second song, the familiar red, blue, and yellow color splashes from the Synchronicity album cover filled those screens, adding an element of excitement as the band burst into “Synchronicity II.” Sometimes the graphics were more obscure. During “Walking in Your Footsteps,” after Sting played the intro on pan pipes, gold-colored dinosaurs roamed the screens, perhaps some sort of symbolism.

An upbeat, fun “Everything Little Thing She Does is Magic,” with perhaps the best call-and-response of the night, was followed by a somewhat lackluster “Wrapped around Your Finger,” a victim of its slow rearrangement. The final two songs before the encore, “Can’t Stand Losing You” and “Roxanne,” did remind us of one of the most unique aspects of The Police’s sound when they first emerged in the late 70s—their blend of reggae with rock.

Various critics have mentioned the band reworked many songs on this tour, dropping them an octave, to accommodate Sting’s later-in-life, more limited vocal range. This was most noticeable on “Roxanne” when he didn’t try for those high notes when singing “put on the red light.” Apparently, “those days are over.”

Setlist for The Police,
Wrigley Field, Chicago, July 5
Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity II
Walking on the Moon
Voices Inside My Head
When the World is Running Down
Don't Stand So Close to Me
Driven to Tears
Truth Hits Everybody
The Bed's Too Big Without You
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking In Your Footsteps
Can't Stand Losing You / Regatta De Blanc
Roxanne

Encore:
King Of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
Next To You

Taste (and Sounds) of Chicago

July 4th
Grant Park, Chicago

I arrived in Chicago yesterday afternoon, somewhat famished. After dropping my bag at my friend's condo in Wrigleyville, I figured I could find some good eatin' at Taste of Chicago, a huge festival in Grant Park with food booths from more than 70 restaurants. I hopped on the train to Monroe and State, and walked over to the park. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm, and thousands of people were roaming about enjoying the festival. I bought some "taste tickets" and off I went sampling some yummy foods.

As I walked with my red beans & rice with plantains, I heard music nearby. Naturally, I had to check out the entertainment. Free concert. Very crowded. Sounds bluesy and rockin'. Wow! Robert Randolph & the Family Band was rockin' out on the big stage. After a bit, I found a side stage with some funky local blues band led by Dave Weld. Pretty good stuff. Back to the main stage I went where they were just announcing the next act...John Mayer!

The sound mix was fantastic, really showcasing Mayer's sultry, smoky voice. He opened with "No Such Thing," the smash from his debut album, Room for Squares, and he and his band rolled through a roster of songs perfect for a relaxing, sunny day in the park.

I wandered over for a bit to the side stage to find a nine-piece band playing Cuban music. Led by Hector Sylveira, they were rockin' with a solid horn section and percussion. Back at the main stage, Mayer was still singing, and then came the surprise. The legendary Buddy Guy came out, guitar blazing, to join Mayer on "Sweet Home Chicago."

Ahh, the sweet sounds of Chicago. Tomorrow, the Police will play Wrigley Field, and I'll be there.

This Charming Man: Morrissey at Wolf Trap

July 2, Wolf Trap-Filene Center, Vienna Virginia

Recommended beverage to go with this show:

several bottles of local white wine

Fans of the Smiths, suicidal lot that we all were, left last night’s Morrissey show at Wolf Trap quite content. Morrissey, who fronted the 80s British rock phenomenon, the Smiths, kept the crowd happy with a nice handful of “oldies” thrown into the mix of songs from his subsequent successful solo career.

Three large images of James Dean were displayed on the screen behind the band so it was no surprise that Morrissey might get nostalgic with his set. He did toss in a couple of songs from his most recent album, Ringleader of the Tormenters, as well as three songs from his 2004 release, You are the Quarry, including the single, “Irish Blood, English Heart,” though he steered clear of his 1994 successful album, Vauxhall & I.

Morrissey opened the show with the Smiths song, “The Queen is Dead.” He then played a song from his first solo album, Bona Drag, “Last of the Famous International Playboys.” He played two others from that album, the hit “Everyday is Like Sunday,” and “Disappointed.” (an unusual pick given the array of great choices from that album).

When he was about to launch into a Smiths song, he would lament, “ah, everybody has a past,” and then he’d play a gem. In addition to the title track from The Queen is Dead, he also performed “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” from that album. His set included perhaps the most well-known Smiths song, “How Soon is Now,” which shows up on several of their albums, including Hatful of Hollow, Meat is Murder, and Louder than Bombs. Also from Hatful of Hollow, he played “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want,” a song made famous in the movie Pretty in Pink. And, he included another Smiths favorite, “Girlfriend in a Coma,” from Strangeways, Here We Come.

Morrissey’s haunting, velvety voice sounded in top shape, with no trace of his reported vocal problems last week that forced him to cancel several shows on this tour. He was in good spirits and even got in a few, well-placed jabs at our government and conservatives, in general. For example, he said his earlier throat problems were a direct result of trying to watch FOX News.

Opening act Kristeen Young was quite entertaining. Playing keyboards, accompanied by only a drummer, she played an ethereal and wildly erratic set. Her voice, a cross between Tori Amos and Bjork, made for a truly unique and enjoyable experience, and the perfect complement to Morrissey’s set to come.