I'm a 38-year-old gal, living in the Washington, DC area, who loves going to concerts of all kinds. My blog tracks most shows I attend. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to comment!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Behind the Music: Travis Fans Get a Rare Personal Glimpse
An Acoustic Evening with Fran Healy and Andy Dunlop of Travis November 3, Jammin Java, Vienna Virginia
Fans of the Scottish rock band Travis recently got an incredible opportunity to hear the band's two leading men in an intimate setting. Singer/guitarist Fran Healy and guitarist Andy Dunlop have spent the past few months touring American venues with their nearly three-hour acoustic set that spans the Travis catalogue. The DC area venue? Jammin’ Java!
For us lucky fans who got tickets to this show, (the club's capacity is just under 200) it was a brilliant evening. Healy told sweet, charming, sometimes funny stories between every song, accented by a Power Point slide presentation that began with what else but …a map of Scotland.
Some stories got behind the sentiments of the lyrics but, Healy warned, don’t’ read too much into certain lyrics. He said when writing the band's breakout hit, “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” it was simply raining for his entire vacation. There was no hidden gloomy message behind that chorus. He added, though, that the opening lyrics about not being able to sleep though everyone says everything is all right, were inspired by his manager telling him by phone everything was fine even though he knew, in reality, it wasn’t, that their debut album at the time was barely selling.
In describing his inspiration for another song, Healy managed to connect Noel Gallagher of Oasis with Franz Kafka and the band the Connells. He’d been reading Kafka, fiddling around with the chords from the Oasis song Wonderwall, and a Connells song, when it all came together in the gorgeous ballad, “Writing to Reach You.”
Throughout the night, Healy wore his sweet modesty on his sleeve. He is clearly a regular bloke who never adapted even an ounce of the arrogant rock star persona. His stories were refreshing and utterly humble. He tells of writing a song for a girl he was dating who had moved away. He poured his heart out, recorded it, sent it to her, and then she barely acknowledged it, and he was left brokenhearted. Then there’s the song “My Eyes” in which he showed a slide of his adorable toddler, imploring the crowd to not take photos to protect his son.
What an incredible night of music. Everyone in that little room shed a tear at some point. Healy and Dunlop came out to greet fans after the show but the line was long and it was late and a work night, so my friend and I left. But we left in a dreamy state, with Fran’s gorgeous voice echoing in our heads.
If you haven’t yet seen U2 on this tour, no friend’s story, article, or even photo can prepare you for the massive claw set. It’s almost other-worldly and it’s no doubt utterly awesome. The 90,000 or so attendees all had a great view thanks to a massive 360-degree LCD screen, so big that it reportedly weighs 54 tons! It takes some 200 trucks to carry all the staging and crew.
The last time U2 attempted a stadium show (the last several tours utilized 20,000-seat arenas) was the somewhat disastrous PopMart tour. Even worse than the cheesy set were the horrendous acoustics. But this time, Bono had a vision and it worked. Somehow this claw helps funnel the sound and the acoustics were excellent.
Was surprised not to hear “Pride,” but apparently they’ve done quite a few shows this tour without it. This tour has leaned heavily on the new album though they played five new ones here at FedEx as opposed to the seven at many other shows. Also surprised that of the new ones, they neglected to play “Stand-Up Comedy,” which I think is among the best on the album.
And what’s a U2 show without a political message? During the show, Bono called for the release of Burmese activist AungSan Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been under house arrest for more than 20 years. Her image appeared on the screens as Amnesty International activists lined the stage in unity. Later in the show, keeping with the human rights theme, the band played “Sunday Bloody Sunday” in honor of the brave souls protesting in Iran.
And another observation: It was a great two hours of music but these blokes have more than enough material that they should be going on sans opener and playing a solid three hours. That said, if you’re gonna have an opener, well, ya can’t do better than Muse. This rockin’ Brit band was the perfect complement to a great evening of music.
Breathe, Magnificent, Get On Your Boots, Mysterious Ways, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet), Elevation, Your Blue Room, Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet), New Year's Day, Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, The Unforgettable Fire, Mofo (snippet) / , City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Let's Dance (snippet) / , I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (snippet), Sunday Bloody Sunday, MLK, Walk On
encores: One / Amazing Grace (snippet), Where The Streets Have No Name, Ultra Violet (Light My Way), With Or Without You, Moment of Surrender
Caught three different evening concerts at Austin City Limits. October 2009
John Dee Graham at Continental Club
John Dee Graham played Continental Club the Wednesday before ACL (on the one Wednesday night when James McMurtry, who usually takes the late slot, was not playing there. He ironically was playing the Birchmere in Northern Virginia, near where I live that very night).
The Austin folk-rock legend with the deep bass of a voice, crooned for a long set including songs from his most recent album, It’s Not As Bad as it Looks, newly released that month. Graham has performed with the likes of Alejandro Escovedo, Patty Griffin, and John Hiatt and remains a well-respected figure on the Austin music scene.
Them Crooked Vultures at Stubb’s
Stubb’s was packed that night and expectations were high. Little was known about this then new super group and, in fact, photos were prohibited that night as they still try to keep the mystery going. Three music icons front this group: Josh Homme, singer for hard rockers Queens of the Stone Age; David Grohl of Foo Fighters fame went back to his Nirvana roots and plays drums here; and Led Zeppelin guitarist John Paul Jones.
Admittedly not a Queens of the Stone age fan, even remotely, I arrived a bit nervous. It turns out, this Homme guy can really sing and the Vultures had rocking songs, some of them kinda melodious even. It was fantastic, and their simple little light show was mesmerizing.
Devotchka at La Zona Rosa
I just knew I would love Devotchka, and I was right. This Colorado-based band plays a fusion of gypsy, punk and rock, featuring a range of instrumentation from accordion to tuba to violin.
A blend of Slavic, Greek, and Bolero music, the quartet maintains a high-energy groove at their live show. Devotchka gained exposure for doing much of the soundtrack for the movie “Little Miss Sunshine” for which they earned a Grammy nomination. The band name is Russian for “young girl.” Their music is joyful and soulful fun.
This year, Austin City Limits moved its date back a couple of weeks to October 2-4, and fest-goers were thrilled at the prospects of cooler temperatures. It was lovely out, not too hot at all. And the new sod in ZilkerPark was lush and soft enough to be nap-worthy. That was Friday.
On Saturday, tropical storm Olaf pummeled through and fest folks got drenched despite their ponchos. By Sunday, after some 60,000+ people trekked on the wet sod, the entire park was a muddy mess. But this mud smelled really bad. Upon returning, I learned why: “Dillo Dirt.” Austin, big on recycling, has a program that recycles sewage and yard trimmings, bakes the stuff to (hopefully) remove pathogens, and then uses it as fertilizer. This stuff provided a thick layer under the new ZilkerPark sod. The heavy rain and many footsteps brought up the muck, and we were ankle deep in it. So, yeah, we were walking through sewage. Some folks sat and rolled in it, even. At least the music was good…
The Music by Day:
Friday
The Avett Brothers were outstanding. Their alt-country sound was complemented by banjo, two upright basses, and great vocal harmonies. It turns out their hit “I And Love And You” is equally beautiful and haunting live.
Another great first-day act was Blitzen Trapper, a tight rock band who seem to have a strong Tom Petty influence.
Two Saras played great sets. Sarah Siskind from Nashville had a gorgeous voice. Her songs were soulful and pretty. One song she performed gained her some attention when it was re-recorded by Bon Iver. He was on the schedule later in the weekend. The other Sara, well known as the lead singer of Nickel Creek, played with special guest David Garza on guitar. This one, Sara Watkins, also sounded lovely, a bit more on the rocking side. Rumor has it, staying till the end of her set would’ve revealed another special guest: John Paul Jones.
It was eclectic day of music. Mishkaperformed some great reggae. New Orleans bluesman Walter Wolfman Washington tore it up in the WildflowerCenter tent. Poi Dog Pondering, a Chicago band by way of Honolulu, let loose in that same tent with a sound that crosses every musical genre. Always fantastic is the quintessential Texas group Asleep at the Wheel who played earlier in the day. It’s bluegrass. It’s swing. One can’t help but two-step to these guys.
Folks voted in advance and Austin’s own The Bright Light Social Hour won the Sound & the Jury contest, gaining a spot at the fest (and a night playing Antone’s too). They were bluesy, folksy, rockin’, dance fun. One amazing act who got a little swallowed up in the large fest setting was Andrew Bird. He sings, whistles, plays a mean violin and is best appreciated in a club setting.
Sorry I missed: The Walkmen, Phoenix (the French band with a punk song that graces a Cadillac commercial).
Saturday
And then came the rain. Early in the day, two bands rocked my world and were among the best highlights of my weekend. !!! (“chk chk chk”) had me in a dancing frenzy as rain beat against my poncho. Only stayed for 20 minutes or so, bouncing around and beaming, but had to then hit a nearby stage to check out the new Irish rock band BellX1 (pictured here) who sound quite a bit like Talking Heads, particularly their breakout hit, “The Great Defector.”
Another band who got a bit swallowed up in the large fest setting (and the torrential downpour was in full swing at this point) was Grizzly Bear. Very mellow and lovely. Halway into their set, I escaped the rain to hear my New Orleans music love Henry Butler w/ the Game Band. It was jump blues at its finest.
Other great acts that day included The Decemberists (outstanding!) and the Felice Brothers, and the Levon Helm Band.
Sorry I missed: Alberta Cross (but I’ll get a chance when these Brit rockers come through DC in February), Papa Mali, Bon Iver, Flogging Molly.
Sunday
Austin’s Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears started the day off with energy and soul. Lewis sounds like a young James Brown and together with his horn section had us all dancing in the mud. After them, the B-52s played a stellar set. I take back any past criticism. Live, they are musically tight, feisty, and wonderfully eccentric.
Here We Go Magic offered up some tight Brooklyn, New York indie-pop.
A couple of Brit bands rocked out that day. Arctic Monkeys were brilliant, though I still prefer their debut album material and they gave us a healthy sampling of it. And, although I only heard two songs by White Lies, they were incredible, evoking a sound reminiscent of classic post-punk bands. Why oh why didn’t I stay for their whole set? Loved this band.
One nice surprise that day was Dirty Projectors, a newish New York indie rock band. Excellent. Rebirth Brass Band from New Orleans sounded infectious as ever, and opened their set with “Don’t Stop Til Ya Get Enough” in tribute to Michael Jackson who had recently passed.
We stayed for half of Pearl Jam’s closing, unopposed, two-hour set. The new album was not quite out yet but sounded as good as the classics.
Sorry I missed: Brett Dennen (changed his schedule so he could fly out and do Letterman the next day); Preservation Hall Jazz (but I ran into one of them at the airport the next day and professed my undying love for them).
Although I grew up in neighboring New York and have much love for that Jersey boy Springsteen, this was my first Springsteen concert! It was especially fun hitting this show with my good friend Mer, as attending a concert with a die-hard fan always heightens the experience. She knows every word to every song. [I’m this way with Billy Joel songs, so I can relate].
Springsteen’s show was 2 ½ hours of rockin’ fun. It’s amazing that he still is bursting with energy, running all over the stage, smiling, singing his heart out, and pushing for more audience participation. He didn’t have to push very hard as this was a truly adoring audience. They danced, pumped their fists in the air, and sang along with such soul. Even the offbeat clappers seemed to fall in line.
Another amazing feat is that Springsteen has played with these same musicians for decades, and they’re among the best in the industry, including guitarists Nils Lofgren and Steven Van Zandt, saxophonist Clarence Clemons, and drummer Max Weinberg. Wife Patti was absent.
The 26-song set rocked and this was one of the shows in which they performed the entire Born to Run album. What a treat!
I had wanted to attend his show here earlier this year but the whole Ticketmaster debacle thwarted that plan. Glad I finally got to see them in action!
An Acoustic Evening with Fran Healy and Andy Dunlop of Travis
