Dave Matthews Band: 09/09/09 The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

Last night I attended the Dave Matthews Band as they played The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. After seeing my first DMB show at the Outside Lands Music Festival two weeks, I was eager to see how they are in a normal concert setting. Photography was prohibited at the show last night, some people got kicked out for taking pictures, so I didn't risk it.

First things first, for anyone living in the Los Angeles who has never been to a show at The Greek than I suggest that you head over to their official website to see who is going to be coming their soon because it is now my favorite venue in Los Angeles. It is located up in the hills in the same area as the Griffith Park Observatory, making it a secluded venue that is engulfed in a sea of trees. The whole vibe up there is something to behold for yourself, so I recommend all SUPERGOODMUSIC fans to get there as soon as possible.

As for the show itself, it wasn't as good as the show I saw at Outside Lands. I'm no superfan, but I was with two friends who are, and they told me that the show was all over the place and too heavy on new material (9 out of the 20 songs were new). Another aspect that brought down the show was the crowd, which wasn't as into it as I would've expected since this was a 5,000 seat theatre that I thought would be filled with hardcore fans. There were numerous times during the show where large portions of the crowd would get up and make their way to the concession stands or bathrooms. One aspect that helped me to enjoy the show was that a lot of the setlist was similar to the one at Outside Lands, so I was more familiar with more of the songs than I expected. One of the major highlights of the show last night came during the song "Lying In The Hands of God," when a flutist by the name of Nestor Torres came out and blew away the audience with his ability, it was unlike anything that I had seen before.

Overall, I enjoyed myself for three reasons. First, the venue, which I can't stress how amazing it is to see a show at The Greek. Second, I've seen a lot of live music in my life, and even though I am not a huge Dave Matthews Band fan, I must admit that they give everything at their shows. You know if you pay to attend a concert of theirs that you will get your moneys worth because they are the kind of band that pours their heart out onstage every night. And last but not least, the company. Going to concerts with people you love always makes for a great evening.

Here is the setlist from last nights show:

Don't Drink the Water
Stay Or Leave
Seven
You Might Die Trying
Shake Me Like a Monkey
Lying In the Hands of God
Why I Am
Crush
Funny The Way It Is
Squirm
Where Are You Going
Alligator Pie
Dancing Nancies
So Damn Lucky
You and Me
Grey Street
Jimi Thing

Encore:
Baby Blue
The Maker
Tripping Billies

Monolith Festival: bands to look for

Here is another installment of Monolith Festival: bands to look for.

I leave for Denver, CO in just two days and I couldn't be more excited for this weekend of incredible music.

The Twilight Sad

It’s often very rare that you find a band whose name really represents their music, but The Twilight Sad do. Their music is very somber and evokes a very depressing mood, but I’m no stranger to sad music, and I find The Twilight Sad to be a very enjoyable band. How their music will play out during a festival is another story, because I have seen many “sad music” bands not translate very well to the festival scene. Regardless, I plan on making my way over to their set on Sunday and I hope you all do as well. To hear more music from The Twilight Sad, head over to their official MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/thetwilightsad

Thunderheist

Thunderheist are the latest Canadian import to bring with them a dance heavy electronic sound, but what separates them from other bands like them is the lo-fi quality that their music has. If you’re looking for gritty underground beats that you would normally find in a small dirty club than I highly recommend that you check out Thunderheist. Songs such as “Nothing 2 Step 2,” “Jerk It,” and my personal favorite, “LBG” are the easiest way to turn even the most proper parties into a more interesting affair. Watch their video for “Jerk It” below and head on over to their official MySpace page to hear more from Thunderheist.

http://www.myspace.com/thunderheist

Deer Tick

Deer Tick is a rock band. The beauty of them is that they aren’t trying to be something that they aren’t and all they want to do is make rock music. One of the things that makes them so special is the voice lead singer John Joseph McCauley III. You feel every single word that he sings because of how unique his scratchy voice is. Watch Deer Tick perform live on KEXP in Seattle below and head over to the bands official MySpace page to hear more music from them.

http://www.myspace.com/deertick

Woodhands

Woodhands is an electronic band from Toronto who made minor buzz this year with a popular remix of Peter, Bjorn & Johns “Nothing to Worry About,” but are now making waves with their own original music. Unlike other electro-dance bands from Canada, Woodhands is more listener friendly and not as harsh as the other bands from the North Country land. To hear more from this exciting band, head over to their official MySpace page, and if you can’t wait than watch their music video for “I Wasn’t Made For Fighting” below.

http://www.myspace.com/woodhands

Health

Health is one of the most buzzed about bands out right now and I am so excited to get the chance to see them live for the first time. The best way to categorize them as a band would be to call them experimental. They make music that is unlike anything that is out their right now, and even though most people may not like it, I have nothing but respect for a band that is going out on a limb and doing something different. Their latest album “Get Color” was released today and I highly recommend that all of you check it out. Watch their music video for “Die Slow” below and head over to their official MySpace page to hear more from this amazing new band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWZxThGh5wQ

Monolith Festival: bands to look for

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day Weekend. Here is another post about bands to look out for at the 2009 Monolith Music Festival. If you haven't already planned out who you want to see at the festival then head over to the official website to look at the schedule for this weekends music.

The Generationals

The great thing about The Generationals is that they have a very retro sound that is also very 21^st century. A lot of the tracks on their debut album Con Low sound like they could’ve been recorded in the 60’s especially the songs “Nobody Could Change Your Mind,” and “Our Time 2 Shine.” If you’re attending Monolith you can check out The Generationals on Saturday September 12 at 12:20 PM on the woxy.com stage. Check out their official MySpace page to hear more from the band.

http://www.myspace.com/generationals

Spindrift

Spindrift is one of those amazingly original bands that are hard to place into one single category of music. They have a very psychedelic rock vibe, but that just isn’t good enough to explain who they are. Much like The Generationals, Spindrifts music has a very retro vibe to it while still sounding very now. If you are unfamiliar with them then I highly recommend that you check out their song “Speak to the Wind,” which sounds like it came straight off the Kill Bill soundtrack. Watch their video for “Conversation with a Gun” below as well as a link to their official MySpace page below.

http://www.myspace.com/thewest

These United States

These United States are an indie rock band from Lexington, KY who have a very lo-fi sound. Their third album Everything Touches Everything was released last week and it’s a great album for autumn. I recommend the albums title track as well as “I’m Gonna Assemble a City.” Check out their video for “Honor Amongst Thieves” below as well as a link to their official MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/theseunited

The Love Language

The Love Language are another lo-fi band that make music with a great pop sensibility. Lead by Stuart McLamb, The Love Language are quickly becoming one of the most buzzed about bands on the internet after bands like Wavves and Times New Viking started to take off. Out of all of the reviews that I have read about The Love Language my favorite has to come from Q Magazine when they said that The Love Language sounds, “like Cold War Kids raiding Arcade Fire.” Discover them for yourselves at their official MySpace page and watch their video for their song “Providence” below.

http://www.myspace.com/thelovelanguage

Stars of Track and Field

Stars of Track and Field are one of the biggest indie rock bands out right now, and the band has even more material for their set at Monolith since they just released their second album A Time For Lions just last week. The new album is full of epic rock songs such as my personal favorite “Racing Lights.” Years ago, I made the proclamation that Snow Patrol were one hit song away from being one of the biggest bands in the world, and I feel the same exact way about Stars of Track and Field. Watch the official video for “Movies of Antarctica” off their debut album and visit the bands official MySpace page to hear more new music from the new album.

http://www.myspace.com/starsoftrackandfield

The Cartographers

If you’re interested in checking out a new electronic band, than SUPERGOODMUSIC highly recommends you head over to Club Violaine tomorrow night (September 5^th) to see The Cartographers. They remind me of one of my favorite bands Crystal Castles but their music is a little less harsh.

If you want to hear some more from The Cartographers than you have the following options. You can head over to their official MySpace page, their official website, or follow them on Twitter or became a fan of their Facebook page.

Monolith Festival: bands to look for.

Tigercity

If you like 80’s inspired dance rock than Tigercity is the band for you. The band from Brooklyn evokes an 80’s sensibility in everything that they do, from their music to their image and even their MySpace page is filled with random icons from the era like Jose Canseco. Their EP Pretend Not To Love is RCA recommended for when you want to put on something to move to. Check out their official MySpace page below.

http://www.myspace.com/tigercity

The Answering Machine

The Answering Machine are quickly starting to build buzz with their debut album Another City, Another Sorry, which is filled with pop rock tunes that are made to sing along to. If you like bands like The Strokes and Razorlight, than you will love The Answering Machine. I believe that this band is one song away from making it big, so I am eagerly waiting seeing them at Monolith while they are still in the land of obscurity. To hear more from The Answering Machine check out their official MySpace page below.

http://www.myspace.com/theansweringmachine

Savoy

The electro trio from Boulder is living proof that our generation loves to dance. They offer up rave heavy beats with the backing vocals of bands such as the Beastie Boys and Clipse. Some people may write them off as MSTRKRFT rip off, but I think that Savoy is about to hit it big in the dance world. I look forward to seeing them live when they play day two of Monolith and I expect my feet to be pulsing when their set is done. If you don’t have any of their tracks, then head over to their official MySpace page where you will find a link to download a copy of their EP for free.

http://www.myspace.com/savoyband

The Antlers

The Antlers are riding a big wave of critical acclaim since the release of their album Hospice, which got rave reviews from NPR, Pitchfork and Time Out New York. Hospice is filled with ambient rock that beckons listeners to visualize the music in their own way. I have been a fan of theirs since their second album In The Attic of the Universe was released back in 2007, and I am excited to finally see them live at this years Monolith festival. Watch The Antlers video for the song “Two” below as well as a link to the bands official MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/theantlers

Bad Veins

If you’re into bands like Interpol and She Likes Revenge, than you may want to seek out Bad Veins at Monolith because their music is right up your alley. The band from Cincinnati was unfamiliar to me before looking over the Monolith lineup, but after listening to a handful of their songs, I find them to be an exciting new act that I hope to see succeed. Take a look at their video for my favorite song of theirs “Falling Tide” as well as a link to their official MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/badveins

Cymbals Eat Guitars

Cymbals Eat Guitars is best described as an experimental rock band that remind me a little bit of The Shins, but the band from Staten Island definitely stands on their own. They are currently on tour with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (who are also playing Monolith this year), and I predict that they’ll soon become one of the next big indie bands. Head on over to the bands official MySpace page to hear more from them as well as receive a free download of their song “Tunguska”.

http://www.myspace.com/cymbalseatguitars

The Features

The Features have a bright future ahead of them as they were recently signed to the music label owned by Kings of Leon. They make great dance rock that is meant to sing a long to, so I think everyone attending Monolith this year should learn their songs now so as not to be left out. I’m shocked that they have flown under my radar for such a long time, but I am very happy to have found out about them. Check out their recently released video for their song “Lions” below as well as a link to the bands official MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/thefeatures

SUPERGOODMUSIC Presents

Tonight at Dakota Live Music Lounge, SUPERGOODMUSIC is hosting a night of superior tunes to keep the Westside dosed with latest in good music.

Local indie-synth-poppers, Tic Tic Boom! are playing a show on the heels of their Northwest tour where they played to crowds of hundreds in Seattle, San Francisco and Portland. Catch them (and support them) before they go into production on their new as yet untitled EP/album.

Joining them will be a spunky quartet of over the pond rockers, We Should Be Dead, who are rolling around the country over the next few months, Cody Hudock - of Marvelous Toy - doing some new solo material and local westside Emergency Room all-stars Helicopter Rounds.

The people are always super. You can count on us to make sure the entertainment is good. Thus, the night will be supergood.

Dakota Live Music Lounge

1026 Wilshire Blvd.,

Santa Monica, CA 90401

Ph: 310-393-820

Monolith Festival: bands to look for.

Here's another edition of Monolith Festival: bands to look for.

Gregory Alan Isakov

For those of you who are in the mood for a brooding singer-songwriter, than Gregory Alan Isakov is the perfect artist for you. He takes a page out of the Leonard Cohen songbook by making somber music perfect for when you just want to sit down and hear someone pour their heart out onstage. I highly recommend his latest release This Empty Northern Hemisphere for anyone who is uninitiated. To hear more from him check out the link to his official MySpace page below.

http://www.myspace.com/gregoryalanisakov

French Horn Rebellion

You may have heard about French Horn Rebellion when they remixed “Walking on a Dream” by Empire of the Sun last year - but they have their own original music that is perfect for a late night dance party. After just finishing up touring with Database, they play Monolith and will be heading overseas for a few shows in London. Check out their video for “Up All Night” below as well as a link to their official MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/frenchhornrebellion

Speakeasy Tiger

Speakeasy Tiger is a great example of how sometimes a rock band just needs a kick ass female singer. They almost remind me of an American version of The Sounds, and songs like “Oil Rising” and “I Was Born” really show that comparison well. I’m interested in finding out how their music transfers to a live stage and will try my hardest to ensure I make it over to their set to find out. Check out the link to their official MySpace page below to hear more from Speakeasy Tiger.

http://www.myspace.com/speakeasytiger

Beats Antique

I missed Beats Antique this past weekend at the Outside Lands Music Festival, but I am hoping to make it to their set at Monolith so that I can experience their tribal dance beats in person. I’m am intrigued as to what the Oakland based band does at their live shows, but after listening to a few of their songs, I am sure I will be in for something unique and special. You can watch a live performance from their tour with Bassnectar below as well as a link to their official MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/beatsantique

Cotton Jones

Cotton Jones is an indie rock band that make music that is perfect for a breezy Sunday afternoon. With a 60’s vibe (that I love) - songs like “Gotta Cheer Up” “Cotton & Velvet” and “I Am the Changer” really showcase that. I recommend that you check out their debut album Paranoid Cocoon if you’re in the mood for a slower rock band. Check out their official MySpace page below.

http://www.myspace.com/thecottonjonesbasketride