So, after nearly a week of settling in to life at UC Riverside I was finally able to get out into LA and do something off campus. That activity, of course, was going to a concert. Last night, I went and saw Brandon Flowers, frontman of The Killers, at the Wiltern Theater.
Let's go back to April of this year. Brandon's second solo album The Desired Effect had not been released yet, but he was still planning to come to LA and do a show at the Troubadour. I saw that as my opportunity to see him, since The Killers are currently on hiatus and have been for the last few years. However, hundreds of other individuals clearly had the same goal, for the minute tickets went on sale for that show, they were gone the instant I refreshed the page at 10:00. Scalper tickets were the only option, but prices were simply too outrageous to make it happen, so I just gave up and accepted that I would just have to wait until The Killers came back, whenever that may be.
But then, soon enough, it was announced that Brandon would be doing a second show in LA at the Wiltern in September. However, the same thing happened. Once tickets went on sale, they were gone before you had time to blink. Again, scalper tickets were more than we wanted to spend. Once I graduated high school, I had some money given to me to use for a graduation gift. We tried to use it on a mandolin but that ultimately did not work out since the mandolin I wanted was built with bad bridge. Soon I thought, "what if, instead of an instrument, I used that money for concerts I really wanted to see?" I thought and thought of who was coming over the summer. I then remembered that Brandon's concert at the Wiltern was coming up soon, but at the same time, I was considering seeing Rush at the forum on the last night of their R40 tour. We couldn't afford both, so I had to decide between the two shows which one I wanted to go to. I eventually decided that, since I had already seen Rush back in 2012, I should go and see Brandon.
I found a ticket on StubHub for the general admission pit, which is located right at the front of the stage. The price was right, so I went for it. I bought that ticket on the 18th July, a little over two months before the show.
Coming to the show, I wasn't sure exactly what it was going to be like. I had not seen The Killers yet, but I was familiar enough with Brandon's solo discography to be able to enjoy it. Even though the line of fans stretched around the perimeter of the Wiltern, I didn't stress too much, since my ticket guaranteed me access to the pit at the front of the stage. Sure enough, once I entered the venue and received my pit wristband, I found a spot behind two people much shorter than I was. That gave me a perfect view of the stage.
There was one opening act: a band from Mexico City called Rey Pila. They played for about 30 minutes. I have to say that they actually didn't sound bad. Believe it or not, they had a sound similar to the sound Brandon has on The Desired Effect.
Brandon took the stage at about 21:00. His band consisted of himself, a guitar player, a bass player, a drummer, two female backing vocalists, a keyboard player, a saxophone player, and a horn player. I hadn't seen that many people on one stage since Arcade Fire. Brandon started with a short piece called "Come Out With Me," which I can only assume was meant to be a short of introduction to the show, similar to The Killers song, "Enterlude." He played about 17 songs, but it was amazing how quickly the whole show went by. Throughout the night, Brandon sang songs and told us a number of stories from his past, like the day he heard "Changes" by David Bowie, what inspired him to write certain songs, or how he got in touch with Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys, one of his favorite bands. Sure enough, that mentioning of Neil turned out to be the foreshadow of a surprise guest: Neil himself. Neil joined Brandon on stage for two songs: the Pet Shop Boys song "Rent," and The Killers song "Human."
So, long story short, I loved this concert. I really did. It definitely exceeded my expectations. Brandon and his whole band were at the top of their game, and he had such a stage presence that I don't see very often. I think the last person I saw that had a presence like that was Chris Squire (RIP). So full of life and energy.
I noticed that there were a lot of friends together at that show. While it was cool to experience my first concert alone, I did find myself wishing I had someone that loved The Killers the way I did. I know plenty of people that have heard of them, but I don't really know anyone that knows as many of their songs as I do. So, consequently, I enjoy their music on my own. I am fortunate to say that I do connect with others through most of my favorite bands, but this happens to be an exception.
Anyway, it was an excellent concert. Ideally, I hope the next time I see Brandon is with The Killers, but if not, I would definitely see him as a solo artist again.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Friday, September 25, 2015
First day of Class
So the first day of classes at UC Riverside started yesterday. I had three lectures, starting at 9:40 and ending at 18:30. My first class was one about writing college essays. I learned that my professor's office room was easy to remember: room #2112. I guess the stars, planets, constellations and all other celestial objects aligned perfectly. Really, what are the chances of that happening? Tomorrow I will be seeing my third concert of the month: Brandon Flowers of The Killers at The Wiltern in LA. I will definitely be posting my thoughts about that show. I have been waiting for it for over two months….
Monday, September 21, 2015
Prog Rock Day
Happy Prog Rock day! I didn't realize there was a day for it. Without prog, I would not be the person I am today and this blog would not exist. Over the past 6 years I have spent countless hours listening to and trying my best to understand it. 6 years and 32 concerts later, prog still never ceases to amaze and fascinate me. I am proud to share my love of it with some very special people. Thanks so much to everyone who reads this blog. smile emoticon
Friday, September 11, 2015
An Old Relic of Mine
Found a transcript of this on Greg's website. I wrote it back in 2010 when I was 13. <3
Hello Greg. I am a 13 year old girl who has been playing guitar for almost two years and am greatly influenced by your music. Getting the chance to see you and Keith in concert on your recent tour was very important to me and a night I will never forget. I wanted the opportunity to ask you a question during the Q&A part of the show but sadly could not because I was located on the upper level. My question was: What was your inspiration for Tarkus (my favorite ELP album)?
Answer
Dear friend,
Firstly I am most impressed that at such a young age you are able to appreciate and enjoy such a complex piece of music as Tarkus. The initial inspiration for this record came from the music that Keith had written. Following on from this I wrote various songs and worked together with Keith and Carl as a producer to create the record you now hear. Tarkus has been the backbone performance piece for ELP for almost four decades now and has certainly stood the test of time. It is one of the best examples of the musical genius of Keith Emerson as a composer and of the band ELP working and performing together at the very top of their game.
Thank you for you interest and support and next time you come along to see a show just make sure you write to Eileen at this website in advance, ( with your name) and she will arrange for you to come back stage and I will introduce you to Keith and you can ask him about the piece personally.
Best wishes,
Greg.
(Oct-09-10)
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Onward, Through the Night
On Sunday the 6th of September, I saw my fourth Yes concert at the Greek Theater. Believe it or not, out of all those four times, three of those concerts have taken place at the Greek, one other taking place at the Orpheum, a venue that has become a favorite of mine over the years. This was my 32nd concert, my fourth time seeing Yes, my third time seeing them at the Greek and, of course, my first time seeing them without the late great Chris Squire. This tour was shared with the band Toto. Since my Dad and I are not really into Toto, our original plan was to arrive at the venue after their performance, which began at 19:30. However, ultimately, we decided to stay for the entire night and give Toto a chance. Back in 2011, when we saw Yes for the first time, they toured with Styx. We remembered being very impressed with Styx's set so it made sense for us to see if Toto would leave us feeling the same way.
Toto started right on time, with the song "Running Out of Time." There were a total of nine people on stage. Believe it or not, that's not the most people I've seen on stage at once. That record goes to Arcade Fire, who had a total of ten people on stage when I saw them at the Forum in 2014, including touring musicians. While I could see the talent that existed in each person on that stage, I have to say that I wasn't as impressed with them as I was with Styx. Throughout the set, I actually found myself becoming somewhat bored by some of their extended jams, which is saying quite a bit, considering that I generally love extended jams. As a guitar player, I found myself a bit lost with some of the longer guitar solos. They didn't really take me on a musical journey the way Steve Howe would or David Gilmour would. The goal of those guitar solos seemed to be to play as many notes as possible in the shortest amount of time just to impress the crowd, something I really don't find pleasing to my ears. I managed to tough it out through the rest of the set, which ended at about 21:00 with "Africa." Sorry, Toto. I gave you what I think was a fair chance, but you still don't do much for me.
Yes came on at exactly 21:30. However, before they entered the stage, they played a sweet tribute video in memory of Chris on the screen with the song "Onward" playing. I think the audience took that as an opportunity to share a moment of silence for a lost prog hero, because for the most part, no one made a sound. During the tribute, I couldn't help but think of the note Rick Wakeman had written shortly after Chris' death. Rick's tribute was just one of tens of tributes posted by many of my favorite musicians in the days following Chris' death, but I think his words stood out to me more than the words of anyone else: "Although Chris is no longer with us in human form, his music has not gone with him and that will be around long after all who read this will also have departed this mortal coil. That’s the great gift of music. That gift can be passed on with what has been created and so Chris will always live on." (http://www.rwcc.com/notice_chrissquire.asp)
It's true that none of us are getting any younger, especially these prog legends. I know that, eventually, they will leave too, so that is why every one of these concerts is important to me. To live out the rest of my days knowing that I got to see (and even meet!) artists like Yes, King Crimson, Rush, Greg Lake, Roger Waters and, next March, David Gilmour, means more than I can express in words. While I enjoy just about any kind of concert, there is really nothing quite like a prog concert. I really feel like everyone is connected to the music and to the artists. It keeps me believing that music truly has no boundaries and is limitless.
King Crimson inspired me to, like they would say, "embrace the moment," and enjoy the concert for what it is, so I have no photos to share from the evening, but I do have my memory to refer back to. Following the tribute to Chris, Yes made their usual entrance with Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" playing. This lineup consisted of Jon Davison on vocals, Alan White on drums, Geoff Downes on keyboards, Steve Howe on guitars and, in place of Chris, Billy Sherwood on bass. From my understanding, they are doing exactly what Chris wanted them to do: keep Yes going, regardless of what happens. However, I know that there are many Yes fans out there who don't want that, and wish that the band would just hang up their gear and call it quits, since there has never been a Yes without Chris until now. I, on the other hand, am open to different lineups. To me, it doesn't really matter who's on vocals, or bass, or whatever (unless Steve leaves), as long as they play well. :)
They began their set with a very unusual opening song: "Don't Kill the Whale" from Tormato. That made for a very low-energy entrance, to be honest. The second song they played was the song that I think would have been a better start: "Tempus Fugit" from Drama. One problem that jumped out at me almost instantly was that, from our seats (North Terrace), I could hardly hear what Steve was playing, and Steve is pretty much the main reason I'm interested in seeing Yes in concert. The next song they payed was one I had not heard them play live before: their version of the Simon and Garfunkel song "America." I always enjoyed listening to that cover so it was a nice addition to the set. Even though I like to pay attention to all the musicians on stage whenever I got to a concert, in this case, I found myself observing Billy Sherwood more than anyone else. I admire him for filling in for such a vital member of the band and covering Chris' complex bass riffs. From my understanding, he was actually Chris' first choice in finding someone to replace him. He didn't quite have the same large stage presence as Chris, but I wasn't exactly expecting that. Next, they played another favorite of mine: the title track from their album Going for the One. After hearing this song live several times, it has become one of my favorites to watch Steve play on. I'm always fascinated by his ability to play just about anything that has strings on it. It blows me away when I see how underrated he is in the guitar world.
The next song was another one I was hearing live for the first time: the title track off their album Time and a Word. I have established that, of all the singers that have replaced Jon Anderson over the years, Jon Davison has been the best. He really did sound great on this song. his voice probably resembles Jon Anderson's the closest, not that I'm expecting him to sound just like Anderson. They then played "Siberian Khatru," from my favorite Yes album, Close to the Edge. I'm always happy to hear that song live, let's just leave it at that. However, next came one of the songs that they pretty much have to play, but I would rather not hear: "Owner of a Lonely Heart." While 90125 is a good album overall, that song has never done anything special for me. I like the guitar solo, and that's about it. The second time I saw Yes was in 2013, when they did their 3-album tour. Part of why that was the best Yes concert I have been to was because they did not play that song, if you want the truth. They closed their set with two more must-play songs: "Roundabout" and "Starship Trooper."
I noticed a trend. I've seen Yes four times, twice alone and twice with another band. The two times I've seen them with another band, they displayed far less energy than they did when I saw them by themselves. There just didn't seem to be as much excitement or motivation from them. Of course, on this tour, part of the reason may be because they are grieving for the loss of Chris, which is totally understandable, but it is still a trend that I have noticed. While this was a good set overall, it could have been better. I think I will give them one more chance but, in the future, I think I will also avoid seeing them if they do another two-headliner tour. If I go to a Yes-only concert and find that they are still lacking in energy, I may have to retire from seeing live Yes shows. That's the truth. Well, at least that's the truth for now. I have a tendency to change my mind about things sometimes. ;)
Toto started right on time, with the song "Running Out of Time." There were a total of nine people on stage. Believe it or not, that's not the most people I've seen on stage at once. That record goes to Arcade Fire, who had a total of ten people on stage when I saw them at the Forum in 2014, including touring musicians. While I could see the talent that existed in each person on that stage, I have to say that I wasn't as impressed with them as I was with Styx. Throughout the set, I actually found myself becoming somewhat bored by some of their extended jams, which is saying quite a bit, considering that I generally love extended jams. As a guitar player, I found myself a bit lost with some of the longer guitar solos. They didn't really take me on a musical journey the way Steve Howe would or David Gilmour would. The goal of those guitar solos seemed to be to play as many notes as possible in the shortest amount of time just to impress the crowd, something I really don't find pleasing to my ears. I managed to tough it out through the rest of the set, which ended at about 21:00 with "Africa." Sorry, Toto. I gave you what I think was a fair chance, but you still don't do much for me.
Yes came on at exactly 21:30. However, before they entered the stage, they played a sweet tribute video in memory of Chris on the screen with the song "Onward" playing. I think the audience took that as an opportunity to share a moment of silence for a lost prog hero, because for the most part, no one made a sound. During the tribute, I couldn't help but think of the note Rick Wakeman had written shortly after Chris' death. Rick's tribute was just one of tens of tributes posted by many of my favorite musicians in the days following Chris' death, but I think his words stood out to me more than the words of anyone else: "Although Chris is no longer with us in human form, his music has not gone with him and that will be around long after all who read this will also have departed this mortal coil. That’s the great gift of music. That gift can be passed on with what has been created and so Chris will always live on." (http://www.rwcc.com/notice_chrissquire.asp)
It's true that none of us are getting any younger, especially these prog legends. I know that, eventually, they will leave too, so that is why every one of these concerts is important to me. To live out the rest of my days knowing that I got to see (and even meet!) artists like Yes, King Crimson, Rush, Greg Lake, Roger Waters and, next March, David Gilmour, means more than I can express in words. While I enjoy just about any kind of concert, there is really nothing quite like a prog concert. I really feel like everyone is connected to the music and to the artists. It keeps me believing that music truly has no boundaries and is limitless.
King Crimson inspired me to, like they would say, "embrace the moment," and enjoy the concert for what it is, so I have no photos to share from the evening, but I do have my memory to refer back to. Following the tribute to Chris, Yes made their usual entrance with Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" playing. This lineup consisted of Jon Davison on vocals, Alan White on drums, Geoff Downes on keyboards, Steve Howe on guitars and, in place of Chris, Billy Sherwood on bass. From my understanding, they are doing exactly what Chris wanted them to do: keep Yes going, regardless of what happens. However, I know that there are many Yes fans out there who don't want that, and wish that the band would just hang up their gear and call it quits, since there has never been a Yes without Chris until now. I, on the other hand, am open to different lineups. To me, it doesn't really matter who's on vocals, or bass, or whatever (unless Steve leaves), as long as they play well. :)
They began their set with a very unusual opening song: "Don't Kill the Whale" from Tormato. That made for a very low-energy entrance, to be honest. The second song they played was the song that I think would have been a better start: "Tempus Fugit" from Drama. One problem that jumped out at me almost instantly was that, from our seats (North Terrace), I could hardly hear what Steve was playing, and Steve is pretty much the main reason I'm interested in seeing Yes in concert. The next song they payed was one I had not heard them play live before: their version of the Simon and Garfunkel song "America." I always enjoyed listening to that cover so it was a nice addition to the set. Even though I like to pay attention to all the musicians on stage whenever I got to a concert, in this case, I found myself observing Billy Sherwood more than anyone else. I admire him for filling in for such a vital member of the band and covering Chris' complex bass riffs. From my understanding, he was actually Chris' first choice in finding someone to replace him. He didn't quite have the same large stage presence as Chris, but I wasn't exactly expecting that. Next, they played another favorite of mine: the title track from their album Going for the One. After hearing this song live several times, it has become one of my favorites to watch Steve play on. I'm always fascinated by his ability to play just about anything that has strings on it. It blows me away when I see how underrated he is in the guitar world.
The next song was another one I was hearing live for the first time: the title track off their album Time and a Word. I have established that, of all the singers that have replaced Jon Anderson over the years, Jon Davison has been the best. He really did sound great on this song. his voice probably resembles Jon Anderson's the closest, not that I'm expecting him to sound just like Anderson. They then played "Siberian Khatru," from my favorite Yes album, Close to the Edge. I'm always happy to hear that song live, let's just leave it at that. However, next came one of the songs that they pretty much have to play, but I would rather not hear: "Owner of a Lonely Heart." While 90125 is a good album overall, that song has never done anything special for me. I like the guitar solo, and that's about it. The second time I saw Yes was in 2013, when they did their 3-album tour. Part of why that was the best Yes concert I have been to was because they did not play that song, if you want the truth. They closed their set with two more must-play songs: "Roundabout" and "Starship Trooper."
I noticed a trend. I've seen Yes four times, twice alone and twice with another band. The two times I've seen them with another band, they displayed far less energy than they did when I saw them by themselves. There just didn't seem to be as much excitement or motivation from them. Of course, on this tour, part of the reason may be because they are grieving for the loss of Chris, which is totally understandable, but it is still a trend that I have noticed. While this was a good set overall, it could have been better. I think I will give them one more chance but, in the future, I think I will also avoid seeing them if they do another two-headliner tour. If I go to a Yes-only concert and find that they are still lacking in energy, I may have to retire from seeing live Yes shows. That's the truth. Well, at least that's the truth for now. I have a tendency to change my mind about things sometimes. ;)
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