Father John Misty- 5/20/13 Turner Hall Ballroom

 I didn't know quite what to expect when I went to see Josh Tillman, and his latest project "Father John Misty" take the stage at Turner Hall Ballroom on a Monday evening in May.  From YouTube videos, he seemed like a charismatic front man.  What I witnessed on stage was a performance and persona that rivaled the likes of Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips mixed with Charles Bradley (whom I also have recently reviewed).  Simply put, this man, at least in this incarnation, is an entertainer in the fullest sense

Musically, Tillman has a fantastic voice with a great range and carried the crowd in the palm of his hand with his narrative vocals, drawing mostly from his release Fear Fun (one of my favorite records of last year).

Father John Misty didn't skimp on delivering a full sound live either.  Tillman was clearly the focus, with the spotlight literally always on him, but also was backed with a great group
five support musicians, who helped create a loose-feeling vibe that went along well with the tunes off of Fear Fun.  What will be interesting is to see what Father John Misty does next, especially as Tillman, effective in January, quit Fleet Foxes, the band which he gained the most notoriety with to per sue this endeavor. 

Thanks to my friend, Stephen Bloch, for allowing me to use his great photos in this post. 

Grade: A

Charles Bradley- 5/3/13 Turner Hall Ballroom

 A true gentleman and a genuinely humble performer, we had the honor of meeting Mr. Bradley before his show at the Turner Hall Ballroom.  Bradley was a surprise favorite performer of mine from last year, with his show from last February ranking only behind My Morning Jacket for my favorite show in Milwaukee for 2012.  Bradley's warm and caring personality did not surprise me in the least.  He immediately inquired about my arm injury (see pic of me in the sling next to him), stating that he would keep me in his prayers for a speedy recovery.  Bradley does not take his stardom for granted and took the time to take posed pictures with me an my fellow concert companions in the parking lot before his show, along with a handful of other fans who spotted him. 

As for his performance, Bradley's set featured most of the tracks off his latest release, Reserved for You.  While equally as engaging as he was last year on stage, Bradley's newer material is much brighter in nature with warmer timbres than his first release, No Time For Dreaming.  The more upbeat numbers about love were a contrast to the soul-wrenching songs about heartaches and pain which dominated No Time for Dreaming. The show, consequently, took on more of a cheerful vibe.  Bradley's band, "The Extrodinaries" was solid, but lacked former Paul Cebar saxophonist Tony Jarvis, who appeared with the group last year.  While one might not think that an exceptional saxophonist would help drive a soul act, Jarvis's absence was noticeable.  However, what also came across more than last year was the axemanship of guitarist Tommy Brennick.  Brennick is truly an exceptional guitarist who also played more than proficient bass with the opening act, Paul and the Tall Trees. 

I hope Bradley becomes an annual Milwaukee act or years to come.  He's top notch!

Grade: A

Jim James- 4/19/13 Pabst Theater

My Morning Jacket's front man and his backing band delivered a highly entertaining, soulful and wonderfully engaging set of music.  The performance was exceptional.  As an avid MMJ fan, my only complaint was that the encore, which consisted almost exclusively of Monsters of Folk (another band that Jim James is in) tunes, didn't include much "Jacket."  That aside, James is a master entertainer who is clearly on his A game.

 Grade: A

Grizzly Bear- 4/2/13 Pabst Theater

Grizzly Bear co-lead vocalist, Ed Droste addressed the crowd at the nearly sold-out Pabst Theater recalling the band's history playing the historic venue, "Finally, we have some people on the third level," he exclaimed to the cheering crowd from the balcony, revisiting the band's earlier gigs at the beautiful Pabst (a lower-level only show with Beach House in the fall of 2007 (which I passed on to see Wilco at the Eagles Ballroom), and a $15 concert in the spring of 2010 that filled the venue through the mezzanine level- which I attended).  Droste, fellow vocalist, Daniel Rossen, and bass player Christopher Taylor, must have thanked the Pabst staff at least a dozen times during their set, recalling the kindness of people at the venue during their earlier performances.  As other reviews (JSOnline an ExpressMilwaukee) have mentioned, you couldn't ask for a nicer group of gentlemen to perform a concert for you, based on their stage presence, humility, and earnest and sincere nature.

Grizzly Bear is a band who has arrived as a major force in the modern indie rock scene.  Both their music and their stage show has progressed considerably in recent years.  2012's Shields was a frequent forerunner on critics' best of lists, and rightfully so... the album is incredibly diverse, musically challenging, and tremendously innovative.  Playing off of incredibly precise musicianship and vocal harmonies that will give you goosebumps when you hear them live, the boys in Grizzly Bear delivered a beautifully powerful record.  How can one top that?  Well, by putting on a stellar stage show, of course.

Shields tunes like "Sleeping Ute," "Yet Again," and "Gun Shy" came across as classic numbers, fitting alongside older Grizzly Bear staples like "Cheerleader" and "Two Weeks."  After seeing Grizzly Bear previously, I can say that this band has clearly taken the leap into the upper-tier of modern rock outfits.  Beautifully arranged lights and rotating visuals enhanced the visual experience of the music.  Unlike younger acts that I've seen recently (Local Natives and Alt-J), Grizzly Bear's experience and more mature stage presence, and more developed musical style helped propel their show.

This one was a classic-- a visual and sonic tale of a band ready to take the next step up the ladder in the indie rock scene.


Grade: A

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down- 3/30/13- Turner Hall

Thao Nguyen and her San Francisco band "Thao and the Get Down Stay Down" has been on my radar of acts to see for some time now.  After getting the "ok" from the Mrs. I headed down to Turner Hall for a fun evening of music.

I would sum up the set with one word, "charming."  Thao is a true charmer on stage, and her friendly banter reminded me of an early Ani DiFranco (who I had the pleasure of seeing several times as a relatively young artist during my time at UW-Madison in the mid-late 1990's).  Similar to DiFranco, Thao is an incredibly talented and versatile musician, who, aside from tackling the lead vocal duties, proved that she was more than proficient jamming on guitars, banjos and even a lap guitar.  Much of Thao's set came from her latest release, "We The Common," which has become a go-to album this year for me.  Tracks like "We Don't Call," and "Holy Roller," had a tight instrumentation that allowed their quirky nuances to be appreciated in the intimate setting of Turner Hall.  Moreover, the raw energy of tracks like "City" was also palpable.

The highlight of the show was the 3/4 full hall singing along and swaying with the title track, "We The Common," a song written about an inmate (Valerie Bolden) who Thao happened to meet at a correctional facility in California while performing service-work.

There was noting inherantly flashy about Thao and the Get Down Stay Down's stage show, but the raw emotion and fresh energy from the band endeared the audience to leave Turner Hall smiling.


Grade: B+

Alt-J 3/29/13- Riverside Theatre

I'm not sure if there is a band that has gotten more attention and buzz in the indie scene right now than Alt-J.  Their debut record, "An Awesome Wave" came out last year to much critical acclaim and ended up on many music blogger's "Best of 2012 Lists" (including mine).  On Friday the band took the stage at the Riverside Theater after selling out Turner Hall, and the Pabst Theater previously.  I don't believe there has been another act to come to town and upgrade to not one, but two venues.  The place was as jam packed as I've ever seen the Riverside Theater.  So, what makes this band so buzz worthy?

Alt-J blends a lot of different sounds to create a unique blend of music.  The band's influences range from electronic beats, atmospheric loops, folk sensibilities, pounding beats, and harmonizing vocals.  Comprised of  Gwil Sainsbury (guitarist/bassist), Joe Newman (guitar/vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards) and Thom Green (drums), all of whom met at Leeds College in England in 2007, Alt-J is a relatively new band, but you couldn't tell that by their stage performance Friday night.

Their live show is best described as polished.  The quartet relied heavily on material from "An Awesome Wave," as was expected, and played to their audience well (although with little stage banter).  One could argue that the lighting engineer for the band served as the fifth member, as the visual accompaniments went along perfectly with the music, making for a wonderful visual and aural experience for the jam packed crowd. Their sound and overall performance can be best seen in their song, "Dissolve Me" which includes the best of the band's harmonizing vocals, paired with a fantastic light arrangement.


Other tunes from "An Awesome Wave" like "Tesselate," "Breezeblocks," and "Fitzpleasure" were delivered with great energy.  Alt-J proved to be a band that clearly deserves the buzz they are receiving these days.

Grade: B

Favorite Baseball Themed Songs

Opening Day is almost here, and dare I say that 2013 will be the year that I finally see my beloved Milwaukee Brewers go to the World Series?  One can certainly wish and hope (as I do each and every year that I can remember).  In honor of the 2013 Major League Baseball season kicking off in less than a week, I thought I'd do a post on some of my favorite baseball-related songs.  After all, baseball is the Great American Past Time, and music and baseball just seem to pair so well together (like hot dogs and Secret Stadium Sauce, hot pretzels and nacho cheese, plastic helmets and waffle fries... you get the picture).

For the purpose of this post, I omitted some obvious tunes like, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," "Come See Let's Brewing" (the 1980's Brewers theme song), and "The Beer Barrel Polka," as for me, these seem like obvious Miller Park staples.  Instead, I looked for songs recorded by artists I enjoy that either deal directly with baseball or baseball-related themes. 

Please feel free to share with me your favorites in the comments section of this blog:

Honorable Mention:  Eddie Vedder "All the Way" 2007.
A great homage to the Chicago Cubs, and a great song overall. However, as a die-hard Brewers fan, I just can't put a Cubs' tune in my top 5.  However, if there is ever one that is worthy of being mentioned it's this one.  

5.  Bruce Springsteen "Glory Days" 1985.

What kid who ever donned a glove or picked up a bat didn't dream of being a big league player?  Leave it to "The Boss" to capture the essence of summer-- reminiscing of days gone by, fun stories with friends, and good times.  While one of the characters in the song is a high school baseball player, I think the main draw for me is how baseball, like this tune, allows us to reconnect with fond memories in the past.




4.  Widespread Panic "Rebirtha"1996.
Widespread Panic, hailing from Athens, Georiga, are notorious for being die-hard Braves fans (although I have seen lead singer/guitarist wear a Brewers hat or jersey on occasion at shows in Milwaukee during Summerfest throughout the years).  Widespread Panic's soulful southern rock, especially Bell's howling vocals, invoke a baseball "feel."  The line in this tune that resonates for me is:

"I know a town where real life's a game
Baseball's all that's real
At night all the faces light up
As the players take the field"

Tell me if that doesn't remind you of Milwaukee during the recent 2008 or 2011 Brewers playoff runs?

3. Wilco & Billy Bragg, "Joe Dimaggio's Done It Again." 2000.
What would a baseball song list be without an homage to a great player from yesteryear?  This was a song originally penned by Woody Gutherie that appeared on Wilco & Bully Bragg's Mermaid Avenue Vol 2 record.  It's a great narrative about Joltin' Joe, and even better testament to how engrained baseball is in our popular culture.




2.   John Forgerty, "Centerfield" 1985.
"Put me in cold, I'm ready to play," howls former CCR front man on his classic track about baseball.  This track ranks #2 on my list as it really is a well-written and musically moving tribute to the game itself, and the passion an emotion that it can instill in its fans.  Not much more needs to be said about this tune, as it's become a time honored classic, and perhaps the rock tune that is most often  associated with the game itself.

1.  The Hold Steady "Constructive Summer" 2008.
This song is perhaps the "Glory Days" of its era.  The Hold Steady, are often compared to Springsteen's earlier work, as being a "ultimate bar band," with catchy rock riffs, shouting vocals, and raw emotion and energy that is palpable live or coming through your speakers.  This tune deals with the eternal hope that summer brings, old friends and the importance of taking it upon yourself to build your own lasting memories (baseball related or not).  While never mentioning the words "baseball," "player," "bat," "ball," "stadium," or anything of the like, Craig Finn and the boys from The Hold Steady capture the essence of hopefulness that springs forth each year at the start of the baseball season for fans in Milwaukee and everywhere. 

Here is a video I shot of "Constructive Summer" live in Madison, WI at the "Majestic Theater" during the summer of 2008.