Matthew Good Band

Sunday's show started really late. I expected the show to start an hour after doors, so at 8, but we were waiting around for an hour, so until 9, before the opener, Emily Greene, came on. I hope all shows at St. Andrew's don't end up being two hours late...that wouldn't bode well for Friday's show.

Speaking of St. Andrew's Hall, I did like the venue. It was the right size, and they had a really good beer list. I also enjoyed the logo at the back of the stage, although as Matthew Good mentioned, it was a little confusing: There was an X, which one could assume signifies the straight edge subculture, but the guy holding it had some sort of cigar/blunt hanging out of his mouth...

The best part of Emily Greene's set may have been the keyboard name, the "Sir Nigel Noteworthy II." Emily Greene's music wasn't actually that bad, but she made some weird faces. And in the words of another concertgoer, "extremely intense...eyes." I was informed that her faces were a side effect of her not using proper singing technique, which may be part of the reason I felt that she would have fit better in a coffee shop than on stage.

Emily Greene opening for Matthew Good at Saint Andrew's Hall

Matthew Good "Band" was really just Matthew Good. This guy was a little nuts. And he had been around a lot longer than I realized: Apparently some 20 years. I think he may have spent more time talking than actually playing. That's not to say he wasn't entertaining...his rants were pretty funny, and the music he did play was pretty good. He played a few songs I recognized, some of which I didn't realize were actually his, that I probably would have attributed to someone like Sam Roberts Band. His segues really made him seem like a drunkard though. He would do well as a busker; he's got all the right elements: A guitar, rants, and a somewhat sloppy image. Granted, that last part fits many musicians, but you know...

Matthew Good playing at Saint Andrew's Hall

Matthew Good photo courtesy of Robby Amin

ADEMLP - February 2012

My first concert of 2012 was the February ADEMLP...for which I was slightly late, so I missed the first 5 songs. I also had to sit near the back as a result of walking in late, so I wasn't able to hear most of the artists/songs.

There were a few stand-outs though. Carolina Chocolate Drops was really good. It was a little soul and had a good rhythm to it. I also really liked the rhythm for The Ettes. It was good to hear White Rabbits and Jack White's new single, too. Other songs I liked include Paul Weller and Miike Snow. I couldn't put my finger on why, though.

Kosheen was too techno for me, and Lissy Trullie too poppy, though I did like Brooke Fraser.

Katie Grace played this month. I actually really liked her music, which slightly surprised me because she is a country artist. It wasn't as twangy as I expected it to be, which was likely a big part of why I liked it. The same is true about other country music that I enjoy.

She also had a good sense of humor in her lyrics. I don't remember the story exactly, so I won't try to repeat it here. But there was one song that was pretty funny on its own, however, after she told us the back story, it was that much funnier. There was also another song regarding "her drinking habits" that was pretty entertaining.

As great as her music was, though, her stage presence was slightly lacking. I felt like her band could have been a bit more energetic, especially on the quicker songs.

Katie Grace playing at the Listening Party

List of bands that Ann Delisi played this month:

• Tennis
• Radiohead
• Punch Brothers
• JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound
• Ana Tijoux
• Andrew Bird
• Carolina Chocolate Drops
• Lissy Trullie
• Jack White
• Jill Barber
• Electric Guest
• Brooke Fraser
• Chuck Prophet
• Wayne Baker Boots
• Kosheen
• Paul Weller
• Miike Snow
• White Rabbits
• The Ettes
• Vacationer

Photos courtesy of Robby Amin

Upcoming concert aggregations

First post of 2012! (First concert of 2012 is still upcoming)

The list of concerts that bandsintown recommends me is available as an RSS feed here:

http://www.bandsintown.com/fan/rageboy04/calendar/rss

I have also created a public Google calendar that basically includes a list of the bandsintown concerts that I really want to see, plus any concerts that aren't included, for instance the ADEMLPs. That is available here:

https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=ud5pgrf96os4j4gkbbtd949gk0%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York

icals for both of these listings are available, and an RSS of the google calendar is also available. Contact me if you want either.

Both of these links are in the navbar for ease of access. This post is easily available via the "Upcoming" label.