Snow Patrol: Terminal 5 is Humbled.

Terminal 5 on Manhattan's Upper West Side is a big venue.  Aside from Madison Square Garden and the Beacon Theatre it has become the premier spot, in both scale and prestige, for established rock acts and those on the rise.  The Naked and The Famous opened there last year and headlined last month.  The Shins will be playing 3 nights there next month.  For any fan of music (within the Tri State area), cutting edge or firmly established acts, the venue has become unavoidable.

Often times an act can get lost in the room.  And that is not to say the room cannot accommodate them.  It might be the talent is not ready for the scale of the joint.  It could be as simple as an engineer having an off night.  You get it, right?  It's a big place so you best bring it.

Last night playing the last of a two night sold out stint at the aforementioned Term 5, Snow Patrol (Gary Lightbody vocals/guitar, Jonny Quinn/drums, Nathan Connolly/lead guitar, Paul Wilson/bass, Tom Simpson keyboards/samples, Johhny McDaid piano/guitar/vocals) did the incredible.  They made the place feel smaller.  They made it intimate.  They made it easy to see how they fill arenas overseas.  Snow Patrol, and in particular their leader/showman/master of ceremonies Gary Lightbody, are true professionals.  If tightly constructed songs played with skillful precision is the bands task, they succeed.

They tour is called "Fallen Empires," like their 2011 album of the same name.  It, like their 5 previous studio releases, mixes soft and sweet with raucous and rock.  Their single, "Called Out in the Dark" is an up tempo pop song with a disco hook.  "This Isn't Everything You Are," one of last nights highlights, is a power ballad that hits all the right notes.  It is the new records "Run" or "Chasing Cars," but with more maturity.  Lightbody howls "There's Joy Not Far From Here/I Know There Is/This Isn't Everything You Are!!"

The feeling of hope expressed with tact by a voice and presence worthy of a bigger stage.  When Lightbody runs the stage and sings, with a voice every beat the equal of any male singer working today, you can't look away...  let alone not hear his art.

He makes it easy to overlook, rather ignore, missing entire lyrics as he did during "Crack the Shutters."  After that stumble he mentioned the story of Mick Jagger replying to a reporter asking "How is it you never forget lyrics."  Jagger's response went something like "Well I wrote them didn't it I?"

Lightbody was humbled he dropped some words.   After all he too wrote his songs (he kidded about how many fewer than Jagger for that matter.)  His thick Irish accent and slim figure might explain his charms too.  The women in attendance were surely smitten.

Snow Patrol might have a smaller catalog than the Stones.  But that catalog is strong.  Quality far surpasses quantity.  And for every notable track, "Shut Your Eyes" or "Take Back the City" for instance, the new material slid right in.

Fallen Empires is not on Spotify yet so the album was somewhat foreign to me.  But a sampling from last night has me itching to find and listen to it all.  "In the End" was a triumphant piece of stroytelling that, like many of their songs, starts slow but delivers a powerful final punch.  Funny hearing "In The End/There Is Nothing More Than Love is There?" sung over three screaming guitars.  The lyrics are all soft and romantic.  But somehow Lightbody paints it with a rock edge.  With all the club/synth/techno acts that have flooded Term 5 recently it was refreshing to hear slow builds end with guitars rather than pounding doosh, doosh, doosh beats.

"The Weight of Love" and the sentimental crowd favorite "New York" were both handled with care and craftsmanship.

A real life rock and roll show on full display.  Add in the effective use of lighting and visuals played on the enormous movie screen behind them and score one for the good guys.  These guys are more than the soundtrack to McDreamy or McSteamy.  Much, much more.

Snow Patrol Setlist 4.14. Terminal 5

Note on Concert Etiquette (or lack thereof):

As mentioned earlier Terminal 5 is a big place.  There are 4 levels of seating including an open roof deck smokers or erstwhile disinterested.  Point is, if seeing/hearing the show is NOT foremost on your agenda there are SEVERAL other things for you to do.  Merch tent?  Check.  Countless bars?  Check.  Lounge seating?  Check.

So why is it every show over the past few weeks has been an exercise in shutting obnoxious drunkards up so we can enjoy the show on stage?

And that does not speak to the bad sing-a-long singers.  That is all good and those folks get a pass.  Sing if you want to sing.  Show your love and do your thing.

No, I speak of the loud, more often than not innocuous conversations between frat boys and/or Jersey girls out for a night of revelry (NOT music.)  Go elsewhere if you want to talk about your new phone.  Don't come at all if all you want to do is take pictures of yourself doing shots.

The show is on stage folks and NO ONE wants to hear you.  We certainly did not pay to hear you!!  Keep quiet or move on.  The audience deserves that at the very least.  The way you can show your apathy and dissatisfaction with the artist is by not paying, not showing up.

This way we all win.

 Notable Tracks:

"This Isn't Everything You Are"

"Hands Open"  Their rousing opening track last night.

"In the End"

"Run"  The song that started it all for these lads.  Hard to believe folks out there might not like this.  A pop rock masterpiece.

White Rabbits, Webster Hall, NYC.

You cannot discount the element of luck when speaking of a bands success, or lack thereof.  And that is speaking commercially, not critically.  All bands crave critical acclaim, and in most cases that praise can lead to record/concert sales.   New York(via Missouri) rockers White Rabbits (Stephen Patterson-vocals/piano, Alexander Even-guitars/vocals, Matthew Clark-drums/percussion, Jamie Levinson-drums, Gregory Roberts-vocals/guitar, Rustine Bragaw-bass) have their fair share of positive press.  But fresh off their third albums release, Milk Famous, can this be the year they break through?  

Hell, Arcade Fire won a Best Everything Grammy a mere two years ago.  How did that happen if not for some luck.  An aggressive PR agent maybe?  A and R man who wouldn't quit.  

What do the Black Keys have White Rabbits don't?  More humor?  Confidence?  Better representation?  

Luck??  

It is not a bigger sound.  It is not a bolder and more confident stage presence.  It is not a more concise and polished set.  No sir, White Rabbits have an aggressive, energetic and down-right fun hour plus set that was in full display last night at their native city's Webster Hall.  It need not apologize for lacking the record sales or larger venues those other bands can boast.  

Let's call it right place, wrong time.  If last night was any indicator these fellas are on the brink of stardom.  

They leaned heavily on Milk Famous and the results were seamless and successful.  The moody "Heavy Metal" opened the set.  For their first release it is a nice way to start, but far from the best work on this record,  A few songs later the piano heavy "I'm Not Me" showcased strong melody and sheer exhuberance.  There is an ELO thing going on here and it sure can bring a smile to your face.  And let's not forget the toe tapping...  or here, clapping.  

They dipped into their debut record, 2007's Fort Nightly, and blitzed through "While We Go Dancing."  

"There's Something That You Want to Say/I'm Not Asking/Just Sleep You're Nights Away/While We Go Dancing" are not just lyrics, but commands.  Six pieces working on all cylinders.  Vocals, guitar, bass, piano, and the drums...  the drums...  the drums.

Never are those drums more on display than with their hit, Percussion Gun,  from 2009's It's Frightening.  Beautiful tribal beats fill the air as the band slowly kicks in...  then out...  then in again.  

Immediately after a spirited version of "The Plot" they sequed into their gothic "Lionesse."  It played like a mix of Danny Elfman and The Band, circa 1975.  More toe tapping goodness.

The boys were confident enough to incorporate new material into their encores too, leading off with "Danny Come Inside."  Their long guitar-heavy intro popped and would surely make Bradford Cox smile.  Someone in Hollywood needs to add this song to a chase scene and fast.  If "Percussion Gun" is their drum calling card "Danny Come Inside" is their electric bass/guitar signature.  

Finally they slowed down "Kid on My Shoulders" to the point of unrecognizable.  A groovy bass line and hints of a Brian DePalma score gave new freshness to an already fresh song.  All good.  All confident.  All in. 

 No wasted moments.  Little, to any banter with the reserved, but admiring crowd.  A quality rock and roll outfit who should be playing larger arenas, and fast.

Meatloaf at Wellmont?  Sinead?  

If those folks can get three thousand there is no reason White Rabbits can't.   

The luck has got to change.  With their talent that is the only logical explanation.  Take heed Alt World, and beyond.

White Rabbits Setlist, Webster Hall, NYC 4.12.12

"I'm Not Me"

"While We Go Dancing"

"Temporary" from Letterman 4.1.12

"The Plot"

"Danny Come Inside" from Kimmel  Sometimes you just need to hear a song live before you get it.  Case in point.  Earth shaking bass and pitch perfect harmony and groove.  Rock and Roll Exhibit A.  Note:  Jimmy Kimmel may have the lamest crowd for this song.  Wake up kids!!??!!

Prelude to Mean Girls

My better half has suggested she might write a piece on modern day bullying, or as women might call it, "mean girl syndrome."  Every school has them and maybe you were one of them.  Perhaps it was the cheerleading captain and her posse?  The punk rocker and all her Joan Jett looking besties.  Maybe even the stage star, soprano and valedictorian.   The do-it-all girl who had offers from Princeton when she was in grade school.  Oh, and she was a 3 sport athlete for good measure.  Hey, if that girl exists maybe she is allowed to bully.

The thing is, like everything else today, the "mean girls" aren't waiting for middle or high school.  Kids keep score at age 8 and 9 anymore.   "Their family vacations in Florida every break" they say.  

"Don't talk to her she isn't playing lacrosse this season."  

"She plays soccer, but only rec."  

"Did you see what she wore the other day?"  

"How about that hair?"  "

She only has a first generation Ipad."  

What, you think that is an exaggeration?  That stuff doesn't happen in the Heartland?  Or in urban places like Philly or New York?

Think again.  And if it isn't yet, it will be, and soon.   Let's say Minnesota is Beta to New Jersey's VHS.  It gets there, but it takes a little while to make that trip.

You could argue 9 year olds shouldn't have phones yet.  But in 2012 it is merely the equivalent of kids owning Colecovision or the Atari 2600 back in the 80s.  Kids, and more to the point their parents, NEED to keep up with their peers.  And if they are not doing it themselves you better believe they will do all they can to make sure their kids are.

And so the cycle begins, because mainly there will still be folks who either cannot afford to, or better, ignore these superficial trappings and opt to keep their kids socially behind (see: this author.)  That assumes that to fit in socially you have to show economic upward mobility (even if it is a lie- appearance is everything.)

Sleepovers at age 9 should be easy going expressions of friendship without the slightest bit of pretense and angst.

Why then do they challenge the very essence of the 4th grade system of mores?  Why is it girls cannot have more than 1 go to friend?  Why can they not root for each other when faced with adversity?  Why is every decision so critical?  When do they have time to just be children???  

Do we do enough to nurture their imaginations?  Is everything too literal??  When we take them to an inappropriate movie about children killing children should they be able to tell it is fantasy?  Is it fantasy?

Wait, now I'm confused.  Because more than anything the grossly overrated "The Hunger Games" is, at  best, a nice metaphor for today's youth.

They are paraded around for all the world to see.  They are expected to achieve greatness, so much so that they will rescue our sorry asses from the mess we find ourselves in.  Then, supposing they fail to meet our lofty expectations, we turn the channel as they die and wait for the next hero to come through the door.

Not quite.  We need to engage our children more and make them understand treating others poorly is not how things get done.  Rather, it continues a trend that we have all seen happen far too often.  

There new film Bully, reviewed last week: Bully Film Review @ GTS, fails to demonstrate how we can reverse this disturbing human tendency.  

It's so easy it hurts.  Lead by example.  Golden Rule s*&% folks.  

And listen (and/or make an attempt) to listen to what your kid is saying.  Cause at 9 it is far more complicated and nuanced than you could have ever imagined.

This guide needs a freaking guide.  What on Earth can adolescence bring??? 

Bully-Film Review

In recent weeks the movie maverick Harvey Weinstein has gone on a PR blitz fighting the powers that be (here, the MPAA) over the R rating the documentary Bully was saddled with.  He argued, and correctly, that kids of all ages should see this film.  Buses continue to be places of angst and torture for the weak.  School lots are often the stage for hazing and mental stresses.  Kids curse, in many cases with F bombs and other foul words.  Lockers are meant as much for throwing kids into as they are storing supplies.

It really is the same old story.  As long as Darwinism has existed so too has Social Darwinism.

Bully, the documentary made by Weinstein Company by fillmmaker Lee Hirsch, examines some modern cases of the tormented and their tormentors.  And lest we think the bullies are solely other kids in the playground, think again.

School officials, administrators, police and parents themselves share in the epidemic.  Add to that the pervasive social media that inundates a childs life these days and its clear the stakes are higher.

It is noted (on the films website, not film itself) that 13 million school kids will be bullied this year.  Hirsch and his camera follow Alex from Sioux City, Iowa.  He is a gangly kid who is referred to as "fish face" by his peers.  He stays quiet about his abuse.  He desperately wants to fit in.  He has a long road ahead of him.

There is Kelby, the 16 year old lesbian from Tuttle, Oklahoma.  Since she came out her tiny bible belt community has shunned her.  She wants to stay and prove them all wrong.  "We can co-exist, right?" she asks to deaf ears.  She quickly realizes she can not do it alone.

Hirch also features David and Tina Long from Murray County, Georgia.  Their son Justin hung himself in 2009 (at age 17) due to relentless bullying.  Kirk and Laura Smalley had a similar experience with their 11 (!) year old son Tyler.  They live in Oklahoma too.

Finally there is 14 year old Ja'Meya from Mississippi.  She brought a gun on her bus in an effort to stop the madness.  The bullied becoming the bully as it were.

These are all families from rural parts of America, or at best small mid western cities.  All of the kids profiled are in the public school system.  All without wealth and prestige.  And every cliched story fails to educate or enlighten the viewer as to the potential of thing getting better.  There is more pessimism than optimism, although that cannot be the filmmakers intent.

Candlelight vigils will not stop it.  Petitions won't either.

And by the way, this is not a rural and/or poor man's problem.

Are we to believe this type of bullying doesn't exist in prep schools?  In LA and NYC?  Does Weinstein and/or Hirsch view this Nation of ours as blue versus red?

Seems that way judging by their slanted and one dimensional film that's for sure.

A camera is covertly mounted on a bus and it captures physical and emotional abuses.   Out of touch Assistant Principals are ever so eager to pass the buck or ignore situations altogether.  Town Hall meetings are either poorly attended or ill conceived.  Parents of kids who are bullied can be heard loud and clear.

What of the parents of the bullies?  They never seem to show up.  Aren't they themselves bullies?  Are they the ones passing bills to not raise taxes or mandate women's reproductive health?  Or warning us of imminent global change and pending race wars?

Probably yes to all of that.  And citing case studies of bullying will not solve the problem.

Teaching your kids (and enforcing it at home) right versus wrong is the logical start.  Trusting in your educators and other parental figures to lead by example will certainly help too.  Acknowledging it happens in urban areas and places of wealth might be worthwhile too.

Kids should be able to see the film for sure.  But they should also see Larry Clark's Kids, and a few episodes of Degrassi, and remember the golden rule.

Somewhere in Bully is good intention and the makings of a good movie.

The finished product, unfortunately, fails to deliver it.

For more:

http://thebullyproject.com/

LA Times piece on the Ratings controversy

Editors Note:

To date the film was only playing in NYC and LA.  As Easter/Passover and wide release beckon the MPAA has just announced a reversal and will give the film a PG-13:  MSNBC report

Terminal 5 Comes Alive... thanks to the Naked and the Famous.

Over the course of a year New Zealanders The Naked and the Famous have gone from opening act at Terminal 5,  NYC's Upper West Side venue, to selling it out as headliners.  They have a few more dates on what has been years long tour supporting their debut record Passive Me, Aggressive You, Without burying the headline let's just say they rocked the house.

For the layperson it might seem trivial to list all the band members.  After all, if you are not playing arenas are you worth learning about?  Isn't The Voice or Idol on anyway??

That might be the easy way out, but it short changes Aaron Short (electronics/producer), Alisa Xayalith (vocals/keys), David Beadle (bass), Jesse Wood (drums), and Thom Powers (vocals/guitar.)  They may not be the most flashy at each position.  But as a team you will be hard pressed to find a more polished unit.  And at their age???  Impressed.

Two things were abundantly clear during their blistering, high energy 70 minute set.  One, it is easy to tell they have been on the road for a while, and playing/crafting these songs night in, night out.  Each track, from the opening Go- Go's esque dance number "All of This" to their encore "Young Blood", was played with confidence and without a wasted note.  No chit chat between songs either!  There were some aww shucks moments of thanks toward the end which was sweet and sincere.  Then it was quickly back to the music.

Which brings us to point # 2.  This ain't  no beeps and boops act.  Make no mistake, synths and keys are present.  But not omnipresent.  The only produced number was their light show, which was captivating.  Whatever pre-conceived ideas regarding a rave, or glow stick vibe were erased quickly with a full on rock show.  Drums drumming.  Bass pounding.  And the flawless pairing of Powers and Xayalith's voices brought it all together.  

"The Sun", a slow and brooding number, showed off the bands full range.  Each singer talking over one another with perfect harmony.  Short provided a Trent Reznor groove behind them.  The rhythm section kept the pace.    

The curmudgeon might suggest they move some tracks (notably two of their two encores "Dadada and Serenade") to earlier in the set.  They were slower pieces that were ill-fitting after the raucous show stopper "Girls Like You."  But that is nit picking.  And they deserve better.  

Oh and this just in.  Terminal 5 can sound pretty good too!!  After the Naked and the Famous, and Gotye and Grouplove in the weeks prior, the venue once again contained the sound and made it pop.  Do we now take a harder look at sound engineers as the prime culprits for echoes and reverbs that have haunted others.  Eels and Portugal the Man, two strong acts, were less than stellar here.  So too, many others.  A friend of mine has called it "The Place where Great Bands sound like sh%$."  

Not so fast.  Once again an act with a careful ear and well crafted set came into one of NYC's largest venues and delivered the goods.

Does this bode well for upcoming gigs from The Shins?  Snow Patrol?  Maybe.  For full listing  head here:  http://www.bowerypresents.com/

But this much is certain.  These crazy kids from New Zealand are a first rate act.  Even if live music isn't your thing do give a listen to their excellent LP.  This is a band with huge promise.

Further Research:

Setlist

"The Sun"  Any wonder CW shows and Madison Ave love this track.  A most worthy track for dancing, selling cars, emotional climax or montage scene, cruising with the top down...

"Punching in a Dream"  Good use of visuals during this one.  Note the hockey mask photo above...  it was the display when "Breathing life into the nightmare" was sung.  Silly but strangely cool.

"Young Blood"  It may borrow Men Without Hats, and quite liberally for that matter, but boy what a fun song.  A nice way to end the proceedings and their certain calling card.  

"Girls Like You" If you watch 1 of these videos make it this one.  Live version from The Lab.  Exhibit A thru Z on their live set.  It can not be overstated how the 80s have come back with a vengeance.  

And further knowledge can be found here:

GTS on FB

Nowadays Fest (Arts Quest at Steel Stacks), Starring Caveman, Jukebox the Ghost and Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr

A long time ago Bethlehem, PA served as the backbone for our country's thriving steel industry.  The times when, ya know, we made stuff and sold it to others for handsome profits.  China/Shmina.  We were a real economic powerhouse who made the rules and dictated the World's economy (in a positive way.) Much like many Northeastern towns from say, 1980 on, Bethlehem has seen some hard times.  In reality, 6 miles of property was abandoned when Bethlehem Steel closed its doors in 1995.  This was a  company, for the record, that had outfitted several US warships and revolutionized the now ubiquitous "I" beam.  140 years or so of literally creating our urban landscape.  Now a mere memory.  6 miles of industrial blight along with its hundreds of lost jobs.  Think Flint when the auto industry left.  Or Columbus or Dayton, OH when industry was not needed as it once was.  Erie, PA and Rochester, NY.  Wilkes-Barre, PA and Charleston, WV.

How then do you rebuild a City?  How then do you bring in jobs and commerce?  Can a once great City make a comeback??

Who knows?  And, not that it needs to be written,  those questions are intended for greater minds than this authors.

But I do know this.  When you build a major arts center among the ruins of an old steel mill the results are quite impressive.  And they signal things are going to be just fine.  In fact, Bethlehem's Arts Quest Center at Steel Stacks is a wonderfully conceived and impressive entertainment destination.  Only an hour or so from NYC and Philadelphia this spot is well worth the drive.  But the questions remains if you build it will they come.

4 stories of new construction devoted solely to art, film and music.  3 outdoor concert spots.  4 stages for music.  It was hard to keep score.  And, during day 1 of this weekends Nowadays Fest (http://www.artsquest.org/festivals/nowadays/) there is the feeling I saw very little of what this space has to offer.  More reason to head back, and fast.  For more:  http://www.artsquest.org/steelstacks/

This weekends festival touts 20 bands over 2 days.  The acts on the main stage last night made the drive even more palatable.  NYC's Caveman opened with another blistering set.  Hard to fathom they precede Jukebox the Ghost and Detroit's very talented Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr.  But they did.  And they once again rocked the house.

Their debut album CoCo Beware plays so well live.  Their abundance of live shows is clearly paying dividends too.  Their song "Decide" had a jazzier feel to it not felt before.  Their closing "Vampirer/Old Friend" continues to be an impressive feat of sound, melody and volume.  Not sure exactly how the record industry machine works, nor will I ever be.  But it continues to amaze me how even the alt world has its hierarchy.  An act like Lana Del Rey gets lambasted by the alt World and cast aside as so much candy.  Yet the controversy surrounding everything other than Del Rey's music only served to fuel her record sales.  Meanwhile bands like Caveman, and many, many others, get overlooked in their quest for listeners.   Take a look/listen:  http://cavemantheband.com/

Does that kind of US Weekly hype explain the incredibly low turn out at last nights event?  Maybe we prefer the spoon fed stuff?  Is that the kind of attitude that led to the steel mills closing?

Again, conversations and talking points for people more qualified than I.

I am, however, adept on planning evenings and executing flawless evenings of dining and music.  Arts Quest in Bethlehem, PA is now very much in the mix.  It need not take a backseat to Terminal 5 in NYC.  Or TLA in Philly.

Caveman need not take a backseat either.  Or Jukebox the Ghost for that matter.  They gamely played a Ben Folds-esque/inspired set without their drummer (who left town earlier in the afternoon due to a family emergency.)  These guys were so damn positive and jubilant it was hard not to like them.  Although there were many in my group who wanted to.  The 17 year olds danced and dug it just fine.  I will have to be grade it an incomplete on my report card.  The skinny jeans are a definite demerit though.  Men, this column strongly enforces the NO SKINNY JEANS rule.   For more:  http://jukeboxtheghost.com/site/


Detroit's Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr have two things going for them.  First, their name is brilliant.  They come from the Motor City (as demonstrated by their Tigers jackets) and pay homage to a race car driver.  They also bring it.  The indie pop duo Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott has a high energy vibe that translates well on stage.  Simple grooves.  A good mix of guitar and synth.  These kids have a ton of potential.  For more:  http://www.daleearnhardtjrjr.com/

I will not mention the burlesque/magician/comedy act that played in between sets.  It was unnecessary, obnoxious and beyond out of place for last nights event.  Oh, was it just mentioned?  Sorry.  It sucked.




Arts Quest at Steel Stacks:

 Caveman:

 Jukebox the Ghost:

  

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr