Look at us, we formed a band!

Art Brut
The Independent
March 21 2006

What can I say about Art Brut? I dig their fun lyrics and the fact that they don't take themselves so seriously. Here's a sampling from the song, Modern Art:

So I'm in the Tate
And I'm looking at Hockney
And oh sweet Jesus
There's something about that blue
It touches me deep inside
Amazes me when I step outside
I'm sweating
I'm sweating
I'm beginning to palpitate
I can't help myself
I just can't help myself

Modern art
Makes me
Want to rock out

Yeah! How can you not enjoy that?

The Independent was crowded, although I'm not sure if it sold out. The opening act was..um...interesting. Picture two guys from Ohio with guitars and techno tracks playing in the background. One's using vocal effects ala Peter Frampton and moving about like a whirling dervish. By then end of their set, they had both stripped down to their speedos...I think you get the picture.

Art Brut opened with We Formed A Band and Eddie jokingly commented that whoever set up the mics and gave him a 3-foot cord had obviously never seen them play before. But that didn't stop him from using his mic cord to jump rope and venture into the crowd.

After they played 18,000 Lira, someone in the crowd asked how much that would be in American dollars. Eddie thought about this for a minute, and then responded with $4.73 (it's actually $11.22 and please don't ask me why I looked that up). The band had fun, the crowd was into it, and I saw plenty of people singing along (it reminded me of seeing The Darkness at Slims: Everyone sang at that show -- including me! -- it was awesome).

Before they launched into Good Weekend, Eddie told the crowd that the song was #1 in places like Germany, Narnia, and the former Yugoslavia. The set ended with him shouting "Art Brut! Top of the Pops!" proceeded by the acknowledgment of one of San Francisco's finest bands: "Journey! Top of the Pops!".

One True Thing That Don't Fade

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
The Fillmore
March 15 2006

Okay, it took me nine months to like Howl. In fact, the first time I listened to it, I came very close to throwing the disk out the car window so that it would shatter on the 280. I wanted to hear the loud fuzzy guitars that I had come to know and love. Part of me secretly vowed not to give up, but even after their September show at The Great American, I still wasn’t convinced that Howl was a good 3rd effort.

However, the current Mercury Retrograde in Pisces has made me reconsider many things…among them, my lost love: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. *sigh* It’s like falling in love again with your ex!

I miss Robert’s black leather jacket and wild mass of hair, but it’s okay, since he’s playing the piano on this tour and sings my two new favorite songs: Mercy and Sympathetic Noose. At one point someone in the sold-out crowd at The Fillmore yelled, “Satisfaction!” and Robert played the song’s opening riff on his bass. BRMC with a sense of humor? I don’t think that would’ve happened back in 2003. Which reminds me…Black Rebel has now surpassed Blur as the band I’ve seen the most.

Show Tally
BRMC: 2003 (Fillmore & Bill Graham Auditorium), 2004 (Grand Ballroom, Catalyst), 2005 (Great American Music Hall), 2006 (Fillmore).
Blur: 1990 (Brixton Academy), 1991 (Metro), 1992 (The Vic -- they played with Senseless Things. When that show ended, we jetted up to the Metro to see The Wedding Present and The Catherine Wheel – Blur jetted up there as well and Damon sang a few songs with The Catherine Wheel), 1993 (metro), 1994 (?) we had tickets to a 1995 show, but sold them to some kids and went out to dinner instead
Vue: 2004 (Catalyst, Bottom of the Hill, Great American, Blank Club)
Oasis: 1994 (Metro), 1995 (Rave), 2005 (Shoreline)
Ride: 1990 (London Town & Country Club), 1991 (London Town & Country Club), 1992 (Metro)
Social Distortion: 1988 (Odd Rock Café), 1992 (Riverside Theatre), 2003 (Warfield)

Okay, back to the subject at hand.

Missing from Wednesday’s set at the Fillmore was Rifles – probably the best song off their self-titled debut. However, they did play White Palms. Once again they opened with six tracks off the new album – but this time, it only increased my appreciation for Howl; especially the songs, Sympathetic Noose (they must’ve been listening to John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band!) and Mercy (they must’ve been listening to Simon & Garfunkel!)

I’m even enjoying Howl’s title track, although it’s a bit Indie sounding…which means I need to rant for a brief minute: I’ve been on iTunes listening to new bands that are supposed to be all the rage: Stars? Clap Your Hands Say Yeah?

Indie is what happens when kids take Prozac and Lithium. (Somewhere, a girly-thin white boy with a Macy's star tattoo on his wrist is crying). I don’t want to see another waif-like, pale boy crying about his dead puppy and extolling the beauty of yellow flowers. Please stop whimpering, get some sun and eat something. You’ll feel better – trust me.

Now back to scheduled BRMC programming. They dedicated Heart + Soul to their moms, who were all in attendance. What nice boys.

Fillmore setlist:
Feel it Now
Fault Line
Restless Sinner
Shuffle Your Feet
Aint No Easy Way
Howl
White Palms
Stop
Six Barrel Shotgun
In Like the Rose
Weight of the World
Promise
Sympathetic Noose
Gospel Song
Shade of Blue
Red Eyes and Tears
Spread Your Love
Punk Song

Devils Waitin
Mercy
The Line
Heart + Soul
Open Invitation

Just another Tuesday night at Thee Parkside

Rumor had it that Robyn Hitchcock was playing with the Minus 5...alas he did not show, but Peter Buck was there! Okay, maybe that's not so exciting, as he does play bass with the Minus 5.

At any rate, we got there early. Really early, actually. So early, in fact, that we didn't pay cover. I'm not sure if that makes us smart and frugal, or just a bunch of losers. I'm leaning toward smart and frugal.

Being that early did have its pluses...while standing outside having a square a cab pulled up. Out got some older guy. He looked a little weird. And I was totally fixated on his shoes, which were kinda like desert boots/mocassins/birkenstocks. And he was wearing leather pants.

It was Peter Buck! The last time I saw him was in 1991 -- and I watched him get out of a cab that night, too! Trippy! We had at least a dozen opportunities to talk to him:

- He'd leave his spot at the bar and walk past us.
- We'd discuss what we would say, like, "What time are you guys going on?"
- Then he'd walk back, and we'd get really quiet and pretend we weren't looking at him.

Hmmm...okay, now I'm leaning toward bunch of losers.

Check out umlaut's review. There were quite a lot of people there by the time the band went on, including The Phenomenauts.

But it's a shame that no one shouted out, "Driver 8!" or "Hyena!"