Concert Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I went to the gorgeous new Fox Theater in Oakland for the first time on Wednesday night to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. There sure seems to be some sort of giant eyeball theme going on in the music scene, because Depeche Mode's show featured a giant eyeball as well.


Karen O made her grand entrance wearing a spirally single-ram-horn hat (not seen here) that looked straight out of a movie like the Cell or something, and she soon began to drink water and spit it all over the place, as is her wont. Sadly, the acoustics were not the best. The music felt too loud, and the vocals were a bit drowned out, which I think hurt my enjoyment of the show. Her slow songs actually sounded better.

It was neat how the eyeball rolled, and the projected light turned it into what looks like Mars. I also really liked her quasi-wardrobe changes, where she would put on a shawl or a jacket for different songs, to go with the songs. Quite clever! It helped you to get in the right mindset for a song without too much trouble. And to further get people excited, there was a lot of random confetti explosions!

Oops. This has become more of a set design review than a music review. :P I did enjoy the music despite the sound issues, though I was pretty exhausted from work and probably didn't get into it as much as I could have. The rest of the crowd was crazy for her, often applauding so continuously and loudly that she'd have to wait for them to calm down before starting the next song! My favorite tune was probably Phenomena, though of course the audience went the wildest when she finally played Maps during the encore.

Karen O definitely embodies the energy and attitude of a true "rock star". I kinda had mixed feelings about this show, but none of the negatives were the fault of the band. I look forward to seeing them again some time. I'll be back at the Fox in three weeks to see Kylie. Hopefully the sound will be better then!

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Music Notes: Yeah Yeah Yeahs replace Beastie Boys at Lolla, Jackson documentary details

- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs will replace the Beastie Boys at Lollapalooza following Adam Yauch's cancer announcement. [Rolling Stone]

- Sony Pictures is in final negotiations to make a film out of rehearsal footage from Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour. The price is $60 million, the planned release date is Oct. 30. It looks like 90 percent of the money will go to the Jackson estate, while the remaining 10 percent will go to AEG Live — the group behind Jackson's London tour dates. [Hollywood Reporter - Showbiz411]

- VH1 is reviving Divas. This September, we can expect to see Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis, and Miley Cyrus take the stage that once featured Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle, and Celine Dion. Really, VH1? [Entertainment Weekly]

- Fifteen more tracks for The Beatles: Rock Band were revealed today. The tracks include "Can't Buy Me Love," "I've Got a Feeling," and "Paperback Writer." [Rolling Stone]

- Gossip have announced US tour dates for the month of October. A full listing can be found here. [SPIN]

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Music Notes: Jackson will gets filed, no viewing at Neverland

- Michael Jackson's will was officially filed with a Los Angeles court today, leaving a family trust designed to benefit his three children, his mother Katherine Jackson and unnamed charities. Katherine Jackson is also nominated to be the guardian of the three children. However, if she is unwilling to take over the role, Jackson's will nominates Diana Ross as the next candidate. The document specifically pointed out that Jackson had purposely omitted his former wife, Debbie Rowe, from the will. [Billboard]

- According to reports, the Jackson family has been unable to receive permission to hold a public or private viewing for the singer at Neverland this weekend. Alternate plans seem to be underway. [NME, CNN]

- Jackson is dominating the Billboard charts, holding nine out of the top ten positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. [Billboard]

- Fader is holding a contest for people to win some Lollapalooza 2009 tickets. [Fader]

- U2 covered Michael Jackson, performing snippets of "Man in the Mirror" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," when they kicked off their world tour last night in Barcelona. [NME]

- MGMT and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O are featured on the new Flaming Lips album. [SPIN]

- MGMT will also open for Paul McCartney at Boston's Fenway Park. [Paste Magazine]

- In the meantime, Passion Pit have remixed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Sensing a bit of a trend? [Stereogum]

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BFD Takes Over the Shoreline Amphitheatre, CA: 6/6/09

The season for radio station-sponsored summer music festivals is upon us, and San Francisco's modern rock station Live 105 held its annual BFD concert last Saturday. From what I've seen this year and last, BFD differs from other summer festivals I've frequented in that the tickets are relatively inexpensive, but the headliners also aren't "A listers." Of the acts appearing, I was looking forward to seeing Glasvegas; Metric; DJ Steve Aoki; DJ AM; The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs; 311 and The Offspring.

Last year I had a fantastic time at this concert, but it just wasn't as enjoyable this time around. For some reason, Live 105 decided not to release the set times for each band ahead of time this year. They also had a ridiculously small number of security people handling bag searches at the ticketing entrance, which led to a long, slow line to get into the venue. Thanks to that combo, I ended up listening to Glasvegas from the parking lot as I was waiting in line.

The bad news is that, since Glasvegas' lead singer fell ill at Coachella and the band cancelled that appearance, I'm now 0-2 for when it comes to trying to see them live. The good news is that Glasvegas sounded excellent during their set and I'm more determined than ever to enjoy them in concert as soon as possible.

Once I got inside the venue, I made a beeline to the Subsonic Tent since Steve Aoki had just started spinning. Aoki's set was good -- he's an energetic DJ who knows how to engage the audience while playing song after song that keeps you dancing. This year's crowd though, had a set of folks who were all about the moshing which made being near the stage a less-than-pleasant experience.

[bxA]After the aggravation of missing Glasvegas and not enjoying Steve Aoki's set as much as I'd expected, I'll admit that my mood wasn't very good so I couldn't fully appreciate Metric's set. Emily Haines knows how to use her distinctive voice and work the stage, so the Metric fans in the audience had a great time.

The next band to take the stage helped turn my mood around considerably though. I didn't know anything about Rebelution before BFD, so I was understandably skeptical when I heard "band from Santa Barbara" and "reggae" in the same sentence. Less than half a song into their set and my skepticism was gone. Rebelution's sound is clean, simple reggae made unique by an unmistakable California vibe. Of all the bands I saw at BFD, Rebelution was the one that got me to buy their albums on iTunes after I got home.


Next up was the first of the BFD headlining acts -- The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. Karen O and her bandmates sounded excellent and also put on a good show. Their guitar-driven rock is a perfect fit for summer rock concerts and had the crowd on its feet through The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs' entire set. As odd as this might sound, the biggest negative was Karen O's nightmare of an outfit, which was so heinous that it actually distracted me from the strength of her live performance.


I passed up seeing 311 in favor of DJ AM's set, since I'd seen him twice before and knew that his set was guaranteed to be good. Even in a short, hour-long set, AM spins the perfect mix of current hits, dance club favorites, hip-hop, rock and Top 40. He also deftly hypes up the crowd, knowing that most are there specifically because he's DJing and not just to dance, but keeps the emphasis on the music. While he put on a good light show, the stage and his booth were never spotlighted for more than a few moments. There was still some moshing and crowd surfing during AM's set, but in general the packed crowd was busy dancing and enjoying the tunes.

The night closed out with a fun flashback courtesy of The Offspring. Belting out current singles "Hammerhead" and "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" from Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, Dexter, Noodles and company showed that they still know how to rock after 25 years in the business. The only audible sign of those passing years is in Dexter's distinctive voice. While he never had a wide vocal range, during certain songs you can definitely hear that the lead singer can't quite hit some of the higher notes anymore. Luckily, those moments are minimal and don't take away from the dynamic stage show.


All of those years as a band mean that The Offpsring have no problem filling a headlining set with hit after hit that kept the crowd on their feet from the front row to the back of the lawn. Along with the band, Offspring fans belted out the lyrics to "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem" from Smash, and "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy," "Why Don't You Get a Job" and "The Kids Aren't Alright" from Americana. The energetic set and encore was a great way to end the night and let BFD close on a high note.

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Music Notes: New Blur compilation, Kanye West continues blogging escapades

- Blur will be releasing a brand new best of album this June, and it will be somewhat different from their last best of compilation. EMI will release Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur — it will be a two-disc compilation (and also available in download format), while also featuring songs from their 2003 album Think Tank. The compilation will feature some of their biggest hits, alongside "quirkier" tracks like "Trimm Trabb." The tracklisting was announced via their website, under "news."

In the meantime, the possibility of the band coming to the United States may or may not be a little higher than it was before. And that high-pitched squeal you just heard was the sound of me shrieking with delight... now if only they'd show up before I go to grad school. [Pitchfork]

- Kanye West critiques a paparazzi shot of Rihanna in his latest blog entry, saying "This pic is hardcore. Peep the perspective shot of the city in the back.... Good job on this one!" He also went on to say Beyonce is the new Tina Turner and Thom Yorke is the new Roger Waters. And I continue to love his craziness. [Kanye West's Blog]

- Natalie Cole received a kidney transplant in Los Angeles yesterday, after months of undergoing kidney dialysis while still promoting her latest album. Following doctors' orders, Cole will reschedule her summer tour dates. [NME]

- Depeche Mode canceled more tour dates in Latvia, Poland, and Lithuania. There has been a lot of speculation regarding David Gahan's illness, but let's hope all ends well. [Pitchfork]

- Morrissey has rescheduled two shows he canceled last week (due to illness), and will be performing in four more UK shows as well. [NME]

- I think I missed this earlier, so I'll mention it here: the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their Zero Remix EP yesterday on iTunes. That being said, a vinyl 12" EP of the album track and all four remixes will be available June 9. [YeahYeahYeahs.com]

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Music News: Yeah Yeah Yeahs announce US Tour Dates

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have finally announced a series of US tour dates. While some of the tickets (for festival appearances) are already on sale, the rest go on sale this Friday, May 1.

Here's a comprehensive list of newly and previously announced Yeah Yeah Yeahs US tour dates:

May 23: Quincy, WA - Sasquatch Festival
May 26: Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
May 27: Detroit, MI - Clutch Cargos
May 28: Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
May 30: Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
May 31: Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Club
June 2: St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
June 3: Kansas City, MO - The Beaumont
June 6: Mountain View, CA - Live 105
June 12: Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
July 31: Jersey City, NJ - All Points West

[YeahYeahYeahs.com]

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Music Notes: Rock the Bells, No Doubt 'deliver' Adam and the Ants cover

- The initial line-up for this year's Rock the Bells, the annual international hip hop festival, is set. Acts will include Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, The Roots, Common, Big Boi (of Outkast fame), KRS-One, House of Pain featuring La Coka Nostra, Reflection Eternal, Tech N9ne, and more. Dates haven't been announced yet, but the festival will be held in the following cities: Chicago, Toronto, Washington DC, Boston, New York, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Vancouver. [Rock the Bells]

- No Doubt will be appearing on the Gossip Girl season finale in May, covering Adam and the Ants' "Stand and Deliver." Personally, I think they did a far better job tackling Talk Talk's "It's My Life." But you can judge for yourself by listening to the player below: [imeem via SPIN]

Stand And Deliver - No Doubt

- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs will appear as musical guests on this week's Saturday Night Live, hosted by heartthrob Zac Efron. [NBC.com]

- Patrick Wolf is set to debut new songs during a May 6 New York show at Le Poisson Rouge. Wolf will be performing acoustic renditions of songs that will be on his upcoming album, due for release sometime in June. [NME]

- Sigur Rós frontman Jón Þór Birgisson, aka Jónsi, is releasing an album with Alex Somers this July. The album will be released under the name Riceboy Sleeps, and will feature nine songs recorded in Iceland. [NME]

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