Leonard Cohen, Palace Theater, Columbus, OH - 10/27/2009

To cap off a full month of a whole lot of rock shows, I had the distinct pleasure of finally, after many years of a spiritual connection to his music, seeing Leonard Cohen play live. Pre-show, we enjoyed a dinner at Third & Hollywood with my South Carolina buddy Beau and his dad, who were in town for business. Always good ...

We got to the show to find a long line for will call and ended up walking in as Mr. Cohen, looking dapper as usual, playing the first song, "Dance Me to the End of Love." The worst part of the evening was that the ushers were not letting people walk to their seats while a song was being played - super-aggravating. But we finally got to our seats, and what a show ...

You can see the setlist below, but it was an intense selection of songs. He played guitar a good bit throughout the second set and the many, many encores, and the show lasted over 3 hours (!!!). People, this man is over 70 years old. Unreal. His voice has grown into such an incredible baritone, too. Fantastic.

Highlights, if I had to choose some, would include "Bird on a Wire," "Suzanne," "I'm Your Man" and "A Thousand Kisses Deep." Great way to end Rock-tober ...

First Set
• Dance Me To The End Of Love
• The Future
• Ain't No Cure For Love
• Bird On The Wire
• Everybody Knows
• In My Secret Life
• Who By Fire
• Chelsea Hotel #2
• Waiting For The Miracle
• Anthem (with introductions of band members)

Second Set
• Tower Of Song
• Suzanne
• Sisters Of Mercy
• The Gypsy’s Wife
• The Partisan
• Boogie Street
• Hallelujah
• I'm Your Man
• A Thousand Kisses Deep (spoken)
• Take This Waltz (with band reintroduction)

First Encores
• So Long, Marianne
• First We Take Manhattan

Second Encores
• Famous Blue Raincoat
• If It Be Your Will (spoken)
• Closing Time

Final Encore
• I Tried To Leave You

U2 w/ the Black Eyed Peas, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV - 10/23/2009

Many moons ago, my girlfriend and I decided to head out to Vegas and see U2, as the closest they were playing otherwise was Chicago, and we both liked having an excuse to get back out to Vegas. I have mixed feelings about the city, but I always have a blast there.

We got in Thursday night and serendipitously were able to meet up with my cousin and his friend for dinner at the Strip House. I've eaten at the Strip House in NYC and had one of the better steaks of my life. This was probably not at that level but was fantastic ... a 16 oz. strip with blue cheese cooked on top. Not shabby. We ate around 10 PM Vegas time (1 AM our time) and didn't make it much later than that. We spent the weekend at the not-so-luxurious-but-reasonable-and-just-fine Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon. I have a Player's Club card there (don't ask) and now get pretty crazy good promos from them. So we stayed on the cheap but saw shows and ate on the not-so-cheap.

Before the U2 show, we went hiking at Red Rock Canyon, which is only 25 miles from the Strip. Great hiking including a 6-mile loop around the White Rock area. We saw a ton of folks sport-climbing on the way in, too, which got me excited about a future trip. We then ate at In-N-Out Burger, which is always a treat. 2 for 2 on food selections thus far.

We then rested up and headed out to Sam Boyd Stadium for the big show. As we approached the stadium, we saw what looked like a UFO landing on the field. Turns out it was just the U2 stage. Seriously crazy ...



After a bit of wine in the parking lot, we headed in and got situated for the Black Eyed Peas, who were entertaining as hell. They've got a lot of hits, which is no news to anyone but someone like me who never listens to popular radio.



Then it was the big show. I saw U2 only once before this - back in high school at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC, with Big Audio Dynamite and Public Enemy opening up. We had 3rd row seats on the floor, which was just silly. The setlist back then (9/23/1992, according to www.U2setlists.com):

Zoo Station, The Fly, Even Better Than The Real Thing, Mysterious Ways, One, Until The End Of The World, New Year's Day, Wild Rover, Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Angel Of Harlem, When Love Comes To Town, Satellite Of Love, Slow Dancing, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky, Running To Stand Still, Where The Streets Have No Name, Pride (In The Name Of Love), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Stand By Me
encores: Desire, With Or Without You, Love Is Blindness, Can't Help Falling In Love

So this show was huge and hugely entertaining. It sounded great, it looked great, some moments were quite spine-tingling and, dare I say it, tear-inducing ("I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was a big one). There's not a lot I can say that hasn't been said before about U2. Bono kept the proselytizing to a minimum. There were no miscues or misfires whatsoever, which is kind of amazing given the scope of this show. The setlist for this show:

Breathe, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Beautiful Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet) / Viva Las Vegas (snippet), Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, No Line On The Horizon, Elevation, In A Little While, Unknown Caller, Until The End Of The World, The Unforgettable Fire, City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, Sunday Bloody Sunday, MLK, Walk On
encores: One / Amazing Grace (snippet), Where The Streets Have No Name, Ultra Violet (Light My Way), With Or Without You, Moment of Surrender



Saturday included some gambling wins (bet on Ohio State to beat a 17-point spread against Minnesota and Vandy to keep within 13 points against South Carolina) and losses (blackjack) as well as seeing another friend during the afternoon. Nothing like catching up over beers in a casino. We had brunch at the Flamingo Paradise Garden Buffet as I had another comp thanks to Bill's ... it was pretty darn good, too.

But our dinner Saturday night at Nobhill was extraordinary. I cannot begin to describe how every aspect of this meal ... the food (Noelle had the Kurobuta pork chop with braised swiss chard, bacon lardons, toasted farro; I had the Atlantic salmon with shallot potato salad, roasted mushrooms, mustard) the crazy good house cocktails (esp. the Cablecar - Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, orange curacao, fresh sweet and sour and simple syrup served up in a cinnamon and sugar-rimmed cocktail glass), the desserts, the wine ... it made me want to weep.

We finished things off seeing The Beatles: LOVE that night. A fantastic show if I do say so. Flying out Sunday morning was necessary, as being in Vegas wears me out, even when I don't do anything too crazy. A great trip ...

Andrew Bird w/ St. Vincent, Southern Theater, Columbus, OH - 10/19/2009

Wow, the Southern Theater is a pretty gorgeous venue. This was (oddly enough) my first show there. We started out with a couple drinks at Thurber's Bar next door (yes, as in James Thurber), which was also a cool little venue in and of itself. (Good beers on tap here, too, including the rarely seen [on tap, anyway] Italian imprint Peroni.)

We headed in just as St. Vincent had started. Great seats, maybe 12th row center. Aside from one guy who was yelling a good bit, people were quiet and seated and just digging the show. She, Annie Clark, was pretty great at times and a very striking presence on stage. She can play some guitar, too. I'm not super familiar with her stuff yet but am now that much more interested in picking up her last album.



After a solid 20 to 30 minutes of intermission, Andrew Bird came out. As usual, he started out with a couple of solo songs, but it quickly became apparent that the whole show was going to be a solo affair. This may have normally put me off a bit, but given the feel of the venue and just how into it all he seemed (whereas I've seen him play at bit more disinterestedly recently with the full band), it was kind of magical.

I have some approximation of a setlist ... during the first 45 minutes or so, he played a slightly altered "Dark Matter" (great), "Nervous Tic," "Masterfade," "Tenuousness," and finally got to a song off his disappointing last record, "Effigy" (though this is one of the better tracks on said album). There were a few more songs in there, including some traditional stuff like "Jesus is a Dying Bed Maker" and another newer one, "Anonanimal."





The full St. Vincent band then came out to back him up on an awesome 4-song send out with a new song, the St. Vincent tune "Marry Me" (just Annie Clark and AB), "Scythian Empires" and "Tables and Chairs." It was fantastic.





But nothing could beat the one-song encore ... Annie Clark and AB singing Bob Dylan's "Oh, Sister" into a single mic together. Fantastic.



A real treat ... a surprising, charged performance.

Wilco, Mershon Auditorioum at the Wexner Center, Columbus, OH - 10/12/2009

Sadly, to the left is the show poster from Wilco's 2007 performance at the Wexner Center. (It's hanging in my guest bedroom now.) I like it, though, and am posting it for that reason. I bought a poster from this show, too, but have been too lazy to snap a photo of it, upload said photo, etc. - so you're stuck with this one. The point of it is that Wilco is no stranger to this venue, just as I am no stranger to them, having seen them play at least 20 times now ... getting close to 30, probably. And I think I'm kind of hitting a limit, I hate to say. They are great ... among the elite bands playing today. But a bit of the thrill is gone for me, sadly ...

We met up with friends at Akai Hana for some yummy sushi, picked up another friend, got rid of my extra ticket, completely missed opener Liam Finn and then settled in for the show. Oh, and I bought a poster. So this being the Wexner, there was no alcohol and, of course, seats. Both of these things always bring a show down a few notches for me unless it's theater/classical/something like that.

And the show starts, and they sound great (though the sound itself was slightly muddy, I thought), but it just never completely clicks for me. There were (as always) spine-tingling moments ... "Impossible Germany," "Misunderstood," some of the rarer tunes they played including "Wishful Thinking," "One by One," "I'm Always in Love," and "Theologians." But if even I'm getting a little over hearing "A Shot in the Arm" at every show, I can only imagine how they feel.

We actually left during the last song of very long encore (as opposed to their usual 2 shorter encores) ... I may need a break, just to rejuvenate myself. (I still love these guys, though ...)

On stage @ 9:17 p.m.

Intro - Price Is Right Theme Music

Wilco (The Song)
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
One Wing
A Shot In The Arm
Bull Black Nova
You Are My Face
One By One
I'll Fight
At Least That's What You Said
Deeper Down
Impossible Germany
Country Disappeared
Handshake Drugs
Wishful Thinking
--band introductions from Glenn's drum pads--
You Never Know (w/ Liam Finn)
I'm Always in Love
Jesus, Etc. (sing-along)
Theologians
I'm The Man Who Loves You

--------------------

Encore:
Misunderstood - 31 nothings
The Late Greats
California Stars (w/ Liam Finn and Eliza Jane Barnes)
Heavy Metal Drummer
Hate It Here
Walken
Monday
Hoodoo Voodoo (w/ Liam Finn - cowbell)
I'm A Wheel

Off stage @ 11:37 p.m.

Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven's 9th, Ohio Theater, Columbus, OH - 10/11/2009

Günther Herbig conducted this always thrilling symphony on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We had had a terrific brunch at Northstar and got into the theater right before the concert began. Compared to last weekend, his conducting was much more forceful and urgent, I thought. The Second Movement of this always kills me, and today was no exception. Not much to say other than it having been a thrill to get to hear this piece live again ...

Them Crooked Vultures, LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH - 10/6/2009

I really had very little idea of what to expect with this show other than 3 virtuosic rockers playing some heavy rock together. I rode my bike through wind and a slight bit of rain to the LC Pavilion and tried to unload my extra ticket. That was actually a tough sell, though ... many thanks to the scalper who was nice enough to buy it for below face value (don't ask by how much).

Comrades and I grabbed some large beers and headed for the pit inside the LC. There was no opener, and TCV didn't come on until almost 9, so it was a solid 90 minutes of waiting. (They played great warm-up music, though, including "The Guns of Brixton" and some classic Monks stuff.)

So they come out to a packed house that is quite enthusiastic and pumped up for this. John Paul Jones looks healthy and like a normal guy; Dave Grohl is in full-on rocker mode; and Josh Homme looks like a very tall, Craig Kilbourne-esque badass. They launch into a very loud (as in my ears were still ringing the next day), roughly 80-minute set with no encore, and it was pretty great. A few notes:

- Dave Grohl is a ridiculously good drummer ... I'm talking what feels like John Bonham-esque power/precision/etc. It was silly how good he was.

- Dave Grohl plus John Paul Jones = a ridiculously tight rhythm section. The stuff my 8th grade self dreamed of when I first discovered Zeppelin - well, I finally got to hear it live.

I don't know how much I'd rock this out on a stereo, but it was literally jaw-dropping at times. Worth it.

Columbus Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven's 7th, Ohio Theater, Columbus, OH - 10/2/2009

In the interest of fairness/completeness, I thought I'd include the classical concerts that I attend (all too infrequently). This was the pre-concert before the real season kicks off 10/9/09 with Beethoven's Ninth. The guest conductor was a very young, vivacious Mexican conductor, Alondra de la Parra, who lent an air of fun to the proceedings.

The first pieces included a famous Mexican piece, Danzon No. 2 from Marquez, which was nice and airy, and a very experimental, fractured piece, a concerto for bass trombone (?) entitled subZERO by Schnyder. The bass trombonist, Stefan Schulz, plays with the Berliner Philharmoniker and comes across like a regular badass. He was great and played a short encore piece with solo piano that showed off his virtuosity.

The reading of Beethoven's 7th was great, I thought ... energetic and youthful. It's hard to go wrong with core Beethoven pieces, of course, but it was a thrill to hear the CSO do a good job with this.

Built to Spill, Newport Music Hall, Columbus, OH - 10/1/2009

I've been a big fan of Built to Spill since college, and they can be absolutely stellar to absolutely snoozefest live. Lately, they have seemed very invigorated to me, so I was quite excited to see them at the Newport, a great venue for seeing a band of this, er, stature.

My buddy Jenn and I grabbed some way overpriced beer and chips at Mad Mex and then headed over for a fairly impressive set by Disco Doom. It was very 90's guitar indie rock, which, as you have probably figured by now, I adore.

In their usual non-chalant manner, BTS sauntered onto the stage and basically started a noodly soundcheck-by-way-of-jam to get things moving. I have not listened to the fairly well-received new record at all yet, so I don't know the titles. I do know that I like them all quite well, but when they bust out the classics, it's killer. "The Plan"! "In the Morning"! "Untrustable"! "You Were Right"! I was singing along/giving devil horns/all my usual moves throughout, but I was truly not prepared to the encore (see below).

They're a great band with great songs who, on occasions like this one, can play a damn great show when they please.

Jam
NEW
In the Morning
The Plan
NEW
Virginia
Center of the Universe
Untrustable
NEW
You Were Right
NEW
In Your Mind
Conventional Wisdom

Car
Stop the Show
Carry the Zero
Outro Jam