Tokyo Police Club @The Studio at Webster Hall, June 2nd

Occasionally, writing this little crap blog affords me the opportunity to attend out gigs at the behest of a publicist, and as you might know, I'm all about the free. Such was the case with this mostly invite-only record release show for Tokyo Police Club, a buzz band that up until this point, I had little reason to check out. But with the lure of free booze and a chance to see the Studio at Webster Hall, and an early start that worked well with proceeding work day, I brought along Shana and Julie for what ended up being an enjoyable evening.

(More words and setlist after the jump.)

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Morrissey @Webster Hall, March 25th

Dear God, no matter how many times I swear I will never spend another dime on this abominably frustrating man, he manages to draw me in like Circe with her siren's call. Tonight, Morrissey was utterly charming, and I have no regrets waiting in line for over five hours today to get closer to him. Absolutely none! (Okay, well, maybe the kick to the head I got at the end during the mad rush for the stage stunned me a little...)

Strangely enough, each time I've seen Moz, the venues have gotten progressively smaller (and he perhaps progressively larger *wink*) but hey, who's complaining? Although a few months ago I said this'll be my last Moz show, after tonight's show, which was the closest I've gotten yet, I may have to reconsider.

The Breeders @Webster Hall, June 10th

Happy Birthday, ladies! Kim and Kelly Deal brought me back to my college years as they tore through a quick 75 minute or so set based mainly off their latest album, as well as a handful from Last Splash and a few Amps covers. It was thrilling seeing "Cannonball" played live, as the crowd shook the floor. I YouTubed "Here No More" down below. Can't wait to see The Breeders again when they come back for a free pool party at McCarren Pool on Sunday, July 13th (with Matt & Kim)!

She & Him @Webster Hall, Apr. 22nd

Actress Zooey Deschanel and her buddy, indie guitarist M. Ward, charmed the crowd tonight for a cute 50 minutes with songs from their collaboration, She & Him. Despite Zooey having lost her speaking voice, she managed to sound virtually flawless while singing and made up for the lack of banter with her winning smile. She did a great job, I thought. Reminded me a little bit of another actress-turned-singer, Jenny Lewis, but without the sultry.

As usual, M. Ward mesmerized us with his guitar work, but perhaps in a more accessible way than via his usual music given the framework of the sunny melodies.


Ola Podrida opened. I had caught them once before at Union Hall, in a smaller, more acoustic setting, and was curious how their act would translate to the larger Webster Hall. They did well, but the crowd unfortunately had very little interest in hearing them.


More pics here.

Rilo Kiley @Webster Hall, Sept. 22nd-23rd

(Sorry this post is long overdue, but my life has been crazy-busy for the past month or so. Mostly awesome, if you're keeping tabs. And I don't even have the excuse of seeing too many gigs, as these two shows were my only concerts for the month of September. Hard to believe? Qbertplaya may be heading down a new path...)

I heart Blake Sennett; I am madly in love with Jenny Lewis. So it was a no-brainer for me to scoop up tix to see Rilo Kiley two nights in a row at the dreaded Webster Hall. While I am still deciding whether I love their latest cd, seeing them live cemented why I cannot get enough of these cutie pies. They played a perfect mix of songs from all their albums. And they've always exhibited a good sense of professionalism and playfulness that make you feel like you're really part of something dear.

Rilo Kiley holds a special place in my heart. I normally don't bother seeing a band so many times, especially during a single tour, but these two shows marked my 6th and 7th times seeing them in the last few years. So friggin' CUTE!!!

Anyway, here are the long overdue videos:

1. "Portions for Foxes" (9/22):

2. "Breakin' Up" (9/22):


3. "Ripchord" (9/22):


4. "With Arms Outstretched" (9/23):


5. "Greetings in Braille" (The Elected cover) (9/23):


God, I love Rilo Kiley!!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @Webster Hall, Aug. 7th

Not the frightening sweatbox I imagined it would be, Webster Hall tonight hosted the magnificent Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Then again, if the band is amazing enough, you forget about the perspiration dripping from your body. Instead, you admire the manic energy Karen O and her boys Nick Zinner and Brian Chase drive into their music and performance. As Wawa so aptly put it, the YYYs never mail it in.

The encore tacked on an additional four songs to the setlist above -- "Y Control," "Black Tongue," "Our Time" and "Tick." 75 minutes of insanity. I'm convinced Karen O devours vampires and Tasmanian devils for breakfast.

I initially had been reluctant to dump $45 into a ticket for this show, but ended up agreeing to go with Wawa as an exchange for him accompanying me to the White Stripes show two weeks ago (where we coincidentally sat behind Nick and Brian). Once the YYYs hit the stage, however, all doubts evaporated, and I remembered why I love them. Nobody loves you like the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs love you.

Got to Webster in time to catch the end of the first opener -- an all-female Mötley Crüe cover band called Girls Girls Girls -- lol! The second opener -- Tiny Masters of Today -- have received a lot of attention because the two front members are 13 and 11. They were dreadful singers, but cute and showed a lot of spunk. They closed out with a fun cover of House of Pain's "Jump Around."

I walked alongside the boy shown above on my way to the bathroom and realized he had to be the kid in the band only cos who else that age (and that pre-pubescent!) could get away with being in Webster Hall at that hour!

The Good, The Bad & The Queen @Webster Hall, March 12th

Met up with Wawa for the somewhat eagerly anticipated debut of The Good, The Bad & The Queen, a new side project by the frontman of Blur and now Gorillaz, Damon Albarn. The stage was decorated in bunting, or flags for those of us who are stateside, lending the air of a carnival-esque spectacle with Albarn and his top hat as the ringmaster.

With Simon Tong (of the Verve) on guitar, Paul Simenon (of the Clash) on bass and Tony Allen (affiliated with Fela Kuti) on drums backing him, the focus was mainly on Albarn, as he alternated between standing at the mic and pounding away at the piano. His distinct voice lead us through the music, which drew from shades of a reggae sounding beat, to plaintive electronica, to quiet pop.

I had only heard a few selected songs by TGTB&TQ before the show and could not help but compare them to the works of Blur and Gorillaz. Upon hearing more of the songs during the show, I concluded that the music, while great to see performed live, will certainly benefit from a few listens of the album in its entirety. The songs do not seem like a radio-ready collection of singles; rather, the album ought to be one that will grow on you.

Here is a clip of the first single, "Herculean":


Update: you can download an MP3 of their entire show in DC at the 9:30 club courtesy of NPR here.

Update #2: Cool! The band linked my video here!

The Rapture @Webster Hall, Oct. 30th

Ow, my knee hurts. Having trouble walking. Hyperextending it a bit in Kung Fu on Saturday and then bouncing on it at a Presets/Rapture show was not a good idea. Oops!

Anyway, the Presets rock. They're a two man band -- the singer on synthesizers, and the non-singer mainly on drums but also alternating with synthesizers. They made no secret of their influences, using samples and sounds from the likes of Pet Shop Boys, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, etc. The singer sounded a bit like the dude from Dead Or Alive while channeling some Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters in stage presence. Well, and he was clothed, so that was a little different. They were perfect to get the crowd going.

Next up was the headliner -- The Rapture. They too are a fun dance music band, but they did not rely on synthesizers nearly as much. For me, they mainly channeled Gang of Four. All in all, a good time. The crowd up front loved it.

I'm psyched I went to Taco Bell around the corner before the show. I'm going to Puerto Rico in a few days where I'll be wearing a bikini while lying on a beach, revealing my white belly for the world to see, and I'm still eating Taco Bell. What the hell is wrong with me?

The Killers @Webster Hall, Sept. 22nd

Ok, so I'm a Killers hata. I have not bought their first album, Hot Fuss, and haven't scoured the Net for a leak of their next album, Sam's Town. I liked "Somebody Told Me" a lot when it came out, and even found "Mr. Brightside" and "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" acceptable. But what I couldn't tolerate was the way they blew up all over the place. And I deemed lead singer Brandon Flowers a pretty boy (c'mon, his last name is Flowers) arrogant wanker without ever giving the Killers a real chance.

I'll fess up -- I bought tickets to their show in next month at Theater at MSG without any serious intent of going. Merely cos I could. Merely cos I know I can dump these tickets with ease on Craigslist to some surly former fratboy or his annoying chirpy shorty girl. So when news broke that the Killers were coming to play Webster tonight, a smaller venue, for a cheaper price, I became vaguely interested. In actuality, I should have caught them when I could have two years ago at the smaller venues, just like I should have done with Bloc Party. And so the tickets went on sale on Ticketweb on Wednesday, and they went on sale, and they were still on sale -- it took about 4.5 hrs for them to sell out. And I didn't bite then, preferring to giggle at the Killers' overestimation of their fanbase. Where were the zealots? They couldn't really all be Jewish and/or under 18!

Anyway, I guess my resolve to cut back on going to gigs was not so strong. I had been doing well -- only had caught The Dears and Pete Yorn so far this month, and both last week, thinking that would be it for September. Then I buckled and grabbed a free pair of Gnarls Barkley for Tuesday. Then a few hours later, I found out I won Stereogum's Yo La Tengo Contest, so I musta gotten the bug again. I'm such a fuckin' concert addict. What a short-lived break. So since today was quiet at work -- hooray for Rosh Hashana -- I was able to scoop up a last minute ticket to the Killers' "secret" gig.

Ok, ok, so they were actually really good live. Brandon didn't talk a lot other than mentioning the song titles, so he didn't annoy me nearly as much as I thought he would. The rest of the band is quite ugly, so it's a good thing he's the pretty boy frontman.

They played for about an hour, which was kinda a gyp, but what can ya expect from a band with a short 1st album and a yet to be released 2nd one? The stage reminded me very much of the movie "Moulin Rouge" for some reason:


And, yes, I sang along to the 3 or 4 songs I knew. The entire crowd kept bouncing, so it was really hard to take any clear shots.

I have to give the Killers their props. They play solid music and are fun to listen to, as long as you filter out the stupid shit that Mr. Flowers likes to say -- comparing their music to Springsteen's? Are you kidding me??? Now I can cross them off my list. And you can bet your buns I'm selling those MSG tix!!! Bring on Yo La Tengo!

PS -- The Red Romance opened up for them. They were fine. Just not memorable.

PPS -- after the show caught up with Rad and a few of his friends, including Matt from The Music Slut, whom I had met during Radiohead in the summer. Sweet!

The Roots @Webster Hall, Aug. 14th

(No pics for this one -- the rat bastards at Webster Hall actually made me check in my camera with security! And they charged me $4 for the privilege too!)

So met up with Jamie and Irene tonight at the hotbox, Webster Hall. Fucking sweated like I did one of my 2 hour Kung fu classes again. Never again will I bother going to Webster during the summer months. Yuck.

My other big complaint tonight is that Kool cigarettes somehow sponsored this show. This is the second show this month where I had to endure cigarette logos prominently displayed. (Phoenix featured Camel logos all over Bowery.) This time, on either side of the stage were plasma tvs constantly broadcasting Kool propaganda, every once in a while interrupted by the Surgeon General's warning. Lame.

But otherwise, the show was pretty fun. We once again stood on the side platforms so we had a good view of the stage. We caught the end of Pharcyde, which was, for lack of a better term, a'ight. They featured a freestyling MC named Supernatural who riffed off of items presented to him by the people at the front of the crowd. Very entertaining.

After a useless intermission featuring some Fly Girl dancer types and an annoying MC, the Roots got on stage around 9:45. They are an amazing act -- Black Thought is non-stop relentless with the words backed by fantastic live musicians -- ?uestlove being prolly the most prominent at drums. Throughout the show, they allowed the various musicians to play extended solos. I was most impressed by the guitarist who channeled both Santana and Jimi Hendrix during his solo (in addition to providing backup vocals).

Midway through the Roots' set, Talib Kweli hit the stage and did a few of his own cuts, backed up by two female singers, and his DJ. No live musicians for him, unfortunately, but good to catch, nonetheless. I really wish I had seen him and Mos Def perform as Black Star.

The Roots returned to the stage after Talib's set, playing full throttle. While their main set was captivating, it was their encores that really tore it up. They played a modified version of "The Seed 2.0," which rocked. But what brought the house down? Cee-lo of Gnarls Barkley himself joined them on stage and sang "Crazy." Fuck yeah!

After that amazing moment, the Roots were not done yet -- they played an amazing bunch of snippets of covers, basically taking us through a history of hip hop in some ways. A little bit of Kanye, a little bit of Wu, some of Salt 'N Peppa...friggin' bombtastic! It all ended at about 12:30. Nutty for a Monday night!

This was my second time catching the Roots -- my first time was two years ago at Irving Plaza. They made me sweat, but it was well worth it.

Sleater-Kinney @Webster Hall, Aug. 2nd

Carrie, Corin & Janet,
We will miss you lovely ladies!
More chi! Rock on! Kick ass!
Love, Qbertplaya

Neko Case @Webster Hall, Apr. 7th

Met up with Shana and her friend Andie for this one. We got to Webster Hall early to procure our seats on the beautiful platforms along stage left. God, I think I would have to leave if I ever had to actually stand in the middle of the floor at Webster again...

Tonight's opener were the High Dials. A band from Montreal -- Canadians again -- surprise! I texted Amanda if she had heard of them, and of course, she did. They were groovy. I was reminded of late 60s/early 70s psychedelic rock, and bits of the later Beatles, especially when they brought a sitar player onto the stage. Well, I assume it was a sitar, but I'm not really up on my Indian instruments. Could have been a tabla for all I knew... Anyway, I made sure to pick up their latest cd.

I think if I just go to enough gigs and buy cds at the merch tables like I have been recently, then I'll never have to set foot in Virgin Megastore or Tower Records ever again!

Neko Case played after the High Dials for probably a good hour and a half. She had a great backup singer who harmonized very nicely, a standing bass (which I always love), and an awesome musican who played banjo and pedal steel guitar. When I saw the New Pornographers last month, I was a little sad when I found out that Neko wouldn't be joining them, but seeing her solo was very satisfying. She dips into the country, which is not really my thing, but she has a nice powerful, throaty voice that is not annoying like your typical country crap that's on top 40 nowadays. She and her bandmates had great banter going on too. It was a nice show to cap off my 7 gigs in 13 days run. I was pretty beat by the end. Thank God for the platforms!

After the show, we walked up to Union Square and caught the 4 train downtown. I was happy to discover that Andie lives in Cobble Hill not too far from me. She enjoys going to gigs too. I think I now have someone to check out Southpaw with! Awesome!