Pavement Playing Greek Theater In Berkeley, Presale Thursday

We were already excited enough that Pavement was descending on New York for 4 nights and hitting up Coachella on the last day. So, suffice it to say that it's pure icing that the band will be at the Greek Theater in Berkeley (probably our favorite summer venue of all time) on June 25th. While it has yet to be seen if the band will have even more reunion dates, we're willing to guess they're going to do more than five headlining shows. The Berkeley date has a presale tomorrow (Thursday) with the password "wowee".

In other news, the band has a "greatest hits" (cover above) on tap for March 9th, entitled Quarantine The Past. Along with that collection comes a full vinyl reissue of their catalog. Sadly, the vinyl reissues weigh in at a paltry 120gm of goodness. So, while we love vinyl as much as the next guy, it's not exactly what we'd call audiophile grade. Ah well, you can always compensate by catching the real thing this summer!

mp3: Pavement - And Then (The Hexx) Original Version

Bob Dylan Presale Starts Thursday At 10 AM

While Bob Dylan's live shows can be hit or miss, in recent years it seems that they've been more of the "hit" variety. What's more the man has a new album on tap, and The Greek Theater isn't exactly a bad place to catch a classic rock show in the awesome San Francisco fall. That being what it is, we can't help but be a little excited to have stumbled upon a presale for the Dylan shows in Berkeley on October 10th and 11th. The presale starts at 10 AM this Thursday morning (which is to say, tomorrow), and you can have at it by clicking here. The password is "together". Good luck!

Wilco and Okkervil River Played The Greek Theater - Pictures, Review, Setlist

If there was any suitable way to follow up David Byrne's performance on Friday night at the Greek, then this was certainly it. Okkervil River and Wilco joined forces to descend upon the very same venue, and give Byrne an unquestionable run for his money on the superb show from the night before. The two bands both delivered sets that ran the gamut of their catalog, and underscored just how formidable both of those catalogs are. However, even more than that, both bands gave joyous performances that, when combined with the weather, closed out one of the most exciting weekends of music we've seen in a very long time.

Okkervil River took the stage promptly at 7:30, and the Greek was already packed. It was clear that most of the audience had come to see both bands, and they showed it in spades. Will Sheff, for his part, did exactly the same, and managed to squeeze all of his usual passion and antics into a quick 30 minute set.

This was the first time we had seen the band with their new lead guitarist Lauren Gurgiolo, and we have to say we thought that she nailed it. Her style is certainly a little different from the band's older material, but the fact that she was totally shredding on some solos, adding fantastic accents to other songs, and thoroughly multi-instrumental all added up to be super impressive.

While the crowd was enthusiastic across the board, they really dug in for the last two numbers, "Our Life Is Not A Movie (Or Maybe)" and "It's Kicks". Both of the upbeat tunes underscored just how well Okkervil River played as an opening band, and how masterfully they worked such a large venue. We've said it before, but we'll say it again: they're a band who are going to keep getting bigger and bigger - keep your eyes open.

Wilco took the stage right around 8:30, and it was clear from the outset that they were ready to have a good time: everyone was all smiles, and the crowd was eating it up. They led off the set with a old and new mix: "Wilco (The Song)", "Muzzle Of Bees", and "Shot In The Arm". The latter served to really get the crowd going, and proceeded to give way to what would end up being two and a half hours of awesome rock and roll.

At this point, it almost seems moot to mention the technical instrumental wizardry that Wilco brings to the stage, if only because it's such a constant. that being said, they are such a tight unit, that it's still worth bringing up. The onstage rapport, the expert arrangements, and the band's individual talents all serve to create a live awesomeness that really can't be captured outside of being there.

The set list was a healthy mix of new and old material, with a slightly heavier emphasis on the former. The band's forthcoming (as in, this week) new album was well represented, with five tracks accounted for. All of the new material went over extremely well, although for us the highlight was "Bull Black Nova". The song manages to be a bit more edgy than its cohorts on the new record, and in a live setting it was even more so. Definitely tasty.

Of the old material, there were some favorites ("Misunderstood", "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart", "California Stars", and "Jesus Etc" to name a few), and a few surprises. Specifically, we were shocked to hear "Box Full Of Letters" (from AM), and "I Can't Stand It" (the lead off track from Summerteeth). Both of these tracks were somewhat noted in Wilco lore for being radio-friendly, and not particularly loved by the band. That being said, the performances were totally amazing - we're guessing the band's decision to play all of their recorded material in Chicago last year may have been the inspiration. Either way, we were loving it.

At the end of the day, we'll sum it up by saying this: Wilco shows are magical, as are shows at the Greek. Combine the two on a beautiful 70 degree night, and you have about the best dose of entertainment you can get. To get to hear the band tear through such an awesome selection of material, and be smiling while doing it was simply amazing. Nels Cline, as always, delivered knock-you-out guitar solos, and the rest of the band served to provide the pieces for the always-expanding Wilco puzzle. As the night came to a close, and the band tore out some insane solos on "Hoodoo Voodoo", we were left smiling, and knowing we'd be that way for quite a while.

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

Setlist
--
Wilco (The Song)
Muzzle Of Bees
A Shot In The Arm
At Least That's What You Said
Bull Black Nova
You Are My Face
Deeper Down
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
One Wing
Radio Cure
Impossible Germany
California Stars
I Can't Stand It
Jesus, Etc.
Handshake Drugs
Hate It Here
Walken
I'm The Man Who Loves You
--
You Never Know
The Late Greats
Box Full Of Letters
Misuderstood
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Hoodoo Voodoo

David Byrne At The Greek: Videos

Well here we are, two days after, and YouTube is crawling with droves of videos of David Byrne's performance on Friday night. There are so many over there, we recommend you go check it out yourself. In the meantime do yourself a favor and watch the video above: it's a fantastic take on "Burning Down The House" with the Extra Action Marching Band!

David Byrne Played The Greek Theater - Pictures, Review, Setlist

For the past year or so, David Byrne has been enjoying a bout of renewed popularity and critical acclaim as he's traveled the world promoting his latest record Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. Last night at the Greek Theater, Byrne proved without a doubt that he is more than deserving of the praise. Over a lengthy set with three encores, Byrne and his troupe of dancers and musicians won over the Bay Area crowd with an amazing night of music.

Gypsy-rockers Devotchka opened the night, and delivered a solid set in their own right. The band was instrumentally adept, and effortlessly jumped between guitar, violin, bass, accordion, and even a tuba! Lead singer Nick Urata really gave power to the band's set, and there's no doubt that his vocals certainly share a common thread with Byrne's.

We have to admit, we don't typically fall in love with the gypsy-rock crossover vibe, but Devotchka really made it work. By balancing their gypsy-influenced sound with a really solid dose of rock and roll, they managed to hold on to musical complexity, while at the same time opening up their sound to accessibility and widespread appeal. If you have an opportunity to catch them, do it. You won't regret it.

Byrne took the stage at around nine o'clock, and kicked things off with "Strange Overtones", from his latest record. It's worth noting that despite being heavily loaded with new material, Byrne's set was seamless in terms of audience perception. There was no feeling of "lull" during the new material, and the crowd was going wild almost unrelentingly throughout the show.

A lot of this has to do with the fact that Byrne has managed to amass a live band that is ridiculously tight, and manages to infuse its own persona into the material, while staying true to the originals. The result is a set that is even more riveting than the recorded versions of the material. Everything present in those versions is more pronounced, more available, and more immediate.

Much of that immediacy found it's way into the old Talking Heads material, and it sounded as good as we've ever heard it. "Once In A Lifetime" dug in with a raucous breakdown at its closing, while "Crosseyed and Painless" featured a searing guitar solo from Byrne, and with its "still waiting" refrain, kept the crowd dancing for what seemed like endless moments of awesomeness.

In addition to the band being in top form, Byrne's dance troupe has furthered their already excellent routine since we last saw them. They provided a playful and artistic presence on the stage, and served to give the songs further depth and character. Of note was a surreal moment where Byrne joined the dancers in office chairs, and a fantastic dance number during "Air" featuring a trove of white Stratocasters.

As has become something of a San Francisco tradition, Byrne was joined in the second encore by the Extra Action Marching Band. The band joined Byrne for a killer version of "Road To Nowhere", followed by "Burning Down The House". As if having a marching band join him on stage weren't enough, the second encore also brought along with it a deluge of balloons, further amplifying the party-like atmosphere. If you're thinking "crazy", you're maybe half way there.

The night closed out with Byrne calming the mood a bit with "Everything That Happens". The fittingly mellow closer was followed by a stream of applause from the crowd that simply would not let up. It was painfully clear that not only was the audience loving the show, but the band was loving them right back. Smiles abounded, good times were clearly being had, and everyone wished they could have a bit more. It was a magnificent night, and a fitting way to close out the band's US tour.

Setlist
--
Strange Overtones
I Zimbra
One Fine Day
Help Me Somebody
Houses In Motion
My Big Nurse
My Big Hands
Heaven
Air
Life Is Long
Crosseyed & Painless
Born Under Punches
Once In A Lifetime
Life During Wartime
Feel My Stuff
--
Take Me To The River
The Great Curve
--
Road To Nowhere
Burning Down The House
--
Everything That Happens

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

Wilco On The Tonight Show Tonight, Webcasting Berkeley On Saturday

Wilco at Jazzfest, from the HAD Archive

As Wilco tours the US and preps for next week's release of their self-titled record, the band is managing to deliver a few mass media performances for those who can't manage to catch them live. This week the band is on the West coast, and is delivering a one two punch.

The first is this evening on NBC's Tonight Show, where the band will join new host Conan O'Brien and presumably deliver a tune from their sparkly record.

The second will be on Saturday night, when the band will stream the entirety of their show at Berkeley's Greek Theater over the glorious interwebs. You can catch it at Wilco's "Roadcase" - frankly, we recommend cancelling your Saturday night plans. It's gonna be delish.

Okkervil River To Join Wilco On Tour

Picture from the HAD Archive

As though you needed more incentive to go see Wilco in June at the Greek: Between the band's stellar live show, and the awesomeness of the new record, it's going to be amazing. Well, now it's going to be even more amazing. We've just gotten a heads up that Okkervil River will be joining Wilco for their late June/early July dates, and that includes the Greek. Killer.

We haven't seen Okkervil River live since 2007, but that was certainly enough to win us over to their sound. Not only is the band a rock solid instrumental unit, but lead singer Will Scheff's persona takes heart-on-the-sleeve to a new level. Given their own level of enthusiasm, it'll be interesting to see what the do with the "opener" slot. Frankly, we'd be lying if we said we weren't hoping for a guest appearance on some Wilco tunes...here's hoping.

Okkervil River Dates Summer 2009
June 14 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo- The Other Tent
June 25 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre w/ Wilco
June 26 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery w/ Wilco
June 27 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre w/ Wilco
June 28 Stateline, NV Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena w/Wilco
June 30 Jacksonville, OR Britt Pavilion w/ Wilco
July 03 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ Wilco
July 10 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Bluesfest
July 11 Winnipeg, MB Winnipeg Folk Festival

Wilco Coming To Greek Theater In June, Presale Thursday

Wilco at the Greek in 2007, from the HAD Archive

Wilco's continuing to expand their spring/summer tour plans, and as of now that also includes a stop in Berkeley at the Greek Theater. On June 27th, the band will be returning for what some have come to consider an annual visit (although last year it was at Outside Lands), along with stops in Oregon and Nevada.

We're certainly not complaining. The last time we saw Wilco at the Greek it was an incredible night, and we have a suspicion this show may be more of the same. On top of that, we're more than a little bit psyched to hear the new material the band's been working on in the studio.

For those of you out there with a similar hankering for some Wilco, there's a presale on Thursday morning, which should give you a pretty good shot at tickets. You can get to the presale here, the password's "walken". Enjoy!

Van Morrison Bringing Astral Weeks To The Greek Theater, Presale This Morning At 10

You may remember that we raved about the live release of last year's Astral Weeks concert that Van Morrison delivered at the Hollywood Bowl. Well now Van is back to deliver the classic album at a few more venues, and San Francisco is one of the lucky picks. Morrison will be at the Greek Theater in Berkeley May 2nd and 3rd, which should be just about perfect weather for such a classic show.

There is a presale for the dates today at 10 AM, but it requires an American Express card. So, depending on your situation, that may help or hurt you. Public on-sale is this Sunday at 10 AM. We imagine for such a heavy-hitting artist there will be assigned seats, so ticket choice does actually matter. Good luck!

David Byrne Continues "Songs Of David Byrne And Brian Eno" Tour, Greek Theater In June, Presale Today

Picture from the HAD Archive

Given the success of his symphony hall shows, and the tour in general, we can't say we're surprised that David Byrne has decided to tack on a summer leg to the itinerary of his "Songs of David Byrne And Brian Eno" tour. After returning from a Spring leg in Europe, Byrne will be bringing his show back to the US for nine dates in June. The tour will cross the entire northern US before winding up at our own Greek Theater in Berkeley on June 26th.

We're pretty sure you already know our opinion on Byrne's live show, but just in case there's any uncertainty: it is completely and totally killer. The man simply commands an audience live, and in a venue like the Greek, well, we can't even really imagine. We'll just tell you this: make sure you get there. There's a presale starting at ten - and a full on-sale after that. The password is apparently either "today" or "overtones", so take your pick and see what works for you. Good luck!

David Byrne Summer 2009 US Dates:
June 1 Shelburne, VT The Green at Shelburne Museum
June 3 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre
June 5 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center
June 12 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival
June 14 Dallas, TX The Majestic Theatre
June 18 Telluride, CO Telluride Bluegrass Festival
June 20 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 24 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
June 26 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre-U.C. Berkeley

Sigur Ros Played The Greek

The encore alone was worth the price of the admission. Rain was forecast for the night, and by some seeming stroke of insane luck, held right until the band returned to the stage for the encore. Combine that with two final songs that really pushed the boundaries of the bands' musical pedigree, and the result was a group of fans that went away happy, soaking wet, and wanting more.

But let's start at the beginning. We had long heard that Sigur Ros was a live experience to behold. To be frank, we kind of sorted it away in the stoner "experience to behold" file. That is to say: this band that is so musically abstract and inspirational on its records could only be a live experience that drifted through waves of sound, and brought the listener a sort of peace and exhilaration at the grand majesty of it all. We couldn't have been more wrong.

Make no mistake: Sigur Ros can recreate their album sounds perfectly live. It's all there. The droney synth lines, the bass played with a bow, the eerie falsetto vocals. In fact, at times when the show was emulating the record, you might have made the mistake that is was the record. But what really defined the band's live experience (as with all great live bands) were the aspects of the live show that are not on the record.

The first (and most obvious) place to start is with the band's live sound: it departs drastically from the records in many different ways, all for the better. The live drums are more intense and driving than those on the records, the guitars are bigger and more distorted, and most dominantly the bow-played bass provides a crashing wave of distortion and feedback that simply outdoes the records on all fronts. Put differently, this band that can be so fragile and seemingly ambient at times is also unrepentantly rock and roll.


The band's live sound is firmly cemented by a fantastic stage show. The lights are dynamic and appealing throughout the performance, loads of confetti fired into the crowd twice during show, and the video backdrops borrow a stage multi-view page from Radiohead's book. Make no mistake, Sigur Ros are showmen in every sense of the word.

We went into this show not knowing what to expect, but told it would be greatness. And, always leaning towards skepticism, we were not thinking greatness would appear. But, at the end of the night, there it was: a band that makes fantastic records, and then takes them in a completely different direction in the live setting. If there is any question in your mind, let us assure you: it is truly not to be missed.

Many more pics available at the HAD Archive

Feist Played The Greek

On Saturday night we made our way over to the Greek Theater in Berekely for some beautiful weather, and a show from Feist. The sometimes-Broken Social Scener delivered a set that was full of selections from both Let It Die and The Reminder. While the night was full of great moments, it didn't do a lot to depart from the source material, and left us wishing there was a bit more of the excitement that is present when the whole BSS crew is in attendance.

The set started out on an upbeat note, and we were really loving the overall vibe. It was a pretty devout crowd, and the performances were pretty by-the-numbers, but that's not necessarily a bad thing: this was Feist being Feist. One extreme oddity was that the keyboard/guitar player on the right hand side of the stage was some sort of Kevin Drew impersonator. Maybe Feist is just sad to be touring solo, but it seems a little odd to have one of your band members play dressup as your beau.

As the set continued, it progressed to a "solo set" vibe, with the primary attraction being Leslie Feist's voice. While there's no doubt that she's got some great vocals, we started to feel like this section of the set dragged a bit. Despite the awesome overhead-projected visuals, we started feeling a real "okay, let's get going!" instinct as the solo portion came to a close.

Smartly, the set wrapped back to some more upbeat numbers, and the show's most rocking moments were in the last 30 minutes. After she had returned for the encore, Feist delivered a breathtaking rendition of "Let It Die" that was a nice resolution to the night. A good time was had by all, but we'd be lying if we said we wouldn't like to see her back on the BSS stage sometime soon.

More pics over at the H.A.D. Archive.
Gussifer also has some nice pics at flickr.

Death Cab Played The Greek

Last Saturday we were convinced to tag along with some friends to The Greek Theater to catch Rogue Wave and Death Cab For Cutie. Unfortunately, we only caught the tail end of Rogue Wave's set, but from what we saw they were positively nailing it, and the crowd was loving it appropriately. As for Death Cab, the band delivered largely what we had been expecting when we decided to attend the show. Thankfully, there were some surprises as well.

As for what we expected, well, if you've heard a Death Cab album, you probably already know: Achingly well produced songs with heart-on-sleeve lyrics, some tentative experimental elements, and Ben Gibbard's distinctive sing song-y vocals. What we weren't really expecting was the ability of the band to "rock", and a nicely diversified setlist.

Gibbard has really done a lot in the last couple of years to spruce up his rock star image: he's lost weight, grown some mutton chops, and got a true rock and roll stage presence going on. Moreover, we were surprised to see that many of the band's lead guitar lines are played by Gibbard, and not by Chris Walla. The band definitely was putting forth a rock and roll vibe, and on many of the songs, there was a musical rapport that we hadn't expected.

As a band who have recently amassed a major label contract, and a huge group of teenage fans to go along with it, we were somewhat fearful that the band might be relegated to a "recent albums only" setlist. Thankfully this was not the case, and the band delivered a few choice cuts off of their early records, including two of our favorites from Transatlanticism.

While not a show that will shock you with it's originality or divergence from album material, we do have to say that the Death Cab live experience pleasantly surprised us. The band nails their instrumentation, and delivers enough of a new take on the songs that it's memorable. On top of that, Gibbard's live energy and enthusiasm really is something worth noting. Our guess is the guy was a camp counselor in another life, but we're guessing rock star is a way cooler gig.

More pictures at the H.A.D. Archive.
Gussifer also has some nice shots at flickr.

Sigur Ros Presale Begins At 10

Sigur Ros will be playing in Berkeley at the tail end of the Greek's summer season, and tickets go on sale via a presale starting this morning at 10. The band's records range from fantastically epic ambient works, to intense studies in rhythm. By all accounts, the live show leaves the records in the dust, which is saying a lot. We'll be sure to check it out, and we suggest you do as well. Tickets can be had here, the password is "naked". The stream below is the band's lastest album.

Stream: Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

My Morning Jacket Presale Tomorrow At 10 AM

The previously mentioned My Morning Jacket show at the Greek Theater will be having a pre-sale tomorrow morning at 10 AM. You can get to the presale by clicking here. The password is "evil".

In case you missed it before, click the link below for the band's latest (which we love), "Evil Urges".

mp3: My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

Update: You can stream the whole album from myspace... (thanks to Brooklyn Vegan)

stream: My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (album)

My Morning Jacket To Play The Greek

My Morning Jacket have just announced their late summer/fall dates, and it's looking good if you like the out of doors. Specifically, the band will be playing Berkeley's Greek Theater on September 19th. We haven't seen the band live since they opened for Doves way back when, but given the strength of the new single and the awesomeness of the Greek, we're thinking we might have to get in on this one.

PS: The whole MMJ back-catalog just got added to eMusic.

Feist To Play Greek Theater In July

While we haven't seen Leslie Feist live since she opened for Broken Social Scene back in 2005 at The Regency Grand Ballroom, we have to say it might just be time. We had been avoiding shows because of the all-encompassing Feist-hype that has enveloped our culture over the past 2 years. Between iTunes commercials, Starbucks, and everywhere in-between, we figured we'd kinda duck the cultural wave. Still, Ms. Feist's charms are undeniable, and a concert outside in July might be too good to pass up. Pre-sale starts on Thursday, we're working on getting you a password. Cheers...

UPDATE: Pre-sale here, login "feist", password "tickets".

2nd REM, Modest Mouse, The National Show Added, On-Sale Now

Due to the previous show's sell-out, it looks like there will be another REM/Modest Mouse/The National show at The Greek. Tickets are on sale now. Good luck!

Alternate REM/Modest Mouse/The National Pre-Sale

If yesterday's presale info doesn't work out for you, have no fear: Another Planet Entertainment is also running a pre-sale for the REM/Modest Mouse/The National show at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. It also starts tomorrow, and can be accessed here. The password is "murmur".

REM/Modest Mouse/The National @ The Greek Theater: Pre-Sale Info

In what is set to be the angstiest revue of the summer, REM will be joined by Modest Mouse and The National on a nationwide tour. In the Bay Area, this going to mean a stop a Berkeley's Greek Theater on May 31st, in the prime of the outdoor concert season.

Given how much we enjoyed The National last fall, and the back to basics feel of the new REM disc, we're pretty psyched for this show. Tickets go on sale Sunday, but there's a pre-sale tomorrow at 10 AM. All you need to do is sign up for the REM fan community here, and you'll be given a password and login.