November 07, 2009
Concert review: MUTEMATH at the Beaumont Club
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009
When it comes to seeing a band live, different want people want to see different things. Some people want the flawless execution of their favorite tunes they've cranked up on their iPods. Others revel in getting a unique transformation of those songs when they hit the road. All of them would like to have that "Holy Crap!" moment that has them fumbling for their digital cameras and camera phones so they can show their friends.
Concert review: Brand New and Manchester Orchestra at the Uptown TheaterThursday, Oct. 8, 2009
It was difficult to tell who was the main headliner at last night's show at the Uptown. Sure, Brand New was the last to take the stage and got the loudest crowd response. But the group was outperformed by Atlanta's Manchester Orchestra. Either way, both bands rocked hard and gave emotional performances.
Weekend in review: June 12, 2009Thursday, June 18, 2009
A young post-hardcore group and two distinctly different brands of country were all to be found last weekend
Sound, Scene, Delivered: Video EditionFriday, June 5, 2009
What I saw in May 2009
Concert Review: The Decemberists at the Uptown TheaterFriday, May 29, 2009
I walked in to The Decemberists concert at the Uptown Theater Wednesday night as a reporter and a somewhat objective critic. In the name of full disclosure, I am a pretty big fan of the Portland-based literary folk rockers. But by the time it was over, I ended up being a camel for approximately three minutes. I'll explain later.
Concert review: Blake Shelton and Joey + Rory at the Civic ArenaFriday, April 10, 2009
As popular music, country has grown to resemble a giant umbrella that encompasses a variety of genres, personas and personalities. And the two artists that came to St. Joseph Thursday night couldn’t be on more opposite sides.
Weekend recap: Flee the Seen’s final show at the Uptown TheaterTuesday, April 7, 2009
Kansas City’s post-hardcore all-stars Flee the Seen had talent and drive that left them destined for greater things. Unfortunately, when it comes to destiny, reality can get in the way.
Weekend recap: Sawyer Brown and Bucky Covington at Civic ArenaMonday, March 2, 2009
Judging by the appearance of at least half of the 1,700 country fans that showed up for Sawyer Brown and Bucky Covington performance Friday night, it appeared that St. Joe was in a T.G.I.F. mindset, ready to kick back and cut loose to a few tunes they knew by heart. For those fans, the two headliners happily obliged in each of their loose, playful sets.
Weekend recap: Madahoochi at Hammerjacks. Jean Claude Van Halen at The VousMonday, Feb. 23, 2009
As I walked into Hammerjacks on Friday night during Madahoochi's first set break, I had to wonder what the band was thinking. The St. Louis jam quartet, primarily known for playing the funk/blues/jazz/rock amalgam that jam band fans adore, was drinking as death metal played over the jukebox and the male bartender entertained patrons by blowing flames. I would bet that this isn't their ideal venue, but the skilled musicians won most of the crowd over with an excellent choice of covers and some bouncy originals
Weekend recap: Aliaz at The VousMonday, Feb. 9, 2009
Some people can't see that St. Joe has an original hip-hop music scene, but that's because there's really only one guy carrying the torch. Lucky for us, Brandon Smith a.k.a. Hollywood Aliaz proved during a solo show at The Rendezvous Friday night that he carries it well.
Concert review: Slipknot at the Sprint Center with Coheed & Cambria and TriviumMonday, Jan. 26, 2009
Shoving was mandatory, bodysurfing was recommended, and the smell of a certain illegal substance was in the air. One thing is for sure: The Sprint Center had yet to see a show as insane as Slipknot's.
Live Review: Smashing Pumpkins at Midland TheaterWednesday, Nov. 26, 2008
For the fans of '90s alt-rock icons Smashing Pumpkins who decided they would take a beer or bathroom break any time they heard an obscure song, they probably missed a majority of the two-and-a-half hour plus performance by the band at the Midland Theater Tuesday night, their second of two straight performances in Kansas City. At times, they may have been better off for it. But most of the night, they got a taste of lesser-known tracks mixed with a few Pumpkins hits that let people know why the band is alive, kicking and relevent.
Live review: Metallica at Sprint CenterMonday, Oct. 27, 2008
A common theme in Metallica's latest album "Death Magnetic" is the inevitable demise we all face, living life with death hanging overhead.
And a symbol of death was literally hanging overhead during Metallica's performance at the Sprint Center in Kansas City Saturday night, where nearly 14,000 people witnessed an old-school metal show where the rock icons performed the genre with maximum toughness and precision.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
It's crazy to imagine that 14 years ago, Dave Grohl, drummer for '90s grunge icons Nirvana, decided to carry on, pick up a guitar and start writing his own alt-rock tunes in the Foo Fighters. It's even crazier to imagine that Grohl's exercise in working out his Nirvana tendencies would turn into Grammy-winning modern rock staples while maintaining unwavering credibility that has gotten them asked to do tribute performances for The Who and sharing the stage with Led Zeppelin's own Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones at Wembley Stadium.
The Foo's stopped in KC to perform at Kemper Arena July 19 and brought a big 120-minute plus rock show to a crowd hungry to be pummeled by the group's buff riffs and relentless energy.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
A reunion tour always makes you ask an uncomfortable question: "How did I get so old?"
Looking around at my fellow Gen-Xers, and often equal numbers of Boomers, I wonder, am I, and what I'm about to see, tragically unhip?
But if a band is still at the top of its game, when the lights go out, the doubts dissipate and you're transported back in time.
Last night, The Police took me, and he rest of the crowd at the Sprint Center, back to 1983.
JOB SEARCH
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