As most people know I had a wonderful visitor from October 17 to November 2 (sadly, today). Anyway…the time was amazing, and of course went too fast. Normally I’d just keep stories to those who asked…but there’s been quite a few people who want to know everything, so I decided to do a blog. Day by day, almost a minute to minute of the two weeks I spent with Jess re-discovering everything that’s quite literally, in my backyard.
October 17: Jess arrived today, so obviously we didn't do anything that day. I picked her up at the airport; we hung out, and had pizza. I definitely wanted to keep it low key since she’d just arrived.
October 18: A lazy day in general. Basic sightseeing in Marin; we walked through Mill Valley, Tiburon and Sausalito. We returned home to hang out, watched “Over the Hedge” and decided to try Taco Bell for dinner that day, since it was on her “to try” list.
October 19: This was the day of our first gig. Basically we spent the whole morning/early afternoon lounging around listening to the bands we’d be seeing that night. What was cool is that it was at a new venue. The Regency Ballroom on Post St. @ Van Ness in San Francisco…and I wouldn’t recommend it. They’re a bit behind the times, and still a little stuffy about things. Some rules were the same, others were just…strange. The tickets, no venue I’ve been to in the last four years or so have torn tickets to show admission. Places normally scan them. Also, the balcony (we discovered after the third act) was “Parents Only” which was so annoying, cuz obviously it wasn’t even close to being full. Anyway…we got there pretty early, around 4 I think, since we had a meet and greet pass. It was really cool to be able to talk to the band before the show, even if it was for hardly any time. The first thing I asked William was if “Classifieds” was on the setlist already, and he asked the band member next to him (I’m so bad with their names) if it was…and he said there was a really good chance. It was cool going down the line too, and talking to each of them a little bit. Then finally it was time for doors to open, so we went in and got a reasonably good spot on the side of the stage right against the rail, which was perfect for a while. Then the teens started pushing and jumping which quickly made our time hell. We lasted up there for the first 3 full acts, but then had to leave just before The Academy Is… started. That was kind of tough, but I think it was worth it because I felt like I wouldn’t have enjoyed the show if I’d stayed where I was. The band puts on a great show, very energetic, which is always a ton of fun to watch. And they did play my song, whether I had anything to do with that, I have no idea…but I choose to believe they played it because I asked.
October 20: We went to our first real tourism spot, Muir Woods. We had really good weather, since it tends to rain a good bit there. By pure luck we ended up arriving at the park just as a tour was about to start, and since I hadn’t been there in over 10 years (probably not quite) I figured it’d be good to take the tour. Most of what there is to say about Muir Woods has to be said in pictures, it’s really pretty in there. After our tour we stopped at their café for lunch and then headed over to Stinson Beach. Not a whole lot to do or see, but I figured it’d be a good stop.
October 21: I had to work, 10 – 4. So Jess went into SF by herself to explore and shop.
October 22: We went to a couple of the amazing museums in the heart of the Presidio; The California Academy of Sciences and the Japanese Tea Gardens. Both were really great, and totally worth the time to explore everything. Very fun day, totally worth every cent of admission, and the California Academy of Sciences has so much to do, it’s practically a day trip in itself.
October 23: I had to work again, but this time Jess hung out at home.
October 24: Friday we took this amazing tour of the city on one of the Double Decker busses. It was easily the longest day we had, but a definite highlight. To take our first tour at 9am, we had to get up at 7. We booked a tour package with "Sightseeing World" -- I think that was the company name. We booked the "All Loops + Alcatraz" package. The first loop took us to The Palace of Fine Arts, across the Golden Gate, to Vista Point, back across the bridge and all through the Presidio. After that, we walked down to Pier 33, stopping at a couple souvenir shops, and waited for our ferry to Alcatraz. We ended up getting there pretty early. One of the things that a friend of Jess' said to try was a churro, so we got one from the vendor there, but it wasn't that good...kinda stale, which was too bad. (Also on the "to try list" that we had was Taco Bell and In & Out) Alcatraz is pretty cool; they have a self-guided audio tour that’s very well done. Once we’d finished the tour we walked back down to the ferry dock, and headed back to Fisherman’s Wharf for a late lunch. We crossed another thing off of Jess’ list then as well. There’s a great place called Rainforest Café. We both loved it; it’s a restaurant similar to Hard Rock in the sense that you get a lot of food for the money you pay. After that, we took our last tour of that day, at 6pm; which was actually really cool to have a tour like that just at sunset. I got some gorgeous shots of city hall at sunset. What was funny is we actually had the same tour guide... which wasn't a bad thing at all since he was really good. That tour went through pretty much every SF neighborhood -- except for like 19th Ave and stuff. Covered North Beach, Chinatown, Pacific Heights, Alamo Square, Coit Tower (I can't remember the little park area...something about WWII)...and the Nob Hill Cable Car Route, into the heart of downtown San Francisco. Then when that was over, we headed home. There was another part of the night that could only be defined as screwy karma. Ask if you want to know the details...haha. Anyway, we were pretty dead tired after that day, so we went home and watched TV.
October 25: Then on Saturday, we took our last tour, which was a hop on and off route, but we didn't have a chance to hop off anywhere...which I think was ok. We had our lunch plans, and there were plenty of chances to take pictures and stuff. The route is pretty much the same as "The Night Loop", with a few extra stops, which was quite nice. Lunch was awesome; Andrea met us at the Hard Rock Café (Connie backed out at the last minute). I bought a pin there -- and Jess got a shirt. The food was alright...I wish their hamburgers were better. After lunch we walked over to see the seals, which were unusually loud and active that day, so there were tons of tourists there watching and videotaping. Then we walked around Pier 39 a little bit, taking pictures. After that we decided to take the Hyde St. Cable Car -- Jess and I heard about that on the bus tour. That was crazy too...we waited probably 45 min in line to get on a car. It was so much fun to take a ride on the cable car for once...that was another thing I've always wanted to do. Then we walked around Union Square and surrounding areas a little bit and we even went all the way up to the Cheesecake Factory to take some pictures of the killer view up there. (It’s on top of the Macy’s in Union Square, which is 7 stories) After that, Jess and I were pretty tired...again.
October 26: The next day was pretty easy, we slept in since we’d had a pretty busy two days. Then we headed up to the wine country. We stopped at Roche Winery – originally just for a few pictures but decided to taste some of their wines as well since we were there. Then we drove to Sonoma, which was a little harder than I thought, since I’d never driven myself. But we found the old town and walked around a little bit and found a really good, really reasonable place for lunch. Fabulous food for a good value is always a nice thing to come across. After lunch we headed home and relaxed watching all kinds of re-runs on TV.
October 27: Monday I had to work and then Jess and I cooked dinner. We made this really simple recipe that Jess found online for Garlic Chicken; it turned out really really nice. I would definitely make it again.
October 28: Tuesday we took the ferry in to the city. That was pretty fun; it was the last good day, even if it was overcast. We took the F line to Pier 39, and Jess got some more presents for friends and family. Then we walked from Pier 39 to Ghirardelli Square for an ice cream sundae. I was worried it would be packed, but between the time of day and the weather not being great…it wasn’t, we got to walk right in. It was amazing. I swear I haven't had a sundae there in at least 10 years...it was heaven. Dark chocolate fudge...soooo good. After that, we took the muni back to the Ferry Building and got a sourdough roll for a snack. That night we had pizza again and then carved our pumpkin. He turned out pretty cute.
October 29: Wednesday we had our second concert, Cobra Starship at the Fillmore. So the morning was pretty lazy, which was nice. It was pretty cold in line, as always. It always seems to be cold by the Fillmore. This time we decided to avoid all the teens by heading for the balcony. Luckily we were successful in getting a seat up there. It was really cool to sit up there for once. Yet another thing I've always wanted to do. I ended up getting a drink, a screwdriver -- they make their drinks REALLY strong. Also, we split a plate of chicken. It's good to know that they've got good food and drinks at a good value.
October 30: Thursday morning I had to get up to go to work... which wasn't as hard as I'd figured it'd be.
October 31: Halloween we had another lazy morning, because I think we both needed it. We went to the Exploratorium. I didn't remember there being so much to do last time. I think maybe last time we didn't look around that carefully? I dunno...but I think we spent like four hours there, and it didn't even seem like that long. Then we had a light dinner so we could have all kinds of snacks and candy. We also baked cookies. We bought Pillsbury Sugar Cookie dough...rolled it all together, which was our first mistake. That dough is seriously not meant to be handled. The more you touched and pulled at it, the stickier it got. As annoying as that was, it was actually pretty funny. To decorate them for Halloween we got this weird "gel icing" -- not very good. Luckily we've got some that don't have any icing. We ended up watching a couple of movies, National Treasure and The Nightmare before Christmas; I figured just because it was Halloween we didn’t have to watch a scary movie…just something exciting. We covered the Halloween part with The Nightmare before Christmas anyway.
November 1: Saturday was a lazy day, we slept in a little bit since we didn’t have anything to do for the morning. Unfortunately it was raining and pretty windy, but I wasn’t going to let bad weather stop us from going to see Matt. During the morning we just watched TV, and then we headed out to get a sandwich for lunch before the show. Also, Jess wanted to buy my dad a couple bottles of wine so we headed to the liquor store on the way home. To get to the Warfield around 5, we left at 4, due to bad weather. It was a tough drive over, but I knew it’d be worth it. It was so cold in line, and our pants and shoes were soaked through. When we got there I was so surprised that there were actually people already there waiting. I didn’t think that’d happen on a bad day like that…but oh well… clearly I’m not the most diehard fan there is, which is good I guess. When we got into the venue I took a quick glance at the shirts for sale, then we ran for a spot right along the stage. Once we were settled where we were going to be for the night, I headed back to the merch table to get my shirt. Then the show started about 30 min later. For once the openers were good. Normally in my experience they’re bad… or just not really anything special. But both were good, which was surprising because Jessie Baylin sounded pretty ordinary from the MySpace songs. The Break and Repair Method (Paul of Matchbox Twenty’s side band) was just as good as I thought they’d be from what I’d heard on MySpace. Nice surprises are always good. Finally Matt came on, and man he can put on a show. Killer set, great humor in his banter, great crowd interaction. He played a long time – probably 2 hours so the show ended much later than the others. What made me happiest is that Jess really enjoyed it too.
November 2: Today we slept in because we only got home at 1am the previous night. Then we got Jess fully organized to leave and went out to breakfast. Originally I was kind of thinking about going to Denny’s, since it was on her original list. But I figured we should do something that you can only do in Marin. So we went to this place called “Mama’s Royal Café” on my dad’s recommendation. Really good food and it was my dad’s treat which was sweet. When it was almost time to leave Jess gave us both a little present. She left chocolates for me and gave my dad the bottles of wine we’d bought earlier.
Anyway…I hated that she had to leave, and I was definitely sad enough for the both of us. But I know we’ll be friends for many years and I look forward to traveling to Perth soon, and who knows where we’ll meet up. The fun thing about having Jess here was that I really learned how amazing the city is. I almost forgot that I actually live here...and that it's really not that big of deal to go back and visit the places we spent time at.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
End of Fashion
Title: End of Fashion
End of Fashion
Slowing the tempo down is “Anymore” a song about a breakup that is reminiscent of 90s rock from American artists like Vertical Horizon, Aerosmith and maybe a touch of Bon Jovi. “Lock Up Your Daughters” is quite possibly the most cheerful rock song I’ve heard. Lyrically humorous, melodically addicting and vocally one of the best songs found on this CD, it’s impossible to stay in a bad mood while listening to this track. “Rough Diamonds” follows, and this is definitely their strongest song lyrically, and also the only song that rivals and maybe surpasses the vocals on “Lock Up Your Daughters”. From start to finish, End of Fashion creates an intimate and (literally) seamless listening experience that allows the listener to discover who these guys are from song to song. As well as creating well crafted rock songs and ballads, the guys of End of Fashion have also created a medium to increase anticipation for their next record.
Track Listing:
- She's Love
- O Yeah
- The Game
- Anymore
- Too Careful
- Love Comes In
- In Denial
- Oh Strain
- Lock Up Your Daughters
- Rough Diamonds
- Seize the Day
- Anything Goes (Alan Moulder Remix)
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
First Annual Bay Area Indie Music Festival -- August 25
I honestly do NOT know where to start; a full day of sun and music could have that effect…by the end of the night one was on live music overload. The festival’s sound technicians ditched the gig the morning before – so there was a brand new crew scrambling to get the show on the road. The bands in general weren’t THAT great – thought the few that were awesome, were worthy of buying the CD and I did buy a couple. (The Frail, Scissors For Lefty, and a couple others – Push To Talk sounded pretty good as well as Audrye Sessions) The festival line up appeared to be at least 2 hours off schedule, so Eskimo Joe didn’t come on till about 6:15 or so…but it was so worth the wait. I was entertained by some Australians who happened to be living in Berkeley (about a half hour away from the venue, maybe) – both really nice guys, and asked me a few questions of what I knew of the guys.
They arrived to the venue about an hour or hour and a half before their set and Stu and Kav walked right by me…and immediately my nerves were totally buzzing. I couldn’t believe they’d just walked right in front of me and I couldn’t find my voice to call out to them…but more so – I couldn’t believe I was finally going to see this band live. We still had a while to wait…but before their set started, my friend and I walked over to watch them set up – and I took a couple pictures. I waved at Kav, and immediately felt like a dork, because it was a tiny wave that showed just how nervous and excited I was – but he still smiled at me. With the [harsh] encouragement of my friend, I went over to Kav, and shook his hand, and told him I was a HUGE fan and couldn’t wait to hear them play. It was obvious he was concerned about the sound system, as almost every band had some kind of issue with instruments or microphones…I was worried too, because they were setting up to play on the problem stage. Then finally, it was their turn to play. The guy who did their intro was obviously excited too, to hear them play, which made me happy to hear how much he appreciated Eskimo Joe making this their last stop on their first American tour. Song by song breakdown:
Set List:
Sarah – I was surprised that they were going to open with Sarah, but I was still happy as I love the song and especially the instrumental break. With the first vocals I immediately had goose bumps – this song is amazing and I look forward to hearing it again. They totally rocked out…if people weren’t paying attention to them before the break – they were then.
Comfort You – I’ve been told they love playing this song live…and now I can see why. They totally rock out to this song, and it was a blast to see. Though given the songs they cut because of the delay – I’d rather have heard How Does It Feel or Breaking Up. Still, the piano alone makes this an amazing live song.
New York – A dream-like experience live. Great instrumental to a wonderful song that definitely sounds better live than on the CD. It was a beautiful song…and it was amazing to see 200 or so people who had no idea who these guys were, totally starting to rock out.
From the Sea – When I looked at the set list before they started…I was so excited to see that we were going to hear an older song as well. Kav’s voice really shines live, even when you’re standing next to the speaker like I was. I think this is probably the song that made me love the band more, simply a brilliant live moment.
London Bombs – I don’t know what I can say about this song that I haven’t said already about the others. Absolutely beautiful live, between the acoustic guitar and piano…and again, Kav just sounds amazing live; as well as the band, possibly better than the CD version.
This Is Pressure – I was so happy they played this song…that I literally jumped. I couldn’t help myself. Easily the highlight of the set…absolutely amazing because you can feel Kav’s bass in you, which I could the whole night, but I love the bass in this song so it made it even more amazing.
Black Fingernails, Red Wine – I knew that they would play this, I was hoping anyway. I really wanted to hear it after I saw it on Live Earth. There’s no way around it that the kick drum in this song would get anyone pumped up to hear the song…and the crowd was certainly enjoying this song.
Missed out on (due to huge delays getting started):
Beating Like A Drum
Breaking Up
How Does It Feel
After their set, I quickly went to get my drawing out of my bag, because I wasn’t going to leave this place without him seeing and singing the drawing. So when I went up to the stage a second time, I was so much less nervous and that made it a lot easier to be able to show the portrait I’d done. When I walked to the stage with the pad of paper that had my drawing, he immediately spotted it and asked what it was…so I pulled out the copy I had made to give to him; immediately he said, “Oh wow, this is awesome! Thank you.” Then when I showed him the original, he said how clearly I hadn’t just drawn it…which made me laugh; I admitted it had taken me about a week. Then when I asked him to sign the original, he said he would only sign it if I signed the copy I’d brought…which totally shocked me but also really made my day (and then some) – so I did. For some reason, I had the drawing upside down and I was ready to sign the back – but Kav had no problem telling me exactly how and where to sign it; “You have to sign it on the front in the corner, like an artist.” Anyway, the point of this drawing in a way was to show my admiration – and hopefully so he’d remember me the next time I saw them. I had been anticipating this show for a month so it was a huge relief when they didn’t have any major audio issues. Overall, the whole night was fabulous…one I won’t soon forget.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Black Fingernails, Red Wine
Black Fingernails, Red Wine
Eskimo Joe
Released: September 25, 2007
While this will be the first CD the Australian mega band, Eskimo Joe, will release in the US, Australia has known about these guys for nearly a decade. I was lucky enough, and maybe some of you reading this were too, to catch this band on stage, live in Sydney, Australia, for Live Earth. I have come across some new fans on the band’s official forum to facebook who have been hooked ever since, myself included. This CD, is deeper and different than the previous two; change seems to be a common theme for the “trio from Freo” (Freo – short for Fremantle, a city located just west of the West Australia capital, Perth), and it drives them into even darker territory this time around. A heavier sound is in fact, more fitting for the new subject matter being explored; however, the sound does get progressively darker from song to song.
“Comfort You” – the lead track is practically instrumental, featuring mostly a beautiful, haunting keyboard melody, building on that is “New York” which adds a simple acoustic guitar melody over a keyboard melody that’s equally simple. While there are drums in every track, there are certain ones that highlight how important a drum beat can be in music. One being “Setting Sun” which also is probably the best song Kav Temperley has written to date, I would highlight the whole song, but there’s only one verse in particular that stands out more than the rest:
“Ice is just a remedy for pain and rising heat,
Hold it in your hands and watch the puddles form around your feet,
And if you drink the water, it might just stop the pain,
From dreaming of the fever drowning holes around your name”
“London Bombs” is a simple, classic ballad, about the loneliness one can find anywhere, in a big city, sitting at home wishing a friend was near, or missing a loved one. Following this low key track, “Sarah” – a playful rock song written for a friend of Kav’s, picks up the energy again, which also features one of the best instrumental breaks in any of their songs (the best, for me, being in “How Does It Feel” – the last track on the album), and some of the best vocals. “This Is Pressure” is my favorite song the band has in their catalogue, its perfection. The vocals, the melody, the lyrics – they all come together in a wonderful song full of metaphors and lyrics that I don’t think I’ll soon forget.
“There is no romance in conversation,
The words fall out like you’re out of patience,
You want to scream and you want to shout,
But you build up steam and you can’t let out”
Following “This Is Pressure” is another rhythm driven song, reminiscent of INXS called “Beating like a Drum”. According to Australian fans, is the band’s popular choice as a show opener, and it’s easy to see why, the infectious drum beat is sure to pump up any crowd. The next track really isn’t a song, but it brings the tempo back to where we started, quiet, haunting and simple with “Reprise”; a recounting of “Comfort You” made more haunting with the addition of violins. The next track called “Suicide Girl” is my least favorite – which by no means detracts from the quality of the song itself…just, I don’t find it to be terribly strong.
The closing track, “How Does It Feel” is another strong track on the album. On this particular track Eskimo Joe goes against what I and probably other listener’s have come to expect. Normally following the instrumental crescendo would be a quiet period, and then vocals would continue. However, in “How Does It Feel” the instrumental brings the song to an exhilarating high point found in 80s stadium rock anthems allowing strong vocals to finish this song that’s almost dreamlike.
“Black Fingernails, Red Wine” is a perfect way for Eskimo Joe to break into the realm of worldwide popularity. Every song on this record tells a story in an infectious way that hooks you in and once Americans discover Eskimo Joe – they’ll need the rest of their records to feed their addiction.
Also included in the US Version of “Black Fingernails, Red Wine” – a bonus CD featuring their videos, or video clips already released in Australia. These include:
· Black Fingernails, Red Wine (Nash Edgerton Version)
· Sarah
· New York
· Breaking Up
Download: “Setting Sun” or “This Is Pressure”
Track Listing:
1. Comfort You
2. New York
3. Black Fingernails, Red Wine
4. Breaking Up
5. Setting Sun
6. London Bombs
7. Sarah
8. This Is Pressure
9. Beating Like A Drum
10. Reprise
11. Suicide Girl
12. How Does It Feel
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
"A Song Is A City" - Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe took a leap of faith with their second full length CD, “A Song Is a City,” making the arrangements even bigger than before. Starting with a very organic sound on the lead track, “Come Down,” it gives Kav, the band’s singer (and lead songwriter) a chance to show off. A song that starts basically a cappella grows into a sweeping stadium rock ballad, yet, still manages to channel the Beatles in their flawless delivery. Eskimo Joe, or “eskies” as fans fondly refer to them as, keep true to the original sound they found with “Girl” but manage to evolve it even further, the sweeping melodies and harmonies fans grew accustomed to on their first disc are still here along with creative song lyrics. Again, showing off their diversity, melodically and lyrically, there’s something for everyone on this fantastic album that will have most the world thinking, “what sophomore slump?” From the title track, “A Song Is a City,” that oozes loneliness and the grittiness that can often be found in a large metropolitan city, to quite possibly Eskimo Joe’s most upbeat song, called “Older than You.” Overall, there’s a darker tone to the music this time around, but through the upbeat melodies and harmonies, Eskimo Joe manage to create a multi-level experience. “You never know how good you’ve got it/’til it all goes bad” (Don’t Let It Fly) is a perfect example of this new dynamic, as well as “From the Sea” – an in your face rock song that reads almost like a pre-war poem about what’s to come, “There’s just no oxygen/why can’t we just fall in/in the sea.” To prove you’re even more creative and diverse in each sequential album isn’t something just any artist or band can do on a regular basis, but that seems to be the growing trend for Eskimo Joe for now and the future.
Download: A Song Is a City and Come Down
Title: A Song Is A City
Artist: Eskimo Joe
Track Listing:
- Come Down
- From The Sea
- Life Is Better With You
- Older Than You
- A Song Is A City
- Don’t Let It Fly
- I’m So Tired
- Seven Veils
- Smoke
- Carousel
- This Room
- Car Crash
"Girl" - Eskimo Joe
“Girl,” The first full length studio recorded album from the Australian band named Eskimo Joe, is a true rock record start to finish. Taking a break every so often from biting guitar chords, slower songs like “Planet Earth” and “Liar” shine as much as the up-beat “Wake Up” and “Sydney Song”. Showing off their musical and lyrical diversity throughout, targeting the sounds of the 90’s grunge era to melodies and harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles. Aside from the often sweeping melodies and harmonies, a band is nothing without creative lyrics, and Eskimo Joe has plenty. A self-proclaimed "story-telling band", every song on the CD is a story – however, there are a few that stick out even on first listen. “There’s nothing underneath your bed/don’t believe what your friends said/go to heaven when you’re dead,” (Take A Rest) and “You know, you know, you know I’m a liar/I can’t, I can’t, get burnt by the fire.” (Liar) Eskimo Joe manages to talk in circles and make perfect sense at the same time with their music; maybe that’s because the band themselves really discovered their strengths before they even attempted to “make it.” Whatever the formula the Western Australian’s used…it certainly worked.
Download: “Wake Up” or “Liar”
Artist: Eskimo Joe (Kav Temperley, Joel Quartermain, Stu MacLeod)
Track Listing:
- Head Hurts
- Wake Up
- Planet Earth
- Who Sold Her Out
- Love List
- Liar
- Election
- Take A Rest
- Slow Down
- Sydney Song
- Just Like Me
- Driver
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