Slappy the Groupie...Move over, Ann-Margaret!
On Saturday I went with copperred and qxbear to see Bob Mould at the Birchmere. This was my first non-Blowoff Bob Mould show. He was amazing. Dammit, now I have MORE CDs to buy. The only thing that bummed me out was that he was playing like he was fronting a band, but there was no band. Ah well, can't have everything. clickboo is apparently a good friend of The Bob. Some shameless hanging-on on my part might be in order. I think I saw an old college roommate of mine there from 12 years and one sexual orientation ago, but I hadn't let him in on the joke and I didn't feel like doing it there, so I ignored him. Why yes, I AM a prick! Thanks for noticing!
On Sunday I conned copperred into coming with me to see one of my favoritest-in-the-whole-wide-world shows: Butch Walker and American Hi-Fi. They rocked the house. What more can I say? Lots, actually. First, American Hi-Fi's new drummer is...how do I say this...FUCKING HOT! As a bonus, he plays pretty well, too. He clearly graduated magna cum laude from the Tommy Lee School of Percussion. At the beginning of every song, both arms were in the air and a stick was twirling in his left hand, ready to pound that loose, trigger-rigged snare with a hair-band fervor. His head banged with every beat. Every song was full of those classic pop-metal two-beat-snare-roll-crash-cymbal-and-floor-tom-strike fills (I can't describe it without sounding really dorky, but at least I didn't try to demonstrate it with my mouth). Me like the drummer for American Hi-Fi.
I had seen American Hi-Fi once before; in fact I saw them with Butch Walker last July. They were all right. This time, however, it was like seeing a totally different band. Their new release (featuring contributions by the illustrious Mr. Walker) is much stronger than their previous album and they are tighter than they were before. And, when Stacy Jones was done fronting American Hi-Fi, he took a seat behind the kit while they backed up Butch Walker. This is one hard-working band. The strange thing is, their music (at least as it is recorded) doesn't really do it for me. It was their live show that blew me away.
The Butch took the stage like a Tasmanian devil with his wine in one hand and a guitar in the other. He ran through a good bit of "Letters". In the middle of "The Best Thing You Never Had", which is possibly the best screw-the-ex song you ever heard, he took an audience member's cell phone (presumably dialed up to an ex) and sang into it. It was quite cool. And of course he played a couple of old Marvelous Three tunes, including the best live version of "Freak of the Week" I had ever heard. When he introduced Freak, he said "...and no, this is not Good Fucking Charlotte!" Strangely, though, he didn't do anything from his first solo effort, "Left of Self Centered". I was kinda hoping for a little "Diary of a San Fernando Sexx Star" or "Suburbia". Ah well, can't have everything.
And what power-pop show would be complete without the proposal? Butch introduced TJ and...fuck...what was her name...as he proposed. Thankfully she said yes, or that would have been really awkward. Ah, the stories they will tell their unruly children.
I had the pleasure of meeting Butch at the Birchmere show last July, so I didn't see a need to stay for this one. That would be creepy, and I reserve my stalking for Queensryche.
Oh shit! It's 8:35! I was supposed to pick up copperred at 8:30! AAAAAAUUUGGGGH (runs around in circles). Off to PW's!
On Sunday I conned copperred into coming with me to see one of my favoritest-in-the-whole-wide-world shows: Butch Walker and American Hi-Fi. They rocked the house. What more can I say? Lots, actually. First, American Hi-Fi's new drummer is...how do I say this...FUCKING HOT! As a bonus, he plays pretty well, too. He clearly graduated magna cum laude from the Tommy Lee School of Percussion. At the beginning of every song, both arms were in the air and a stick was twirling in his left hand, ready to pound that loose, trigger-rigged snare with a hair-band fervor. His head banged with every beat. Every song was full of those classic pop-metal two-beat-snare-roll-crash-cymbal-and-floor-tom-strike fills (I can't describe it without sounding really dorky, but at least I didn't try to demonstrate it with my mouth). Me like the drummer for American Hi-Fi.
I had seen American Hi-Fi once before; in fact I saw them with Butch Walker last July. They were all right. This time, however, it was like seeing a totally different band. Their new release (featuring contributions by the illustrious Mr. Walker) is much stronger than their previous album and they are tighter than they were before. And, when Stacy Jones was done fronting American Hi-Fi, he took a seat behind the kit while they backed up Butch Walker. This is one hard-working band. The strange thing is, their music (at least as it is recorded) doesn't really do it for me. It was their live show that blew me away.
The Butch took the stage like a Tasmanian devil with his wine in one hand and a guitar in the other. He ran through a good bit of "Letters". In the middle of "The Best Thing You Never Had", which is possibly the best screw-the-ex song you ever heard, he took an audience member's cell phone (presumably dialed up to an ex) and sang into it. It was quite cool. And of course he played a couple of old Marvelous Three tunes, including the best live version of "Freak of the Week" I had ever heard. When he introduced Freak, he said "...and no, this is not Good Fucking Charlotte!" Strangely, though, he didn't do anything from his first solo effort, "Left of Self Centered". I was kinda hoping for a little "Diary of a San Fernando Sexx Star" or "Suburbia". Ah well, can't have everything.
And what power-pop show would be complete without the proposal? Butch introduced TJ and...fuck...what was her name...as he proposed. Thankfully she said yes, or that would have been really awkward. Ah, the stories they will tell their unruly children.
I had the pleasure of meeting Butch at the Birchmere show last July, so I didn't see a need to stay for this one. That would be creepy, and I reserve my stalking for Queensryche.
Oh shit! It's 8:35! I was supposed to pick up copperred at 8:30! AAAAAAUUUGGGGH (runs around in circles). Off to PW's!