mrwhite5's Last.fm Journal

Concert Backlog: 2010-now

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 06:40:02 +0000

Underoath/ATDR: B

Underoath does a kick-ass job. ATDR tries but the sound man ain't trying to hear that (or the calls to fix the sound)

Hank III: B

Country rock with a twisted edge. He put the Dick in Dixie. And yes, he is related to the man who compared Obama to Hitler.

Thrice/Animals as Leaders: A

Thrice embarked on a farewell tour and completely tore the house down. AAL also came with it too and got the crowd into it.

Flogging Molly I: A-

First time I saw and heard them and it was impressive. Dave King and company can really get the crowd going.

Killer Mike/GZA: A

It may have been GZA's tour, but Killer Mike laid down the law...with only a DJ.

Circa Survive: A-

Post-hardcore madness. Sweaty, intense, physical madness in support of Violent Waves.

Hip Hop Gods Tour: A

Classic hip-hop gets a tour. And everyone proves that classic don't mean old and washed up.

Flogging Molly II: B+

Not as good as last year but the undercard over-delivered.

Concert Review: Deftones (in the House of Blues)

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 06:30:17 +0000

Tue 5 Mar – Deftones, The Contortionist

Let's set the scene: October 27th, 2012.

A massive storm system bears down over the East Coast. The Deftones are slated to play dates in NYC and MA days after.

But Sandy had other plans.

The storm shuts down the entire east coast and the Deftones show is cancelled. Rescheduled date is announced 2 months later as March 5th.

And here we are. March 5th, 2013. The House of Blues Boston.

Obviously, the new date means some changes. Specifically, Scars on Broadway is no longer opening. In their place, is The Contortionist.

They start the show and with their blend of prog/metalcore music, they kept the crowd alive. And set the stage for the Deftones.

Deftones start the show with Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away), then go right into the next song off Around the Fur., Lotion. After tearing through that opening number, Chino regales the crowd with comedy.

"Last time we came here, no one showed up. Where were you motherfuckers?"

Uhh...about that....

But with that out of the way, it was time for a signature. My Own Summer. The crowd really came alive for that one. And can you blame them? That was the first song a lot of Deftones diehards remember so vividly.

In what would be a reoccurring theme, the song was followed by the album track that came after, Lhabia. First time I've seen that song live and it was as good as it was on the album. Still, I would've loved to hear Mascara live...but I digress.

Minerva followed and this is where it gets interesting. The lighting plays a big factor in how this show turned out. With just a solo white light behind Chino when he sings the chorus, it just makes an average song into an experience. Albeit a remarkable one.

In a change of pace, Diamond Eyes comes on. Then Rocket Skates, then You've Seen the Butcher. The Diamond Eyes trifecta. No Sextape but I guess that's the Deftones, hit you with heavy singles and exclude mellow album tracks in most cases.

Then it was time to go back to 2000 with White Pony and Feiticeira (the theme song of Nick Diaz BTW), first time I've seen this song live and it slays, just like the album version. Then it's the calming mood of Digital Bath, another song enhanced by lighting. That was one thing that was on point, the lighting.

And then it was time for the new stuff. Koi No Yokan gets some representation. Rosemary, then Swerve City, then Tempest, and Poltergeist. All really solid, but I wish there was more album stuff. Like Leathers.

Wrapping up the main set was Riviere, dedicated to Chi Cheng. A nice gesture and the song itself was beautiful. It was the only representative of Saturday Night Wrist that night.

Obviously, Change (in the House of Flies) made an appearance. And it's still the favorite of a lot of people, judging on crowd pops.

Engine No. 9 and Nosebleed put an aggressive bow on a big setlist. The HOB became frantic with the energy and emotion from Adrenaline. Chino may be getting older and older, but he can still do those songs like he did in '95.

And of course, the encores. Root and 7 Words conclude an amazing show in Boston. It felt good, and everyone can say that the wait was worth it that night.

Edit this setlist | More Deftones setlists

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Deftones still can put on a great show. This was proof. Highly recommended concert going next time. Hopefully a hurricane won't get in your way.

GRADE: A

Scorecard (updated):
NIN: A+ (Best show all around)
Public Enemy: A+ (Hip-Hop at it's finest)
Underoath/ATDR: B (Sound issues really hurt this show)
Deftones/DEP: A- (Brutality)
Hank III: B (Cool novelty there)
Thrice/Animals as Leaders: A (A farewell to a post-hardcore icon)
Flogging Molly I: A- (Irish punk rock in Boston...need I say more)
Killer Mike/GZA: A (Killer Mike steals the show)
Circa Survive: A- (Wild wild night at the HOB)
Hip Hop Gods Tour: A (An all star tour with Public Enemy leading the way)
Flogging Molly II: B+ (A step under but the undercard delivered)
Deftones II: A (Well worth the wait)

Upcoming:
3/29: Dear Hunter

Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan Live 5/6/2011

Tue, 10 May 2011 03:44:04 +0000

Fri 6 May – Deftones, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Funeral Party

Some quick background: About 4 years ago, back when I was a high-school senior, getting ready to graduate, I had heard about the Deftones playing a show in June. Being the starry-eyed teenager I was, I tried to organize the collective of friends for this show, but schedules ruined it and I wound-up not going. Disappointing.

So as time goes on, I waited and waited to see them live. I made a promise to see Deftones, Public Enemy and NIN live in my lifetime. I did it in 2008 with NIN, 2010 with Public Enemy, and now in 2011 with Deftones.

And Dillinger added as a sweet bonus.

The show itself: me, soadsam18 and crackerjax1080 formed a mighty posse and made way to Rhode Island, exchanging stories about bad situations, recycling and RI being a mafia state. Laughs and chuckles as we pulled into RI round 6:20 PM and walked around the city before the show, hitting 2 bars, a fast food joint, and talking sports.

All 3 of us being avid Bruins fans, we were all hoping for a sweep of the Flyers that night, and Alex would always say "knock on wood, knock on wood" to counter-act jinxing. But i digress.... we finally made our ways in around 8:25 PM, just in time to catch the opening act, Funeral Party.

To be honest, they were rather ill-suited on this tour. Having to open for two of the most intense bands out there, it's daunting. However, they did OK, if the music was well outside my comfort zone.

30-40 minutes pass. And here comes Dillinger Escape Plan. The pit is live. And I am cautious, as Alex and Sam get started, I just stay on the outside, with all the movement being minimal during the opening number, Farewell Mona Lisa.

Two songs later, here comes my favorite, Panasonic Youth, and at this point, I have what many call a "bruce banner moment".

The song starts, and boom goes the pit. I nearly see my own life flash before my eyes, as within the first 15 seconds, I am knocked down 2 times, and the second time, people were going all Kamakize on me, diving into me. I'm getting scared now...

And then, I got crazy.

With a pile of people all over me, I start to use my elbows to move the masses and force my way out. That alone was reflex and fight-or-flight reactions. The other part is what scares me.

Showing no fear, I run, yes, run, into the pit and get down with this mass of humanity and start to mosh with the crowd for the end of Panasonic Youth. I got hit in the head 2 times during this, may have had a concussion, explains my post-show light sensitivity the day after.... but alas, I had an insane amount of fun and chaos. Made me fearless.

But back to the music itself, Dillinger live is great, while not blow-away awesome, the songs were all heartfelt and chaotic, as DEP solidified why they are such a great live act.

Edit this setlist | More The Dillinger Escape Plan setlists

In-between sets, Alex, Sam and I lounge on a couch, chilling and healing from the punishing intensity of DEP, and Alex was sporting the wounds of war. Bro's a trooper.

So after we chilled, it was time for Deftones. Knowing how kick-ass DEP was, the 'Tones had to deliver.

And they did. 22 songs deep and all of them done incredibly well.

Again, it wasn't the reinvention of the wheel here, but a few tweaks to songs, and a surprise near the end (which was killer, I might add) along with straight up intensity and heart, helped to make the Deftones' set killer.

Edit this setlist | More Deftones setlists

So what do I think of this show?

DEP: A- (mad intensity, shame it only lasted 9 songs)
Deftones: A (stepping it up, and killing it live)

Total ranking: A- (Great show in terms on energy, not the best overall show I've seen)

Scorecard:
---------------
NIN LIVE: A+
Public Enemy: A+
Deftones/DEP: A-

Public Enemy Live 8.9.2010

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:28:57 +0000

Mon 9 Aug – Public Enemy

2:22 AM - My ears are still ringing, my mind is not shutting down. My feet are sore, my body is dead tired... and yet, I am elated. I just came home from one of the greatest shows ever. Period. But first, let's lay down some background.

7:32 PM: Arrived at House of Blues in Boston. Warm night outside, but it's cooling down gradually. A medium sized line waits patiently to enter the arena. Ke$ha and BEP blares in the background. FAIL.

8:11 PM: We're inside, and it's showtime. First out the gate is Uno the Prophet, local guy who appeared on 7L & Esoteric's Dangerous Connection 2 LP, playing hypeman to some local guy I can't remember. But I will say this, he was decent.

8:32: Next up is Kendo The Almost Famous. Hybrid band signed to Slamjamz Records. Unique mix of rock, rap, soul, and a tad of Slipknot, with a few of the band members wearing masks. I like them, very solid set.

9:05: The final opening act, Son of Bazerk, which totally mystified me. They wore suits, had dance moves, incorporated James Brown, didn't stop playing, and oh yeah... kicked ass. Solid solid sounds.

9:30: PUBLIC ENEMY! Starting out with an awesome solo by.... Flava Flav?

To use an overdone catchphrase.... YEAHHHH BOYEE! Flava gets the crowd hype, proving that he's more than just a verbal hypeman, he's an instrumental hypeman too. There's more to this man, that we'll hear later on. But now, it's time to drop it with Contact On The World Love Jam.

Chuck D, Flav, the S1W's, Griff, DJ Lord and the band hits the stage! Brothers Gonna Work It Out... and wait a minute... "I smell some reefer!" So does security. Poor dude wanted to get lifted... and he got lifted, outta there!

it's funny... i had to add it.

Back to the show... Flava Flav says a little something to lead us right into "911 Is A Joke" and I'll say this: THE HOUSE WAS JUMPING! So awesome. Flava's got skills.

We roll on with Incident at 66.6 FM, and then, Chuck D welcomes us into the Terrordome. Now, I love this song... but that was nothing to how the song played out live tonight. Bass, drums, guitar and turntable solos. The awesomeness of this moment officially pushed this show into "best nights ever" territory.

After Meet The G That Killed Me (side note: can't believed they played that), Chuck says that we're gonna hear "the hits of Public Enemy" and thus... the horns come in, and it's Show 'Em What You Got (not the Jay-Z song). The walk down memory lane rolls on with Bring The Noise and Don't Believe the Hype. Flava tells us the story behind "Cold Lampin' With Flavor", name checking Mr. Magic (RIP) as the DJ who said the classic "No more music from the suckas!" line. Once again, Flav goes off and say what you want about him on TV... but the man can perform live.

Chuck D talked about the former DJ of PE, Terminator X, and how the song they were going to play was being played for the the first time Boston in 23 years. 23 years... back when Def Jam was "cutting edge", MTV played music, and Regan ruled the USA.

Terminator X To The Edge of Panic. Sweet stuff, that's all I can say.

We get back to the Fear of A Black Planet with Anti-Nigger Machine, Burn Hollywood Burn, Power to The People and Who Stole The Soul. The best of the bunch was Power to The People, which had a kickass solo by the guitarist of the Banned. He's a monster at that.

Then we get into the modern area. Harder Than You Think and the new joint "Say It Like It Is." Now this is where the show gets interesting...

During "Say It Like It Is", a near fight breaks out. To my surprise, the S1W's... lived up to their namesake, and play security, getting the guard to throw the rowdy d-bag lifted outta there! The crowd applauded. That guard is made.

But this, this was cool. Flav comes out and says that the violence is uncool and brings up a kid to the stage, and says that we gotta keep it safe for kids like him, that we need to keep it fun for everyone. Now THAT was cool. Flava Flav's respect level after that: +100.

DJ Lord gets a sick, and I mean , sick turntable set. Just amazing... so awesome.

Flava asks Chuck to rock Timebomb with him on drums. Chuck agrees, then says "he's outta his mind for wearing that clock." Hilarity ensues. Little did we know that Chuck would bring out the 1st song off Public Enemy's 1st album.

You're Gonna Get Yours. Hell yeah.

Can't Truss It is next, as we wind down the show, then Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos hits, and I lose my mind. Such an awesome show.

Right after, it's time to Shut Em Down. Good stuff. Transitioning to the old-school classic Rebel Without A Pause... and the crowd, at that moment, goes absolutely insane. I'm not kidding.

It's almost over... sadly. Then to seal the deal of awesomeness... Chuck goes into the next song with a simple statement: "Fuck Arizona." Yep, By The Time I Get To Arizona.

The last part of the show arrives with an extended version of "Fight The Power." And just when we think it's over...

She Watch Channel Zero?! YES. The show ends on this, at 11:25 PM. Flava closes it out with a heartfelt speech thanking the audience, and telling us that he hates separatism and racism. He also lets us know that "he's done with that dating show shit". Rabid applause.

I leave the venue, sore as hell but enjoying the fact I saw my favorite act in all of hip-hop, in an absolutely kickass show.

Edit this setlist | More Public Enemy setlists

SHOW RATING: A+
50 years old, and STILL able to rock a show. And the openers were engaging. Loved it. So much energy.

Ranking board:
NIN 2008, Worcester MA: A+
Public Enemy 2010, Boston MA: A+

FSC Year #3 [Fall 2009]

Mon, 10 May 2010 05:22:38 +0000

Previously on...

Somehow, the hell that was the second half of Year #2 didn't kill me. I somehow made it out alive. So what happens at Year #3?

August-September: Somewhat Damaged

Back to school, in my same dorm room as before. No job this time, but then again,I wasn't so concerned about it. I think what I was really concerned with was putting a shitty summer behind me and moving forward with my life. So moving in wasn't a hassle...pretty streamlined. I'm chilling in my room, waiting for my homies to hit me on the cell, and in the meanwhile, I'm listening to Gravediggaz' Diary of a Madman. In my boredom, I stumble upon something really really cool: the sample based off it.

And it is....Johnny Mathis: No Love But Your Love. Subsequently, said song haunts me for weeks on end. Amazing how spooky a 1950's song can be in 2009. Props to RZA for flipping a gem of a song. That's why I love hip-hop oh so much.

So in this period of time, I am all over the place with my music listening. Enjoying the sounds of Team Sleep, American Head Charge, Gravediggaz, and of course....Raekwon. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2. 1000 times potent.

Of course, there was a downside and an upswing in my music listening. Nine Inch Nails was wrapping up their touring for good (I don't believe it...and I never will), and I was listening to NIN every day. Even dedicated a radio show to them. Silly fanboyism.

October-November: Before The Great Collapse/Blow Up The Outside World

College life continues onward. However, dangerous habits begin to pose threats. A lack of sleeping at night, due to procrastination on school work, which is due to unfocused attention....long story short, all nighters became routine. Waking up is a hassle...and everything is now becoming an exercise in survival. It’s no longer about A’s and paying attention, it’s getting in and out of class, and doing it again every day till the end.

In lieu of this, I realize I need a morning adrenaline boost. Lo and behold, Dillinger Escape Plan comes through. Panasonic Youth became my alarm clock, and I soon run my life by it. Get out the door by the end of the 1st part, down the steps by the break, on my way to class by the end. Who said it wouldn’t be fun?

Alas, my life was very much crumbling. Grades on the decline, failing exams, no cash, a ton of afflictions surrounding me…and then, the day came.

I’ll always remember it. 10/29/09, the start of the end. When I came to the conclusion I didn’t want to be here anymore. And the bizarre, uncharacteristic moments afterwards.

Let’s start with some background: that morning, I woke up late. Late for my lab class. Rushing to class 30 minutes late, I am a panicked mess. And then, the bombshell gets dropped.

I’m failing my lab course. Which means by nature, I’m also failing the lecture part of the course. Beautiful.

My confidence is shattered, and I’m trying to get my bearings back together when the thoughts begin… “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

It’s unusual, I never think like that out-loud, or in private. On that day, I did. I was horrified.

Rock Bottom by Eminem became an anthem of sorts, up till I found Televators by Mars Volta a few weeks later. It was bad. Very very bad. Or so I thought…

A return home for Turkey Day break doesn’t help. Serious discussions begin, heated arguments happen. Misery is the one thing I have going for me, and I kept this shit on the hush for the longest time. No big scene, no over-hype, no one other than my parents and myself knew what I was thinking. Disturbing how you can gain clarity of thought in a crisis.

December:Thought He Lost Everything…then he lost a whole lot more.

The writing was on the wall. This charade was over and I wanted out. I told my parents I couldn’t deal with it anymore…and despite their opposition, I was allowed to make a choice. And so I did, knowing most of the consequences bound to arise.

But to know, is not to experience. Thus, the actual experience of these reactions was a lot worse than I anticipated.

It made itself known in my Intro to Graphic Design class. The final assignment: create a short book. So using my thinking hat, I began to write a fictional narrative about an insomniac, who went through a downward spiral. As the project progressed, little personal touches slip in, and before I knew it, the project became auto-biographical.

I’ll never forget the day I turned it in. The reaction to a “half-ass” job (my words) was overwhelmingly positive, especially when my professor covered for the sloppiness of the book’s binding with some connections I never thought of beforehand.

You deal with a lot of feelings when you leave a place you called home for a long period of time. I went through a few cycles:

Determination: Down by Candiria,Say Goodbye Hollywood
Misery: And All That Could Have Been , Sick Of Man
Regret: Regrets, Clock With No Hands
Acceptance: Hold On, Xerces, Hope

All of this came to a peak on the last day. Staying up all night with my dorm mates, playing Rock Band 2, not giving a flying fuck about my 8:30 final exam…it didn’t hit me that I was leaving, but in some ways…it did.

It was like being told that you would die on this day and date, and on your last day, the impending feel of death never hits you, not even in such close proximity.

So on that day in December, I went to my last exam. Failed it. Told I failed the class, didn’t care. Went to my room, talked to some friends. Went to eat. Came back. Went out to the bridge. Broke down, after 2 months of faking strength. Came back. Packed. Went downstairs. Played No Mercy with a friend. Went back upstairs to double check. Waited for Dad to call. Talked to Dad. Checked out. Said goodbye. Went home. Set up shop, and sit in shock.

It was finished. My college career concluded, and looking at an uncertain future, without the people I care about. It was the hardest thing I ever did. It was worse than anything ever seen before.

Worse than band breakups, worse than getting harassed by assholes up the street, worse than losing your mind, worse than getting hurt.

The worst part of all of this is the one I have not spoken about. Falling in love with someone, struggling to accept and trust those feelings, reading the signs, and finally…finally getting the balls to tell them that they mean the world to you.

And then, leaving. Going from “tight friends” to “infrequent acquaintances”… and realizing that your best shot at love died when you left. Fighting so hard to hold on, to avoid selling the last part of your soul to Satan, and then, passively losing.

Epilogue: Hurt

3 years ago, May 2007, I was a high school senior, off to college, flirting with a girl, and enjoying my life. Still expanding my musical parameters day by day, and making music as well.

3 years later, May 2010, I’m out of college [dropped out], trying to get past a painful point of my life, and still expanding my musical parameters day by day.

So why did I write this? To show a journey of 3 years, and the songs that highlighted every low and highlight of it, to show that music defines moments in life, if you let it. As much as I wanted to do 4 years and end with a picture of me graduating…alas, that is a pipe-dream.

The Random Little Things I Think About While Unemployed

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:37:40 +0000

FSC Year #3 is coming. 2 weeks, just need to finish some things with it.

With that said, I admit that I've found my music to be the one thing that has prevented a complete sanity collapse over the past 6-8 months (Details in FSC Year #3!). It's become two things for me:

A good friend: Daytime is the lonely part of the day. No friends around, no one to talk to most of the time, TV is cluttered with garbage...etc. So pumping Dillinger Escape Plan, American Head Charge, Deftones and others to simulate a feeling of occupation helps.

A metaphor to express every ugly feeling I can't verbalize: Ever since the events of last fall, making music went from "small part of my life" to "everything" just like that. It wasn't the reason why things happened. Not at all. But I guess after a few weeks, something had to give.

Now on to various random things:

Free Dominguez is sonic heroin:

New Deftones is very very good. Diamond Eyes and Option Paralysis are tied for "Best Album" honors, IMO.

Kid Cudi is starting to grow on me. His flow is sung-out rhyming without auto-tune. And also, having your album on sale @ Newbury Comics is a huge bonus in my eyes.

Wu-Massacre I almost bought. Almost. Then I learned it was an EP sold as an LP. Bullshit. I downloaded it instead, enjoyed it much more.

So in the past 3 years, I've bought the following physical CD's:
NIN - Ghosts I-IV [April 2008]
Ghostface Killah - Ironman [February 2009]
El-P - FanDam Plus [March 2010]
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: The End of Day [April 2010]

Of all of them, I'm tied between Ironman and Ghosts I-IV for personal favorite purchase. Hopefully adding Diamond Eyes to this list in a few weeks.

Speaking of...the summer of 2010 could be the best touring summer ever.
To start:
Rock The Bells 2010
Ozzfest 2010
Mayhem Festival
Public Enemy
Slayer + Megadeth
Deftones, AIC, Mastodon

I will willingly guess that of those shows, I will attend the last 3. Rock The Bells still hasn't given a roster...and they need to FAST. Here's hoping the Gang Starr Foundation (Premier, Jeru, Freddie Foxxx, Group Home, Afu-Ra) forms like Voltron and tours....it's only right. Ozzfest is meh, Mayhem is meh too.

Public Enemy is a must-see...because I promised myself that one day, I would see PE live. This will happen.

Slayer and Megadeth could price themselves out...but who cares? The fact I can see Hangar 18 and Seasons in the Abyss in the same night is going to be worth eating Cheerios for 2 weeks.

Deftones, AIC and Mastodon is hopefully going to be great. I'm sold on AIC and Deftones, but not Mastodon...not yet.

Throw in possible recording sessions, possible live shows, possible grad parties, and the summer of 2010 is set to kick ass. Here's hoping...

And on another note...Lupe Fiasco, PLEASE DROP LASERS. PLEASE.

"Before I slide, I'ma leave you this jewel: Even mechanics walk around with their tools!"

-RIP Guru-

FSC Year #2: Music, smiles and bulls*it [Fall 2008-Spring 2009]

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:20:52 +0000

Previously on...

When we last left this journal, I was getting out of my 1st year in college. And now, here we are with the promised sequel. Same format, same location....and a lot more adventures.

August-September: Gotta Push It Away/Fresh Starts
Going back to college after a really rough summer somehow felt refreshing. Seeing friends from school was an experience equivalent to a revival service at southern churches, it just felt right. A sudden upswing of good luck had put me in better spirits than before, and I was finally living my life. I got a job at the bookstore, made some new friends, and restarted my music career (more on that later).

I got lucky enough to hear some of the new music coming out at that time period and experience some old gems that I skipped over due to youth/inexperience, so here's a bit of a summary of that time in history:
All Hope Is Gone
Death Magnetic
Endtroducing...
Unstable
Rio
Follow The Leader
Steal This Album!
Jagged Little Pill

Personal favorites are Rio, All Hope Is Gone, and Endtroducing. Endtroducing was special, it was an all instrumental album that just captivated me unlike anything else I had heard in my life, and just hearing all the samples used was a treat in itself. Beat that, Girl Talk!

October-November: Making Music Picks Up...Big Time
Working my way through classes, and getting used to routines with some bumps in the road here and there. By "bumps in the road", I mean "full scale breakdown". The job is over, and the money is running thin. Grades are falling, and I am not sleeping right. Pretty much, I lost my mind....AGAIN. Colleges do a lot for ya, I say.

At that point, I managed to find some great songs to listen to that really just spoke to me, made me feel the emotions of the songs. That song would be Floods. Perhaps the one song I would steer away from during a really bad time, it's downright depressing, especially the ending solo and the intro to the bridge.

Also, at that time, I managed to meet a friend of mine from the radio station at school who was wanting to start making music as a singer. So I decided to lend my beat-making skills to her. And this is what surprised me about it…

I gave her the disc of beats on a Wednesday, she tells me that she’s got a vocal melody ready that night, and the next night… she’s saying she wants to record the next day. Unbelievable.

Needless to say, she knocked it out of the park that day in the studio. I was so happy that finally, a collaboration didn’t go to waste due to time issues and negligence.

And then, there arose the question…”How are we going to do this live?” The suggestion was: play with a band.

And so began the most surprising period of time at that moment. We try getting some friends I had a contact with to join us as the backing band…but due to holiday conflicts, they pulled out.

What to do, what to do…

It was then decided to “Frankenstein a band” as I put it. And thus, within a few weeks, we got it together. And at this point, I am happy. Truly, insanely, and completely happy.

December-January: Live and In Color/Say Goodbye

Completely oblivious to the fact that the holidays are fast approaching, my life gets better and better as the day of the show gets closer and closer. The band continued to improve and we were really starting to click. Of course, I had to take care of some business, that being school. Obviously it was handled, and it was successful. All during those late-night study sessions, I had the advantage of finding some gems on my iPod that I had not listened to, specifically Let Go by Adema, Almost Easy by Avenged Sevenfold, Streamline by System of a Down, 1-800-SUICIDE by Gravediggaz, Ty Cobb by Soundgarden, and last by not least, Spanish Caravan by The Doors.

Now outside of school, the band and I were getting ready for the show on the 27th. Due to the fact that the whole band was spread across the state in different counties, there was a lot of problems getting everyone to come to one practice spot. Fortunately, we get it all straight on the day of the show.

What went down that night was the realization of a dream, for all of us, the realization that no matter how shitty life gets, the comebacks are the great part of it all.

2009: Starting off with Iron Man in HD on my Xbox 360, life is excellent. I finally heard the EP from One Day As A Lion, and I was seriously blown away by how much it kicked ass within 5 songs. Perhaps the best $5 I’ve ever spent.

However, the fun times don’t last forever, you know. Soon after school starts, our band says goodbye to our lead vocalist, due to studying abroad. A bitter farewell, but we knew this was coming, so we were ready to move forward in any case. And this is where things get really really interesting….

February-March: Different age, same ol’ shit

So with the advent of February, my life was looking fairly solid. The band was doing well, school was going ok, and my 21st birthday was approaching. Little did I know that things were about to change….

At the mid-point of the month, there arose a bit of band turmoil. I had been told not to come to practice one day, because “they” (other band mates) wanted to get shit done. I respected that. I was still trying to adapt my songwriting style to be a hybrid of rap and rock that didn’t reek of 2000.

However, the weekend following was perhaps the one weekend I won’t soon forget, if ever. It began with the news of my high school music teacher’s sudden passing on an overseas trip, which really did not sit well. Then before I knew it, my own personal life was going through hell.

On Saturday night, I was informed of a change, a new vocalist…brought in out of the blue. No demo recordings, no hype. Just the facts that he was found at Guitar Center, had a practice space, and fit the image desired. I felt sick to my stomach, because I now had to tell our original replacement singer he was out of the band, with the reason that we found someone behind his back. And here I was, trying to make this work, get him over for practices, work with him on the stuff, give him a shot…only to look bad for all of it.

Sunday. Waking up, still not used to this changing of the guard. It was going to be tough, getting behind this new vocalist, being professional about kicking out a vocalist I believed in personally, and getting over having my control taking away.

The day progresses…and then, the shit hits the fan.

As I learn in the night hours, the band has decided to force me out. Reason being: No one likes hip-hop, we all want to do metal.

So let me get this straight, you went through a show with me, and did everything to keep it alive, and NOW you want me to leave, all because of a new vocalist suddenly changing your direction?

Bullshit.

So the weekend ends in a nightmarish manner. I lose my band, and a friend, all with 3 days. At this point, I find every sad, angry, and generally depressing song, and began to listen to the words, as I tired to collect my thoughts:

Flood,Floods, Goodbye, Hope, Regrets, Rock Bottom, Helpless, and various others.

The month ends with the birthday party, and a brief feeling of happiness came over me….but it didn’t stay.

March starts and ends with me trying to get through the school year, get over everything that went down and go back to being solo. Other than seeing Watchmen, nothing stands out.

Wait…something does: My musical tastes stumbled upon El-P and I’ll Sleep When You're Dead. Such a different album....completely opened the doors for artistic grown in hip-hop, in my eyes.

April-May: The End….?

School wraps up, and I’m a wreck. Somehow I passed all my courses, become an expert photographer (thanks to Photoshop), and just survived all the shit. Yet, I feel uneasy, like despite this…it wasn’t over. I had survived hell. I was going back home. I was thinking that the worst had passed me by.

Something inside told me it wasn’t. And I was not mistaken.

NIN Live: 11.9.08

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:11:50 +0000

Sun 9 Nov – Nine Inch Nails, Deerhunter

I arrived at DCU Center around 6:30 PM, and we got in around 6:45. After settling down for about an hour, Deerhunter took the stage.

Seeing as how I had never heard these guys before, I knew nothing about their work, but was very open minded about them. However, their show was nothing more but a blur, with no cohesive stopping, just playing their instruments. After 45-50 minutes, Deerhunter concluded their show.

And then, the wait began.

The floor began to fill up, and from my view (Section 211 J), it was a sea of humanity. Thinking to myself, "When March of the Pigs hits, that floor is gonna move!", I sit and take in the atmosphere of the arena.

Around 9:00, "999,999" starts. The wait finally ends with the energetic drums of "1,000,000".

The crowd, myself included, goes wild.

Trent Reznor and crew rip thru a set of songs from The Slip, getting the crowd excited and building up the energy for an old classic.

"Hey you, fucking pigs!"

March of the Pigs. Intense stuff right there.

Next, NIN goes back to The Slip with Head Down, another intense number. The light show for this part of the show is dead on and amazing. Words don't do justice. It has to be seen to be believed.

The Frail is up next, leading to the definitive NIN song "Closer". You know you're alive when everyone around you screams "I wanna fuck you like an animal", on cue. Nice breakdown leads to a snippet of "The Only Time", therefore proving that NIN can surprise you, and that anything in their catalog can and will show up.

Gave Up continues to build up energy, and the ending lights show for the song nearly gave me a seizure. Which is a good thing.

Trent then brings out the keyboards and we get 2 Year Zero songs, one of them being The Great Destroyer. The LCD screens at the end of this song are perhaps the craziest screens I could fathom, and at that point I realized that NIN is more than a live band, it's a religious experience.

Toning down the high-energy music for a bit, the Ghosts set comes into play. While I do admit, my memory is a bit hazy, I do remember that the one song they did that really blew everyone away started out with a classic line:

"Hey pig. Yeah you."

Piggy, jazzed out. And still recognizable. As proven by everyone singing along.

After the divulge into Ghosts, we go back into old-school NIN, complete with Pinion making an appearance, leading into Wish. As always, intense and heartfelt and the crowd is hanging on every word. Terrible Lie also makes an appearance too, and I love the echos added to the chorus.

Then Survivalism comes on. Words fail to describe the video screen they used for this song. It's just so damn amazing, I can't compare it to anything else. Just watch the music video, if you want a hint at the awesomeness of this.

Another example of perfection in video screen technology is The Big Come Down. Giving the illusion of a cage using video screens only enhances the meaning of the song, and makes the words even more effective.

The main setlist wraps up with Only, The Hands that Feeds, and the mandatory sing-along, Head Like A Hole.

The NIN logo comes down on a video screen, and we all expect the show to be over. Dead wrong.

The band comes back, and thanks to some neat touch-screen effects, we start with Echoplex for the encore. Solid song, and Trent doing the "ahhs" in the bridge was intense, and left me amazed.

Trent comes on stage, introduces the band, and apologized for the inconvenience of postponing the August 8th show. All is forgiven. Especially when Trent shocks everyone in attendance with...

Peter Murphy. And Reptile. Amazement fills our faces.

The show then heads into the end with Hurt. Now, the song is a staple of live shows, and it's powerful because the crowd makes it that way. Tonight was no different.

Lighters and cell phones were in the air, and it just felt so real, you couldn't believe it. Again, if you are an NIN fan, go see them live, even if it is for this one song.

Finally, the show ends with In This Twilight, followed by the closing notes of Zero Sum, which beautifully bookends the experience known as NIN.

The Setlist (Best of my memory)

The Slip
999,999
1,000,000
Discipline
Head Down
Letting You
Echoplex

Pretty Hate Machine
Head Like a Hole
Terrible Lie
The Only Time

The Downward Spiral
Closer
March of the Pigs
Piggy
Reptile
Hurt

Broken
Gave Up
Wish

With Teeth
Only
The Hand That Feeds

Year Zero
Survivalism
The Greater Good
God Given
The Warning
In This Twilight
The Great Destroyer

The Fragile
The Frail
The Big Come Down

Ghosts I-IV
21 Ghosts III
14 Ghosts II
19 Ghosts III
31 Ghosts IV
corrected as of 11/10/08

OVERALL GRADE: A+

What If...

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:42:59 +0000

So one day, I pondered..."What if Artist A teamed up with Artist B?"

Of course, those Artist A & B are variables, now, if those variables were filled up, what would happen?

I decided to play around and think about it:

1. Public Enemy w/ DJ Premier
Seeing as how neither of these hip-hop icons have actually worked together (to my knowledge), it would actually be kinda cool to hear Chuck D spit something on a Primo beat. And the chorus...oh man, the chorus would be totally legendary.

Example:
"Public Enemy" then Big L saying "No.1", then the classic "Brothers and Sisters" sample, then someone, maybe DJ Khalied saying "Lis-teen!"

2. Wu-Tang Clan w/ DJ Premier
RZA would probably balk at the possibility of yielding production duties to an outsider, but it's Primo, so yeah, RZA would probably let it happen.

3. Jedi Mind Tricks w/ Slayer
Ooh, now that's a collab right there. JMT is extremely aggressive, they are pretty much the Slayer of hip-hop. So why not have Vinnie Paz spit over some Kerry King guitar licks, and Tom Araya do the chorus? It would be the "Bring The Noise" of the 2000's.

4.Blackstar w/ A Tribe Called Quest
Imagine that, the two hip-hop groups that both defined different eras in the early 90's and late 90's, respectively, on the same track. Those guys all trading lyrics together would be unbelievable.

5. Nas w/ Big Pun
If Pun was around today, this probably would've happened. But, I can bet that these two lyrical heavyweights, if they bought their A-game, they would knock the world off it's axis.

EDIT: Thanks to an observant listener, turns out I was wrong, they did do a collab, "John Blaze", with Fat Joe, Raekwon, and Jadakiss.

6. Lil' Wayne w/ Mike Patton

Weezy, as of now, is the craziest MC, based on what he can do with his voice. Mike Patton, is also, a great musician, who's voice can do wonders (listen to anything he's done in music, you'll see why). So can you imagine Weezy, doing his crazy-ass voice and flow, with Patton?

I can (sort of), and it's quite...scary.

7. GZA/Genuis w/ Canibusw/ Lupe Fiasco

The masters of wordplay, all together on one track. End result: People's brains explode, due to the sheer subliminal elements of the lyrics.

8. Guru /w Camp Lo
Two great jazz-rap icons, together. I can't imagine how deep, and how chill that would sound.

OK, I'm done...

Next time on "What If?", what if one rock band changed their vocalist? Who would fill in?

FSC Year 1: A Description of College Through Musical Taste [Fall 2007-Spring 2008]

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:01:05 +0000

Despite the fact that I have exams and papers coming out my ears, I decided to put together a description of my first year of college, and the music that I was listening to along the way.

August-September: New beginnings and bitter goodbyes

So school is just about to begin and I remember playing a song on my iPod just as I left my bedroom for the car that was taking me to school.
Street Struck

Obscure choice, but it was the beat,the spooky vibe that it gives off, that just stuck with me.

Another song I remember listening to around this time was Xerces by the Deftones.
Xerces
It was just like, the perfect description of how I felt at the time, like I was saying goodbye to a dream, an ambition of some sorts. The dream being, of course, my pipe dream of hip-hop ambitions, and "something else"
that I'll elaborate on later on.

October-November: Struggling to Stay Afloat

At this point in time, classes had begun and I was deep in schoolwork, trying to keep up, and gradually making friends. However, there was one problem, I was feeling as if I had lost my ambition, my motivation for living, when I went to college. I kinda fell into a depression of sorts, and it was just rough at that time.

And this song became a staple in my iPod for days.
Every Day Is Exactly the Same
It was like my life was perfectly described by one lyric, one line.

December-January: End of Semester/Trip to Africa/England/Failure

So as the year winds down, I manage to actually do well in my classes, passing all of them and getting on the dean's list. I've made quite a few friends and for once, I'm actually quite happy. But, as always, the moment of calm gives way to a lot of chaos along the way.

First, my roommate decides to move in with his other friend. No biggie, I understood completely.

Second, my first iPod (5th generation,30 GB) breaks,after approx. 1 year and 10 months of service. The devastation is immediate and traumatic. It's even worse due to the fact that it was just before a huge international trip.

So thanks to my dad, I get a new one just in time (6th generation,80 GB) ,and I spend the last 2 days before the trip buying/downloading various albums and songs, such as...

Golden
Magnified
Team Sleep
Master of Puppets
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
8 Diagrams
Brown
Under the Bridge
The Militia
Warehouse
#34
Satellite

Of course, for the songs I actually listened to, well, let's just say Jedi Mind Tricks totally dominated, especially their album Visions of Ghandi and so did Linkin Park with Reanimation.

So, after all is said and done, it's back to normalcy for me. Just hanging out at home, playing Xbox 360 and listening to music, with one new acquisition from iTunes: Heavy Mental. Felling really disappointed that I wasn't able to see a friend of mine who had come back for a week or so, nor could I reform my band from high school, I just went into a holding pattern, stuck in a routine and relating to a few choice songs, especially The Nurse Who Loved Me.

OK, that's enough of that....let's move on.

February-March: 20 years and a near fall into darkness

So once I got settled back at college, everything seemed to be fine, things were normal...

Up till early-February, when it happened.

One Friday night, I was on my laptop, browsing Facebook, and then I saw someone try and impersonate me. Believe me, that was the start of my problems...

Earlier that week, my ex-roommate, who I had borrowed headphones from, came back and said that he wanted it back. So I did, I gave it back to him, and 5 minutes later, he said they were broken. I had no idea they broke, and before you knew it, s--- was ON. He started screaming about how "I had to replace 10 buck headphones", it being "the right thing", when I didn't have a job at that point in time. Words get heated and it gets truly crazy.

Some names were called, and we were at odds for a good month.

So when I saw the fake profile, suspicions began and a bad situation turned even worse...

And I was losing my mind, things were getting way too hectic.

So I attempted escape through the music:
Before The Great Collapse
Helpless
A Call For Blood

Eventually, everything returned to normal...somehow.

April-May: Conclusion and expansion

So on a friend's recommendation, I tried out some material from Mike Patton, the lead singer of Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, etc.

I fell in love with it on first contact...especially Angel Dust, Mr. Bungle, The Real Thing, Album of the Year, Disco Volante, and California.

Of course, I gotta acknowledge some of the sweet hip-hop I came across too, like Percee P, and The Infamous.

Finally, near the end of the year I managed to find some old nu-metal chestnuts while working at the school radio station, from bands that vanished off the face of the earth:
These Days
Boiler Room
Loose

Kinda sad, how a lot of those bands came and went.

But hey, that's the biz.

Now, if you excuse me, it's time to listen to Ghosts I-IV

See you in 2009,with the sequel.