I am still here...again.

It has been a while, and yes, the photo above means this site is moving. I am still going to continue updating the concert list on the site (and maybe various other things), but you can find all content (new reviews, new photos, and new what have you) at this site:

The New Staying Positive

I am going to leave the original Staying Positive site up, so anyone who wants can look at the glorious first 100 or so posts. I have not put up anything on the other site yet, but expect a few things as 2010 gets going.

You will find no top album list on the site this year (did not feel like it), but head to I Never Slice for complete end of the year coverage in the next couple of weeks (days?). It should be a classy list or many lists, who knows.

That is all for now. Thanks anyone who has ever visited and be sure to check out the new Staying Positive in the new year (link above or here).

Here we go, part II.

bye.

Langhorne, Laura, Miles and more

(Jesse Elliott, These United States, not at Miss. Studios)

Hello.

Langhorne Slim, Dawes and Austin Lucas played at the Crystal Ballroom about a week and a half ago and it was not a full house. The balcony was closed, the under 21 area in front of the stage had about 100 people in it and the drinking section was packed (as usual). I had wondered why this show was taking place in such a large room, but it didn't matter, Langhorne still played an energetic 1.5 hour show. He played a set that consisted of nearly all of his two albums and even ran through the crowd at one point. Good stuff. Austin Lucas opened the show and it was nice to finally catch him. He came out with his guitar and went to work for those who had made it to the show early. His Midwestern, country-flavored songs are easy on the ears. Dawes followed and were just as good as I remembered. This is a hard working band. The music is top-notch and as soon as they leave the stage, all the band members work the merch table. After the show, the band waits at the doors and attempts to sell a few more albums. Go see all of these bands.

Laura Gibson played at Mississippi studios a couple of nights later. This woman has an incredible voice and knows her way around an acoustic. The room was silent during each and every song, which is a necessity at a show like this. The vocals will not shatter any windows at a Laura Gibson show, but you will be floored nonetheless. Her backing band for this show was both members of the previous band on the bill, musee mecanique. I had no knowledge of this band, but they are apparently a 5-piece normally. For one night only, musee mecanique was a two-piece and were quite good. Sharing all vocal and instrument duties, this is a band I will for sure check out again. Rauelsson opened the show and was also a pleasant surprise. The Spaniard-led band plays a dreamy type of music that would not be out of place in a Wes Anderson movie. Conveniently, the house music after this set was a collection of Seu Jorge songs from The Life Aquatic. This was a perfect evening of music. I felt lucky to be in attendance.

We were back at Mississippi the next night for Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson/These United States/Oh Captain, My Captain!. Oh Captain... was not on my radar before this show, but they played a solid opening set. The tone was set for a rocking evening. The previous night, easy listening and attentiveness was the theme. That would not be the case for this show. These United States kicked it into notches unknown for their entire set and completely blew me away. I want to see this band every night. The mix of insanely catchy guitars (slide/acoustic/electric), crazy drumming and fucking awesome vocals are not to be messed with. I know I say this a lot, but GO SEE THIS BAND! They are the real deal. Miles Benjamin closed out the evening with his new and considerably louder band/album. It is always nice to catch a MBAR show and this was no exception. He mixed in older songs with the new material and was all over the stage. It is also nice that Miles is starting to get a little more attention these days. The turnout was a billion times better than the previous two times we had seen him. Kudos, Portland.

Also, forgetting your camera for three straight shows is pretty cool.

That is all for now. See you at the Doug Fir on Sunday.

bye.

A Few More Shows and Things.

(Joe Pug @ Doug Fir, 10.28.09)

First on the agenda today is the Monsters of Folk show that happened a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty awesome. Conor Oberst, M Ward, and Jim James (Plus Mike Mogis and Centro-Matic's Will Johnson) put on one of my favorite shows of the year. It was a non-stop 3 hour spectacle that showcased each members MOF songs, as well as a few from each members back catalog. I was thrilled to be able to see M Ward and Jim James (or is it YY, now?), but was surprised by how much I enjoyed Oberst's songs, MOF and not. It was also nice to see James cut loose a little bit during 'Smokin' From Shootin'.' I don't have much more to say. The album is a favorite of mine. The live show is lights out. Moving on...

A few nights later, we saw The Low Anthem. This was another awesome show. We missed most of opener Justin Power, but did catch him covering 'Moonshiner,' which sounded pretty good. The Low Anthem have been gaining steam since releasing 'Oh My God, Charlie Darwin' and they deserve it. Ben Miller has a pretty incredible voice that alternates between gentle during slower songs and scratchy during heavier tunes. All three band members (Jocie Adams and Jeff Prystowsky, Miller) alternated instruments throughout the night, which was again, pretty cool (including a cell phone on 'This God Damn House'). Again, this was another pleasant show.

Next, we made it to the Aladdin to catch comedian Mike Birbiglia. Holy Shit. This was basically all new material and all of it killed. He is not afraid to express his love for pizza, sleep, or getting punched in the head in high school by a fellow student who was a cross between Allen Iverson and a Raptor. Well, he may not love that last part but it made for a funny story about kids in Massachusetts calling each other gay. He ended the show by talking about how he now sleeps in a sleeping bag while wearing mittens. He does this so he does not sleepwalk. It was gold. Go see this man now.

A couple days ago, we saw Joe Pug at the Doug Fir. I was looking forward to this show. I have been listening to a couple of his ep's at least once a day lately and he is even better in person. He puts everything he has into his songs and you can definitely tell. He is someone worth keeping an eye on, for sure. Also, the man knows his way around a guitar/harmonica. Only about 50 people showed up for this show, but everyone who showed up was clearly a fan and this made for a nice show environment. As always, the sound at the DF was nice and showcased JP's strong vocals. Check out this man's music. He is giving away some right here!

Joe Pug Photos.

That is all for now. Also, this may or may not be my 100th post. Suck on that.

bye.

PJ, Gaslight Anthem, PJ.

(Pearl Jam @ Key Arena, 9.21.09)

From MFNW, Lora and I made our way north to Seattle for the first night of Peal Jam's latest tour. This was to be my second PJ show and Lora's first. What a night it turned out to be.

Here is the set list.

The set was amazing, starting with 'Long Road' was a nice touch. The new material is solid. It was nice when Ed started the second encore solo, well with a string section for 'The End' and 'Just Breathe.' They closed the main set hard with 'Save You,' 'The Fixer,' and 'Life Wasted.' I thought it was a pretty awesome choice to close with 'Alive.' I was definitely glad that we were going to get another chance to see PJ on the following Saturday as they are in high gear.

Pearl Jam Photos

Sandwiched between the two PJ shows, we made time to check out the Gaslight Anthem again at Berbati's. I don't think it matched the energy level of the previous show at the same place (except the bouncer putting Roadhouse moves on a very drunk member of the front row), but the band was just as solid. Its nice to see the crowd go crazy when the first chords of '59 Sound' are played. This is a young band that has a nice library to draw from (+covers) and does not disappoint. I never thought they would be playing the same place on the return trip to Portland, but I was pleasantly surprised. I will now say it again, see this band in small places while you can.

Pearl Jam was in, or near Portland on September 27th. I guess it was Ridgefield, WA, to be specific. Ed was confused about the location as well, but maybe that was the wine speaking? Either way, it was another special evening.

Here is the set list.

There were a few repeats (the new stuff does not count, they will play it at every show) and I was extremely pleased to hear 'Green Disease' and the latest Xmas single 'Golden State,' which was performed with Corin Tucker. Those were rare treats. The whole show was once again spectacular. I will be picking both PJ shows that I attended up from the Ten Club, since I passed on posters/wearables.

I am almost caught up, and will recap the last couple of shows that we attended tomorrow, maybe? Stay alert!

That is all for now.bye.

MFNW 2009: The End, Finally!

(Deer Tick @ Mississippi Studios, yeah)

MFNW, day 3:

The Builders & the Butchers

Dirty Mittens

Weinland

Port O'brien

Deer Tick

This was a good day/night. Lora and I chose to stay mostly on Mississippi ave., except for catching the Builders at the Doug Fir. This 30 minute show was very good. I was happy to have finally seen this band and their latest album is one of my favorites of the year. I don't really remember the Dirty Mittens. Weinland was solid, as usual and the same can be said for Port O' Brien. I really like both of those bands as well. Deer Tick put on the show of shows. Lead man Joe Mccauley was fucked up. He came out in a skirt/camo shirt outfit, with a bunch of shit written on his body. He scaled the backdrop and was on the balcony for a moment, somehow. Also, the music did not suffer one bit despite his condition. I love this band.

MFNW, day 4:

Lanhorne Slim

Fences

John Vanderslice

The Lonely Forest (twice)

All Smiles

Point Juncture, WA

Cotton Jones

Loch Lomond

This turned out to be our last day of MFNW, sorry Modest Mouse+others. We started the day at the Woods, a new-ish spot to catch shows in the SE. KEXP was again hosting 30 minute sets throughout the day and we got to see Langhorne, Vanderslice, Lonely Forest and Fences. It was a pretty cool way to start the day. From there, we again moved to Mississippi. We were treated to a lot of good, mostly local music. All Smiles kicked things off and as a surprise, turned out to be Jim Fairchild, former Grandaddy guitarist. He was pretty good. I remember I liked Point Juncture, WA, but cant remember much from the set (could it be because the show was a month ago?hmmmm). Cotton Jones was a highlight, for sure. The band arrived late, so no instruments were set up, just the band members (5) each standing at a mic, with Mike Nau (lead Cotton) playing acoustic. It was quite nice to watch. Their latest album, Paranoid Cocoon, could have easily sound tracked The Big Lebowski. Loch Lomond closed the night and sounded incredible. Ritchie Young has a haunting voice and his band is excellent. They are one of Portland's finest.

Here are some photos of day 3

Here are some photos of day 4

....And that was my MFNW 2009 (finally).

MFNW 2009: My Coverage Part II

(We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Dantes, 9.17.09)

Day 2 started at 12 30 at the Doug Fir with set by Joseph Ferocious, lead singer of the band Cymbals Eat Guitars. It was supposed to be a full band set, but it seemed that Joseph was the only member of the band who was awake/around. It was hard to convert the band's loud and well, ferocious sound to an acoustic level, but I was still entertained. He even worked in a cover of 'Ex-Girl Collection' by the Wrens before he broke strings on two guitars. At that point, no one could blame him for wrapping things up.

Next, KEXP/Doug Fir welcomed We Were Promised Jetpacks in for a quick 30 minute set. At his point, I really liked their album and was excited to see this band live. Holy Shit. They play loud and fast and continue the trend of awesome Scot bands that have hit my ears in the last few years. I enjoyed this band so much that I made an executive decision that I was bringing Lora to Dante's that night to witness WWPJ (I was on my own for the KEXP sessions and Dr. Dog on this day).

The Twilight Sad were next and were also awesome and very fucking loud. The lyrics tend to get overpowered by the wall of sound that comes from this band, but it doesn't matter because it sounds so ridiculously good. Front man James Graham reminded me a little of Matt Berninger with his odd stage movements and microphone technique. Andy MacFarlane looks a little bit like The Edge and also plays the shit out of his guitar. Lora and I would be seeing this band later as well.

Dr. Dog, playing at the Wonder Ballroom, is quickly becoming one of my favorite bands. They did not mess around, playing a rapid fire 13-15 songs, including the always bad-ass 'The Ark.' Their last album, 'Fate' is making a big impression on me. It is an album that I will be spending some more time with this fall and winter (along with all of their records, actually). See this band when you can. I met up with Lora after this show (sorry AGAIN Helio Sequence, I have ducked out on you at consecutive MFNW's) and we got some food and things.

Local band Archaeology was first on the bill at Dante's, the only non-Scots, and played a nice set of power pop. This is band I will have to do some more research on, but they sounded good on the first listen. Just as Fences held their own on night one, this band did a respectable job at another stacked show.

WWPJ took the stage next and played another excellent set. They got to play a few more songs, as this was not a KEXP radio set and absolutely killed it. Their debut album, 'These Four Walls' is excellent and if you get an opportunity to see them, they will play most of it. It is good stuff and this will be brief since I already covered how much I liked this band.

The Twilight Sad followed, just as they did in the afternoon and, just like the previous act, killed it again (along with many eardrums). The set was a great mixture of old tracks and new ones from recent release 'Forget The Night Ahead.' Again, I will keep this brief since I already expressed my love for this band.

Frightened Rabbit closed the show and I don't know what I can say that has not already been said about this band. I had seen FR a few months ago in Northampton and it was an easy decision to see them again. We were treated to a new song, 'Nothing Like You,' which sounded nice. I cannot wait for the next release, which was finished over the summer. The rest of the set was made up of songs from their second release, including the encore of 'Keep Yourself Warm.' The main set was closed by 'Square 9,' which destroys me every single time, especially when drummer Grant Hutchison finishes the song in a blaze of glory+scream.

Here are some photos of day/night 2.

That was night 2. The last two days will trickle out slowly. Stay Tuned.

That is all for now.bye.

MFNW 2009: My Coverage Part I

(Will Sheff @ Berbati's, 9.16.09)

MFNW kicked off at Berbati's on 9.16 with a bill that featured Fences, the Portland Cello Project, Damien Jurado and Will Sheff. I was really looking forward to Damien and Will and both played excellent sets. Fences (Chris Mansfield) was one of my favorite acts from MFNW. Lora and I got to see him this night with a backing band (and a couple days later playing solo) and he definitely held his own, being part of such a stacked evening. To get a sample, go here.

The Portland Cello Project hit the stage next, with as you may have guessed, many cellists. I don't have much to say about this performance, but I did like the sound more when it was not 'Toxic' by Britney Spears or 'Hey, Ya' by OutKast. At this point, I was ready for Damien Jurado.

I saw a solo Damien Jurado show a few months ago at the Doug Fir and this set was just as good. I was very happy to hear 'the Killer' again, with a new addition on the end of the song. 'Sheets' is probably one of my all-time favorites and was happy that it made the cut on this night. This was a pretty special night for me, in terms of my own music history. The first concert I attended on my own, without my brother who is usually my partner in crime, was an Okkervil River/Damien Jurado show in Burlington, VT. This was in the fall of 2007 and I was instantly taken with Damien's music (Will and the boys had already won me over). On that particular night, Damien stated he was a little nervous because it was his first show on the tour without a band. It was an awesome show. Damien seems more at ease performing solo these days and I was extremely pleased to get to see him again. This was for sure a great kick-off for our second MFNW.

Will Sheff played an amazing set of his own. He opened with, what I think is a new Okkervil song and it was quite good. He played 'For Real' on a piano and that was pretty awesome. It certainly gives it a creepier vibe to go along with those lyrics. In fact, here is the setlist:

1- New song

2- Plus Ones

3- Pop Lie

4- A King and A Queen

5- Just Give Me Time

6- Birds'd Crash (Roky Erikson)

7- Love to a Monster

8- A Stone

9- For Real (Piano)

10- Or Life Is Not A Movie..

11- Lost Coastlines (w/ Cellos)

12- No Key, No Plan

13- Unless It's Kicks

It was one of my favorite MFNW sets and I was happy to hear pretty much everything he played. Will said he hadn't slept in 23 hours and got off a plane and came right to the show (the band had been in Europe). He closed the show by saying he was going to bed and he definitely deserved it after getting MFNW off to a great start.

Here are some photos of Damien and Will.

I have a lot of catching up to do with reviews and what have you (and school starting) so be patient. I will finish my coverage of MFNW 2009 in the coming days, as well as get to that Pearl Jam Seattle show and Gaslight Anthem's return to Berbati's.

That is all for now.bye.