July 23, 2008
HEXEN - STATE OF EMERGENCY
July 06, 2008
R.E.M. June 19th, 2008 Madison Square Garden, NYC Review!
It was clear when they stepped on stage at Madison Square Garden, that the R.E.M. of today was not like the R.E.M. of most recent note. Granted, their performance in support of their latest release, Accelerate, was not a time-warp back into R.E.M.’s heyday. But instead, the band blasted through a two-hour set with a flare not seen from them in quite some time – a set marked most by the strength of the Accelerate material, and the boatload of R.E.M. classics that were also included.
Opening up with the Document-be-damned explosiveness of “Living Well Is the Best Revenge,” R.E.M. focused mainly on the high energy aspects of their repertoire, including “These Days” from Life’s Rich Pageant, and “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” from Monster. Dressed in a black suit and tie, singer Michael Stipe presided over the crowd like he was possessed by Marc Bolan’s Holy Ghost - working the stage from left to right, and falling to his knees into character-esque poses.
The set would go on to include other gems such as “Driver 8,” “Don’t Go Back to Rockville,” “Disturbance at the Heron House,” and even “Pretty Persuasion” from their second full-length L.P., Reckoning. Also from that album was “Harborcoat,” with Stipe joking how The English Beat’s influence on R.E.M. was most notable in the song’s ska-like rhythm.
Still, though, the taste of vintage was merely a whipped-cream topping on the quality selections played from Accelerate. “Man-Sized Wreath,” “Horse to Water,” and the set-closing, “I’m Gonna DJ,” kept the pace banging along nicely, as guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills - along with new member and former Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin - seemed to find great comfort in the new material’s aggressive nature.
The night’s encore featured the first single from Accelerate, “Supernatural Superserious,” as well as R.E.M.’s most successful single to date, “Losing My Religion.” Stipe then introduced to the stage Johnny Marr, who had been on hand earlier in the evening during opening act Modest Mouse’s lackluster set. The former Smiths guitarist sat-in on renditions of “Fall On Me” and “Man on the Moon,” which closed the show.
Brooklyn’s The National was also on hand to open the evening.
July 02, 2008
ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES - HAVE ANOTHER BALL
A DIFFERENT BREED OF KILLER - I COLOSSUS
June 25, 2008
G.G. ELVIS AND THE TCP BAND
June 18, 2008
WEEZER - RED ALBUM
June 17, 2008
THE BLACK HALOES - WE ARE NOT ALONE
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- R.E.M. June 19th, 2008 Madison Square Garden, NYC Review!
- ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES - HAVE ANOTHER BALL
- A DIFFERENT BREED OF KILLER - I COLOSSUS
- G.G. ELVIS AND THE TCP BAND
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- THE BLACK HALOES - WE ARE NOT ALONE
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