Raekwon @ the Paradise

Video and Recap from Raekwon at the Paradise

Written by Chris Faraone for the Boston Phoenix
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CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO FOOTAGE

It dawned on me this morning in the shower - as I was scrubbing off last night - that I've been listening to Wu-Tang for almost 20 years. That might not seem like a big deal to Sting and Aerosmith fans, but in hip-hop that's virtually unmatched longevity.

Raekwon's Paradise performance was hardly one of the most memorable Wu spectacles I've witnessed. The Chef cooked some classics and cranked flames from his latest masterstroke, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II, but the overall experience was borderline disappointing.

As expected by everyone who has ever had their hopes up for a Capone-N-Noreaga show - and subsequently had those hopes crushed like pink cookies - predicted, the legendary Queens unit did not come as advertised. According to some kid I overheard by the coat check, Nore was boarding a plane for Europe just hours before he was scheduled to perform in Boston.

Rae delivered, but it was hard to ignore the several thousand-strong posse that he had with him to ice grill the crowd. In general, the only dudes I want to see on stage at a Wu-Tang show are the core characters and maybe some extended family members.

All that said; a Clan show is a Clan show, and that's that. After nearly two decades I still crazily anticipate every tour that comes within fifty miles of me, and I'm not about to let Rae's entourage or Noreaga's attendance get in the way of that.

Check out this review of Street Dogs published by Bethany Leavey ... thanks to @ourstage on Twitter!

Wreck The Halls With The Street Dogs & Friends At The Paradise Rock Club

December 19th marked the first show of The Street Dogs’ two-night, hometown gig at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston and the end of the band’s 5th annual “Wreck The Halls” holiday tour. With support from Roger Miret & The Disasters, Stigma and Bryan McPherson, the lineup had all the ingredients to make the night the can’t-miss show of the season. And then, the snow. With reports of a major storm heading towards Boston, one that had already dropped over 20″ on parts of Pennsylvania and brought Washington, DC to a standstill, the city declared a snow emergency. Would people be too busy guarding their parking spaces with shovels and stocking up on road salt to come to the show? Or worse, would the show be canceled all together?

While the show wasn’t canceled, I was a little worried by the surprisingly small crowd gathered near the stage for the start of Roger Miret and the Disasters‘ set. Even the band seemed concerned about the weather, with singer/guitarist Roger Miret announcing,“We decided to play first tonight so we could beat the snow.” Did this mean that the weather had won? By the middle of The Disaster’s set, it appeared my worrying was all for naught. The Paradise had become a sea of flannel and scally caps, making the score Punk Rock: 1, Snow Emergency:0.

Hailing from NYC, The Disasters are the side project of Agnostic Front vocalist Roger Miret. For this show, they were accompanied by the drummer from Stigma. Going strong since 2001, the band played their brand of honest, no frills punk rock including “New York Belongs To Me” and “Give ‘Em The Boot” from their self-titled 2001 debut and “Roots Rockin’ Roll” from 2006’s My Riot.

The Street Dogs make no secret of their Dorchester roots so it’s fitting that they gave another Dot punk a chance to shine: Singer-Songwriter Bryan McPherson. At first glance, McPherson seemed a little out of place, sandwiched between full bands with only his acoustic guitar and harmonica, but punk is about attitude, not instruments. McPherson combines the storytelling tradition of folk with the passion an ferocity of punk, singing songs about his experiences growing up in Dorchester. McPherson’s fans in the crowd shouted for his song “OFD” (Originally From Dorchester) so naturally his introduction of “How many kids from Dorchester are here tonight?” was met with cheers and raised fists. Previously opening for Chuck Berry, The Neighborhoods, Chad Smith of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black 47, H20 and the Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s show, McPherson can now add the Street Dogs to his resume.

Agnostic Front fans in the house got another treat with Stigma, the solo project of original Agnostic Front guitarist and hardcore mainstay Vinnie Stigma with AF’s Mike Gallo on bass. Stigma and his band played songs from their 2009 debut album New York Blood, including the title track, “NY Blood,” “Trouble,” and a very well received cover of Forced Reality’s “15 Pints.” Vinnie paced back and forth on the stage, clowning around and joking with his bandmates and the audience: When Street Dogs bassist Tobe Bean III joined the band for a few songs, Stigma introduced him to the audience, saying, ‘This is Tobe – he’s got a drinking problem” in reference to the Street Dog’s infamous tune “Tobe’s Got A Drinking Problem.”

After Stigma, the house music died down and the familiar “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!” of Ramones classic “Blitzkreig Bop” came over the Paradise’s sound system. They crowd sang along, pogoed and threw their fists in the air, which lead this concert goer to think that if they just played Ramones albums before every punk show, there would be no need for opening bands. Before the energy had the chance to dissipate, the lights dimmed and The Street Dogs took the stage.

The Street Dogs are a band that almost wasn’t. Singer Mike McColgan thought he was done with music when he left the Dropkick Murphys in 1998 to pursue his dream of becoming a Boston firefighter. Still, as a Gulf War veteran, musician and now a firefighter, McColgan had a wealth of experiences to draw upon. He kept writing music, eventually getting together with friends and recording Savin Hill in 2003. The album was supposed to be just a one-off, but the response by fans was so overwhelming, McColgan and company knew they had to continue on.

The Street Dogs fuse the political fire of The Clash with the drinking songs of the Pogues and an attitude that is uniquely Bostonian. Song topics range from stories of living in Dorchester to Pro-union anthems to drinking songs to laments for lost friends and family. The whole band is full of energy, roaming the stage, high-fiving fans and jumping off of the drum platform.

They played songs like”Modern Day Labour Anthem” and “In Defense of Dorchester,” with McColgan urging those in attendance to “Stand up for their neighborhoods.” As an intro to “Tobe’s Got a Drinking Problem,” bassist Johnny Rioux asked the crowd “How many people are getting wasted tonight?” His was response was an ear-splitting roar, which he declared the loudest he had heard all tour. The band then proceeded to invite two people on stage to have a drinking contest with guitarist Tobe Bean III. All three were armed with tallboy cans, and while it was hard to see who won, any contest involving beer makes everyone a winner.

McColgan announced that The Street Dogs are currently working on a new album due out in Fall 2010, and that they’ve been writing songs with original Dropkick Murphys guitarist Rick Barton. McColgan then invited Rick on stage to join them for a few songs. For an encore, the band played fan favorite “Savin Hill” and invited fans to join them onstage for their cover of Sham 69’s “Borstal Breakout” with the lyrics changed to”Boston Breakout.”

The Street Dogs will be playing string of West Coast dates with Reverand Horton Heat, including a New Year’s Eve show at the Anaheim House of Blues, before heading into the studio to record their new album. Roger Miret & Vinnie Stigma will be reuniting with their classic lineup, Agnostic Front bandmates Rob Kabula and Dave Jones, for a 25th Anniversary show at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NYC on February 26th, with 2010 tour dates planned around the world.

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SWITCHFOOT

Check out this SWITCHFOOT review, by RENEE RORER!!!
Also, CLICK HERE to view more AMAZING Switchfoot photos!!!!!


I'll be blunt; Switchfoot has been around for a while, but they show no signs of losing momentum or even slowing down. Their newest studio album, Hello Hurricane, debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 39,000 copies. Relevant Magazine is hailing it as "one of the best albums of Switchfoot’s career."
And I'd have to agree.
Their current tour to promote Hello Hurricane is a little different than a typical tour. Hitting major cities of North America, many of the shows they're playing without supporting acts. But who needs an opening band when you're playing a twenty-something song set?
That's right. 2+ hours is a long time for a band to play continuously, but Switchfoot has been doing so night after night, with ease.
Wednesday night at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston proved to be one of the best live shows I've been to all year, and as a music photographer, I've been to quite a few shows. Switchfoot's, and specifically, Jon Foreman's stage presence and crowd interaction are unparalleled. Not to mention their sheer musical talent that far surpasses any preconceived notions of a band who has been known for their Christian faith, which influences their latest album subtly, yet appropriately and successfully.
Switchfoot played their newest album from start to finish, then took requests from the audience and played an additional 11 songs, even "Company Car", off an album they put out a decade ago. Foreman's jokes about the lousy opening act added a touch of humor, and he connected with the audience when mentioning the fact that he had lived in the state of Massachusetts, saying it felt like coming home.
All in all, fans both new and old were likely more than pleased with the night, and certainly entertained. It's no wonder they've been selling out every show this tour; Switchfoot never serves to disappoint.

An Evening With Switchfoot at the Paradise Rock Club, Boston 12/9/09

CHECK OUT THIS REVIEW OF SWITCHFOOT FROM www.musingsfromboston.com and FOLLOW @boston_musings on TWITTER!

Amidst crackling bolts of lightening, swerving madly to avoid large lakes forming in the streets, I was careening down from the North Shore in a torrential downpour to see Switchfoot at the Paradise in Boston. I amusingly thought of biblical analogies, apocalyptic epic floods and such, but given the band’s Christian rock beginnings, as much as I appreciate a helping hand when facing down that scary first paragraph, that was just too easy.

This is not the sort of band I would normally trumpet praises for. It’s less the “Christian rock” bit that puts me off, but rather phrases like “mainstream major label success” and “certified double platinum – 2.6 million copies sold”. There are plenty of mainstream artists I enjoy listening to – U2.. Bob Dylan.. Bruce Springsteen.. Lifehouse, even. With those artists, though, I don’t feel the need to add my voice to the chorus, as it were. But after seeing Switchfoot’s breathtaking performance at the Paradise, I’m impressed with these guys on so many levels, I can’t help myself.

They could clearly fill larger venues, but they chose to play the 650-capacity Paradise, and in speaking to a few long-time fans after the show, it seems they often play more intimate clubs like this. The connection they have to their music, and to their audience, is deeply moving. As emotionally swept up I get during live concerts, it’s not often I’ll get teary, but they definitely had that effect. Another admirable trait: they’ve been major label artists, but they have an indie sensibility. Three years ago, they realized that being on Columbia Records might stifle their creativity and cause them to lose connection with their fans, so they formed lowercase people records, and got a distribution deal with Atlantic.

Musically, they can be a raging sea or a calm, clear lake. Jon Forman’s lyrics are raw, honest, and life-affirming. They have a strong following in the Christian community, but they’re not “preachy”. It’s more like “we’re imperfect humans, life can be fucked up, but even if things are a mess, there’s hope”. Apart from the lone woman yelling out “JESUS!” in the middle of one of their older songs about redemption (a subject matter dealt with by many non-Christian songwriters), I wouldn’t necessarily label them as a “Christian rock band”, as their themes of desperation, soul-searching, and finding faith in one’s life are universal.

I don’t know if they usually do all ages shows, but this sold out crowd ranged from teens and early 20s and even younger kids with parents, to middle aged types and older couples. Quite a diverse mix. I was pondering this and admiring the stage set, which included a backdrop of their new Hello Hurricane album and a few of those seagulls eerily in flight above the stage, as the lights went down and the band took the stage. Some guy was shining a spotlight in my direction and I briefly wondered if I might be stopped from taking photos. I noticed others looking at me, or rather just past me, and I turned to see lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Jon Foreman perched up there on the lower balcony with us as he started singing the first song on Hello Hurricane, the ethereal and hopeful “Needle and Haystack Life”. The way he sang this – a lone, emotionally vulnerable presence – gave me chills and jolted me immediately into that moment one usually strives throughout a live performance to achieve.

I sensed an emotional delicacy, a heartfelt sincerity, and a sense of quiet solitude that drew me in like a magnet.

You breathe it in
the highs and lows
we call it living
in this needle and haystack life
I’ve found miracles there in your eyes
it’s no accident we’re here tonight
we are once in a lifetime.

Jon explained that they’d be performing the new album in its entirety, from start to finish, and would then come back out to play audience-chosen selections from their other albums (he jokingly referred to “Hello Hurricane” as Switchfoot’s support act). I can’t think of a better way to introduce and bring the new material into the “family fold”, to create a feeling of continuity for what is quite a departure from their older work. More varied instrumentation and moods; harder here, more artsy there. And yet, even though it was just released a month ago, their fans were already familiar enough with the songs to sing along, which added to the warm, communal feel that evening.

From “Needle and Haystack Life” Jon descended down to the stage to join the others, which then led into “Mess of Me”, a song which blew my mind when I saw them perform it on Conan just recently, and which live was over the top in its gut-wrenching immediacy. I also really loved how the seamless transitions from soft to scorching was preserved in this club setting. That’s often a complaint of mine, that bands who have quieter material choose to leave it at home when performing live, or decide to “rock it out” thereby ruining it, or that the sound is mixed so loud that every pretty ballad becomes hardcore industrial drone. But in this case, the sound level was perfect, the acoustics at the Paradise are excellent, and Switchfoot were delightfully unapologetic in presenting their softer songs and lovely little musical touches – xylophone, acoustic piano, accordion and harmonica – with all shadings and nuances intact.

“Your Love Is A Song” was introduced as being “on the subject of grace”, and “The Sound” was dedicated to the man who inspired it, American civil rights activist John Perkins. “About the loudest sound we can make as a human soul… a song about love” led into “Enough To Let Me Go” and then “Free” (”inside this shell, there’s a prison cell, I try to live the light of day”), ending with Jon pounding ferociously on the drums. There were spoken introductions and brief explanations of the songs which, rather than being distracting, created a kind of spoken word/musical interplay which reinforced the lyrics and gave the songs emotional depth.

“This is where you go over to your vinyl record and flip it over, and this is side B”. After the title track, “Hello Hurricane”, there was an amusing introduction from Jon for the lovely “Always”, “Thank you to my mom for making me take piano lessons, and to Jimmy Page for convincing me to quit”, though the lessons paid off with a pretty acoustic piano which sounded fantastic. “Bullet Soul” then brought back the raging rock ‘n’ roll Switchfoot persona, and Jon was out in the audience (as he was all evening), bellowing the question, “are you ready to go?

Chad Butler came to the front to add accordion accompaniment to the delicately gorgeous “Yet”, with Jon mixing in some harmonica. He had the audience repeating the line “if it doesn’t break”, “if it doesn’t break”…

“If it doesn’t break your heart it isn’t love
if it doesn’t break your heart it’s not enough
it’s when you’re breaking down
with your insides coming out
that’s when you find out what your heart is made of
and you haven’t lost me yet.”

“Sing It Out” had very beautiful and gut-wrenching singing from Jon at the front edge of the stage, completely at one with the audience, and then soft strumming on guitar, slowly joined by the others. The final song of the album, “Red Eyes”, was followed with a “Needle and Haystack” reprise.

Stunning perfection, and a lovely way to showcase the sheer beauty of Hello Hurricane.

Before the brief intermission, we were told to Twitter our requests or toss them onto the stage for what they’d perform in the second half. How cool. They then went on to perform 12 more songs (plus a 2-song encore) to a clearly adoring, swaying, singing mass.

I’m not as familiar with their earlier work, so I’ll just say that some of the songs were “Stars”, “Shadow Proves The Sunshine”, “Oh! Gravity”, “On Fire” (with chorus of 650 and harmonica), “24″ (wonderful; acoustic guitar during the verses, accordian and lovely backing vocals), “Company Car”, “Love Is The Moment”, “Meant To Live”, and “Dare You To Move”. And a favorite quote of the evening, “hope is not something you can have as a possession; hope is seeing things as they are not”.

For the encore, they performed “Daisy” and “This Is Your Life”. And we all sang those few lines once again from “Needle and Haystack Life”, a poignant and touching end to an emotionally uplifting evening.

“In this needle and haystack life
I’ve found miracles there in your eyes
it’s no accident we’re here tonight
we are once in a lifetime.”

NYLON Winter Music Tour Starring Friendly Fires with the xx @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston

Check out this review of Friendly Fires with the xx from the Dise last weekend! Thanks to our Twitter Follower @theprintedword

Here is the article, but check out the actual page by CLICKING HERE and see some amazing pics!

The inaugural Winter Nylon Music Tour stopped by Boston’s Paradise Friday night for an absolutely, positively sold-out show. If it is humanly possible, both the headliners Friendly Fires and the opener, current darlings of the blogosphere the xx, keep getting better and better with each additional time I have the privilege of seeing them perform. Both are young bands from England, yet with all the globetrotting they’ve done this year, they’ve honed their skills so that every performance will leave you wanting more. When I heard and subsequently groaned inwardly that the Nylon tour would not be stopping by Washington, I decided a trip up north was in order.

In the case of London’s the xx, their sound is relatively simplistic, but they are extremely successful in bringing out the emotions of anyone who’s ever felt anything for someone else or perhaps more accurately, the xxmake you feel you aren’t alone when you’ve lost that magical thing called love. I still can’t get over how guitarist Romy Madley-Croft and bassist Oliver Sim’s voices, though gentle, can be so poignant and achingly beautiful, causing you the listener to feel the same yearning that exists in the heart of their songs in your bones.

This was the first time the band had ever played in Boston (not counting the in-store they played three hours earlier at Newbury Comics), and the excited crowd was certainly appreciative of their visit. They took to the stage on time at 9. The extended live version of “Basic Space,” their second single released on Young Turks in the UK in August, confused some members of the audience, some of them prematurely clapping while the band headed into an outro not on the album. “Fantasy,” starting off with Sim’s spare, scorching vocals paired with Madley-Croft’s fantastic guitar playing, was a major highlight, as was “Nighttime,” with such monstrous beats from Jamie Smith that you felt the backbeats pounding through your body.

“Infinity,” an example of serious yearning turned into an xx song, starts with guitar work that is as sensual at those in Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” But what the xx’s tune has over Isaak’s are the call and response lyrics of “I can’t give it up / to someone else’s touch / because I care too much” between Madley-Croft and Sim, punctuated by Smith’s drum machine and cymbal crashing. Talk about dramatic to the max and perfectly suited for their usual black attire and minimalist stage set-up. Be sure to catch this trio when they tour America starting in March 2010, first on a short tour of their own on the eastern half of the U.S., followed by a couple of dates opening for Hot Chip.

The xx Set List: Intro VCR Basic Space Fantasy Shelter Islands Nighttime Infinity

Like clockwork, crew set up quickly for the main event, St. Albans’ own Friendly Fires, so that they were ready to roll punctually at the Paradise-appointed time of 10:15. This band’s shows are 100 times better than their records because you get the full audio and visual experience right in front of you. On this particular night, multi-colored lights flashed feverishly across the stage, lending a carnival-like atmosphere quite appropriate for this kind of music. On stage left is drummer Jack Savidgeon his riser, beating on his drums at a furious pace that it’s a wonder he ever manages to leave a gig with his hands intact. In the center of it all is lead singer Ed Macfarlane with his bevy of synthesizers ever at the ready, in front of touring bassist Rob Leeand their touring brass section (trumpeter and saxophonist). And lastly and certainly not least, on stage right is guitarist Edd Gibson shredding it on his axe in a way that should inspire generations to pick up a guitar and try it for themselves.

Having not seen them in about four months, I’d nearly forgotten just how tremendously punishing physically their set is on all the players. This was their second to last date on a grueling 3-week tour of North America, and I’d heard that everyone by this point was exhausted (and understandably so). However, I didn’t see any indication that the band wasn’t giving their usual 110%. When it came time for Macfarlane to break out his now world-famous dance moves, the man showed no sign of fatigue, most memorably on the wonky-waltzy “White Diamonds,” to which he threw his whole body into the song. “Photobooth,” an ode to young lovers taking an innocent photograph together, was preceded by him saying, “Are you going to join us [in the revelry and dance]?” Thanks to a long guitar cord, throughout the set Gibson was able to run back and forth across the Paradise stage, climbing on top of a speaker in front of Savidge several times to serenade those up in the balcony. So very rock ‘n’ roll.

While the throng was vocal in their appreciation for the Fires’ music, some people in the crowd clearly needed to loosen up, so much that Ed Mac had to implore, “Come on Boston, dance with me, please!” When they played “On Board,” then “Paris” (the obvious crowd-pleaser), the audience was finally moving and grooving in a way that the band approved. While it was disappointing that they played the exact same set list that I’ve gotten used to and we didn’t get a preview of the four songs Friendly Fires have already finished for album #2, we’ll have the new material and a brand-new set list to look forward to the next time they visit us stateside. The band’s sophomore album is expected to be released in May 2010. I can’t wait.

Friendly Fires Set List: Lovesick, Jump in the Pool, Skeleton, Boy In the Hospital, White Diamonds, Strobe, Kiss of Life, Photobooth, On Board, Paris, Ex Lover

PUSH PLAY 11/28/09

Check out these videos of Push Play performing at the Dise

(thanks to our friend @aandkmusicpromo on Twitter!)

Phil Bensen & Steve Scarola "Pretty Flower"

Emily Osment "All The Way Up"

Push Play "Heart Attack"

Phil Bensen "Bruised"