Three is a charm.

Whew! Fearless readers - it has been a whirlwind of action these past couple of weeks. Kindness and Lies had a fantastic time joining Ziva and her band and Aaron Durr and his band at Pier 23 on the 18th of March...and we have enjoyed a few practices...gearing up for our spring shows.

Since my last post, I have been busy running around. Work, music, and quite a bit of playing. I was fortunate enough last week to have a friend in town from Seattle - gave me the excuse to take a bit of time off work and frolic about Sonoma County and SF... Amidst all that action, I was blessed to attend three awesome shows in one weekend. I'll spare you the amusing/touristy/drunk/personal details of my friend's visit and share with you a bit about the shows I saw:

Wednesday, 3/24 - Metric @ the Fox Theater, Oakland:
My dear friend Becah brought me to this show. We both had obligations earlier that night and missed the opening acts. (Niko Vega being one). I had done a review of Metric's album and was certainly curious to see them live. It felt like one of those make-or-breaks for my opinion of the band in general. I love half of the Fantasies album a lot, and respect it as a whole. But - my apprehensiveness rises again - was that record just doctored and well-produced? Could they pull it off live? Well, the fans certainly believed in them to do so - the place was packed.

You know what? They killed it. Absolutely brought it. Emily Haines is an incredible front-person. She holds the crowd with unpretentious and genuine energy. She dances her ass off, sings her heart out. They even had me into songs I didn't care for on the record. What I liked about the adaptation live - was that they kept the music a lot more rock-based. A bit more aggressive, but still keeping the digestibility there. The band and the audience were in fantastic spirits and I was right there with them.

The Fox Theater is one of the most beautiful venues I've ever been to. There's not a bad stage view in the whole place. The space is classy and warm and feels really good to be in. The lighting is impressive. The sound system for me has been all over the place - depending on the show - often feeling a bit too bass-heavy and intangible. The Metric show was some of the more decent sound I've heard there, so I was pleased.

Friday, 3/26 - John Mayer @HP Pavillion, San Jose:
My partner-in-crime Betsy invited me to this show. I just recently got interested in John Mayer - I was apprehensive due to his media reputation and obnoxious popularity. Though, it helps to experience things with someone who already is appreciative/passionate about them - and Betsy has been into Mayer since his humble beginnings. She recently introduced me to his new record, Battle Studies, and it is a very well-done record. When she invited me to the show, I new it was going to be worth braving the gigantic crowd.

HP Pavillion - distracting for me. So big. Tight seating. Lots of people. But... the moment John and his band were up there, I forgot about sharing them with so many people. He is certainly talented enough to deserve every ounce of his musical respect. That man knows himself well - his songs are flawlessly written, and his guitar and voice seem a direct extension of his soul. He's got a tight band. His drummer, Steve Jordan, provided us with one of the most impressive drum solos I've experienced. (I usually feel like they are super cheesy.)

The sound was good...the lighting was impressive. The music he played seemed a little safer than I'm sure he's capable of presenting in a set - but I was certainly entertained and engaged for the two hours he was up there.

Saturday, 3/27 - Copeland @ Slims, San Francisco:
Ahhh. So bittersweet. Copeland - a longtime favorite and certainly an influential band for me - playing a farewell tour. Last chance to see em. Blarrgh. Again, generous and badass-moment-making-specialist Becah treated me to the show. (We were in good company as well - our Seattle friend Stephanie, my lovely bandmates Niki and Betsy, and our friend Greg joined in the magic.)

Copeland brought some decent guest bands with them - I was able to catch the energetic Person L and the sweet I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business. Both good fits to accompany - even with differing sounds - each represented elements that I appreciate about Copeland.

After a night of drinks and anticipation, ours truly took the stage. The audience ignited as they began to play, and embraced the band with genuine enthusiasm. This is a group that its fans have really invested in and it was obvious by their presence that night. If you haven't heard Copeland's album In Motion, you should. It's in my top ten of all time. I love hearing those songs live, but the energy seemed to be heavier and more apprehensive than the glassy and potent recorded versions. I saw them last year and was not feeling that difference as much. It felt like they wanted to be there a bit more then.
I'm certainly not saying that Copeland was bad this time - the songs and the musicianship make that almost impossible. But they felt a bit lackluster. Maybe roadworn? Sick of being in that band? Hard to say. 

Slims did well this time to have good sound and a positive crowd. I've been there a few times when I didn't feel that great being there. But I was having a fun time, a good view, and the drinks were cheap.

I hope there is something musical in the future of the members of Copeland. And if there is, and I see it, I hope they want to be there and that it translates.

Overall, I couldn't have had a richer, more incredible weekend. I was totally inspired and impressed by all the music I took in. It was also reitterated to me that I have generous and amazing friends that help facilitate this blessed life I'm living. :)

xo.
-Ash