Supermassive Rock Show - Muse

OCT 13, 2010
Muse puts on one bad ass live show. I was so close to skipping this show because the seats were so far away...and I hate to be more than 15 feet away from a stage. But this one certainly wasn't so bad. The laser and LED show was sweet. It gave you something tangible to work with from so far away. I saw Pearl Jam in the spring at Nationwide Arena and was miserable. There was nothing interesting at the show to see from a distance. Eddie was the size of an Ant. I couldn't feel the music in my body the way I would at a more intimate show. But Muse on the other hand surprised me. Anthems like Uprising and Supermassive Black Hole cranked through me. Trust me, I'd give anything to be up close for this show, but from a distance the world was transformed by lights. I do however need to change my alarm ringtone which is currently Undisclosed Desires before I begin to loath such a wonderful little beat.

Metric opened the show and was a great way to start the night. Gold Guns Girls is a fun one.

Save the Day - Train

MARCH 29, 2010

The Train arrived in town again for a little good old rock and roll style. Pat Monahan is about the size of my arm, but he's got this aura about him that is hard to resist. He waltzes around stage like an episode of Dancing with the Stars, always in perfect rhythm. His lyrics are sometimes strange but will make you laugh and sing along with a smile as you realize just how ridiculous it is to sing about fried chicken. The man has pipes. He can channel Steven Tyler or Led Zeppelin in a way you couldn't imagine with classic covers. He brought a group of young girls, maybe 8 years old, to sing along to She's On Fire. We were in the front row, and he climbed on top of my friends, including my husband and then sang Marry Me to one of my friends in the front row. He also dove into the crowd for a little surf ride as the crowd tossed him lightly above. Train is just a fun show that allows you to feel the energy without feeling the hard core shoves from a crowd you might get with a hard rock alternative band.

This was my 5 time seeing Pat and Train. I met him a few years back after a solo show in Cleveland, which is what the last photo is from.

Imma Be Rockin - Black Eyed Peas

FEB 16, 2010
The Black Eyed Peas are my favorite Hip Hop group. I'm normally all rock, but there sure is a hop in my step from time to time.

WNCI ran a $10 ticket special, so for that price I didn't care about being stuck in the nosebleeds. This show was so much fun. Amazing props and costumes. Will i. am's masks were robotic and mesmerizing. Tatoo flew across the arena on a Dark Knight style motorcycle in the sky. Fergie was Fergilicious. Will i. am did a little DJ mixing playing songs from Journey to Michael Jackson, getting the entire arena to sing along.

LMAFO and Ludacris opened the show.

For the Tenth Time - Howie Day w/ Colbie Caillat

Steve and I went to our 10th Howie Day show. Jamie (his manager) invited us on the tour bus to say hi again. It was just the 4 of us, so we decided we wouldn't stay long. Always nice to say hi to them every year or so. I was hoping to see Jay Clifford again, since he's one of the featured artists on my Modern Material Indie Rock Collection. Gave the guys some CDs, so I hope they like the awesome bands I collaborated with for the project. Howie wanted to know why I didn't include him on the collection since 4 guys are from his tour management group. IF ONLY. I can't imagine how much harder it would be to get licensing for a major recording artist.

As for the show, everyone was great. Nice to hear Howie play classic solo songs, and with Jay Clifford.

The opener, Trevor Hall, was an awesome Island Jam dreadlock kind of a guy. Just what I was looking for before our trip to Riviera Maya in a few weeks.

Colbie Caillat was much better than I thought she would be. She's very pretty, looks a lot like my friend Jillian, and had on a great outfit. Her sound guy was the best singer of the night, covering No Woman No Cry.
Steve and I at our 10th Howie Day show. Jamie (his manager) invited us on the tour bus to say hi again. It was just the 4 of us, so we decided we wouldn't stay long. Always nice to say hi to them every year or so. I was hoping to see Jay Clifford again, since he's one of the featured artists on my Modern Material Indie Rock Collection. Gave the guys some CDs, so I hope they like the awesome bands I collaborated with for the project. Howie wanted to know why I didn't include him on the collection since 4 guys are from his tour management group. IF ONLY. I can't imagine how much harder it would be to get licensing for a major recording artist. As for the show, everyone was great. Nice to hear Howie play classic solo songs, and with Jay Clifford. The opener, Trevor Hall, was an awesome Island Jam dreadlock kind of a guy. Just what I was looking for before our trip to Riviera Maya in a few weeks. Colbie Caillat was much better than I thought she would be. She's very pretty, looks a lot like my friend and she had on a great outfit. Her sound guy was the best singer of the night, covering No Woman No Cry.

HELLA GOOD, No Doubt

JULY 9, 2009
It's still a little weird to me that I once hated Gwen Stefani when I've had a bit of an obsession with her for the last 5 years. It's probably more about fashion, or the fact that she has a cool rocker husband who was the reason I first saw her perform with No Doubt 15 years ago. Her kid's name is Kingston, which what name can be cooler than that? L.A.M.B. is a kick ass fashion brand, which I wish I could afford more than just a long sleeve white tee left over from a sample sale at work. Harajuku lovers is a quirky adorable line with figurine fragrances that are probably too juvenile for my taste, but if it's Gwen's I want it. I once dressed up as her for Halloween in her Alice in Wonderland inspired costume. I also designed a tee for my own apparel collection inspired by that costume, and contributed a handful of items to a celebrity gift basket for her. I saw her Harajuku Lover's tour a few years ago, and then paid a pricey ticket to see No Doubt last summer in Indianapolis.

Instead of seats like my Live Nation ticket revealed, the pit area was general admission. Totally cool with me, however I thought I would get to sit for a majority of the evening, so I wore 4 inch platform heels. At least I stashed a pair of flip flops in my bag, which was also a mistake not to bring a small cross body bag. Instead it ended up on the beer soaked pavement being tripped on by dozens of people jumping around. My friend's young daughter was with us, and thankfully the security guard let her stand on a small ledge so she could see over the sea of people.

I had a new camera with me which captured these amazing shots. We were probably about 15 or 20 feet from the stage which is not bad for a stadium sized show. I'm still not understanding how Gwen was that in shape after having two children. She rocked her classic ND twisted knotted hair and midrif tops, a much different look than her ultra feminine solo style. Either way, she's still a cool chick, and someone I can actually respect and admire compared to any other female pop star out there.

The set was a trip down memory lane with so much energy and excitement. I was only disappointed by the lack of songs from her solo career, but hey, there were only 2 hours for her to cover an 84 song catalog by No Doubt. Tony and Adrian also rocked, and the LED video screen had a lot of great imagery and videos. Originally the band requested fans to upload videos of themselves singing "I'm Just A Girl" so they could play them during the song. Apparently it didn't work out the way they expected, so it was cut. I was very tempted to send in video of myself, but decided I'd rather not look like a fool to a crowd of thousands.

Paramore was the opening band which we caught a few songs, however most of our time was spent searching for the will call booth which was on the complete opposite side of the entrance.

Here are a few pics for the few hundred I took that night.

Gavin Rossdale - House of Blues

MAY 7, 2009
This has to be the most energetic and exciting show I've ever been to. I saw Bush 14 years ago, Institute 4 years ago, and now Gavin's solo tour. Best show yet. He played more Bush songs than from his solo record...Opened with the theme song of anything requiring adrenaline....Machinehead...which btw I heard an interview on the local radio where someone told him that Machinehead is the theme song of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Other amazing songs from the set list included Everything Zen, The People That We Love, Beauty and the Beast, Love Remains the Same, Glycerine, and final song of the encore was Comedown.

Steve and I found a spot in the front row, made friends with a fan, and were there for every screaming, headbanging piece of the action.

"I don't want to come back down from this cloud."

Long Live the 90's.

Concert Count

I have recently been inspired to start blogging about concerts again after a recent article posted in the Columbus Dispatch. I may just have to transfer my personal Facebook photo album reviews over here since I seemed to have forgotten why I even created this blog.

I have added a few more shows to my concert count. Here is the list to the best of my memory...

1. AEROSMITH ’98 • Columbus, OH
2. AEROSMITH ’99 • Columbus, OH
3. AFGAHN WIGS ’98 • Columbus, OH
4. AKON ‘07• Indianapolis, IN
5. ALANIS MORRISETTE ’96 • Toledo, OH
6. ALICE SMITH ’06 • Cincinatti, OH
7. THE ALTERNATE ROUTES ’05 • Columbus, OH
8. THE ALTERNATE ROUTES ’07 • Columbus, OH
9. THE ALTERNATE ROUTES ‘09 • Columbus, OH
10. AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 2 ‘03 • Columbus, OH
11. ANNA NALICK ‘06 • Columbus, OH
12. ARI HEST ‘05 • Columbus, OH
13. AUDIOSLAVE ‘05 • Columbus, OH
14. AUGUSTANA ‘07 • Columbus, OH
15. BAND OF HORSES • '10 • Columbus, Ohio
16. BARENAKED LADIES ‘00 • Columbus, OH
17. BECK • LOLLAPALOOZA ‘95 • Columbus, OH
18. BIG CITY ROCK ‘05 • Columbus, OH
19. BLACK EYED PEAS • '10 • Columbus, OH
20. BLESSID UNION OF SOULS ‘94 • Lima, OH
21. BLUE MAN GROUP ‘03 • Chicago, IL
22. BLUE MAN GROUP ‘06 • Columbus, OH
23. BOWLING FOR SOUP ‘05 • Columbus, OH
24. BRANDI CARLISLE ‘06 • Columbus, OHA
25. THE BRAVERY ‘07 • Columbus, OH
26. THE BRAVERY ‘08 • Columbus, OH
27. BUTCH WALKER '10 • Columbus, OH (Newport)
28. BUSH ‘96 • Toledo, OH
29. CAKE '10 • Columbus, OH
30. CB7 ‘10 • Columbus, OH (LC)
31. CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES ‘07 • Cleveland, OH
32. CHEAP TRICK ‘01 • Columbus, OH
33. CHER ‘00 • Columbus, OH
34. CHER ‘01 • Columbus, OH
35. CHER ‘03 • Columbus, OH
36. CITIZEN COPE ‘06 • Cincinatti, OH
37. CITIZEN COPE ‘08 • Columbus, OH (Newport)
38. CITIZEN COPE '10 • Columbus, OH (LC)
39. COLBIE CAILLAT '10 • Columbus, OH
40. COLDPLAY ‘05 • Columbus, OH
41. COOLIO • LOLLAPALOOZA ‘95 • Columbus, OH
42. COLLECTIVE SOUL ‘99 • Columbus, OH
43. COUNTING CROWS ‘99 • Columbus, OH
44. THE CRANBERRIES ‘99 • Columbus, OH
45. CHRIS CORNELL ’07 • Columbus, OH
46. CHRIS CORNELL ’09 • Cleveland, OH
47. CROSBY STILLS AND NASH May 4th ‘98 • Kent State, OH
48. CYNDI LAUPER ‘99 • Columbus, OH
49. CYNDI LAUPER ‘03 • Columbus, OH
50. CYPRESS HILL • LOLLAPALOOZA ‘95 • Columbus, OH
51. DAVE MATTHEWS • BAND KOKUA FESTIVAL ‘08 • Honolulu, HI
52. DAVE MATTHEWS • BAND KOKUA FESTIVAL ‘08 • Honolulu, HI
53. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND ‘08 • Columbus, OH
54. DEATH RAY TO SUNDAY PROJECT ‘08 • Columbus, OH
55. DEATH RAY TO SUNDAY PROJECT ‘08 • Columbus, OH
56. DEATH RAY TO SUNDAY PROJECT ‘08 • Columbus, OH
57. DEBRA COX • LILITH FAIR ‘99 • Columbus, OH
58. THE DIXIE CHICKS ‘06 • Columbus, OH
59. EMMYLOU HARRIS • LILITH FAIR ‘97 • Columbus, OH
60. EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY ‘07 • Columbus, OH
61. FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE ‘97 • Toledo, OH
62. THE FRAY ‘06 • Columbus, OH
63. THE FRAY ‘07 • Columbus, OH
64. GARBAGE ‘96 • Detroit, MI
65. GARBAGE ‘97 • Ft. Wayne, IN
66. GAVIN DEGRAW ‘05 • Dayton, OH
67. GAVIN DEGRAW ‘05 • Columbus, OH
68. GAVIN ROSSDALE '09 • Cleveland, OH
69. THE GOO GOO DOLLS ‘96 • Toledo, OH
70. THE GOO GOO DOLLS ‘07 • Columbus, OH
71. GRAHAM COLTON BAND ‘05 • Columbus, OH
72. GRINGO STAR ‘07 • Columbus, OH
73. GWEN STEFANI ‘07 • Indianapolis, IN
74. HOWIE DAY ‘04 • Cleveland, OH
75. HOWIE DAY ‘05 • Indianapolis, IN
76. HOWIE DAY ‘05 • Dayton, OH
77. HOWIE DAY ‘05 • Indianapolis, IN
78. HOWIE DAY ‘05 • Columbus, OH (LC)
79. HOWIE DAY ‘05 • Cleveland, OH
80. HOWIE DAY ‘08 • Grandville, OH
81. HOWIE DAY ’09 • Cleveland, OH
82. HOWIE DAY ’09 • Columbus, OH (Basement)
83. HOWIE DAY '09 • Columbus, OH (Newport)
84. HOWIE DAY '10 • Columbus, OH (Basement)
85. INCUBUS ‘07 • Columbus, OH
86. INDIGO GIRLS • LILITH FAIR ‘97 • Columbus, OH
87. INDIGO GIRLS • LILITH FAIR ‘99 • Columbus, OH
88. INSTITUTE (GAVIN ROSSDALE) ‘05 • Columbus, OH
89. JACK JOHNSON ‘ 08 • KOKUA FESTIVAL Honolulu, HI
90. JACK JOHNSON ‘ 08 • KOKUA FESTIVAL Honolulu, HI
91. JASON MRAZ ‘05 • Bowling Green, OH
92. JESUS LIZARD • LOLLAPALOOZA ‘95 • Columbus, OH
93. JEWEL • LILITH FAIR ‘97 • Columbus, OH
94. JOHN LAMB ‘05 • Harbor Springs, MI
95. JOHN LAMB ’06 • Harbor Springs, MI
96. JOHN MAYER ‘06 • Columbus, OH
97. JOSHUA RADIN ‘08 • Columbus, OH
98. JULIO INGLESIAS JR ‘00 • Columbus, OH
99. KATE VOGEL ‘04 • Cleveland, OH
100. KELLY CLARKSON ‘05 • Columbus, OH
101. THE KILLERS ‘07 (LEFT EARLY) • Columbus, OH
102. THE KILLERS '09 • Columbus, OH (LC)
103. KING LOUIS XIV ‘07 • Columbus, OH
104. THE KOOKS ‘08 • Columbus, OH
105. KYLE RIABKO ‘05 • Bowling Green, OH
106. LADY SOVEREIGN ‘07 • Indianapolis, IN
107. LISA LOEB • LILITH FAIR ‘97 • Columbus, OH
108. LISA LOEB ‘98 • Toledo, OH
109. LMAFO • '10 • Columbus, OH
110. LORI PARSLEY ‘06 • Columbus, OH
111. LOU BEGA ‘00 • Columbus, OH
112. LOUD LUCY ‘96 • Toledo, OH
113. LUDACRIS • '10 • Columbus, OH
114. MAE ‘07 • Columbus, OH
115. MATCHBOX 20 ‘01 • Columbus, OH
116. MATT COSTA ‘06 • Columbus, OH
117. MAT KEARNEY ‘05 • Columbus, OH
118. MAT KEARNEY ‘06 • Columbus, OH
119. MATT WERTZ ‘05 • Columbus, OH
120. MATT WERTZ ‘09 • Columbus, OH
121. MERIDITH BROOKS ‘00 • Columbus, OH
122. METRIC ‘10 • Columbus, OH
123. MICHAEL TOLCHER ‘05 • Dayton, OH
124. MICHAEL TOLCHER ‘05 • Columbus, OH
125. MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSTONES • LOLLAPALOOZA ‘95 • Cols, OH
126. MIKE GENOVESE ‘05 • Columbus, OH
127. MISSY HIGGINS ‘05 • Indianapolis, IN
128. MISSY HIGGINS ‘05 • Cleveland, OH
129. MISSY HIGGINS ‘08 • Columbus, OH
130. MORRISSEY ‘09 • Columbus, OH
131. MUSE ‘10 • Columbus, OH
132. NEW POLITICS ‘10 • Columbus, OH The LC
133. NO DOUBT ‘96 • Toledo, OH
134. NO DOUBT '09 • Indianapolis, IN
135. NICK ZUBER ’09 • Cleveland, OH
136. NICK ZUBER ’09 • Columbus, OH
137. OAR '10 • Columbus, OH (LC)
138. OK GO ‘07 • Columbus, OH
139. OUTERNATIONAL ’09 • Cleveland, OH
140. PARAMORE '09 • Indianapolis, IN
141. PAT MONAHAN (TRAIN) ‘07 • Columbus, OH
142. PAVEMENT • LOLLAPALOOZA ‘95 • Columbus, OH
143. PEARL JAM • '10 • Columbus, OH
144. PETE YORN ‘06 • Columbus, OH
145. PHILO ‘06 • Columbus, OH (Newport)
146. THE PRETENDERS • LILITH FAIR ‘99 • Columbus, OH
147. RILO KILEY ‘05 • Columbus, OH
148. SARAH MCLACHLAN • LILITH FAIR ‘97 • Columbus, OH
149. SARAH MCLACHLAN ‘98 • Toledo, OH
150. SARAH MCLACHLAN • LILITH FAIR ‘99 • Columbus, OH
151. SEETHER ‘05 • Columbus, OH
152. SHAWN COLVIN • LILITH FAIR ‘99 • Columbus, OH
153. SHERYL CROW • LILITH FAIR ‘99 • Columbus, OH
154. SINEAD O’CONNER • LOLLAPALOOZA‘95 • Columbus, OH
155. SLEEPING AT LAST ‘05 • Columbus, OH
156. SMASHING PUMPKINS ‘96 • Detroit, MI
157. SMASHING PUMPKINS ‘96 • Ft. Wayne, IN
158. SMASHING PUMPKINS ‘97 • Toledo, OH
159. SMASHING PUMPKINS ‘07 • Columbus, OH
160. SMASHING PUMPKINS Halloween ‘08 • Columbus, OH
161. SONIC YOUTH • LOLLAPALOOZA ‘95 • Columbus, OH
162. STEVEN FIORE ‘08 • Grandville, OH
163. SWITCHFOOT ‘05 • Columbus, OH
164. SWITCHFOOT ‘06 • Columbus, OH
165. TOSHI REGON ‘06 • Columbus, OH
166. THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS ‘05 • Columbus, OH
167. THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS ‘06 • Columbus, OH
168. THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS ‘10 • Columbus, OH (LC)
169. TRACY BONHAM ‘06 • Columbus, OH
170. TRAIN ‘01 • Columbus, OH (Germain)
171. TRAIN ‘06 • Columbus, OH (LC)
172. TRAIN ‘06 • Dayton, OH
173. TRAIN '10 • Columbus, OH (Newport)
174. UNKNOWN • Opener for Chris Cornell ‘08
175. UNKNOWN • Opener for The Killers ‘09
176. WATERSHED ‘06 • Columbus, OH
177. WHERE'S THE BAND '09 • Columbus, OH
178. THE WHIGS ‘07 • Columbus, OH
179. WILL BOWEN ‘04 • Cleveland, OH
180. WILLIE NELSON ‘04 • Traverse City, MI