Recent shows

[music | Hanzel und Gretyl ringing in my head]

Hanzel und Gretyl (tonight) with Q and Bella Morte -- I'll have pictures up from this one tomorrow, I actually got some good ones on the worst camera phone in the universe.

Regina Spektor at Avalon

Tool at Verizon Center

Cirque du Soleil - Corteo

Something else I'm forgetting I'm sure

Cirque du Soleil - We got the second to last row, and even those were perfect, we could see everything and felt right in the action, since there were only like 20 rows. This was different from my expectations, and I liked it. No masks or fancy costumes. Very much "we are acrobats, here is what we can do". It was similar to Cirque Eloize. Then half way through, we noticed that the person responsible for Cirque Eloize designed this show. I was really impressed.

Tool @ Verizon Arena - Terrible sound, the vocals were largely demolished, but no instrument was immune. I still enjoyed it for what it was, an arena show, but I've been to better Tool shows, for which I'm very grateful. I've heard people bitch about "too much from 10,000 days" or "they're not hard anymore". Man writes album during and after his mothers death, sings it in concert, people bitch. Quiet.

Regina Spektor @ Avalon - This was great aside from the gin-soaked girl screaming in my ear a lot of the time. She would yell something at Regina, Regina would ignore her or shut her down, then she would cry and pout for the rest of the song. The show though, was great. I was really skeptical about the full band, but it was perfect, even the older songs they played on seemed to just be more finished, rather than "overdone". I've seen her twice before and will see her whenever she comes around.

Hanzel und Gretyl @ Haven/Diva's - I was nothing but impressed with this show. It's really rare to see a band that loud that actually sounds great. Lots of artists are good in recordings, but suck live, etc. This didn't happen, they were loud, fast, accurate, funny.

I wish I hadn't had to go alone, but it was still worth the 2 hour drive home at 3am. It was a small but dedicated crowd and I really dug the club, never been before, probably will again.

Bella Morte also had a really good set, the lead singer reminded me in ways of Mike Patton. I have said it before, and I'll say it again, there is not enough key-tar in todays music. I picked up their new CD and listened to it on the way home, liked it.

Q is a local industrial band, they were good and people liked them. They played their own instruments, what more can you ask for?