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Schroeder
Rage Against The Machine, Queens of the Stone Age
Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI
Friday, August 24, 2007
I am always concerned about the parking lot at Alpine Valley – it can take forever and a day to get in/out of the lot - and today was no exception. I thought I planned ok, arriving at the exit to the venue at 7:20 pm with Queens of the Stone Age scheduled to go on at 8:00 pm and Rage at 9:30 pm according to label sources. HA! It took 2 hours to get from the exit to our parking space in the Yellow 5 lot, so we completely missed QOTSA. At least we didn't get stuck in the mud in the lot like lots of others. I counted about a dozen concertgoers who were relieving themselves on the side of the long, winding road in, sometimes peeing on corn that will probably be sold at some roadside stand this fall. Mmmm, corn.
We hurried into the venue only to find that to getting to our seats (section 201, row U, seat 21) was another project altogether! The lawn was packed to capacity and covered with mud, so many people with lawn seats were gathering on the concrete at the top of the hill behind the lawn making it nearly impossible to pass (impassible?). This could also be because approximately/unofficially 38,000 tickets were sold to Rage's only Midwest appearance at a venue that officially holds about 35,500 or so. Oversold? You bet. And it was dark outside, with very little lighting. I literally could not find the concrete sidewalk that separates the left, center, and right sides of the lawn. I had no choice but to go all the way to the sidewalk on the outside of the left side of the lawn as you face the stage and head down and then cut in. Then, as I entered the pavilion, the letters indicating the row assignments were close to unreadable (caked in mud), and the ignorant security/usher staff had all but given up trying to seat people, clear walkways, check tickets. Rage hadn't even taken the stage yet, and it was obvious that they were already overwhelmed and had been rendered basically useless by the anxious crowd.
At 9:50, the recently reunited Rage appeared on the stage and was introduced, as always at "local/hometown" shows in Chicago and Milwaukee, by 70-year-old retired school teacher and Libertyville, IL native Mary Morello, Tom's mom. "Hello. I'd like to introduce the greatest freakin' band in the universe…Rage...Against…The Machine!!" Queue thunderous applause. She's a nice old lady. I met her at a Cubs game once. Game 2, NLCS, 2003.
Rage exploded and opened their set with Testify, the opening track from Rage's 3rd album, The Battle of Los Angeles. As soon as the opening riff was played, the overpopulated pavilion was up for grabs as hundreds of fans rushed the stage and attempted to get as close as possible to the stage and possibly sneak into the general admission "pit" seats in front of the center of the stage. No one had a chance to catch their breath after the furious opening jam as Rage immediately launched into arguably their best known song, Bulls on Parade. The whole place was pogoing and moving…you could feel the ground shaking beneath your feet in the pavilion! Outdoors! Unreal. I've experienced the floor shaking at Metro or the Aragon or even on the floor of an arena, but never at an outdoor venue. The band sounded great, they were tight, and Zach seemed to remember all of the words, but on a couple occasions he opted to have the crowd sing some lyrics to save his voice. Zach was the biggest surprise for me. I know the rest of the band has been playing and touring regularly as Audioslave, but Zach has kept a low profile and been off the radar. He appeared to be in shape, bobbing his head and jumping around all over the stage like he always has, and he was genuinely enjoying himself. He had a big grin on his face several times, just enjoying living in the moment and witnessing the power of music, especially music that is still (surprisingly?) relevant in a time of uncertainty, crisis, and war, even after a 7 year absence as a band. Before the end of the set, he only addressed the crowd once, saying "Hello, Chicago (much to the dismay of some of the Wisconsin faithful who steadfastly refuse to recognize that Alpine is as much a Chicago venue as it is a Milwaukee or Madison one despite it's address in tiny East Troy, WI) and said something to the effect of how special it is to play THIS venue because of its history as the site of many famous and infamous concerts (and a terrible tragedy). At the close of the proper set, Rage played Wake Up, a classic and fan favorite from their self-titled debut album, but also known to some as the song the plays over the closing credits to the motion picture The Matrix. At the part where the song breaks down, De La Rocha had his back to the crowd and squatted down by an amp and began chanting and repeating the familiar lines in the song "I think I heard a shot….I think I heard a shot" and then took this opportunity to set the record straight on something. He remarked that Fox News Channel misquoted comments he made at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival earlier this year, saying that he called for the assassination of President Bush, when in fact he said the entire Bush Administration should be put on trial for the crimes they've committed. And then he ripped on the Democrats too, saying they're not any better and they're also at fault (I could not make out more details), and he finished by saying "They (corrupt politicians) are not afraid of us (Rage), they're afraid of YOU!! (pointing at the crowd) and then he erupted, screaming the lyrics in unison with the frenzied crowd, "Waaaaaaake Uuuupppppp!! Waaaaake Uuuuuupppp!" and finally ending the song and set.
Rage returned for a raucous encore of crowd pleasing gems, Freedom and Killing in the Name. Killing in the Name was the closest thing this anything-but-typical show came to being a typical arena rock show, with middle fingers waving in the air and the call and response interplay between Zach and the crowd (crowd: …"and now you do what they told ya"; De La Rocha: …"now your under control") And then it ended. Rage got together in the middle of the stage, took a bow, Tom Morello raised his right fist in the air, and they were gone. This show just served to reinforce to me of how powerful they are live, and what an important band they were (are?).
Lollapalooza Day 3: 8/5/07
Day 3 for me started early with Juliette & The Licks. Yeah, THAT Juliette, Juliette Lewis. She is one bad-ass chick. I have a new respect for her. She rocks with a vengeance and is full of passion for her tunes. I think I was asleep when I arrived at Lolla, but I was awake after one tune from this group. She sings and struts around with a headband with one feather in it. Juliette oozes attitude, and that's always welcome at Lolla.
The Cribs - I saw these guys once before over a year ago opening for Death Cab and Franz Ferdinand. Today was different -- I caught most of their set and they were cool. They're a 3 piece, but they made a ton of noise. Their sound reminded me of the Strokes, but with a bit more crunch and English accents when they engage in stage banter.
Rodrigo Y Gabriela - I remained positioned in front of the sound board after the Cribs (and before Ms. Winehouse), so although I did not SEE most of R&G's set across the lawn, I could hear it pretty clearly. I did sneak away to take in a few minutes of their set. They are quite talented, and make a lot of noise for two acoustic guitar players without any additional accompanyment. They covered Metallica's "One" and Led Zep's "Stairway to Heaven." Rodrigo was sporting a Testament t-shirt. Who knew this flamanco band were not-so-closeted metal fans?
Amy Winehouse - This was probably the most buzzed about performance going into the weekend. I don't know anyone who was going to see Lupe Fiasco instead, and it's not because he's bad. He's actually quite good, but Amy was where it was at. Her story is well known, but she lived up to her reputation as a spoiled princess by arriving late to the stage she was performing at and taking the stage about 10 minutes later than her scheduled set time. Normally not a big deal, it was a big deal today with the tight schedule. She is all of about 70 pounds, soaking wet. She wore a tiny checkered dress and had huge bee-hive hair. She sounded fantastic, so that's the important thing. Unfortunately for her and the audience, the sun was directly overhead and we all baked in the sun during her entire set.
Iggy and The Stooges - Holy Sh*t! This may have been the single best highlight of the weekend. This set was exactly what I expected. Iggy is Iggy, rock n roll icon and Godfather of alternative music as we know it today. Iggy shows up, almost 60 years old and skinny as hell, tan, full head of stringy Iggy-hair. No shirt on. Come to think of it, I don't know if I've ever seen him pictured in a shirt! Jeans that were too tight (he couldn't kick very high for fear of falling over!). Iggy and band tore through most of their set until Iggy decided to invite everyone on stage while singing the suddenly anthemic "No Fun." About 300 people flanked the stage and surrounded Iggy. It looked great, but there was one problem - their show was not over! So Iggy and security avoided a near-riot and everyone dispersed back into the crowd, but not before some kid commandeered the mic and said "Hi, Iggy rules and I should give him the mic now because I'm not the lead singer, he is!" This was cool because it was REAL, and not staged. Only at Lolla!
My Morning Jacket -- I hadn't planned on seeing these guys a few weeks ago. I would like to have seen Modest Mouse with Johnny Marr, but that would have meant watching Pearl Jam from the suburbs, so I opted for MMJ. Don't get me wrong, MMJ is a fine band. In fact, I was impressed with their musicianship. After their first 3 songs, they brought out the 18 piece Chicago Youth Orchestra, who backed them for the rest of the set. It was great...the kids enjoyed it (big grins on their faces on the jumbo tron), and the band rocked out and jammed a bit as they are prone to do. Jim James definitely has a stage presence. Good show.
Pearl Jam - Where to start. I was tucked and sandwiched somewhere between the stage and the screen to the left of the stage (left to right) and between the soundboard and the stage (north to south). Waiting for PJ was brutal -- no room to walk, and you better not have to pee, fill up water, get beer, etc. They opened with Why Go, quite possibly my favorite PJ song. Eddie had lots to say -- thanking Perry for the invite and getting them for Lolla back in '92. It was during this banter that I ripped off my sweaty '92 Lolla shirt and held it proudly above my head. He didn't see it, so I don't know what I was thinking. He name-checked Patti Smith and Iggy Pop, remenicing about being a kid living in Evanston taking the el and listening to those 2 artists who happened to be playing the same festival this weekend. Eddie also railed against George Bush and the war in Iraq, BP Amoco for polluting our beautiful lake, etc. He was in good spirits and played a crowd-pleasing set heavy on hits from their vast and considerable back catalog. Highlights included bringing out a Iraq War vet at the end of the show, inviting out Ben Harper and ripping through Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World", one of their favorite songs to cover in a live setting. Dennis Rodman even showed up and shared the stage with a bunch of vets as PJ closed out the 3 day fest. I'm wiped. Can't wait till next year. Pearl Jam still relevant in 2007? The answer is an emphatic "YES."
Here's the PJ set list:
Why Go, Corduroy, Save You, Do The Evolution, Small Town, Severed Hand, Education, Even Flow, Given To Fly, World Wide Suicide, [Ed speech about BP/Amoco dumping toxins into Lake Michigan], Don't Go BP/Amoco (improv), Lukin, Not For You, Daughter/(Another Brick in the Wall pt 2), State of Love and Trust, Wasted Reprise, Alive
1st encore: Better Man/(Save It For Later), Crazy Mary, Life Wasted, Reviewmirror
2nd encore: [Thomas Young the Iraq war vet featured in Body of War documentary gives a speech], No More (with Ben Harper. dedicated to Thomas), Rockin' in the Free World (w/ various artists)
3/1/07
Red Hot Chili Peppers/Gnarls Barkley
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Set List:
1.) Can't Stop
2.) Dani California
3.) Scar Tissue
4.) Charlie
5.) Havana Affair (The Ramones)
6.) Readymade
7.) Songbird (Fleetwood Mac)- John Frusciante solo
8.) Parallel Universe
9.) Snow (Hey Oh)
10.) Get On Top
11.) C'mon Girl
12.) If You Have To Ask
13.) London Calling (Clash)--> Right On Time
14.) Hey
15.) Permutation --> Californication
16.) By The Way
Encore:
17.) Chad Smith drum solo
18.) Under The Bridge
19.) Give It Away
This was my first opportunity to see RHCP since they headlined Lollapalooza last August. I was excited for the chance to see them play a "proper" headlining show, not a festival. Don't get me wrong - festivals can be a blast - but they have their limitations. At festivals, bands usually play shorter sets and end up playing a greatest hits set to satisfy the mass audience, which may or may not have come to see them.
This show was all about the music. RHCP barely addressed the audience directly and chose to let the music do it for them. I don't recall Anthony Keidis (he got his hair cut short again, btw) saying anything except "Thank you. Goodnight." Flea spoke once or twice and mentioned that the mother of his kid is from Wisconsin and something about peace and love to all people and the elephants. That doesn¡¦t matter. They sounded great, considering it was an arena and how badly Gnarls Barkley suffered. It was a solid set that included plenty of hits with a healthy dose of Stadium Arcadium songs. As has been typical in recent years, the band barely touched any material before the Californication album. That said, the highlight of the show for me was when they did delve into the old-school bin and dust off "If You Have to Ask" from Blood Sugar and I got to wave my middle fingers in the air when AK yelled "funky moterf**ker." The other thing that stands out in my mind is John Frusciante, who I gain more respect for as a guitarist every time I see him. His solos were not note-for-note what is on the albums, and his fills and jamming were inspired and gave the songs even more of a kick. I think he¡¦s a good part of the reason why I was a little sore today from my intense rocking out session last night.
Gnarls Barkley opened the show. They took the stage in darkness in white lab coats and began playing the 80s song "She Blinded Me With Science" before launching into their own tunes, with the exception of Violent Femmes "Gone Daddy Gone." GB is sort of unique in that they have a 5 piece all-female string section and a pair of backup singers, one male and one female. Having seen them play a relatively intimate club show last fall and be the surprise hit of Lollapalooza last summer by actually living up to their hype and captivating a huge audience, I can truly say they were disappointing at this show. That's unfortunate because they are actually a very talented band, but they had the deck stacked against them this time. Their sound mix was muddy from the get-go and was never cleaned up. The Bradley Center acoustics didn't do any favors for GB. They were playing in a giant echo chamber. Also, Cee-Lo Green's voice was completely shot. It was very gravelly sounding and he couldn't hold notes or hit high notes like I've seen him do before. I felt bad for him. He kept asking the audience to help him out with lyrics, etc. because he needed the energy. I don't know if he was sick or if his voice just needs a rest from the constant touring. He's usually very energetic, and comes across as some sort of hybrid that is part stand-up comic/storyteller, part MC/host, and part soul singer/musician. None of those personas was really there on this particular evening, and it wouldn't surprise me to learn that they cut their set short by a song or two because Cee-Lo's voice couldn't handle any more. Props to GB for the effort. Get well soon, Cee-Lo.
Here is a link to a review of the show that ran in the Journal-Sentinel.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=572157
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