Bands I've Seen

This is sort of a work in progress, as I know I've seen other bands, and I've seen many of these multiple times. It's an interesting mix of genres-punk, metal, folk, rock, jazz, and more. I'm sure I'll come up with others I've seen, but for now, here are 194 bands I've seen live.

.38 Special
AC/DC
AC/DShe
Aerosmith
Agents of Good Roots
Aldo Nova
Alice In Chains
Allman Brothers Band
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe
Ani Defranco
Anthrax
Aquarium Rescue Unit
Arlo Guthrie
Armored Saint
Arrested Development
Babes in Toyland
Bad Brains
Bad Company
Badlands
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Bent Sirkis
Big Head Todd & the Monsters
Biohazard
Black Crows
Black Label Society
Black Sheep
Blues Traveller
Bob Dylan
Bob Weir/Ratdog
Bon Jovi
Bonham
Britney Fox
Bruce Hornsby
Bryan Adams
Butthole Surfers
Cheap Trick
Corey Harris
Crash Test Dummies
Cry Cry Cry
Damn Yankees
Dangerous Toys
Dar Williams
Dave Matthews Band
David Crosby
David Wilcox
Day By The River
Deep Banana Blackout
Def Leppard
Del tha Funkee Homosapian
Dinosaur Jr.
Dio
Dr. John
Eddie From Ohio
Eric Clapton
Extreme
Faith No More
Fiction Plane
Fierce Nipples
Fishbone
Flogging Molly
From Good Homes
Front 242
Gene Clark
Govt Mule
Grateful Dead
Great White
Greg Brown
Guns N' Roses
GWAR
Hackensaw Boys
Henry Rollins
Hot Tuna
Ice Cube
Ice-T & Body Count
In Flames
In This Moment
Iron Maiden
James
James Taylor
Jane's Addiction
Jazz is Dead
Jesus and Mary Chain
Jewel
Jimmy Buffett
Joan Jett
Joe Jackson
John Cale
John McCutchen
John Wesley Harding
Keith Urban
Keller Williams
KISS
Kix
Kreator
L.A. Guns
Lab Report
Lenny Kravitz
Levon Helm
Little Big Town
Little Feat
Living Color
Los Lobos
Lucinda Williams
Lucy Kaplansky
Lush
Lyle Lovett
Merl Saunders
Meat Loaf
Megadeth
Metallica
Mickey Hart
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Ministry
moe.
Moon Boot Lover
Mose Alison
Motley Crue
Moxy Fruvous
Mr. Big
Mucky Pup
Mudvayne
Murphy's Law
Naked Puritans Philharmonic
Neil Young
Nine Inch Nails
Nuclear Assault
Ozzy Osbourne
Pantera
Pearl Jam
Pennywise
Pernice Brothers
Pete Seeger
Phish
Pigface
Pink Floyd
Poison
Poor Excuse
Primus
Prong
Public Enemy
Rage Against the Machine
Ramones
Ratt
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Ricky Warwick
Rob Zombie
Robert Cray
Roger McGuinn
Rolling Stones
Rusted Root
Scorpions
Scotch Greens
Seven Nations
Shawn Mullins
Skid Row
Slaughter
Slayer
Son Volt
Soundgarden
Soulive
Soup Dragons
Souxsie & The Banshees
Spin Doctors
Spiritualized
Steve Kimock
Strangefolk
String Cheese Incident
Sweet Honey In the Rock
Tesla
Testament
Creatures
Cult
The Dead
Fiendz
Kinks
Long Winters
Nields
Other Ones
Police
Samples
Tossers
Undead
Wreckers
Tom Tom Club
Tool
Toshi Reagon
Traffic
Trey Anastasio
Ugly Kid Joe
Whitesnake
Widespread Panic
Yngwie Malmsteen
Young Black Teenagers
Ziggy Marley

What I've Been Listening To This Week

Work has been quite overwhelming the past few days, and I've been putting in 10-11 hour days. It's easier for me to get some of the prep work that I need to do after the majority of the library staff go home at 5pm, so from 5-7pm I've been cranking up some music and opening computer boxes, configuring new computers, copying files, etc. without any phone calls or emails summoning me to various offices around the building to fix stuff.

So, what have I been cuing up in iTunes while I'm tearing apart boxes and generally making a mess of my office? This week, the album (am I old fashioned to still refer to them as albums?) that I've been playing up more often than not has been The Dresden Dolls self titled album from 2004.

I first heard of the Dresden Dolls from Ethernaut when he told me he had gone to see them a while ago. A few months later I spotted the CD in the library's new CD selections, and checked it out. I listened a couple times, but it didn't do a whole lot for me at first, probably because I was usually just playing background music while I worked on stuff at my desk, and not really paying attention to the music.

This week, for some reason, I decided to play the album again as I was unpacking laptops, a relatively mindless task which allowed me to really pay attention to the music. And I loved it. It's a unique mix of rock and cabaret music that is unlike anything else I've heard in a LONG time. The song "Coin Operated Boy" is one that struck me and I had to listen to it several times. I'm not sure what it is that I like-maybe it's the vaguely upbeat and carefree piano and drums mixed with lyrics that at first sound silly, but upon closer listening are rather dark and sexual.

I chose this live performance to show in place of the bands music video, it is quite close to the album performance with a few little lyric changes. I don't really like the "real" music video, it sort of takes the darkness and despair out of the song and reduces it to a silly little song with it's visuals. If you want to see the video, it's here.

That's what I'm listening to this week.

It's Only Rock & Roll But I Like It

Date: Oct 06, 2005
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia - Scott Stadium

Set List
Start Me Up
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
Shattered
Tumblin' Dice
Rough Justice
Ruby Tuesday
Sweet Virginia
All Down The Line
Night Time Is The Right Time
<set break due to bomb threat>
Miss You
Oh No Not You Again
Get Off My Cloud
Honky Tonk Woman
Sympathy For The Devil
Midnight Rambler
Paint It Black
Brown Sugar
Jumping Jack Flash
<Encore>
You Can't Always Get What You Want
Satisfaction


That's where I was last night. Watching the Rolling Stones, in seats that cost us $180+ each, in UVAs Scott Stadium. And let me say one thing. It was worth every penny we paid for those seats.

The show was easily the biggest stage I have ever seen, far bigger than the Dead's stage, bigger than Pink Floyd in 86, bigger than Guns & Roses/Metallica in 93. And it was an event. Not just a concert, but a huge production. I'd go see them again in a heartbeat. When we originally bought the tickets, Laura & I were both thinking "We really can't afford to spend that much on tickets." But when we looked at each other with huge grins on our faces multiple times during the show, we knew we made the right decision.

The night started off at 7pm with Trey Anastasio, formerly of Phish, with his band. One tight, well done 30 minute set which included:
* Air Said To Me
* 46 Days
* Tuesday
* Come As Melody
* I Am The Walrus (The Beatles)
* Night Speaks To A Woman
* Shine

Originally, I was bummed out that Trey was going to be opening the show. Not that I don't like him, as I really do, and would probably have gone to see him if he came to town on his own. I've just seen him with Phish 20+ times, and solo 2 times. I was really hoping we'd get to see Pearl Jam, John Mayer, or Maroon 5 open the show, but Trey was who we got. As showtime got closer, I was getting excited to see him again. His new band is good, tight, and quite un-Phish like. He still is one of the most talented guitar players out there, and his new band has a more accessable, almost pop/rock sound that could make a nice showing on college radio.

After Trey's band left the stage, we waited until 9pm, when the lights went out. The Stones stage set was HUGE, towering over the end of Scott Stadium. Once they were on the stage, Mick Jagger never stopped moving. It's amazing watching him, jumping and prancing around, more energy that people half his age. And Keith Richards is another wonder to watch. Easily the most charismatic guitar player I have ever seen. Others may play better and have more flash, but he wandered the stage pulling out some of the best riffs in rock history, and it was amazing. After seeing him, it's obvious where 75% of todays rock guitarists get their image and moves. One thing that struck me more than anything else was how much of Keith's stage presence Slash copied. The way his guitar is held, the way he walked around, the way he stood, the crouching, the cigarette dangling from the lip, everything is completely ripped from Keiths stage presence. The other thing I noticed was how he knows how to position himself perfectly in front of the fans that were lining the stage in order to get the air to blow his shirt and hair back while playing his solos. Perfect rock god image every time.

Some of the show highlights were:
Start Me Up, the perfect show opener (and one I thought would be too obvious for them to do)
Sweet Virginia, great slow song, pulled out from nowhere, and the crowd loved it. They were selling UVA colored Stones shirts at the merch. tables-Orange shirts, blue tongue, crossed UVA Sabers underneith, and the back said "Sweet Virginia is for Stones Lovers" with the place & date underneith.
The moving mini-stage that travelled to the other end of the stadium where they played 4 songs on a second stage out in the middle of the crowd.
Sympathy for the Devil-Mick in long black jacket and top hat, stage lit only in red lights, and flames shooting 30 feet in the air from the top of the set.
Paint It Black-One of my favorite songs, and one I didn't expect to see.

The low point of the show was the bomb threat that caused an hour intermission in the show. We were afraid that was going to be the end of the show, but the band came out and proceeded to turn everything up even more, pulling out almost nothing but the biggest hits after that.

The closing combo of Brown Sugar and Jumping Jack Flash was wonderful, and then the encore of Can't Always Get What You Want followed by Satisfaction was just icing on the cake. And then, after the show was over, we got a 5 minute fireworks display as we exited the stadium.

Easily one of my top 5 concerts ever.

They may not be the tightest band onstage, but they don't need to be. They are playing songs that are classics, they have energy that is unbeleivable, and they are top caliber showmen. Even the rest of the touring band was top notch. We walked out with smiles on our faces and would be happy to do so again.

Mick, Keith, Ron, and Charlie-Thanks for a great nights entertainment!

A few more news articles about the show:

Daily Progress 1

Daily Progress 2

Photos from the show (will pop up new window)

10 CD's to get stuck in your cars CD changer

Some people make "Top 10 Deserted Island CD's" lists, but I don't want to do that. If I'm stuck on a desert island, what good will 10 CD's do me? Sure, maybe I could use them as mirrors to signal to a passing boat or plane, but I sure as hell wouldn't have anything to play them on. And if, by some chance, that desert island had a CD player, electricity, and such, well, it would probably have more stuff I'd want, and then it wouldn't exactly be deserted, would it?

So, instead of a list of deserted island discs, I'm going to be more realistic (with just a bit of credibility stretching thrown in for good measure).

Imagine the scene-you have a nice CD changer in your car, and you are getting ready to change the discs in it. But to your dismay, you find that the changer is stuck, and won't let you change the CD's. You can't take any out, and you can't put any more in. You also have no way of getting the changer repaired, so the CD's that are in there are the CD's that you will listen to on every commute to work, drive to the store, and road trip until you sell the car (at which point, you can take a hammer to the changer and get your CD's out). What 10 albums do you want in the changer when it gets stuck? Here's my list, in no particular order:

1. Beastie Boys-Paul's Boutique
I can (and have) listen to this album for hours on end. No big hits, but the Beasties sophomore album has more excellent music packed onto it than any other album, period. Not only are the tracks great, but the whole album is like a big mixing bowl where the producers pulled thousands of samples from every genre of music out there, put them together, and came out with an unbelievable set of songs.



2. Neil Young & Crazy Horse-Ragged Glory
This is the album I was listening to when I "got" Neil Young. Not his best album, but close to it, this is one I can listen to and always enjoy. Some good, hard rocking Crazy Horse songs, a few ballads, and plenty of feedback. And, as usual, some interesting characters and stories floating through Neil's lyrics. This is what all those summer garage bands want to be.



3. Jane's Addiction-Nothing's Shocking
Some people like Ritual de lo Habitual better, but Summertime Rolls, Jane Says, and Mountain Song make this the best album in the Jane's Addiction catalog as far as I'm concerned. This is the album I played non-stop during my freshman & sophomore years of college, and it always brings me back to standing in the rain at the first Lollapalooza Festival at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, getting soaked to the skin, and not caring because the best band in the world was playing.



4. The Clash-London Calling
Much more than just a punk album, more than a rock & roll album, a bit of world music, and not a bad song in the bunch. I didn't get into London Calling until long after college, but once I heard it a few times, it blew me away. Every song is perfect, and the energy comes out of the speakers as if every note could be the bands last one. And to top it off, possibly the best album cover of all time.



5. Iron Maiden-Live After Death
A live album of classic Maiden, touring for what I consider to be their best album. Perfectly recorded and mixed, a great selection of songs, this is mid-80s heavy metal at it's finest. No hairspray here, this is pure fist-pumping head-banging metal, and there is melody in there too.




6. Paul Simon-Graceland
When you need to just relax, sit back,and drive, this is one of the best albums to have playing. I've listened to this through 3 or 4 times on long trips, and every song just flows, making time go by. I'll confess that I could probably only give titles to 2 or 3 songs if they were played outside the context of the album, but I could tell you they are from Graceland. This one always goes in the car with me on long trips, just in case I need to hear it.



7. Ramones-All the Stuff and More Vol.1
Maybe this is cheating, because this is a compilation of the first two Ramones albums, Ramones and Leave Home, on one CD. It's got a good handfull of the essential Ramones songs like Blitzkreig Bop, Beat on the Brat, Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment, and more. Hell, you could pick any one of the first 4 albums, and you'll have a few that are essential, and the rest are all good as well. The reasons for picking this set, though, is that it's got the first album on it. If your going to have only one CD of the Ramones, you might as well have the album that started punk rock.



8. Pearl Jam-Ten
Again, sophomore year of college. This is another one of those albums that brings me back. Although this time, it's Lollapalooza 2, but still at SPAC. And yes, it rained that year as well. I was out getting something to drink when the first notes of Even Flow came out from the amphitheater. We left the line, ran back to our seats as fast as we could, and got one of the best perfomances I've ever seen by a band, and they were only the second band on the bill.



9. Jimmy Buffett-Songs You Know By Heart/Greatest Hits

Yeah, Greatest Hits albums shouldn't be allowed, but you know what? I don't care. In 1996 I drove to Mammoth Cave, KY to work on an archaeological dig for a week, and this is the album I listened to over and over and over on the drive. It's also one of the CD's I listened to on my first trip to Charlottesville with Laura. All the songs are great, and I don't care what anyone says, Mr. Buffett is one of the best songwriters out there.



10. Grateful Dead-Without A Net
As the sticker on the case says, "The World's Grandest, Largest, Best Live Recording". It may not have all my favorite Dead songs on it, but this is by far my favorite of their live albums. The highlight of the album is Eyes of the World, featuring Branford Marsalis on Saxophones. Great songs, great band, and just an easy album to get carried away to. To paraphrase a common saying at the shows, they weren't the best at what they did, they were the only ones who did what they did. I'm glad I got to see them doing it several times.



That's my list of 10 CD's I'd want stuck in my CD player. Sure, I fudged a bit, as two of them are double albums (Live After Death and Without A Net) and one is two albums on one CD (All The Stuff And More Vol. 1), but I don't care. So, what would you want stuck in your CD player?