CONCERT REVIEW

*Footage & photos by Kenny Howell

When DOLORES O’RIORDAN cancelled her show at the Paradise Rock Club in support of her sophomore solo album, NO BAGGAGE, to say I was crushed would be an understatement. But, it was a fair trade for the reunion of THE CRANBERRIES.

It is hard to believe it has been seven years since DOLORES O’RIORDAN (vocals), NOEL HOGAN (guitar), MIKE HOGAN (bass), and FERGAL LAWLER (drums) have graced the stage together but it was well worth the wait as the Irish rockers officially ended their hiatus with a 90-minute set on Friday night at the Boston Orpheum. This was the second date of the reunion tour.

O’RIORDAN was spunky as ever as she trounced from one end of the stage to the other dressed in gold-spangled tank top and sparkling Chuck Taylors.  She engaged the audience in her Irish brogue and her whimsical personality as she described how she kept busy for the week while the band held tour rehearsals in Boston.

“The Cranberries spent a week here rehearsing and I actually got a great flavor for Boston, It’s a beautiful place,” said O’RIORDAN who talked about walking the Charles River and catching a Bruins game.

The show was heavy on classic Cranberries material including shimmering pop opener “Animal Instinct” the solid melodic “Free to Decide” and the grungy and droning hit “Zombie.” The set also included some tracks from O’RIORDAN’s solo efforts such as “Switch Off the Moment” and the lush piano ballad “Lunatic” against the backdrop of the extravagant, cutting edge light show.

These youthful old pros have never sounded more winning or unified – Welcome back!

SETLIST:

• How
• Animal Instinct
• Linger
• Ordinary Day
• Wanted
• Just My Imagination
• Dreaming My Dreams
• When You’re Gone
• Daffodil Lament
• Can’t Be With You
• Ode to My Family
• Free to Decide
• Waltzing Back
• Switch Off the Moment
• Salvation
• Ridiculous Thoughts
• Zombie
• ENCORE:
• Lunatic
• Empty
• The Journey
• Dream

For more information  visit THE CRANBERRIES

For more footage visit us on YOUTUBE

For more photos visit us on FLICKER

*Footage & Photos by Kenny Howell

ALISON SUDOL, who records and performs under the moniker A FINE FRENZY, seems wise beyond her years, judging by her sophmore album BOMB IN A BIRDCAGE. The 22-year-old pianist is a Los Angeles singer-songwriter and, by extension, a storyteller.

I recently discovered SUDOL while looking at forthcoming concerts for the Paradise and discovered a gorgeous porcelain-skinned redhead under the name A FINE FRENZY. I assumed she was just a model for the album cover then discovered she was the lead singer and pianist. After one listen on MySpace and I instantly bought a ticket.

The show kicked off with tunes from BOMB IN A BIRDCAGE including the lush  piano-driven “The World Without,” the hypnotic melancholy of “Swan Song” and the Shakira hip shaking seductive, “Electric Twist” that even took SUDOL’s breath away, “My goodness that one came out naughtier than normal. Someone spiked the water in Boston.”

Other songs came from the debut album, ONE CELL IN THE SEA including the atmospheric “Almost Lover” and the b-sides “Silent War,” “Coming Around,” and “From Where You Came.”

SUDOL’s infections personality and charm should be more than enough to carry her but I think this album will receive the exposure it deserves now that it is being played on MTV’s “The Hills.” If Spencer and Heidi like it then it must be good, right?

Maybe the world doesn’t have room for another sensitive piano-playing chanteuse, but it’s going to have to open up some space for ALISON SUDOL.

For more information  visit A FINE FRENZY

For more footage visit us on YOUTUBE

For more photos visit us on FLICKER

*Footage and review by Brian Andrews in Los Angeles, CA

The indie-rocker quartet VAMPIRE WEEKEND played two secret shows this past Halloween weekend in Los Angeles. Saturday’s Halloween show was held at the former Madame Wong’s in Chinatown and Sundays was at Hollenbeck Rec Center’s band shell in Boyle Heights.

For a band that attracts hipster buzz and who can easily sell-out a 3,000 capacity venue these intimate settings were definitely a rare Halloween treat.

The crowd arrived to a band shell full of equipment, curious neighbors and vendors who sold shaved ice, pork grinds and push cart ice cream. The vendors added to the atmosphere that the band seemed to be trying to cultivate for their forthcoming album CONTRA (Jan. 12, 2010).

Coming in at a svelte 55 minutes VAMPIRE WEEKEND was able to deliver all their hits as well as a few new tunes from their forthcoming album including the first single HORCHATA (available for free on the bands website) which received the strongest response but overall the new material seemed catchy and alluring.

I have seen VAMPIRE WEEKEND a few times and this was the first show that they performed without complaining about their equipment and it was a pleasant change.

Anyone who loved the first album will most likely fall in love again with the new material. This final warm up date before the California tour was the perfect end to the festive Halloween weekend.

For more concert footage visit YOUTUBE

For more information visit VAMPIRE WEEKEND

*Footage & Photos by Kenny Howell

As I approached the House of Blues it quickly became apparent why this was an all ages show.  The 300-plus crowd that lined up across from Fenways’ Green Monsta was mostly pre-adolescent girls giddy with school yard glee in anticipation of their first concert.

The last thing I want is to be in a room with thousands of screaming little girls but then I thought it is good to see these kids rocking to PARAMORE instead of the manufactured Jonas Brothers or fellow Disney phenom Miley Cyrus.

Lead singer and tween role model HALEY WILLIAMS’ comfort level with her rising stardom was immediately apparent as she and her ensemble confidently tore through the opening “Ignorance,” from the band’s latest release BRAND NEW EYES. Cheerful, spunky and ruthlessly energetic, Williams bounced around stage with infectious enthusiasm.

PARAMORE showcased their musical maturity with new high octane tunes including “Careful” and “Decode” and the stripped away folksy acoustic “Misguided Ghosts.” The new material went over strong and they still create the perfect punk indulgence for mainstream teenagers.

The band dug into their sophomore breakthrough album RIOT! to deliver pop-punk confections like “CrushCrushCrush,” “That’s What You Get” and crowd pleaser “Misery Business” left rebellious tweens salivating for more.

It’s become a visible trend for bands on the indie label Fueled by Ramen to become emo rock stars as evident by Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, Gym Class Heroes – and now Tennessee pop-punk act PARAMORE who are finally getting its chance to shine displayed why it deserves to break through the Warped Tour ranks and become a multi-platinum selling act.

Spilling out to Lansdowne Street after the show offered up a flashback to an 8^th grade dance as parents lined up in their cars and on the sidewalk eagerly awaiting for their kids to exit after a night of candy-coated good clean fun.

SETLIST:

• Brand New Eyes Tour Intro
• Ignorance
• I Caught Myself
• That’s What You Get
• Looking Up
• Emergency
• Crushcrushcrush
• Turn It Off
• Here We Go Again
• Careful
• Conspiracy
• Where The Lines Overlap
• Decode
• Miracle (Outro)
• Misguided Ghosts
• Misery Business
• Brick By Boring Brick

For more information  visit PARAMORE

For more footage visit us on YOUTUBE

For more photos visit us on FLICKER

*Footage & photos by Kenny Howell

WBRU-FM celebrated its 40^th anniversary Saturday night at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI and they invited a couple friends – CAGE THE ELEPHANT and SILVERSUN PICK UPS.

Kentucky-bred CAGE THE ELEPHANT kicked off the festivities with an hour long set and they kept true to their Southern roots with bluegrass twang and gritty undertones. Lead singer MATT SHULTZ was in constant motion with his maniacal vigor and magnetism and I cannot recall seeing a band rock so enthusiastically as this five piece.

They kicked out tunes from their self-titled debut including the bass-propelled groove of “In One Ear,” the instantly addictive “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” and the surge-n-stomp single “Back Against The Wall.”

CAGE THE ELEPHANT displayed enough raw talent and passion to suggest they can outlast many of the musical trends.

I was anxious to see SILVERSUN PICKUPS because SWOON is definitely one of my favorite albums of 2009 and I was curious to see how it would translate live.

The set opened with “There’s No Secrets This Year” and included the Pixies-ish “Well Thought Out Twinkles,” and the overdosed treble and layers of distortion of “Panic Switch.” The highlight of the set was “Catch and Release” one of the album’s finest moments – both lyrically and sonically.

SSPU’s played like a melodic wall of noise with a surge of guitar squalls highlighted by the beautiful and sometimes haunting harmonies of bass player NIKKI MONNINGER. I will admit I often thought that BRIAN AUBERT ’s vocals on the CD might were overdubbed to achieve his sound but after seeing them live there is no doubt those  robust  and atmospheric rousing vocals are legit.

It was apparent that the majority of the sold-out was here to see the SSPU. Often the breaks between songs were extended to accommodate all of the rambunctious applause and the band seemed primed to adore every minute of it.

For more information  visit SILVERSUN PICKUPS & CAGE THE ELEPHANT

For more footage visit us on YOUTUBE

For more photos visit us on FLICKER

*Footage & photos by Kenny Howell

During a stellar 12-song, 80-minute set, THEM CROOKED VULTURES went on to prove they are one of the rarest and tightest units in rock. Nowadays, the term “supergroup” gets thrown around like a groupie at a Poison concert but to call THEM CROOKED VULTURES a supergroup would be a disservice.

The group includes rock alumni JOSH HOMME (Queens of The Stone Age/Eagles of Death Metal/Kyuss) on guitar and lead vocals, DAVE GROHL (Foo Fighters/Nirvana) on drums, JOHN PAUL JONES (Led Zeppelin) on bass/organ and longtime Homme affiliate ALAIN JOHANNES (Queens of The Stone Age/Eleven) on rhythm guitar.

TCV music has been held in anonymity. No tracks have been leaked and the only samples that are available are on the bands YouTube channel.  But even those are only 30 second clips and even their MySpace page music player is empty. My only regret is that I listened to several bootlegs before the show. In hindsight, I think I would have preferred to discover the music live.

GROHL was astonishing! With his brute force and finesse he was invigorating and exhausting to observe at close immediacy. He played long and complicated fills between hi-hat, snare and floor tom without ever losing the songs’ propulsive drive. It was apparent why JOSH HOMME chose him to anchor the finest QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE album, “Songs for the Deaf” (2002).

HOMME handled lead vocals and guitar laying the foundation with hard edges and playing precision just as he does in QOTSA. And JOHN PAUL JONES, whose music with LED ZEPPELIN is an obvious touchstone for both his bandmates, was a huge presence and match for GROHL’s power and a counterpoint for Homme’s melodies. They sounded fresh, invigorating, tight and just plain nasty.

Also, if you expecting to hear any material from FOO FIGHTERS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE or LED ZEPPELIN you will sadly be disappointed.  TCV only play material from their forthcoming album and they do not return for a trendy encore.

As history has shown, most supergroups usually don’t last usually last past their debut album but at least this particular one is off to a exciting start.  A debut album has been completed but a release date has yet to be confirmed.

SETLIST:

• Elephants
• Dead End Friends
• Scumbag Blues
• Gunman
• Caligulove
• Bandolier
• Highway One *First time performed live
• Interlude /w ludes
• Mind Eraser No Chaser
• New Fang
• Nobody Loves Me and Neither Do I
• Warsaw

For more information  visit THEM CROOKED VULTURES

For more footage visit us on YOUTUBE

For more photos visit us on FLICKER