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Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Concert Announcement / News Concert announcement: Mastodon
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Mastodon will perform at The Fillmore Charlotte on Nov. 4 with Dethklok, Converge and High on Fire. Tickets on sale on Friday, Sept. 11.
Live Reviews / Mike McCray / News Live review: Lil Wayne w/ Young Jeezy & Soulja Boy
Posted By Mike McCray on Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Lil Wayne w/ Young Jeezy & Soulja Boy
Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre
Sept. 4, 2009
The Deal: "America's Most Wanted" tour slides into Charlotte obviously referring to the teenage girls that want them, not their criminal records.
The Good: Probably the most time-conscious rap concert I've ever been to. The opening acts kept it brief, even Soulja Boy, sticking to this hits and skipping the highly unknown and unnecessary album cuts. Young Jeezy has mastered his "trap" star shtick, masterfully going through a set that include old hits and new. Actually did better with a band than a DJ, wouldn't be surprised to see him use them more in the future.
Lil Wayne is officially a bonafide rock star, putting together a brilliantly, yeah I said brilliantly-choreographed stage show that lasted for roughly two hours and featured "un-rap" things like a excellent backing band, lots of pyro and explosions and lights that made me forget I was at Verizon Wireless for a while. He was the ringmaster of a circus on Friday and he let all the other elements shine while still showing he was in control. I was blown away by the execution.
Nicki Minaj's ass also deserves a round of applause, although it could probably give itself one. Yeah, that good.
The Bad: Like most rap concerts, the bass drowned out the artist nine times out of 10, making it hard to hear any actual lyrics and forcing people to rap along with a familiar tune. Soulja Boy's set was forgettable (Gucci Louie followed by Gucci Bandana left me all Gucci'd out). Without Drake, the Young Money All-Stars were mediocre stand-ins and the mini-concert in the middle of Lil Wayne's set was frustrating. "Man Fans" were as creepy as ever! Hard to be a thug when you take your shirt off and scream another grown man's name, just saying.
The Verdict: Shockingly good. Soulja Boy is huge but he can learn a thing or two from Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne about how to tear through a set, mixing singles, album cuts and mixtape hits, and leave the crowd blown away.
Young Jeezy setlist
Get Allot
Who Dat
Bottom of the Map
My Hood
Bang!
Go Crazy
Trap Star
Get Your Mind Right
Trap Or Die
Put On
Live In This Club verse (w/ live band)
I Luv Your Girl (w/ live band)
I'ma Do Me Remix (w/ live band)
Dey Know Remix (w/ live band)
I Luv It (w/ live band)
Go Getta (w/ live band)
Soul Survivor (w/ live band)
Black President (w/ live band)
Lil Wayne setlist
A Milli
Got Money
Sky is the Limit
Phone Home
S.L.U.
Mr. Carter
Go DJ (w/ DJ 4our5 blended w/ Nolia Clap)
Fireman
Money On My Mind
Get Money (Biggie Cover)
Ambitionz As A Ridah (2Pac Cover)
Black Album Interlude (Jay-Z Cover)
Best Rapper Alive (w/ Lil Wayne guitar solo)
Walk This Way Cover (w/ Lil Wayne on guitar)
Medley of tracks from his rock album, Rebirth
I'm Me
Turning Me On Remix
Kush
Pop Bottles
Get Back To The Money
We Takin Over (w/ Birdman)
I Run This Bitch
I'm Paid
YOUNG MONEY MINI-CONCERT
I'm On It (backing band returns)
Let The Beat Build
Comfortable
I'ma Diva Remix
Mrs. Officer
Lollipop
Tie My Hands
Shoot Me Down
My Life (from Game's album)
Every Girl - Finale
MJ Tribute - I'll Be There & Billie Jean
Concert Announcement / News Concert announcement: Lenny Kravitz
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 2:54 PM
Lenny Kravitz will perform at the Fillmore Charlotte on Oct. 27 as part of a 15-city club tour commemorating the 20th anniversary of Let Love Rule.
Tickets go on sale on Sept. 8.
Photos / Live Reviews / setlist / News Live review, photos, setlist: Down w/ The Melvins
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Down w/ The Melvins, Haarp, Evil Army
The Fillmore Charlotte
Sept. 5, 2009
The Deal: Supergroup Down brings along The Melvins, Haarp and Evil Army for heavy metal gig at The Fillmore.
Friday, September 4, 2009
10-in-10 CD Reviews / News 10-in-10 CD reviews
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Each Friday, we bring you 10 CD reviews done in 10 words each:
Collective Soul Collective Soul (Rabbit) — Second self-titled album continues band’s familiar, steady rock sound.
Colbie Caillat Breakthrough — Singer doesn’t veer far off road she traveled on debut.
Steve Martin The Crow — A great comedian, and also one helluvan amazing banjo player.
Seth James That Kind of Man — Mostly country-flavored music with a hint of soul, roots.
Drive-By Truckers The Fine Print — Why am I not more impressed with sleepy alt-country?
Ladyhawke Ladyhawke — If Perez Hilton likes her…. she probably isn’t that good.
Yonder Mountain String Band The Show — It’s what you’d expect from the Colorado-based bluegrass quartet.
Insane Clown Posse Bang Pow Boom — Duo hasn’t abandoned their silly, violent clown-based hip-hop. (At Amos’ Southend on Oct. 13.)
Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band Greatest Hips Vol. II — Six-piece band from Asheville releases second funky live album.
Chevelle SciFi Crimes — Pete Loeffler’s vocals remain heart of Chicago trio’s heavy music. (At Amos’ Southend on Sept. 25.)
Concert Announcement / News Concert announcement: Neko Case
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Neko Case will perform at the Knight Theatre on Nov. 18. No word on when tickets will go on sale.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Pete Stuart Setting the mood — for football
Posted By Pete Stuart on Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 2:47 PM
I highly doubt that German composer Richard Strauss was a big college football fan, but when it comes to slapping a game face on 80,000 crazed fans for kickoff, the man’s got skills.
The 2009 college football season is upon us, my friends, as South Carolina travels north to N.C. State for a season-opening showdown tonight on national television.
Now, I pledge no allegiance to the Gamecocks (more of a Hokie guy), but there’s no better tune than Strauss’ "2001: A Space Odyssey" theme to incite near-riots at major college football stadiums.
It’s a tradition down in Columbia, and even though tonight’s game is in Raleigh, I thought I’d share with all you hybrid music lovers / college football aficionados out there. After all, no matter who you root for, it’s game time.
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I’ve mentioned it before in this blog – the right piece of music can provide the perfect backdrop to any emotional sports scene. I immediately recall the subtle guitar work in Any Given Sunday, drifting and building over Al Pacino’s halftime speech, or “New Noise” by hardcore band The Refused in Friday Night Lights.
The end of Rudy? No question.
Mike McCray Long live the album leak
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Album leaks are awesome.
There, I said it. Nothing beats walking around a week or two before your favorite artist's new album drops with all the tracks in your iPod, (like millions of people are doing right now with Jay-Z's Blueprint 3). It's like preseason football, you know its not the real thing but it is a taste of the goodness to come when you can go buy the album, flip through the artwork and hear it in studio quality.
As to be expected, not all artists are happy about their work being spread to masses for free but in an era when even a Donny Osmond album would leak online, they should just embrace it.
Of course, there is the downside of falsely-leaked material like unfinished or unmastered tracks, unreleased videos and other things that may be a false representation of the artist and tarnished public perception of an upcoming project.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Eric Mullis / News Getting yourself exposed... I mean, your band
Posted By Eric Mullis on Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 4:00 PM
So, you’ve got a band that’s doing ok in your hometown and now you’re thinking about playing out of town. If you give it a try, you’ll probably find out that playing in a new town is just like starting over from scratch. No one knows who you are and you have a hard time getting folks in the door.
Many bands get around this by getting exchanges going with bands from other towns. You invite them to open up for you in your hometown and get them some exposure and then they hit you back and invite you to open up for them in their hometown. Problem solved!
Well, nothing’s that easy. My group, Actual Proof, has been working with regional bands over the past year or so and we’ve found that it can be a mixed bag. Here are some thoughts:
News / Concert Announcement Concert date change: Blink-182
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 10:51 AM
The Blink-182 concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre has been delayed from Oct. 1 to Oct. 6 due to rescheduling. Blink-182 canceled two shows because of the recent death of DJ AM.
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Frank Ocean tops Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll
Annual critics list creates requisite buzz
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Mixtape review: Pac Div's Don't Mention It
West Coast trio drops new mixtape after Church League Champions was one of 2009's best.
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Beloved Charlotte School of Rock Instructor Dies
