Childish Gambino
Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
July 27, 2012

• Photo by Jeff Hahne

Even the front rows couldn’t resist turning their backs to the stage to gaze on the marvel. They were exact replicas of the rainbows drawn by seven year olds everywhere, stretched out in technicolor over our heads, and for a few moments it seemed to transport the girls in vintage cut-offs and the guys in ironic tees to a simpler time. Even the set-up tracks, like “Gimme the Loot” by Notorious B.I.G., fanned nostalgia for times long gone.

That mood was perfect because Camp, Childish Gambino’s major-label debut, is full of longing for a Neverland that doesn’t quite exist outside of front man Donald Glover’s mind. Camp is a place where kids can be artsy, stupid, smart or lame as fuck — and not be perceived as being any less black because of it. Enormous projections of forests and fireflies at night shored up the theme, giving the concert a sing-along, bonfire feel, and contrasting with the seizure-paced strobe effects of his up-tempo songs.

• Photo by Jeff Hahne

He seemed a bit reserved and disconnected from the audience, though not for a lack of enthusiasm on their part. Outside of the play already written into his verses, or exhortations to get loose, he simply didn’t push much interaction with the crowd. That’s a shame, because they were dying to give it to him. Girls on both sides of me knew every line, and a guy in front of me climbed onto his boy’s shoulders, he was so hyped for the show (seriously, it was hard to get him down).

Glover’s bravado carries a touch of vulnerability, as though he’s not quite sure of his new friends’ affections and is unwilling to open up too much. Beneath the swagger of the self-made sensation, much of the awkward kid still clings.

Kiss w/ Motley Crue
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 25, 2012

Then I thought, "this is the same band I remember listening to when I was growing up." I remembered staring at the cartoonish cover of Rock and Roll All Over for hours. I laughed at the thought of my brother and I wearing out our vinyl copy of Alive!, and subsequently losing no less than three cassette versions. I recalled watching the 1987 home video Exposed, shocked at what the members looked like without makeup.

That is why people go to a Kiss concert. People don't go to support a new album, hear new songs or wonder what's changed in the performance. They go to relive the past, and find comfort in the fact it's "just like I remembered."

Roger Waters' The Wall
Time Warner Cable Arena
July 10, 2012

Given Waters' admissions of using backing tracks and how weak his vocals have been in recent years (Live 8 in 2005, anyone?), it was hard to tell if he sang anything live, but most people in attendance probably didn't care. Pink Floyd isn't touring anymore, so this was about as close as anyone's going to get. And, after all, it's The Wall — a favorite for many music fans. But if not for the size of the production and the actual wall itself, it would have been a better fit as a one- or two-week run at Belk Theatre instead of masquerading as a full-fledged concert in a large arena.

Coldplay
Time Warner Cable Arena
July 3, 2012

As the lights went down and Coldplay hit the stage to perform two hours of its pop brand of rock, thousands of bracelets lit up, blinked in time with the music and were waved in the air by the arms that wore them.

It's a first in the concert-going world and was nothing short of impressive to see live. Gone are the days of lighters or held up cell phones (unless you're trying to film the band, which it seems everyone tries to do) - this is the next grand step, but one that doesn't come cheaply.

Coldplay is reportedly spending more than $600,000 each night to equip their fans with the devices that were used during a handful of songs in the performance. The red, pink, white, blue, yellow and green lights would stay on or occasionally blink with the drums - there's no way for a fan to turn them on or off.

Lost in the Trees
Visulite Theatre
June 28, 2012

• Photo by Jeff Hahne

Emotions ran high within the venue - not only through the band's music, but due to a regional homecoming of sorts for the six Chapel Hill band members. Lost in the Trees was glad to play the last show of its current tour so close to home, having been on a two-week run to promote its latest album, A Church That Fits Our Needs. The mood was intimate, with a small, but devoted, crowd soaking up the sounds within the Visulite's candlelit setting.

Although at one point Nadeau tried to motivate people to dance, movement in the crowd remained more emotional than physical. The lyrical content is not lighthearted subject matter, and the live setting brought forth the words with even more power.

Iron Maiden
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
June 21, 2012

Perhaps Dickinson used the word "Charlotte" a few too many times. Perhaps two band members didn't need to be wearing Iron Maiden t-shirts. Perhaps the bass was a little too thick in the mix. Perhaps all of the people filling the packed amphitheater and lawn were too busy singing along to every word to even notice.

Loosely based on the band's 1988 tour, Maiden England, the 2012 stage setup and setlist were more of a tribute than a re-creation. Eight of the 15 songs from the '88 tour are on the setlist and there's a similar ice-inspired, U-shaped riser around the back of the stage, but Iron Maiden isn't on a nostalgia trip this time around. They're putting everything they've got into the music, getting the crowd involved at every chance and loving every moment of it.

LMFAO
Bojangles Coliseum
June 19, 2012

• Photo by Jeff Hahne

LMFAO's Bojangles Coliseum performance Tuesday night was, in a word, inspired. A feast for the eyes, it combined the visuals of a bad acid trip with the skull-hammering bass of a dance club. And the crowd lapped it up.

• Photo by Jeff Hahne

Against Me!
Amos' Southend
June 14, 2012

The band launched into fan favorite "Pints of Guiness" as a massive mosh pit broke out with crowd surfers floating above the swirling mass of people. Against Me! has played that song hundreds of times over the years, but, like most of the band's music, it has a renewed energy thanks to a reinvigorated stage presence. Aside from the heavy-handed hammering of drummer Jay Weinberg, who joined the band in December, Grace displays enthusiasm not seen before in the Florida punk band.

Since the singer formerly known as Tom Gabel made the announcement that she was transgender and would be known as Laura Jane Grace, there's been a lot of talk of her bravery, strength and unknown future. Little has been said about her excitement and comfort level that were so easy to see on this night.

Larkin Poe
Evening Muse
May 31, 2012

These days, Megan still plays the lap steel and Rebecca wields an acoustic guitar and mandolin, but the three musicians backing them with electric guitar, bass and drums have added a heavier hand to the music and brought it into folk rock territory.

Making their Charlotte debut, Larkin Poe opened the set with "The Principle of Silver Lining," as the electric guitar sparkled throughout and Megan and Rebecca showed that their harmonies are still intact. A country flair flared up within "Jailbreak" and the band's version of "Wade in the Water" contained a rhythm closer to The Doors' "Five to One."

Instead of sounding like two girls who found a few people to back them up, Larkin Poe sounds like a complete band - a solid, attention-grabbing band that is putting their own stamp on the Americana genre as the lap steel and mandolin are incorporated without leaning too heavily on country and bluegrass.

Mastodon
The Fillmore Charlotte
May 10, 2012

• Photo by Jeff Hahne

The show, part of the band's headlining Heritage Hunter tour, was top-heavy with tunes from its excellent, recent CD, The Hunter. No surprise and no problem. These tracks were made for the stage - more economical, bigger riffs, strong melodies, knife-edge energy. Aces, in other words.

Highlights included the well-named "Blasteroid," "Dry Bone Valley," "Curl of the Burl" (biggest applause-getter), "Stargasm" ("You're on fiiiiiiiii-re... ") and "The Hunter," which opened with Brent Hinds picking out the intro on the 12-string neck of a double-neck guitar.