In the Heights: "96,000"

I saw the original cast of In the Heights last year in New York with my friend Bethany. It was stunning. The energy of the rapping musical blew the doors off the house. YouTube cannot do justice to live theater, which is why I don't often indulge my showtunes addiction here. But you know what? Screw it. It's Friday. And this performance from the 2008 Tonys is sooooooo good.

Extra points if you spot the subliminal Alec Baldwin.

Adele: "Someone Like You"

I'm obsessed with this song. It's off Adele's second album, released this year and immediately met with an exceptional amount of critical praise, especially considering it's her sophomore album. The sophomore album is typically a black hole where artists struggle to balance successful elements of the first album with expectations and predilections for the future. But not Adele. The radio simply cannot get enough of her. Even this song, which is a total downer about seeing an ex much later in life when they're doing better than you, has set the airwaves on fire. She's expected to sweep the Grammys in February, though she already won two in 2009 for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance*.

So we're all obsessed with Adele (last name Adkins) this year. Why? It's not because she's writing songs about things we've never heard before; she talks about love and loss and empowerment and depression. Been there, done that. No, we're obsessed because she's an incredible. fucking. singer. Simply unmatched. And singing is really, really hard. It's not just notes and rhythms -- it's tone, attitude, presence. Once you master the technique, you still need to mean the words you sing.

Yesterday we looked at a Gaga performance, the choreography of movement, the coordination of outfit, the presentation of a character. Adele does none of that, but her performance is just as sophisticated, just as refined. She just leaves the batshit crazy part out of it.

The first minute of this video is spent with Adele, talking about the song and its meaning. The performance begins around the one minute marker, and it's a little slower than the album version -- all the better to draw out the notes, linger, suffer through them again. She gesticulates, her arms pushing the air with her hands as she pushes the notes with her breath in tandem, shaping the notes with her fingers. More force for more difficult runs, keeping time. She doesn't hit the high notes of the album version (possible evidence over her intermittent voice troubles), but everything she sings is soaked in power and regret.

Standing in her living room, younger than seems possible given her wisdom, one of the best songstresses alive performs for the whole world. This is what YouTube is for.

* It seems like they're getting pretty specific with these categories, doesn't it? I wonder who won Best Male Non-Pop Cello Performance, or Best Hermaphrodite Harmonica/Bass Drum Combination Performance.

Lady Gaga: "You and I"

It's Wednesday. I need me some Lady Gaga.

First thing's first: Lady Gaga is not a musician. She's a performer. I mean this in the most complimentary way, as she goes beyond delivering good music to delivering an entire experience. Consider the scene: She's performing on The View for a middle-aged female audience that probably associates her music with their kids' generation. Gaga shows up in an almost traditional Houndstooth suit, complete with pearls and matching hat and purse (though she couldn't resist the matching Houndstooth face paint). She sits with the gals and politely, eloquently discusses everything from gay rights to drug use.

Then she gets up to perform, and somehow even a Houndstooth-patterned piano seems par for the course with Gaga. Rocking Houndstooth sunglasses, she perches on the bench, leaning into the Houndstooth microphone, singing directly to the audience and her "View" hosts. She takes her sunglasses off, then her hat, then she uncrosses her legs to get a better handle on the piano pedals. She growls to the audience -- "Come on!" -- and stands up, shoving the piano bench back, pounding the keys. And then she picks up the microphone and abandons the piano altogether, singing the bridge sans accompaniment (though the unseen band backtrack plays on). She returns to the piano for the final chorus, and then finishes off the song as she poses on the piano, flipping her skirt up to make sure enough leg is showing. Her stockings are Houndstooth as well. It was beautifully choreographed. As if you already couldn't take your eyes off the Houndstooth, Gaga's performance ensures you can't look away.

The song itself speaks directly to the listener -- "you and I," Gaga twangs, "there's something about you and I." Apparently her lover is a whiskey-swilling, Nebraska-bred boy for whom she's returned to claim as her own. It's pure fiction, but she sells it with details -- "six whole years" and being swept off her feet with Neil Young's "A Heart of Gold." She pounds her Houndstooth piano and pleads with the audience as if she really isn't going to leave the cornfield until she's convinced this guy to come with her. Where will they go? Back to her home in New York?

And why are they in Nebraska? I was excited to play this song for my true Nebraskan grandparents, but they were underwhelmed. The song's not really about Nebraska, of course; "Nevada" rhymes with "I love ya" just as well as "Nebraska." It's not about the location, though this song will likely still go down as "one about Nebraska," proudly played in bars from Omaha on the east border to Scottsbluff on the west. "Nebraska, Nebraska, I love ya!"

If you haven't yet, be sure to watch the legit weird music video for the song. There's a mermaid and some kind of alien robot and Gaga making out with her male alter ego. There's an entire film dissertation somewhere in the subtext of that video, but in live performance, we don't have to process any of that. Just focus on the Houndstooth, the perfectly timed crescendos of intensity, the acts of performance.

Joe Cocker: "A Little Help From My Friends"

Friends,

Welcome back to Dai(ly) Jams! We (that's the royal "we")* took a hiatus after Lollapalooza in August, but we're back and ready for a steady, daily stream of good live music old and new.

The leaves are changing, jackets and boots are on the rise, school's well into session, and this weekend was my third college Homecoming. I took Friday off work and spent a long weekend in Evanston, just a few miles north of my home in Chicago, but it felt like a whole other world. An autumnal, purple-tinted, fantastically gorgeous other world full of marching bands and football and Seth Meyers. It was also a reminder of what an incredible group of people I got to attend college with. It's easy to get wrapped up in life and let friendships slip, especially the long distance ones. But sharing this weekend with friends scattered about the city and the country, reminiscing, catching up -- it was Wildcat heaven.

As for the game itself, there were some fantastic moments -- except the secondary and the coaching and the butterfingers, oh my. It was the typically exciting Northwestern football game, and I screamed and growled and pretended to play trombone for hours on end. As a result I sound a lot like Joe Cocker when I answer the phone at work this morning. So we're kicking off the fall Dai(ly) Jams season with Mr. Cocker and a tribute to friends. My friends do much, much more than just help me get by. Hugs and growls to the entire Northwestern University community -- I hope you all had a happy Homecoming! Go 'Cats!

* But actually, if you're interested in writing a day a week (or even a day a month), let me know at daijams (at) gmail.com.

Lollapalooza 2011 Recap: Part 2

Sorry I'm a slacker. Here's part two of the Lollapalooza recap: Sunday and additional musings. (Read part one here.) 

Sunday

I taught the back-up team about interrobangs. Carrie models our modified sign.

After about six hours of sleep, I got up for my 9am-1pm shift on a new Lollapalooza volunteer crew. I left behind box office and joined "back-up." We helped a bit around Volunteer HQ and hid from the rain and ate baked goods. Great people. I'm excited to (hopefully) volunteer again next year. 

Backstage at Lollapalooza Volunteer HQ. We're all about safety.

After my shift I walked up to The Joy Formidable. Lead singer Ritzy Bryan hit a gong with an electric guitar during the final song, and that remains the most memorable thing about the show. Good stuff, just not really my style.

(She hits the gong around 6:15.)

I met up with my friend Mike, who was following a guide printed in Metromix or the Red Eye or something, a suggested Lolla schedule. On the paper's suggestion, we headed down to see Imelda May, who was my surprise find of the weekend. I'd never heard of her before, but her rockabilly attitude hooked me immediately. Her voice is smooth and confident, even cocky; she smirks through every song. And her musicality is skilled: she had the band go tacit for a few minutes while she scat sang a call-and-response over claps and percussion. It was an impressive display of bravado, and next time I feel like indulging my rockabilly side, I'll definitely look her up on the jukebox.

Of the whole performance, I most enjoyed her cover of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love." Listen all the way to the end for some improv and audience participation. The audio and video aren't synced perfectly, but it's a decent look at the stage.

After Imelda there was just one more person to see before I left Lolla 2011, and that was Keller Williams. He played a 25-minute set on the kids stage, but Mike and I were not the only adults that lined up in the back to hear Keller sing songs about goats and coloring and bath time. He threw in a couple for us, including "Freeker by the Speaker," which was one of the first songs I posted on this blog. I'd seen Keller live in concert twice before and he hadn't played this song, so when he broke out the starting chords I totally geeked out, shoving children to the ground and fighting my way closer to the stage.

Okay not really, but it was a happy moment. 

Feeling about ready to collapse, I told Mike I needed to do two more things: eat one of Graham Elliot's lobster corndogs, which the volunteer staff had been talking about all weekend, and take a picture in front of Buckingham Fountain in my Lolla volunteer t-shirt. One of those things was unbelievably delicious and indulgent and PURE LOBSTER covered in breading and aioli. The other is right here: 

Mike Kato and me at Lollapalooza 2011.

I left Lollapalooza 2011 at approximately 3:30 on Sunday afternoon. I left behind almost seven solid hours of music in favor of a bed, a shower, and grocery shopping. I needed to get ready for my week, which was to be a busy one. I chose responsibly, but I would have loved to see Portugal. The Man, The Arctic Monkeys, and especially Manchester Orchestra, not to mention the legendary Foo Fighters.

Still, I feel good about my Lollapalooza weekend. I saw some new bands, saw some old favorites, and met a lot of one-day friends. (What up, box office and back-up crews!) Who knows, maybe I'll see them again next year, and we'll recognize each other by our made-up gang sign. Maybe this is the start of membership in a new community. If I'm learning anything about being a musician in Chicago, it's definitely about who you know. And knowing more people is always good.

When I got home I called a seasoned member of that community, my mom. We talked for two hours about the bands I'd seen, the ones I hadn't, and the ones that were streaming live on Lolla's YouTube page -- a new innovation for 2011. Thanks to the free service, I saw a few songs of Portugal. The Man, whose variety of sound I enjoyed:

As well as the Arctic Monkeys, who took the stage a half an hour late but were welcomed by an adoring and growing fan base (the video is their full 45-minute show preceded by two minutes of waiting):

It looked epically awesome to be there. The true hippies were covered in mud and rain and sweat and that film of filth that legitimizes your festival attendance. But I knew if I'd been standing in the crowd, I couldn't have enjoyed what was happening. I really needed that nap.

My mom and I rehashed the festival, and she got nostalgic for the early '90s, when the first Lollapalooza was the brainchild of the Jane's Addiction singer, Perry Farrell. It was a traveling festival, and the purpose was to be a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction as well as highlight some new and upcoming acts. Today, Lollapalooza and festivals like it continue to play a positive role in music development and creation. Young talent can be identified and presented to thousands of potential new fans. Millions of potential new fans, thanks to the Internet. For a lot of these musicians, playing Lolla is a big break.

The organizers sell tickets based on headiners -- Eminem, the Foo Fighters, Coldplay, and Muse this year -- and often these performers influence the value of the year's ticket and the personality of the crowd that attends. But it's always a worthy experience. A weekend-long music festival is something that should be on everyone's bucket list, and I highly recommend it while you're at an age that you can just let loose, be exhausted, and spend your time exactly how you want to, without worrying about kids or even friends' music tastes. Whether that means 10 hours of solid music a day, or being a bit more choosy, it doesn't matter.

And hey, if you can get someone to let you in for free, all the better.

FINAL TALLY:
Festival pass: Free
Festival poster: $30 (unframed)
Festival beers: $20
Festival lobster corndog: $9
Festival itself: what do you think?

Outside Perry's DJ tent, Saturday festivalgoers make their way to the last few sets of the night.

Lollapalooza 2011 Recap: Part 1

Lollapalooza celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. As a Chicagoan and a musician, my attendance was karmically necessary. But I couldn't swing the $200 three-day pass. So I snuck in through the metaphorical back door, volunteering for the festival and working a daily four-hour shift in return for a free wristband. It was so incredibly totally wonderfully unquestionably friggin' worth it, and I absolutely suggest you apply next year.

This was my third Lollapalooza -- I attended in both 2007 and 2009 -- so I like to think I had a more thought-out approach this year. Of course, the most well-intentioned plan goes out the window once you're actually there, pounding the pavement from one end of the mile-long festival to the other, surrounded by dirty hippies and hipsters and club kids dressed like the cast of Super Mario Brothers.

What I'm trying to say is, my God I love Lollapalooza. Here's part one of the two-part recap.

90,000 people per day attended Lollapalooza this year. If they weren't dirty hippies when they arrived, they were by the time they left.

Friday

I had to work my real-person job on Friday, so my Lolla volunteer shift was 4:30pm to 8:30pm, meaning I missed basically the entire day of music. Bummer, but I had a blast volunteering for the box office team. They gave me a bright orange t-shirt and a megaphone and set me loose on Michigan Avenue, where I was supposed to direct people with tickets to head directly to the main gate at Michigan and Congress. I got to chat with a lot of people from all over the world, from Ireland to Australia (my two favorite accents), and after a couple hours I knew lots of useful information, like where exactly where to find the scalpers. (Jackson and Wabash, if you're wondering.) Everyone was super friendly and happy to be there; I even met a quartet of people dressed as the Flintstones. A few people asked to take their picture with me. That was flattering. A few others tried to rush the gate and got smacked by a security guard with a folding chair. That was hilarious.

The only fly in the cotton candy was the band of religious zealots that secured a permit to yell mean things at Jews and women through their own megaphone, thirty feet from the Lolla box office. Their sign listed the things that men should do -- be masculine, bring home the bacon, etc. -- and the things that women should do -- be quiet and do the dishes. I wish I was kidding. At one point the guy yelled that Lady Gaga and the Foo Fighters wouldn't lead to salvation. I informed the onlookers that Lady Gaga wasn't performing at Lolla this year, but if they wanted to see the Foo Fighters, they should head directly to the main gate with their tickets to receive a wristband!

I also made friends with my fellow volunteers, most of whom were 20-something music-lovers and musicians. We compared intended setlists, joked with patrons, and did our best to make people feel welcome and informed in spite of the angry chauvinists a few yards away.

With my new buddies Francesca and Nikkita.

The biggest complaint from Friday festivalgoers concerned the agonizing decision between the day's headliners: Coldplay, Muse, or Girl Talk? I heard great things about both Coldplay and Muse's performances, but my decision was easy: I saw Girl Talk this spring and couldn't wait to experience it again. After my shift I had time to grab some $5 beers and catch his set at the Perry's DJ tent. Greg Gillis did not disappoint, playing a set based on his newest album, All Day. (Download the album for free here.)

I happened to see Fred Flintstone again at the Girl Talk show. I asked him where Wilma was, but he didn't know or care. I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Saturday

Getting my ass out of bed for my 9am shift the next day was decidedly difficult (no doubt it had something to do with those $5 beers), but I rallied and logged another four hours on the box office team. It was a much chiller morning because people already had their wristbands and knew where to go. The antisemitic chauvinists were unfortunately still there, but they were megaphoneless for the duration of my shift, which was a blessing. We focused on more important things, like the team of promoters that were handing out Mentos by the bucketload next to us:

Mentos, the freshmaker!(Mmmm, candy from strangers.)

I left the festival for a few hours of food and a nap, sadly missing the Maps & Atlases set. (My mother wasn't too happy with me for that one.) But I did make it for a few Local Natives songs, and they impressed me with their harmonies and "aw shucks" stage presence. It was great to see the crowd so huge for a relatively unknown band with only one album out. Before playing their last song, the band announced to cheers that they're in the studio working on number two. Mark my words: this is a band to watch.

The rest of my night was to be a tight squeeze: Cee Lo Green followed by an already in-progress Beats Antique set on the exact opposite ends of the grounds, finished off with Eminem back at the first stage. I didn't leave myself time for dinner, which I'll venture was my only big mistake of the festival.

I was really excited for Cee Lo's set, because he seems kooky enough to put on an entertaining show. But I was sorely disappointed. Not only was his set too short, but it was plagued with sound problems and Cee Lo himself lacked both energy and talent. The guy did not sound like a very good singer. He of course ended with the iconic "Fuck You," but he didn't sing half the lyrics. My guess is he was winded from carrying around his Bowser-inspired costume:


His backing band of hot women were okay but not particularly talented or interesting. You only need to listen to a minute of this video to understand why it was so, so bad.

As Cee Lo wandered into strains of "Don't Stop Believin'," I powerwalked northward to Beats Antique. And OH MY GOD, did it make me feel better about the future of music. Check out Monday's post for a fuller treatment, but keep your eyes on this band. Anyone who builds a band around a belly dancer is taking a risk, but these guys are fantastic experimental musicians.

As I headed back toward the Eminem stage for the final performance of the night, I dropped in on the last few songs of Lykke Li's set. She was on my "see if possible" list, and I'm really glad I stopped by. The crowd was electric, and I wasn't there for thirty seconds before I started dancing along. I know very little about her except that she's about my age, Swedish, and has one album out.

And the grand finale: Eminem. I've listened to Eminem for more than a decade, and I had high hopes for this set. He met and exceeded my expectations, delivering an energetic, incredible, almost joyful performance. His rhymes were fluid, and everyone in the audience was into it, jamming and dancing or trying to look cool (depending on how inebriated they were). I haven't talked to a single person who didn't love it.

But we come back to my one regret of the festival: I should have eaten dinner, because then I might remember a little more of the set. It gets really fuzzy far before the final song, for which Royce and Bruno Mars came out and performed with Eminem. Ah well, YouTube will have to preserve the memory that I no longer possess:

Fucking awesome. He also did an encore consisting of the Grammy- and Oscar-winning "Lose Yourself."

There's another day of recap coming soon, along with some thoughts on the role of festivals like Lollapalooza in the American music scene.

Chicago is so friggin' sweet.

Did you go to Lollapalooza 2011 or watch the live webcast? What were your favorite acts?

Beats Antique: "100 Eyes"

I'm physically, emotionally, mentally, and metaphorically exhausted, but I survived Lollapalooza 2011. As expected, I didn't get to all the acts I would have liked to see, but I still saw some amazing live shows (and a few duds*). While I work on my Lollapalooza wrap-up post, enjoy a video by one of the best bands I saw at the festival this year, Beats Antique.

A fusion of electronica and Middle Eastern world music, Beats Antique was formed in Oakland in 2007 by the lead belly dancer, Zoe Jakes. Their stage show incorporates belly dancing as well as some...slightly weirder stuff (case in point: gas masks). But the beats are phenomenal, all the members have great personality on stage, and their 7pm Saturday show at Lollapalooza was the most unrestrained fun I had all weekend. The chicken dancing in the crowd didn't hurt.

Chicken man had some serious moves.

This is one of the cases where a YouTube video doesn't really do the band justice. If you can catch them live, I highly recommend it; they're playing everywhere from New York City to Bozeman, Montana this fall. They're coming back to Chicago for Thanksgiving weekend with Umphrey's McGee. If I'm in town, you can bet I'll be there, (literal) bells on.

Beats Antique at Lollapalooza 2011

* Hint: He saw you drivin' 'round town with the girl he loves...