rock out SF

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

Thurs/Aug. 2: VHS or Beta @ popscene **HRC Show**
Fri/Aug. 3: Sounds of the Underground w/ GWAR @ The Event Center @ San Jose State
Sat/Aug. 4: The Juan McLean @ Mighty
Sun/Aug. 5: Lee Scratch Perry @ The Independent
Mon/Aug. 6: 1990’s @ Cafe du Nord
Tues/Aug. 7: Horn of Dagoth @ Bottom of the Hill
Wed/Aug. 8: Oliver Future & 8 Bit Idiot @ Bottom of the Hill

Genre(s): Rock Out SF

257Comments (1)rock+out+SF2007-08-01+05%3A17%3A03hardrockchick

NIN’s Aaron North liberating Stevie Ray Vaughn’s guitar

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

At the Hard Rock Cafe in Austin, my hometown, Aaron was still in The Icarus Line when he performed this very controversial show back in 2002:

Genre(s): HRC loves NIN

259Comments (0)2007-08-01+00%3A42%3A17hardrockchick

blaqk audio/AFI…bands and side projects

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

AFI…..the band I should like but never much got into…has some members that have a passion for new wave. So, they’ve branched off and started their own noveau new wave band, blaqk audio. While at first Stiff Kittens sounds very catchy (and very Depeche Mode, it resonates in my head as the same overproduced manufactured music that I’ve billed AFI as.

Bands these days must not be the fulfilling experience it once was…because a hell of a lot of band members keep side projects. While I’m all for more opportunities to see different artist’s work, it often leaves the fate of the original band hanging in limbo. Here are some examples:

White Stripes/The Raconteurs

Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer

RATM/Audioslave (R.I.P.)/The Nightwatchman

LCD Soundsystem/Hot Chip

System of a Down/Scars on Broadway

Gorillaz/Blur/The Good, the Bad, and The Queen

The Libertines/Babyshambles

Death Cab for Cutie/Postal Service

Jane’s Addiction/Porno For Pyros/Satellite Party

Old side projects:

Temple of the Dog: Pearl Jam/Soundgarden

Mad Season: Alice in Chains/Pearl Jam/Screaming Trees

Genre(s): Musings

258Comments (2)2007-08-01+00%3A40%3A25hardrockchick

just announced: Yeah Yeah Yeahs at The Fillmore 8/21/07

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

No sale date yet, but you can view the listing here.

Genre(s): I just heard...

256Comments (1)2007-07-31+05%3A08%3A08hardrockchick

Lollapalooza Fantasy Schedule

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

Check out HardRockChick’s fantasy schedule for Lollapalooza here.

Won’t make it to this one–I’ve seen most of the bands anyway. Instead I’ll be having a debaucherous girl’s weekend in Las Vegas, so if you have any recommendations for good DJs, etc…let me know.

Genre(s): Rockin' You Soon

255Comments (1)Lollapalooza+Fantasy+Schedule2007-07-31+05%3A02%3A43hardrockchick

She Wants Revenge new album preview

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

She Wants Revenge has released some info on their upcoming album, This Is Forever, due out October 9. Go to their myspace for a listen of the first song revealed, ‘Written In Blood’.

Genre(s): I just heard...

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myspace find: all teeth and knuckles

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

Check it- SF group All Teeth And Knuckles. Fun to dance to. Go to their Mezzanine CD release set this Thursday, August 2nd.

Genre(s): You should check out:

253Comments (0)myspace+find%3A+all+teeth+and+knuckles2007-07-31+02%3A34%3A10hardrockchick

From Russia With Love

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

nin russia

NIN were delayed in getting to Russia to start the second leg of their Year Zero tour due to some paperwork issues. Though it’s been wrongly reported by everyone else, they are safely in Russia now and the dates are still on.

Proof:

russia

That’s Jeordie with some underage Russian chicks. Good times.

Genre(s): HRC loves NIN

252Comments (0)From+Russia+With+Love2007-07-31+02%3A25%3A22hardrockchick

M.I.A./The Gray Kid @ Rickshaw Stop, 7/28/07

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

M.I.A. at the Rickshaw? Really? Did I read that wrong??

Could I possible score another hot ticket, making that two super exclusive shows in one week (the other being The Smashing Pumpkins)?

Oh yes, the HardRockChick made it happen. Scoring tickets for me is like scoring drugs for some. It’s exciting.

The Rickshaw Stop, being the rickety little hipster haven that it is, has a sign as you walk in the door: Capacity: 127. That’s it. So you have to figure the crowd was going to be a mix of employees, guest list/VIPs, fans with fast fingers, and the superfans/rich folks who coughed up the dough on craigslist.

Dressed in my best ’80s-meets-space-cadet ensemble, we went early and ended up having a drink at some stuck up restaurant nearby since waiting in front of the Rickshaw in the cold wind for a half hour would have resulted in an HRC peep show. There’s nothing better for feeling rebellious and getting worked up for a show than having a bunch of old stuffy people look at you and mutter.

We scored a nice spot right up front- next to a speaker/drink coaster/seat/coat holder. The stage is tiny…minuscule. We knocked back a few more drinks and started to get our dance on to DJ Omar. I’m still sore from Daft Punk–these back to back dance party shows are hard on the body.

The Gray Kid came on at about 9:45/10. I thought he was the perfect choice of opener for this show. It was surprising that no one seemed to be too familiar with him–what an uninformed audience. They should really read my blog more. I suspect The Gray Kid is near tipping point- especially if he keeps opening for killer shows up here in SF. The crowd seemed to be getting quite into it once they started to grasp his concept–the first impression is that he looks like an indie rocker, but then he starts his gig, and you realize that he’s really a hip hop maverick. I was particular happy with this performance- almost all of my faves were played, and I got some attention this time.

DJ Low B came up next…and played for at least an hour before M.I.A. came on. I’m not sure what the hold up was….there was virtually no stage set up as he was also M.I.A.’s DJ. That’s just mean….

screen

But, it was soooooo worth the wait. She finally came our with her back up singer, in some killer outfits. Why are the ’80s so much cooler in the ’00s? You’ll just have to see it in the vid. Here’s the setlist (which we snagged at the end). There were a lot of new songs in there.

set list

She’s a phenomenal performer. So was her back-up. They had some great low impact dance moves–there’s just something about seeing synchronized dancing in a performance that really does it for me. The crowd was a hot, sweaty, happy mess. Especially during Bucky Done Gun.

M.I.A. is one of those performers that is able to make her politically aware lyrics very sexy. If you don’t know her background, you should really check it out.

At some points, she crawled up on our speaker/drink coaster/seat/coat holder and hung out there for awhile. Like, behind me. She stepped on our coats. How cool is that! Nothing can beat such a small, intimate venue. Have I made all of you who didn’t get to go feel like shit yet? Sorry.

Well, here you go- a video montage from the show (the video is stretched in many parts b/c they were taken vertically. But it beats turning the computer sideways).

You can pick up The Gray Kid’s new CD, Vultures, in a couple of days. You can also catch M.I.A. in September at the Treasure Island Music Festival, and her new album, Kala, comes out August 21.

Preorder M.I.A.’s Kala here: Kala

Other blogger reactions: Cheztune and 2kewl4u.

Genre(s): My Musical Adventures

251Comments (8)2007-07-30+02%3A22%3A26hardrockchick

Top 5: things that make for a great live performance

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

This is the stuff we look for- it’s what we talk about, blog about, take pictures of, and generally enjoy the most about going to see someone live. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of–it’s the shit that makes you famous.

1. Let me hear your witty banter…don’t just play- talk, dammit!

We want to hear what the band has to say. From funny stories about touring/writing songs/groupies to political rants, it’s fun to hear them speak. Some bands are know for being great all around entertainers.

Dave Grohl/Foo Fighters–not the best example.

Tom Morello/The Nightwatchman

2. I wanna see a spectacle.

Who doesn’t want to see a spectacle? Elaborate stage set ups and costumes…what is better than that?

GWAR

Daft Punk

3. Oops!

Haha…they fell off stage. Or flubbed the words. Or are very obviously drunk. Heehee. Beyonce’s people have yanked all of her vids down.

Bono

Slash- those notes are a little off…

4. Uh-oh. Band/Audience friction.

You’ve seen it- the band can see some asshole on the crowd trying to hurt people and they call them on it. Or, they see who threw something at them. Or, the crowd is lame, or the crowd tells the band it’s lame. There’s no holding back here.

Axl Rose (at about 2 1/2 minutes)

Josh Homme/Queens of the Stone Age

5. It’s live and I can tell.

There’s nothing worse than going to a show and it sounding like you’re listening to the album with a bunch of people. Mix it up! Changing the composition and the vocals a little reminds the audience that this shit is live.

NIN