Spoon: A Quick Recap

1. First time at the Riviera. It's right around the corner from the Aragon, and they're both very convenient for me by train, which is nice. It's kind of like the Vic, only bigger. Not so much side to side, but it extends back farther, and the balcony is larger. But if you get their early enough to see the opening act (I was there about 10 minutes before they started), you can get up pretty close on the main floor.
2. Ponies: They were OK. Better than Liars. Somewhat entertaining, but I was tired, and I just wanted Spoon to start.
3. Spoon, not surprisingly, were very good. They've been at this a while now, and they now how to put on a good show. They played for about an hour and ten minutes, left briefly, and did a three song encore.
4. Interestingly, they played the initial set album to album. Nothing from Telephono, which is kind of a bummer, but they played two from Series of Sneaks, and then proceeded to go through each album playing three to six songs before the set ended. As such, the out of order setlist isn't as out of order as usual.
   
5. Incomplete and out of order setlist:
1. Utilitarian (opened with this)
2. The Minor Toughs
3. Anything You Want
4. Me and The Bean
5. Fitted Shirt
6. Small Stakes
7. Stay Don't Go
8. Someone Something
9. Vittorio E.
10. Johnathan Fisk
11. Beast and Dragon Adored
12. I Summon You
13. I Turn My Camera On
14. Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine
15. Don't Make Me a Target
16. The Ghost of You Lingers
17. Don't You Evah
18. Rhythm and Soul
19. You Got Yr Cherry Bomb
20. Black Like Me
    
21. The Underdog
22. Chicago at Night
23. The Way We Get By (closed with this)

I would like to have heard My Mathematical Mind and Finer Feelings. And I'd love to someday hear them do stuff off of Telephono. I have a feeling that people who have discovered Spoon recently would be surprised at what their early stuff sounds like, especially stuff like Not Turning Off, Nefarious, and Government Darling. Would like to have heard Car Radio and The Guestlist/the Execution from Sneaks as well. But there's only so much time.

Interpol: A Quick Recap

1. The Aragon Ballroom sucks. Sure, it's nice looking inside, but the acoustics are downright awful. I knew this, of course, after seeing the Pixies there about three years ago, but we were way in the back, so I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Tonight I was in the center, about 15-20 in front of the mixing board, and about 30 feet from the stage. The sound still sucked.
2. Liars - sorry but I just couldn't get into these guys. I'm willing to forgo structure at times. It can work. For me, it didn't work with these guys.
3. Interpol, sound problems aside, put on an entertaining show. Nice effects on stage. Good timing of the set. They played for an hour, a good mix of all three albums, and did a three song encore. Good stage presence, as one would expect from a band with their experience. Not a ton of rapport with the crowd, which kind of fits their image, and also is more what one would expect in a bigger venue. Remember, I don't go to places this big very often. Capacity is 4,500 people. By contrast, the biggest venue I visit more frequently is the Vic, which holds less than 1/3 the people that the Aragon holds, and even that's a bit large for my tastes.
   
4. Here's the incomplete and out of order setlist:
1. Untitled
2. Obstacle 1
3. PDA (they closed with it)
   
4. Say Hello to the Angels
5. Stella Was a Diver and She's Always Down
6. Evil
7. Narc
8. Take You on a Cruise
9. Slow Hands
10. Not Even Jail
11. C'mere
12. Pioneer to the Falls (opened with this)
    
13. No I in Threesome
14. The Scale
15. The Heinrich Maneuver
16. Mammoth
17. Rest My Chemistry

Ultimately, though, it was worth it. It was the first time I've seen them, so I can't complain. Off to the Riviera tomorrow for Spoon.

More Coming Attractions

Interpol @ The Aragon - October 11th
"Mammoth" from Our Love to Admire


Spoon @ The Riviera - October 12th
"You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga


New Pornographers @ Metro - October 18th
"My Slow Descent Into Alchoholism" from Mass Romantic


The Raveonettes @ the Empty Bottle - October 19th
"That Great Love Sound" from Chain Gang of Love


Rogue Wave @ Double Door - October 24th
"Publish My Love" from Descended Like Vultures

Notes from a lost weekend

I was at home in L.A. over the weekend for the UCLA v. Notre Dame debacle. I don't really want to say very much about anything, but:

• Karl Dorrell may be the dumbest person on the face of the earth. What kind of idiot takes a freshman, walk-on QB and 1) makes him go with an empty backfield on 4th and 1, and 2) makes him throw for a first down on 3rd and 6 from his own five yard line against a team that is pretty pathetic, and could not move the ball on offense? He should have been fired right after that play.
• People can second guess Mike Scioscia all they want, but the only true mistake was not having Jered Weaver plant one in David Ortiz's ear, followed up by a fastball in Manny Ramirez's ear. They both should have gone down, and gone down hard. Until someone pays a heavy price, expect Vlad to keep getting drilled.
  
• I'm not going to dwell too much on the loss. I think the Red Sox are an excellent team, and probably better than the Angels when the Angels are at full strength. When the Angels are less than full strength, the Red Sox are a lot better, and unfortunately, the Angels were less than full strength. That's not an excuse, but it would have been nice to see both teams with their full line ups intact.
• As they currently line up, with no changes, the Angels are still the best team in the West, and outside of someone making a major splash, they will be the odds on favorite to win the West again next year. It will be interesting to see what they do in the off-season. There will be calls to get a big bat, and those people won't be wrong. Still, if they can get a full season out of Juan Rivera (assuming they bring him back), that will be a major upgrade at DH/OF. I expect progressions from Kendrick and Kotchman, regressions from Figgins and Cabrera, and roughly the same from everyone else.
  
• I won't say he's a key for next year, because I think they'll win the division regardless, but next year is probably a make or break year for Ervin Santana. He's got the ability. The question is whether he can put it together. There's nobody waiting to take his place. He's got no excuses.
  
• Thanks to the Kings for providing a crappy ending to a truly shitty day on Saturday.
  
• At least the Cubs lost. And the Illini won.