Archive
It was my fourth time seeing Beirut and I was prepared for a let down. I saw them only about two months earlier at a show outside of Detroit, so I expected them to play the same set etc. It didn't happen though. They played revised arrangements of some classics and even played some songs […]
A good show is the result of a lot of things–not just the music. There's the stage presence of the performers and the way they relate to the audience, the characteristics of the venue, lighting and visual effects, among other things. This afternoon's show by Dean & Britta, entitled 13 Most Beautiful. . .Songs for […]
I haven't seen this much purple and aqua since the introduction of Columbia Bugaboo jackets and their popularity on the landfill propped ski slopes of southeast Michigan! That was the late 1980s. Sure enough, in 2011 at the Black Cat, M83 paired its nicely done LED stage lighting with lots of synths to conjure up […]
My third Beirut show. I just love their sound and I was happy to be able to catch them during a visit home. I have to admit though, I'm not the biggest fan of their latest album (The Riptide) save a few songs. Amazingly, unlike most bands touring aftering a new release, the majority of […]
Dntel's "Life is Full of Possibilities" is the album that I credit for bringing full fledged electronica back into my life. Putting aside the electro-rock hybrids (e.g., Radiohead), Dntel's debut LP was the first electronic album that I loved since my Detroit rave days of the early/mid-90s. So, when it was announced, I jumped at […]
This was a show we checked out as part of Fete de la Musique 2011 in Paris. The gig was sponsored by Loreal–yes, the hair care product–so most people were hit up with product samples etc. Not me! Maybe this was a rare instance in which I was genuinely glad to be bald (and go unbothered). […]
My second time out to see Caribou, a great hybrid instrumental/electronic act. The show was one act of a free day festival at Parc de la Villette in Paris' northeast corner. The weather was beautiful, we had a nice view, and Caribou played just as if everyone out there had paid hard earned Euros to […]
A wonderful evening in the Marais in Paris' 3rd at l'église, Notre-Dame des Blancs-Manteaux. The performance featured the classical/opera vocals of baritone Mario Hacquard et al. Encore s'il vous plait.
This show gave me hope! Over the past two years, I've seen so many electronic-aided shows that just plain sucked that I was about to draw a strict line–on one side would be those music artists that are worth seeing live (because they play more traditional instruments and make minimal use of computers) and, on […]