Concert: Die Antwoord

Die Antwoord are a South African rave-rap group that are like nothing I've ever heard before. I think they're such an outlier from everything I usually listen to, that I like it. They consist of rappers Yo-Landi and Ninja, with DJ Hi-Tek, and are known for making music videos that are completely bizarre and sometimes disturbing, so I was skeptical about what their live show might be like.

I got to the Roseland about twenty minutes after the doors had opened - which is very weird for me not to be in line beforehand. I really didn't know what to expect (in terms of the amount of people in line before hand, and what the people that made up the crowd would be - ravers, hipsters, etc), but when I got inside there was only a layer of two or three people deep against the barricade. It just so happened that I saw some kids that I knew from my old high school, and they let me stand with them at the front and to the right. It ended up being the perfect spot, because we didn't get any of the shoving that happens when you're at the front and center (as I explained in my Childish Gambino post).

I was surprised that the crowd was mostly made up of relatively normal people - people I might see at a Franz Ferdinand concert at the Crystal or something. There were a few people wearing some rave style clothing, but no one was in full rave attire. There were also some rocker/goths there, but as I said, it was mostly the typical Portland crowd (which includes a fair number of hipsters I hate to say).

The opening act wasn't really anything but a DJ guy and a guy on the guitar playing different rave-y beats. I didn't even catch what they were called.

Then Die Antwoord came out. I was completely blown away with how good they were! You could tell that they had been performing for years, and it seemed like it had been rehearsed many times, but still felt fresh. Portland was the first show of their tour after all (they played at Sasquatch before Portland, but Portland was the start of their official tour). There were two back up dancers (women) that came out wearing a few different costumes - most prominently gold leggings, bandeau bras, and ski masks. They were a nice addition to the stage which was practically bare, and weren't distracting which can be an issue with some back up dancers. Yo-Landi had a few costume changes too, and Ninja ended up in some Pink Floyd boxers by the end of the night.

They were both all over the stage - jumping up and dancing on the DJ platform, running from one end of the stage to the other, and keeping the entire audience (including the balcony) amped up and engaged. They said how much they loved Portland numerous times to great cheers and applause.

They debuted some songs off their new album, Donker Mag (Dark Magic in English), including Pitbull Terrier, Raging Zef Boner, and Happy Go Sucky Fucky. They also played a good number of older songs.

I'm not usually one to take a ton of pictures at concerts since I feel like it detracts from the experience, but for whatever reason I ended up taking quite a few at this show... Maybe because there was a big inflatable boy holding a giant penis (the Evil Boy).

All in all, I had a fantastic time, and was beaming from ear to ear after it ended at how much fun I had.

Concert: Franz Ferdinand

On April 26th I went to see Franz Ferdinand for the 4th time. The first time I saw them was with Death Cab For Cutie in a double headlining bill with The Cribs as the opening act back in 2006 at the Memorial Coliseum. The time after that was at the Crystal Ballroom back in December of 2008, and the last time was at the Wonder Ballroom in August 2012.

Every time I see them I leave the venue smiling. They put on such a fantastic show, and might be one of the best lives bands I've seen in my concert going career. Their energy, enthusiasm, and crowd connectivity is invigorating and it sucks you in. With their catchy tunes and sometimes odd lyrics, they have quite a unique sound, while still having the classic British rocker aspect to their music.

The opening act, Cate Le Bon, is a Welsh singer-songwriter who was excellent. Her voice and lyrics had a hauntingly beautiful quality, and she was very enjoyable to listen to.

Then, finally, Franz Ferdinand came out to roars of applause wearing matching outfits. Honestly, they were really tacky looking, but if anyone could pull off that look it was them. They were all wearing some variation of pants, shirts, and jackets that were a mix of black, white, and gray. 

They played a fairly long set with all the old favorites and a good chunk of their new album (Fresh Strawberries, Bullet, Right Action, Evil Eye, Love Illumination, Stand on the Horizon, Brief Encounters, and Goodbye Lovers and Friends). I didn't get the setlist which was the first time in a while, so that was a total bummer. I asked the roadie a bunch of times, and he gave them to surrounding people but not me, but in the end he gave me two consolation picks (one from Alex, and one from Nick).

God, they are so good live. I ended up right in front of Bob (the bass player) which was fun, but I really like to stand in front of Nick (the guitar player) if I can because he's got some excellent dance moves! The line outside the door was a lot longer than I had expected it to be, otherwise I would have gotten a better spot... I got there about two and a half to three hours before the doors, but there were already like, thirty people there.

All in all it was a fantastic show, and Franz Ferdinand always deliver!

Here's Ulysses:

Stand on the Horizon:

Evil Eye

All photos and videos courtesy of Howard Weiner 

Concert: Arctic Monkeys

I haven't seen the Arctic Monkeys since 2007 when their second album Favorite Worst Nightmare came out. Their two albums after Favorite Worst Nightmare (Humbug, and Suck It And See) were good, but not my favorite. Arctic Monkeys played a show at the Crystal Ballroom the same night I had tickets to see Adele at the Edgefield after Humbug came out. I had to decide who I wanted to see, so I picked Adele figuring the next time she came through town she'd play somewhere way bigger. The next time Arctic Monkeys played was when they opened for the Black Keys at the Rose Garden not long after Suck It And See came out. I'm not a huge fan of the Black Keys, and I'm even less of a fan of the Rose Garden (which is the stadium where the Portland Trailblazers play). I had only ever been to one concert there (N*sync when I was seven), and the place is massive. After having gone to so many intimate shows, and seeing Arctic Monkeys in an intimate environment, there way so way I was seeing them someplace so big.

Then they finally came back to Portland at the Roseland Theater on December 6th. Their latest album, AM, dropped a few months before they came to town, and the album is amazing. Easily their best yet.

I got to the Roseland Theater to wait in line at around 3pm, and to my dismay I saw there was already a line of around 40 people already formed. I later learned that the people at the front got there at 11 am and drove from Seattle. I got in line and was trying to figure out a plan of action for once I got inside. At the previous Arctic Monkeys show 6 years previously I remember it being rather mosh-y and packed like sardines. Apart from not being able to see if I'm not at the front, breathing and getting trampled would also be a big issue.

I wandered up the length of the line to see if there was maybe someone I knew from another show. Low and behold, a concert bud of mine, Sarah, was about 6th in line from the front. I asked if it would be possible for me to join her and her friend since it was just me and I'm so small one person wouldn't really make much of a difference. She said sure, and we talked about music and whatnot while we were waiting. She was there when the whole Two Door Cinema Club incident went down.

It was absolutely freezing waiting outside. The temp was in the low 30s and kept dropping as the sun set.

By the time we finally got to go in at 7 I couldn't feel my toes. The first band were a local act called BattleMe. This was actually my third time seeing them. They opened for Walk The Moon when they played for $0.97 at the Crystal Ballroom as part of 94.7's "I Saw Them When Show" series. The next time was when they opened for Metric at the Roseland. Both times I was not impressed. They seemed kind of self-involved and had long, drawn out jams on stage. I was bummed I didn't like them since they're local, and I was hoping for the whole "third time's a charm" thing, but to no avail. They were as mediocre as I remembered.

Then finally, after all that waiting, Arctic Monkeys came out. They were better than I remembered. They've aged like a fine wine, and have really grown into their roles as rock stars. I was actually surprised that they were playing the Roseland and not the Memorial Coliseum or the Rose Garden.
Alex Turner was as charming as ever, and really pulled off the greaser look - complete with a comb that he pulled at twice to fix his pompadour. The energy of the band, even after touring for so long, was incredible. The crowd were all into it too, and it got very sardine-y just as the show was starting. It got hard to move and breathe throughout the night, but it was worth it. I was right in the front and center directly in front of Alex. There was one moment during the set that he made eye contact with me for about five seconds or so. Everyone surrounding me had their phones out to take pictures and videos, and I was the lone person who didn't. Alex must have noticed and saw that I was truly
enjoying the show instead of recording sloppy video to prove that "I was there".

After the show I got a shirt that's baseball style and says "Why'd you only call me when you're high?" and an Arctic Monkeys hat (sort of beanie style with a pom pom on the top). I managed to get the setlist which is great. I didn't stick around to meet the band afterwards as I had my dad waiting on me, but my friend Sarah did, and she told me that they came out about forty-five minutes after the show. She said they waved at everyone, but didn't come over and say hi. Just went straight onto the bus. She said she didn't blame them because some of the girls were freaking out and acting crazy.

I'll post some videos later when my dad uploads them to youtube. He had a great vantage point in the balcony and got some great footage.


It was truly a stellar show, and I'm so happy I got to see them again, even after 6 years.

Concert: Metric

Well, Metric killed it as per usual last night at the Roseland Theater! I was in line at 5pm as I had gotten out of class earlier and didn't want to go home only to have to leave a half hour later... I was first in line and at the front of the stage right at the barricade. They played the usual Gold Guns Girls, Dead Disco, Speed The Collapse, Youth Without Youth, Help I'm Alive...etc. They finished the night with an acoustic version of Gimmie Sympathy which they've done the last two times I've seen them (this was number five). The crowd were all singing along, and it was a blast.

Unfortunately the guy who was standing next to me happened to be an asshole who kept trying to push me out of the way... This happens to me sometimes because I'm small and people think they can take advantage of me because I'm just this little girl. That's when I introduce them to Mr. & Mrs. Elbow. They guy kept switching places with this woman who was behind him (who was the initial asshole). It was all kinda lame, and I heard the woman bitching to the guy about me shoving and I flat out said "I'm not intentionally trying to shove anyone. I've been here since 5pm and I'm not moving from this spot." Then later on in the show when they both were shoving and pushing me I looked at them and said "Really?" like, come on..

There was someone doing something they shouldn't have been doing in the crowd at one point and three of the security guards were trying to find the person and stood right in front of me so I couldn't really see anything. Emily Haines (the lead singer) actually came over to the edge of the stage and shooed them out of the way!

She was talking about how she wanted to rip down the barricade and she would have if she were younger, but now that she was older she didn't want to disrespect the venue and had compassion for the people who worked there so she didn't do anything.

And, of course, I got the setlist: