Concert: Lily Allen

Lily Allen has only ever played Portland twice (once before at the Crystal, and the time before that at the Aladdin). As soon as I heard about her latest album, Sheezus, I knew she would tour and was hoping for a US leg! Lily had been on a hiatus since 2009's It's Not Me, It's You, and fans and cirtics alike were abuzz with excitement of the forthcoming album. October 6th couldn't get there fast enough!

The first single off Sheezus was a song called Hard Out Here which was critically acclaimed as a feminist anthem which discusses gender roles of women in the music industry as well as in society as a whole. The lyrics perfectly capture the thoughts of millions of women faced with the pressures of today's society, and the unfairness of how women and men are persevered in the media "If I told you 'bout my sex life, you'd call me a slut/When boys be talking about their bitches, no one's making a fuss". Lily Allen has always been outspoken about the inequality of genders and societal issues with women in the media, and it's a breath of fresh air from the usual popular garbage we're spoon fed from popular artists (most of whom don't even write their own lyrics).

I got to Ringler's Pub early to wait for the concert, and ended up meeting some like-minded people that let me join their table as we all waiting together. Once doors opened we rushed up the two flights of stairs, but saw four people already standing front and center even though we were the first people though the doors. I discovered late on that it was due to one of the girls having a brother that worked at the venue, so they were allowed in early. Unfortunately, these University of Oregon students were not very big fans and one of them (the tall brute of a man next to who was front and center) was on his phone the whole night. Totally disrespectful.

The opening act, Lolawolf, are a New York trio comprised of Jimmy Giannopoulos, James Levy, and none other than the daughter of Lenny Kravitz - Zoe Kravitz. They have a dreamy-synth sound with electronica undertones. They put on a good show, but it was a bit slow and most of the songs sounded alike to my mind, and no song was particularly distinct.

A friend of mine who somehow managed to get on the VIP list said she saw Alia Shawkat - best known for her role in Arrested Development as Maeby. Appearently Alia and Zoe are friends and Alia happened to be in town. Fun!

Lily's set consisted of oversized, light-up baby bottles scattered across the stage, and heavy, dense fog machine cover. I was wondering how the stage would be set considering the stage at the Crystal Ballroom is awkwardly in the corner, and not very large. I'm sure Lily is used to performing on big stages with lots of space for herself/the band/the backup dancers. They utilized the space well though, and everything fit nicely if not a bit snug.

Lily Allen and her back up dancers came on and started the show with the title track of the new album, Sheezus. She went right into the song It's Not Fair next, and at the beginning of the next song LDN she removed her sparkly top to reveal a pink polka-dot unitard. A mom of 2, Lily looked fantastic with her pink hair, sky high heels, and unitard. 

After the song URL Badman she exited the stage for a quick costume change - wile still speaking to the audience via her wireless microphone. She appeared a few minutes later wearing an oversized hockey jersey emblazoned with the number '420', with platform jelly sandals and pink socks, and a cigarette in her hand.

The song Smile concluded with a remix with heavy beats that her backup dances came on and grooved to.

For the encore, Lily came out in gold sparkly track pants and an Oregon State University Beavers T-shirt, much to the chagrin of the disrespectful U of O students next to me who booed at the sight of it.

The last song of the night was Hard Out Here, and the backup dancers all came onstage wearing black full body spandex and dog masks over their heads (get it? Bitches?).

All in all it was a great show! I was disappointed by the number of audience members with phones in their hands filming the show rather than actually enjoying it and not being an asshole to the people behind them, but it seems that's a train that is going full speed ahead and can no longer be stopped.

Concert: The Kooks + Priory + Halsey

After seeing The Kooks at the KINK Bing Lounge, I immediately hopped on a bus over to the Wonder Ballroom to wait in line for their show that night! Despite getting there at around 3pm (doors opened at 7), I was the tenth person in line. Just as I got there I saw the band all hop into a taxi and leave. They must have driven which is obviously faster than taking the bus like I did, but they probably didn't get there long before me. As I waited in line I made friends with the people in line behind me, and eventually the people in front of me. I saw a bunch of people I had known at one point or another in my life walk by and get in line. I don't know if any of them noticed me (or even remembered who I was), but I thought it was kind of cool to see them after so long even though we didn't say hi.

The doors finally opened and I ended up right in front of where the bassist, Peter Denton, would be. I was initially bummed about; I was hoping to (obviously) be right front and center in front of Luke Pritchard (the lead singer) or Hugh Harris (guitar and keys), but it actually worked out for the best because if I had ended up in front of Hugh I wouldn't have been able to see over the keyboard stand.

The first band, Priory, are a local Portland band, and played a great set. They sort of sounded like The Mowgli's and Fun had had a baby together. It was poppy, upbeat, and sent a good message. I could see it being used in a Toyota commercial or something.

The next act, Halsey (and anagram of Ashley), was interesting. She was 19 (her 20th birthday was the day after this show), and had shockingly teal hair. She came out wearing a lingerie teddy and made a crack about her manager saying her nipples were showing and "if there were any city to have my nipples out it would be in Portland fucking Oregon". I thought she had a good voice, and the songs were pretty good. She even gave me the flower she was wearing in her hair during the first song. I can see her youth and carefree "I don't give a fuck attitude" being very appealing to younger audiences, and I imagine we'll be seeing more of her in the future.

Then, finally, The Kooks came on to loud applause. It had been such a long time since I last saw them live, and I was so excited! Their first three albums all had similar sounds, but Listen had songs produced by a hip-hop producer and used a whole gospel choir in songs like Around Town, and Bad Habit. It was really great to hear them grow as a band. They went through a rocky patch were Luke was heavily relying on alcohol, and the band almost called it quits. I'm glad they pulled through and created such a great album - proof that music and save you!

They played a nice mix of old and new song. Surprisingly, the younger members of the audience knew the older material more than the newer songs (you'd think it would be the other way around!)
 based on the volume of the audience singing along.

Luke was wearing tight black jeans and a motorcycle jacket and danced around the stage in the sporadic, jumpy way he always has. He went to every corner of the stage and engaged the audience throughout the entire show.

After the first few songs Luke asked the audience how they were doing, then - having remembered me from the Bing Lounge show earlier -  looked at me and asked if I was good and that it was good to see me again. That certainly made my day and made me feel special!

For the song Dreams Luke was on the stage solo. There's a part in the song where the keys play a high little melody, but as it was just Luke and his guitar, he sang that little part, and damn if he didn't sing it perfectly! It's a beautiful little song, and him hitting the high notes spot on made all the teenage girls' hearts melt.

After the set, Luke came out alone for the first song of the encore See Me Now - a song written about the death of his father and the progress he's made in life. This time he was playing a keyboard, and the placement of where he was on the stage couldn't have been better for me! He played it beautifully and then the whole band just let loose for the last song - the classic hit Naive.

It was a fantastic show, and the combined energy of the band and audience made it that much better!

(Mini) Concert: The Kooks

Before seeing The Kooks later that night at the Wonder Ballroom (my favorite venue), they were doing a set at the KINK Bing lounge. I hopped on the MAX and got to the Bing Lounge early to get a good spot. I snagged front row seats for me, my mom, dad, and best friend Jamila.

They did acoustic versions of Down, Around Town, See Me Now, and Bad Habit. It was so great to see the songs I've been listening to for weeks in a stripped down fashion about 3 feet from my face. Down was a particularly interesting one to hear acoustic, they skipped the intro and went right into the "down down digi-digi's". You can watch the videos here: Bad Habit, See Me Now, Around Town. Down, and interview.

They did a meet and greet after their short set, and I showed them a photo I had taken with them the first time they had ever been to Portland (about 8 years ago). Luke kept saying "wow" and "oh my god", it was very funny. I'm assuming he was talking about seeing his younger self. The picture itself is quite bad, and Luke and Hugh are the only current members in the photo. Then he said "So how were the last 8 years then?" in a joking way, to which I replied something along the lines of "waiting for your next album!". He apologized it took so long.

The Kooks circa 2006

(Mini) Concert: Broken Bells

When I was in Seattle seeing Portugal. The Man and Grouplove, I got an email from the KINK Bing Lounge saying I won a spot to see Broken Bells!

I got in line super early, so I was the first one there, and snagged a seat in the second row (the first row was filled by people that had cashed in favors from what I had gathered). Lucky for me, I was sitting behind a small child, so I was able to see right over her head.

They played 4 songs: Angel and the Fool, Holding on for Life, High Road, and After the Disco. They were all stripped down and acoustic - not to mention fabulous. When James Mercer whistled the part in Angel and the Fool, I melted into a small puddle of awe. There's really nothing that man can do wrong. Hell, he could put out a death metal album and I'm sure it would be excellent. And Danger Mouse is such an amazing producer... He's like King Midus - everything he touches turns to musical gold. There was also a short interview as per usual with the Bing Lounge shows.

After the (too short) set, there was no meet and greet like there normally is at Bing Lounge shows. I'm sure this was due to the enormous crowd that had come to see them, but it was still a bummer. However, not letting that stop me, I waited outside the back door where I knew they would be coming out. It was only me and a few other people who were waiting so it was okay, it wouldn't have been quite as alright if there were tons of people though. I met James Mercer, Danger Mouse, and the other two touring members of the band. I have to admit, I sort of ended up gushing to Danger Mouse about how much I love the albums he's produced, but he seemed appreciative and not like I was a crazy fan girl. Same with James.

All in all, it was probably the best KINK Bing Lounge show I've ever been to, and hearing the songs I've been listening to for months in a totally different manner was incredible.

Here are the videos for After the Disco, Holding on for Life, High Road, Angel and the Fool, and the interview from the show.

Concert: Broken Bells

Broken Bells is the collaboration of Jsmes Mercer (from The Shins), and the producer Brian Burton (AKA Danger Mouse). Their second album After The Disco came out in February 2014, and toured for the first time since 2010.

They played in Portland (James Mercer's hometown) on August 11th at the Arliene Schnitzer Concert Hall - a venue usually reserved for the Oregon symphony. The Schnitz will occasionally host concerts, but it really isn't my favorite venue to see bands at. For starters, it's a seated venue so there's the variable of "will the crowd stand or sit the entire time?" And also the possibility that the tallest person in Portland will sit in front of you, which happens to me frequently. Also the sound quality isn't the best for rock shows, and the venue itself is so large that it can feel impersonal as it holds about 2,700 people.

Anyway, there was no chance I was going to miss seeing Broken Bells, since the last time I saw them was in 2010. Portugal. The Man and Grouplove were playing the same night in Portland at the Edgefield - one of my favorite venues, but I managed to see them in Seattle, so I could go to both shows!

The opening band Cayucas were pretty good. They have a light, indie beach type sound, kind of similar to Vampire Weekend. They have echo-y vocals, simple drum beats, and staccato guitar. I thought they were pretty good, but definitely felt like an opening band. I wouldn't be surprised if they got popular in a few years once they tighten up a bit.

The stage set up was a futuristic set up that consisted of raised round platforms that the keys and drums were on, some awesome floor lights, and a mirrored half sphere in the direct center of the stage. I realized later on that the half sphere was projector that played different space-y images on a screen behind the setup. Before the band came out the projection showed a live video of the audience on the screen from a camera that was mounted just to the left of the half sphere on the keyboard stand. I tried to get a picture of the audience projection as best as I could, and you can kind of get the idea of what it looked like below.

 The band played an excellent mix of old and new songs, and captivated the audience the whole time. All the band members were switching instruments throughout the set, and played every song effortlessly. When they played Angel And The Fool Brian and James stood behind the projector so their shadows were cast based on their proximity to the projector, and the whistling in that song was spot on and beautiful. At one point towards the end of the set, James Mercer said how great it was to be home since he had a new baby at home.

It was a great show, and I'm so happy I was able to see them for a second time. In an interview I heard on NPR with them they mentioned a probable third album, and that they were more of a band than a side project. I'm excited for whatever future albums and shows they do!

Concert: Typhoon, Portugal. The Man, Grouplove

At about 11am on Sunday August 10th my best friend Jamila picked me up in her cute blue car, and we spent the next 4 hours driving to Seattle (traffic was horrible otherwise it wouldn't have taken so long).
The Honda Civic Tour was kicking off at the Marymoor Park Amphitheater (which is technically in Redmond just outside of Seattle, but whatever), and the lineup was fantastic: Typhoon, Portugal. The Man, and Grouplove.

Now, I would have gone to see them the next night in Portland where they were playing the Edgefield (one of my favorite venues), but that was the same night Broken Bells were playing at the Schnitz which I had tickets to before the Honda Civic Tour was even announced. So since my best friend is amazing, I got to have my cake and eat it too - I got to go to both shows.

We were very close to the front of the line, and due to security making all of us there scoot way back so they could have space to check bags, I ended up being the first one through the gate. Yay! I snagged my spot front and center, with Jamila on my right, and a friend I've made from seeing at so many concerts in Portland, Dominic, on my left.

There was a big screen as the backdrop for the stage that played different snippets of music videos, and Honda commercials. Plus it showed real time tweets about the show from people who used #hondacivictour. At one point they played the whole music video for Hustle And Drone's The Glow, and Arctic Monkey's R U Mine.

Typhoon took to the stage at about 6:10pm (doors opened at 5:30). They were super good live, and having two violins and a three person horn section gave them a large, well-rounded sound. Of course, it's easy for Typhoon to sound large considering they're an 11 piece band.

Up next was Portugal. The Man, then Grouplove. They were alternating between who went on first and second each night of the tour, and it didn't really make too much of a difference since they were co-headlining and their sets were the same length (both not even having an encore)

Portugal's stage setup had changed for the first time since I've known them. Below is the normal setup that they've stuck to every time I've seen them...

...But as you can see from the pictures below, the whole setup was inverted with drums and keys switching sides, and Zach and John trading places and standing closer together. I actually like the new setup a lot more this way, because you can see everyone without having to constantly turn your head.

When they were talking between songs (usually Zach) they mentioned how much they love Seattle and how they have a lot of family there. In fact, I could even see Zach's dad hanging out on the side of the stage watching. Along their tour PTM would post "Dad Facts" of interesting tidbits that Zach's dad would send to the band about the venue or city they were playing that evening. Here are a few from Toronto, New York, and Pittsburgh.

I've gotta say, this was one of the best times I've ever seen PTM. They were so impressive that night, especially considering the number of members that have been circulating through the band. They played a cover of Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis and John adorably messed up some of the lyrics (and a line in People Say). For Creep In A T Shirt they brought out their friend Alex Rose from Minus The Bear to play saxophone, which added the horn element that's missing when they play that song live.

Then Grouplove came out and rocked it! They started out playing I'm With You and got the crowed super pumped. Their whole set was great as always. Hannah (keys and vocals) came out in a black sparkly bodysuit, and Christian (lead vocals, guitar) came out in a blue coat, black and red striped socks with cuffed jeans, black boots, and shaggy dyed blue hair (channeling his inner Kurt Cobain).

When they played Time I noticed Zach from PTM watching from the side of the stage and getting really into it - how could anyone not?? Before jumping into Shark Attack Hannah looked out into the audience and shouted "What's that in the water? What's that in the fucking water?!" it was excellent.

Everyone had such a great time at the show. Grouplove and Portugal. The Man both put on fantastic shows individually, so put them together and you've got a great night of music!

I'm With You

Itchin' On A Photograph

Borderlines And Aliens

Raspberry

Shark Attack

Hippie Hill

Didn't Have To Go/Beyonce (Drunk In Love)

Bullet

Slow

Close Your Eyes

Ways To Go

Colours