Show Preview: Mitski @ the Neptune, Sat. 4/8

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Show Preview: Mitski @ the Neptune, Sat. 4/8
~Dagmar


Mitski – photo by Ebru Yildiz

Singer-songwriter Mitski has now sold out the Neptune tomorrow night! If you weren’t fortunate enough to get a ticket – or somehow didn’t know about her, which makes me sad, here are 5 things to know about her:

1) The Japanese-American lived all over the world while growing up. For real. Japan (naturally), Turkey, Malaysia? Yes, she was there.

2) Mitski has released four albums. If you know her, you’re probably most familiar with last year’s Puberty 2.

3) She has an outrageously beautiful voice.

4) She’s got a damn fine talent for songwriting and lyrics. My favorite lyric of hers might be I’m holding my breath with a baseball bat in “Townie.”

5) Mitski revealed, in an interview with The Guardian: “If I ever found a place where I belonged, that in itself would be an identity crisis to me.” Now that has to speak to so many people.

& keep your spirits up if you can’t catch her on Saturday, she’ll be back (fingers crossed).

Show Review & Photos: Jose’ James Featuring Nate Smith w/ Corey King @ the Triple Door

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Jose’ James @The Triple Door Show 4/2/2017
Review & Photos by John Rudolph

Sometimes life gets crazy busy with work, kids, and other responsibilities and you just want to sit down in a welcoming club with some great food and listen to some deeply soulful music.

Jose’ James was the artist in the perfect venue for a date night with my beautiful wife. Jose’ gave us the opportunity to slow down and enjoy each other’s company and just groove the night away, and we did.

Jose’ James sauntered onto a very dark, somewhat sparse stage and lit it up with his infectious yet engaging personality. James, a neo-jazz / Neo-R&B singer-songwriter has so much personality that he beams.

He started his performance with some slower jams to warm up his crowd and then he took us on a magic carpet ride of his work, followed by some Billie Holiday, and then into the streets with some very dark yet poignant hip hop, and back to a safe landing with some neo-soul by Emily King. Jose’ James didn’t limit himself to just the stage, he strolled out into the audience reaching out his hand and crooned to the ladies. The audience – men and women – ate it up.

This ride sounds dizzying and all over the place, but it wasn’t. The crowd followed Jose’ James thru his vast musical style journey as if he were a Pied Piper. Jose’ James is a true musical artist and someone who has earned his reputation as one of the most innovative jazz singers of his generation, and the Triple Door was the perfect venue to see him in.


Jose’ James

Photos – Ty Segall, Axis: Sova & Gazebos @ Neumos

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Ty Segall, Axis: Sova & Gazebos @ Neumos, 3/3/17
Photos by Monica Martinez


Ty Segall

How cool is this? Ty Segall headlined THREE nights at Neumos in March. We sent photographer Monica Martinez to cover the middle date of March 3rd, featuring openers Axis: Sova and Gazebos.

The brilliant and generous Segall (he’s released nine albums in as many years) now has his very own imprint under Drag City. Called God!, the imprint includes Axis: Sova and Jack Name, among others. Great choices! And Segall himself? He worked with producer Steve Albini on this year’s album, Ty Segall, which has received awesome reviews. Congratulations, garage rock – or whatever it is Segall decides to do – always wins. He’s also an artist (as in painter): his first art show, Assterpiece Theatre, took place in Chicago on March 26th.


Ty Segall


Axis: Sova


Ty Segall


Gazebos

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Show Review & Photos – Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience @ KeyArena

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Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience @ KeyArena, 3/31/17
Show Review & Photos by John Rudolph

Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience at KeyArena was a sensorial tour de force. The production bathed the audience in sights and sounds at a whole new level. The show’s composer, Ramin Djawadi, wrote the score for HBO’s worldwide sensation.

Game of Thrones is a medieval television show with larger than life characters, intense carnal passion, and massive battle scenes. The Live Concert Experience brought all of that to life with a huge expanse encompassing the entire arena with a full 80-piece orchestra on the King’s Landing stage, a Winterfell stage at the opposite end, and four smaller stages containing various solo musicians.

The runway between the King’s Landing stage and the Winterfell stage was where the dancers, the swordsmen, and the musicians travelled, replicating the events on the massive screens above.

Ramin Djawadi layered his musical performance with fantastic and mystical instruments, including the didgeridoo and the amazing Hammered Dulcimer. Peppered throughout, Djawadi played scenes from the epic drama accompanied by the orchestra. The singing and the artistry were wonderful!

At any given time, there were solo musicians on each side of the stage with an intense video above, and the crowd cheered the entire time.

One of the coolest parts was when the queen rode the dragon and attacked the Armada. Flames swirled around KeyArena and you could feel the heat coming off the enferno.

The big battle scenes were spectacular. The rich, deep sounds of the orchestra really brought Game of Thrones to life.


Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience