Category: concerts

all about me, concerts, happenings, music musings, near and dear

what’s going on with me these days

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Basically, I had an “epiphany” yesterday. I put it in quotations, because I have thought about it many times, but it never seemed like such a good idea until yesterday. Basically, I think that I should just focus on getting my RN, and then worrying about the BSN after I am already working in nursing. This way, I can transition quicker, which I REALLY need to do. I am almost terrified of change, but it is so necessary, because I just feel completely lost right now.

This semester is winding down, and I have finals this week and next. I will be so happy to be finished with anatomy, because it is one of the most useless classes ever. The whole point is to weed out those that don’t want it bad enough, and I am just ready to be done with it. I hope that I do well on my lab final, because I completely bombed the midterm, thanks to the distraction of my floors being ripped up that same day.

I was going to write a post about the Kate Nash concert, as well as one about the Feist concert, but it just seems like I don’t have the desire to do very much these days. I had a blast at both shows, and both Kate Nash and Feist were amazing. Also, Hayden opened for Feist, and I was glad to be able to see him after all of these years. All three artists are impressive, and put on great shows.

That’s about it really… just trying to maintain, I guess. Getting out of the bed is harder each day, and if I can come up with a remedy for it; I will market it. Trust me.

concerts, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

kate nash tonight at the variety!

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As the title so simply states, I am going to see the amazing Kate Nash at the Variety in Little Five Points tonight. I am currently a Variety Playhouse virgin, but I have heard lots of great things about the venue, and I am looking forward to the concert. I think that I am going to try and get their a bit early, as I want to be pretty close to the stage.

In case you have no idea who (or how amazing) Kate Nash is, recall that just four months ago, I named her debut, Made of Bricks, my number 3 CD of 2007 (there are some sound clips you can listen to if you follow that link). I have seen some live shots of her on youtube, and I can definitely tell you that I am very excited to be seeing her tonight live, for the first time.

Here’s hoping that I get lots of great pictures of the show… and maybe I’ll even get to meet Kate; a big here’s hoping on that last part. That would be so awesome!

Just to get me in the mood, and to share the love for Kate, I thought I would post some videos of her greatness…

Here’s her third single, the amazingly catchy Pumpkin Soup:

And of course, I had to post one of the best songs that came out in 2007, Foundations:

If you are planning on being at the show, be sure to say hi! Onward to Kate Nash!

concerts, happenings, mixed media, music musings, near and dear, show the love

sara bareilles @ the tabernacle, 3/4/08

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Sara Bareilles @ The Tabernacle, ATL 3/4/08
On Tuesday, James and I headed out to the Tabernacle to see the lovely and amazing Ms Sara Bareilles. As expected, she was simply amazing. I am glad that we left right after she performed (she was opening for James Blunt, who frankly, I had NO desire to see), because we met her in the parking lot!!! It was great seeing her again, and even better being able to talk to her again. She is not only an amazing performer, but she is the sweetest person ever.

I am going to see her again with my buddy Deb in April, and I can’t wait. She is headlining that show, so I know that it is going to be even better than Tuesday was. I have to say, that the James Blunt fans really weren’t my crowd, and I was pretty annoyed at the level of talking that was apparent during Sara’s performance. Several of her quieter songs were inundated with talking; which was pretty annoying. Oh well… she was still amazing, so it didn’t really distract too much. I wish that we would have gotten their earlier, because apparently, James Blunt fans are prompt, and we couldn’t get very close. I took some pictures (on flickr now), and a little video, which as of this moment, have had issues getting on youtube. I am going to give it a go again tonight, so I will update with some video; especially the performance of my personal favorite of her songs, Between the Lines. Wow. It was amazing.

A huge thanks to Sara Bareilles again, for being such an amazing performer, and totally bringing it in concert. If you haven’t seen her, you owe it to yourself; she is the real deal. I also appreciate her listening to this fan gush about how great she is!! Meeting her again made my night! Now, I can definitely say, that I am even more excited about the next show in April!

concerts, flickr, happenings, hotness, listen up!, music musings, near and dear, show the love, that is so gay

Leslie and the LYs: february 23, 2008

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Leslie and the LYs @ eyedrum, ATL 2/23/08, originally uploaded by duanemoodydotcom.

Well, I am here to bring a review of a concert that displayed such epic-ness, that can only be contained by the sheer will of itself. The concert of which is speak, was none other than Leslie and the LYs, Saturday night at eyedrum.

Leslie Hall hails from Iowa, representing her other Midwest divas, and brings the jams while she flashes her sparkle jems. She is the self-professed mother gem, and comes out of the night, as a purveyor of fantastical gem sweaters and slick beats.

During her show, Leslie dances, she grooves, and she moves her way into your heart, clad from neck to toe in skin tight gold-goodness. She’s a “sequined tower of eternal glamor, pounding out the sexy with a sparkly hammer”.

I have wanted to see her for a while now, and I am glad that I got the chance to this weekend. Basically, if you haven’t heard of her, she is an internet phenomenon who has been doing some great stuff on youtube. Her songs are great, and she makes me laugh out loud more than many can. Saturday night was an amazing night, and I will always remember it as the night that I fell in love with Leslie Hall.

The show itself was an amazing spectacle of ginormous proportions, and here’s a little rundown of how it went down…

The opening act was absolutely DREADFUL, which consisted of a whole hour (seriously) of really loud distortion and guitar “playing” by a tall black dude in a wig. Then a Bjork-wannbe came on and spoke some gibberish, while her other friend (with a fake third arm) “played” a base guitar and created even more loud distortion. It was loud, and uncalled for. I asked the bartender if they were for real, and all he could say was, “well, they’re up there… it doesn’t get much more real than that.”. Agreed.

After that monstrosity, this cute trio that reminded me of TLC busted out two great songs, only to hurry off stage after finishing. It was a refreshing sound after that nonsense from before; but I would have liked to have heard more. No matter… by that time, I wanted my Mother Gem more than ever.

Then… the gold one herself took the stage. Now, I have seen her videos and heard some of her songs, but I had no idea the show that Leslie Hall puts on. Flanked by her accomplices, the LYs, she grooved and jammed for over an hour. It was amazing.

People in the audience called out for Leslie, myself included, and she gave us a feast of beats, rhythms, lady jams, and scissor kicks. She fucking performed the hell out of everything she did, and was completely hilarious and amazing throughout. I don’t know if I have ever had that much fun; seriously.

After the show, she greeted fans, and signed autographs. I got bunches of pictures of both the concert, and the after meet and greet. (click on the photo to go to flickr, and see what you missed out on…). I ended up getting both of her CDs at the show, and I must say that have been lapping up the jams all day.

You must do yourself a favor and see the mother gem herself, Leslie Hall, when she comes to a town near you. She is a goddess, and she is coming for you… I myself cannot WAIT until she comes back my way. SHAZAM! SHE IS GLAMOROUS!

concerts, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

the 31 best of 2007 – 16: Nicole Atkins – Neptune City

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Nicole Atkins was an amazingly unexpected, but fantastic, discovery for me. I went to see one of my favorite girl groups, The Pipettes, in concert, and after a not-so-great opening act, they announced that the next opening act would be Nicole Atkins. I had never heard of her before that moment, but that would quickly change, and I am thankful that it did.

After she took the stage, and her melancholy lyrics, haunting vocals, and guitar-driven pop filled the room, I instantly found something in her that I really, really liked. Both my friend Stu and I remarked about how good she was; both in her performance, and in her sound. Nicole is one of those artists that a lot of people may not have heard about; but for those that have, she is an amazingly talented artist. There is this very “old” quality to her sometimes child-like voice, and the sadness she pours into her lyrics, take you to a deep place; but the peppering of lighthearted moments in this music keep you from falling to the bottom of an ocean of sadness. As Nicole said during the concert, which I felt was totally appropriate, the lyrics may be a little depressing, but the music is something you can dance to. She takes her aching feelings, and layers them with wrenching guitars, and spiraling and subtle beats; only to occasionally surprise you with an almost “upbeat” or “optimistic” feeling chorus. Song after song, she entices you with her amazingly child-like (yet worn-around-the-edges), and huge voice; and the result is something beautiful and moving. It is a hauntingly beautiful album.

The way that Nicole controls the stage is echoed on her CD, Neptune City,in a more polished form. She has some stories to tell, and you really get the sense that she has been around and unfortunately, has had some love and loss. I think that the slight raspy quality of her voice really allows you to feel the ache that she feels. I also love how she often borders on dramatics in her vocal play, and the effect really gives you sense of drama, love, and loss; all while keeping you entertained and enthralled by her performance. All of this “depressing” nature is still, however, kept upbeat by her rock-and-roll sensibilities, and the result is one of those records that you fall for, and love throughout (as I did). Nicole is definitely a fantastic artist, and this CD stands out among the others that I have loved this year. The only reason that it didn’t land amongst the top records of the year for me, unfortunately, is because I found out about it so late in the year (it came out at the end of October), and I haven’t had enough time to truly explore and enjoy the intricate nuances of Nicole’s sound.

This is one of those CDs that require you to spend some quality time with it, in order to truly love it as much as it needs to be loved (like the Shins and Rilo Kiley’s CDs for me, I had to spend time with both of them to truly appreciate them). While I definitely loved it upon the first listen, I know that this is one of those CDs that gets better with time, and my love for it will grow over time. Overall, there really isn’t anything bad I can say about this album, this is an amazing album from an amazing artist, and one that I will continue to love for a long time to come. I’m just glad that I discovered the amazingness that is Nicole Atkins, and can pass my love such an amazing talent along to you.

Favorites from Neptune City:
Kill The Headlights
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_headlights.mp3]
Brooklyn’s On Fire!
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/na-brooklynsonfire.mp3]
Neptune City
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/na-neptunecity.mp3]
War Torn, and Party’s Over.

Rating:

concerts, five song friday, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: november 16

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Guess what time it is… time for some new music suggestions from the weekly five song friday! Let’s get started…

Sugababes – Change
This week, I had a curveball thrown my way… I wasn’t expecting the new Sugababes video for Change to be posted, and as such, I am compelled to switch out one of my previous choices in favor of this clip. I have to admit, the video definitely looks a lot like an America’s Next Top Model shoot, but perhaps that is why it is fun? Either way, I LOVE this song, and I have really been enjoying the Sugababes new CD, also titled Change. Save one song, it is definitely their best to date. They should have just left that bad song off, and put Push the Button on there, and it would have easily been a 6-star CD, but alas, that didn’t happen. Here’s hoping they break through over here in America some time soon… these ladies are too good to be left to the rest of the world! You have fans here too girls!

Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_bleedinglove.mp3]
Leona Lewis was the winner of the most recent incarnation of X-Factor, kind of an “Idol” type show in the UK, the same show that brought us the swoon-worthy Shayne Ward. In any show that you have to “win” by showcasing raw live singing talent, you know that the winner is going to be able to at least do one thing, and do that well; sing. And Miss Leona can do just that. Not only can she really sing, I have to say, they really picked a great song for her with Bleeding Love, and after hearing it, I have been compelled to listen to it over and over. It is a really great pop song, and it is no wonder as to why it is the number one selling single in the UK right now. The song is great… I can’t vouch for the rest of the album, but this song is definitely a winner in my book.

Nicole Atkins – Kill the Headlights
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_headlights.mp3]
All I have to say, is that it is rare that I go to a concert, and I am wowed by the opening act (I must say though… in the case of some, they can become more of a favorite than the artist I intended to see… as is the case with Sara Bareilles). Last week when we went to see the Pipettes, I had never heard of Nicole Atkins, but that all changed once she took the stage. At first, I was slightly interested, but as she got warmed up, I really fell in love with her sound; a very old soul-sound with an almost child-like/innocent voice. I really enjoyed her at the concert, and got her CD after the show. One of the songs that stood out to me at the show was Kill the Headlights, and has proven to be my favorite from her record by far. If you enjoy Brandi Carlile (especially the more rock-twinged song The Story), I highly recommend Nicole Atkins, because she may have a similar voice, but she definitely takes her music in a different, and more weathered direction… and the result is really great.

Rilo Kiley – Smoke Detector
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_smkdetector.mp3]
I have to say, that the album, Under the Blacklight, by Rilo Kiley really took me by surprise. While I instantly fell in love with the song Silver Lining (which still remains one of my favorite songs from this year), the rest of the record had to slowly grow on me. And grow on me it did… this has turned out to be one of my favorite records of the year, and it really is a great one indeed. Smoke Detector is my one of my other favorite songs from the record; which will, by the way, have a place among my top spots for this year’s albums of the year.

Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_lazyeye.mp3]
Finally, the song from what I would label as the 2nd CD I most regret not hearing in 2006 (when it was released), because it would have surely have made my year end list of favorites, Lazy Eye is one of my favorites by the Silversun Pickups. I have featured them in a five song Friday of the past, but felt compelled to bring more love for the Silversun Pickups this week, because a dear friend confessed that she had never heard of them when asking if we wanted to go to a concert in which they were one of the featured acts. Well, we got tickets to the show, so I think now is as good a time as any to get acquainted with this fantastic group. The rest of the CD is awesome as well. I really do love this band!

Alright, there you go. Another five song Friday under my belt! I am really getting excited about the upcoming “31 days of CD suggestions” for my year end “best of” countdown… stay tuned!

And as always… have a great weekend, and tell me what YOU are tuning into!

concerts, flickr, happenings, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

the pipettes @ vinyl atlanta, 11/9/07

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Wow.

The Pipettes were AMAZING. They are such a kooky lot, and they danced and sang their way right into my heart. Seriously, as crazy as I was about them BEFORE the show, I am deeply, deeply in love with them now!!! They blew me away. I was also happy to be so close to the stage, and got to see a really great show.

The whole night was a lot of fun. Even the opening act, Nicole Atkins, was smashing as well. I downloaded her CD, and am enjoying it right now. She is quite the talent as well.

Overall, I am so pleased that I went to see the Pipettes. There is a reason that their debut album is one of my top picks for this year; it is amazing, and so are they. If you get the chance to see them in the future, I highly suggest you do!! These three ladies are amazing!!!

Here’s a LITTLE clip of “Pull Shapes” I managed to get (not great quality, but gives you the idea):

Also, here’s a link to the flickr set with the pictures that I took at the concert. I don’t know how I feel about them, because the quality is a little off, as it was really dark in the venue. I am sure that they are fine though, and I am being too hard on myself, but whatever… I had a fantastic night, so I guess that’s all that really matters!

all about me, concerts, happenings, the catch-all-egory

so shiny, and so wanted!

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So today, Mr. Jobs did it again; introducing the ipod touch… and yes, I want it!!!!!!!

But I think that I might wait… I want more than 16gb, after all. However… an ipod with internet?! Sweet! Also, does it take pictures? That would make it perhaps the most perfect piece of technology ever!!! Seriously though, how many of you are going to bite at this? How many of you are going to wait like me??

The only thing I could see getting me to give in is a moment of weakness… hopefully, I won’t have one of those! (because I KNOW that if I were to cave in and get this one, a better one would come out like 2 months later… that always happens to me!)

Also, I found out today that the glorious Pipettes are coming to ATL!!!! The concert is on October 16, at Vinyl, and I am SOOO there! Is anyone else interested in going? The tickets go on sale Friday, so let me know if you are in! I can’t wait to go and “pull shapes” with these lovely ladies! This is going to be an awesome show!

Hope everyone is having a great hump day!

all about me, concerts, the catch-all-egory, tragic, wtf?!

rain or shine? that just sucks!

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Tonight, we were supposed to go and see the Indigo Girls at the Botanical Gardens, but once the rain started pouring outside, I figured it would be best to try and find someone else to take these “rain or shine” tickets off of my hands. It sucks, because who wants to go to a concert, knowing that it is raining before they even show up?! Not us!

Well, we were lucky enough to have someone get back to me through craigslist, and she is buying the tickets from me! (Crossing my fingers that she is legit and actually shows up).

I am losing about $30 in the whole ordeal, but at least we will be able to enjoy the night dry and happy; rather than sopping wet at the show. I am sure it would have been fun for me a few years ago, but not now… maybe I am just getting old? Either way, I will be sure to look next time I buy concert tickets for an outside venue, and make sure that they aren’t rain or shine tickets.

concerts, flickr, happenings, mixed media, music musings, photography

MIKA @ Center Stage ATL June 16, 2007

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MIKA @ Center Stage ATL June 16, 2007, originally uploaded by duanecmoody.

Last night, we had the amazing pleasure of seeing the amazing MIKA at Center Stage. It was a sold out show, and MIKA more than delivered.

The show was amazing. MIKA is an amazing performer, and totally has the talent that he displays on his record. I was blown away with how awesome this 23 year old (!!) is. I will definitely keep my eye out for when he is in town again. Great show!

The opening act, Natalia, wasn’t really my style. I could have done without her. Additionally, between her and MIKA, there was this weird round of break dancing, which was kind of out there, and really went on too long. It got annoying.

There was this really odd gentleman who was to our right, up in the seats section, who had staked a claim on a handicapped person’s space, who literally performed routine after routine for the people in the crowd. It was quite entertaining, and made us wonder what he was on; because it was probably some good stuff.

The show was also taped, so that was kind of interesting to have this huge camera boom over our heads and in our faces all night. Perhaps I will be on a DVD some day. Who knows…

Overall, the show was awesome, and it ended (as you can get a feel from this picture), with the performance of Lollipop, with the whole band coming out in furry animal costumes. Once the song got going, these huge balloons filled the arena, and there was even a huge blast of confetti shot into the air. It was pretty amazing.

I guess I really can’t say enough positive things about the concert, and if you weren’t there, you certainly missed out. At least do yourself a favor, if you haven’t already, and check out the amazing MIKA! You won’t be sorry!!!