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Iggy Pop

Post Pop Depression Tour

Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Denver, Colorado

April 2, 2016

It was a night of anticipation. Iggy Pop was returning to Denver. In an opera house, no less. Considering he invited hundreds of fans on stage with him the last time he rolled through the town with The Stooges, this was a surprising choice, if from nothing other than a damage deposit standpoint.

This was not a Stooges show. This was not an Iggy solo show. This was a whole other beast entirely. This was the Post Pop Depression tour. An album completing his unfinished Berlin trilogy that started with 1977's The Idiot and Lust For Life. The album was a secret collaboration between Iggy and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and it was a doozy, with the songwriting keeping the Berlin aesthetic while at the same time being its own completely unique creation.

So when a brief 20 date tour was announced, featuring Iggy, Homme, his QOTSA cohorts Dean Fertita and Troy Van Leeuwen, Chavez's Matt Sweeney and Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Sweeney, its safe to say expectations were high.

Expectations were high, but quickly met. Then exceeded. Then blown to smithereens. As the drums beat out the familiar stomp of Lust For Life and the curtain rose it was clear from the start that we were in for one hell of a show. With a simple, but elegant black stage with a white accent down the middle, Iggy came out dancing, jumping and grinding like it was his last show on earth.

The band was in beyond top form and despite their impeccable pedigree, it became very clear by the second song, Sister Midnight, that Homme and company were there only to serve the man of the hour. Not that he has ever needed any help looking good, mind you. His jacket was shed early on and the famous Iggy torso was on full display. The signs of age are there, yes, but we're talking about a man who has the energy of you, me and everyone you know, including that bastard kid of your best friend whom you no longer invite to dinner because he'll bring the little terror that has zero ability to sit still for just two fucking seconds.

The band played for almost two non-stop hours and was the tightest set these fading eyes have ever seen - comprised entirely of songs from Post Pop Depression, The Idiot and Lust For Life, with the only exception being the title theme from the 1984 film, Repo Man. A standout in a set of standouts.

After all these years, Iggy Pop remains a force of nature and a sight to behold. If the rumblings are true, and if this is indeed his last set of live performances, there isn't a better way for the man to go out. I mean this with the utmost sincerity - if you only have plans to see one tour this year, this is without a doubt, the one to see.

All photos: Kevin Fitzpatrick

Setlist

Lust For Life

Sister Midnight

American Valhalla

Sixteen

In The Lobby

Some Weird Sin

Funtime

Tonight

Sunday

German Days

Mass Production

Nightclubbing

The Passenger

China Girl

Encores:

Break Into Your Heart

Fall In Love With Me

Repo Man

Baby

Chocolate Drops

Paraguay

Success

Gardenia

Murder by Death

The Echoplex

Hollywood, CA

March 25th, 2016

Murder by Death are currently in the middle of one final tour before settling down and working on their next album. The band layed out a good 50-plus songs to play on this tour. The beauty of a Murder by Death show is they always have a diverse setlist. It's not something a lot of bands like to do. Many have been playing 80% of the same set for years, but Murder by Death always make their shows exciting. To top it all off, they're dedicating a portion of their sets to In Bocca Al Lupo, which is celebrating its ten year anniversary.

Joining Murder by Death for this part of the tour is Tim Barry. Some of you may recognize the name as he was the vocalist for the late and great, Avail. He's been on his own for years now providing the musical ether with his own brand of Folk-Punk. Fans of Murder by Death weren't the only ones in attendance. Barry's following made sure to show up to sing along to his vigorous set. Tim even took the time to step down to their level and play from the crowd.

Shortly after Tim Barry finished his performance, Murder by Death walked out to traverse many avenues of their repetroir. They opened with Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon's boisterous, "I Came Around." Not too long after they jumped from rowdy numbers like, "52 Ford," "The Curse of Elkhart," and "Ash," to more somber tracks like, "Lost River," "Strange Eyes," and "Big Dark Love." As can be expected though, they pulled out some surprises. Midway through the set, they did a sort of "David Bowie Tribute." One song was their own, "I Shot an Arrow," which frontman, Adam Turla, explained as being inspired by Bowie's musical prowess. The other was a cover of Bowie's own, "Moonage Daydream," which they recently covered for the band's Kickstarter covers album, As You Wish: Vol. 2. Naturally, the crowd went nuts.

Turla likes to take the time to banter and tell stories between songs. He told a short story about how they recently played in a venue across from Slayer recently in Portland. And because they can be such a humorous bunch, they dedicated the joyful love song, "Foxglove," to Slayer and the Devil. The band also delved into their deep cuts and played, "Good Morning, Magpie" -- a song they previously hadn't performed before this tour -- and the dreary, "Raw Deal," from In Bocca Al Lupo. They continued to honor In Bocca Al Lupo's anniversary with the explosive, "Dynamite Mine" and "Shiola." And of course, what Murder by Death set would be complete without, "Brother." Potentially, the band has probably grown tired of playing the hit, but it truly never gets old. It livens up any and all members of the audience. The same goes for Red of Tooth and Claw's, "Comin' Home." Setlist staples that I don't believe I'll ever get sick of. Sorry guys!

Unfortunately, there were no signs of anything from Like The Exorcist... but don't worry, judging from a couple setlists from nights before, they haven't completely ignored the album on this tour. Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them got a little love. Towards the end they threw in "Until Morale Improves, The Beatings Will Continue," but the icing on the cake was the encore. After coming back out to play "Fuego," Turla was having some problems with his guitar and had to switch it out. Low and behold, his legendary "flame guitar" lives! It's not something he pulls out often anymore, but it was the right guitar to have for the last song of the night, "That Crown Don't Make You a Prince." They had promised it earlier that night when someone called for it in the crowd. They couldn't have ended the night on a higher note -- almost literally.

If you have the chance to catch Murder by Death on this tour before they supposedly go into hiding this year, don't miss out. The band sounds as good as ever. No beats were missed on Dagan's watch. Fountain's additional backing vocals and instrumentation brings new life on tracks normally performed solely. Balliet's playing is always beautiful and graceful. Matt's deep tone kept the songs striding along, while Turla's voice has yet to crack after all these years. Best of all, you can keep you expectations high for songs you want to hear without feeling like it's hopeless. Go see Murder by Death.

Madonna

Allphones Arena

Sydney, AUS

March 19, 2016

Clickbait is a disease.

A virus spreading from self-professed arbiters of taste under the veneer of information.

According to the narrative of the latest headlines pertaining to Madonna’s Australian performances, M has become a “self-degrading alcoholic clown” because of an experimental, improvised and vulnerable one-off, free performance in an intimate setting for her fan club members in Melbourne.

Banal, mercenary, low-hanging headlines lacking context and nuances that prove to be, more often than not, simply inaccurate.

Dispensable trivia rooted in the notion that reality is a single path from one point to another without any ambiguity. 

Life is kaleidoscopic with no event existing in singularity, yet somehow we exist in a world where the labeling and pigeonholing of the narrow lens of one’s self-created social media feed is used to deflect from consuming more substantial fodder.

The rhetorical device of verbal and situational irony needs a bit more space than the confines of sensationalist headlines aimed at generating online advertising revenue at the expense of accuracy will allow.

References to the aforementioned fabricated “controversies” were made en masse when Madonna held court in Sydney, which marked the last stop of her globe-spanning Rebel Heart world tour:

A more two and a half hour long spectacular extravaganza encompassing a 25-song career spanning set list and unparalled visual variety ensued, which seemingly has found inspiration in Chinese New Year celebrations and artistry à la Cirque de Soleil.

Having been notoriously late during previous tours and more recent shows on terra australis, Madonna literally descended among us in a cage of swords as scheduled.

Not lacking the provocative imagery and button pushing performances the brand Madonna has become known for and despite being the perfectionist and disciplinarian she is, M was in a playful mood.

Reveling in the art of being Madonna, her recently trademarked “unapologetic bitchy” attitude and a myriad of costume changes, she commanded the stage, which was a long catwalk with a circular stage in the middle and a heart-shaped stage at the end: A hybrid of a heart, cross and an arrow allowing for ample opportunities for interactions with the audience.

Her crew of 20 dancers performed tightly choreographed themed theatrics - faux medieval executions, mock martial art fighting geishas, scantily clad pole dancing nuns, a S&M inspired orgiastic reenactment of the Last Supper and simulated sex acts embedded in a multimedia mélange of sound and light on a specifically designed kinetic stage, which allowed for acrobatic and scenic moments throughout the show.

Despite the highly engaging and at times borderline overwhelming feast for the senses, the more fragile moments of the show did not lack impact, e.g. when M was solo on stage playing a cover of Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose” with a ukulele.

With the seamless transition between staging, choreography, scenic props, performers, live musicians, lighting and video of a show like this it is not difficult to see Madonna has been a permanent fixture in the upper echelon of pop music’s elite over the last 30 years.

Her live performance naturalizes and complements her mediatized persona and is an uncontrived extension of her music videos.

Madonna live is in essence about enjoying oneself and a whole lot of fun.

One of the few remaining “one and only.”

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Photos by KAVV

Peter Case

Atwood's Tavern

Cambridge, MA

March 05, 2016

Atwood's has a rich history of showcasing a mix of diverse artists that have stood the test of time and Peter Case is just another fine example. This particular show on a Saturday afternoon was a treat for me being a lifelong fan of Peter's songwriting and playing. A three time Grammy nominee Case has a resume' that most musicians would die for. The first time I had heard of him was while he was in the punk band The Nerves. Their 1976 EP contained a tune called "Hanging On The Telephone" which had little impact when they released it until it was recorded by Blondie in 1978 on Parallel Lines which resulted in a smash hit for them and a bit of notoriety for Case. After the breakup of The Nerves in 1978 he went on and formed the band The Plimsouls in 1979. The Plimsouls had several tunes hit the charts from their first release like "A Million Miles Away" and "Oldest Story In The World". As a result of their popularity in California they were signed to appear in the film Valley Girls as the prom band. The band enjoyed cult status for a while which hit its peak after they broke up.

Peter has since enjoyed a solo career staying mostly within the Americana/Roots music genre and has released thirteen solo recordings. Case began to write his memoir (As Far As You Can Get Without A Passport - everthemore books 2007) covering his growing up in upstate New York in the early seventies and feeling the urge to grow as a musician. This led him on his journey across the United States searching for a place that would accept him and his sound. During that time the mantra in the music business was to get to California where he could hone his craft.

During the show Case covered songs from his newest release Hwy 62 which is full of musings derived from his daily life, like "Pelican Bay" which tells the story of a supermax prison located in the town that he lives in and the impact it has on both the residents of the town and the 3000+ prisoners locked up inside. Another gem he performed during the show was "All Dressed Up (For Trial)" a humorous take on getting arrested and having to go to court in a borrowed suit and tie. Other songs performed during the show were "Water From A Stone", "If I Go Crazy" along with his take on Dylan's "Long Time Gone". This being a solo show Peter filled in between songs with stories from his life from the early days as a sixteen year old living in upstate New York in a 6 bedroom house filled with 24 "roommates" to stories of living in San Francisco busking for enough money to eat that day, sleeping in abandoned cars at the junkyard and traveling up and down the Cali coast. Peter seems to have never given up on that rambling lifestyle, still busking albeit inside clubs rather than on the street, telling stories and writing music, detailing his discoveries. In a brief chat I had with Peter after the show he mentioned that he will be continuing to write his memoirs, something I hope he does because after reading his brief earlier release, the man has lived a life filled with music and some great stories, this will be interesting.

Sunn O)))

Manning Bar

Sydney, AUS

March 15, 2016 

Byron J. Scullin's bass bath performance installation, which was staged in steel structured, cold storage rooms at the Tasmanian port at Dark MOFO last year, was an enjoyable experience of sound and light: A large array of double 18" 2100-horsepower monolithic subwoofer speakers let a set of specifically tuned pure sinusoidal waveforms wash over one's body to create unique physical effects in the participants.

Light and scent enhanced the rumbling waves from the two bottom octaves of hearing between 30hz and 80hz.

"Bath" proved to be well chosen term as one felt soaked in sound, baptised in the circle of doom and drone and as having received the unholy sacrament of sound. While Scullin's installation lasted mere minutes, Sunn O))) celebrate their ritual of resonant, cacophonous feedback recycling and agonizingly slow riff cycling to create monolithic, tectonic soundscapes over 2 hours. 

Sunn O))) on recordings is interesting.

Live it is an experience.

A physical experience.

Physical as in changing one's molecular structure.

Once you enter the mass of Sunn O))), you surrender.

Sunn O))) hijack your body, make your corpse their instrument.

Their droning sonic onslaught will do the breathing for you as their hum resonates in your chest.

Vibrations.

Sound thickening the air more than the fog machines that have been pumping the venue full of dry ice prior to Sunn O))) materializing on stage.

A remarkably physically demanding yet meditative, massaging and relaxing experience, with the resulting tingling often prompting paroxysms of giggling in your humble narrator.

Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson, the two core members, are known for surrounding themselves with a varying cast of collaborators.

Tos Nieuwenhuizen orchestrating the synths would give Dr. Robert Arthur Moog the heebie-jeebies.

Longtime member Attila Csihar (formerly of Tormentor and Mayhem and countless collaborations such as with Current 93, Jarboe, Ulver, etc.) delivered operatic vocals, murmurs and demonic chants. A costume change at the end transformed him from the front-druid to a demonic Lady Liberty with laser beams emanating from his phalanges. More of an interdisciplinary performance artist than traditional front man.

A mesmerizing experience.

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Photos by T