Friday, December 11, 2009

CONCERT CONDUCTION

LADY GAGA CHRISTENS THE Q.E.
reVIEwed by theRealist


So last night my girlfriend and I hit up the Lady Gaga show. I have so much fucking homework to do for finals (projects not tests which is worse) that is basically all due on monday or tuesday, and I work this weekend, so I was a little stressed to go, but I saw Gaga at the Commodore not long ago and she destroyed, so when I heard it was at the Q.E. with a huge budget, I said fuck it, I can pull some all nighters on the homework.

My girlfriend initially told me that she'd heard that the first band (semi-precious weapons) wasn't very good, so we didn't head there to see them in time, but somehow we got in there right as they were starting out. At first I was shocked. The lead singer was as flamboyant as a third degree burn. He was very gay. But he rocked it. It was like Davey Havok had he been in the Rockey Horror Picture Show. Anyways, their set was actually extremely impressive, and when I got home and checked out their myspace, I don't think I would have gotten into them if I hadn't seen them live. They are definately not a band for everyone, but because of their performance, I will keep them on my radar.

After they got off the stage (supremely hyping up the crowd for Gaga), Kid Cudi came on, and although he is a pretty simple act, he tore the place down. It was awesome how much control he had over the audience and just how humble he was toward the audience. I think everyone in there felt like they were close and personal friends with him.

After he got off, and before Gaga started, Michael Jackson started blaring over the house speakers and the whole bottom floor (we were row 10) started busting to the music. It was like a club at two AM. There were these two old women who were escorted in to their seats, all hunched over and decrepit. All of a sudden they are doing the sprinkler and the salt and pepper dance. It was fucking amazing!

Then of course the lights went down and a screen lit up. There was a grid on it, that had something (Gaga) growing out of it, and eventually you could make out the fact that it was Gaga jumping in a circle. She landed to a pound of a kick drum, and then a countdown started from one minute. A techno song busted in and the crowd went nuts.

I've never been to a rave or electro show, but fuck, if it was anything close to that first minute of waiting to Gaga, sign me up.

That inital build up continued for the rest of the set. There were so many highlights I can't even describe them all. Gaga coming out of a glowing cube, a video of Gaga in a white dress having someone puke on her, dancing with scrap metal, amazing outfits, sooo much smoke, techno songs between breaks, piano playing, singing, dancing, I mean fuck. What more could you ask for?

She dominated from start to finish and everything was impressive. She was not shy about being really off-key (not musically I mean personality wise) and she embraced it.

We had all embraced her as well, and become her little, "Monsters," as she put it.

Let's leave it at this:
I don't dance, but I was bumpin a little groove to Gaga last night.

BEST OF 2009

BEETLE'S BEST OF 2009


by beetle. OBVS

BEST OF 2009 // TOP 10 RECORDS
It’s Blitz – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Fantasies – Metric
Daisy – Brand New
On Fast Move or I'm Gone - Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar
It Hates You – He is Legend
Blueprint 3 – Jay Z
Manners – Passion Pit
Old Crows, Young Cardinals – Alexisonfire
Horehound – The Dead Weather
Embryonic – The Flaming Lips


BEST OF 2009 // RECORDS – HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Man On The Moon: The End Of Day – Kid Cudi
The Satanic Satanist – Portugal. The Man


BEST OF 2009 // LIVE SHOWS
Death Cab For Cutie - Pacific Coliseum
Jay Z - GM Place
Lady Gaga - QE Theatre
Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head - The Media Club
Coldplay – GM Place
AC/DC – BC Place
Flight of The Conchords – The Centre
Mother Mother – The Commodore Ballroom

Bachman Cummings – Abbotsford
Lights – The Biltmore Cabaret

THROW BACK

HOW DO YOU COOL YOUR LIPS?
LN LOVES JANN.



SOCIAL COMBUSTION

A LITTLE DIDDY ABOUT BEETLE
SPILLED BY B

Some songs just hit you. Some songs that you don’t necessarily think would resonate with you actually have the power to bring you to tears. I consider my self a very artistic person. Simply because I love finding the beauty in nature and things around me. I am a lover of entertainment, art, music, and any expression of someone’s inner philosophies. I let music take me in and breathe me out. i love feeling the melodies, harmonies and words expressed in an assimilated form. I let songs tell me their stories and I let them teach me from their experiences. When I find a song that understands me, that I can connect with, it is truly special.  A couple of months ago when my mom was put onto life support, Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” was that song for me. I listened to it to and from the hospital every day for three months. I found comfort in it’s lyrics and was soothed by it’s meaning. Last night, I had the pleasure of getting to see it live, coincidently just as my mom is being released from the hospital after a long and scary battle. I cannot even express the emotions that I felt hearing 2,000 people singing the song that brought me through some of my darkest days. It made me weak and brought me to tears. THAT is the very power that music has over me. It is everything. I live it, I breathe it, I become it. and I would have it no other way.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

SOCIAL COMBUSTION


GRAMMY NODS; LMAFO (NO PUN INTENDED)


BY ANALOG


The Grammy nominations came out this week and as usual, they are shit.  Beyonce and Taylor Swift dominate.  What a surprise.  They are the only thing close to superstars that North America even has despite being horribly unoriginal.  There are more R&B, Pop and Rap awards than almost all other categories combined which proves again that major labels don't care about anything but disposable, cookie-cutter, autotuned shlock.  In typical Grammy fashion, artists are nominated for awards they have no business in winning.  Brad Paisley is nominated for best rock instrumental and Dave Matthews is nominated for best rock album.  While both of those guys are many things, including both being ridiculously great guitar players, neither one is ROCK.  The Best Alternative category, although filled with great records by Brian Eno/David Byrne, Depeche Mode, Phoenix and Yeah Yeah Yeah's, is made the joke of the awards show by giving Death Cab for Cutie a nomination for their EP "The Open Door".  The category is best ALBUM.  Not best EP you dick-hammers.  I guess the RIAA was too busy thinking up new ways to beat a dead horse to think of another full length Alternative album worthy of a nomination.  It could be worse.  They could have nominated U2.

I could go on about all the other amazingly bogus things about the Grammys but I found that 1 category illustrates best just how much this awards show has its giant money-grubbing head in the sand.  BEST NEW ARTIST.

ZAC BROWN BAND

KERI HILSON

MGMT

SILVERSUN PICKUPS

THE TING TINGS


Seriously?  The only reason Lady Gaga isn't on this list is because of technicality in the rules (she was nominated for an award last year) and everyone, including the people nominated, know she is the REAL best new artist.  But that is just the beginning of the chaos at work here.  The Ting Tings debut record came out in 2008.  Their last single that anyone remembers ("Shut Up and Let Me Go") came out in 2008.  They are not new plus they suck.  Keri Hilson toured with Lil Wayne.  Wow.  YOU SUCK!  I have no idea who Zac Brown is.  Silversun Pickups are a great band.  They remind me of Smashing Pumpkins but without Billy Corgan's ego.  I have all their records.  Wait a sec.  Records?  That’s right, they have 1 EP, 2 full length albums and "Lazy Eye" off 2006's Carnavas was a bonafide rock-radio hit.  And finally, MGMT.  Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE MGMT and sang their praises up and down when Oracular Spectacular was released back in 2007.....let me repeat.  2007!!!!!  "But wait, I still hear Kids every day on the radio!" you say.  That song along with “Time to Pretend” and “Electric Feel” were all released as singles back in 2008.  How current.  How NEW.

Fear Not! I won't leave you with a horrible taste in your mouth from my jaded bitterness.  I give the final word to Lady Gaga.  It’s an excerpt from her interview with Ellen from November 27, 2009.  The first few minutes are the best when she flat out sticks it to every joke of a pop star who thinks that image is the only important thing in today's music culture.


Ellen: you’re not just a great singer, you’re a show, you’re an entertainer….and you actually sing, which is very important…
Gaga: I always think that’s funny when I meet people and they’re like “Oh my god it’s amazing, YOU SING!”  I’m like “Aren’t we supposed to sing?”
Ellen: you are supposed to sing
Gaga: it’s part of the gig isn’t it?  We have to sing live
Ellen: your title is SINGER you should sing
Gaga: SURPRISE!