Concert Review: The Expendables.

Every once in awhile I'll go to a concert and will do my best to write a comprehensive review about it. And not just any review, I'll grade everything that goes into a good concert going experience (10 categories) and then average out that score out in the end. Grading scale goes from 1 to 10, 1 being the lowest score and 10 being highest.



Bands: Thirty Second Pulse, Kamikaze Pilot Corporation, The Expendables
Venue:Webster Underground


The Lowdown: A friend and I had seen The Expendables open for Less Than Jake a few months back and we wanted to check them out again. I've downloaded like three of there songs since the first time I've seen them (I've since gotten a full album). We got there late because I had work and we also skipped out early because we wanted to hit up a party (chicks dude).

The Venue: Webster Underground
Score: 5
The Webster Underground doesn't have much to offer. It's small and cramped, beer is pricey ($4 for a bottle of bud light?) and often times bands don't sound good. However on the plus side, it's small so you can see the band from wherever. Also if the band manages to sound good, they sound great. The opening bands didn't sound good. The Expendables sounded GREAT.

Price: $12 before hand, $14 at the door.
Score: 3
Seriously? $14 for an Underground Show? You're lucky I liked the band.

The Chicks
Score: 1
That's exactly how many attractive girls there were there and even she only looked good because of everyone else there. Also she was there with some guy.

Jail bait
Score: 4 (1 being full of it and 10 being none at all)
Please don't flaunt something you don't have. k thnx.

The Crowd
Score: 4
A bunch of high schoolers, nothing to look at (see chicks), a few random dudes and an apparent crack whore in what was a crowd of maybe around 50. So I wouldn't hang with these people but at least they were decent once the music started in that they didn't distract me from the band.

Ganja Factor
Score: 7 (1 being I could have gotten a contact high, 10 being sXe)
Considering this is a ska/reggae influenced band I was really surprised I only got a whiff of the stuff once and only from one very smelly, dirty kid. Also the band played a song called "Bowl for Two" and claimed someone had brought them excellent weed called "Expendaberries." Still though for being there from 8:30 to 11:45 I only smelled the stuff for a minute.

Hilarity Factor
Score: 7
This show was pretty funny. Between a fat kid skanking and what looked like a skinny ass 14 year old girl who didn't know how to dance in the crowd to the singers of the Expendables eyebrows moving in every which way while he sang it was pretty laugh filled.

Douche Factor
Score: 7 (1 being full of douches, 10 being none at all)
Not a whole lot to complain here. There was one kid who started dancing like an idiot right in front of me, but he moved aside later. Then there were your typical "Omg Letz start a PIT" high schoolers who banged around each other. For the amount of people there it got to a pretty good size, but it was full of people I could easily toss aside so nothing to worry about.

The Opening Bands: Kamikaze Pilot Corporation, Thirty Second Pulse
Score: 3
Missed the first band Kamikaze Pilot Corp. Thirty Second Pulse sounded like a bad jam band/Dave Mathews band. Could have been worse though.

The Main Act:
Score: 7
There's a reason I went to the show and it's called the Expendables. Their recorded albums don't capture how good these guys are. The guitar player is pretty amazing, and seems to play the entire show with his eyes closed. The singer/guitarist is an excellent vocalist (and his eyebrows as previously mentioned are very entertaining). The Bass player looks like he just escaped from jail but he can lay it down and the drummer also sings which is impressive. I was expecting them to sound awful at the Webster but to my delight they sounded just as good as they did when I saw them at Toads Place which is saying something. Unfortunately they played my three favorite songs by them relatively early which made it pretty easy to skip out early. I didn't feel bad though because I still got to see them play for about an hour and fifteen minutes. I've definitely got to recommend this band to anyone who enjoys a reggae/rock/metal sound. Look up the songs "Down, down, down" (linked below) "Let Loose" and "War Cry" for a nice mix of what they're about.
Pic Taken from My Cellphone



Average Score: 4.8

Final Thoughts:
The Expendables were the only redeeming quality of this show, but then again I wasn't expecting much and they were the only reason I went. Definitely check the band out and try to catch them if they're opening for someone (they're currently on tour with 311). However a show at a dive like the Underground with 50 people isn't going to be all the great overall.

The Expendables - "Down, down, down"

Gajit's Ear Worm Infestation: "Cells" By The Servant.

Every once in a while you end up with a song stuck in your head that you can't get out. Sometimes its a good thing other times its absolute torture. The Germans call it Ohrwurm or in English, ear worms. Every time one of these ear worms gains hold we'll post it up so others can share in our joy/misery.

It's been raining and cloudy for what seems like forever when this little song popped up on my Ipod and happened to match my darker mood. You may recognize it as the title track to the movie "Sin City." Although I believe it was slightly remixed in use of the movie. Here's the original version of it. "Cells" by The Servant

Venue Review: Webster Theater "The Good Kind of Sh*t Hole"

The Webster Theater and the Webster Underground
31 Webster Street. Hartford, CT
Capacity: Approx. 1200
www.webstertheater.com


First before we get under way with this review let it be known that the Webster was the location of my first live concert (Dexter Freebish and Everlast) so I may be slightly biased, but on we go.

A little History
The Webster Theater first opened back in the late 1930's making it one old ass building. Back then it was a movie theater for the surrounding community. It was popular until TV became popular and living in Hartford was not. By the 1970's the Webster had turned into was most non-multiplex cinemas across the country had turned into: A movie theater for porn. By the mid 80's the theater was refurbished and converted back into a regular theater, but when that didn't work out some guy decided "lets show concerts here instead." So they ripped out the seats and the Webster Theater as we know it more or less was born.

The Bad
First off the Webster is in Hartford. But I know what you may be thinking. "That's not fair, there's a lot of good bars and clubs in Hartford that are fine to go to." True, but they're all downtown. The Webster is located on the South end of the city straight up in the middle of the ghetto. There's a reason why they have paid parking and attendants right next to it. Parking on the street is at your own risk. And while 98% of people can say they've never had problems with the neighborhood, some people can. I myself, with a friend, while walking to the venue (we had parked on the street to save $5) were approached by some guy asking if we wanted to buy weed. Not that weird. When we declined he threatened to stab us if we didn't buy some the next time we came back....needless to say we walked around that area on the way back.

And while the venue from the outside looks nice and new, you gotta remember the building is from the 30's. It's old and thousands of people have been there. The place inside looks worn out. The floor is still in explicitly sticky (soda? butter? seamen?)and the hallway from the lobby to the theater itself fits 2 people across.

The last thing that sucks is when you walk in the theater you see two signs on either side of the stage. "No Moshing. No Crowd Surfing." Story is some dumb chick got dropped during crowd surfing, broke her hip and sued the venue. After that fun got killed. Now moshing is pretty hard to stop but if it gets out of hand security will break it up. If you crowd surf, security will pluck you from the crowd in front of the stage and show your ass the door. Most of the time people save crowd surfing for the last song that way they dont care if they get the boot.


The Good
Hartford and odd sticky floor aside the Webster does have some good to it, otherwise no one would go. Like other small venues its a great place to see bands up close. Unlike other small venues however, the floor isn't just flat. Because its a former theater, its inclined. Meaning even if you 5'5" you can still see the band from the back.

Oh I'm a midget but I can still see!

Also the bar area is in the back so even if you're getting sloshed it's a good view.

The sound and light shows at the Webster are pretty good for the headlining bands. They don't really take the time however for some of the smaller opening acts however and that makes them sound as crappy as they actually are.

The Webster also has some side goodies. They have a concession stand in the lobby where you can get (albeit bad) food and non-alcoholic drinks. They also have a second stage/room known as the Webster Underground. On most nights it acts as its own venue for small bands and crowds up to like 100. On large shows it acts as a second stage and it is opened up to be accessible from the lobby. The Webster also has a VIP lounge called the Lizard Lounge (a rip off of Toad's Lilly Pad?) where 25 people can rent out the room with a waitress and bar staff, private bathroom, private parking and a sweet 2nd floor view of the crowd and stage.

I'm an elitist prick!


Probably the most important part of being a concert hall is it's ability to draw in good bands to play which it has done. It also has a wide range of bands from Disney groups to Gwar. And as a huge plus tickets are usually cheap. Rarely have I seen tickets at the Webster over $25 (before charges that make you want to rip your hair out).

The Wrap Up
So ultimately the Webster holds a special, dirty place in my heart as it broke my concert going cherry. And while it does have it's faults, when it comes down to being a place to see great bands without breaking the bank, and being able to hear them it's top notch. Just don't leave your car windows open. Better yet make sure they can't get smashed in.

Conquering Some Zeppelins

Jam Band O.A.R. are currently the band I have seen the most in concert at the high number of 16 times. I am featured prominently on both of their live DVDs of 34th and 8th with my high school girlfriend singing along to Right on Time and then getting interviewed for the documentary on the Live at the Garden. The band has found decent success as of lately and they seem to be at that level of College fan favorites and just breaking into the Top 40 like DMB was when "Ants Marching" came onto the scene back in the day. I've got tons of bootleg concerts of OAR and compiled my own little Cover Song album of sweet songs from shows I've got. This includes "Burn One Down" "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Don't Think Twice It's Alright." My iTunes turned on shuffle is a master at bringing back songs I have forgotten about and felt the urge to post this Marc Roberge mashup of some sort. O.A.R. is playing their song Conquering Fools but play Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Ma'ker" AT THE SAME TIME

It's just too good not to hear how these two songs work great together. I don't feel bad posting the download here since O.A.R. started a bootleg site you can get all their shows off of these days. www.Liveoar.com



Conquering Fools (D'yer Ma'ker Version)

Scene in Boston: Taxpayer

This marks my first post on Left Turned Right and I am honored to be a part of such an excellent crew of people working to spread their common love of music. I am starting out with the beginning of what will become a regular segment from yours truly: Scene In Boston. I have the distinct pleasure of residing in Boston, MA and it just so happens that this city of 574,283 people has a pretty killer music scene. As I discover more bands from the Bay State, you'll get the down low right here on Left Turned Right.

TAXPAYER

For the purposes of MySpace, Taxpayer packages themselves as a rock/indie/alternative band and overall I agree with the assessment. As with any great band though, the label they apply to themselves does not particularly do them justice. With some definite indie rock flavor, it’s apparent that these guys borrow heavily from alternative bands like The Pixies. Their sound is difficult to describe but one thing is clear: they rock.

I had the pleasure of catching this five-piece from Cambridge a little over a month ago and they've been in heavy rotation on my car stereo, iPod, and computer ever since. As they took the stage at Great Scott in Allston that night, I turned to my comrade Kevin and smugly said, "Three guitars...they better be able to back it up." Back it up they did. I haven't been to a show that loud since I saw The Black Crowes play Toad's Place in New Haven four years ago. They weren't just loud though; they were powerful, tight, and wholly impressive.

Front man, and one third of their guitar wall, Jared Marsh is a highly energetic and passionate singer, and even has a pretty good sense of humor. Their main chops up front come from former Bang Camero guitarist Maclaine Diemer, who actually trades off between the axe and keys. That’s not to slight their other guitarist though, Mike Jones, who aside from sharing a name with the Houston rapper, channels the very best of what The Edge has to offer but with his own distinctive ambiance that fits into Taxpayer’s repertoire perfectly. Rest assured that if Jones can draw a comparison to anything involving U2, and have it be a positive one, it’s an accomplishment in and of itself. The rhythm section of Tim Peter, bass, and Rob Adams, drums, does their part by holding it down, while doing a great job of contrasting the three guitars. As for the interplay of the three guitarists, Taxpayer balances it very well using alternating rhythms, highly textured layers, and lead lines that accentuate the positive. Watching them play together is just as entertaining as the listening to the music they’re putting out.

I’ve been able to get my hands on two of their three full lengths, 2005’s Bones & Lungs and 2009’s Don’t Steal My Night Vision. Both albums are rock solid and present a band that has matured over the years while maintaining a sound that is all their own. Recommended tracks from Bones & Lungs include: Gifts With Strings Attached, When They Were Young, and Bottleneck. Highlights from Don’t Steal My Night Vision: We Have Arrived, Settle Down Ghost, and Night Vision. Overall, if you’re thinking of picking up either, I would recommend Night Vision as my favorite of the two.

Check them out and help support local music:
www.taxpayermusic.com
www.myspace.com/taxpayer

RIYL: Moros Eros, Cold War Kids, The Pixies, The Arcade Fire, The Killers

Better Than The Original

Sometimes an artist comes out with a song and you're like "ok thats a decent song." Sometimes its even a fantastic song, but something about the artist turns you off of it. Then someone else comes along, covers that song and it comes out 10X better. In this series we examine some of the best of those covers.

Kate Perry blows pretty hard but when Los Colorados, a Ukrainian polka band or something, covered "Hot 'n' Cold".... well it was pretty sweet.

Haven't Decided if this is serious or Not (NSFW)

So I saw this video a few weeks back and can't decide if its for real or a giant joke. Judging by the fact that its a real band, with an actual album coming out its the real deal. I just find it very hilarious. NSFW
Steel Panther "Death to All But Metal"