Standing in line alone, listening to the cold wind whisper isn't as lonely as one might think. I had been debating greatly on whether or not I was gonna come to the show tonight ; the main thing holding me back was the sketchy area that the venue was located at. Did I really wanna go home at 11:00pm and risk running into some crazy homeless guy? "Ah fuck it", I thought to myself. The Rickshaw Stop sat right in the middle of Fell St, it's walls invaded with purple tentacles and flying eyeballs made it hard to miss if you were looking for it. Most venues would seem to accumulate a line about an hour or half an hour before the show but not the Rickshaw Stop. As a matter of fact, I was first in line which rarely happens for me. This was my first show I had been to since moving to San Francisco, I was excited to say the least. I had been listening to GØGGS for the past couple of days to familiarize myself with their debut album. I had seen Ty Segall play twice before this : once at The Echo in 2014 and another time at Teragram Ballroom at the beginning of this year. Both times he did not disappoint so I entered into the Rickshaw Stop with high expectations. I sat there patiently scanning the room until the show started. Examining the crowd Saying nothing they immediately jump right into their first song. The setlist of all the bands for that night have currently escaped my mind. Scraper set the stage though with some hard songs. The song that stood out in their set was a new song titled Misery. The crowd seemed to be pretty enthused about the band but you could tell that they were conserving their energy for something spectacular. A serious tone definitely laid awake within their lyrics. Sitting there observing you could tell each song told a small story of their lives ; an honesty in their lyrics. Scraper left the stage leaving me fulfilled until GØGGS would take the
was excited to attend the show, but I didn't know what to expect. I had always thought
The band consist of 8 members, Nathan East bassist/vocals, Andy Fairweather-Low, lead guitar/vocals, Steve Ferrone- drums, Chuck Leavell-key boardist, Ray Cooper- tambourines, Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles- vocals, and Eric Clapton- composer, rock n roll guitarist, lead vocalist. The band members dressed in casual attire. The band members were professionals, they knew exactly how to orchestrate every chord, they collaborated with the lead singer and each other in ways that wasn’t so noticeable to the audience but they knew which chords to use for every song, the band was a top notch team. The tempo of the songs were a mixture of fast, slow, to a medium style beat. The texture of the songs was homophonic and well put together lyrics. The style of the music was from the 1960s-1970s which genres were rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, jazz and blues.
The show opening was not your normal “seating lights off, stage lights on, start the show”...
As an intern for a television station, I see firsthand how strangely some people behave when you point a camera at them. Once, when I accompanied the camera crew to a local mall, we had trouble interviewing the manager because of all the teenagers who stood behind him, waving, grinning, and yelling out comments as if he or she were the reason the cameras were there. Among my favorite assignments is street interviews. When the interviewer tries to stop someone on the street to ask them a question, some people just shake their heads and walk on. Other people look at their shoes and mumbles the briefest possible answer. There is always at least one-star quality interviewee who looks directly into the camera and gives a polished answer that sounds
“Hello. Welcome to the show. We are the band R.E.M. (as you know). It is great to be back in (your city name here). Are you ready to rock and roll? Great. “It lingers for a few moments, then turns to black. A dark figure meanders to the front-center of the stage. A light flicks on, coming from behind the figure, creating a silhouette. Three others walk out, each picking up an instrument. One steps onto a large platform, sitting behind the drums. An orange light in the front turns on, slowly increasing in intensity. The figures, now lit, are easily identified. From left to right: Mike Mills (bass), Michael Stipe (voice), Peter Buck(guitar), and Bill Berry(drums). Stipe is wearing a white suit with black eye shadow, his eyes appearing as bottomless pits. He is holding a megaphone in his right hand, and he purposefully strides to the microphone. “This one goes out…to the Exxon corporation”, he declares, and the r...
It was New Year’s Eve. Often during so, the clubs and bars would be brimming with youth and underage teenagers waiting to count down to New Year’s Day. However, I spent my New Year’s Eve in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The sports arena was mostly crowded with middle aged adults and everyone was there not to watch a game, but to bid farewell to a legendary hair metal band, Mötley Crüe. The band’s career spanned three decades and they ended it all at the birthplace of hair metal - Los Angeles, California. I really enjoyed the show because even though the band has aged staggeringly, they managed to maintain the elements of a hair metal concert – face-melting guitar solos, pyrotechnics, female dancers in skimpy clothing, and to
Little did I know at the time, but this was going to be the longest bus ride of my life. A bus ride that was going to take me halfway across the state of California, it was going to feel like I was traveling through the last four years of my troubled teen life.
Once I let my thoughts return to the music, I knew what lie ahead of me. I tapped the nearest "big guy" on the shoulder and pointed towards the ceiling; the universal signal on the concert floor. He nodded, grabbed my foot, and pushed me on top of the crowd. Once I was up there was no turning back. Soon strong hands were surfing me towards the stage. I had the best view in the house and reveled in the moment. I was fueled by an adrenaline rush that was only heightened by the fusion of the music and the energy of the crowd.
Just before sunrise, on Oct. 12, 2003, the residents of Argyle Road in Brooklyn were woken by gunfire.
I am by myself wearing my blue jeans and an old flannel shirt. It is cool outside but I decided to leave my gloves at home, feeling comfortable with my warm shirt and my sturdy boots.
Without warning, the lights went dark. This was the moment I had been waiting for. My adrenaline went through the roof. The time had finally come that I would get to see and hear my first live concert.
After the show had ended, I felt slightly empty. I had waited years and months for that night, and it was over in the blink of an eye. Although I was sad that the show was over, I felt completely content. Now, when I hear their songs, I get to remember what it felt like to hear the band perform them live. I can watch the videos and try to wrap my mind around how it was real. Going to my first concert was an unparalleled experience that I will always cherish. The ambiance, the band’s performance and the unity the audience
Though, I knew it wouldn’t be the same as a concert, I still intended it to be similar. To my surprise, it was a completely different atmosphere. Overall, I did enjoy it, but there were a few things I disliked. I wasn’t a fan that the majority of the songs performed by Anthony Lovano’s band had no words. I didn’t like this, because that is my favorite part about the concert; getting to sing along with the band. When only two songs had words, I was confused how the band could ever interact with the audience to build their reputation. This being said, that is the second part I disliked; lack of participation with the audience. A member of the band would announce the song being played, with few explaining the meaning behind it and then they’d perform. I disliked this because I always find it more entertaining to interact with the performers. I think it’s exciting when they let you sing part of the song, while they play the music or when they just talk to you about their day in between songs. Again, I have only ever gone to a concert before, so this is all I was able to base it off
I often think of Robert Frost’s phrase, “I took the road less traveled by” when brushing against dirt, rocks, or grass on a trail. While following a single stretch of a path, whether that road leads in a curve or in a straight line, I notice a myriad of branches to trails that I normally classify as detours. Is that what Robert Frost means when he says he traveled a road less traveled by others?