Thursday, June 17, 2010

An open plea to Diesel

Dear Diesel,

Beach House was pretty good last night. They sounded really good, actually. Problem is, I couldn't see a thing for most of the show.

I skipped the opener, so the place was already packed when I arrived. The floor was so crowded there was really nowhere good to stand without blocking someone else. My own fault, I admit, for arriving late. So I tried upstairs, which I'm sure you're aware suffers from even worse visibility problems than it previously did, thanks to the recent renovations (which I know the clubbers--who surely account for a bigger portion of your revenues--love, so I can't fault you that).

I was able to get into a corner by the door for a little while where I could sort of see the drummer from behind, but then someone told me I couldn't stand there. I got a beer and found a spot on the back wall and gave up on trying to see anything. I listened to the music, and I enjoyed it.

All of this is just precursor; I knew what I was getting into when I bought a ticket to a Diesel show. You guys have a great soundsystem, terrible visibility issues, and Joker's been booking some solid acts there lately. But let's get to the point, to the puzzle: I counted six TVs that weren't turned on and were easily visible to the 30% or so of the crowd who could not see the stage.

So, why not set up a closed circuit, aim a fixed camera on the stage, and display concerts on those fancy hi-def screens in the future, a la Thunderbird?

Very truly yours,
Roberto

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

My Current Favorite Songs As I Journey South

As I am preparing for a short vacation at the end of this week, I thought that I would pass along my list of current favorite tracks for all inclined to follow along with my musical tastes:

Pa Pa Power by Dead Man's Bones - Can't get this song out of my head. It is so catchy it should come with a warning.

Chase Scene by Broken Social Scene - Awesome track for driving fast. I feel like I'm in a Steve McQueen movie whenever I listen to it.

Life Coach by Fang Island - Another song that is amazingly catchy and is constantly on my rotation.

Dance Yourself Clean by LCD Soundsystem - Great track by Mr. Murphy. No one builds a better electro-track than this guy. The song just grows and grows until it erupts in all of its electronic splendor.

Tell 'Em by Sleigh Bells - This track explodes from my speakers every time I hear it. Heavy fuzz at its absolute finest.

Tighten Up by The Black Keys - When they break it down at the 2:35 mark, I just can't help but smile at the genius of it all. I wish that I could write gritty blues licks like these two guys.

Bonus track from the archives - Let It Loose by The Rolling Stones - very underrated song from Exile on Main Street. Very bluesy and soulful. Great vocals by Mick on this one and one of my all time favorite Stones songs.

Enjoy!