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

Set List: Josh Ritter at Diesel, May 18, 2010

Let me know if you think I missed any...

Full band:
1. Change of Time
2. Southern Pacifica
3. Rumors
4. Folk Bloodbath
5. Right Moves
6. Good Man
7. Rattling Locks
8. The Curse
9. Lark
10. Wolves

Solo:
11. Monster Ballads
12. The River (Springsteen)
13. In the Dark [without mic]
14. Kathleen [as band rejoins]

Full band:
15. Girl in the War
[Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabelle Lee" read by Ritter's father]
16. Another New World
17. Harrisburg --> Wicked Game --> Harrisburg
18. Lantern
19. To the Dogs or Whoever

Encore:
20. Moon River
21. Snow is Gone
22. Wait for Love [dedicated to "Dan", who repeatedly requested "Lillian, Egypt" during the show]

Thanks to YouTube user ejg5068 for the posted video and a few others.

Beach House will kick off summer in Pittsburgh

I normally just update the concert calendar without mentioning it in a post, but I thought this merited a mention given their excellent new album, the growing hype behind it, and--much as I honestly love snow--the urgency with which I pine for summertime to arrive.

BEACH HOUSE
Plus a special guest
Weds, June 16, 2010 7:00 PM
DIESEL

Here's their latest track, "The Arrangement":

Eulogies and more [WILL NOT BE] at Diesel on Friday

Of the Dears, Eulogies, and Great Northern, the only band I can speak of with any real familiarity is Eulogies, and as for them I can say I’m a big fan.

I’d heard a few tracks from the Homsepun Sessions before they opened for Good Night, States back in March. Unfortunately, I was running late that night and only caught the last two songs of their set. Nonetheless, I liked what I heard and bought a copy of the new CD, Here, Anonymous.

For about a month I kept the disc in my car and listened to it mostly on rainy nights, as I'd bought it on one such evening and it seemed to fit that mood nicely. Then one afternoon my girlfriend tossed it in on a sunny day while driving through the hills, and I couldn’t believe how great it sounded with the volume up and the windows down. Eulogies remind me of Sebadoh in that sense--their lo-fi feeling doesn’t lose brightness, and they can weave sounds that seem to mold to a setting. I have to think Lou Barlow would be a fan, too, and maybe he is for all I know.

But all I know is this: they play Diesel this Friday amidst a solid lineup. The problem is, of course, that Diesel holds concerts between about 7 and 10 p.m., before shutting down the music and throwing open the doors to welcome all good 'bags and 'baguettes in search of the Goose. That means that the Pens will be facing off against the Caps right about the time the show starts, which does not bode well for attendance. However, put one point in the "pros" column for the fact that Diesel will surely have the game on upstairs, so if you're in the 21-plus crowd get a seat between the TVs and the stage and multi-task your Friday entertainment.

As for the Dears and Great Northern, I like what I've heard and I’m looking forward to both. In particular, Great Northern's new disc is solid and refreshing. For more on both bands, see what the Music Slut had to say about their performances earlier this week in NYC.

Download:
Great Northern – “Houses”

EDIT: As good old Anonymous has pointed out in the comments, this show appears to have been nixed. Per the Joker website:

The Dears
CANCELED
Plus Great Northern & Eulogies
Fri. May 8, 2009

Concert Review: Josh Ritter at Diesel

Diesel is a strange place to see a concert. They have a good soundsystem, but the place has odd acoustic qualities depending on where you stand (this was especially apparent on Sunday night when both the opener and the headliner seemed to want the vocals turned up when the vocals were already too loud). On top of that, it’s hard to ignore the greasy nightclub vibe and the awkward layout, which, unless you arrive early, almost guarantees you an obstructed view. That said, the venue still works well for a rock show, as they do a nice job with lights and it has an industrial feel to it.

For all these reasons, Diesel should not lend itself well to a folky concert, but Josh Ritter—with plenty of help from a stellar backing band—has managed twice now to prove otherwise. It says a lot for this modern troubadour that his traditional yet understated live presence moves astonishingly well between small coffeehouses, large theatres and, apparently, even nightclubs.

Usually outfitted in a slim suit and tie, as he was Sunday, Ritter is always appreciative of his audience and rarely stops smiling when in the presence of fans, on stage or off. After a solid opening set by Mark Erelli (imagine the spawn of Paul Simon, Ray Lamontagne and Clay Aiken), Ritter kicked things off with “Rumors,” a rocker off his last full-length that woke the crowd up and set the tone for the rest of the show. While the night held plenty of Ritter’s old standards, he wasted no time in testing out some of his new material, playing three new tunes in all. The real standout of these was “The Curse,” a stirring waltz about a love affair with a mummy, full of wordplay and surrealism.

Fortunately, Ritter was only met with boos once during the set—after dedicating “You Don’t Make it Easy Babe” to Villanova. Too soon? Yes. Not surprisingly, the night’s loudest applause came from the many ladies in the audience when the band broke into a crowd favorite, “Kathleen,” during which Ritter interjected some lighthearted romantic musings as he often does and even took to his knees for the final verse.

After a great rendition of “Monster Ballads” (a personal favorite from his catalogue) and another exceptional new tune, Ritter was a bit uneven on a few of his classics, “Bad Actress” and “Harrisburg,” but quickly turned things around closing out the main set with a thoroughly energetic “To the Dogs or Whoever.”

Without delay, Ritter returned to the stage solo for a Springsteen cover which saw Ritter stepping to the fore of the stage for a few unmiked verses, a trick which usually works well but was sullied this time by a noisy barstaff. Finally, Ritter finished out the show by inviting the audience to join him afterward at Dee’s Café and launching into his much-loved sing-along, “Snow is Gone.”

But that wasn’t it for him. The consummate entertainer, Ritter immediately moved to the floor to filter through his fans, still smiling. It’s clear watching this guy that he finds a lot to love in life, and perhaps chief among those things are music and his fellow man. Surely everyone leaving the show on Sunday took a little of that love along with them.

Setlist:

1. Rumors

2. Right Moves

3. Love Me (?) (new song)

4. Lilian, Egypt

5. You Don’t Make it Easy, Babe

6. The Curse (new song)

7. Roll On

8. Mind’s Eye

9. Kathleen

10. Monster Ballads

11. Another New World (new song)

12. Bad Actress

13. Harrisburg

14. To the Dogs or Whoever

Encore:

15. The River (Springsteen)

16. Empty Hearts

17. Snow is Gone

Download:

Josh Ritter - "The Curse" (Mediafire link)

New Josh Ritter Song: The Curse

Josh Ritter played a handful of new songs last night at Diesel. The unquestionable standout among them was “The Curse,” a stirring waltz about (I think) a love affair with a mummy. Full of wordplay and surrealism, the song is evocative of “The Temptation of Adam” off The Historical Conquests and is, in my mind, among Ritter's best lyrical work to date.

Full setlist and review of last night's show a little later. For now, enjoy...

Download:
Josh Ritter - "The Curse" (Mediafire link)

Sunday's quandary

Josh Ritter will be in the Southside, while the Heartless Bastards will be in Millvale. Both are known to put on a great show. It's a tough one, but I gotta think you can't go wrong either way.

Here's Erika Wennerstrom and her band last week down in Austin:


And here's Ritter and his a few days ago in Charlotte:


Godspeed.