Tyler Hilton

On Monday, April 9th, 2012 I saw Tyler Hilton at the Tin Angel in Philly. Tyler is another musician who displayed his music and was a character on the show One Tree Hill. That's how I first discovered him. He played Chris Keller on the show - an egotistical musician who almost broke up a marriage, went away for a few season, and then returned for the last season. In the last season, he showcased a couple of songs from his latest CD and I found him to be the comic relief in a season with a lot of drama. Anyway, the only songs I really knew were the songs played on One Tree Hill. I downloaded his newest CD, Forget The Storm, a few weeks before the show and fell in love with every track.

Hilton isn't stupid - he knows that most of his fans follow his music because of the One Tree Hill fame. He ended up playing a lot of older songs that appeared on the show, along with some of the tracks off his latest release. He had a great stage presence and communicated with the audience a lot. He's got a hilarious personality. My only complaint all night was some groups of girls would clap off beat to almost every song...even the slow songs! I mean, I'm all about the hand clapping - when it's appropriate. This got ridiculous at some points. Other than that, it was an awesome show and you could tell he enjoyed playing for this particular crowd. My friend, Joanna, and I even got a chance to meet him afterward (couldn't get a picture because there were so many girls who stuck around after) and he was super nice. Overall I would definitely go back to see him perform live again. I included the set list and some videos I took with my iPhone (we were in the back of the room, so they're not the best, but the sound's decent). I also included a couple of other videos I found on YouTube so you can check out some of his songs.

Tyler Hilton's Set List - Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA - Monday, April 9, 2012
Kicking My Heels
Sunset Blvd.
Missing You
Glad
You'll Ask For Me
Ain't No Fooling Me
Keep On
Can't Stop Now
Prince of Nothing Charming

My video of Tyler Hilton performing the cover "Missing You"
My video of Tyler Hilton performing "Loaded Gun"
Tyler Hilton on One Tree Hill performing "Loaded Gun"
Tyler Hilton performing "Kicking My Heels"

Grumpy Monkey Puss (GMP)

That's the name of the cover band I've been singing with for a little over a year. For the past year or so, we've been holding practice most Friday nights with the intention of eventually playing out somewhere, but for the most part it was something we did for fun. Over the holidays, we finally decided to book our first gig at a local bar called Joe's. We ended up playing at Joe's a couple of weekends ago on February 18th, 2012. I think we were all pretty anxious about the gig and were curious as to how we would do for the first time playing out. We spread the word through Facebook, texts, and emails, and ended up getting a really big crowd to come out and support us (it was actually a lot more than Joe's expected, because they weren't very well prepared for our huge fan base lol). I've sang in front of people at karaoke weekly the past few years without getting nervous, but for some reason I was a nervous wreck all day beforehand. I was fortunate enough to have awesome support from my friends, my family (and even family who traveled from Pittsburgh and North Carolina) and my boyfriend, but I just couldn't calm down. It wasn't until I sang my first song (Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason") that I finally calmed down and started to enjoy the moment. Overall, we did a great job for it being our first gig, and I think we all had a great time. Hearing all of that applause and cheers after each song is definitely an addicting feeling.

This gig also made me realize how blessed I am to have such a great support system...from family members to close friends to my boyfriend. Many of the people I love came out to support our band and it was very comforting seeing their faces in the crowd. I made sure I let each and every one of them know how much I appreciated it...they all rock! :-)

We haven't booked our next gig yet because we're working on new songs for a third set, but I'm sure we'll continue to have a great time playing out in front of our friends and family...and who knows, maybe we'll gain a bit of a fan base! ;-) Below, I included the link to our band page on Facebook which includes a lot of pictures from this first gig, so if you're on FB make sure you "like" our page! I also included YouTube links to some video that was shot from our gig.

GMP's Facebook Band Page

GMP - One Way or Another
GMP - Give Me One Reason
GMP - Sweet Home Alabama/Gimme Three Steps
GMP - Keep On Rockin' In The Free World (with our opening band, "Shoot For Noon" and my boyfriend, Adam, on drums)

Miranda Lambert in Hershey

Last Friday, February 17th, 2012, I went to the Giant Center in Hershey, PA for the Miranda Lambert show. I've seen her a few times before, but I was excited to hear her perform some of the music off her newest cd, "Four the Record." Jerrod Niemann and Chris Young opened up for Miranda on the On Fire Tour and they did an awesome job getting the crowd ready for the main act. I really like the Giant Center as far as arena venues because it's an arena but has an intimate feel to it since it's smaller. Miranda performed a majority of her hit singles from her past albums and about six songs from her latest album. She also did a great cover of "Free Girl Now" by Tom Petty. One of my favorite moments was during the encore when she sang Patsy Cline's "Crazy." That's one of the first songs I remember belting out in my basement as a kid when I had my first karaoke machine, so that definitely brought back memories. Miranda did not disappoint, as usual. Even though she's happily married to Blake Shelton, she still has that sassy, bad ass personality when she's singing songs like "Baggage Claim" and "Gunpowder and Lead." Although she also has the ability to show her sensitive, girly side when she performs "Over You" and "House That Built Me." I included the full set list and two videos I shot during the show below.

Miranda Lambert's Set List - Giant Center, Hershey, PA - Friday, February 17, 2012
Fastest Girl In Town
Kerosene
Heart Like Mine
New Strings
Over You
More Like Her
Baggage Claim
Fine Tune
Up Around The Bend (CCR cover)
Maintain the Pain
Dead Flowers
Famous in a Small Town
Only Prettier
Free Girl Now (Tom Petty cover)
Mama's Broken Heart
All Kinds of Kinds
The House That Built Me
That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round
Gunpowder and Lead
White Liar
-Encore-
Crazy (Patsy Cline cover)
Honky Tonk Heroes (Waylon Jennings cover) w/Chris Young & Jerrod Niemann

Miranda Lambert performing "Baggage Claim"
Miranda Lambert performing "Mama's Broken Heart"

The Civil Wars

On October 25, 2011 I saw The Civil Wars at The Trocadero Theatre. This was the first time I had seen The Civil Wars live. To be honest, I didn't hear their music until this past summer. I had heard of them a few times on Twitter through some celebrities that I follow and I heard they opened for Adele in her last tour in the US. Well, anyone who is handpicked by Adele has got to be talented. I was hooked from the moment I heard the first song, "Poison & Wine." The Civil Wars consists of two people, Joy Williams and John Paul White. Their harmonies are unbelievable and you would think these two are married or at least lovers because of the chemistry between the two of them, but they're actually both married...to other people. You really feel like they're singing to each other when you see or hear them perform. They have a very raw sound...most of their album is basically their voices, a guitar, an occasional piano and violin. They released their debut album, "Barton Hollow," in February 2011, but they actually released a live album, "Live At Eddie's Attic" back in June 2009. I love both albums, but "Live At Eddie's Attic" is my personal favorite because you get a chance to hear their banter in between each song, which is adorable and quite humorous. It's hard to pick some of my favorites, but if I had to choose it'd have to be, "I've Got This Friend," "Poison & Wine," "Falling," and "Tip Of My Tongue." They also do an amazing and very rare version of the Jackson 5's cover of "Billie Jean." Unfortunately I wasn't able to take any video because I wasn't close enough to the stage, but I did include some live video from some YouTube videos I found. I also included the set list below.

On another note, it was my first time at The Troc, and I was very impressed. The sound was great, and the overall atmosphere was really unique. The Troc originally opened in 1870, and over the years it housed musical comedies, vaudeville, and burlesque shows. I believe they remodeled the theatre in 1986 to be used more as a concert hall. There is so much history in the building and I really enjoyed the old school feel to it. Downstairs is the main floor where the main stage is with a concession stand in the back. Upstairs is the bar area, a balcony seating area, and a smaller stage in the back of the bar where they have smaller acts come to play when there isn't an act on the main stage. All in all, I will definitely be on the look out for some more shows at The Troc because I'm a big fan. :-)

The Civil War's Set List - The Trocadero Theatre, Philadelphia, PA - Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
Tip Of My Tongue
Forget Me Not
From This Valley
20 Years
I've Got This Friend
My Father's Father
Barton Hollow
Falling
C'est la morte
I Want You Back
New Song - "Oh, Henry"
To Whom It May Concern
(unknown song)
Poison & Wine
-Encore-
Billie Jean
Dance Me To The End Of Love

The Civil Wars cover of "Billie Jean" (LIVE)
The Civil Wars performing "Poison & Wine" live
The Civil Wars performing "Falling" live
The Civil Wars performing "Barton Hollow" live
The Civil Wars performing "I've Got This Friend" live
More Info about The Civil Wars on Wikipedia

TFDI @ World Cafe Live

On October 11, 2011 I went to see the TFDI Tour at World Cafe Live (Upstairs) in Philadelphia, PA. TFDI usually consists of Matt Duke, Jay Nash, and Tony Lucca, but unfortunately one third of TFDI could not make the World Cafe Live show last minute due to personal obligations. I must admit, I was bummed to hear this news on Tony's Facebook page because I love seeing the three of these guys together and when you put their voices together the harmonizing is incredible. Although, I was confident that Jay and Matt would still put on a good show, and I was happy to find out that I was right. Luckily the other two thirds of TFDI are still entertaining - not only are they talented musicians, but they can be quite comical, as well. Jay started the show, singing some of his own tunes and eventually Matt joined him on stage to sing some Jay Nash songs with Jay. Then Jay left the stage and Matt sang some of his songs and eventually Jay joined Matt to sing some Matt Duke songs. Then the boys started the "TFDI" portion of the evening and sang some of their songs from the two TFDI albums they released (if you want more information about what TFDI is, check out one of my previous blog posts). They weren't able to do some of the songs because Tony is the main singer in those songs, although I got video of them performing "Heaven With a Broken Heart" and Matt did an amazing impression of Tony when Tony's part of the song came up. Overall, it was an excellent evening spent with Mr. Duke and Mr. Nash. They actually played over two hours worth of music. As always, I look forward to the next time TFDI rolls through Philadelphia and hopefully all three guys will be able to be there. :-) I took video with my iPhone of some of the songs from the night, so definitely check those out. Plus, I included the full set list below.

TFDI's Set List - World Cafe Live (Upstairs), Philadelphia, PA - Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Jay Nash - Till I Get Through
Jay Nash - The Siren
Jay Nash - "Stand Tall" (not sure the exact title of this one)
Jay Nash - Wayfarer
Jay Nash w/Matt Duke - Golden State Goodnight (Jay Nash song)
Jay Nash w/Matt Duke - Hard Lesson (Jay Nash song)
Jay Nash w/Matt Duke - Baby Tornado (Jay Nash song)
Jay Nash - Unshakeable
Matt Duke - Needle and Thread
Matt Duke - Kangaroo Court
Matt Duke - M.L.T.
Matt Duke - I've Got Atrophy On the Brain
Matt Duke - Kingdom Underground
Matt Duke w/Jay Nash - Sex and Reruns (Matt Duke song)
Matt Duke w/Jay Nash - Love You Anymore (Matt Duke song)
-TFDI songs- (performed by Matt Duke and Jay Nash)
Stranger in a Strange Place
Sweet Talking Liar
Heaven With A Broken Heart
Slow It Down
Lover I Don't Have to Love
The Weight (The Band cover)
-Encore-
American Girl (Tom Petty cover)
Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel cover)

Jay Nash performing "Unshakeable"
Matt Duke performing "I've Got Atrophy On the Brain"
Jay Nash & Matt Duke performing the TFDI song "Heaven With A Broken Heart"
Jay Nash & Matt Duke performing the TFDI song "The Weight" (The Band cover)
Jay Nash & Matt Duke performing "Sledgehammer" (Peter Gabriel cover)

Kate Voegele & Parachute

On October 10, 2011, I saw Kate Voegele and Parachute at the World Cafe Live (Downstairs) in Philly. I've seen Kate a few times now, so I knew what to expect from her performance and as usual, I wasn't let down. (If you want to know more about Kate Voegele, check out some of my previous posts about her.) Unfortunately, there were some serious problems with the sound during her set. Granted, it was the first night of the tour, but she had to keep communicating to the sound technician during her set about fixing certain aspects of the sound. I give her a lot of credit, because most artists could have gotten really pissed off, but she kept her cool and joked around about it. With the exception of the sound issues, I thought she did an amazing job. One of the highlights was her version of the Bruno Mars song, "The Lazy Song" (I actually got video of the whole thing, so definitely check that out, below). Another great thing about Kate's set is that it was probably the most amount of songs I've seen her perform. Usually she's an opening act for bigger artists, but she was a co-headliner this tour, so she was able to perform more of her music.

Kate Voegele's Set List - World Cafe Live (Downstairs), Philadelphia, PA - Monday, October 10, 2011
Impatient Girl
I Won't Disagree
Angel/Chicago medley
Sandcastles
It's Only Life
Only Fooling Myself
The Lazy Song (Bruno Mars cover)
Heart In Chains
Blue Sky Beautiful (a new song of hers - first time she ever performed it live)
Enough For Always
Forever and Almost Always
99 Times
Till The World Ends (Britney Spears cover)

Kate Voegele performing "The Lazy Song" (Bruno Mars cover)
Kate Voegele performing "Heart In Chains"
Kate Voegele performing "Forever and Almost Always"

Parachute performed after Kate Voegele. I had never seen Parachute live and had really just started listening to their music because I knew they were playing with Kate and I wanted to know some of their tunes. When I started listening to Parachute, I was pleasantly surprised and was really looking forward to seeing them live. Well, they didn't disappoint at all. They're a really talented band and a lot of fun to see live. I'm always a fan of any band that uses a lot of different instruments, which is what Parachute does on stage. They had a lot of energy, too, which is always a plus. I would definitely go see another Parachute show if they come to town again. I took some video of a couple of their songs as well and included those links below.

Parachute's Set List - World Cafe Live (Downstairs), Philadelphia, PA - Monday, October 10, 2011
American Secrets
Ghost
She (For Liz)
White Dress
Halfway
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting (Elton John cover)
Kiss Me Slowly
She Is Love
Back Again
Something to Believe In
What I Know
- Encore -
Forever and Always
Under Control

Parachute performing "White Dress"
Parachute performing "Halfway"
Parachute performing "She Is Love"

Boyz II Men 20th Anniversary Show

On September 17, 2011, I went to see "An Evening with Boyz II Men" at the Temple Performing Arts Center in Philadelphia, PA. Like most people, I was always a huge fan of Boyz II Men since the 90s, but I never had the opportunity to see them live before...until now. The Temple Performing Arts Center is an old church, so it was a very intimate setting and our seats were fairly close to the stage. The "Boyz" basically sang most of their popular songs (with a cover or two) with an orchestra backing them up. It was truly a night of real music, and I'm pretty sure everyone in the audience had permanent goosebumps the entire show. Between the beautiful music coming from the orchestra to the incredible voices of Boyz II Men, it was definitely a show to remember. The only downer was that the bass singer, Michael McCary, left the group in 2003 due to health problems, so he wasn't at the show. It was a bummer not having those fantastic monologues in the middle of the songs like back in the day. I took some pictures at the show (not the best, but decent) and a couple of videos, so be sure to check them out. Like always, I included the set list from the show below, too.

Boyz II Men's Set List - Temple Performing Arts Center, Philadelphia, PA - Saturday, September 17, 2011
Oh Well
On Bended Knee
Four Seasons of Loneliness
Girl in the Life Magazine
Water Runs Dry
I Will Get There
(Intermission)
Open Arms (cover by Journey)
Easy (cover by The Commodores)
I'll Make Love To You
Song For Mama
So Amazing
End of the Road (Encore)

Boyz II Men performing "End of the Road"
Boyz II Men performing The Commodores' "Easy"
Boyz II Men performing "Water Runs Dry" (only about a minute)

Kate Voegele & Natasha Bedingfield

Last night, Sunday, June 12th, 2011, I saw Kate Voegele open up for Natasha Bedingfield at the TLA in Philly, PA. I initially got the tickets because I am a huge Kate Voegele fan. Not only is she an amazing musician, but she also has a role on one of my favorite TV shows, One Tree Hill. I've actually seen her a few times, and I've seen Natasha once before, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. My friend and I were really happy that we also got to meet Kate after the show. She signed her CD for us and then took a picture. :-)

Kate's set was a little shorter than I would have liked, but I guess that happens when you're one of the opening acts. She played mostly songs from her new album, Gravity Happens, which came out last month, and then played one or two songs from her other two CD's. I shot video of her performing one of her new songs, "Sandcastles," (which I included the link below) because I really enjoy the lyrics to that specific song. That's one thing I do love about both of these ladies - they write fantastic lyrics that you can really relate to.

Set List - Kate Voegele - TLA, Philly, PA - Sunday, June 12th, 2011
Say You're Mine
Impatient Girl
Enough For Always
Heart In Chains
99 Times
Sandcastles
Kindly Unspoken

Natasha's set was filled with a good mix of songs from all three of her CD's. She's another musician with a great voice, and she's fun to watch on stage. She gives off a positive, carefree energy, and it reflects in the lyrics of all her songs. She loves to move around on stage, too. I don't think she really gets enough credit for her music. Most people think of her as the artist who's song "Unwritten" was the theme song to The Hills show on MTV. But you should really look into all of her music. Her lyrics are very relatable. I shot some good video with my camera of her performing the song, "Single" and I shot some video with my iPhone4 of her songs "Soulmate" and "Bruise Easily."

Set List - Natasha Bedingfield - TLA, Philly, PA - Sunday, June 12th, 2011
Neon Lights
Little Too Much
These Words
All I Need
Message in a Bottle (SOS) - The Police cover
Single
Bruise Easily
Strip Me
Run Run Run
Can't Fall Down
A.N.G.E.L.
Soulmate
Wild Horses
Try
Purple Rain (Prince Cover)
Pocketful of Sunshine
Love Like This
Put Your Arms Around Me
Weightless
Recover
Unwritten

Kate Voegele's Official Website
Natasha Bedingfield's Official Website
Kate Voegele performing "Sandcastles" (at TLA)
Natasha Bedingfield performing "Single" (at TLA)
Natasha Bedingfield performing "Bruise Easily" (at TLA)
Natasha Bedingfield performing "Soulmate" (at TLA)

Miranda Lambert

Friday, June 10th, 2011 my friend, Joanna, and I went to Atlantic City, NJ at the Borgata Event Center to see Miranda Lambert perform. This was a birthday present to myself (my birthday was Saturday the 11th) and it was the perfect way to celebrate because Miranda is one of my favorite country artists. Anyone who hasn't seen Miranda live is missing out on a great artist. She's been out for awhile, but it hasn't been until the past year that she has finally gotten the recognition she truly deserves. Not only does she have an amazing, strong voice, but she plays guitar (as most country singers do) and she really knows how to work a crowd. She's got a bad ass personality and I really appreciate the fact that she doesn't look like all the other stick thin female singers out there. Miranda looks like a real woman and she's proud of that and doesn't try to change for anyone.

Josh Kelley and Justin Moore opened up for Miranda. They did a great job getting the crowd ready for her. The venue was really cool - it was actually a ballroom and was pretty small, so anywhere you stood you could see and were close to the stage. Miranda performed all of her hit songs that have been on the radio, plus some other's that haven't been as popular, but are just as great. In the middle of the show, she brought out two other singers to join her, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley, who make up her new group, Pistol Annies. They performed a few of their songs to an album that has yet to be released. Although their first single, "Hell on Heels" was released today, and I have included a link to buy that single for $1.29. They have amazing harmonies, so I definitely recommend that you buy the single and the CD when it comes out. I included different links below, along with some video I shot on my phone, and I posted the set list below, too.

Set List - Miranda Lambert - Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ - Friday, June 10th, 2011
Only Prettier
Kerosene
Famous in a Small Town
Small Town Saturday Night (Hal Ketchum cover)
Dead Flowers
More Like Her
Maintain the Pain
Love Song
New Strings
Hell on Heels (Pistol Annies)
Better Days (Pistol Annies)
One's Drinking One's Smoking One's Takin' Pills (Pistol Annies - don't know the official song title yet)
Hit the Road Jack (Pistol Annies)
Heart Like Mine
Stay With Me (Rod Stewart cover)
Somewhere Trouble Don't Go
House That Built Me
White Liar
That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round
I Love Rock 'N Roll (Joan Jett cover)
Gunpowder and Lead

Miranda Lambert's Official Website
Pistol Annies Official Website
Link to download "Hell on Heels" by the Pistol Annies
Miranda performing Heart Like Mine (taken with my iPhone)
Miranda performing Rod Stewart's song, Stay With Me (taken with my iPhone)
Miranda Lambert's YouTube Channel
Pistol Annies Live Debut "Hell on Heels"

NKOTBSB

When I started this blog, I warned everyone, I'm a lover of all music. Last night my childhood memories from elementary school and high school came back to life. On June 5, 2011 at Wells Fargo Center in Philly, PA, I saw the New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys Tour (NKOTBSB). While some people might make fun of me for attending this show, I still think these two boybands are geniuses for putting this collaboration together. It's not really the music I'm into these days or the kind of show I usually go to, but just hearing their songs always bring out the little girl or teenage girl in me. I'm pretty sure I'm always going to be a huge fan of NKOTB and BSB as long as they keep touring and making music.

The show started with both groups on stage performing a mash up of "Single" (by NKOTB) and "The One" (by BSB) to the music of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." As expected, the crowd was filled of females screaming for their old teen idols. For the next set of songs, the groups performed their own uptempo songs, while the other group exited the stage (an NKOTB song, then a BSB song). After that small set of uptempo songs, then each group came on stage to do a few ballads each. When BSB performed "I'll Never Break Your Heart," each member brought someone from the audience up to serenade them. Then both groups continued to do a few songs at a time, this time mixing it up with ballads and uptempo numbers. NKOTB did a mash up of Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison" and their own "Favorite Girl" (which was awesome). Then during their song, "Tonight," each member of NKOTB went to the front of a lower level section to serenade the crowd (Donnie Wahlberg was right in front of my section). BSB performed "As Long As You Love Me" and "All I Have To Give" with a bit of an old school Motown feel to the music, which was cool, and then they went into a short rendition of Prince's "Raspberry Beret" (one of my favorite Prince songs). Eventually both groups came on stage together to perform their latest single (that they recorded as a full group, NKOTBSB), "Don't Turn Out The Lights." After "Lights," they had an encore and BSB came on first to perform "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and then NKOTB came on stage to perform "Hangin' Tough" (in Boston Celtics jerseys - with Donnie wearing a Phillies hat). Then BSB came on stage in Orlando Magic jerseys and both groups did a sort of song battle singing "Everybody" and "Oh oh oh oh oh." And then the show ended with both groups singing "We Will Rock You" together.

Below I've included the full set list, a link to my pictures from the show, and links to my personal videos I took during the show.

Set List - NKOTBSB - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA - June 5th, 2011
Single (NKOTB)/The One (BSB)
Summertime (NKOTB)
The Call (BSB)
Dirty Dancing (NKOTB)
Bye Bye Love (BSB)
You've Got It (The Right Stuff) (NKOTB)
Larger Than Life (BSB)
Didn't I Blow Your Mind/Valentine Girl (NKOTB)
If You Go Away Girl (NKOTB)
Please Don't Go Girl (NKOTB)
Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely (BSB)
10,000 Promises (BSB)
I'll Never Break Your Heart (BSB)
Drowning (BSB)
Incomplete (BSB)
Step By Step (NKOTB)
Cover Girl (NKOTB)
Poison/Favorite Girl (NKOTB)
Games (NKOTB)
Tonight (NKOTB)
Shape Of My Heart (BSB)
As Long As You Love Me (BSB)
All I Have To Give (BSB)
Raspberry Beret (BSB)
Quit Playing Games With My Heart (BSB)
I'll Be Loving You Forever (NKOTB)
I Want It That Way (BSB)
Don't Turn Out The Lights (NKOTBSB)
ENCORE
Everybody (Backstreet's Back) (BSB)
Hangin' Tough (NKOTB)
We Will Rock You (NKOTBSB)

My Photos from the concert

BSB performing "Bye Bye Love"
BSB performing "The Call"
NKOTB performing "Dirty Dancing"
Donnie Wahlberg in front of my section
NKOTB performing "Right Stuff"
NKOTB performing "Please Don't Go Girl"
NKOTBSB performing "Don't Turn Out The Lights"
NKOTB performing "Hangin' Tough"
Ending of the Show

Weezer

Last Friday night I saw Weezer with my friend, Jaime, at the Festival Pier down at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. Panic at the Disco played before Weezer, but we were mostly there to see Weezer play. I had never seen them play live before, and have always been a fan of their music, so I was really looking forward to it. I was also looking forward to seeing the type of crowd they attracted. That's another cool thing about going to see a band for the first time - you never really know what kind of crowd will be there. It was quite the eclectic crowd - pretty much anywhere from young kids to middle aged men and women. There really wasn't any kind of drama in the crowd, which is always good, too. I included some different pictures I took on my iPhone at the show...including some very interesting outfits I saw while we were there. We also met an awesome guy who was typing the entire set list on his phone and he was nice enough to email me the set list, so I'm including that, as well. :-) There are also some videos I found from the show that other people posted...the sound or quality might not be the best, but it's better than nothing.

Weezer's Set List - 5/20/11 - Festival Pier @ Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA
Memories
Troublemaker
Perfect Situation
Undone (The Sweater Song)
Say It Ain't So
Dope Nose
Gone Fishin'
Photograph
Island in the Sun
Hash Pipe
My Name is Jonas
Beverly Hills
Thought I Knew
In The Garage
Pork and Beans
Only in Dreams
(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
Buddy Holly

Weezer's Official Website
Weezer - (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
Weezer - Troublemaker
Weezer - Island in the Sun
Weezer - Beverly Hills

Jason Link

Last week I went to Nashville for the first time, and I absolutely fell in love with the city. They definitely call it Music City for a reason. There is so much history all around and music is everywhere you go. In the bars downtown, they start playing music at 10am every day and it usually goes well past midnight. One of the many spots we stopped at was Legends, which was right on a corner on Broadway (on the main strip). We got there around 2pm on Thursday and saw a band setting up. Turns out they were going to play from 2pm till 6pm, so we decided to check them out. Although, I must say, we didn't expect to stay there the whole four hours. We soon found out that the singer performing was Jason Link. I had never heard of him before, but I fell in love with him and his music right away. He had a great connection with the crowd and even took a liking to my older aunt lol. He was joking around with her most of the day saying he was going to take her out on a date (and this definitely made her day since she couldn't stop talking about it the rest of our trip). We donated some money to his cause and even bought his CD, because a lot of these musicians at the bars play for tips and walk around with a tip jar. When he walked around with the tip jar, he took the time to talk to every single person in the bar and gave many hugs to show his appreciation. I'm pretty sure he performs mostly around Nashville, but you should definitely check him out. His CD is available to buy on iTunes, and you know me, I'm all about supporting the independent artists, so go check out his music and buy the CD if you like it! He definitely has what it takes to be a star in country music, so here's to hoping that he gets discovered one day soon. :-)

Jason Link's Myspace Page
Jason Link's Facebook Page
Jason Link performing "All My Friends Say"
Jason Link performing "Red House" with a young guest (great video showing his personality)

KT Tunstall

On Sunday, April 10th, 2011 I went to the Theatre of the Living Arts (TLA) on South Street in Philadelphia to see KT Tunstall for the first time. I first learned about KT Tunstall when I heard her single, "Black Horse and A Cherry Tree." I started singing this song at karaoke (with the smart suggestion of my good friend, Cisco) and it quickly became one of my favorites to sing (and a crowd pleaser as well). In the past few years, I have bought her CD's but I must admit I never really listened to her songs that frequently. It wasn't that I didn't like her music...I'm actually not sure why I never listened lol. Well, after seeing her live earlier this month, I became an even bigger fan. She performed the entire night by herself using looping pedals instead of having a band back her up. For those of you who are not familiar with looping, here's a definition: Loops are short sections of tracks (probably between one and four bars in length), which you believe might work being repeated. A loop is not "any sample, but...specifically a small section of sound that's repeated continuously. Besides her unique vocals, she also used instruments including a guitar, kazoo, piano, and drums. I had never been to a show where the artist used this technique the entire time, and I must say, it was really cool to experience first hand. Along with her musical talent, she also had a great personality. She was hilarious and conversed with the crowd a lot. I found her to have a great connection with the crowd and she was very appreciative of the support she was receiving from the audience. Many people would probably put her in the country genre since "Black Horse and A Cherry Tree" sounds a bit country and that's one of her most popular singles, but she actually has a rock feel to the rest of her music. I definitely recommend checking her out, especially if you can see her perform live. You won't be disappointed. (Definitely check out the video below of KT performing "Black Horse" at this show because she does a cool version of "Seven Nation Army" in the middle of the song.)

KT Tunstall's Official Website
KT Tunstall performing "Black Horse and A Cherry Tree" at TLA
KT Tunstall performing "Uummannaq Song"
KT Tunstall performing "Glamour Puss"
KT Tunstall performing "Through the Dark"

Rad Bromance

When I went to World Cafe Live with my friend, Amy, in the beginning of December (for the Bryan Greenberg show) we noticed a flyer that displayed future shows and one show caught our eye. RAD BROMANCE - AN ALL MALE LADY GAGA TRIBUTE BAND. We simultaneously agreed that we had to buy tickets for the show. I mean, come on, what female in today's day and age wouldn't want to see an all male band rock out to Lady Gaga covers? So, on December 22nd, Amy, our friend, Tiff, and I traveled down to World Cafe Live for this event. The show took place on the upstairs stage at WCL, which I was surprised because I imagined a band like this to play on the downstairs stage (plus there is a lot more room to stand and dance downstairs). Unfortunately, we weren't able to reserve a table so we had to do the whole standing room only thing, which the upstairs venue is not really well equipped for that. It was packed in there, so that was probably the only compliant I had because we couldn't really see the stage very well. Other than that, it was an amazing show. Rad Bromance basically gave all of Lady Gaga's hit songs a rock twist, which was refreshing. As much as I love Lady Gaga, her songs get overplayed on the mainstream radio, so it was nice to hear a new version of her songs. I just wish they sold their version of her songs, but I'm pretty sure they'd have to deal with all the copyright issues if they were to do so. Apparently, Rad Bromance is originally from the Philadelphia area. Since Gaga only has so many hits (I mean, she's only been around a couple of years) the band only performed for about an hour, but they basically covered every one of her popular songs. I'm not quite sure how often they play in the area, but if you're a Gaga fan (aka "Little Monster") then I suggest you check them out. They have a page on facebook (I've included a link below) that displays their upcoming shows. I also included some YouTube videos of Rad Bromance performing live (some of the sound isn't the greatest, but it gives you an idea).

Rad Bromance's Facebook Page
Rad Bromance performing "Bad Romance"
Rad Bromance performing "Love Game"
Rad Bromance performing "Dance in the Dark"

Bryan Greenberg

Bryan Greenberg is probably better known as the actor who appeared on shows like One Tree Hill, October Road, and is currently starring on the HBO show, How To Make It In America. He also starred in movies like Bride Wars, Perfect Score, The Good Guy, and Prime. I found out that Bryan is also a musician when I saw his character sing on One Tree Hill. Turns out he had an actual CD out. He would probably go into the singer/songwriter category. He often plays acoustic shows when he does tour. I saw him play at World Cafe Live in Philly two years ago and really enjoyed his music (he's lovely to look at, too). It was pretty exciting being that close and seeing him in person as well, since I'm a huge One Tree Hill fan. Last week, Bryan came back to the World Cafe Live, but this time he was with a full band. The show was great, and he's got a great personality, as well. In between songs, he would share some stories that went along with the songs, or just interact with the crowd. The only thing I wasn't a fan of during this show, were the many younger girls who came because of his character on One Tree Hill, and they weren't really there for the music. But Bryan embraced this crowd with friendly smiles. Bryan actually sang a lot of new material because he's releasing a new CD in January 2011, titled, "We Don't Have Forever." After the show, my friend, Amy and I stuck around to meet Bryan and get a picture with him. There were a lot of girls who stayed around, as well, but we didn't have to wait TOO long to meet him. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to actually talk to him, but he seemed really cool and nice in the short time we did spend with him. I included a video of Bryan performing his song, Someday, which he sang on One Tree Hill. This video is a couple of years old because I couldn't find any current videos of him performing live. I also included a video of him performing the song, You Can Run, which features Kid Cudi (who is also on the show "How To Make It In America").

Bryan Greenberg featuring Kid Cudi "You Can Run"
Bryan Greenberg "Someday"

Social Distortion

Well this was definitely an "out of my element" kind of show, but I was really excited to experience it. I had heard of Social Distortion, but never really knew any of their songs. My friend, Steve, introduced me to them when he invited me to go to the show in Philly with a few of our other friends. Like the music lover I am, I had to download some of their songs so I would be somewhat familiar with the music at the show. I ended up downloading their Greatest Hits CD and I must say I enjoyed the music. I had never really gotten into this genre of music before, and I was glad I took the plunge. We went to the show at the Electric Factory on October 29th and had an awesome time. It was also a great show to people watch...lots of different types of people there. I was pleased to hear that Social Distortion ended up playing a lot of the songs from the Greatest Hits CD. In the days of auto tune, lip synching, and choreography, it was refreshing to see a band who's been around for thirty plus years who know how to play great music. I included a couple of their videos below if you've never heard them before.

Social Distortion - Story of My Life
Social Distortion - Ring of Fire (LIVE)
Social Distortion - Ball and Chain

TFDI Tour

The TFDI (Totally F-ing Doin' It) Tour featured three singer/songwriters, Tony Lucca, Jay Nash, and Matt Duke. These three musicians had toured in the Fall of 2009, and decided to tour again this year. I saw this tour in September 2009 at World Cafe Live in Philly, and absolutely loved them. The last tour, they each came on stage and did their own set by themselves, and then at the end of the show, they all performed each other's songs together (one song each). Their harmonizing was amazing, and they had such a good vibe together that they recorded an EP called TFDI earlier this year. This time around, the tour came to the Tin Angel, and they started off the show together on stage singing a few songs that they recently wrote and recorded together (they'll be releasing another TFDI CD soon). Throughout the night, they stayed on stage to sing each other's songs, but there were also moments when the other two left the stage to let the one musician sing a few of his songs on his own. My friend, Joanna, and I actually volunteered at this show to work their merchandise table, but we were still able to enjoy the show and we had the opportunity to hang out with all three of the guys before and after the show. They are some of the most down to earth and hilarious musicians I've ever met. Their voices are so refreshing to listen to, especially when they harmonize together. If either one of these guys come to town, I highly suggest catching their show. For the ladies out there, they are also very nice to look at, which doesn't hurt either! lol I've included a video that the boys posted which was mostly filmed in Philadelphia at the Tin Angel show I was at. I also included a video they made from the first TFDI Tour which is the first time the phrase "TFDI" was introduced. These guys actually film a lot while they're on the road and some of the videos are quite entertaining.

The Introduction of TFDI
TFDI Tour at Tin Angel in Philly
TFDI performing "Hurtin' Kind" LIVE

Quest For Glory Tour

I went to the Quest for Glory Tour on Friday, September 10, 2010 at The Tin Angel. It featured three fantastic female musicians: Bess Rogers, Lelia Broussard, and Allison Weiss. I had seen Bess and Lelia before, but had not seen Allison. As usual, I did download some of her songs beforehand. All three of the ladies were not only extremely talented musically, but they were hilarious, too. You can tell they are all very close friends and the feed off of each other perfectly. I'm not sure if I have ever laughed so hard at a show. They also helped out on harmonies for each other's songs, which I always love to hear. I actually think they would make an awesome all girl group. :-) Each one of them has something different to offer, so all together, they put on a great show. During the show, each audience member fills out an application in order to be knighted at the end of the show. So, at the end of the show, the ladies randomly choose an application and that person comes on stage and is knighted. I thought it was a very cool way to keep the audience involved in the show. After the show, the ladies all hung around and chatted with people, signed autographs, and took pictures with fans. They were absolutely sweethearts and I will definitely be catching each one of them when they're touring locally...and you should, too! :-) I included some pictures from that night. If you want to know anything else about them or download some tunes, I'm sure you can find their music through a quick search on iTunes or Google or you can search for them on Facebook (each of them are on there).

Airiel Down opens for KISS

This past Sunday, August 29th, 2010 Airiel Down opened for KISS in Raleigh, NC. KISS conducted a contest this summer for bands to compete in order to open for KISS. Fans had the opportunity to vote on event.com for their favorite band to open in their hometown and then two weeks before the show, KISS took the Top 5 bands and selected which band they would like to open for them in that select city. Well, Airiel Down's hard work (and the fans' hard work) finally paid off because Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons chose Airiel Down to open in Raleigh. Obviously, being a huge supporter of not only my cousin, but Airiel Down as a group, I had to find a way to get down there. Luckily I had some other family members who wanted to make the trip as well, so we road tripped it down to Raleigh on Sunday morning. We met up with even more family and friends down in Raleigh for the show and we were ready to cheer on the boys. Airiel Down played four songs ("Black Flag," Gorilla," "Quick," and "Hurricane Warning") and absolutely rocked it. We were all so proud of Taylor and the rest of the guys. It was such a huge moment for the band and we're hoping this helped them gain even more fans. The only downfall was the lack of stage time, but we didn't complain. We were still extremely happy with what we saw and we felt it was well worth the wait. We stayed around for KISS and I must say, they put on quite the show. Not sure if I'd go to another KISS concert just to see KISS, but we enjoyed their show to say the least. I included some pictures above of Airiel Down in action. (These were all taken by Tim Szczesniak. With the exception of the picture of Taylor and all of the family who made it to the show.)