|
"Soldier"
|
January 29, 2010 – Last Sunday French band Phoenix played for a packed house at the Showbox SoDo in downtown Seattle. A Parisian quartet, Phoenix has been touring across the world performing in SOLD OUT venues for nearly a year straight - an impressive run for any artist. Now I can see why! The Soft Pack opened the show and successfully built up some energy for Phoenix's stage arrival. Once they left the stage, the anticipation was palpable as people in the crowd began to cheer at every slight movement made by the stagehands. For every "check check," there was a "woohoo!" to follow it up! It was refreshing to see this kind of energy in a crowd. After several cheers and applauses for the stagehands, the lights suddenly went dark. The only thing lighting the room was an enormous Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix sign hanging at the rear of the stage. From then on the energy was just incredible. Phoenix opened with the make-you-want-to-dance number "Lisztomania" from their latest album. Frontman Thomas Mars was interactive with the crowd throughout the show, often coming to the edge of the stage as hundreds of hands reached for his attention.
Like the rest of the crowd, I had hopes that the band would come back out on stage. Just then I heard a strong chant start to build from the audience, "Phoe-nix, Phoe-nix, Phoe-nix!" Just then, the entire band came back out on stage to an overwhelming ovation and performed an impressive encore that included "If I Ever Feel Better," a stripped down and intimate version of "Everything is Everything" and a vivacious performance of "1901" to close out the night. It was brilliant. Thomas Mars surfed the crowd and when he found his way back to the stage, he started pulling fans up there with him! I started getting severely squished so I backed off from the stage and soaked in the view from the back. It was amazing! It's clear that just as much as fans love Phoenix, Phoenix loves fans. For more information about Phoenix and how you can get tickets in your city, check out http://www.wearephoenix.com!
Twenty-five year old singer-songwriter Jason Reeves has already captured the hearts of listeners across the country after the success of his sophomore record The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (And Other Frightening Tales...). On November 13, Reeves released a special edition 6-track acoustic EP titled Patience for the Waiting on Warner Brothers Records. There's nothing over-the-top about the music on this EP and I think that's what makes it special. It showcases Reeves' rare ability to reach people with or without the support of full band embellishments. The first track, "Wishing Weed" does a good job of setting the tone for the songs that follow it - songs that are all about love and the yearning to be in love. "When Life Was Good"' jumps back in time and reminsces the beauty of being young and in love. Overall, the music is relatable and refreshing in it's youthful look at love and life. * "Echoes" * "When Life Was Good" * "Everything is Eventual"
October 27, 2009 – Walking into this show I had no idea what to expect. When I got there, the line to get in was around the block - a very good sign for the show! Just outside the venue sat an RV that no doubt belonged to the Ohio based band Foxy Shazam, who was one of the opening bands for The Sounds along with Semi Precious Weapons at Seattle's Showbox Theater.
The finale was nearly indescribable. I'm not sure that there are any other bands who have comparable finales and unfortunately it caught the crowd by surprise and they weren't really feeling it at that point. It was...wild. Daisy was tossing his bass up into the air and then trying to catch it just before it hit the ground while Eric was lighting and smoking a handful of cigarettes, jumping on another guy's head and essentially gyrating while singing. It was an energy that I can only describe as "different", but I certainly have nothing against a band who dares to be different. If you're a fan of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers' live shows and you like Freddy Mercury, I think Foxy Shazam will be an excellent fit.
There is something to be said for a record that can make you want to dance from beginning to end. And so that something is being said right now about French pop star Sliimy's new album Paint Your Face. He’s got a distinctive and colorful style that’s reminiscent of a 1980’s Prince, but a musical presence that more closely aligns with that of Kate Nash and Lily Allen. I think I even heard a little bit of a Kelly (See Kelly – “Shoes”) influence in there during “Tic Tac,” around 1:44. He sounds pretty girly, but it works - any man who can cover a Britney Spears song is awesome in my book! Give it this one a few spins before you make your final decision on it. You might just love it! Noteworthy tracks: * "Wake Up" * "Baby" * "Paint Your Face" * "Waiting For" Final conclusion: This album will definitely make you smile, dance and have a good time! --September 21, 2009
From the moment I pressed play, I knew there was something special about this soundtrack. It’s different, refreshing – a nice mix of the old and the new, with a clear connection to the film’s atypical storyline. As the narrator says on the first track: “You should know up front: This is not a love story.”
|
As the night went on, the band played a mixture of new and old favorite songs including "Lasso," "Rally" and "Too Young," among many. Leading into "Girlfriend," Thomas began by saying, "this is Saturday night, this is supposed to be a dance party, come on!" The energy was intense from then on through the rest of the show. After a repeated request from the crowd, Phoenix also played "Funky Squaredance" (from their 2000 album 
For the most part, The Showbox Theater is very intimate; there isn't a bad seat in the house unless you're standing behind someone extremely tall. I'm short but I opted to set myself smack dab in the middle of the floor crowd anyway. After all, how can you really review a show unless you feel the energy of it? 
