Olivia & The Terrible Two at the Black Cat

Last Friday I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Olivia & The Terrible Two play at the Black Cat. I was excited about this show for two reasons. First, I had heard a lot about Olivia Mancini because she has been a fixture of the local DC music scene for many years. Second, my friend Michael Khoo was playing bass guitar as part of The Terrible Two. It was a great show and it was fun watching Michael play on the same stage that some of my favorite bands have graced.

Pre-Show Notes:

• I had my pre-concert meal at Alberto’s Pizza in Adams Morgan. It was nice to mix it up a bit by having a jumbo slice of cheese pizza before a show.
• Once at the Black Cat, I met up with my friends Paul and Elyse for some drinks. I had not been to a concert with a group since visiting Seattle in November. It was great to have good drinks and conversation with friends before seeing a show.
• Unfortunately, the drinks and conversation forced us to miss the opening act. Sorry Meredith Bragg.

Olivia & The Terrible Two was sort of a misnomer. She was actually backed by Michael on bass, a lead guitarist, drummer, and a backup singer/percussionist. Regardless, it was clear that Olivia has a lot of talent and thoroughly enjoys writing and playing music. Her music is modern pop songs and it was clear she was having just as much fun as the audience, who really liked the show. Furthermore, it was just really cool seeing Michael on stage having a great time. He is planning on playing with Olivia for a few more shows while her normal bassist is on tour with another band. Who knows, maybe he will end up a permanent fixture of the The Terrible Two, The Housemates, or whatever band Olivia puts together. How cool would that be?!

I will end this post by mentioning the actual headliner of the bill, local band trying to make it big No Second Troy. Their sound reminds me of generic contemporary radio rock. Not my cup of tea. Also, the band members were trying to look too much like rock stars with the haircuts and “cool” clothing. It looked like they were trying too hard. Anyways, I felt bad for them because the audience was mainly there to see Olivia. By the time they played a few songs, much of the audience had left or was talking to Olivia and her band. A third of the audience remained by the end of the show. Maybe they should stick to playing in the suburbs where I imagine the majority of their fans live.

Anyone Can Play Guitar

A few weeks ago I accomplished one of the goals I had set for myself before I turned 35. With the help of some actual musician and guitar-playing friends, I purchased my first electric guitar. The purchase of the guitar was a dream come true. I have always loved rock music. Now I will be able to play rock music. At the very least, owning and learning how to play the guitar will add a new dimension to listening to music and watching concerts.

I am very fortunate to have friends in DC that can play guitar. Walking into Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center can be very intimidating to the first time guitar buyer. There are guitars everywhere and without the aid of Roger, Paul, and Michael, I would have been completely lost on where to begin in selecting a guitar. They were extremely helpful by telling me what to look for in a guitar, actually playing some of the guitars for me, and giving me their honest opinions. They were also there to make sure I got all the necessary accessories, namely an amp, cord, and tuner.

I learned in the guitar buying process that a first time buyer should not go in with any preconceived notions of what they want to buy. I have been a fan of the Fender Telecaster guitar since going to see The Thermals play at the Black Cat in 2007. Hutch Harris, guitarist for The Thermals, was making the kind of sounds with his Telecaster that I hoped to make someday. The guitar seemed classic, simple, and gritty all at once. However, during the process of trying out guitars, and having my friends try out guitars, one guitar stood out from the others. That guitar was the Gibson SG. What stood out about this particular SG was its feel and versatility, something I wanted out of a first guitar. The final selling point was when my friend Michael stated how much he loved the guitar, particularly since he had previously stated how he generally didn’t like the SG model.

So with my new guitar in its hard case, my amp that apparently is “loaded with rock star settings,” and all the other goodies I bought that day in tow, we were off to Roger’s apartment to actually play some instruments together. While I only played one chord along with my friends as they played real music, it was a great moment. The evening also included good Thai food and beer. In other words, it was a great day.

Since then I have bought a lightning bolt guitar strap, purchased some picks, learned a few new chords, practiced a bit, and hopefully started the process to getting guitar lessons from a real musician. Learning to play the guitar can be frustrating, but I am having fun and that is what is most important to this music lover. Watch out people! I will be melting your faces before you know it!

Fujiya & Miyagi and School of Seven Bells at the 9:30 Club

Last Thursday I went to see Fujiya & Miyagi and School of Seven Bells at the 9:30 Club. This show was the first show in a stretch of up to 6 shows in 2 weeks. I was excited for this show because I had not seen a show at the 9:30 Club since seeing Of Montreal this past fall. Of the two bands playing, I was more familiar with Fujiya & Miyagi. I had heard them quite a bit over the last couple of years on KEXP (a great Seattle independent radio station that streams live at http://www.kexp.org/) and I recently acquired their latest album Lightbulbs (thanks Kate!). I knew of School of Seven Bells also through KEXP. I heard and liked one of their songs and I was hoping that the rest of their material was just as good.

Pre-Show Notes:

• I was finally able to have that pre-show meal at Ben's Chili Bowl. The fully loaded Chili Half-Smoke and Chili-Cheese Fries were absolutely delicious and horrible for me at the same time.
• Since the show was not a sell-out, the stage at the 9:30 Club seemed bigger and further into the crowd. I am not sure if this was done on purpose or if it was an optical illusion.
• I realized after I entered the show that I forgot my camera. My cell phone camera would have to do for pictures.
• I was able to get right in front, which allowed me to use part of the stage as a coat rack.

School of Seven Bells consists of former Secret Machines member and lead guitarist Benjamin Curtis, and twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, who play guitar and keyboards respectively. The Deheza sisters are also the vocalists, with Alejandra providing the lead vocals on most songs. School of Seven Bells, or SVIIB, came out on stage promptly and put on a great 8 song set including the songs "Wired For Light" and the cool closer "Sempiternal/Amaranth." Their sound is a modern take on the "shoegazing" movement of the late 80s and early 90s, with loud, fuzzy, and crunchy guitars mixed with dreamy and floating vocals. I came away from their set a fan and I look forward to seeing what this band will produce in the future. I made sure to pick up their debut album Alpinisms at the merchandise booth. The only negative from the set had nothing to do with SVIIB. Standing right behind me was a girl out with her boyfriend. They were constantly talking to one another instead of just enjoying the show and her laughter was very loud and annoying. If someone's laughter can be loud and annoying at a rock show then you know that person has a laughing problem.

Fujiya & Miyagi are an English band originally formed by keyboardist Steve Lewis and guitarist David Best in 2000. The band's name comes from the Fujiya brand of record players and the character Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid movies. Since its founding the band has added bass player Matt Hainsby and drummer Lee Adams. Their sound has been described as electronic or "Krautrock." I prefer to think of the band as dance rock. In fact, you probably have already heard part of their song "Collarbone" since it was used in a Miller Lite commercial. Fujiya & Miyagi's beats are infectious and it is hard not to start moving to their hooks and simple, repetitive, and catchy lyrics. A good sign of Fujiya & Miyagi's ability to get people moving was the fact that the usually stoic DC crowd was definitely starting to get down as the show progressed. Fujiya & Miyagi, aided by a very cool video screen showing multi-colored dice forming images, played a great 13 song set with the songs "Ankle Injuries," "Pussyfooting," "Knickerbocker," and the previously menioned "Collarbone" as standouts. After a very brief interlude (literally it was less than a minute), the band came back on stage to play a cool 2 song encore. Overall, a really good show and I had a great time moving to the sound. Of course I had to get one of their tour shirts as well as one of their previous albums Transparent Things at the merchandise booth. I am such a junkie.

It Wasn't Me

I am going to steal another great idea from a dear friend. This idea involves using the shuffle function on an iPod to answer a set of questions. I like to think of it as a modern day Ouija board or magic 8-ball. The rules are that you must answer each question with the song that comes up on shuffle. Subsequent questions are answered by hitting the next song button. I hope to make this a monthly feature of the blog. If anyone has suggestions for future questions just send them my way or leave a comment. Without further adieu, here is the iPod shuffle quiz:

1. If someone says "is this okay" you say? "Space (I Believe In)" - Pixies

- very trippy!

2. What would best describe your personality? "Length Of Love" - Interpol

3. What do you like in a girl? "Slime And Oxygen" - The Black Lips

- um, I have higher standards than that!

4. What is your life's purpose? "Hey" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

5. What is your motto? "Lazy Eye" - Silversun Pickups

6. What do your friends think of you? "White Mystery" - Minus The Bear

- I guess I can be mysterious

7. What do you think about often? "Emergency Exit" - Beck

8. What is 2 + 2? "Crying" - TV On The Radio

9. What do you think of your best friend? "No Need To Cry" - British Sea Power

10. What is your life story? "You're A Cad" - The Bird and The Bee

- hardly

11. What do you want to be when you grow up? "You Are Dreaming" - Shout Out Louds

- even my iPod wants to shatter my dreams

12. What do you think when you see the person you like? "Hold On, Hold On" - Neko Case

- that is a great song

13. What do your parents think of you? "Paper Tiger" - Beck

14. What will you dance to at your wedding? "Company Calls Epilogue" - Death Cab For Cutie

- the song does take place at a wedding

15. What will they play at your funeral? "PA" - Ryan Adams and The Cardinals

16. What is your hobby/interest? "Judy and the Dream of Horses" - Belle and Sebastian

17. What is your biggest secret? "Dreamworld" - Rilo Kiley

18. What do you think of your friends? "So Long" - Rilo Kiley

- first, two Rilo Kiley songs in a row; and second, my friends know I love them

19. What's the worst thing that could happen? "120 Mins" - Teenage Fanclub

20. How will you die? "Ringfinger" - Nine Inch Nails

- hilarious

21. What is the one thing your regret? "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" - The Smiths

22. What makes you laugh? "Lucky" - Radiohead

23. What makes you cry? "Canary" - Liz Phair

24. Will you ever get married? "No One's Leaving" - Jane's Addiction

25. What scares you the most? "On A Plain" - Nirvana

- ending up like Kurt does scare me

26. Does anyone like you? "The Happiest Days Of Our Lives" - Pink Floyd

- I will take that as a "yes"

27. If you could go back in time, what would you change? "Orange Crush" - R.E.M.

28. What hurts right now? "Space and Time" - The Verve

- when things do hurt it can feel like the whole universe

29. What will be the title of this post? "It Wasn't Me" - Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins

The Raveonettes and Nickel Eye at the Black Cat

I must apologize for the lack of activity on the blog over the last couple of weeks. I promise to be more active and achieve my goal of posting something new two or three times a week.

I went to see the Raveonettes play at the Black Cat on January 17 (once again, all apologies for not getting this review posted sooner). The Raveonettes are one of those bands where I have heard and liked their songs but I actually don’t own any of their albums. Judging from what I have heard and from their live performance on Seattle’s KEXP (the finest radio station in the land), I thought that this would be a good show to see. The Raveonettes did not disappoint.

Pre-concert notes:

• I thought I would switch it up a bit and try to go to Ben’s Chili Bowl for my pre-show meal. Unfortunately, the following factors made going to Ben’s an impossibility: it was inaugural weekend and DC was flooded with visitors; President Obama (then President-Elect Obama) had dined at Ben’s with DC’s Mayor Adrian Fenty that week, which made the visitors want to go there even more than usual; and their was a pre-inaugural event occurring at the Lincoln Theater right next door. When I got to Ben’s the line was out the door and getting worse by the minute. Therefore, I went back to my old-reliable Taco Bell. So disappointing.
• Once I was inside the Black Cat I was relieved to be away from all the inaugural revelers outside. It was a nice respite from the crowds.
• I checked out the merchandise table in the Mainstage (the Black Cat has a large upstairs “Mainstage” and a smaller first floor “Backstage”). I was surprised to find not a single piece of Raveonettes merchandise. No t-shirts, CDs, stickers, etc. I think they might need a new business manager.

The opening act was Nickel Eye. I admit that I did absolutely no research before the show on Nickel Eye. Turns out Nickel Eye is the solo project of Nikolai Fraiture (get it – Nikolai and Nickel Eye), bass player for The Strokes. It explained all The Strokes shirts I was seeing in the crowd. Nickel Eye, backed by his band and a bottle of Jack Daniels, came out and played songs from his debut disc (which was available for sale at the merchandise table – see how that works Raveonettes?) While he is not the strongest singer, Nickel Eye’s set was solid and enjoyable. However, it just made me yearn for more new material by The Strokes. I was glad to hear that The Strokes are actually getting together this month to start working on new songs.

The Raveonettes are a Danish duo consisting of Sune Rose Wagner (boy) and Sharin Foo (girl). Both of them play guitar and sing. They were backed at this show by a bass player that was possibly a vampire (but the good kind; the kind that you would gladly become a creature of the night for) and a drummer. The Raveonettes are clearly influenced by The Velvet Underground, even down to the minimalist stand-up drum kit. The Black Cat was playing The Velvet Underground & Nico before the show, which served as a good prelude. The Raveonettes played a great show, hitting the crowd with a sonic assault of driving beats and noisy guitars. The Raveonettes can be intense without resorting to playing hyper-fast songs. I truly loved the show and I left the Black Cat that night to brave the inaugural crowds with a ringing ear, but unfortunately without any Raveonettes merchandise.