Ryan Adams Live in Edmonton June 23rd 2017

Last Friday I went to the Ryan Adams show at the Jubilee Auditorium, this was my second time seeing Ryan in concert. Ryan Adams is currently on tour promoting his latest release called Prisoner which is an excellent album by the way.

Opening the show was Karen Elson who is an English model singer-songwriter and guitarist. I had never heard of here before, so after a search about her I found out that she was married to Jack White at one point. As for her opening set, in one word I would say BORING! I only lasted about three songs and had seen and heard enough. It was very angelic mellow music, wasn't for me that's for sure.

Karen Elson at the Jubilee.

Next up was Ryan Adams and his Unknown Band. His two hour set was quite good, though I enjoyed his last show here in 2014 more, but that could be because it was my first time seeing him. Not that there was anything wrong with this show. The show started with some guy dressed up in a devil outfit introducing Ryan Adams in a distorted devil like voice, which was really weird. The devil dude later came out and played a little tambourine during one song. Ryan and his band touched on a lot of his music catalog opening with a new song from his Prisoner album "Do You Still Love Me?" followed up with "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)" from his debut album Heartbreaker, this was a great way to start the show, and then into "Gimme Something Good" from his self titled album from 2014. Overall I was quite impressed with the setlist for this show, as Ryan mixes up his shows every night which is cool. he did do one song that I had never heard before, a song called "Juli" which is a track that was released on a 7 inch box set of singles called End Of The World all from his Prisoner album.

At one point during the show someone in the first couple of rows sneezed which launched Ryan into an improvised tune about a light sneeze. Ryan has got a great sense of humour and this improvised song went on for a few minutes getting a good laugh from the audience. I believe it was during this song that Ryan took a shot at Metallica saying the bass was really low, kind of like the And...Justice For All album, again another chuckle from the crowd.

Ryan has been known to do the odd cover song during his shows and on this night he played the Oasis song "Wonderwall" which sounded great. They closed out the show with two great songs, that being "New York, New York" which is a song I was really hoping to hear and was starting to think he might not play it on this night, but he did, so that brought a smile to my face. They ended the night with another old song "Shakedown On 9th Street" from his debut album.

I really enjoyed the show. Good times!!!

Ryan Adams setlist.

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Ryan Adams at the Jubilee.

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Yesterday Was Everything Movie

Last week I went to the Metro Cinema here in Edmonton to see the Canadian debut of the music documentary Yesterday Was Everything which is a doc on the band Misery Signals tenth anniversary tour for their debut album Of Malice and the Magnum Heart.

This documentary which was wrote and directed by Matthew Dixon actually started as a live concert recording but turned into the documentary that it is now. After being with the band for the nine city tour which went from Vancouver to Toronto, he had enough footage of interviews and live footage to turn into this movie.

Misery Signals got together with all the original members Ryan Morgan, Branden Morgan, Stu Ross, Kyle Johnson and vocalist Jesse Zaraska after he was ousted out of the band years before. Misery Signals is a hardcore band made up from members from the previous band 7 Angels 7 Plagues and Edmonton band Compromise. Jesse of Compromise came in contact with the band after touring with them through the states. It was on this tour that Compromise came to an end after a devastating accident when they were clipped by a drunk driver in Alabama in which their band van was sent in to the ditch and trees ripping apart their band and killing two members Jordan Wodehouse and Daniel Langlois of Compromise. RIP Jordan and Daniel. During the movie there is an interview with Jesse where he gets in to the most detailed account of the accident. It was during this part of the movie in which I don't believe there was a dry eye in the theatre. It was really tough to watch and listen to. Having known Jesse for years now this most I had ever heard about the accident. Heart wrenching it was, with most of the people at the movie probably having known the guys from Compromise.

The movie is very well put together and very interesting hearing the ups and downs of the career of Misery Signals and seeing some old footage and pictures of Edmonton hardcore band Compromise. I really enjoyed the movie and highly recommend checking it out. The movie will be available on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon on June 30th.



Rumour is that Misery Signals are working on a new album and a possible summer tour this year.

Blitzen Trapper Live in Edmonton June 18th 2017

Wow, can't believe it's been a week already since the Blitzen Trapper show at the Starlite Room. It's been a busy week of shows.

Last Sunday my Cuz and I went to the Blitzen Trapper show, ya Sunday shows suck but if you book the following day off work you can still go and have a good time and that's exactly what we did. This was my fifth time seeing Blitzen Trapper in concert. I love this band out of Portland, Oregon, I don't know how you would describe their music, maybe folkish, experimental roots rock with a dash of classic rock mixed in. Regardless don't matter what they are other then a great band.

I wasn't expecting a big crowd for this show with it being on a Sunday, but I was some surprised when we got to the venue to catch the opener and there was barely anyone there yet. I thought it might fill up after the opener, but nope. This was downright embarrassing, by the end of the night my estimate would be maybe 60-75 people in attendance. For a venue that has a capacity of 1000, this didn't look good. Blitzen Trapper has always drew decent crowds in Edmonton on their previous three visits. Bu then again it was a Sunday show and there was very little advertising done for the show. Not a single gig poster around town or at the venue for this show, and you wonder why no one was there, blame yourselves promoter and venue.

Opening the show was Marty Marquis who is the keyboard player in Blitzen Trapper. It was just him on guitar playing a few songs. His set was only about 20 minutes which was just long enough. I found it to be on the mellow and on the boring side.

Marty Marquis.

By the time Blitzen hit the stage for their performance the place was still empty but it didn't stop the band from putting on a great show as usual. The band consists of Eric Earley on lead vocals and guitar, Erik Menteer on guitar, slide guitar and some keyboard, Brian Adrian Koch on drums and backup vocals, Michael Van Pelt on bass and Marty Marquis on keyboards and guitar.

The band started the show with the song "Saturday Nite" from their 2008 album Furr, a great choice for an opening song, even if it was a Sunday. The band did a few songs from this album including "Furr", "God & Suicide", and the awesome "Black River Killer". Blitzen mixed their set up with some oldies and new stuff from their newest release Wild And Reckless which is an album they recorded for the Portland Center Stage at The Armory. This was a concert and theater event the band did earlier this year. From these performances they did in Portland the band released a limited edition album of only 500 pressings only available at their concerts. Seven of the ten songs on the album are new. So we got to hear one new song called "When I'm Dying".

At times during the show Eric Earley the lead singer and songwriter reminded me of a young Bob Dylan. This whole band is tight with each member pulling their own weight, but I myself think that guitar player Erik Menteer is the hidden gem in the band.

The few that were at the show seemed to enjoy themselves singing and dancing along through out the whole show. It was a great setlist as you will see at the end of this review as I was able to grab a setlist from the stage after the show. A great time just a disappointment with the lack of people there. Oh well, those who didn't go missed a hell of a show. Good times!!!

Blitzen Trapper.

Setlist.

Bonnie Raitt Live in Edmonton June 17th 2017

Saturday night I went to the Bonnie Raitt show at the Jubilee Auditorium here in Edmonton. This was my second time seeing Bonnie in concert. The first time I saw here was in 1998 when she opened for Eric Clapton here. In my opinion she stole the show, I always said I would go see her perform again. Well, almost twenty years later I got my chance, this time with her headlining on her "Dig In Deep Tour". And she didn't disappoint.

Playing an almost two hour show, at the age of 68 Bonnie hasn't lost a step at all, her voice sounded great as did her slide guitar playing and she looks damn good as well. The second song of the evening was an Inxs cover of the song "Need You Tonight" from her latest album Dig In Deep. She pulled out a few cover songs on this night including a B.B. King and John Prine song. Both songs sounded wicked, Bonnie sings with a lot of heart and soul. During the encore she covered the Talking Heads song "Burning Down The House" which sounded great as well. Bonnie's back up band of musicians were stellar too. Of course it wasn't all cover songs, her own songs went over well too. All and all I thought it was an awesome show. Good times!!!

Bonnie Raitt setlist.

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Bonnie Raitt at the Jubilee in Edmonton.

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Tool Live in Edmonton June 13th 2017

On Tuesday night I finally got out to a concert at the new Coliseum (Rogers Place) here in Edmonton. The place has been open for almost a year already but there had been no shows that interested me until the Tool show.

This was my third time seeing Tool in concert. I didn't make it to the show to se the opener which was Crystal Method, missing them was no big deal to me as I am not a fan.

I almost didn't go to the show as it's been 11 years since the band has put out any new material, but having seen them twice before I knew how good of show this would be. I was waiting it out to see if I could get a good seat for the show, as tickets were expensive, so I didn't want a shitty seat. Well a week before the show I managed to get a decent seat. Now I really wish I had waited longer as tickets were going for dirt cheap a few days before the show, as low as 15 dollars US on stubhub and the likes. Hell, even outside the venue people were letting tickets go for cheap cheap. While I was outside the venue having a smoke a guy came up and bumbed a smoke off me and asked me who I was with. I told him I came to the show by myself, he then handed me a 150 dollar ticket for free and told me to enjoy the show. Fuck me, how I wish I didn't already spend the money on a ticket. I felt like a tool for having already spent the money on a ticket, damn!!!

Tool hit the stage promptly at 9pm opening with the song "Grudge" from their 2001 album Lateralus. The musicianship from the band was loud and incredible, with lead singer Maynard James Keenan standing in the background silhouetted by the light show singing away in his weird Robocop/Military outfit. I really wish he would come out to the front of the stage so the audience could actually see him sing, but this never happens with him. The band was tight but I found that the vocals could have been a bit higher in the mix, or maybe it was just where I was sitting.

As the show went on it was just a wall of sound and visuals. Tool is certainly a psychedelic band, which I dig, but you really should be in the right frame of mind for these guys (really high), which I wasn't. After about 75 minutes into the show, it all started to sound the same to me. I really wish there had been some new songs. They didn't play the two songs I really wanted to hear "The Pot" and "Rosetta Stoned" sadly. As the show went on the visuals got more weird and the light show and lasers got more intense. Maynard said very little to the crowd through out the show. It was fun watching the crowd at time losing their shit to some of the tunes, flailing about head banging and shouting along. They are obviously serious Tool fans, much more then I am that's for sure.

At times I loved the show and at times I was bored out of my mind, other then watching the light show. It was basically the same show I saw the last time they came through town. Would I go see the again, probably not, especially for the price I paid. I'd certainly wait it out longer next time for tickets and hope for a freebie or a real cheap ticket.

I got no pictures at this show as they were very strict about pictures being taken. Security were kept busy watching the crowd for anyone taking out there phone to take a picture. I didn't even try, not wanting to get kicked out after spending what I did for the ticket. Now that I think of it though, I should have taken pictures, if I got kicked out, hell I had another ticket in my pocket I could have used to get back in. Oh well, didn't happen.

All and all an alright show. Good times!!!

Setlist for Edmonton show.

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Megadeth Beer

I finally found myself a bottle of the Megadeth beer yesterday at the local liquor store. I have been looking for this for quite sometime now. It's a Belgian style session ale that is brewed in Chambly, Quebec by Unibroue with an amazing label featuring the Megadeth mascot Vic Rattlehead. A tasty treat that I drank while out on a long hike. A beer well worth looking for.