Some oldies, but goodies: Part I

So let me get it right out of the way. No, this is not a 'new' post. I haven't been to any shows lately so there's nothing new to report. But i have been looking through my macs and spotting some little files that i thought might prove somewhat interesting. I found some footage that i took at shows back in 2006, back before i had my wee blog. Most of it is pretty decent, although i'm not sure how great it'll look in blogger's teeny screen. We shall see.

Here goes nothing:

This was taken at a Snow Patrol gig at Roseland on September 8, 2006. That's why you can see some sort of shadow above the footage. I was stuck under the left side balcony, jam packed w/a whole lot of annoying, drunk frat-boy types. That one show almost put me off ever seeing a show at Roseland ever again....no wait, I am pretty much soured on ever seeing a show at Roseland ever again. Unless it's the *only* NYC area appearance by oh, let's say, the reunited Pulp, I don't think i'll be getting tixs for another gig there. I don't know what it is about that particular venue that just seems to attract the bottom feeders of the music world - i'm talking about the fans, not the artists. Blech. But the gig itself was really good - Snow Patrol always put on such a heartfelt show - Gary always seems to give his all to us. None of this 'I'm-so-much-cooler-than-you-and-i'm-just-going-to-stand-here-all-
disaffected-while-you-scream-out-my-name' bullshit. Yeah, i'm talking to you Julian Casablancas ;o)

Anyway, my apologies for the occasional unfocused stretch (i was still learning how to use the video function on my still camera) and huge heads in front of me...although that part I couldn't help.

Anyhoo, enjoy and I'll post again, either later or tomorrow, with another oldie but goodie from deep in the bowels of my iphoto files :o)

Updated old posts (now with talking pictures)

Well, it's a new year and I'm already behind on posts. But since it's now been almost a month and 2 weeks respectively since my last two musical interludes and my memory's just not that great, i've decided to instead tweak the old blog a bit. So i went deep into the bowels of my macs (one of which at least is still working ok) and found some teeny gems that had been hiding away. Rather than let you all try to figure out where i've added the goodies, i thought i'd add the links right here, in this handy post, for all to quickly peruse my film-making abilities. The next Spielberg I'm not ;o)
There's been new video added to:

• 4.17.07 - Art Brut @ the Bowery

• 5.2.07 - Bjork @ Radio City Music Hall

• 7.14.07 - Travis @ Irving Plaza

• 7.20.07 - Gogol Bordello @ Irving Plaza

• 8.7.07 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Webster Hall

I've also tweaked those lists over on the right side of the screen, so you can now click directly on the gig review you'd like to read (i.e., Reviews of Shows I Graced with my Presence - 2007), rather than try and hunt it down in the Gig Archive.

Enjoy and a very belated Happy New Year to all! :o)

Gogol Bordello @ Terminal 5 - 12.31.07

They say a picture's worth a thousand words.
Well, here go 25,000...

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This last photo was at the end when everyone seemingly started to rush the stage (at the encouragement of Eugene and pals).

And a short video to round things off.
I do have a great video of GB performing Zina Marina in its entirety, but the mean people at blogger have capped my video limit at 200 mb and alas, it's a smidgeon larger than that. So you all will have to content yourself w/the above pics and this short clip below.

As for what i thought of the show, hey, it's Gogol Bordello, one is always guaranteed a good time. My only complaint - the venue. Terminal 5 is just not my favorite as far as sound goes...which considering none of us are going there for the visuals, is quite a problem. I don't know if it's something that can be fixed or if it's just a structural thing that we're stuck with, but I'll definitely have to have a good think on whether to see a band there again. If you stand in the balcony, the sound can be ok, but if you want to be part of the hoi polloi in the pit, the sound is just atrocious.

Art Brut @ Terminal 5 - 11.21.07

Gogol Bordello @ Terminal 5 - 11.3.07

Ah, it's that time of year again. When the weather turns a bit chilly and I dig out all my various scarves and even start longingly eying my winter hats, and most importantly for this blog, it just happens to be when the amazing Gogol Bordello are back in town. Hurrah!

Always an event, always a good time, I've been looking forward to this show for eons...well at least since i went to their last show back in July. B/c just like with chips, or heroin (so I hear), once you've had some Gogol you can never get enough.

They played Terminal 5 as can be deduced from the title of this post...just in case you, dear reader, hadn't been paying attention or thought they'd been reduced to playing some isolated spot at Penn Station....

Well, it is a bit isolated - 11th Avenue? Who even knew there was an 11th Avenue? - but it's a pretty sweet looking place. Not much on the outside, but hey i'm not superficial like that. Can't judge a book by its' cover and all that. But then once inside, it looks pretty good....well, it's set up pretty nicely.

The decor itself? Eh. I thought that all the whiteness - walls, etc, made it look dingy in the low lit periods before and in between acts. It just looked a bit dirty, but I really think it was just the lighting. The balcony railings are all industrial looking, but what's more important, looked pretty safe. Very sturdy. And i liked how there were various levels in each balcony. My friend and I managed to snag a primo spot dead center behind the low wall in the first balcony...which afforded an amazing view beyond the heads of the people in front of us by the railing...well over most people's heads. There's always the unnaturally tall people that i seem forever cursed to have in front of me, but otherwise, amazing view.

Great view of the crowd below as well, which would prove to be quite amusing as the evening progressed.

(More to come tomorrow, as I'm dead tired. But here are some teaser pics.)