inTuneMusic

Jack’s Mannequin @ New Brunswick 10/21

October 21, 2009

In between Andrew McMahon’s solo tour and Dear Jack charity screenings, Jack’s Mannequin is performing one-off dates at various colleges across America. In late October, the band rolled into the Rutgers University gym on College Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Jack's Mannequin guitarist Bobby Anderson

“Crashin’” kicked the set off right, with the band’s debut single, “The Mixed Tape”, on its tail getting the crowd involved early in the night. “Spinning” followed, and the song was noticeably stronger and fuller with the addition of guitarist Bobby Anderson providing lush vocal harmonies. In fact, the entire night was enhanced with not only Anderson but also bassist Jon Anderson providing harmonies to many of the songs.

The pop quartet stuck closely to their first (and more widely known) album, Everything in Transit, with the next five songs coming from that effort. “Holiday From Real” began with a quieter introduction, and “Kill the Messenger” was spiced up with a bit of The Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”.

“Bruised” found the crowd jumping around for the first time before “La La Lie” put friends and lovers in the crowd in each others arms during a noticably extended harmonica solo. Current single “Swim” was cynically dedicated to the students working out in the pool below the gym. An abrasive and discordant introduction began “Bloodshot”, catching most of the crowd off guard during an otherwise melodious night.

Jack's Mannequin frontman Andrew McMahon

Something Corporate’s “Watch the Sky” became the night’s highlight, the first time Jack’s Mannequin has performed the song in a headliner role in New Jersey. McMahon explained some of the song’s origins about it being written in Seattle, Washington, before the entire band joined in for an excellent performance of the North b-side.

“Dark Blue” received the biggest response of the evening, and “The Resolution” sounded great. The first part of the set finished with a rousing rendition of “MFEO”, including pieces of “With or Without You” (from U2’s brilliant 1987 album, The Joshua Tree) and a tremendous performance from drummer Jay McMillan. The full set:

Crashin’
The Mixed Tape
Spinning
Holiday From Real
Kill the Messenger
I’m Ready
Bruised
La La Lie
Swim
Bloodshot
Watch the Sky (Something Corporate cover)
Dark Blue
The Resolution
MFEO
Rescused
Into the Airwaves

Jack's Mannequin drummer Jay McMillan

The two-song encore began with McMahon walking on stage wearing a shirt in “honor” of the Twitter trendy “balloon boy”–appropriate attire for a song entitled “Rescued”. Everything in Transit-closer “Into the Airwaves” finished the evening, a befitting end to a solid sixteen-song setlist that drew from ten of the album’s eleven tracks, likely designed to please a college crowd less familiar with The Glass Passenger. To an audience filled with fans and fratboys alike, Jack’s Mannequin put on an excellent show likely to convince the casual college student to pick up at least one of the band’s albums — fulfilling the night’s goal.

inTuneMusic is very interested in any submissions/corrections from this event including photographs, setlists, and audio/video. Please contact us, you will receive complete credit for any submission.

Leave a Comment » | Jack's Mannequin, New Brunswick, New Jersey, Rutgers University | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Charles Ambrose

The Gaslight Anthem / Murder by Death / Jesse Malin @ NYC 10/15

October 15, 2009

With a handful of excellent opening bands, The Gaslight Anthem’s final tour on The ‘59 Sound tour arrived in New York City on a cool Thursday night. Poised to release their third full-length next year, the New Jersey four-piece set their sights on Terminal 5 to give a proper sendoff to their 2008 smash LP.

Broadway Calls opened the evening, but the first act I caught was Jesse Malin. A forty-year old rock veteran, Malin began writing songs and founded hardcore band Heart Attack in the early 1980s. Since disbanding, though, Malin has worked on his solo career. With a full band behind him this evening, Malin played fairly long set, drawing largely from 2007’s Glitter in the Gutter.

Murder by Death began their set with In Bocca Al Lupo’s “Sometimes the Line Walks You”. The next three songs came from their latest effort, Red of Tooth and Claw–the album actually made up half of the band’s set. A nice cover of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” broke the set into two parts, with a solid performance of “Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue” from Who Will Survive and What’s Left of Them beginning to wrap things up. The final song of the evening was the instrumental “Those Who Stayed” from the band’s first album, Like the Exorcist, But More Breakdancing.

Sometimes the Line Walks You
‘52 Ford
Ball & Chain
Rumbrave
A Masters In Reverse Psychology
Fuego!
Steal Away
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Sonny Bono cover)
Brother
Comin’ Home
Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue
One More Notch
Those Who Stayed

The Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon

Tributary “High Lonesome” began things for The Gaslight Anthem who raced through most of The ‘59 Sound (sans “Meet By the River’s Edge”). “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” was particularly strong, and “We Came to Dance” is always quite well-received. A brief bit of “Stand By Me” was inserted into”I’da Called You Woody, Joe”, and 2007’s “Angry Johnny and the Radio” had the entire crowd singing, “we always loved the sad sad songs!”

inTuneMusic has reviewed The Gaslight Anthem many times over the last year, so please check out our other reviews for detailed comments about particular songs. The hour-and-a-half setlist:

High Lonesome
Casanova, Baby!
Old White Lincoln
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
The ‘59 Sound
We Came to Dance
Film Noir
Miles Davis and the Cool
The Patient Ferris Wheel
I’da Called You Woody, Joe
Angry Johnny and the Radio
Great Expectations
Here’s Looking At You, Kid
The Backseat
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Drive
The Navesink Banks
We’re Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner

“Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” began the four song encore, with three songs from Sink or Swim closing out the night. That album’s final track, “We’re Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner”, was a great way to end the show. Fallon’s vocals were top-notch through the evening, and the rest of the band sounded excellent as well. The Gaslight Anthem return to the area with a December 11 performance in Montclair, New Jersey.

1 Comment | Jesse Malin, Murder by Death, New York, New York City, Terminal 5, The Gaslight Anthem | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Charles Ambrose

Andrew McMahon @ NYC 10/12

October 12, 2009

At 9PM on a Monday evening, singer-songwriter Andrew McMahon walked onto the Highline Ballroom stage with a set of handwritten posters. Seemingly pulled from a Wes Anderson movie, the completely silent McMahon used the giant note cards to make introductions (“Hello…I’m Andrew”), define expectations (“Tonight you’ll hear lot’s of songs…some old..some new”), and lay out the evening’s ground rules (“singing-dancing-clapping…go for it!” and “requests are for karaoke bars!”)

Andrew McMahon's greetings, as told by a series of handmade signs.

The Glass Passenger’s “Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby)” opened the evening. Over luscious chords and a soothing melody, McMahon’s lullaby was a farewell to an old piano from his first days of touring. Jack’s Mannequin guitarist Bobby Anderson joined for “The Mixed Tape”, a pleasant surprise that added depth to the rest of the set.

Fulfilling his poster promise of “old songs”, McMahon reached back to 2003 to perform “As You Sleep” from Something Corporate’s North. Great performances of “Crashin’” and “Holiday From Real” followed, and McMahon took a break to tell the story of “Annie Use Your Telescope”, a song written during a tour in Australia. “She Paints Me Blue”, another cut from North, was preceded with a story about the song’s origins: McMahon moved out of his parents’ house for the first time and one of the decorations for his new apartment was a blue light, which painted his depressed mood during that time.

Audioboxer EP’s “Walking By” received the lengthiest explanation of the evening, with McMahon explaining the song’s “Cheshire cat doorstep”, an actual brick doorstep that his older siblings dropped on his head when he was younger. A rarely performed ballad, McMahon explained that although the song is one of his favorites, its slow-paced structure didn’t fit into Something Corporate’s “punky” tours in 2001 and 2002 when it was released.

A charming cover of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman” preceded “21 and Invincible”, a song McMahon said he wrote after being made fun of by his older brother. “Dark Blue” and “Bloodshot” followed, the latter of which McMahon remarked is about “climbing a mountain”.

Andrew McMahon played a variety of covers throughout the evening.

Andrew McMahon on the piano.

“Moon River”, made famous by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, received interesting treatment (the song is, despite McMahon’s best efforts, most certainly out of his vocal range). “West Coast Winter”, an older version of “La La Lie”, was the last song before McMahon walked off stage to take a breather.

“Heroine”, written for a girl whom McMahon took to a Face to Face concert, began the five-song encore which also included a cover of Bikelock’s “Olive”, a project between ex-River City High members Anderson and drummer Jay McMillan (both of whom now also play with Jack’s Mannequin). “The Astronaut” was dedicated to McMahon’s mother (in attendance with his sister); “Bruised” closed out the evening. The full set:

Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby)
The Mixed Tape
As You Sleep
Crashin’
Holiday From Real
Annie Use Your Telescope
The Resolution
She Paints Me Blue
Spinning
Walking By
Just Like A Woman (Bob Dylan cover)
21 and Invincible
Dark Blue
Bloodshot
Moon River (Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini cover)
West Coast Winter (La La Lie)
Heroine (Punk Rock Princess)
Swim
Olive (Bikelock cover)
The Astronaut
Bruised

Taking six songs from the Something Corporate era, McMahon pleased old fans and new fans alike with his exhaustive twenty-one song setlist. With help from Anderson, the true beauty of McMahon’s songwriting became evident when songs with often over-the-top production stood well up to the stripped-down acoustic test. Certainly, McMahon excels when he’s with his band on stage in front of thousands, but sometimes a quiet intimate evening with the songwriter is a pleasant change of pace. A portion of the night’s proceeds went towards the charitable Dear Jack Foundation.

McMahon returns to the area a few more times in October, including a solo session at Bowery Ballroom, a Jack’s Mannequin concert at Rutgers University, and a Dear Jack screening at IFC Theater.

Photos courtesy of Cristina Velasco

1 Comment | Andrew McMahon, Highline Ballroom, Jack's Mannequin, New York, New York City | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Charles Ambrose

AFI / Gallows @ Sayreville 10/10

October 10, 2009

Since forming nearly twenty years ago, AFI has seen a wide variety of lineup, label, and stylistic changes. Beginning in 1991 as a California skate-punk act, the band routinely covered The Misfits and touched on topics such as mohawks. In 2009, AFI finds themselves long removed from their days of adolescent rebellion with more in common with Morrissey and David Bowie than Dag Nasty and Danzig.

Still, the band has their roots. In support of their most radio-ready album to date, the band brought emerging UK punk quintet Gallows as the band’s lone support. Selling out Sayreville’s 2200-capacity Starland Ballroom, AFI offered brief glimpses into their past throughout the evening but were clearly more interested in their latest material, most specifically 2009’s Crash Love and 2003’s Sing the Sorrow.

Gallows setlist

Lone opener Gallows started the evening with their British blend of punk rock. Fronted by the charismatic Frank Carter, the five-piece played material from their debut, Orchestra of Wolves, and 2009’s Grey Britain. Though I missed the band’s full performance, the ten-song setlist follows:

Leeches
London is the Reason
Come Friendly Bombs
The Great Forgiver
Abandon Ship
Gold Dust
Misery
I Dread the Night
In the Belly of a Shark
Orchestra of Wolves

“Torch Song” began things for AFI, who for the first time in a decade opened their set without a specially tailored intro (such as Sing the Sorrow’s “Miseria Canteria” or Decemberunderground’s “Prelude 12/21″). Without much suspense, the band kicked into their biggest single, “Girls Not Grey”. “The Leaving Song Pt. II” followed, and the crowd responded with a floor full of dancing.

AFI frontman Davey Havok (photo by GLK Creative)

Shoes and other items were lost during the frenzy, prompting frontman Davey Havok to inquire about an estranged sneaker. Both playful and thoughtful, Havok tried his best to return the footwear to its barefooted owner, but the item ended up in the hands of a fan who was creepily thrilled just to have something that Havok had touched.

Winona Rider-inspired “Veronica Sawyer Smokes” was a welcomed change of pace from the aggressive “The Leaving Song Pt. II”, offering Havok his first chance of the night to showcase his excellent range. “Ever and a Day” found the band jumping back to 2000’s Nitro Records effort, The Art of Drowning, exciting everyone in the crowd who has been following the band for some time.

Sick of it All’s Lou Koller came on stage to provide additional vocals on “Kill Caustic”, transforming a mediocre song into a powerhouse. The audience reacted appropriately with a giant pit, even if most of the crowd was entirely too young to understand or appreciate Koller’s influence on not only AFI but also punk music across America. The radio-ready “End Transmission” calmed things down, offering no indication of the excellent surprise just minutes away.

AFI guitarist Jade Puget (photo by GLK Creative)

Dedicating the song to Gallows, the band exploded into “Love is a Many Splendored Thing”, a hardcore-punk romp originally appearing on 1993’s Eddie Picnic’s All Wet EP. The glimpse back into AFI’s past was unexpected and absolutely phenomenal, albeit short-lived.

“Dancing Through Sunday” was excellent, with guitarist Jade Puget tearing through the song’s finger-tapped solo. A few quiet numbers followed, with “The Leaving Song” and Decemberunderground b-side “On the Arrow”, the latter featuring drummer Adam Carson for the first time stepping out from behind the skins to provide percussion in the form of a hand shaker.

The Refused-like “Death of Seasons” was one of the night’s highlights, and single “Medicate” received a solid performance. A strong rendition of “Love Like Winter” closed the set and the band walked off stage.

AFI returned on stage to loud applause with a cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”. “Miss Murder” followed, with the crowd exploding on Hunter Burgan’s opening bass notes. The wintery “Silver and Cold” finished the evening. The full set:

AFI setlist

Torch Song
Girls Not Grey
The Leaving Song Pt. II
Veronica Sawyer Smokes
Ever and a Day
Kill Caustic
End Transmission
Love is a Many Splendored Thing
Beautiful Thieves
Dancing Through Sunday
The Leaving Song
On the Arrow
Death of Seasons
Medicate
Love Like Winter
Just Like Heaven (The Cure cover)
Miss Murder
Silver and Cold

The band’s setlist was disappointing, with just two songs from 1991-2002. Black Sails in the Sunset, possibly the band’s best work, was entirely absent. Longtime staples from the era (“Totalimmortal”, “God Called in Sick Today”, “The Days of the Phoenix”) were questionably missing. One third of the set came from 2003’s Sing the Sorrow. Crash Love contributed five songs, a fair number considering the album’s recent release. The Cure cover was well-performed but unnecessary, as the band performed the song during their previous trip to Starland Ballroom.

AFI bassist Hunter Burgan (photo by GLK Creative)

Disappointing setlist aside, the songs AFI did select to perform sounded excellent with few exceptions (“Girls Not Grey” is a weak live cut; “Miss Murder” is a weak song). Havok has never sounded better, and Crash Love tracks like “Beautiful Thieves” sounded much better than they do on the album. Burgan’s vocal harmonies–a new addition to AFI’s live repertoire–sounded great.

AFI continues on their tour with Gallows into December, including a November stop in New York City at the 3200-person Roseland Ballroom. New fans of AFI (2003 to present) will find much to love in the band’s excellent live show and major label-heavy setlist, while old fans cannot help but feel disappointed in knowing that buried underneath every bland “Girls Not Grey” and uninspired “Miss Murder” sits a dusty catalog of some of the greatest goth-punk songs ever written.

4 Comments | AFI, Gallows, Sayreville, Starland Ballroom | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Charles Ambrose

Bruce Springsteen @ East Rutherford 10/9

October 9, 2009

For the fifth and final night at Giants Stadium, Bruce Springsteen took things back to 1984 with a full performance of Born in the USA. The Boss’s biggest commercial success, Born in the USA was certified Diamond by the RIAA, indicating sales of more than ten million units. The twelve-track LP spawned seven top ten singles, transforming the already-successful Springsteen into a 1980s American icon.

As he did on the each of the previous four nights at Giants Stadium dates (please read inTuneMusic’s review of The Boss’s first night for more information), Springsteen began the night with “Wrecking Ball”. Darkness on the Edge of Town leadoff “Badlands” followed, engaging the entire crowd with its enormous chorus. A strong performance of “Spirit in the Night”, from Springsteen’s debut album, followed before the lights were cut and the eerie opening notes of “Outlaw Pete” quieted the crowd.

“Hungry Heart”, the lone song from The River was a full-stadium singalong–it had to be, with Springsteen crowdsurfing as the the audience sang every word. Recent single “Working on a Dream” was also warmly received, but it was the pounding synthesizer of “Born in the USA” (the first song ever performed by Springsteen and the E-Street Band at the Meadowlands in 1985) that took the crowd to a new level. With passionate cries, the song’s chorus found Springsteen and indeed all of Giants Stadium shouting, “I was born in the USA, I was born in the USA!”

With a massive performance from the E-Street Band, Springsteen plowed through Born in the USA. “I’m on Fire” was especially haunting, and songs like “Cover Me”, “No Surrender”, “Glory Days”, and “Dancing in the Dark” are some of The Boss’s singles–the crowd reacted wildly to each. Following “My Hometown”, Springsteen and the E-Street Band took a bow.

The band returned with Tunnel of Love’s “Touger Than the Rest” and a few cuts from the normally under-represented Magic (“Last to Die”, “Long Walk Home”). Title tracks “The Rising” and “Born to Run” finished the band’s scheduled set and the Boss took requests, resulting in “The Last Time” by The Rolling Stones and Moon Mullican’s “Seven Nights to Rock”.

The last goodbye to Giants Stadium and its packed house was in the form of a Tom Waits cover, “Jersey Girl”. The song’s final words, “nothing matters in this whole wide world, when you’re in love with a jersey girl”, echoed through the stands as Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band said their final farewell. The full set:

Bruce Springsteen's setlist, noticably different than what was actually performed.

Wrecking Ball
Badlands
Spirit in the Night
Outlaw Pete
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
Born in the USA
Cover Me
Darlington County
Working on the Highway
Downbound Train
I’m on Fire
No Surrender
Bobby Jean
I’m Goin’ Down
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
My Hometown
Tougher Than the Rest
The Promised Land
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
The Rising
Born to Run
Raise Your Hand (Eddie Floyd cover)
The Last Time (The Rolling Stones cover)
Waiting on a Sunny Day
Seven Nights To Rock (Moon Mullican cover)
Kitty’s Back
American Land
Jersey Girl (Tom Waits cover)

The final night at Giants Stadium was bittersweet, not only in its farewells but also its song selection. The night found The Boss ending with a cover–perhaps not the best way to close the House that Bruce Built. With the excitement and hype surrounding the event, a slightly longer setlist or perhaps some surprises along the way would have proved incredibly rewarding.

Still, Springsteen sounded great, and it’s hard to pick apart a setlist filled with so many great songs. The Boss’s tour with the E-Street Band continues into the end of November, with local stops in Philadelphia and New York City along the way.

1 Comment | Bruce Springsteen, East Rutherford, Giants Stadium, New Jersey | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Charles Ambrose

inTuneMusic

Jack’s Mannequin @ New Brunswick 10/21

The Gaslight Anthem / Murder by Death / Jesse Malin @ NYC 10/15

Andrew McMahon @ NYC 10/12

AFI / Gallows @ Sayreville 10/10

Bruce Springsteen @ East Rutherford 10/9

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