Yo, DJ.....HIT ME!!

[Johann]

Saw Metallica last night at the Air Canada Centre.
Sold out.
Holy Mother of God what a concert.
I'm too hung over to write anything decent about it except to say that I felt that I was at a battle cry of gigantic proportions.
I've never been in a crowd that large before- with so many people into it. The music was sheer power, delivered with mighty chops. I had a fairly crappy view of the stage (for a $90 ticket that sux)--- I couldn't see the faces of the band members, just their bodies.
Oh well, I was there and it seems unreal...


You've reached the end of the LINE.

[Johann]

I bought a ticket to see WEEN on July 29th at Kool Haus. Can't wait. Will post about it.
Love those guys.
I'm hoping to maybe smoke a J with Gene or Dean afterwards...here's hoping!
:)

[Johann]

My head was blown clean off my shoulders last Thursay night (July 29/2010).
I saw the Mighty WEEN do a mind-bending show at the Kool Haus.

I've never seen them live and I was told by a longtime fan after the show that that was the best show he'd ever seen them do (and he'd been to 16 of their concerts!)
No opening act.
It was all WEEN, and what they did was both EPIC and SOUL-SHAKING.

I knew Dean Ween was a great guitar player from the CD's I have but I was not prepared for the sonic onslaught he delivered that night.
Very few electric guitarists are compared to Jimi Hendrix seriously: Stevie Ray Vaughn, for one. But Dean Ween is a man who can unequivocably be compared to the Mighty Jimi.
(and Deaner was born just a couple days after Jimi died. Coincidence? Ween's manager told me that via a recent e-mail)
The psychedelic sounds he pulled from his guitar were proof positive that Dean has the Jimi-style chops. I even said to myself that Jimi himself would've nodded in approval. Dean was all over the fretboard, all over the strings- he flew it at us just like Jimi did- a fearless, courageous musician who MEANT IT.

WEEN are the best band you've never heard of.
They've been around for quite a while and have quite a fan following, but they are largely an unknown Mega Music Force to be reckoned with.
I only got into them seriously about 4 years ago, and none of my friends like them or have even heard of them.
All I gotta say is go to youtube after you've smoked a chonger or drank a six pack of 9% beer and type in the following songs:

1. Booze me up and get me high (Live in Chicago 2003)
2. Ocean Man (my fave track from their Masterpiece album "THE MOLLUSK")
3. MY OWN BARE HANDS- another fave track of mine from "LA CUCARACHA"--it's just sheer awesome power, with Dean barking the lyrics out like Lemmy from Motorhead.
4. Piss Up a Rope- the best country break-up song ever (brace yourself- it's loaded with expletives and nasty sentiments)
5. All of My Love (Zeppelin cover= Gene Ween sings close to Robert Plant- Live in Chicago 2003)

I just realized that this list could become a 700+ song screed (if you include bootlegs, and you MUST lol)

They did a cover of David Bowie's "LET'S DANCE" and for the encore did a brilliant version of "OHIO" by Neil Young.
Blew my head clean off.
It was exactly what a Live show should be- teeming with energy and power.
They had a good time up there (no wonder- those songs are so great to listen to that I imagine playing them would be NIRVANA). Some big balloons somehow got tossed around the audience and ended up on stage a few times, with Dean asking "what is this, the Flaming Lips?? what's with the balloons?"
They also did a great punk-rock type track that I'd only heard for the first time that night: "DR. ROCK"- just kick-your-ass-AWESOME.

What can I say? I was blown away by that band and I'm a die-hard WEEN fan now.
I was just a casual fan before, but now my fanboy allegiance is ironclad for the Boognish

LINK TO PHOTOS:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...7&id=622980066



BOOZE ME UP AND GET ME HIGH
(why don't you give it a try?)

[Johann]

PUBLIC ENEMY have a brand-new single out, to be included on the much-anticipated box set from these rap Legends.

It's another revolutionary anthem, with the imitable Chuck D. rhymin' as hard as usual (who I had the ultimate honor of seeing live in person last year and get his autograph- I got pics to prove it).

Song's called "SAY IT LIKE IT REALLY IS"

I'd link to it but the URL is too long. but here's youtube:

www.youtube.com.

Just type it in. And then start pumpin' your angry fist...

[Johann]

Thank you Jack and Meg White.
Somewhat sad news today.

Now that you are no longer a band, I want to thank you for your amazing music and art.
I had the priviledge to see you both Live at the 2007 Bluesfest in Ottawa Canada and will take that show to the grave.
(and your Canadian tour album & film were Incredible gifts to the world (and Canada especially).

Many many thanks from a fan.

[Johann]

The kick-off to the 2011 Ottawa Jazzfest was Incredible last night.
I had the historic honor of seeing the frontman for Led Zeppelin and his Band of Joy deliver some of the sweetest music ever made.
And I didn't pay a dime.

No, I didn't hop any fences or scale any walls to see the Golden God. I just stood on the Mackenzie King bridge, with about 200 others, looking down on the open-air stage in Confederation Park. It was Glorious.
An unknown band opened the show at 8PM, and by quarter after nine the Band of Joy began their set with a sensuous bluegrass version of Zep's Black Dog. Incredible. Everybody there was pumped up. I admit I'm not familiar with Band of Joy's songs or new album. I only knew "Angel Dance", a staple on classic rock radio these days. Angel Dance was the third song of their set. Mr. Plant spoke to the crowd after the song:
Good people of Ottawa! It's great to be back! Giant roar from the crowd.


He looked like a million bucks. Black satin shirt with intricate purple designs, long blonde locks (STILL!) and he can still sway and move like a jellyfish in the sea. I noticed some ladies getting all hot and bothered at Plant's visage. Not Bad Robert! You can still make the ladies moist. HA HA

And by Zeus, his voice is still as powerful and rich as it ever was. A guy in his sixties turned to me and said "Do you hear that voice?!!?! it's still as great as the records!" I said "I know, I know". Plant's oh-so-familiar vocals soared over the ottawa night sky, which, I must add was absolutely perfect for the show. We had the most ominous black clouds hanging in the sky to the north. Everybody was bracing for a downpour at any time. But amazingly, the clouds kept moving briskly East, and the sky broke with white clouds during the set. Thunder "thundered" and rumbled a few times, we had little flickers of lightning in the sky, with someone shouting "the opening act!!" at the weather.
And we had no rain.
Until..
the set was over, the whole band takes a bow and Plant said "Good night! A Beautiful Evening! Keep in touch!"
The crowd got REAL loud for an encore, and then they came back out to the stage.
GALLOWS POLE blew our minds. People went apeshit when that song began. It was EPIC.
And guess what happens just after the song begins?
The rain POURED like a mofo.
The old guy beside me said "I can get soaked for that man".

They only did the one song for an encore. But it was all we needed.
Robert said "That's All, GOODNIGHT!"
and the exodus of peeps heading home began.
Glad I was there to see a Rock Icon in the flesh. It was beautiful.

[Johann]

The setlist:

Black Dog (Led Zeppelin)
Down To The Sea
Angel Dance (Los Lobos cover)
What Is and What Should Never Be (Led Zeppelin)
House of Cards (Linda and Richard Thompson cover)
Somewhere Trouble Don't Go (Buddy Miller cover)
Monkey
A Satisfied Mind (Porter Wagoner cover)
Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down (Uncle Tupelo cover)
Ocean of Tears (Patti Griffin cover)
Black Country Woman
In The Mood
Please Read The Letter (Page & Plant cover)


Encore:
Gallows Pole (Led Zeppelin)