Juno Reactor @ The Independent, San Francisco - the video

And finally the video... it's only 3 minutes...

(credits to me @ YouTube)

Juno Reactor @ The Independent, San Francisco (23 09 08)

Words cannot describe how awesome yesterday's concert was!!! It was above everything that I expected... The band was great, the audience was really into it and the energy levels were off the roof. Pure, raw, positive energy, that lasted for the 2 and half hours of the concert.

The background canvas.

I was mesmerized by the sound, the show, the dancers and singers and definitely by SUGIZO. The man has such a cool and calm aura around him, but when he picks his guitar... I do not even know how to describe it... only seen live, that's how awesome he looked to me (but I might be biased...). For a few minutes we where also able to seem him play his violin, but it was for such a short amount of time and not the kind of music to show his skills. But I'm not complaining, on the contrary, I'm more than happy to have had this opportunity.

SUGIZO

I really lack the words to describe the show in it self and the emotional experience it was to me. There are very few first time concerts that have moved me emotionally, in fact there is only one other. That one was the beginning of my "love affair" with Lamb, but the major difference is that I really didn't know anything about Lamb and this time I already had some background information on Juno Reactor. I got to know Juno Reactor because of SUGIZO, by reading his blogs and by the background information that I found about him. However, yesterday was the first time that I payed attention to their music and I can say that this is one of the cases that live is much better than recorded. Nothing can surpass the energy of a great live concert.

From the leader of the band (Ben Watkins, he was in such a position on stage that he was almost unseen for the entire concert, except for the few occasions that he picked his guitar and came to the center stage), to the British female vocalist, the Jamaican male vocalist, the South African dancers/drummers, the drummer (I'm sorry but he is the only one I have no idea about his nationality) and, of course, the Japanese guitar player, every single one of the was giving their best and just enjoying themselves. They almost looked like a band that played together all time, for how in sync with each other they where.

The male and female vocalists and one of the dancers/drummers (this man dancing, was something beyond words...)

What else to say?! I danced and enjoyed myself for the entire concert, needless to say that today I felt exhausted but also recharged of positive energy. I was really needing something like this. Definitely in my TOP 5 concerts, and I think you can guess the position... :)

What to add... If you have the opportunity, go see them live!! It really is worth it!!

I also recorded some videos but I was to close to the speakers, so the sound is very distorted. The only exception was the first one, in which they were entering the stage (has soon has YouTube allows it I'll upload it and post the link/video here).

The first concert of the month...

Tricky @ The Independent on September 14th was the first concert of this month.

So how was it?!

It could have been better is my first comment. Supposedly, Tricky had been hospitalized earlier in the day and he had to check himself out of the hospital to go to the concert, since the doctors did not want him to leave. This said it's true that he was using is inhaler, but it's also true the he was smoking pot through out the all concert... I would say that is not a very good combination...

I'm not familiar with his music and it was the first time that I saw him live. He somehow had a more secondary role that what I expected him to have, in some musics he did not even sing. And he the ones that he sung his vocals resembled more backing vocals than main vocals. They played a curious version of The Cure's Love Cats. In the end I have to say that I liked it, but I would like to see him live again when he is supposedly not sick, to see if there is any difference. To see if there is more energy on stage, because the crowd seemed to be really in to it.

There were two good surprises that night, the first was the venue... it's a good venue for more intimate concerts (it takes about 370 persons); and I'm going there next week for another concert with Sugizo, so even if I'm by the bar I'll be close enough to the stage to have a good look at him. The second was the opening act, Sonny... an electronic group with no bass-line (or at least with no live bass player), but with a fantastic drum section and curious vocals. Here's the link for his/their myspace.

I'm sorry to say that I did not take any photos, because I did not know if I was allowed. But I now know that I can take pictures if I do not use any flash. So... I'm planning to take a bunch of photos from the Juno Reactor and Sugizo concert. :)

Time for the long overdue post...

I've been wanting to write ever since the 3rd of August... But for various reasons, must of them related to laziness (*cough*) we arrived to the 19th of August without a single update.

So why did I want to write since that particular date?!

Because, on the 3rd of August we went to Stern Grove Festival, a free entrance festival with a lot of good performances. On this day the performances held were the responsibility of SI*SÉ (myspace) and Bajofondo (myspace). The two concerts were amazing, but Bajofondo completely stole the afternoon...

If you follow the myspace links you'll get a taste of the vibe of each of these bands. Both are from the electronica field, but while SI*SÉ is in the trip-hop area, Bajofondo is electronic tango, so in the end the vibes are completely different and the last one is more danceable and festive (and I love trip-hop, one of my all time favourite bands is Lamb). Which was in complete accordance with the vibe of the festival (yes, I've notice the over-use of the word vibe, lol).

The venue (if we can call that a venue, the concerts were held at Stern Grove Park) was completely full, there were no places to sit. By the end of Bajofondo's concert almost everyone us jumping up and down and dancing to the sound of the fabulous music that could be heard. In the last music everyone (not everyone, but a lot of people) jumped on the stage and started dancing with the band. I have a small video showing this (yes, it's mine).

Bajofondo @ Stern Grove Festival 03 08 08:

To hear the complete music please follow this link -> Bajofondo - Los Tangueros (credits to romeropablo @ YouTube).

All this to say that: Bajofondo rocked!! And that in San Francisco you can go to fantastic concerts without having to pay anything!! :D

After this fantastic concert, almost everyone went to our place to eat a so so (fantastic, :P) feijoada, also known as bean-oada, cooked by Marcos.

Other than that, we have been blessed with a few sunny days that have felt as heaven. On these days, which happen to have occurred mostly on Saturdays, we went around the city. Namely, we went to the Financial District, Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf (on this last day, that was this weekend the weather was terrible, cold and misty..).

On Fisherman's Wharf we were able to eat fish (which is a rarity here) and see seals. I have photos of the seals (as soon as facebook stops his tantrum I'll post the link for them in the usual place).

I also returned to the Japan Center and bought a gift for myself, Sugizo's (myspace) last release: Cosmoscape, that is a collection of the 10 years of Sugizo's solo work. It was worth every cent that I payed for it. :D

This is a very short summary of what has happen this month, but sincerely I'm not that inspired to write... sorry...

More to come in the future, whenever I'll get the mood to write. (Sorry, but it really depends on the days...)

S.K.I.N.

This is one of the best videos, in terms of sound and image quality, I've come across. Enjoy:

Here's the link (the box was too big...):
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v713200xPRfwd77

Life...

I've been completely absent from this blog... Well, between my new found world of Japanese Rock and the Thesis I heaven't had time to do much more on the PC. Besides, there's nothing really new to report in my life.

Today was a good day when it comes to my Thesis, I've reread all the articles I need to write the third chapter. :) Yurraiii for me!! :D
That's a new thing that I haven't mention yet, I yesterday I finished making the Introduction modifications that my supervisor asked, and started working on the 3rd the chapter. :)
Tomorrow, if everything goes has expected, I'll write!! (Don't know how much, hopefully more than a sentence...). I'd like to have this chapter completed by the end of the week.

Concerning everything else...

I just discovered that my favourite band ever (LAMB) made a collaboration SUGIZO (one of the members of S.K.I.N.) in 1997. I already knew this song and loved it, but I didn't know who was the author of the song.

SUGIZO – Kanon

S.K.I.N. obsessed or Japanese Music III

So the first ever concert of the Japanese Rock band I mentioned in the previous post was yesterday (or better today at dawn). And I've just spend the all day looking for details... (crazy me :P)

It seems that they completely rocked!!! :D