Azure Ray creeped into my life around late 2002 with the ‘November EP’. After that I gradually ended up buying up their entire catalog, but never wound up seeing them live. So you can imagine my disappointment when Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink split up in 2005 to pursue their own solo projects. While their solo material was decent, none of it could live up to the heartwrenching honesty that was Azure Ray. So when Maria Taylor announced on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic show that the band would reform in July 2009 for a handful of shows before working on a new Azure Ray album, I was extatic. A-Ray was back.
Now I wasn’t sure of the turn out even with Cursive’s/The Good Life’s Tim Kasher opening up, but to my surprise, The Great American Music Hall filled up pretty quickly when the Omaha singer-songerwirter took the stage. Not sure what to expect (was he going to play acoustic Cursive numbers? Good Life songs? Covers?), I was pleasantly surprised that he played pretty much nothing but his own solo material. All of it sounded typical “Kasher-style” mope rock about doomed relationships and unusual situations, but it was still nice to hear. He was able to squeeze out “A New Friend” from The Good Life’s ‘Album of the Year’ and a sweet Paul Simon cover. Overall a good performance despite his lack of confidence in his own songs. Also, he mentioned that night that he will be working on a solo record; when it will be released is anyone’s guess.
When Azure Ray took the stage, all was quiet. Most knew the proper mood for an Azure Ray show and those who didn’t found out within the next few seconds. The set list covered tracks from 2001’s self-titled debut (Rise, Displaced), not many off 2002’s Burn & Shiver, but many off 2003’s Hold On Love. We Are Mice, The Drinks We Drank Last Night (which sounded as emotional as ever), a more upbeat and rocking version of Hold On Love, and the crowd’s favorite, If You Fall. It was quite difficult to find anything not to enjoy about the show.
Once the encore kicked in Nick White from Tilly and the Wall (who was playing guitar that night) sang a cover of Now It’s Overhead’s ‘Blackout Curtain’ with the girls doing backup. I was nearly on my knees in awe at how flawless they played that song. Afterwards were two unexpected new songs, one of which was the a-typical dreary Azure-style and the other seemed more upbeat and positive for a band that seems to keep it low key. They closed the night with my favorite A-Ray song, November. A song that holds a very special place in my life and a reminder of where I was 6 years ago.
Which brings me to this; I felt a deep sense of nostalga that night. In fact I was more emotional than I’ve been at a concert in a long time. This was a band that represented a dark time in my life and acted as a close friend who knew exactly how I was feeling. So hearing them play these songs so flawlessly, in this beautiful venue, on this clear chilly night, was something very special to me. I felt like I had gotten a long embracing hug from an old friend, talked for an hour, and went our seperate ways. I left feeling pretty good that night…
Monday edition! Okay yeah I’m late on the Bay Area post but if you saw how my weekend went you’d understand. Anyway, if you made it out to the Laura Stevenson show last night, consider yourself lucky, she’s a special gal. Keep an eye on her. Okay, lets get started!
Tonight Coldplay heads over to the Shoreline Amphitheatre to entertain the white people, post rock heroes Tortoise and Pit Er Pat are leaving the The Great American Music Hall in awe, folk metal band Wolves in the Throne Room hit up Slim’s, Tori Amos plays the Paramount Theatre in Oakland and the San Jose Center For The Performing Arts on Tuesday, also Summer Cats and Magic Bullets perform at The Knockout tonight, New Zealand rockers The Veils and indie pop act Foreign Born crash the Bottom of the Hill.
Tuesday features Blonde Redhead at The Independent for two nights, the beautifully reunited Azure Ray play Nickel City Arcade in San Jose, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head rocks Café du Nord,…oh yeah and some website called Kata Rokkar presents post rockers Gifts From Enola with Winfred E. Eye and Glaciers. That should be fucking awesome!
Wednesday we have the lovely Laura Veirs at Café du Nord, instrumental group Pink Mountain play San Francisco’s Amoeba Records at 6pm, and Tears for Fears stop by the Mountain Winery in Saratoga.
The Mission Creek Music Festival featuring Judgement Day, Evangelista, Ann Magnuson, Jessie Evans, Shogun Kuntoki, William Winant, Weasle Walter, Moe!, Staiano Trio, Pop Noir, Ink Blots, Nacotheque, Juan Son, Curly Lou, Clara Gustavson, Dead Meadow, Xoel Lopez, Mranda Lee Richards, the Extra Action Marching Band and many many others will be pretty much all over the city from the 15th to the 22nd of July. More on that later on in the week.
Also going on this week is the The Crucible’s Fire Arts Festival with Amanda Palmer, Lucero, Poor Man’s Whiskey, Loco Bloco, etc. I had no idea what this was until just now. It looks wild. The event will take place In Oakland right off the West Grand Avenue exit, between at the Oakland Army Base and the East Bay MUD Facility, at the corner of Wake Avenue and Engineer Road.
Thursday will have me visiting the Great American Music Hall to see Azure Ray and Cursive’s Tim Kasher. It wil a nice evening of calm heartfelt music on O’Farrell Street. Psychedelic rocks Thee Oh Sees with Meth Teeth (best band name?) at The Eagle Tavern, and indie punkers Girl in a Coma play the Bottom of the Hill.
Friday, Brand New returns with Dios at Slim’s, Infected Mushroom plays at The Grand Ballroom At the Regency Center, thrash rocks Sabertooth Zombie rip-up 924 Gilman St., indie hip-hoppers Cage and Yak Ballz come to destroy The Great American Music Hall, THE VERY BEST (Radioclit & Esau Mwamwaya) come to party it up at Mighty, noise rockers Pterodactyl perform at the Hemlock Tavern, and the Great Northern and Eulogies show at Mezzanine is canceled.
Saturday, progressive art rocks Water & Bodies and Ambiance play the Hotel Utah, lounge DJ Bonobo will be at Mighty, and Three Mile Pilot crashes at the Bottom of the Hill.
Kata Rokkar is a place where you can download free mp3 from artists and bands that I currently love and listen to. They are only for sampling purposes and to influence you to go out and support these artists by purchasing their records and going to their concerts. If you are a record company or an artist that is displeased with a song being displayed, feel free to contact me and I will remove it ASAP. Thank you and enjoy!
Sea Of Doubts
Monday edition! Okay yeah I’m late on the Bay Area post but if you saw how my weekend went you’d understand. Anyway, if you made it out to the Laura Stevenson show last night, consider yourself lucky, she’s a special gal. Keep an eye on her. Okay, lets get started!
