Smashing Pumpkins and...kazoos?

While we didn't attend Smashing Pumpkins' show at Raleigh's Memorial Auditorium this past weekend, it's certainly worth mentioning that it happened.

Check out this review from our friend at Community Shoes.

Set list:
Tarantula
G.L.O.W.
Eye
Mayonnaise
Tonight, Tonight
Speed Kills
Transformer
Superchrist
United States
Once Upon a Time
The Crux
Rose March
Today
Bullet With Butterfly Wings
Batman
Heavy Metal Machine
Glass Theme
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
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We Only Come Out at Night
In the Summertime

Check out this video of a shirtless Corgan singing We Only Come Out at Night from the show.

The National and Modest Mouse at Walnut Creek

You may have thought we forgot or were just neglecting the opening acts for R.E.M. Tuesday night, but they are so big they deserve their own post.

The National started the show at the not so great time of 6:30 p.m. — made worse due to the fact that many did not realize the start time had changed from 7:30. The band played a great set to a small crowd. The band's music is definitely not suited for daylight or a big amphitheatre of apathetic concert goers, but whether they were appreciated or not, the band played a phenomenal set.

Here's The National's set list:
Start a War
Brainy
Baby, We'll Be Fine
Slow Show
Mistaken for Strangers
Squalor Victoria
Racing Like a Pro
Apartment Story
Fake Empire
Mr. November



Modest Mouse took the stage next, with Johnny Marr of The Smiths in tow which is still an unreal pairing. The band played an energetic set, which notably didn't include the band's 2004 hit "Float On," but like many bands with hit songs, I'm sure they're sick of it by now.

Here's Modest Mouse's setlist (thanks to Amanda):
King Rat
Paper Thin Walls
Dashboard
Education
Here It Comes
Doin' The Cockroach
Trailer Trash
Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes
The Good Times Are Killing Me
The View
Satin In A Coffin



[photos by Amanda Parrish]

R.E.M play old favorites, get political

R.E.M. threw the audience at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre last night a number of curveballs during the set, including the opening song. The band opened with "Harborcoat" from their second album Reckoning.

The set included many older/unexpected songs including "1,000,000," "Find the River," "7 Chinese Bros" among many others. The band announced early in the set that they were going to play a lot of older material in honor of their close ties with the Raleigh area early in their career.

R.E.M. did play a number of songs from their latest album Accelerate (which we dig). "Living Well Is the Best Revenge," "Man-Sized Wreath" and "Houston" made their way into the set. Stipe explained that "Houston" was written about the president/federal government's shameful response to Hurricane Katrina.

That certainly wasn't the only political rhetoric during the show. Towards the end of the set, Stipe said that he was proud to be from the south when North Carolina voted for Barack Obama. Most of the crowd cheered while a small portion were more than a little angry — like the guy next to us who said "fucking Democrats."

While politics came up a few times, the night was really about the music. Michael Stipe's energy level throughout the show was amazing, especially considering he was wearing a suit throughout the entire performance in 90 degree weather. "Welcome to the R.E.M. Weight Loss Plan, 2008," Stipe told the crowd. He bounded around the stage, danced, interacted with the cameras and just looked really happy to be on stage. Mike Mills and Peter Buck both seemed to really connect with the crowd as well. There was an energy on stage that you wouldn't expect from a band that's been together for over 27 years.

During the six song encore the band spanned their entire career, opening with the first single from Accelerate "Supernatural Superserious" before launching into their chart topping 1991 hit "Losing My Religion." Next the band played "Pretty Persusasion" (one of my personal favorites of the night) from Reckoning and then invited Johnny Marr (of The Smiths and Modest Mouse) to play with them on "Fall On Me" from their 1986 album Life's Rich Pageant.

The special guests didn't end there though. The band brought out local music legends and former R.E.M. producers Mitch Easter and Don Dixon to play on the classic song "Sitting Still" from R.E.M.'s debut album Murmur. Easter and Dixon produced and engineered the band's first two albums which were recorded at Reflection Sound in Charlotte. It was a memorable moment seeing all of these guys together on stage (but not quite as cool as Bill Berry showing up 2003. I'm sorry I missed that one).

The band closed with "Man On the Moon," a big hit yet not the best closer. It was entertaining to watch Michael Stipe do his Elvis impersonation over and over each time Elvis is mentioned in the song.

In the end, I left the venue blown away by R.E.M.'s performance. They are truly one of the great bands to emerge from the south.

[photo by Amanda Parrish]

Here's the complete setlist from the show:
Harborcoat
Living Well Is the Best Revenge
Bad Day
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
1,000,000
Man-Sized Wreath
Welcome To The Occupation
Accelerate
7 Chinese Bros.
Hollow Man
Imitation Of Life
Houston
Electrolite
Walk Unafraid
The One I Love
Final Straw
Find The River
Let Me In
Horse to Water
Auctioneer
Orange Crush
I'm Gonna DJ
----------
Supernatural Superserious
Losing My Religion
Pretty Persuasion
Fall On Me (w/ Johnny Marr)
Sitting Still (w/ Mitch Easter & Don Dixon)
Man On The Moon

#remnc

The Swell Season at Meymandi Hall - 05.15.08

The Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová) came prepared to put on a show Thursday night. Not only was it a night of great music, but Glen Hansard puts on a hell of a comedy routine as well.

Glen opened by himself with "Say It To Me Now" played at the edge of the stage with no amplification. I've seen a number of performers do this over the years, but Glen does it the best. You can tell he spent quite a bit of time busking when he was younger.

Arcade Fire and Superchunk rally for Obama in Carrboro

Thousands of people gathered this afternoon at Carrboro Town Commons to watch Arcade Fire and Superchunk rock out for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Superchunk started the show with an 11-song set that included "Detroit Has a Skyline." The band played with fervor and intensity of a band who was doing what they love, for a cause they truly believe in. The band had their children watching the show from the side of the stage with headphones to protect their little ears. They came out and jumped up and down on the stage next to bassist Laura Ballance. It was a sight to see.

Arcade Fire took the stage to a roar of fans who had been waiting in the sun for hours to see the band. The band opened with "Keep the Car Running" and rocked through a 9-song set that included a cover of David Bowie's "Heroes." After the song "Haiti," lead singer Win Butler said "George W. Bush policies have been insane to this country (referring to Haiti). I'm so excited about Barack Obama's candidacy. It's about so much more."

After the band left the stage after "Rebellion (Lies)," the crowd didn't budge. The band came back out and started leading a chant of "Yes we can!," one of Barack Obama's slogans. They then launched into "Wake Up" and the crowd sang along with incredible volume.

The band hung out after the show to meet fans, sign autographs, take pictures and encourage everyone to get out and vote. It was definitely the coolest event to take place in the Triangle in a long time.

[Photos]

Arcade Fire setlist

Keep the Car Running
Antichrist Television Blues
Heroes (David Bowie cover)
No Cars Go
Haiti
Intervention
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
-----
Wake Up

Spoon, The Walkmen, White Rabbits at Carolina Theatre

The Carolina Theatre was alive with the sweet sounds of Spoon, The Walkmen and White Rabbits Sunday night.

White Rabbits took the stage first. The six-piece band tore through a set of songs from their debut LP, Fort Nightly, including "Kid On My Shoulders," "The Plot" and "While We Go Dancing." They also played a new song called "Fox Hunting." The band recently signed to ATO Records and plan to release a new album next year.

Three of the band's members were wearing blazers with no shirts, which The Walkmen later revealed was because they lost in ping-pong repeatedly the night before. The band were not allowed to say anything about "losing their shirts" the night before while on stage.

The Walkmen took the stage next, playing a slew of new songs from their upcoming release, tentatively due out in August. The new songs included "If Only It Were True," "On the Water," "I Lost You" and "Canadian Girl." The band did play a few songs from their three previous LPs including "Wake Up," "Little House of Savages" and "All Hands and the Cook."

Singer Hamilton Leithauser confidently dominated the stage, both with his performance and his incredible height. He wore a three piece suit and between belting out intense vocals, would occasionally just stare up toward the ceiling like he was in a daze.

Spoon took the stage with a fury and immediately launched into "Japanese Cigarette Case." Through the night, the band played all but one song from their latest release, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. "The Ghost of You Lingers" was beefed up with toms towards the end that sounded like guns shots, adding some intensity that was lacking on the album version.

One standout song in the set was the Paul Simon tune "Peace Like a River." The band added the Spoon stamp on the song, giving it new life. Another rare tune was "Chips and Dip" from Spoon's first release on Merge Records, the EP Love Ways. The song was preceded by Britt Daniel saying that Merge is the "Number one record label...and it's just up the road."

The only weak song of the night was "The Underdog." The song is just week live without the horns. Keyboardist Eric Harvey played the horn part, but it was lost in the mix. I can't complain about one dud in a 22-song set.

The band played great all night, but Daniel was the focus of attention. His swagger and confidence kept all eyes on him.

Spoon is a great example of a band who has achieved success the hard way, through years of touring and releasing records. They've managed to beat the odds and find success. The sold-out show at Carolina Theatre is proof that good music can still appeal to a large audience.

Here's the Spoon setlist:

Japanese Cigarette Case
Rhythm & Soul
Stay Don't Go
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
The Delicate Place
Nefarious
The Ghost of You Lingers
Peace Like a River (Paul Simon)
Don't You Evah
Don't Make Me a Target
Chips and Dip
Someone Something
Back To the Life
I Summon You
I Turn My Camera On
Finer Feelings
The Underdog
Black Like Me
-----
Car Radio
The Beast And Dragon, Adored
?
Quincy Punk Episode

If anyone can fill in the gaps, please send us an email or leave a comment.

[Thanks to our readers for the setlist help. We're only missing one song now.]

Jay Clifford at Cat's Cradle

For those who missed it, Jay Clifford once again put on a striking solo show at Cat's Cradle last week.

But perhaps even more exciting than the show itself was Jay's announcement that his first solo album is complete and will be released in August. Details such as album title and track listing (and who's releasing the thing) are to be announced, but surely the album will include some of the new songs he played that night. A full set list is below with asterisks next to new songs and the album's track list can be found here (thanks, Michael).

The favorite of some in the crowd seemed to be "Little Ranger," a song he wrote about his one-year-old son Wyatt who roams about the back yard like Vasco da Gama. No, it's not a real song, just something he made most of up on the spot, but such is the greatness of Jay Clifford.


Set List:
Safe Keeping
Dim and the Dark
Know When to Walk Away*
No God, No Country
Waltzing Past the Grave*
Rains in Asia
Mexico
Don't be Fooled*
Pigeon
By the Way They Dance
Dissolves*
Mountains So Grand
Daylight
Cathedrals
Say Goodnight
***************
Do You Love an Apple (with Amanda Kapousouz)
Little Ranger
Where She Lies
* denotes new song

[photo by Kevin Norris]