iamserio.us

Last night I parked my kiester. Yes, I parked my kiester, meester. Then I got that kiester in gear and stopped being lame. First step to achieving that? I captured and edited the footage from my friend’s wedding that I shot. Put that thang on a DVD. Next thing? I captured and edited this 65daysofstatic show I filmed last August. And now that thang is on DVD.

65daysofstatic – El Corazon – Seattle, WA

SD FLV (373 MB): 65dos2007-08-06.flv
HD MP4 (1.8 GB): 65dos2007-08-06.mp4

Torrent Download: 65daysofstatic2007-08-06.hv20.akgc1000s.dvdf

I kinda took a hiatus from taping. It wasn’t because of a lack of concerts to go to but that I started concentrating on having a better diet and reading more. Somehow taping got the axe in that shift. I also applied to go to grad school at the University of Washington which required essays and letters of recommendation and GRE scores and blah blah fart. Still waiting to hear back from them.

But all of that’s done now and I’m back to being normal Brian for the most part. And now I’m taping more shows.

I picked a good night to go taping, though. It was a good time with friends who were all going to the show, the venue didn’t hassle me at all, the music was goddamn amazing, and my recording actually came out really nice considering I was running my mics at head height in the mezzanine.

So here you can enjoy this Ryan Adams recording. Setlist includes some older songs he hasn’t played in years such as “Come Pick Me Up” and and then let your body melt away to the soothing sounds of the piano as it lilts “Halloweenhead” to your dome.

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – 2008-01-28 Paramount Theater – Seattle, WA
Download: radams2008-01-26.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: radams2008-01-26sample.mp3

I’m lazy. I’m a lazy, lazy bum. This is fact.

Every so often, other tapers ask me to help them track out sets or figure out song titles or whatever. So I say “Sure, upload it to my ftp and I’ll take a look at it tonight.” Sure enough, “tonight” turns into “October of later that year.” and here we are.

First of all we have a tape by EmptyZero (I don’t think I know his actual name, actually). It’s a Jesu recording that he asked me to figure out song titles for the set. I ended up doing it but it took me a while. Read the first line again to remind yourself of why.

Jesu – 2007-03-25 Triple Rock Social Club – Minneapolis, MN
Download: jesu2007-03-25sample.mp3
MP3 Sample: jesu2007-03-25.sp-c4.flac16.zip

Next I have a tape from Jackson Barnes. Jackson asked me to track out his Minus The Bear recording from The Vera Project earlier this year and here it is:

Minus The Bear – 2007-04-26 The Vera Project – Seattle, WA
Download: mtb2007-04-26.at943.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: mtb2007 -04-26sample.mp3

Next we have two alternate sources for the 2007-05-07 Explosions In The Sky show at Neumo’s taped by OasisDouglas. He asked me to track out the set for him because he didn’t know the song transitions or titles. Choice is always good:

Explosions In The Sky – 2007-05-07 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
Download: eits2007-05-07.okmIIr.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eits2007-05-07.okmIIr.flac16.zip

Explosions In The Sky – 2007-05-07 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
Download: eits2007-05-07.sonics.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eits2007-05-07.sonics.flac16.zip

Next we have something that a few people have emailed me about since I posted about it…. well, last year. Here I have the Murder City Devils set from last year’s Capitol Hill Block Party as recorded by Jarod Watson. I tracked this one out because Jarod isn’t at all familiar with their music. It just took me a little while to get to doing it.

The Murder City Devils – 2006-07-29 Capitol Hill Block Party – Seattle, WA
Download: mcd2006-07-29.mbho603.ka200n.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: mcd2006-07-29sample.mp3

And finally, here are a few recordings from me.

The first is a concert I recorded for Live Eye TV in July at the Comet Tavern. It was right after the Block Party wrapped up for the night and involved local act Das Llamas and Brooklyn troupe Aa (pronounced “Big A, little a”). The Pleasureboaters also played but I didn’t tape them (regretfully).

Das Llamas – 2007-07-28 The Comet Tavern – Seattle, WA
Download: dl2007-07-28.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: dl2007-07-28sample.mp3

Aa – 2007-07-28 The Comet Tavern – Seattle, WA
Download: aa2007-07-28.akgc1000s.sbd.matrix.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: aa2007-07-28sample.mp3

Next is a Marnie Stern concert I recorded in June. Not much to say other than she is cute as a button and Zach Hill is a monster on the drums. I recorded video of this show and I have it all captured on my hard drive… I just have to get it all authored into a DVD… which takes, you know, effort.

Marnie Stern – 2007-06-24 Chop Suey – Seattle, WA
Download: mstern2007-06-24.akgc1000s.sbd.matrix.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: mstern2007-06-24sample.mp3

Next we have the opening sets from the Girl Talk show at the Block Party. I’ve had a few people ask me for The Trucks’ set and I want to put the Cancer Rising set out there so that more people can hear these guys.

Cancer Rising – 2007-07-27 Capitol Hill Block Party – Seattle, WA
Download: cr2007-07-27.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: cr2007-07-27sample.mp3

The Trucks – 2007-07-27 Capitol Hill Block Party – Seattle, WA
Download: trucks2007-07-27.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: trucks2007-07-27sample.mp3

Finally we have a show from June that a taper asked me to help him with. About halfway through filming the opener (Electric Soft Parade) I started to feel sick but I finished filming. At the end of their set I had to bail and go home because I felt really sick so I missed the headliners (can’t even remember who it was). Anyway, here is ESP’s set:

Electric Soft Parade – 2007-06-04 Chop Suey – Seattle, WA
Download: esp2007-06-04.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: esp2007-06-04sample.mp3

That does it for the wrap-up, kids. Stay tuned to find out if I can actually get off of my ass and torrent the half-dozen DVDs I have yet to author.

So this tour sort of fell apart. Originally it was 65daysofstatic/This Will Destroy You/Hot Cross/Fear Before The March of Flames but then Hot Cross broke up mid-tour and TWDY had to hop off the tour due to medical reasons. To fix the diminished lineup, You In Series was added to the bill. Results: ugh.

At first I thought it was kind of a cool idea to have some sort of crossover tour and it probably would have been pretty cool if the four original bands had played. But the three-band bill at El Corazon last night felt like being at a hardcore show with a few nerds mixed in to fellate applaud the post-rock band.

I filmed up front so there was no one to block my stand in the back. Unfortunately, this means that there were no less than six kids under my mics when I got back to my gear. A quick listen to the quiet parts on the recording reveal that they’re quite apparent on the recording. Oh well, I got some sick footage and the recording turned out ok considering the venue.

I didn’t stick around to tape FBTMOF because I was tired and bored and I’m not posting the You In Series recording because the band was awful.

65daysofstatic – 2007-08-06 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
Download: 65dos2007-08-06.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: 65dos2007-08-06sample.mp3
SD FLV (373 MB): 65dos2007-08-06.flv
HD MP4 (1.8 GB): 65dos2007-08-06.mp4

65daysofstatic – El Corazon – Seattle, WA

Not that many updates recently which is a culmination of factors. Mostly because there haven’t been a lot of shows worth going to lately and I’ve been kinda doing nothing all summer. Finally a few shows cropped up that I had the energy to go to and tape.

So here is Girl Talk from Friday night at the block party. I’ll put up the openers soon (Cancer Rising and The Trucks) but I figure most people just want to get let their freak flag fly to some Girl Talk as soon as possible.

Also: Within the next few days I’m going to post the audio from the Marnie Stern show I went to last month. I keep meaning to do it but I forget or I get lazy or BLAH BLAH FART. I also recorded some video at that show so I’ll try to torrent that as well.

Girl Talk – 2007-07-27 Capitol Hill Block Party – Seattle, WA
Download: gtalk2007-07-27.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: gtalk2007-07-27sample.mp3

Posting this real quick before I head out to go backpacking for the weekend:

Torrent Link: caspian2007-04-28.hv20.akgc1000s.dvdf.torrent

Stream On Google Video:

I got one of the DVDs finished last night and it is now torrented at TheTradersDen. a dead torrent.

You can stream it here, though:

Explosions in the Sky @ Neumo’s

SD FLV (542 MB): eits2007-05-06.flv
HD MP4 (1.6 GB): eits2007-05-06.mp4
Torrent Link eits2007-05-06.hv20.mbho603.ka100lk.sp-lsd2.flac16.torrent

It’s a single camera angle but it’s right up at the stage lip. The audio is amazingly clear and crisp thanks to Jarod Watson handling audio in the back of the venue. Expect the second evening to be torrented soon once I get it from the person who is authoring the DVD.

I got around to authoring a DVD of The Fall of Troy’s CD Release show from the 1st of this month. So here it is:

Torrent Link: fot2007-05-01.hv20.akgc1000s.dvdf.torrent

Stream On Stage6: The Fall Of Troy – 2007-05-01 Atlas Clothing – Seattle, WA

Stream On Google Video:

Prologue
In October of 2004 I had a ticket in my hand to see Explosions In The Sky at The Crocodile Cafe in Seattle. I showed up to the venue well in advance and had a camcorder that I borrowed from my school ready to film the epic awesomeness. When I got to the venue I was informed that the band would not be playing due to van troubles in Montana.

At the time I was disappointed and angry. I got my refund and went home and stewed. I heavily considered taking a Greyhound down to Portland to catch their next show but ultimately decided against it; using the logic that “Oh, they’ll be back in about six months anyway…”

Turns out, they didn’t come back in six months. About two and a half years later they finally came back to the Pacific Northwest and I made it my goal to see them as many times as possible. You never know when you’ll get a chance to see your favorite band play again so you have to do what you can to see them play when you do get the chance. Well, you don’t have to… but I do. I have to. Because that is the kind of idiot I am.

Five days and 900 miles later, this is my story.

Day One
Left work feeling good. Feeling strong. Rolled onto I-5 at about 3:00 and pushed through the torrential rain of southern Washington to get to Tualatin at around 7:00. Met up with another taper at his house and we high-tailed it to Eugene for the first night of many.

The crowd was terrible and the room didn’t sound great, but the boys still destroyed everything and everyone. I ran my rig in the back by the soundboard along with my camcorder while my cohort manned three other camcorders (one on each side of the stage and one in the crowd).

When we got back to his place: the footage? Epic.

Day Two
Woke up on a sofa-bed with my computer next to me (still turned on) and feeling very confused as to where exactly I was. Must have been a late night. I sat around the guy’s house all day watching television and taking naps. He came home from work for lunch and we had Quizno’s. When he got home from work, we moved on like a two-man herd of buffalo. Another night, another show.

The Wonder Ballroom is a fantastic venue. The stage is huge, the room sounds great, and there is a balcony in the rear. The crowd was respectful and held their applause mostly for the end of the songs (and not the end of any large climax of which there might be two or three in one song). The boys were on point and gave it everything they had. Consider me pleased that they played both The Moon Is Down and Yasmin The Light.

The tapers showed up like someone was giving out free handjobs in the bathroom (they weren’t, I checked). In addition to myself and my friend, two other guys showed up and busted out The Big Guns. One pair of Neumann U89’s and another pair of Schoeps MK4’s were flying high on the stands which meant that I didn’t even need to run my rig. That’d be like bringing a piece of wet spaghetti to a nuclear-bomb-fight.

The tapes? Sick. The video footage? Sick. Myself? Quite healthy, actually.

Day Three
Stayed the night at a different friend’s house and got back on the road at around 9:00. Rolled back into Seattle at around 12:30 and made sure my cat wasn’t dead. At 3:00 I drove for the border (And my transmission was SHOT… just kidding. I just had to stick that in there). With my birth certificate and driver’s license in hand, I was determined to get into Canada. And get into Canada I did.

The venue that night was huge. Too huge actually. The room could probably accommodate a thousand people and maybe 600 showed up. Doesn’t matter. Their music could fill the void of spacetime if given the chance.

I ran my rig and camcorder by the soundboard while two friends of mine handled video right at the stage lip. This three camera recording is going to have you spitting gum out of your forehead by the time you finish watching it. I don’t even know what that means but I think it means that your face will be melted so much that your mouth will be moved to the top of your head in the confusion. The doctor can only do so much with the tools he has to work with, you know.

Day Four
I drove back late the previous night and got back home at 1:30 in the morning. After listening to the recording from the Vancouver show I fell asleep with my cat and slept straight through until morning.

I woke up and it was Sunday. Another day, another concert. It was about 11 o’clock and I knew there was something I was supposed to do that day. It clicked in my brain that my friends had a kickball game scheduled for that morning so I called a friend to confirm then drove up to the game. More people need to play kickball in an organized fashion. I’m pretty sure the game was designed for 20-something hipsters. It’s fairly intense and gives you a work out, but you don’t have to do too much running if you don’t want to.

The evening was upon me and the show was imminent. I had an extra ticket because The Girlfriend had to go out of town for a business trip. I put out my feelers (you don’t want to see my feelers, they’re disgusting… stop staring) and found another taper in town who wanted to go.

This worked out perfect for me for two reasons: 1) He has a kick ass MBHO 603/SP LSD2 four-channel rig that puts mine to shame and 2) He took care of audio in the back so I could film right up front. The video looks so damn awesome.

The setlist was fantastic and this was the first of the shows that I got to watch from up close. I was torn to shreds watching these guys play. I don’t know if it’s the hot stage lights or the fact that they physically strain themselves so much but those boys sure do sweat a lot. Just dripping it like it’s going out of style. Watching Munaf tape an e-bow to his guitar for the wailing guitar part in The Moon Is Down was the single most satisfying thing to watch in my lifetime. I have no problem saying that and truly believing it. He set it on the string, taped it down and twisted the gain knob on his Strat while beating the shit out of a tambourine. The guy believes in his music. So do I.

Also: I saw another guy filming in the balcony but I couldn’t find him after the show. Dude In The Balcony: If you’re reading this please contact me so we can get some sweet-ass-sweet two-cam action going on.

Day Five
The final night of epic jams. I handled audio and video in the back of the venue while someone else I met through email took care of video at the stage lip. We both filmed in HD so it should turn out to look rather epic in the end. The crowd was rowdy, the venue was packed, the sound was huge, and the setlist was awesome. They finally played The Birth And Death Of The Day and my life is now complete.

Day Six
Sleep

Day Seven
Sleep

Day Eight
Sleep

VIDEO:

Explosions In The Sky – 2007-05-06 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
eits2007-05-06.hv20.mbho603.ka100lk.sp-lsd2.flac16.torrent

AUDIO:

Explosions In The Sky – 2007-05-03 WOW Hall – Eugene, OR
Download Source 1: eits2007-05-03.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
Download Source 2: eits2007-05-03.dpa4061.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eits2007-05-03sample.mp3

Eluvium – 2007-05-03 WOW Hall – Eugene, OR
Download Source 1: eluvium2007-05-03.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
Download Source 2: eluvium2007-05-03.dpa4061.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eluvium2007-05-03sample.mp3

Explosions In The Sky – 2007-05-04 Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
Download Source 1: eits2007-05-04.u89.flac16.zip
Download Source 2: eits2007-05-04.mk4.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eits2007-05-04sample.mp3

Eluvium – 2007-05-04 Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
Download: eluvium2007-05-04.u89.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eluvium2007-05-04sample.mp3

Explosions In The Sky – 2007-05-05 Croatian Culture Ctr – Vancouver, CAN
Download: eits2007-05-05.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eits2007-05-05sample.mp3

Eluvium – 2007-05-05 Croatian Culture Ctr – Vancouver, CAN
Download: eluvium2007-05-05.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eluvium2007-05-05sample.mp3

Explosions In The Sky – 2007-05-06 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
Download: eits2007-05-06.mbho603.ka200n.sp-lsd2.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eits2007-05-06sample.mp3

Eluvium – 2007-05-06 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
Download: eluvium2007-05-06.mbho603.ka200n.sp-lsd2.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eluvium2007-05-06sample.mp3

Explosions In The Sky – 2007-05-07 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
Download: eits2007-05-07.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eits2007-05-07sample.mp3

Eluvium – 2007-05-07 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
Download: eluvium2007-05-07.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: eluvium2007-05-07sample.mp3

I am never any good at predicting a crowd turnout. Whenever I show up mega-early, there is never anyone there. Whenever I stroll in a little bit late, the place is packed. I think it’s because I assume that everyone likes a band as much as I do and so when I get all excited about a show I just assume that everyone is just as excited.

Last night The Fall of Troy had their CD release show in the Atlas Clothing stock room with Tera Melos and The Look opening up for them. I thought the place would be packed to the walls given that a) this town loves The Fall of Troy, b) Manipulator is probably the most anticipated EVR record of the year c) the show was five bucks.

Turns out, the place didn’t even get to full capacity. I guess the contributing factors were that the show was on a Tuesday night and it didn’t really get any promotion due to how last-minute the gig was. But hey, I’m not complaining. Less people the better if you ask me. The people that were there really wanted to hear the guys shred and shred they did. Once Tim fixed his bass rig so it stopped sounding like poop, they tore the place up.

Tera Melos was a band I had heard about but never had a chance to see. After watching their set I can tell you that I am a big big fan. Amazing musicians; all three of those guys. Sweet jazz-style drumming and very unique and compelling guitar work that just doesn’t quit. Highly recommended!

VIDEO:

The Fall Of Troy – 2007-05-01 Atlas Clothing – Seattle, WA
Torrent Link: fot2007-05-01.hv20.akgc1000s.dvdf.torrent

AUDIO:

The Fall Of Troy – 2007-05-01 Atlas Clothing – Seattle, WA
Download: fot2007-05-01.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: fot2007-05-01sample.mp3

Tera Melos – 2007-05-01 Atlas Clothing – Seattle, WA
Download: tm2007-05-01.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: tm2007-05-01sample.mp3