Cheesecake for cancer…

…because you want to know…  Amber + bassoon player + 4 + bubble gal + cheesecake = tasty, chaotic sexy fun.

Amber bought the bassoon player.  That….that was just the beginning… a date a year in the making…

2:20 =  there is only one way to taste test chocolate sauce and raspberry puree – it must be licked.  By many.  Simultaneously.  *slurp*  Cheesecake is forthcoming… it is in our future. Nyah.

3:17 = cheese.  Bountiful cheese.  And crackers.  Cheese is hot.   Can’t miss…  you want the cheese, don’t you?  Would it help to know that there was beer cheese?  Note the *was*….  I have never witnessed cheese consumed with such vigor.

4:43 = as the sun sets …smell of cider…  foursome…   watching them beat their meat… ah, this is how dinner should be prepared.

5:09 = appropriately sexy garnish

6:08 = it takes 4 people to light an oven pilot.   Three on the floor and one to get the flashlight.  Adds an element of *danger* to the meal, eh?

8:04 = beat meat is DELICIOUS!  (aka chicken and stuff)  and ‘orgy of taste in my mouth’ proclaims one of the 4

9:10 = cheeeeesecake…. oh my God.  OH my GOD!  I can’t even describe the cheesecake-I haven’t heart so much mmmmmm’ing in one room..  *thinking* …well, ever, actually.

10:20 = we just got back from a walk to work out some of those cheesecake jitters.  WOOOOEEE!

I’ve been writing about concerts and books and the like…but sometimes… sometimes the best times are just comfortable days spent with friends and kitchen talk.    Be well, all.

Sandcarvers-Rockford-Waterfront 2007

This could be the shortest review that I’ve written about a Sandcarvers show to date.

Why? 

Simply put, this was the best Sandcarvers show that I have seen/heard.  Hands down.  The best one.  Ever.  (and I have been to a LOT of SC’s shows over the years!)

End of review.

Not really.  (come on, it’s me!)

The Sandcarvers did an amazing job at Waterfront!  They floored me, actually.  Made my brain bleed.  There isn’t even a hint of a question of whether or not they topped their previous shows-they all out smashed them to bits.  This was IT!

It was one of those nights-one of those shows that you know you will never forget.  The crowd was on.  The band was on.  The sound was incredible.  The lighting was fantastic.  The stage was huge and looked COOL.  The weather was perfect.  It’s just….it was the opposite of a ‘Spinal Tap’ show-everything was turned up to eleven, sure-but it was in a ‘this is it, this is why we do this’ way.  It was a perfect example of why music should be live, why people get out of their homes and go to shows…why music…

is….

The crowd?  Large.  A very large crowd.  A large crowd that didn’t leave until the show was over.  (YAY!)  People were sitting at the beginning of the set (as is true in most festival settings).  Save for a few, the Waterfront crowd wasn’t familiar with the Sandcarvers music.  It didn’t matter.  The SC’s won that crowd over in no time.  Really, they did.

It started with three.  Three gals came over and danced in front of the merch table.  They actually said “those girls are dancing-we’ll go by them”.  WOO HOO!  (‘those girls’ =me and Amber)  The gals were joined by a few more people…and then a few more people…and then… well, the front of the stage was FULL of crazy singing dancing clapping MOSHING leaping spinning in awe of the band yelling silly people.  LOTS of dancers!  I’m not joking about the moshing, either.  It happened.  It was SO rock and roll!  A mosh pit at the SC’s?  YES!  There were a ton of guys dancing!  Guys!  Dancing!  (more of a stomping, lurching thing…but dancing nonetheless!)  It was the kind of crowd a band dreams of, a crowd that should be packaged up to take with to every gig.  (instant crowd!  just add water!)

Holy hell the SC’s played well!  Seemingly effortlessly.  If there were mistakes, they were covered.  The music just, it just happened.  It became a living, breathing thing.  The solos were larger than life, the harmonies better…  everything hit the mark.  Nothing was ‘too much’.  You could hear all of the instruments, all of the vocals.  It was truly the best that I have heard the Carvees sound.

The Sandcarvers were a band at Waterfront.  Sounds weird-but it wasn’t about separate players, it was a band thing.  (I’m telling ya, everything…and I mean everything.. came together at this show!)  The music was fun and engaging and electric and contagious and it rocked that crowd out of their bleepin’ heads!  (wasn’t just my head exploding at this show, oh no, there were brains leaking out of ears all over the place.  ew.)  The connection between the crowd and the band was unbelievable.  I mean, you could SEE it… it just kept going back and forth-building and building and…  man oh man… it was cool. 

The Sandcarvers put on a performance~ a full on show.  It was entertainment.  Not just some folks with some instruments playing AT you…  it wasn’t a ‘job’-it was music at it’s best. 

Merch FLEW off of the table.  It just flew.  People wanted to ‘keep’ the moment.  The ‘buzz’ was LOUD-people couldn’t stop talking about the music. 

This was a keeper.

This is what the Sandcarvers can do.  This show sets the example. 

Damn, this is a good band.

Black Crowes-Rockford-Waterfront 2007

Damn.  The Black Crowes made me wiggle my bootie off.  Wasn’t just me dancing, either…that’s the cool thing about a Crowes show.  Men, women…bugs, trees…everything is dancing.  Can’t help it.  Groove rock, ya dig?

No smoke, no lasers…no pyro…just music and some lights.  Ah…. nice.  The brothers Robinson are the only original members.  (even Colt is gone.  *sad*)  The *new* guys did just fine, though…  the crowd?  Large.  Lots of folks were there for two songs.  How do I know that?!  I’ve got secret powers!  Nah.  They left after one of the BIG HITS was played-didn’t even make it to the other BIG HIT in the setlist.  Fine by those of us who stayed-gave us more room to dance.  HA!  And they missed all of the good stuff.  I say that because my FAVORITE Crowes songs are (for the most part) the ’never played on the radio’ songs.  Check it out~middle of the set:

My Morning Song
High Head Blues
Share The Ride
By Your Side
Soul Singing

If you aren’t familiar with The Black Crowes, and would like to be-you can listen here on their online radio:  The Black Crowes

Chris Robinson’s voice was raspy and…well, he has a fine scream/wail on him.  He sounded great at this show-never lost the vocals.  He danced and wiggled and danced some more.  Hell on fun to watch him perform.  He played a smattering of harp (very very well, I might add) and all kinds of percussion.  His vocals-there’s just something about them…the sound of his voice.  It’s just…soul.

Rich Robinson.  Guitars.  Smooth.  *sigh*  I fell absolutely in love with his 1964 Gibson.  It looked almost as incredible as it sounded.  Warm and Pagey and it growled.   Loooooved it.  (see it here: Chris Robinson-click Gear)

Jam band?  (ick-total ick-but I love the Crowes.  Hmm.  More guitar-more tempo…less pacing…less… boredom.)  Boogie blues?  Whatever you want to call it-the Crowes are not like all of that junk on the radio.  (yay!)  Sure sounded good.  I didn’t even notice when the songs ran 20 minutes long.  I was lost in the guitars, mostly.  They just got in you and wove through your mind on their way to the next person.  Now that’s a rush!  Sharin’ the ride. 

Beat that, Great America. 

The Young Dubliners

8/8/2007-State Fair.   Young Dubliners

Ok, sure, it’s state fair…it’s cheesy (ha!) … but the Dubs?  SO much fun!  Met up with a bunch o’folks-man, I love it when we have a crew in the crowd.  YAY!  Nothing beats hanging with the posse, right y’all?  Wa HOO!

The music?  Tight.  This band has been doing this for a long time-it feels right.  I love the sound.  I truly love it.  The Dubs have a lot of ‘jump’ songs.  Can ya dig it?  Whole lot of hopping around going on during a Dubs show-crowd AND band.  The guitars?  Phew.  Bob is good.  Sick good.  He does this bit…a harmonics thingy (?)…during ‘Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore’ that floors me.  It’s absolutely beautiful.  The fiddle?  Damn.  Just… damn.  Chas is both mega talented and enjoyable to watch.  He’s crazy!  (in that, ha cool way)

Keith?  (singer)  What can I say about Keith?  His vocals?  Gritty.  More so now than they used to be…  (vocals were a bit ‘shredded’ by the middle of the set)  Try to tear yourself away from paying attention to him, though.  I dare you.  He has major charisma and he SELLS the YD songs.  Kind of a ‘heart on the sleeve’ kind of singer…  he gets lost in the words.  (he is also funny as hell-actually, they are all really cool-if you ever get the chance to do so….hang with the Dubs before/after a show.  Some of the best storytellers around!)

OH OH!  Special guest star alert!  The Dubs have Eric Rigler on the road with them! 

Eric Rigler

Holy crap!  Eric freakin’ Rigler!!  This guy is amazing!  He plays, among other winds…Uilleann pipes.  He did a solo from ‘Braveheart’-it was…it was magic.  Haunting and heartbreaking and lovely.  It melted my soul.

The whole experience was a blast.  Always is… can you blame me for going back again and again?  No?  NO I think not!

Books! Death! YAY!

‘Good Omens-The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch’ by Neil Gaiman/Terry Pratchett-go, buy…read this book now.  Best book about the Apocalypse, ever.  Don’t try to eat/drink while you’re reading-stuff will fly out of your nose when you laugh.  It will.  It’s that good.  It’s a read/re-read can’t shake it kind of book.

The footnotes rock.

The Cast (in part)?  The Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse.  God.  Satan.  Beelzebub.  Adam the antichrist (he’s 11).  Dog.  I like Dog.  Can’t go wrong with a Satanical hellhound…

DEATH is one of my favorite Pratchett characters.  Very straightforward, DEATH.  Funny as hell…in that weird DEATH kind of way…**

If you are going to be hanging out in the Gaiman/Pratchett area of a bookstore~ you should buy all of their books!  WOO!  Get the Borders card and get ye a discount!

Can’t buy them all?  I would highly recommend starting with (‘Good Omens’, obviously) ‘Soul Music’ by Pratchett and ‘Neverwhere’ by Gaiman.

You may smack me upside the head with the (paperback) version of any of the above mentioned books if you find them utterly horrible.

Be warned~I may enjoy it.  AHA!  Takes all of the fun out of it, doesn’t it?  Neener.

~b

**Like Death as a topic?  I do!  OH how sick?  ‘On a Pale Horse’ by Piers Anthony and ‘A Dirty Job’ by Christopher Moore are damn fine books.  Christopher Moore is twisted.  Emotional.  Brilliant.  Funny.  Sick.  Inventive.  His books read like a roller coaster.  Bits of the ‘A Dirty Job’ cover glow in the dark.  That is SO rock and roll!

6/23/07 Strawberry Fest-Sandcarvers

Holy SHIT!  That was the first thought I had when the new line-up of the Sandcarvers started playing. Followed by, holy f’in SHIT! DAMN! OUCH!  My head hurts wow I can’t believe NO YOU DIDN’T oh boy oh boy WOOO!!! Rock ON! Did anyone else hear that!? SHUT UP!! Get out! What was that!? SHIT! AHHHHHH! WOOOOOEEEEE!!

Start from the beginning?  Ok, two members left the band…two joined.  Welcome to Bryce on guitar and Tony on drums.  Seems simple enough.  Nope.  Not simple, this band.  Complicated and HUGE and mind-blowing and fine and layered vocals …and … I’m getting ahead of myself again.  I’m probably going to change tenses, make grammatical errors, I will talk in circles…it’s kind of how this show is sitting in my mind.  I’d apologize, but- well…it’s the raw deal.

First set. SC’s started things up with ‘Molly’.  Not a surprise that this wasn’t my favorite song of the day-but it’s probably just as well, I was able to focus on the new guys instead of the song.  And how did they do?  OH MAN!  You have GOT to get your arse to a show.  Trust me.  It’s all kinds of rock and roll.  Heavier drums, tons of guitar… I mean, I knew things were totally different the first verse of the first song.  Simply put?  They sound good.  The Sandcarvers sound good.  I can’t even explain how HUGE the drums are now.  Tony is a heavy hitter.  Everything else has to be turned up, including vocals, to match the drums.  HUGE.  Loud.  Aggressive.  SWEET!  What about the guitarist, you ask?  OH Bryce is fantastic. Mother truckin’ hell the guy plays some massive guitar.  He plays stuff that will knock your head off.  Ask me, I’ll show you the wounds.  The two guitarists (Jeff and Bryce) work amazingly well together.  Example: ‘Emerald Isle’.  Great acoustic/electric guitars effortlessly blended for a rich tone that just eases into your gut.  

AHH!  Let’s get this over with- one problem?  This was the fist time out-and the first set was FAST.  Fast. Can’t keep up fast.  The tempo was straightened out by the second set.  Phew.  Very rock and roll to do everything in double time.  Wears a girl out. *laughing*

‘Old Man’. Bass. It’s all about the bass line in ‘Old Man’.

OH OH!!  I love love love LOVE ‘Trampoline’ now.  Love love love it.  I already loved it didn’t know that I could love it more but I do.  Love.  Why?  There is a new intro…deep… bass… funk…it’s hot.  There is a new winds bit.  Hot.  The vocals are done differently.  Hot.  There is a break with just drums and bass and vocals…mega hot.  The song has come into it’s own.  It’s f’in brilliant.  All aches and wants and needs and hurts… sensual, brilliant.

Hehehe.  Won’t name names, but someone forgot the lyrics to ‘Last Wed. Night’.  ‘Can’t’- DRUMS! Oh yeah.  My favorite drums of the day.  The solos in ‘Sunday Morning Mail’ were incredible.  I actually have HOLY SHIT SOLOS written in my notebook.

There was a very talented percussionist who joined the band for ‘Margaret’.  Ask AJ about him.  He rocked the shaker!

‘Mairi’s’!!  Actually, ‘Nolan’s!!’  Bryce took over the melody, and Raven matched him note for note with a new harmony line.  That will make more sense when you hear it.  It’s OUTSTANDING!  Heh. OOOO!  Vocal highlight!!  VOCAL HIGHLIGHT!!  The three male vocalists sing a bit of “Tell My Ma” a cappella.  Holy Mother of… I can’t even BEGIN to explain how great they sound.  Harmony to die for… it kind of makes you melt through the ground.  It’s so… um… rowr. *blush*  Well, it is.  A whole lot of rowr.  ‘Neverending’ had a great backline of sirens.  *laugh*  Got to love those outdoor gigs.

If someone asks you “what do you want to do with your life?” and you answer “I WANNA ROCK!” -‘Barleycorn’ is the song for you.  This one will knock you over the head and make your ears bleed.  Best intro ever.  (I have to add that I love the acoustic in this song. A lot.)

The third set was tight.  It was ON!  It all came together, man.  ‘The Ring’ had a long intro!  A very very long it’s not the shortest song now intro!  Chris did the most bitchin’ bass solo during ‘Drowsy’.  Diva.  Bryce did an old school solo-reminded me of the 70’s rock gods.  Rock and roll!  Tony’s solo kicked some serious ass.  Well, it did. Fierce.

I love the waltz! ‘Backroom’ is such a great song.  Jeff is working that T5-really nice tone lately (it really shows in this song…um…it really sounds in this song? LOL).  This song keeps getting better.  It’s weird, because it’s kind of sad-ish, lyrically… but it’s such a warm song, musically.  Sure, figure that one out.  HAHA! We (the people at the gig) got to hear the SC’s do ‘Sugar Shack’ and you didn’t!  Are you jealous, reader?  You should be.  It’s wicked fun.

There are so many new bits, to so many of the songs.  New intros, new solos, new bass lines, new winds, new everything….new new new.  I kept track of as much as I could (being the geek that I am)-I’m telling you, I nearly fell over several times.  I’ve never been the sit still type, anyway…but this time out?  DAMN!  I was hopping around like a kid…screaming and clapping and WHOA what?  AHHHH I can’t deal WHAT AHHH’ing.  People were trying to talk to me-TALK to me-during the music!?  OH no…no no no… no.  Shut up.  NO.  I ignored the heck out of everyone.  I was busy being impressed to pieces.

Was the gig perfect?  No.  Was it expected the first time out with the new guys?  No.  Damn fine time?  Yes.  Do I expect FANTASTIC things from the Sandcarvers this year?  Yes.  They’ve already made my head explode.  It can only get better, and bigger, and sexier, and louder… and…

If you aren’t familiar with the Sandcarvers…get familiar.  No, really.  Go to their website.  It’s on the right.  Go now.  Go to a show.  Then you will know what I’m talking about when I post a review!  You know you want to…

Here we go….

…a new day… a new blog space…  let’s roll…

 ~b