Pleaserock. - VGF

***CaptHayfever*** · 02-03-2007, 03:51 PM

Went down to Columbia last night for a Y-O-U concert. Yes, I got someone willing to drive 90 miles each way just for a concert.

The drive down: Cool. The car was kind of overheated, but my friend popped in a pretty neat audiobook that kept my mind off the heat. "Jonathan Strange," I believe it's called. We only got through the first disc of four before arriving. Downtown Columbia, MO, is a nightmare at any time of day, let me tell you that right now.

The food: The bar with the concert wasn't open yet, so at least we knew no one else had tickets either. We popped over to StL Bread Co. (it is NOT Panera!) for a delicous & nutritious dinner.

The venue: By the time we'd finished eating, the Blue Fugue (the bar) was open, so we headed in to scope the place out. Also because it was stinkin' freezing outside. It's a pretty awesome little joint. You come in and the stage is on your right, tables on the left; walk back 20 feet or so and you're at the bar & more tables. Then farther back on the left is a lounge nook with a bunch of couches & a big-screen TV. Also, every wall in the place (save for the stage & bar) was covered with shelves full of all kinds of books that you can just grab & read whenever you want. The barkeep seemed a cool guy; in fact, he was drinking along with the bands, the staff, & the regulars before we even came in. The only real drawbacks to the place were that (A) the smoking ban wasn't enforced in any way, shape, or form, & (B) the only dry drinks were Red Bull & water; we're both 21, but it was gonna be a long drive back to Kirksville very late at night.

The opening act: So about 90 minutes later, a group called Harmonious Monk sets up and kicks off. They're a jazz band from Tulsa; I'd never heard of them either. These guys were what jazz is supposed to sound like: groovy, energetic, powerful, unpredictable, not Kenny G elevator muzak crud. Heck, they even did a Zappa tune somewhere amidst their hour-long set. The guitarist & sax player very much ruled. We picked up their album before departing. Very nice.

The other opener: After them, my hometown's own Sex Robots, who I've also never heard of, take the stage, playing Harmonious Monk's instruments, as their van had been stolen that morning. The Sex Robots' drummer, who was hawking their album before & after the set, was a great guy and one heck of a skin-striker, but his two bandmates on guitar, vox, & bass were deadweight of the worst degree. My buddy went ahead & bought their disc just out of sympathy for the carjacking. Bright side: Short songs + nonexistent breaks + only one album = short set.

The headliners: Y-O-U is from Atlanta; I was complete baffled to learn they'd be playing 'this far northwest', hence my excitement over going to the show. After soundcheck, "National Straightjacket" kinda crept up on the audience, but by the end of the song, everyone was paying attention (save for one girl on her Mactop who didn't even notice when she was directly addressed by the band later in the show). Also played from the older stuff were 3-man versions of the original 5-man tunes "Moviekiss", "LA Lindsay", and "Good Intentions".
There was also a song I didn't recognize, and the closer was a rousing rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart", but this was allegedly an album release party, so tracks from the new disc Flashlights (which broke people can legally get for free off their website) were the main order of business.
Amongst such songs were "The Physics of Giving", "Goodnight Goes", "Medicine Man", "Break", and "Second Chance". "Medicine Man" was the weak one of the set, largely because it's one of the weak tracks off the album, but the rest of the thing was absolutely rawsome.

AotW seems to be on hold for the moment, so I'll just break down the band here:
Nick Niespodziani (pron: nes-pid-zhani) is an excellent guitarist, but moreso than that, he's a stinking amazing vocalist. I have a pretty good range & a smooth falsetto, and I can sing along with "LA Lindsay"....until the end, when Nick's voice just skyrockets and everyone's blown away and I know I can't hit that note so instead I simply get blown away with everyone else.
Peter Olson plays bass & keyboards. Often at the same time. Without screwing up either of them. He's also a great harmony voice, and doesn't break focus when a girl walks up to the stage & sticks money in his pocket while he's playing.
The drummer Mark Cobb is a maniac; no less than two songs during the night had him playing tambourine or maracas or both while drumming with both sticks in his left hand (judging by the kit, he's a righty), never missing so much as a hi-hat.

The aftermath: So the guy I went there with is a little more outgoing that I am, so while I was waiting for the bathroom he goes and starts talking with the band, so when I get back, he's introducing me to them! Turns out he told them I'm a DJ & a fan & that I play Y-O-U on my show sometimes, so obviously they were kind of excited about that. Well, actually Mark was in his beer all night, and Pete wasn't too talkative, so I just sort of exchanged hellos with them, but we spent a good 10 or 15 minutes talking to Nick about the band & my show & stuff like that. They're actually gonna link to our station's webcast on their site; that kind of rules.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

Koga · 02-03-2007, 05:12 PM

Sounds like you had a great time.

I take it the bassist plays bass pedals when he's playing keyboards? Also, that drummer sounds amazing. Is there any footage online of him playing like that?

***CaptHayfever*** · 02-04-2007, 03:58 AM

Actually, he plucks with his right hand while keying with his left (not a lot of fretwork in that situation) and/or switches between the two a lot during a song. He's also got a second keyboard set to synth bass for some parts. Like I implied, though, a lot of songs do just have him playing one or the other instrument.

Unfortunately, there's no good concert filmage online; just music videos where you only get quick flashes of everyone playing (that YouTube "pleaserock" account has all of them). They're supposedly doing a live CD/DVD thing later this year, though; some clips might go up as that's getting ready.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

02-03-2007, 03:51 PM	#1
*CaptHayfever* Smash Supermod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 19,120 Thanks: 151 Thanked 702 Times in 454 Posts Points: 102,592.46 Bank: 804.22 Total Points: 103,396.68 Donate	Pleaserock. Went down to Columbia last night for a Y-O-U concert. Yes, I got someone willing to drive 90 miles each way just for a concert. The drive down: Cool. The car was kind of overheated, but my friend popped in a pretty neat audiobook that kept my mind off the heat. "Jonathan Strange," I believe it's called. We only got through the first disc of four before arriving. Downtown Columbia, MO, is a nightmare at any time of day, let me tell you that right now. The food: The bar with the concert wasn't open yet, so at least we knew no one else had tickets either. We popped over to StL Bread Co. (it is NOT Panera!) for a delicous & nutritious dinner. The venue: By the time we'd finished eating, the Blue Fugue (the bar) was open, so we headed in to scope the place out. Also because it was stinkin' freezing outside. It's a pretty awesome little joint. You come in and the stage is on your right, tables on the left; walk back 20 feet or so and you're at the bar & more tables. Then farther back on the left is a lounge nook with a bunch of couches & a big-screen TV. Also, every wall in the place (save for the stage & bar) was covered with shelves full of all kinds of books that you can just grab & read whenever you want. The barkeep seemed a cool guy; in fact, he was drinking along with the bands, the staff, & the regulars before we even came in. The only real drawbacks to the place were that (A) the smoking ban wasn't enforced in any way, shape, or form, & (B) the only dry drinks were Red Bull & water; we're both 21, but it was gonna be a long drive back to Kirksville very late at night. The opening act: So about 90 minutes later, a group called Harmonious Monk sets up and kicks off. They're a jazz band from Tulsa; I'd never heard of them either. These guys were what jazz is supposed to sound like: groovy, energetic, powerful, unpredictable, not Kenny G elevator muzak crud. Heck, they even did a Zappa tune somewhere amidst their hour-long set. The guitarist & sax player very much ruled. We picked up their album before departing. Very nice. The other opener: After them, my hometown's own Sex Robots, who I've also never heard of, take the stage, playing Harmonious Monk's instruments, as their van had been stolen that morning. The Sex Robots' drummer, who was hawking their album before & after the set, was a great guy and one heck of a skin-striker, but his two bandmates on guitar, vox, & bass were deadweight of the worst degree. My buddy went ahead & bought their disc just out of sympathy for the carjacking. Bright side: Short songs + nonexistent breaks + only one album = short set. The headliners: Y-O-U is from Atlanta; I was complete baffled to learn they'd be playing 'this far northwest', hence my excitement over going to the show. After soundcheck, "National Straightjacket" kinda crept up on the audience, but by the end of the song, everyone was paying attention (save for one girl on her Mactop who didn't even notice when she was directly addressed by the band later in the show). Also played from the older stuff were 3-man versions of the original 5-man tunes "Moviekiss", "LA Lindsay", and "Good Intentions". There was also a song I didn't recognize, and the closer was a rousing rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart", but this was allegedly an album release party, so tracks from the new disc Flashlights (which broke people can legally get for free off their website) were the main order of business. Amongst such songs were "The Physics of Giving", "Goodnight Goes", "Medicine Man", "Break", and "Second Chance". "Medicine Man" was the weak one of the set, largely because it's one of the weak tracks off the album, but the rest of the thing was absolutely rawsome. AotW seems to be on hold for the moment, so I'll just break down the band here: Nick Niespodziani (pron: nes-pid-zhani) is an excellent guitarist, but moreso than that, he's a stinking amazing vocalist. I have a pretty good range & a smooth falsetto, and I can sing along with "LA Lindsay"....until the end, when Nick's voice just skyrockets and everyone's blown away and I know I can't hit that note so instead I simply get blown away with everyone else. Peter Olson plays bass & keyboards. Often at the same time. Without screwing up either of them. He's also a great harmony voice, and doesn't break focus when a girl walks up to the stage & sticks money in his pocket while he's playing. The drummer Mark Cobb is a maniac; no less than two songs during the night had him playing tambourine or maracas or both while drumming with both sticks in his left hand (judging by the kit, he's a righty), never missing so much as a hi-hat. The aftermath: So the guy I went there with is a little more outgoing that I am, so while I was waiting for the bathroom he goes and starts talking with the band, so when I get back, he's introducing me to them! Turns out he told them I'm a DJ & a fan & that I play Y-O-U on my show sometimes, so obviously they were kind of excited about that. Well, actually Mark was in his beer all night, and Pete wasn't too talkative, so I just sort of exchanged hellos with them, but we spent a good 10 or 15 minutes talking to Nick about the band & my show & stuff like that. They're actually gonna link to our station's webcast on their site; that kind of rules. And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

02-03-2007, 05:12 PM	#2
Koga Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: The Netherlands Gender: Posts: 17,094 Thanks: 105 Thanked 177 Times in 119 Posts Points: 103,673.41 Bank: 17,752.41 Total Points: 121,425.82 Donate	Sounds like you had a great time. I take it the bassist plays bass pedals when he's playing keyboards? Also, that drummer sounds amazing. Is there any footage online of him playing like that? Last edited by Koga; 02-04-2007 at 04:11 AM.

02-04-2007, 03:58 AM	#3
*CaptHayfever* Smash Supermod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 19,120 Thanks: 151 Thanked 702 Times in 454 Posts Points: 102,592.46 Bank: 804.22 Total Points: 103,396.68 Donate	Actually, he plucks with his right hand while keying with his left (not a lot of fretwork in that situation) and/or switches between the two a lot during a song. He's also got a second keyboard set to synth bass for some parts. Like I implied, though, a lot of songs do just have him playing one or the other instrument. Unfortunately, there's no good concert filmage online; just music videos where you only get quick flashes of everyone playing (that YouTube "pleaserock" account has all of them). They're supposedly doing a live CD/DVD thing later this year, though; some clips might go up as that's getting ready. And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"