Feist – Metals

It’s dark, emotional, and catchy. Feist’s latest album has a massive, mostly orchestral sound that sucks you into an aural whirpool and throws you around from start to finish. I usually reserve my top spot for something heavier, but music doesn’t need down-tuned power chords and double-kick drums to be heavy.

KEN Mode – Venerable

On the other hand, a stripped-down three-piece from Winnipeg can make some of the loudest and most intense metal out there. I’m always blown away by just how powerful their songs are, and then I remember they’re only drums, a guitar, a bass, and vocals, and I’m even more flabbergasted. Flabbergasted!

Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole

With their last album entitled V is for Vagina, a lot of people had a hard time taking this band seriously. Others may have had higher or more serious expectations from Maynard James Keenan, whose other band is the “highbrow” metal outfit Tool. While musically, this album isn’t too much of a departure from the last one, it’s still solemn and groovy and thus very enjoyable.

Mastodon – The Hunter

Fanboys around the world cried when they heard more actual singing and catchier guitar hooks on this album. At the core it’s still the most intricate and sophisticated popular heavy music out there, and Mastodon still deserves a lot of credit for playing by their own rules all these years. They’ve done something different on every album, and I already can’t wait to hear what they’ll try next.

Saul Williams – Volcanic Sunlight

Like most fans, I fell in love with Saul’s spoken word, which eventually evolved into rap music, which has now evolved into an almost pop/R&B sound. Needless to say that kinda weirded me out at first, but in its essence this is a fun album held together by his always strong trademark lyrics.

Thrice – Major/Minor

This was my favourite rock album of the year. Over the years, the dudes in Thrice have carved out a very unique and heavy pop-rock sound that’s light years beyond that dreadful “emo” category they were pigeonholed as a decade ago. Why popular rock radio largely ignores them is beyond me, but their longevity speaks to their true talent.

Bon Iver

I drank the Kool-aid.

Wilco – The Whole Love

Honestly, whenever Wilco puts out a new album, I could either take it or leave it. Some of it I dig, some of it I don’t. I definitely dug this one so I took it. It’s louder and more aggressive (for a band like Wilco) than past outputs I’ve heard. Rock on Wilco!

Tom Waits – Bad as Me

Another confession: I’m not really that familiar with Tom Waits’ music. I know his hit songs, and someone left his Real Gone CD at my apartment in Toronto many years ago (if it’s yours, sorry, I think I traded it for a Billy Talent CD), but other than that I’m pretty green. My good friend Chunk sent me this one out of the blue as a gift and it’s been the nicest musical surprise of 2011 for me.

My Morning Jacket – Circuital

I first listened to this album on a sunny spring afternoon drive through Algonquin Park. I fell in love with it right away. But then I listened to it again after a shitty Tuesday at work and didn’t really like it. Now I like it again.

Rock on in 2012!

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My Morning Jacket
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 13

Jim James is a genius, and I truly believe his talent is muffled by his studio outputs. A My Morning Jacket show is something to truly behold. Circuital is a great new album, but hearing the songs live made me love it even more. Also, remembering hearing them play the classics “Dancefloors” and “One Big Holiday” to close the show still makes me shiver.

Mastodon
Metropolis, Montreal
November 23

Their new album is probably the most polarizing amongst fans. Some love it, some hate it. I’m in the former camp. While I really enjoyed the live versions of the new tunes, I was still blown away by the intricacies of their past gems. Mastodon is the most exciting band in hard rock/light metal, and I was thrilled to hear them play my favourite tune of theirs – “Megalodon” – at Metropolis.

Queens of the Stone Age
Metropolis, Montreal
March 27

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’m pretty happy I was there. Josh Homme announced prior to this tour they’d be playing their self-titled debut album the whole way through in each city. Ask any QOTSA fan and they’ll agree that’s their best album. Hearing it live from start to finish was a real treat, along with some deadly cuts like “Turning on the Screw” and “Song for the Dead” in the encore.

Feist
National Arts Centre, Ottawa
December 5

Metals is probably my favourite album of the year, but prior to this show I really wondered how she’d pull off the huge sound on that album live. I was even more skeptical when I saw only four backing musicians and three backup singers take the stage with her, but they quickly proved me wrong. They rearranged the songs on the album nicely to fit a stripped-down band, all the while filling a huge concert hall with epic sound.

Joel Plaskett Emergency
Stockey Centre, Parry Sound
March 19

I had never seen a concert in my quasi-hometown of Parry Sound until this one. I loved his Threes album and it was great to hear a lot of those tunes in the Stockey Centre, along with some of his other hits. He was a bona fide gentleman and seemed to appreciate the love a small central Ontario town gave him.

KEN Mode
Cafe Deckuf, Ottawa
August 5

Straight outta Winnipeg, they’re one of the most unique and innovative modern metal bands out there. While only a three-piece, they wrestle out some of the most monumental heavy music and launch it into the ether. Seeing them live, it’s hard to believe those songs come from just a guitar, a bass, drums, and a couple voices.

The Roots
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 6

I very much prefer these guys far away from Jimmy Fallon.

Pearl Jam
Bell Centre, Montreal
September 7

Nostalgia bubbled to the surface in many ways in 2011, and this was one of them. I hadn’t seen them since the last Canadian tour in 2005, so it was a treat to catch them in both Montreal and Ottawa. Ottawa had a better set list (including the elusive “Breath”) but thanks to my good buddy Bob we were up close in Montreal. Old dudes rocking out!

A Perfect Circle
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 10

I seem to see Maynard in some form almost every year. I don’t mind making him richer as long as he puts on shows like this one. Best APC show I’ve seen.

Soundgarden
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 5

The first time I ever saw Soundgarden was in 1994 at Molson Park in Barrie, Ontario on the Superunknown tour. Nine Inch Nails opened and obviously blew them out of the water. We left after “Spoonman”. I saw them a couple years later at Lollapalooza in the same venue. Chris Cornell’s voice sounded even worse at that show and they were pretty much booed off the stage. All these years later I finally saw them again and they actually really impressed me.

So those were my favourite shows this year. What are yours?

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The five-hour drive from Ottawa to Parry Sound started well enough. It was 11 degrees C and sunny in the nation’s capital that afternoon. But an hour outside of the city the weather took a disgusting turn. And that didn’t bode well for the route I was about to take:

View Larger Map

Anyone who’s driven Highway 60 knows it’s a winding and treacherous road, especially when the weather’s bad. But when it’s nice it’s a really pleasant tour. I reduced my speed to about 40 km/h for a good chunk of the trip, so I had lots of time to think. Staring death in the face in the bleakest of seasons, I pondered some of my favourite music to listen to in winter. Not the kind of stuff to make you feel warm and upbeat to cope with the cold and snow, but the tunes that help you relate to and understand the desperate and dangerous environment around you. So I came up with this short list of my favourite winter albums:

Radiohead – Kid A
It could have been because they released this in the fall of 2000 and I listened to it constantly throughout the following winter, but the songs on this album always invoke vast, bleak landscapes for me. It’s almost like the music is meant to fill those great and barren voids. At the time Kid A was revolutionary and it hasn’t really been matched since.

ISIS – Panopticon

This is a unique band that plays epic, ambient metal that can sweep you right across the emotional spectrum. Anything that’s long, slow, and heavy is perfect for a backdrop of white-capped mountains surrounding a frozen river and bare trees. This album makes me want to strap on some snowshoes.

Tricky – Maxinquaye

Tricky helped define that terrible term of “trip-hop” in the 1990s. It’s a narrow label that always sells the songs short. I always thought the music he and the dudes from Massive Attack played had the perfect layers of psychedelic musical elements and mesmerizing rhythms that would make you feel at home in a snowed-in cabin.

Sigur Ros – ()

They’re from Iceland. Enough said.

Joanna Newsom – Ys

Winter is probably the most legendary of seasons so it deserves songs that are sagas. She writes tunes that are sweeping fables about mythical creatures, set on top of ancient instruments like the harp. If you have time to kill on one of these cold, isolated nights, throw this album on.

Bonnie Prince Billy – I See a Darkness

I won’t sugarcoat it – a lot of the songs on this album are pretty depressing and some deal with death. No one said winter was a happy time.

Deltron 3030

Towards the tail end of that epic drive last week I was hard-pressed to think of a hip-hop album that would suit this particular list. The only one that came to mind was this particular gem about life in the distant dystopian future.

PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love

A commanding and powerful voice needs to tame the fiercest of seasons, and she has it. Couple that with songs about isolation and loss – produced in the guitar-heavy mid-1990s – and you have the perfect recipe for blizzard listening.

The Sword – Age of Winters

Sometimes in winter you just gotta crank it to 11 and prepare for battle.

I’m sure if I was trapped in another highway blizzard I could think of some more. What’s your favourite winter music?

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In high rotation on my iPod this year were:

The Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder

It seems a little weird putting one of the most peculiar yet uniquely charming metal bands of the past three decades in the top spot, but there’s no album I listened to more this year, and that’s always my primary criterion. This is their most accessible and best album in years, thanks again to the contribution of the Big Business dudes on rhythm and in harmony. Epic riffs, beautiful and haunting vocal melodies, and a sick dual drum assault.

The Sword – Warp Riders

Every year there’s a “guitar album” I make sure to include, and this is it. The Sword have followed through again with another showcase of towering and intricate riff-rock. The smokin’ chops and blazing solos of Warp Riders are a delight for any guitar player. It makes me want to plug in and make myself even deafer.

Damian Marley & Nas – Distant Relatives

Anyone familiar with both of these artists should know what to expect from a collaboration. But this album is so much more than just fusion of rap and reggae. Each allows the other to flourish in the right spots on the right tracks, and when they come together it’s nothing short of stunning. Both are legends in their respective genres and they marry their talents beautifully on this album.

Blitzen Trapper – Destroyer of the Void

On first listen this sounds like ’60s Dylan, ’70s Bowie, the Band and the Grateful Dead all crammed together. I wasn’t a fan of catchall classic rock homage bands before, but there’s a lot to be said for paying tribute to the legends all at once through your own original music. Many of their songs tell epic stories both lyrically and musically. Whenever I put this album on, I almost always find myself listening to it the whole way through.

Baroness – The Blue Record

This is probably “guitar album #2″ on my list, but with a little more sauce. Baroness is the most under-appreciated band in modern metal, and it’s really a shame. Building off their last Red Album, this one carves out a deeper sound with more complicated guitar melodies and vocal ranges. Their songs are both sweet and brutal, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a band nowadays that can pull that off effectively.

The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards

Usually I’m all for anything Jack White puts his name on, but I was pretty disappointed with this band’s first album. But when he’s just the drummer in what sounds like a standard bar band, I guess expectations should be lowered slightly. On this one, he steps up a bit more with his voice and his guitar and it adds more value to the rock on this record. Not to take away at all from Alison Mosshart – she’s an amazing singer with a huge live presence. She saved my life at Bonnaroo.

High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine

Matt Pike. That’s all you need to know.

Blakroc

Everyone and their grandma loved the Black Keys‘ Brothers album this year. It was pretty alright, but I thought this was their better recent effort. They basically made a hip hop album with the RZA and a whole bunch of other dudes (including a resurrected Ol’ Dirty Bastard) and it kicks ass. It’s only natural that a stripped-down band that specializes in rhythm and blues makes a foundation for some pretty enjoyable rap music.

Wab Kinew – Mide Sun Music

While not his official follow-up to Live by the Drum, it’s a stellar mixtape featuring some of his greatest musician friends from Winnipeg and beyond. Wab embodies what it is to be a young, educated, and dedicated Anishinaabe in today’s Canada. The tracks on this collection are honest, heartfelt, powerful, and funny. I’m stoked for Die by the Drum in 2011.

Joanna Newsom – Have One on Me

When I first heard she was putting out a triple album as a follow-up to the impeccable Ys, it made me a little uneasy. Her music is a little hard to digest at first, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sure enough, I could only listen to one song at a time initially, but once I got through them all I remembered why she is a musical genius with the ability to shake you to the core.

Honorable Mentions:

Chic Gamine – City City

Some of the most unique music I’ve ever heard in my live. Check it out for yourself.

Biipiigwan – God’s Hooks

They get to open up for big names in metal whenever they’re in town. They must be doing something right.

Rock on in 2011!

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Jay-Z
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Manchester, TN
June 12

The best hip-hop is always immensely enhanced by a live band. Well, picture the biggest name in hip-hop over the past two decades headlining the biggest music festival in North America with a backing band of at least two dozen musicians. Jay-Z tore through a career-spanning two hour set with an air of grace and humility one wouldn’t usually expect from someone of his stature. He was fierce, unrelenting, and thankful of the fans who stayed up past midnight to hear some of the most sincere music of the whole Bonnaroo weekend. I was a casual fan before and I’m a huge fan now.

The Melvins
The Opera House
Toronto, ON
September 1

This was the first show they played in Toronto in at least ten years and everyone there was expecting something epic. They could have played “Night Goat” just once and that would have been epic enough. That song came later in the set, but it was enveloped by some of their best tunes from most of their albums. The Melvins play some of the tightest rock-metal rhythms you could ever hear layered with intricate riffs and mesmerizing vocal melodies. Sheer metal brilliance. I feel truly lucky that I got to see them twice this summer.

Burnt Project 1
West End Cultural Centre
Winnipeg, MB
February 18

I’ve seen my good friend Dave Boulanger play his unique blend of roots-rock many times over the years and it’s always been great. But there was something about this evening that made it truly special (it could have been that it was being recorded live). He is extremely passionate about his music and he can direct a band of many to follow any lead he lays out for them. This was the best show I’ve seen Burnt lay down and ultimately one of the greatest performances. Keep an eye out for the new album – it’s gonna be amazing.

Ween
Kool Haus
Toronto, ON
July 29

Their Bonnaroo set was mostly disappointing for me (they are my favourite band and I can count on both hands how many times I’ve seen them) so I came in to this show with pretty low expectations. They haven’t put out a new album since La Cucaracha (2006) and I was worried they were becoming one of those touring bands that just milks nostalgia. This show proved me wrong and restored a lot of faith. They dipped into a lot of their older songs from Pure Guava and The Pod – some songs I hadn’t heard live in at least a decade – and they reworked a lot of the standards. It was a smokin’ set that spanned genres from rock to jazz to reggae and I hope they put out a new album soon.

Tool
Brandt Centre
Regina, SK
July 5

Speaking of nostalgia, I went into this show totally expecting to relive my 16-year-old self. I don’t want to debase their monumental efforts to that, but when I see Tool live, that’s what it is. Still, they opened with “Third Eye” and that will always be an unforgettable concert moment for me. That song alone is worth its own review.

ISIS
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Manchester, TN
June 12

Shortly before their summer tour, ISIS announced they were breaking up. I was very bummed but at the same time stoked that I would see them at Bonnaroo. They play some of the most intricate and intense ambient metal that I’ve ever heard in my life, and I feel blessed that I was able to catch them on their swan song. I’ve seen them play live in front of thousands of people at night time sets with huge lights and screens, but seeing them play out in the middle of the day in the heat of the Tennessee sun was the perfect send-off for me. It was all about the music.

Damian Marley & Nas
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Manchester, TN
June 11

Distant Relatives is one of my favourite albums of the year, and I was interested to see how they would pull it off live. They traded off songs from their classics – Nas’ Illmatic and Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock – but when they came together for their songs off this new album it was amazing. It’s almost a perfect marriage of rap and reggae and I feel happy to have seen it live.

Bison BC/Biipiigwan
Cafe Dekcuf
Ottawa, ON
October 20

Bison has cornered the niche of rock-metal and their new album displays that adequately. The new songs sounded great live and they laid them down with an enthusiasm seldom seen in a lot of new heavy metal. Plus, my bro’s band opened and it was the best I’ve ever heard them. Great crowd.

Pavement
Olympic Island
Toronto, ON
June 19

Broken Social Scene opened and it was snooze-worthy. Then all the hipsters left, unaware of the irony of taking off before seeing the band that created the music that makes them flourish. Pavement pretty much played a “greatest hits” set, but it was a great reminder why they are the ultimate indie-rock pioneers. I hadn’t seen them since they initially broke up in 1999 and it was great to hear those important songs again

The Dead Weather
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Manchester, TN
June 12

Any band that Jack White is involved in is a must-see. This was a perfect mid-afternoon set under the intense southern sky. Their new album is leaps and bounds ahead of their debut one, and it was nice to hear that fantastic mix of blues and rock in that setting. Check them out if you can.

So those were my favourite shows of the year. What are yours?

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The White Stripes on a bridge in WInnipeg

But I’ve had to draw a line. These are all related to actual “concerts”. I’ve experienced live music moments better than most of these – provided by friends in my living room, street performers, at spiritual ceremonies, or at random clubs on the weekend. Here are the moments from traditional concerts that are burned onto my eyes and will always ring in my ears:

David Bowie mesmerizes 50,000 Germans with “Space Oddity”
When I was 17 my favourite band in the world was Rage Against the Machine. Shortly after they released Evil Empire in 1996 I left Canada to spend a year in northern Germany as an exchange student. As that year wrapped up I had a chance to see them live for the first time – at the Go Bang festival in Luebeck in June 1997. A couple of buddies and I got tickets and took the train there for a whole day of kickass bands (Helmet, the Prodigy, Korn, and others). But it was a living legend who stole the whole festival’s thunder. David Bowie played right after Rage’s blistering set. I don’t think anyone in that crowd believed an old man could follow up one of the most intense live bands in the world. He walked out all by himself as the sun set, a lone spotlight on him holding just an acoustic guitar. With ease, he strummed the opening chords to the classic “Space Oddity”, and 50,000 people gazed in awe. You could hear a pin drop. It was a simple, stripped down version of one of his monumental anthems and it almost made us all forget about that little band from Los Angeles who played before him.

Neil Young plays “Powderfinger”
One of the greatest people I’ve known is Dan Kearnes from Lakefield, Ontario. He was the dad of my good buddy Terry, who I met while studying at Ryerson. Kearnesy Sr. was a living legend in local rock n’ roll circles – a biker with a huge heart and keen ear for good music. One of his favourite songs was Neil Young’s “Powderfinger”. We went to see Neil in October of 2003 at the Air Canada Centre in TO and got to have a beer together while he played it in the first encore. It was a pretty cool moment. Little did we all know how special it was. Kearnesy Sr. passed away suddenly in 2006. Our good friend Craig Brown played “Powderfinger” at his memorial service. I’ve seen Neil live a couple times since, and that song will always bring tears to my eyes when I hear him play it.

Queens of the Stone Age fans drink the bar dry
In the summer of 2000 the hype was starting to build around QOTSA. They had just released Rated R and “The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret” was getting lots of radio play. However, they already had a pretty solid fan base: people who heard their stellar debut album and fans of Kyuss (the band from which QOTSA emerged). Their Lee’s Palace show in Toronto was sold out well in advance. It was a killer set, and fans of good rock music like their booze. Shortly before the encore break frontman Josh Homme announced “They tell me you fuckers just drank this place dry!” Turns out, there was no beer or liquor left at the bar. So people rushed to buy up what was left. As a result, huge tattooed bikers and metal heads were left to drink white wine and coolers. He mentions this every time they’ve played Toronto since and I feel a bit of pride knowing I was there for it.

Michael Moore tries to “chill” Rage Against the Machine Fans
Kearnesy Jr. and I drove down to Detroit to see Rage on their opening tour for the Battle of Los Angeles album in the fall of 1999. The Palace of Auburn Hills was packed to the gills and there were people milling around on the concourse as Gang Starr and At the Drive-In opened. We got beers and t-shirts and chilled in our upper-level seats. Suddenly, all those milling fans rushed the stage. The floor became packed with thousands of people. It was clearly hazardous, and then some fat white dude came on stage to address everyone. It was Michael Moore telling everyone NOT to calm down.

Digging Roots play “Cut My Hair” on national TV
They’re one of my favourite bands in the world and I’ve probably seen them play at least 20 times. But at last year’s APCMAs they had a national audience, and they ripped through “Cut My Hair”. It chilled me to the bone and made my hair stand on end. These guys embody pure passion, and this was an epic performance.

Nine Inch Nails debut The Downward Spiral
In 1994 the best album on the planet was The Downward Spiral. Trent and company hadn’t played it live on a major North American tour yet, and his premiere was at Barrie’s Molson Park. NIN got on the bill for Soundgarden’s Superunknown tour. I’ll never forget the white curtains silhouetting the band before “Mr. Self Destruct”, and then getting a boot in the face that broke my nose in the mosh pit. Most people left because there was no way Soundgarden could follow that up.

The White Stripes play on a bridge
They toured Canada specifically three years ago and captured the hearts of the whole country. They played one-off shows in random spots in each city to the delight of their fans. They played on a bus in Winnipeg, but for those who couldn’t get on, they came back and played a few songs on the Provencher bridge. Pure dedication to their listeners that I will always love.

That’s it off the top of my head. As I think longer I’m sure more will come up. What are your favourite concert experiences?

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I swiped my buddy Mic’s feet from my face. He was passed out on the bunk just above the couch I slept on. I sat up, grabbed the nearest bottle of water, and got back on the long road of cooling and rehydration. I turned on the RV’s generator to crank up the air conditioner. I wasn’t ready to put a shirt on yet though. I opened the side door and stepped back into the heat and sun. I looked around at all the other RVs, and wondered how many of them foolishly shut off their air conditioners in the middle of the night.

It was a long trip getting to that sweaty and foul Saturday morning. I got a Facebook message at the end of the winter from one of my lifelong friends Matt, who was serving in Afghanistan. He was due back in Canada at the start of June, and was looking for something to do to celebrate. He suggested the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee. I took a quick look at the lineup and said hell yes. It sounded like a great reason for a road trip, and I was in.

We planned to take an RV on the 1300 km trip from southern Ontario. We tried recruiting lots of friends and family, and ended up five people altogether: Matt, his wife Ruby, his brother Mic, Mic’s girlfriend Paula, and yours truly. The planning was all worked out on Facebook, and as soon as June 9 rolled around we were picking up an RV from a rental joint in Hamilton.

What followed was a long haul through one province and four states that involved stops in the middle of nowhere to park and sleep in Walmart parking lots. The heat intensified the farther south we went. It peaked once we reached the outskirts of Manchester. Although we were mere miles from the festival site, we had to line up with thousands of other RVs arriving at the same time.

After a four hour wait, we were in.

The beauty of an RV is we had nothing to set up once we parked. We were driving our camp. We cracked a few cold ones and made our way to the site, eager to see the festival setup and whatever bands we could see.

11:15PM – Blitzen Trapper – The Other Tent

The first venue upon entering the festival grounds is The Other Tent. It was already packed with thousands of people. Blitzen Trapper is gaining steam on the indie scene, and whenever I hear something through the hipster grapevine I’m always a little apprehensive. But these guys played really solid folk-rock, a revival of sorts of some of the folkier rock acts of the 1970s. I was pretty impressed.

12:30AM – The xx – That Tent

Again, more hipster hype pulled me toward That Tent to check out The xx, but it also pushed me away. I’d seen these guys on Letterman before and was a little underwhelmed, but this set was a little more psychedelic and interesting. Pretty decent, but this venture was more valuable for getting our bearings among the festival’s dozen or so music stages.

1:00 AM – Wale – This Tent

Psychedlic indie rock only goes so far, so luckily This Tent was just across from That Tent. We pulled out of The xx to see Wale play a pretty bangin’ set of hip-hop. Rap music is always better with a live band behind it, and that’s further elevated when the dude rapping is an exceptional showman. Wale kept the party going for another hour.

Beat after a long day of driving, we headed back to the RV to have a few more beverages and crash. We had a heavy schedule of music and partying in the three days ahead of us. Little did we know how heavy it’d be.

FRIDAY

The lineup into the festival site Friday at noon

The 30 degree heat woke us up bright and early. We were getting used to it, and ignored it as a minor nuisance because we were all stoked to get the day on the go. We got started right away, planning on seeing Conan O’Brien open the day’s festivities.

1:00 PM – Conan O’Brien – Comedy Theatre

Little did we know, Team Coco lined up as early as 5AM to ensure they got into the theatre. Those of us who showed up at 12:30 had to watch it on a screen just outside. While it would have been killer to see his set “live”, the next best thing still sufficed. Conan tore through a 90 minute set of standup, music, guest appearances (Deon Cole and Andy Richter) and bitter but hilarious anecdotes of his departure from the Tonight Show.

3:15 PM – The Gossip – This Tent

We all had our own agendas for music, so this is when I parted from the group. We toured the festival grounds in the daylight for a bit, then I checked out the eclectic punk/soul/rock of the Gossip. It was a fantastic set and Beth Ditto is a really charismatic and talented singer.

Although we didn't get to "see" his show, Conan hosted the What Stage all day

4:00 PM – Damian Marley & Nas – What Stage

We reconvened back at the What Stage for one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend – Damian Marley and Nas. Their Distant Relatives collaboration had dropped just weeks before the festival; an album combining Marley’s soulful reggae and Nas’ gritty classic hip hop. They opened with a few off that, before trading off on their own solo classics – notably cuts from Nas’ Illmatic and Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock. They closed the set with father Bob’s “Could You Be Loved”. It was one of Bonnaroo’s best shows.

5:00 PM – She & Him – This Tent

I rushed back over to This Tent to check out another celebrity collaboration. She & Him are actress Zooey Deschanel and folk hero M. Ward. They’ve put out two albums of sultry, soulful ballads and they treated the crowd to note-perfect versions of those songs here. I think every single person in the audience fell in love with Deschanel after this set.

6:00ish – The National – Which Stage

I had to eventually make my way back over to the What Stage to see my beloved Tenacious D. I had about half an hour to kill, so I stopped by the Which Stage to see what all the hype around the National was about. In short, I wasn’t too impressed. Catchy tunes, but nothing original.

6:30 PM – Tenacious D – What Stage

Back in the late 1990s a friend showed me a clip he found on what was then called the “Internet” of a duo called Tenacious D. It was an acoustic performance unlike anything I’d seen before and I fell in love. The only time I saw them live was in 2002 so I was extremely stoked for this Bonnaroo set. They played all the classics like “Tribute” and “Double Team”, along with some apparently new ones. Hopefully there’s a new album and a tour in the works.

The D totally had us rocked out. By this point in the day, that rock combined with the heat, sun, lack of water and food, and small amounts of beer began to take a toll. A few of us needed a little nap, and sadly we missed out on a few stellar acts like Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Les Claypool, and Michael Franti. But we were up and back at it for Kings of Leon.

9:30 PM – Kings of Leon – What Stage

These dudes are huge pop stars now, but few who know them in the mainstream realize they have their roots in southern rock and began their journey to stardom here at Bonnaroo. This set was a bit of a homecoming for them as big stars. I won’t pretend I’m a big fan (hence the lack of good pictures from their set) but it was nice to hear some good southern rock next to their current hits.

Midnight – The Flaming Lips performing Dark Side of the Moon featuring Stardeath and White Dwarfs – Which Stage

This is one of the shows I was specifically looking forward to all weekend. I’ve been a fan of the Flaming Lips‘ poppy weirdness for a long time, but I’d missed out on a few chances to see them live over the years. I was happy to hear they were gonna play a greatest hits set, followed by their take on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Although I loved songs like “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” and “She Don’t Use Jelly”, the DSOTM set didn’t totally thrill me. But the stage show was a massive spectacle.

And since I was pretty sure I was suffering from heat stroke, I went back to the RV to crash. Too bad, because I missed out on Kid Cudi, one of the rap acts I really wanted to see.

SATURDAY

And now we come to that rude awakening with the feet. The heat (and beer) did this set of Canadians in, and we were much slower getting up Saturday. I got up earlier than the others to try, in vain, to get into the Comedy Tent for Conan’s second show. No dice. I returned to find my festival friends slowly getting everything together to get back to the site for the second full day of music. Saturday was the day I was looking forward to the most.

2:30 PM – Norah Jones – Which Stage

Paula, Ruby and I went to check out this superstar who I thought had a pretty early set for someone of her stature. I only know about an album’s worth of her material, but I was delighted to see her open up playing guitar before sitting down for her trademark piano chops. It was a really sweet set. Then I parted from the ladies to dig some metal.

3:30 – ISIS – This Tent

ISIS play a unique style of epic, psychedelic metal that really defies any sort of specific label. Their shows are immense and powerful, and when I heard this was their last tour, I was especially thrilled they were on the Bonnaroo bill. They played an emotionally monumental set and although the fans will miss them, we’re glad they shared their stellar music with us over the past decade.

4:45 PM – Clutch – Sonic Stage

This was one of two Clutch sets at Bonnaroo, and since I had time to kill I wanted to check them out on the shorter more intimate Sonic Stage. It was nice to hear more stripped-down versions of their songs.

5:15 PM – The Melvins – This Tent

The living metal legends were one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Bonnaroo. They’ve been around for decades and have released some of the most kickass heavy music ever. Their new album also recently dropped and I loved it right away. They devoted about half of their set to it, but also played recent gems like “Billy Fish” and the “Civilized Worm”. Not much older stuff, but I love this current lineup so playing a set heavy on newer material was cool with me.

6:30 PM – The Dead Weather – What Stage

Anything Jack White touches is gold. This newest band is my least favourite of his projects, but since they’ve released two solid albums in two years, I’m loving them more with each spin. This was a raw rock set that firmly established my love for singer Allison Mosshart. What a stage presence.

7:30 PM – Weezer – Which Stage

Everyone knows their hit songs and their hardcore fans will annoy you at any show. Still, this was a really enjoyable set by a band that should be really admired for its longevity. The other highlight from their set was randomly running into Matt and Ruby again. I’d been on my own for hours, and to see them there was like Christmas.

8:30 PM – Stevie Wonder – What Stage

I’ve always believed you need to respect and experience the music that flourished in the generations before yours, and continue to echo throughout your life. That’s what Stevie Wonder is to me, and seeing a living legend like him in this setting was unbelievable. Hits like “Higher Ground” and “Superstition” were amazing, but hearing “Another Star” in the encore blew my mind.

11:30 PM – Jay-Z – What Stage

These were probably the two most anticipated consecutive headlining acts of the whole festival. Jay-Z put on the show of the weekend, hands down. He is already a legendary showman who dipped deep into his catalogue to craft a set unrivalled by anyone else at Bonnaroo. Almost all 80,000 people were there to see him at the What Stage, and he thoroughly impressed.

Again, our asses were kicked and we couldn’t handle anymore. We went to chill by the mushroom fountain, grabbed a bite, and went back. Sadly, this meant we missed another highly anticipated band – GWAR – but I wasn’t too sad because I’ve seen them before. It took all my will and strength to handle another day.

SUNDAY

Gimme shelter

Sunday was by far the hottest day and fortunately the most lax. There was only a handful of bands I really wanted to check out so luckily we could take it a bit easier, with more time to chill in the shade. The heat was seriously that bad.

So I went to watch my first game of this year’s World Cup – Germany vs. Australia. The Germans won handily and I was pleased.

From there I checked out a band called Lucero who played a pretty cool style of country music.

Then it was off to see Against Me! and then Blues Traveler for a couple quick tunes, before moving on to the bulk of what we wanted to see.

Blues Traveler at the Sonic Stage

4:00 PM – John Fogerty – What Stage

This was pretty much just a set of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s greatest hits. The former CCR frontman milked nostalgia, but it was still pretty fun listening to some of the tunes I grew up hearing from my parents. “Ramble Tamble” was the standout.

5:00 PM – Ween – Which Stage

Anyone who knows me knows Ween is my favourite band. I love their ability to play almost any kind of music and how well those studio gems translate live. This was a pretty standard show of lots of songs I’d seen them play live before, but that’s nothing to complain about. Also, a water balloon hit me right in the face before the show started. It was just what the doctor ordered.

6:30 PM – Zac Brown Band – What Stage

It seemed authentic to wind down our first Bonnaroo experience down with some seemingly authentic country music. The Zac Brown Band fit the bill so their tunes more than sufficed.

9:30 – Dave Matthews Band – What Stage

One of the few DMB songs I like is “Don’t Drink the Water”. He opened with it, so there wasn’t much else for me to see. I stuck around for about half of the set and dug it. His fans love him and most of the crowd was there to see him, so you gotta give him props for that.

And that was my first experience at Bonnaroo. It was truly the most eclectic music festival I’ve ever been to, and that was just the music. There was a lot of comedy and other artistic performances I didn’t check out. We’re already planning next year’s trip. The people of Tennessee were truly kind and hospitable, and the 80,000 other music fans there were fun and open-minded. Next year is the 10th edition of Bonnaroo, so you can expect something huge.

If you wanna see more of my pics, check out this facebook album.

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High on Fire
Snakes for the Divine

The adrenal gland needs its own theme music. When that rush of adrenaline is pumping through your body, there are very few fitting genres of music. High on Fire has been specializing in brutally powerful riff metal for a long time, and their formula will have the meekest music enthusiasts ready to pound down brick walls. Matt Pike and his band have honed a very distinct brand of metal that’s based entirely on fast, loud, and ethereal guitar chops, rounded out by growling vocals and the tightest and heaviest rhythm section in the genre.

As usual, the album comes out swinging with the title track. A searing finger-tapping opening riff reminiscent of a cross between Black Sabbath and Van Halen. But it’s Pike’s expansion on that seemingly basic theme along with the ferocious bass licks and pounding drums that elevate this music well above that basic comparison. The riffs also begin simply on other standout tracks like “Frost Hammer” and “How Dark We Pray”, but as the cornerstones of most High on Fire songs, they unravel into beautifully complex heavy metal melodies. It’s an evolution that’s thrilling to trace within each track.

That’s the trademark High on Fire sound, and it’s a formula they’ve stuck to since 2005′s Blessed Black Wings. Fans won’t hear much of a departure from that album. But if there’s anything metal fans appreciate, it’s consistency, and you can count on these guys to get your adrenal gland pumping album after album.

Blakroc

Aerosmith and Run-DMC thought it’d be a good idea back in 1986 to record a rap/rock collaboration of “Walk this Way” and bring it to the mainstream. Then Anthrax and Public Enemy did a better job with a heavier “Bring the Noise” in 1991. Then a couple years later, the Judgment Night soundtrack came out, a full album’s worth of rap/rock/metal collaborations from the most popular artists of the time. But as the 1990s progressed, bands devoted their whole careers to mashing rap and rock, and with each copycat the music got progressively worse and we listeners got dumber for hearing it.

But finally in 2010, Blackroc has reversed that trend. The brainchild of Akron, Ohio’s The Black Keys, this album captures the original spirit of that partnership of making revolutionary music and building bridges. Here you have soulful melodies and beats rapped and sung over by some of today’s best artists in rap and R & B, like Raekwon, the RZA, Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Ludacris, Q-Tip and Nicole Wray. They even dug up some old Ol’ Dirty Bastard vocal tracks and made a song around them.

It’s a very energetic and eclectic project, due largely to the obvious enthusiasm and dedication of everyone involved. The Black Keys have always played stripped-down and soulful blues-rock – something that’s very translatable to hip-hop. Almost any of their older albums could have easily become Blakroc, because of the universal riffs and rhythms. Perhaps they waited until now to release it because of the saturation in the rap/rock genre earlier in their careers. Regardless, this album has restored the faith of music fans who had to endure the all the garbage of the late 1990s.

Joanna Newsom
Have One on Me

One of my all-time favourite albums is Joanna Newsom’s Ys. I bought it on a whim after reading a few glowing reviews shortly after it was released at the end of 2006, and it totally blew me away. It was unlike anything I had ever heard and whenever it came on I became so captivated that I’d have to listen to it right to the end. One of the main reasons is she plays the harp, and there’s not much I listen to based on that ancient and bizarre instrument. On top of that, she weaves intricate and epic narratives into her massive songs. Some may find her lyrics a little strange and perhaps esoteric, but after a few listens they totally suck you in.

So to follow up that masterpiece, she just released a TRIPLE album. If the last one wasn’t enough of a mindblast, she decided to bring it threefold on this one. But before giving it a spin, I went into this one a little cautiously. In contemporary music, excess and eccentricity don’t necessarily make good albums. Quality over quantity, less is more, blah blah blah. I was delightfully surprised to hear an album of focused, shorter songs that flow rather seamlessly. Have One on Me is also a journey, but a slightly less intense and equally enjoyable one as Ys.

The unconventional instruments are still there, along with her nasally voice delivering sometimes bizarre ballads. But there’s also a lot more percussion – something totally missing on her last album. That should make these songs more accessible to newer fans. At over two hours of music, I’m still digesting it, but I’ll always appreciate the new path she’s trying to chart for modern music.

Do you have any new music recommendations? Leave them in the comments!

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I bought tickets for the Winnipeg show at MTS Centre right when they went on sale. My fervor paid off – I scored floors. So right away I was counting down the days until the show. When the tour finally kicked off, though, that excitement simmered to a steady boil. The day of their show in Whitehorse, a buddy who lives there texted me to say they played a surprise afternoon show at a downtown park.

Meg and Jack in Whitehorse - photo courtesy Rob Stalkie

Finally, the day came for their Winnipeg show. It was the holiday Monday after Canada Day. I was lucky enough to have it off, and it was a gorgeous, vibrant sunny afternoon. Everyone knew they were gonna show up somewhere, but I really had no clue where. I was out for coffee with a friend when the phone rang. It was another buddy who heard from someone else that the White Stripes were gonna play an afternoon show, and that if fans wanted to try to catch them, they had to show up at the street corner across from Canwest Park. We rushed down there.

About 30 other fans heard the same buzz. Everyone was milling about, not really sure what to expect or where the band would actually be playing. This was, after all, just a random street corner on the outskirts of downtown Winnipeg. A couple dozen more showed up as text messages starting flying about. There were also three dudes dressed up in black suits with red ties and fedoras just standing on the opposite corner. They were clearly part of the White Stripes’ entourage, but they weren’t offering up any details. Finally, after about half an hour, a bus showed up, and two of them got on. One signaled to the crowd to get on too. However, only about half of the fans were able to, and the bus left. The rest of us stood there, confused. In a few minutes, text messages started coming back to us who missed the bus, saying Jack and Meg got on at the next stop, and played a few songs for the lucky bus riders.

Naturally, we were bummed. But one of the black-clad handlers told us to sit tight. After a few more minutes he told us to follow him, and led us to the end of the Provencher bridge. Again, more waiting, but we were much more optimistic we’d catch one of these rare community shows fans in other cities had been so lucky to experience. Suddenly, we saw two familiar figures emerge from the Salisbury House restaurant that’s on the bridge. Luckily, I remembered my camera.

They stood on the concrete edge of the railing, and serenaded us with three acoustic songs.

It was over in under 15 minutes, but it was one of the greatest little sets of music I’ve ever witnessed. It wasn’t just the intimacy and calibre of the experience that totally warmed my heart – it was the effort. Not only did this band defy the odds by playing every single corner of this country that summer, they made sure their fans got the most of their visit. There are few other bands who would go out of their way to make a tour such a complete experience for their fans. I was always really into them after they broke out with White Blood Cells, but this firmly established them in the canon of legendary bands for me. The show at MTS Centre later that night was epic as well. Picking up that documentary this week will be a sweet reminder and lifelong souvenir. I’ll always be grateful for being able to spend that day with them.

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Mainstream popular culture has always had an odd infatuation with “Indians”, even though that’s never really carried over to real life. It’s more of an obsession with the imagery rather than some of the wholesome ideals all of our cultures are based on. Take the following Cher video, for example:

Granted, Cher claims to in fact be a half-breed (half “Cherokee”, as many of them say). But this must have been early on in her own personal cultural renaissance. The video opens with a totem pole, and then cuts to Cher in a Lakota-like headdress and getup – two things that have nothing to do with each other. Pure exploitation of the image. Don’t get me wrong, I love the song. I’ve belted it out more than once at karaoke bars (I’m a half-breed myself). But Cher wasn’t doing any of her native brothers and sisters any favours with this video. For me, the real star is the totally stoic horse, who’s obviously totally gooned on PCP.

Then there’s this gem from Loretta Lynn called “Your Squaw is on the Warpath”

I’ve always been a big fan of Loretta Lynn for blazing a trail for female musicians. And this song is kinda awesome, if you follow the narrative in the lyrics. You can easily argue she’s simply using Indian metaphors for the plight of a frustrated woman. But I can’t excuse the use of the word “squaw”. It’s one of the most offensive terms out there referring to Aboriginal women. I have trouble even saying it. Apparently she’s also part “Cherokee”, which is her supposed license to sing such a song.

But you’d be hard-pressed to find any Cherokees in this crowd…

Shifting from pop music to sports, baseball fans will be familiar with this. It’s the “Tomahawk Chop”, insensitively popularized by Atlanta Braves fans in the early 1990s. This dumbfounded me as a 12 year old, and it blows my mind even today. I made a more comprehensive commentary (see “Indians Finally Win One!) a few years ago on Native American imagery in pro sports (originally an article turned down by VICE Magazine), so I won’t go more into this now. But the chop is alive and well, proving white suburbanites in Georgia still want to be Indian. Scalp those Pittsburgh Pirates!

Such examples are varied and far-reaching, so a post like this could go on and on. But fear not, we’re slowly taking over the mainstream media and we’ll do our best to eradicate exploitation! Cue the pow-wow intro music…

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