Week of Opeth, Relient K, Foals, and Of Monsters and Men.

     -->

     This past two weeks I have had the pleasure of seeing four amazing bands live: Opeth, Relient K, Foals, and Of Monsters and Men. The usually concert has me reviewing one concert all the way including the openers. However this week I’m not going to do that mostly because I couldn’t decide which one or even two I wanted to cover so this week I’m going to cover all four bands. That’s right, you heard correctly. I won’t talk about the openers, just the headliners all four of them.

      First off Opeth, the metal band from Sweden. I saw them May 15^th at Wooly’s in Des Moines. Opeth played close to two hours and only twelve songs so that should already show you what kind of show this was. They are a metal band but they spent a large portion of the show showing off their musical diversity playing several ballads, psychedelic jams, and acoustic instrumentals. When they brought the metal though they really brought it. There were mosh pits all around through the show, and some of the friendliest pits I’ve ever been apart of.  The energy was through the roof, whenever the singer wasn’t singing he was interacting with the crowd and being the late night host of the evening. The crowd was one of the best and most responsive crowds I have ever seen with people coming from all over the state of Iowa to see Opeth first ever Iowa show. The band is a group of excellent musicians that show off their talents, with their expertise of their genre and instruments. I highly recommend that any metal fan check this band out. 

                                                          Opeth- Blackwater Park Live

      Next up Relient K, the Christian rock main staple. I was Relient K at Wooly’s on May 18^th. This is just one of those shows where the fans just suck., you feel like you have to go home and wash yourself of the fan base, that by liking them you have unfortunately become a part of. The band finally comes on after several bad openers and reminds me of why I was there in the first place blasting out three hits in a row.  The band gave all they had energy wise and the singer throws out some crazy high range yelling that sounds great. The music was fun and the band was good, but the crowd sucked. They looked so bored during it, you could have easily forgot that they had paid to go to the show. They are a light Christian rock staple with a lot of hits to their name. They play them well to a terribly unresponsive crowd chalked full of pre teens who only know “Be My Escape”. Go see them for the music, but be warned that is what the crowd is like. 

                                                          Relient K- Be My Escape Live

     Then we have Foals, the hipster up and coming math rock sensation. I saw Foals on the 20^th of May in Minneapolis at First Avenue. This is one of those bands that is way less popular then they should be. They are fun on CD but live they are a monstrous epic spectacular event. That’s right three adjectives you know I mean business. I dare you to find a more energetic in your face edgy band. They jump into the crowd and start dance pits, they jump off the second floor balcony on to the stage. The lead singer is a true rock star more upset by his hair getting touched then his legs from jumping down off the second story balcony. They give the music such a life that it doesn’t have on CD, bringing out a drum to play along with the drummer and the whole band goes into percussion breakdown mode, before the singer dives into the crowd. This was one of the best shows I have seen in a very long time. I would consider this band a must see.

                                                                   Foals- Inhaler Live

   

      Lastly we have Of Monsters and Men, a band from Iceland that is destined to become the next Mumford and Sons. I saw Of Monsters and Men in Kansas City at the Crossroads on May 21^st. This was a different kind of show then I have ever seen before. I have seen folk bands before but those bands had taken the approach to make the songs louder, livelier, and bigger. This band didn’t do that at all. They played 1920’sesqe European music while they were setting the stage. It lulled everyone into a sleepy time tea mood. Then they came on and played the music exactly like it is on CD. It was more of a sit back and sway, or sit on a carpet and drink wine type of show. The music was beautifully performed and they played the whole CD live plus a couple extras and that was it. It was short, sweet, and straight to the point. I liked the show it just wasn’t what I expected. I had never been to a show that was quite that laid back before. The closest I had come was Spoon at Lollapalooza. It was music just for the music nothing else, and I liked it.

                                                 Of Monsters and Men- Little Talks Live

Week of Vampire Weekend

      This week I am going to visit an artist that has yep to disappoint me. Lets see if they can keep it up. First they were hipster legends, then a mainstream success, and now they have almost reached the level of festival headliner. This week I will be reviewing Vampire Weekend- Modern Vampires of the City.

      Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City formed in 2006.They consist of guitarist and keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer and percussionist Chris Tomson, bassist Chris Baio, and lead singer/guitarist Ezra Koenig. Members of the band met while attending Columbia University, beginning with a rap collaboration between Koenig and Tomson, bonding over love of punk rock and African Music. This collaboration toured with The Dirty Projectors. Their debut album was leaked on to the Internet before it was even released, giving them time to do three full tours and a Spin Magazine cover shoot before their debut album was even released. The band's first album Vampire Weekend was released on January 28, 2008. This album achieved huge commercial success with singles "A-Punk", "Oxford Comma", and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" and was featured on Step Brothers, Guitar Hero 5, Just Dance 2, and many other things. The band's second album Contra was released on January 11, 2010 and also brought huge commercial success with singles "Horchata" and "Cousins". It also scored the bands first #1 billboard record. This brings us to Modern Vampires of the City.
   

      The release of Vampire Weekend's first album or rather before the release of it and brought them some of the biggest success ever. The album was up on the Internet a full year before it was officially released, a tactic that worked very well in their favor. The blog and online music community spread the album all around like wildfire. It was so successful that the band went on three full tours before the album even came out, one of those tours was with The Shins. The were even declared the years best new band by Spin magazine that also featured them on the cover that month. Also happening before their debut album was released. It did cause the band to have some backlash though, as critics had a perceived image of them as privileged upper-class Ivy League graduates stealing their music from foreign musicians. One critic even went so far as to call them, "the whitest band in the world". This backlash eventually passed, for the most part that is.
                                                              A-Punk- Vampire Weekend

     
     Vampire Weekends have been referred to as a group of spoiled ivy league kids that have trouble relating and connecting to their audience's troubles. On this album they may have changed that. Their lyrics are as clever and filled with pop culture references as ever, but now they have more emotional depth. "Ya Hey" even goes so far as to question the existence of god while a chorus of chipmunks sing over the top. "Unbelievers" talks about being involved with the sins of life. The rest of the songs remain as dark and real with talks of running away just to run away, or dying like a Kennedy. This album has the widest arrangement of instrumentation they have ever had, and does what Vampire Weekend always do combining worldly, new wave, and pop genres together into one successful cohesive unit. This album tackles huge issues that most pop artists avoid like life, death, religion, and living in the modern day New York City, where time is moves very differently and how different the lives of the people that live there can.
                                                            Ya Hey-Vampire Weekend

     The opener "Obvious Bicycle" is a slower, simple start to the album using mostly just piano, vocals, and drums to drive the song. "Unbelievers" is a more upbeat catchy song. It's an obvious single and one of the high points of the album. "Step" is a very weird ballad song that manages to quote Modest Mouse, and Berkley communists in a pop song. "Diane Young" is one of the most upbeat and energetic songs here using lots of strange instruments like they are known for, as well lots of voice manipulation. "Don't Lie" is a very synth driven slower song, that sort of just blends into the album.  "Hanna Hunt" is a beautiful ballad with a lot to say. Talking about a mom and her son running away before they can't run away anymore. "Everlasting Arms" is one of the best songs on the album using lots of tightly constructed harmonies and pop hooks. "Finger Back" is a very fast song similar to the lyrics on "California English", its very fun and upbeat. "Worship You" takes off like a rocket with unbelievably fast lyrics, and percussion driven beat that flies by. "Ya Hey" is a long song about the existence of god, that features classical piano lines, and chipmunk chorus parts. "Hudson" is a song about Henry Hudson's death on the Hudson Bay. It's by far the weirdest song on here. The albums closer "Young Lion" is a very slow but short piano ballad with a small chorus rapping the album up nice and sweet like.
                                                             Step-Vampire Weekend

     They really hope to rid themselves of that rich prep kid label with this album and I think that they have. This album may not be the best Vampire Weekend album but it does have the most to say. It sparks huge issues like conversation starters. They never plan to finish these huge topics, just make you think about them. A very strong album all around from a very dependable artist.
Recommended Songs: Unbelievers, Step, Everlasting Arms, and Diane Young.

4.5/5 Stars

Week of the best live bands

     This week for fun I wanted to do something completely different. In the past I have only done album and concert reviews but this week I am going to make you a list. A list of the 20 best live bands that I have personally seen, in a rough order, it changes frequently. I want you to comment on this after reading but before you do so remember this. A. I am not including any band I have not personally seen live. I may be a concert addict but I haven't seen everything. B. If an artist isn't on the list they may have just slipped my mind at the time of writing this. There are so many great live bands out there. C. Our tastes in music may not be the same, you don't have to agree with me. D. Hipsters this one is for you. I have friends who are hipsters so I know how opinionated you can be. Keep it classy and don't get but hurt if I didn't like the latest new trend live band. Remember I consider myself half hipster and half hard rocker, so I like you hipsters sometimes. You just get irritating enough that you might even make Thom Yorke say, "OK, OK  you didn't like the King of Limbs I get it. Now shut up and listen to your Animal Collective." With that tangent out of the way let's begin. Feel free to give me suggestions on bands I should see. Be warned that some of these videos contain bad language, it's live after all. So don't watch it at work, your boss might get mad.

     20. Ben Folds (in any form 5 or solo)
          Ben Folds is an absolutely phenomenal musician and a hell of a performer. I have been lucky enough to see him solo and with Ben Folds 5, both were amazing. He's the real deal. He is just fun to watch and listen to for that matter. When hes not cracking way racier jokes that you would expect from a pianist. Hes knocking out amazing solos on multiple instruments without breaking a sweat. When i saw him, he covered Ke$ha's Get Sleazy because it was part of a challenge to play the most popular song on I tunes at the time. He play's solo songs, Ben Folds 5 songs, and has crazy improv jams called Rock this B#$%# in (insert city hes in at the time.) Even if you don't like his music, his charm, energy, and snarky white boyness will win you over.                      
                              Here he is singing improv songs to random people on chat roulette.

     19. Cage The Elephant
         Cage the Elephant may be that band with that one catchy song you know, otherwise known as "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked". There is a lot more to them then that. The lead singer's live antics take us back to the days of Diamond Dave in Van Halen, when he could still sing. When being the front man to a band actually meant ring leader of the circus, and does he lead. He comes out screaming and headbanging like its his last day on earth. He commands your attention with his pure jaw dropping intensity and drug fueled rage. If he doesn't dive from the stage at least 5 times or sing "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked", while walking on the crowd it's been an off night.
                                                             Here he is doing his thing!

     18. Mindless Self Indulgence
      OK now I would expect that a lot of people don't know who this band is, good you learn something new everyday. Mindless Self Indulgence can be described as an extreme punk band, but their shows are other worldly and almost indescribable. All my friends have heard the famous story of my MSI live experience many times, but you should hear it too. When lead singer Jimmy Urine entered the stage he was dressed in a suit that had been sprayed with a paintball gun and a spiky black hedgehog like haircut. This man's intensity and pure insanity on stage will scare most people strait on home, but if you can stick it out you'll witness something incredible. He came out and threw a giant wad of ones into the audience and said go ahead by yourselves some meth on me. He ripped the banana costume off of one fan, put in on another, made him do the funky chicken, and then kicked him into the crowd. He even joined in the mosh pit at one point. If your a fan of insane over the top crazy punk show's, don't miss this one.
                 This isn't live footage but check the music video for Shut Me Up-Mindless Self Indulgence

     17. Green Day
     So not everyone is the biggest fan of Green Day and I get that. American Idiot was an album that you either loved or hated, but there is one thing you cannot deny. That the fact that they put on an amazing show. Billie Joel Armstrong is one of the best in the business of commanding attention of the masses and his live antics are completely over the top entertaining. My metal head friend who wasn't a huge Green Day fan walked away from a Lollapalooza headlining show admitting that they had rocked that show. From toilet paper guns, to "King for a day" and its many cover teases, even making out with fans on stage. They bring the house down every night with sometimes upwards of 3+ hours shows. They are truly very good musicians and performers.                
                                               Here's King for a Day live in all it's splendor.

     16. Reel Big Fish (preferably with Scott Allen "Scotty" Klopfenstein)
      Reel Big fish are another not so well band and a ska band at that. Ska is punk rock combinned with brass instruments, and these guys are one of the giants in the genre. The lead singer Aaron Barret and other band member banters hilariously through the whole show with an immaturity you haven't seen since middle school and when they play they insight one of the best parties around. It's just hard to not have fun at a Reel Big Fish show. The pit opens up and everyone dances like idiots until they can't dance anymore. Then there is what they do for the song "Suburban Rhythm" Just watch it live to find out! 

     15. System of a Down
      System of a Down are one of the absolute god's of hard rock. They are insane on CD and they are insane live. Their sheer presence alone insights riots and fights, but when they take the stage and hammer it out for an hour and a half. The whole place just comes un glued and explodes into a floor wide mosh pit. For very crazy and weed smoking guys they keep it strait business and fire through close to 30 songs a night. If you aren't  head banged out by the end of the show you never will be. 
                                                 Here is there big hit Chop Suey live!

     14. My Morning Jacket
      These guy are just one of those bands whose reputation for live shows is very well known. It says something about a band when they can bring half a room to tears with the pure beauty of their music. Lead singer Jim James is the driving force. "He has the voice of an angel, and the guitars solos and intensity of a demon." Those aren't my words but I can tell you that it's 100% true. Check out the video of "One Big Holiday" live. Seriously it will blow your mind.

     13. Soundgarden
      I caught the brothers of sound right at the begginging of their reunion at Lollapalooza in 2010. They had to come out and prove that they still had what it takes to rock 200,000 people, and they did just that. Vocalist Chris Cornell sounding better then ever hitting high notes and screaming along to things that most people couldn't dream of. He truely is one of the best rock vocalists ever. The bass and drums were so loud and intense that my parents could here it all the way across grant park at Arcade Fire. 
                                                    Here is Jesus Christ Pose live

     12. Queens of the Stone Age
      Josh Homme is the man behind the band, lead singer, lead guitarist, and true rockstar in every sense of the word. The man just oozes cool, and that concept goes ten fold for their live shows. The show I saw had them perform the entire first album all the way through followed by a set of hits. Josh must have been in a good mood that night because he played 5 songs more then he did almost any where else. He even takes up the bass on "Burn the Witch" just adding to his BA cred. The one thing I would say is, do not under any circumstance throw anything at him. At my show someone hit him in the head with a bottle and he came into the crowd beat the guy up and the security guard had to pull him off. It was awesome and so rock star like. Following that he went back up on stage and acted like nothing had happened. 
                                          Here is "Go With The Flow" live on Letterman

     11. AC/DC
      What can you say about AC/DC that hasn't already been said. Let's just say there is a reason they are famous, not like Kim Kardashian. Their shows have it all props, guitar solos, giant inflatable women, and old men in short shorts. Seriously though Angus Young is by far the best guitarist I have ever seen live. At his age in 2010 he was doing power slides, flailing around on the floor, and running and jumping like a teenager. All while letting out some of the best guitar solos I have ever seen. The pinnacle of the night was when he rode a lift up to the ceiling while playing a guitar solo and proceeded to run in a circle on the floor of the lift while still playing. He has fastest hands I've ever seen. Not to mention the entire show was hit after hit after hit. Think they don't deserve a spot on the list?
                                    Check out "Thunderstruck" live and you tell me.

     10. Nine Inch Nails
      The absolute kings of industrial rock bring one of the most memorable shows you will ever see. The Mastermind Trent Reznor had this way of getting pissed off right before coming on stage and just being a screaming ball of rage and energy. It's intense to watch and he usually throws his instruments when hes done using them and makes the roadies go get them. He created the best light show in the world to back up his shows. It's a truly awe inspiring sight. 
                                                           Here is "Only" live

      9.  Incubus (preferably before or after If Not Now When tour)
      It's not exactly a secret that I am a die hard incubus fan, and am extremely bias. However their live shows speak for themselves even with that said. I do think they were better when not on the if not now when tour, too many ballads. The band is made up of some of the best musicians out there today and as a cohesive unit they just click. Brandon Boyd is one of the best rock singers out there. He sounds even better live then he does on CD. They change their setlists up every night to keep fresh and exciting for themselves an the fans, and when they take the stage the crowd goes insane. The energy at an Incubus show is something you can't find almost anywhere.
                                        Here is "A Certain Shade of Green" live

      8. Slipknot
      The local Iowa boys always held a spot close to my heart, but when it comes to their shows intense may not be a strong enough word. I saw them back when it was the original nine, they all come out in there famous costumes. The stage is one of the coolest parts of the show equipped with a huge artistic background, two giant lifts, metal vats used later as percussion equipment. While blasting out the crazyist music, insighting insane mosh pits, and making athe entire crowd get down all at once, the nine run around the stage the whole time like chickens with their heads cut off. The musicianship and showmanship of these crazy guys is through the roof.
                                      Watch "Duality" live baseball bats galore.

      7. Muse
      I get it they may not be as cool as they used to be and their last album was meh, but they sure know how to throw down a live show. The first time I saw Muse back in 2007, it wasat that point was the greatest thing I had ever seen, and I honestly mean that. They were amazing, I couln't believe that three people could make that much noise and rock that hard. They are true performers adding improv solos to every song. Sliding around the stage and using some of the best visuals at any concert ever. Matt Belamy has some of craziest falsetto singing you will ever see, and his guitar solos rock. The bassist and drummer jam out all the time letting you know why each one deserves to be there. 
                                              Watch "Knights of Cydonia" live

 
      6. Radiohead
      Seeing Radiohead live has become almost a right of passage for some people and I can see why. The truth is even though they are amazing on CD, they are a live band. Their percussion is so dead on it's scary. The use a crazy loop system to play a simple part, record it, and then play it back while playing another part. It all adds up to a wave of sound that is impossible to describe. Then there is Thom Yorke, he by himself is a sight to behold. Singing notes that no one else can hit, while dancing so unnaturally that you think there is something wrong with him. They never play the same set list twice and don't even always play the hits. They are just so cool they can play whatever they want to.
                                                Watch "Paranoid Andriod" Live

 

      5. Foo Fighters
      The Foo Fighters are just pure rock and roll, plain and simple. No fancy stage setups, no huge over the top visual, just rock and roll at it's core. Plus Dave Grohl might be the coolest person on the planet. He has that demand your attention attitude and pure talent to back it up. I saw them in the middle of a pouring rainstorm at Lollapalooza and it was one of the most amazing things Ive ever seen. Like getting to be apart of a music video. Dave stands up and says, "if you don't care about the rain neither do we" and proceeded into a 10 minute jam session. If you can go to a Foo Fighters show and not have fun then your dead. 
                    Watch "Learn to Fly" in the pouring rain, Dave don't care about no rain.

      4. The Flaming Lips
      If you follow this blog then you know I just put up a full review of this show, but it was good enough to warrant this spot. A Flaming Lips show is a party of all your senses. It is combinging every sensation together to make a truely other worldly experience. They make use of crazy light shows and visuals, along with tons of props. Wayne Coyne is insane, on drugs, and so fun to watch. From bubble boy, to lazer hands, or confetti cannons. Their live shows have it all. 
                                               Watch "Do You Realize?" live

      3. Rush
      Rush are the kings of progressive rock and there is a reason for it. They have been doing it for 30+ years, and they just seem to get better with age. This power trio will blow you away with the best musicianship you have ever seen. Neil Peart in my opinion is the best drummer in the world and his drum solos are the best thing ever! They play with no opener so you get 3 + hours of Rush. With so many awesome songs to pick from not even 3 hours is enough. These Canadians make up for Justin Bieber and then some. Getty Lee has one of the most interesting voice's in rock, and for as old as he is he still kills those high notes.
                                                      Check out "YYZ" live

      2. Mute Math
      After falling in love with their lead single "Typical" I picked up their CD. I saw that they were playing in Des Moines so I checked it out, and what I saw I could not believe. I went in with very low expectations and came out with my mind blown, and one of the best experiences of my life. This band's live energy is more intense than any band I have ever seen. The drummer plays so hard he has to ducktape his head phones on. The band blasts through songs while the lead singer does backflips off his piano. The whole show all leads up to the pinicle of the night "Break The Same" where they let loose and blow peoples minds. It's impossible to describe just watch. Watch it, just do it you won't be disappointed.
                                                Watch "Break the Same" live

                               
       1. Jack White (in any form with any band)
       Although I never got to see The White Stripes, or The Raconteurs Live, I have seen The Dead Weather, and Jack White solo. When i heard that Jack White was going to be playing White Stripes songs live on his solo tour along with all the other songs from his career I had to be there. After witnessing him last year at Lollapalooza, i'm not sure that any show will ever be able to top it. He plays guitar so well that even Jimmy Paige of Led Zeppelin would be air guitaring along. He just commands attention even when on stage with 6 other musicians. The setlist was amazing he added songs from The White Stripes that haden't be played anywhere else just for Lolla and the crowd ate that right up. His whole band is full of excellent musicians and it's nice to see him switch off and play many different roles while on stage, before ripping open a raw guitar solo to remind you that is his thing. People walked away from this show in tears and it was so intense we jumped for the whole thing. My friends ear were ringing for a week after the show, but it was all worth it.
                        This is the last ever White Stripes performance, Live on Conan.

     Feel free to give me suggestions of bands I should check out. I hope you liked this new entry and if not, im going back to the old way next week for my next blog. Be for warned that some of the videos have inappropriate language so don't watch them at work. It's live after all. Hope you have a new band you want to see live after reading this and if not, oh well I tried.

Week of The Flaming Lips and The Black Keys

     I have been a concert addict since high school and I try to go see all of what people would call the best live bands. The Flaming Lips have been on everyone's list of legendary live bands forever and I have really wanted to see them since falling in love with their album The Soft Bulletin. I had personally witnessed the The Black Keys twice in concert at two previous Lollapalooza's and they are an amazing live act. So when The Black Keys announced a co tour with The Flaming Lips that was swinging through Kansas City, I was there. So last Sunday 04/28/13 at the Sprint center in Kansas City I finally witnessed a true spectical.

     This tour was a very special and different sort of thing. Fist off there was not a traditional opener, just two main headliners. Another change is that both of these bands are usually headlining in outside venues or at festivals. So seeing them at an inside venue was a new one, at least for me it was. I had never seen The Flaming Lips so I couldn't really comment on what to expect. I wasn't sure if they would play together or just keep to their own sets. As it turned out they stayed to traditional sets with The Flaming Lips opening for an hour and The Black Keys closing for an hour and a half.

     Do you believe the hype? That's where my head was when I was preparing for The Flaming Lips to come on stage Sunday night. When something gets talked up so much it sometimes ends with the hype and anticipation being way better than the actual thing insert Halo 4 joke here. So that was what I spent the time in the car on the way to the show thinking about. I have never met a single person who saw The Flaming Lips live that has walked away from it with anything other than pure amazement. After all they do a ton with their shows. Whether it was rolling around on the hands of the crowd in a giant hamster ball, using giant prop foam lazer hands to shine on the crowd, engulfing the audience in confetti cannons, or even just the crazy stage antics of front man Wayne Conye who is pictured above in Alien make up. The one thing that was slightly concerning going into this show was the theme of the new album and what effect it would have on their stage show. The normal expected stage show is more what is pictured below, but the new redesigned stage was made to terrify and bring a much darker and more intense emotion set to the shows.

      The Flaming Lips took the stage at exactly 7:30 on the dot, not about to waste any of their precious opener time. The Stage resembled a strange podium attached to a bunch of toilet paper ropes with a giant led screen behind it. The new stage was quite impressive especially when the opener "Look...The Sun Is Rising" came on. The screen lights up and vibrates the floor, the toilet paper looking cords began flashing brightly. The second song "The Terror" will probably become a live staple of this tour having been preformed on a lot of late night shows. During the song Wayne Conye brings out a baby doll that he used as a prop during parts of the show. Just as the video screens played dark terrifying subliminal messaging type scenes behind the band during the show. The third song was past lips favorite "The Wand". One of two songs that The Flaming Lips used to show their old happy live selves, bathing the audience in bright colors and flashing strobe lights. Following that they played "Virgo Self-Esteem Broadcast"and "Silver Trembling Hands" before jumping back into another new song, "Try To Explain". "One More Robot", "Sympathy 3000-21", and a David Bowie cover of "Heroes" were next. The Last two songs were the highlight of the entire night. First the New song "Always There, In Our Hearts" was the most intense loud grinding rockish moment of the night. Blasting instruments over the flashing LED's and intense terrifying images being played in the background. The last song was the obvious closer "Do You Realize?" was a very happy end to a dark intense show. They blasted happy images on the screen and bathed the audience in bright light as the whole crowd sang along. After that song, as quickly as they had came on they were gone. Like living in a dream and suddenly waking up.
                                                    The Flaming Lips- The Terror Live

     Even though The Flaming Lips didn't use the typical lips show stoppers bubble boy, lazer hands, confetti cannons, etc... It was not a disappointing experience at all. It was just as amazing as everyone had said it would be. One of the few things in life that actually lives up to all the hype. The show is a true onslaught on all your senses. The way I described is like a movie with a soundtrack. Instead of watching a move your living it and the soundtrack is The Flaming Lips. It's something that's almost impossible to truly explain without seeing it. If you ever get the chance don't even think about it just go see The Flaming Lips. I really want to see them again in an outside venue, so they can do their more crazy shenanigans. That wasn't even the end The Black Keys were up next.
                                                         The Flaming Lips- Full Show

      For a headlining act The Black Keys wasted no time, and came on right at 9 pm. The Black Keys have come a long way since the first time I saw them back in 2007. So it was interesting to see just how much had changed since then. Turns out quite a lot. The had quite an extensive light show set up behind them, a backdrop that looked like it had car head lights attached to all sides of it. They Black Keys plus the 2 unofficial members took the stage and started quickly with "Howlin' For You" and "Next Girl" The crowd was electric and the band was in top form as always showing off their expert musicianship. This followed four new song from 2011's El Camino. After this the other two left the stage and Dan and Patrick played 3 older songs by themselves. This was one of the best parts of the show with Dan letting loose crazy over the top guitar and bass solos before being rejoined by the their keyboardist and bass player. The majority of the set list was Brothers and El Camino songs while only 6 from previous albums. Those old songs used were all hits though. After firing off tons of new songs they ended the first part with mega hits "Tighten Up" and Lonely Boy". After this they came back for an encore of "Everlasting Light" and "I Got Mine". The first of which had two disco balls come down from the ceiling and shine all over the room while Dan gave the most beautiful singing of the night. The last song "I Got Mine" is the best Black Keys live song ever, it just is. So it's no surprise that it was the best part of their show. The song was done with just Dan and Patrick on stage letting all of the energy they had left go and ending the night with a bang.
                                                         The Black Keys- Lonely Boy

     This review may come off sounding like I was disappointed with The Black Keys live show compared to The Flaming Lips, this isn't true at all. I think I am just spoiled, spoiled in the fact that I saw The Black Keys when it was just Patrick and Dan back in 2007 at Lollapalooza. It's not that they are worse now, it's just then they had something to prove playing lots of festivals for people who didn't know who they were. They had to win them over, they just felt more raw back them. A lot of the time during the show I just wished they would play more songs with just the two of them. I like them better that way, because they are different. Tons of bands play with four members, not a lot play with two. It made them who they were. They seem to have just gotten to comfortable with where they are now, they were more fun when they had to prove them selves every night. The best moments of their show were the ones were it was just the two of them, which they only did for four songs, or on "Little Black Submarines". Where they mixed it up and played most of the song acoustic, only to blast out the last verse. Let me end by saying this. The Black Keys were and still are one of the absolute best live bands around. To anyone who hadn't seen them like I did, I'm sure that this was an amazing experience for them. It was still a very good show for me. I just wish they would remember why people liked them as a two piece and maybe incorporate that more often into their set. Even playing some of the new songs as just the two of them. Just some constructive criticism, overall keep doing what your doing. Every album they put our rocks! Here is the set list from the show. http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-black-keys/2013/sprint-center-kansas-city-mo-53d81bf9.html
                                                      The Black Keys- I Got Mine Live