Week of My Bloody Valentine, The Fratellis, and Elton John.

     I haven't put up a blog in a while because of getting a new job, but all excuses aside lets do some concert catch up reviews. This week I will be recap reviewing all of the concerts I attended this past two months. Here is my review of My Bloody Valentine, The Fratellis, and Elton John live in concert.

My Bloody Valentine November 1st

     Due to unforeseen problems with the road trip we barely made it to this show getting there just in time for My Bloody Valentine's set. This was the sign we saw as we entered the famous Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and they weren't kidding. This was hands down the loudest show I have ever been. It was also hands down the weirdest experience of my life. The band barely said a work throughout the entire show if not for the band introductions. The band hide mostly in the back or and remained very stoic for most of the show. Throughout the 90 minute show there were strange images images displayed on the screen like the one bellow some of the weirdest images I have ever seen, but that wasn't the weirdest part. The music itself was incredible featuring music off of Isn't Anything, Loveless, and this year's MBV.

     The music took a while to get into on CD at least for me, but live at such a high volume the music really came alive. The opened the show with the very heavy, "Sometimes" and ended the set with the obvious, "Feed Me With Your Kiss" and "You Made Me Realize". In the Middle of "You Made Me Realize", they started playing all their instruments all loud as they could and the images in the background going into insane overdrive. It turned from playing music into pure feedback and sonic noise that actually shook the whole building. It made all the hairs on my arms and neck stood strait up, it was terrifying and I couldn't look away. Everyone in the audience was like a deer in the headlights, in complete shock. I have never done drugs, but if I had to guess what drugs was like this was it. Either that or being a part of one of those weird Five Gum commercials in real life. Even after the show ended I was still in shock for at least an hour afterwords. I felt like an addict, all I could think was please make them do that again.

The Fratellis November 6th

     You know those stupid ideas you can only justify with that stupid "yolo" phrase or as Jack Black says, " Carpe Diem for stupid people. This is one of those ideas. In fact this may be the stupidest idea I've ever had. Like most concert junkies I make important bands on tour lists. When The Fratellis announced a US tour I was all over it. Until I saw that the only Midwest tour date was on a Wednesday in Chicago. So like an idiot I bit my tongue and bought the tickets. i was committed to going.

     The day of the show arrived and we made that harrowing six hour drive there and made it to the show just fine. Chicago's Metro was packed to the brim for the sold out show when The Fratellis took the stage I thought the crowd would go nuts but they didn't, not until the Black Hawks anthem Chelsea Dagger did they even move. The venue itself wasn't any better the sound was awful. The band gave it their all, and the music sounded OK, but the venue dampened it. Then the terrible drive home came. I will never again go to Chicago on a week day, or visit the Metro again unless something spectacular happened. I would however go see The Fratellis again, I love them.

Elton John November 23rd

     This is the perfect example of where everything came together perfectly at the last minute. If one thing had gone wrong this trip wouldn't have happened. I waited to long and the show was sold out. Then I went online and they were too expensive, so I got on the waiting list at the arena. That also was too expensive. Ticketmaster had listed the event as in Omaha, Nebraska, and that was only two hours away. So I said screw let's go. Day of I found out on the arena's website that it's in Lincoln not Omaha. It was almost too late and we arrive 20 minute before and managed to get tickets for only 60$. I literal miracle.

     Elton John sounds amazing  like he hasn't aged a day. He played for two and a half hours and 28 songs, It was all the hits. Elton John is a legend and he is amazing live. It's just him, a piano, his band, and a screen. That's all he needed leave the fancy stuff to the youngins, the real pro's don't need it. The arena was one giant singalong after another, and people were enjoying themselves way too much. In fact I haven't ever seen this many drunk middle-aged women in my life. If you ever get the chance to go see him, go, just go. It's worth it!