The stage presence and focus of the band is backward, where Keenan stays in the back and the rest of the band is put in the foreground.  The focus is on the band as a whole along with the insane laser lights, smoke and videos playing on the monitors.  The band incorporates as much visual stimulus as possible so when Adam Jones’  videos are on screen they freak you out more than usual.  Nine Inch Nails used a lot of visuals but there is something about a Tool show that will scar your unborn children.

This was a tight set of songs — as Keenan said”we haven’t played some of these in a long time”, and you could tell the audience was elated to hear some favorite album cuts come to life.  Even though they have nothing new to showcase, they have an idea of what their fans want and they bring it to them.  This was by no means a”greatest hits” type of tour, and I would never expect that; this was a way for the band to stretch their legs a bit.  Keenan has also been busy, as last summer he toured with A Perfect Circle and this spring he hits the road with Puscifer.  He’s a busy fellow and you have to admire his work ethic.

There were no punches pulled at this show, the band had an agenda and served it to us.  I was more than happy to hear familiar favorites and some tracks I never thought would see the light of day.  Not addressing the audience very much, each song segued into the next, and there was almost no way to guess what would be coming at you.  After almost 10 minutes of feedback looping and some weird video, Keenan addressed the crowd by saying “well, it has come down to this” and he began the recognizable breathing that led the band to night closer “AEnema”.  Waving to the crowd and exiting the stage, many of us couldn’t believe almost two hours had passed.  Check the set, it was impressive.

Opener YOB brought their brand of doom metal that was interesting at first, but droned on for too long.  I would have preferred another Mike Patton project instead.

I was familiar this group’s music, but seeing them live is truly necessary to understand their musical skill. You can hear Victor Wooten taking charge on the bass, but it’s a whole new story when you can see his hands at work, flying up and down the bass guitar. It’s something you have to see to believe. When you hear these guys on an album, they don’t get much of a chance to just take a song on their own. In concert, each player gets a solo, during which the rest of the band is completely silent. You haven’t heard a real bass solo until you’ve heard one done by Victor Wooten. He practically invented solos on the bass guitar. He has his own album that features solo work on the bass, which was virtually unheard of. People swear he has six fingers on each hand.

Then, there’s Levy, on the harmonica and piano. You know he plays both, but it only hits you that he can play both at the same time when you actually see him do it. And what about Future Man and his Drumitar? It’s a unique experience to see a guy strumming away at something hanging around his neck, only to hear the sound of snare drums and cymbals erupting from the speakers. We know he can play real drums too; he would often play the Drumitar in his left hand, handle a bass drum with his foot, and add some genuine tom-toms with his “spare” hand.

I don’t generally like the banjo, but when the banjo’s in the hands of Fleck, it’s a whole new ballgame. My father whispered to me during the concert that he found the banjo player the least interesting of the bunch. That was just before Fleck had soloed. Ten minutes later he told me to forget about what he had just said.

You really have to see a live performance to gain full appreciation of what these guys can do. The Flecktones are truly remarkable musicians who put on a great show.

(Graphic: Flecktones.com)

Dave Grohl

Breaking right into “Bridge Burning” and “Rope”, the tone was set for the evening to be filled with speed, shout-along choruses and a lot of extra jamming.  Not a little bit of jamming but a whole lot.  To be honest with you, as this was my third time seeing them in six years, there might have been half a dozen or so songs that didn’t have some kind of crazy long breakdown in the middle that pulled from the momentum of the song.  Even the guitar duel for “Stacked Actors” went on a while longer than I felt it needed to.  Taylor Hawkins proved his skill at the skins and lead vocals on “A Cold Day in the Sub”, while Chris Shiflett held his own on guitar, Nate Mendel kept a perfect groove on bass  and Pat Smear seemed to have the most fun bouncing all over the stage with his guitar.

Hold on, don’t think for a second that I didn’t enjoy myself at a packed house shouting along all the words to these songs as Dave led the way.  Oh no, I had fun, avid reader but I would trade in the jamming for at least three other tunes I’ve been dying to hear.  This shows that the band is comfortable in their own skin playing these massive venues.  I guess if you sell out Wembley Stadium to 85,000 people, then someplace like the Garden is pretty tame and you are allowed to do whatever you want.

There was no shortage of hits and fan favorites all night, with a heaping spoonful of tunes off Wasting Light.  Even a six-song encore was great as Dave took an acoustic on a raised stage to serenade the folks, myself included, sitting in the nosebleed section.  You can check the set here and if you couldn’t make it, well shame on you.  Clocking in at two hours and 48 minutes, no matter how long these shows get, I’ll still go see them play because one day I’ll hear the elusive “Hey, Johnny Park!” and live to tell about it.

Night openers The Joy Formidable were the perfect amount of fuzz and feedback to vamp the crowd while punk rock icons Social Distortion proved they are still a working man’s band and one of Dave’s favorites.

The Baltimore Free Farm is a local nonprofit that is dedicated to community-building, recycling, ethical food, and patchouli. They also happen to run rock shows every now and then. On this day, I was there to see Neutron Bomb, Mercies, Ahab’s Revenge, and rioLinda. I’ve written about a few of these guys before, so I can probably spare you a few of the details. Here we go…

I strolled into the place, not quite knowing what to expect. It’s located in the hipster capitol of Baltimore, Hampden, so I had a fair notion of what I was in for. I’ve seen a lot of these guys play before, so the music wasn’t going to be a surprise. The venue, on the other hand, was something else entirely.

One word could be used to describe this place – sketch. There’s no real signage to speak of, save for some handmade stuff that didn’t really advertise the place as the Baltimore Free Farm as much as just some place where some kind of show was happening. The building itself was long, concrete and painted white. I parked on the street a little ways down from the building, right underneath a street light. Across the road from the Free Farm was a building/lot I would later find out is the Ash Street Garden. I imagine the inside of that building to be reminiscent of the house on Paper St. that the narrator from Fight Club lived in. Apparently, they do some good stuff there, so I can’t hate on it too much.

Wait… where was I? Oh yes, the show…

Unfortunately, I missed Ahab’s Revenge as we got to the place a bit late, but I heard they were good.

Up second was rioLinda, sporting a new bassist, Ajay Menius Junior. The group pelted the audience with their traditional grunge rock sound, utilizing the piercing sound of feedback whenever possible. “Locked and Loaded” easily remains my favorite song by the group.

The third group on stage that night was Mercies. A DC three-piece band, these guys know how to put on a fun show. The matching guitar and bass of John Russell and Justin Scott complement their very different vocal styles, as they play and sing in harmony to the beat of Ezra Finney’s very purposeful drum beats. One thing I’ve always found fascinating about Finney’s kit is that it’s so simple (hi-hat, bass, snare, floor tom, two cymbals), but he plays it so dynamically that you have to take notice. “Needlenose” gets the nod this time around as their best track.

Last, but not least, was Neutron Bomb, who I almost missed again as I had to head out after a few of their songs. At any rate, these guys are a five-piece with a strong set of talented musicians. From the keyboarding of Jeremy Conte, to the guitar of Jon Caplan, to the drums of Eubank Steele, and the vocals of Sara Kryscio and Christina McCarthy, this band is essentially the Baltimore-hippie equivalent of a very young Fleetwood Mac. Poppy and full of energy, the songs they play are complex and interesting. Thought their sound is not really my cup of tea, I can’t deny they have a plethora of talent.

All in all, this was a good show at a surprisingly enjoyable venue. There were couches to lounge on, a wood-burning heater, and plenty of Natty Boh at this bring-your-own joint.

Starting everything off with the original surrealist film Luis Bunuel’s 1929 Un Chien Andalou, the band took the stage and started with a few B-Sides to set the tone.  After everyone was instructed to dance the manta ray, Kim Deal started thumping out a familiar bass riff and the moment everyone was waiting for had arrived.  For the next 15 songs Kim and Frank Black traded vocal harmonies while Joey Santiago provided quirky solos and Dave Lovering hammered on the drums.

It was established during the set that this was their first ever show in New Hampshire, and I’m glad I was a witness.  If you had seen the documentary about the band a few years ago, it painted a picture that the band left their reunion tour on bad terms and would not pursue further shows.  Sunday night you would have thought there had never been inner turmoil, and this was a band having fun reviewing their catalog with fans and the fanatically devoted.

During each song there was a new montage playing on the digital screen; sometimes these showed projected lyrics, others were just color schemes, and some of them were just weird.  Thank goodness Kim was in a chatty mood as she interacted most with the crowd while Frank stood at the microphone sending off his trademark vocals.  Dave sang his song “La La Love You” and he dedicated it to some relatives that had come to see the show.
When they finished the album, the band waved and left the stage.  Reappearing for their first encore they played B-Sides  “Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)” and “Into the White” which is a few minutes of Kim repeating the title, some guitar drone, and enough white smoke to fill the whole venue.  I was close to the stage and couldn’t see anyone.

After another quick break they returned for the final encore.  Of all the songs I wanted to hear three of my favorites came up first: “Velouria”, Kim’s song “Gigantic”, “Where Is My Mind?” and the hilarious “Vamos”.  For the final song Joey grabbed his iPhone, had his guitar on his shoulder, hit record, and scrapped the iPhone up and down the guitar aimed at the crowd.  The show ended with some final waves and smiles while the crowd trudged out into the chill of the evening.  Check the set here.

Opener Surfer Blood warmed up the crowd, and  I was able to meet their singer and drummer at the merch table before the show for a quick autograph on their new EP.

Being the social kind of guy, I naturally strolled into the place with my usual entourage – just kidding, I brought my girl and a buddy of mine decided to meet us there. The venue was a sports bar in one of the nicer parts of Baltimore County, right off of interstate 83 – a fairly quick hop, skip, and jump away from my dwelling. We paid the five dollar cover and entered into the back bar, which was packed with every kind of bar patron; some there to drink, some to listen, and others to play several drunken rounds of pool. Luckily enough, we were able to score a seat at a high table just to the right of the stage.

These guys are tight. When I say that, I’m not referencing an old urban slang term used for cool, but rather the way they play their songs. The slick riffs from their guitarist Steve Wozniack (no relation to this guy), coupled with the sharp, plodding bass lines via Matt Battaglia, and the hammering percussion courtesy of drummer Ray Snyder made for an exciting and fun set that was consistent and full of energy. This, combined with the intensity and variation in vocal styles of lead singer Bruce Baldwin crafted a great show that I’d gladly pay five bucks for again. The real star of the night, however, had to be violinist Eugene Yun, who stole the show by playing an absolutely sick electric violin during “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

That last sentence may give you a hint as to the kind of tunes these guys play – damn near everything. From Alice in Chains to Metallica, from Cypress Hill to Journey, these guys were all over the place and back again. The only gripe I have against them is their rather unnecessary use of backing tracks. It occurred to me during several of their songs that there was a piano or a synthesizer playing, and yet no one was playing it. To me, and those who I’ve mentioned this to, the more it happened, the more it became less a of a show, and more of a sort of band karaoke.

All in all, a fun show. I’d spend a Lincoln to see them again.

The bar was serving up Natty Boh like it was going out of style (it never will, but that’s beside the point). The bar was dimly lit, save for the stage, which was at a heavy and exposed contrast to the surrounding darkness. Drummer Jon Caplan (of Neutron Bomb) took a seat behind a small drum kit and after a few moments, Brandon Fratini, in all of his tall and imposing might, plodded onto the stage, guitar in hand. They then proceeded to perform what can only be described as grunge rock gymnastics as they went back and forth with widely varying styles of play.

After a few songs, Jon Caplan took a break due to his right hand seizing up and on came rioLinda’s previous drummer, Jeremy Conte, to make the save. Jeremy’s wild drum style makes for an even more entertaining show than it was already. Combined with Fratini’s fantastic vocals and slick guitar (not to mention his Super Mario Bros. shirt), it was just simply an awesome and enjoyable set.

This was my second time watching rioLinda perform and though I still can’t remember the names of any of their songs, save for “Locked & Loaded”, I’m gonna make certain to take every opportunity to see them play. If you’re down with a group whose influences include Nirvana and Local H, you’d do well to check them out sometime.

The festivities were held at the DCR Memorial Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade, which is best known for hosting the Boston Pops Orchestra annually for the Boston Fourth of July celebration. The Hatch Shell is often used for free concerts.

The original MIXFest was held on the Boston Common 18 years ago; it was free to the public. MIX 104.1 decided to “return to its roots” and thank its loyal listeners by providing the free concert this year. One might think that by holding a free concert, 104.1 might have a weaker line-up of artists this year, but there was no evidence of that whatsoever. In fact, CBS Radio was able to bring us quite the all-star line-up this year.

Gates opened at 12 P.M., allowing hundreds of listeners to make their claim on the grassy area in front of the shell. The first act, Javier Colon, winner of the first season of NBC’s The Voice, charmed the audience with his “acoustic soul” style. Next up was Michele Branch, whose cost-free appearance pleased many fans. Branch is most famous for her single “Everywhere,” and the Grammy award-winning single “The Game of Love,” a collaboration with Santana. And who was the “mystery guest” that followed? Sara Bareilles. Can you sing, “Love Song”?

The atmosphere on the Esplanade was great. Grace Potter (pictured)& The Nocturnals came onto the stage just as the sun was beginning to set, creating a red glow on the Cambridge side of the river.  The speakers were blasting as I relished every bite of a $5 sprinkle-covered, caramel apple purchased from one of the concession stands. Last but not least was the band that headlined the concert, Lifehouse. This band has a number of Top-40 hit singles including “Hanging by a Moment,” “You and Me,” and “Whatever It Takes.” You can bet that they were crowd pleasers. I can’t wait for MIXFest 2012 (but it probably won’t be free again)!

(Photo: U.S. Marines)

I really enjoy hole-in-the-wall bars like Holiday House. I enjoy the skeezy atmosphere, the dubious clientele and the even more dubious staff that work in these kinds of joints. My favorite thing about these places, however, is that I get to see little-known local rock bands tear it up in a venue that provides intimacy, and reasonably priced drinks. So my adventure began off exit 31A of the Baltimore beltway, where the city and county meet to form an area of town that I can only describe as “bleak.” I arrived at my destination weary from a long day at my 9-5, looking for a good pick-me-up from the two bands who were playing –- 4 Footer was opening for a really great Black Sabbath cover band called The Bastards of Reality — but I was mainly interested in the opening act.

I perched in a perfect spot to the left of the band, in between a stack and the bar and marveled for a moment at just how out of sorts the bar was; think of it like the basement bedroom of some unruly 17-year-old. This was just my kind of digs. I was feeling sort of drowsy, so I ordered a vodka and Red Bull to sip while I waited for 4 Footer to start their set.

The wait was well worth it. Throughout their set, there wasn’t a single misstep. All of their songs were expertly delivered, both while playing them and while introducing them. Singer/bassist Jack Denning’s dry delivery during the song introductions was a brilliant contrast to the smash mouth vocals he displayed while belting out songs like “Black Gold” and “Steamroller.” Guitarist Warren Boes tore up the strings with finesse and excellence, as did Frank Oldewurtle with his sexy guitar licks and his equally sexy mustache. Last, but certainly not least was drummer Eric Dixon, who lays down some of the sickest percussion I’ve had the pleasure of hearing.

These guys played an awesome set and you can tell they had a great time doing it. The Baltimore music scene is lucky to have a wild and refreshing group such as this.

When given the chance to see a “festival”-style show in a hotel on a Sunday night, my normal reaction would be no, but, with some convincing I said yes.  The whole deal started around 2:30 and went until 11, a lie, and I didn’t know any of the other bands playing.  This was just as well since my buddy and I grilled and hung out at Strangebrew to kill some time.  We got to the show a little early to see a few of other bands and I’m glad we missed the majority of them.  It astounds me still that people are still so devoted to the genre of ‘loud rock’, which is metal with training wheels, and how many bands still want to be Godsmack.  That said, many of the bands beforehand were sanitized versions of Alice in Chains/Godsmack/Disturbed and so on.  Ten years ago I would have loved this but in 2011, I was bored.

When Candlebox took the stage it was a breath of fresh air.  Opening with “Bitches Brewin” and plowing through album and fan favorites, you could see these guys sticking to their roots.  Candlebox has some slow burning tunes “Changes”, “Stand” and straightforward songs meant to rock “Arrow”,”You” along with some ballad type songs, “Cover Me” and of course “Far Behind”.  When they played a slower song, you expected it since it flows with everything else.   When the other groups played slower tunes, they sounded far out of place compared to their other material.

It was good to see a band in their element strutting on stage and the assembled crowd made them feel welcome.  My biggest complaint was they could have played much longer if their set started 20 minutes earlier but I’m glad I had a detour beforehand.  Well, time to lay low for a few months and recharge my batteries.