Live Show Reviews

The Octopus Project’s ‘Memory Mirror’ Multi-sensory Menagerie…thing

May 31, 2017 // 0 Comments

The Octopus Project is a really cool, really experimental band banging around Austin. They’re described as an “indietronic” band, which, alright, that’s a thing. I’d call them a mix of [...]

Review: That time Robert Plant sang an entire show dedicated to me

December 19, 2016 // 0 Comments

I was born about 40 years too late to get on the original Led Zeppelin train, but that’s never stopped me from being a huge fan. HUGE. But because I’ll never see Led Zepp together and [...]

Review: James Blake @ The Moody Theater

October 7, 2016 // 0 Comments

Many years ago (2013) I was living in a strange and distant place (Shanghai) and heard the news that James Blake, singer of a song that still gives me chills to this day (“Retrograde“) [...]

Review: Frank Turner is everything I ever want to be

August 8, 2016 // 0 Comments

I am not ashamed to admit I adore everything about Frank Turner. He’s one of the rare (perhaps only) artists I ever saw multiple times in Shanghai (twice!), so already I appreciate the wits of [...]

Review: My last trip to Stubb’s, ever. For real this time.

August 3, 2016 // 2 Comments

Here’s the thing about Stubb’s: the main venue is outdoors. Inside, it’s a decent BBQ joint. Inside, it has a couple of intimate-ish performance areas with air-con. Indoors, it has [...]

Review: Flight of the Conchords @ Bass Concert Hall

July 13, 2016 // 0 Comments

Is it harder to write 5 minutes of stand up, or a 5 minute comedy song? There’s a fairly standard rule that you need 4-6 laughs per minute in a stand-up routine in order to keep people engaged. [...]

Review: Black Pistol Fire @ Emo’s

June 3, 2016 // 0 Comments

Black Pistol Fire is a banging two-man band from Austin via Toronto that just released their second (and even better than the first) album Don’t Wake the Riot (2016). Did you miss their album [...]

Review: Florence + The Machine @ the Moody Theater

May 27, 2016 // 0 Comments

There’s no way my review of Florence + The Machine‘s most recent ACL Live taping will be unbiased or objective in any way, because Florence Welch is one of the best performers making [...]

Review: Beach House w/ The Chamanas @ the Moody Theater

May 19, 2016 // 0 Comments

Beach House is by far my favorite dream pop group (which on the surface sounds like an insult, because how many dream pop groups could one person like? Answer: a lot, so it’s actually a pretty [...]

Review: Chvrches w/ Alvvays @ Stubb’s

May 11, 2016 // 0 Comments

There was a time I was really into synthpop. And yes, I’m a huge fan of The Human League and Pet Shop Boys; thanks for asking. I also loved the early 2000s synthpop revival that brought bands [...]

Review: A Prairie Home Companion @ Bass Concert Hall

May 8, 2016 // 0 Comments

I am not ashamed to admit I love A Prairie Home Companion. LOVE IT. I’ve been listening since before I can remember because my parents love it too (we are an NPR family through and through). No [...]

The ACL Roundup 2015

November 12, 2015 // 0 Comments

I went to the Austin City Limits Festival this year, despite the fact that I am not at all a festival person. But it was my first chance to go to ACL so I wasn’t going to pass that up, and in the [...]

Itchy-O at Fantastic Fest

October 2, 2015 // 0 Comments

For the past 8 days I’ve been deep into Fantastic Fest — the biggest genre film festival in the US — hosted here in Austin at the Alamo Drafthouse. Honestly, it’s been pretty [...]

Review: Kansas @ the Long Center

September 9, 2015 // 0 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Kansas in preview of their show at the Long Center here in Austin. Obviously I listened to a bunch of their music in preparation for the interview, because I am a [...]

Review: Brandi Carlile @ Stubb’s

June 11, 2015 // 0 Comments

Yes, Brandi Carlile killed it at Stubb’s on Saturday. She slayed it. Completely pulverized all artists before and after her at the outdoor stage. Side note: Fuuuuuuuuck the outdoor stage at [...]

Review: Inside Sufjan Stevens (a tiny little seahorse)

May 22, 2015 // 0 Comments

Sufjan Stevens’ new album Carrie & Lowell is his best album yet, unequivocally. Yes, better than Illinois (I KNOW! I’m talking crazy here). It’s just a super good album is all, and perhaps [...]

Review: Stephin Merritt + Sam Davol + Ukulele + Metronome

May 8, 2015 // 0 Comments

I feel Stephin Merritt with the passion of a thousand jilted lovers. I adore his sappy yet laugh-out-loud funny lyrics and effortlessly catchy hooks. I love his warbling bass voice. I find his [...]

Review: Jenny Lewis travels with balloons

February 9, 2015 // 4 Comments

I was a big Rilo Kiley fan (RIP) back in the day mostly because of Jenny Lewis.* I liked her simple, slightly twangy and talky singing style. I liked the straightforwardness of the lyrics. I think [...]

Review: Strange, creative pop (aka tUnE-yArDs)

February 3, 2015 // 2 Comments

Of all three performers on for the KUTX birthday bash, I was most excited to see tUnE-yArDs. I’d heard some really good things about them live, plus, I’d been listening to their albums – [...]

Review: Yes, I finally saw Shakey Graves so please stop asking

February 2, 2015 // 2 Comments

Shakey Graves is the guy everyone in Austin has a story about – how they used to see him at this tiny place back in the day that you’ve never heard of; how he totally played a house party they [...]

Review: The best of Rufus Wainwright (maybe)

November 10, 2014 // 0 Comments

I think Rufus Wainwright is the artist I’ve seen perform live the most – maybe 9 or 10 times? I mean, I don’t follow him around the country or anything (yet), but if he’s playing within a [...]

Review: Reservations (bad name, good band)

September 30, 2014 // 0 Comments

I went out last Friday to see Elaine Greer, a singer/songwriter formally of Austin who now lives in Nashville. She was hyped up to me by a friend but doesn’t get around to these parts too often [...]

Review: Led Zeppelin, Part 2

September 21, 2014 // 0 Comments

Now, I’m not going to come right out and say that I moved to Austin because Robert Plant lives in Austin. But I’m not not saying that, you know what I mean? It’s a coincidence that [...]

Review: Old Crow Medicine Show, slightly delayed

September 9, 2014 // 0 Comments

I’m regularly amazed how fast time goes. For something that is steadfastly regular on an atomic level, it’s strange how sometimes entire weeks will fly by, like most of this summer, but [...]

Review: Americana for the win

July 29, 2014 // 0 Comments

I’ve been pretty stingy with my pennies ever since coming Austin, partly because I’m cheap frugal, and partly because I’m ever-so-gainfully unemployed. There’s tons of good [...]

Brass for people who don’t like brass

July 22, 2014 // 0 Comments

Have you recently heard a brass band? You know, a band with…nothing but brass. Trumpets, trombones, sousaphones, French horns, mellophones, tubas, and — if we’re being a little [...]

The Mongolian Invasion (less blood, more music)

April 20, 2014 // 2 Comments

Folk music has not just had a boom in the West in the past decade. It’s happened in China as well. Case in point: widely popular Mongolian/Chinese folk band Hanggai, who played in Shanghai on [...]

Inoffensive indie rock

April 16, 2014 // 0 Comments

It’s always a mystery why some bands do so well and some bands never amount to anything, at least commercially speaking. Obviously things like talent, showmanship, music quality, hard work and [...]

The best tribute act ever

April 6, 2014 // 0 Comments

I am not one to diss cover bands and tribute acts. In fact, I love them. For real. It’s mostly because I like live music, and I like hearing music I like played live. Am I ever going to see [...]

Death to Shanghai (Updated)

February 24, 2014 // 1 Comment

If you’re someone who lives abroad for a significant amount of time (interns and study abroads don’t count, dude), every year you have to say goodbye to people. People show up with really [...]