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Tag: The Airborne Toxic Event Page 2 of 3

Seeing Out The Year That Was: My 12 Favorite Shows of 2012

A last minute addition: The Magnetic Fields at Symphony Hall for First Night (last night)

A last minute addition: The Magnetic Fields at Symphony Hall for First Night (last night)

It’s a good thing I held off posting this, because I’ve just made it an even dozen in honor of the year that just flew by, 2012. The last one? A band I had the immense pleasure of seeing for the first time, on First Night just last night at the majestic Symphony Hall. [Why do they call it “First Night”? Shouldn’t it be “Last Night”?]

I saw a total of 24 shows this year. Not a whole lot for a music blogger, but I’ll tell you—nearly all of them were spectacular. That’s damn good odds. I’ve heard some people say that 2012 was an awful year. What I’ll say, from my personal perspective, is this: 2012 was a year of massive challenges and difficulties, but the rewards, if you were prepared to step up, and I mean step up in a major way, were equally impressive. It was most definitely not a year for lightweights. But it’s all moving forward, and it’s moving forward quickly. Hold on to something sturdy, because I have a feeling 2013 is going to be just as intense. Remember, with challenge comes opportunity. Happy New Year, everyone.

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A Montréal Sojourn

and The Airborne Toxic Event Saves Osheaga! (for a few hours, anyway)

Montreal, as viewed from Parc Jean-Drapeau

Montreal, as viewed from Parc Jean-Drapeau

It was the smartest thing I could have done. Stuck in a nerve-wracking holding pattern for so long, getting nowhere, I needed something just outside my comfort level – the uncertainty of a long road trip in my beat-up ’93 Corolla, a looming border crossing, unfamiliar roads with speed signs in kilometers, and mostly unfamiliar language. Despite the edginess, there was this temporary freedom from the expected, the ordinary, the noose that had been tightening around my neck.

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Eastside L.A. Roundup – Part II of II

Sarah Negahdari (photo by Zoe-Ruth Erwin), Robert Francis, The Henry Clay People

Sarah Negahdari (photo by Zoe-Ruth Erwin), Robert Francis, The Henry Clay People

Continuing on with part II of my Eastside L.A. Bands 2012 Roundup. Again, I’m only including artists who either are doing significant touring this year, or who have a new album just out, very recently out, or are working on something. If I’ve missed anyone or something big, please let me know. I’m going to bed now. Goodnight and good luck.

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Best Shows of 2011: My Top 5 Personal Favorites

Levon Helm, Crooked Fingers, Toyah Willcox with The Humans

Levon Helm, Crooked Fingers, Toyah Willcox with The Humans

Ok, so last year I had a ‘Top 10’ list. What can I say; 2011 was kind of a struggle. But I did discover a common theme for this year’s favorites: delivering a stellar performance in the face of adversity. Whether it was a legendary performer who had overcome personal struggles to come back, absolutely blazing (Toyah Wilcox, Levon Helm, and Eric Bachmann with his band Crooked Fingers); or just a rough night (lead singer Evan Way of The Parson Red Heads being really sick but soldiering on anyway, and The Drowning Men and their ‘road trip from hell’); my soaring admiration combined with musical prowess to create these special evenings.

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The Airborne Toxic Event and The Drowning Men: A Road Story

The Drowning Men at Terminal 5, NYC

The Drowning Men at Terminal 5, NYC

This isn’t a show review. Not exactly. It’s a story of heartfelt commitment to one’s craft, to strength and perseverance, and to the bonds of friendship. And by “friendship,” I don’t mean posting something witty on someone’s facebook page, but coming to their rescue in the middle of the night on some desolate highway after a hellish traffic accident, packing their gear into your trailer and managing to cram 19 people onto a tour bus.

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The Airborne Toxic Event: All At Once

The Airborne Toxic Event: All At Once – Out Today!
See the band live at the House of Blues, Wednesday, May 11 – buy tickets
~ For the abridged version of this article, please see Ryan’s Smashing Life ~

Growing Pains

My god, this is excruciating! I’ve been enjoying The Airborne Toxic Event since first listening to demo tracks in 2008, and followed their steady ascent, which for me began at a downtown Boston Irish bar for about 150 people. They released their wonderful debut album on Majordomo, and proceeded to tour for the next 2-1/2 years in support of it. That album grabbed hold of my ears and wouldn’t let go, yet I now find myself approaching their follow-up, nearly three years later, with a curious mix of anticipation and trepidation. Why? Because in that time, they signed with Island Records, amassed a large audience of “casual listeners” with their radio hit, “Sometime Around Midnight,” and spent 2010 in a fancy Hollywood studio with world-renown producer Dave Sardi (Band of Horses, The Walkmen, Oasis). It made me a little nervous. This is the first time I stumbled upon a band early on, and not 10 years after everyone else, so I’m new to this whole “grappling with success” thing. I’m not sure how the band is coping, but as for myself, not terribly well.

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2010: The Eastside L.A. Year In Review

A few of those great bands: The Deadly Syndrome, Radars To The Sky, The Henry Clay People, and Shadow Shadow Shade (photo by Jason O'Dell)

A few of those great bands: The Deadly Syndrome, Radars To The Sky, The Henry Clay People, and Shadow Shadow Shade (photo by Jason O'Dell)

For those new to ‘musings’… Often referred to as the ‘Silverlake region’, the Eastside of Los Angeles seems to have a ridiculously disproportionate number of awesome bands that call the area home (or at least, that’s where they regularly play). In addition to Silverlake, this also includes the neighborhoods of Echo Park, Los Feliz, Eagle Rock, Atwater Village, Highland Park… These artists comprise many different styles and personalities, having one thing in common – they’re all really good! I happened upon these guys (and gals) after first listening to The Airborne Toxic Event on MySpace back in January 2008, and then deciding to check out their friends’ bands, friends of friends, etc. Very glad I did. Here’s a rundown of those bands that had albums (or EPs) out this year. Some are well-known and touring internationally now; others not (yet).

For those not new to ‘musings’… My last Eastside L.A. update was way back in February, and I announced all these cool things coming up. Then, well, this year happened. What can I say? I lost the plot. Here it is again.

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My Top 10 Shows of 2010

Some of my favorite concert moments - Walter Sickert (& the Army of Broken Toys), Iggy Pop (and The Stooges), Sarah Negahdari (of The Happy Hollows) and Evelyn Evelyn

Some of my favorite concert moments - Walter Sickert (& the Army of Broken Toys), Iggy Pop (and The Stooges), Sarah Negahdari (of The Happy Hollows) and Evelyn Evelyn

While I didn’t get out nearly as much as I would have liked in this crazy year, what I did see was pretty wonderful. New Year’s Resolution: See More Live Shows! Here’s my top ten list, in chronological order.

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“All I Ever Wanted: The Airborne Toxic Event Live From Walt Disney Concert Hall Featuring The Calder Quartet”

tateallieverwanted-300x300

On July 30th, 2008, six days before the release of their debut album on Majordomo Records, I saw the Airborne Toxic Event for the first time – upstairs at a downtown Boston Irish bar. It was a crazy radio station event, with guys dressed in bathrobes and cowboy boots, and girls in lingerie (with some strippers hired by the station for added effect). The ‘stage’ was the far end of the room, with maybe 150 of us packed into the small space. A year and a half later, here they are at Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall, a world-class concert venue, home to the L.A. Philharmonic.

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The Neda Project: Amnesty International and The Airborne Toxic Event Commemorate Neda Agha-Soltan

Neda Agha-Soltan, who was shot by a member of the Iranian Basij militia during a peaceful demonstration, June 20, 2009. Photo taken by her fiancé Caspian Makan, May 2009.

Neda Agha-Soltan, who was shot by a member of the Iranian Basij militia during a peaceful demonstration, June 20, 2009. Photo taken by her fiance Caspian Makan, May 2009.

A mother should never have to bury her daughter. Bad enough when it’s a sudden illness, suicide, car accident, or drug overdose. Worse still when at the hands of another, for doing something that so many of us take for granted, like exercising what should be a basic human right: speaking out against an oppressive government regime, and taking part in a peaceful protest. Here in the U.S., we can’t even imagine fearing for our lives for speaking our minds, or what it’s like to live in a place where one’s freedom of speech is completely denied.

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