Much Anticipated Umphrey's Mcgee Video

Not a full song just the light show - Enjoy!

Friday 2/19/2010

Finally it's the weekend - Only one more week of actual work for me till I get my two weeks off for training and then the big trip to VEGAS!!!!!! This week wasn't bad at all for work and with only 5 days left I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel

Last night was a blast - with another concert about to begin in hours Dustin and I still had to support out team and go watch the Bobcats dismantle the newly formed (Labron, Shaq, and Antwan Jamison) Cavaliers aka the best team in the NBA. I don't understand it. We lose to New Jersey (again 5-48) twice but we have beaten the Leagues best 3 out of 4 times this season and that includes wins in Cleveland who has the best home win record in the NBA. Tyrus Thomas just acquired Thursday from Chicago was awesome in his Bobcats opener w/ 12 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. This was the first time I have ever seen Labron play live and he did not disappoint - I had no idea how big he is - Anyway a GREAT Game and an awesome 17 point win for Your Charlotte Bobcats!!!




NOW off to the point of the blog - I hope you enjoy and I got some GREAT pictures for this one

Show 4 of 7 - Dark Star Orchestra (http://www.darkstarorchestra.net/) Neighborhood Theatre - NoDa - Charlotte, NC

This was either my 5th or 6th time that I have seen DSO - They are the a Grateful Dead cover band that just doesn't cover songs that the Dead played and wrote but each show they preform is an actual set from a Dead Show that the real band preformed in between their 30 years together as a band (1965-1995). Currently DSO has played over 1500 shows over the past 12 years. If you were to close your eyes and just listen to them play I would challenge anyone to tell the difference between them and the real Gratefuld Dead.

We arrived right after the Bobcats game around 9:45pm and were a little late missing the first song "Jack Straw" which is one of my all time favorites. The first set was excellent but not as long as I thought which was fine . Set break was around 10:45 and I'm not sure when they came back on. The second set was even more explosive - They played Terrapin Station which is my all time favorite song which made the entire evening. The way they cover that song is Amazing!!!!! Other songs they played included Deal, I need a Miracle, Shakedown Street (the best song / jam of the night), Playing in the Band, Casey Jones, Johnny B Good, Row Jimmy, Cassidy, Stagger Lee, Jack A Row and some others that I can't quite remember. This was the best show I've seen them do. Many people say that they are hit and miss depending on what decade of show that they do. Like I said I have seen them play at least 5 times and only 1 time (fall of 2007) was a miss of a show in my opinion but still good. I would have to give this the 10 of 10 ranking and so far and even though they are a cover band this was the best of the 4 shows I've seen so far leading up to 3/11 Day in Vegas - I hope you have enjoyed

Ticket Price $26

Next Stop - Tonight - Black Eyed Peas w/ Ludacris and LMFAO - I know this isn't quite following the genre so far listed of all my shows so far but who cares - we are going to have a blast!!!!!!

Let's Go Cats!!!

Or Not - so now the Bobcats have lost two times to the New Jersey Nets this season. Not a big deal unless you knew that going into this game the Nets were 4-48 and with our second loss accounts for 40% of their overall wins. No big deal though we are still .500 (26-26). Could be worse. Overall I had a blast with my friends and a good game even though we lost.

Looking forward to the weekend - Good luck to my friend Daniel Eggers in his marathon race this weekend in FL.

Saturday 2/13/2010

So by 2 pm on Saturday the snow is 95% gone in Charlotte. I went to a friends house and watched some of the NBA All Star coverage then left for the show around 9:30 and arrived in NoDa at 9:45.

Show 3 of 7 - Umphrey's Mcgee (http://www.umphreys.com/) Neighborhood Theatre - NoDa - Charlotte, NC

Only my friend James and I had already purchased tickets days before and when we arrived the show was sold out. We were actually about 5 min late and the show had already began. Other than the first time I saw Dark Star Orchestra in February 2007 I have not seen so many people at the Neighborhood Theatre. EVER. This was the only downside of the evening. If you are familiar with the venue we found a place to stand in the very back on the left side in the main room. There were still a ton of people but we were able to see fine. The show was Amazing. I had seen UM last March for the first time and had a blast and this was just as good. Other than Phish, I have never seen a light show so exquisite and in detail with the music the band is playing. I have a video that I'll try to upload later that I took on my phone. I recommend to anyone who hasn't heard of them to go at least and buy one of their CD's. Even if you don't like this genre of music I would still give it a try. I have friends who like their music and hate Phish, Grateful Dead, etc.... The first set was shorter than I expected but they played a longer second set with a cover of Can't you see that was excellent - During the second set we stood on the side area that overlooks the stage to the left. Still very crowded. I'm hoping that the next time they come to town they play a bigger venue because they have exhausted the space at the Neighborhood Theatre. Overall (crowd not a factor) I would give this show a 10 out of 10 for what I expected.

Ticket Price $22

Another great week of live music - Next show Dark Star Orchestra Friday the 19th

Another Weekend in Charlotte - Happy Valentines!!

SNOW IN CHARLOTTE!!! - second time this year we have had a Friday night snow storm - of course this always happens during the weekend and never during the week but it's OK - still a good time to go see a good show!!!

Wednesday 2/10/2010

I did have to miss a close Bobcats 1 point win and a depressing UNC loss to Duke to attend this show but in the long run I think I'll be alright. This is the first big named show on my stretch of shows that I will be attending. Show 2 of 7 - Further (http://www.furthur.net/) - Bojangles Coliseum - Charlotte, NC

This is the first time that I've seen Furthur as a band but definitely not the first time I've seen all the band members - Furthur consist of rhythm guitar player Bob Weir and bass player Phil Lesh both from the original Grateful Dead. I have seen Bob Weir's Band Ratdog 3 times before and I've seen them both play together before last Easter Sunday when "The Dead" (all of the original members of the band except Jerry Garcia, obviously) played their first show of The Dead tour in Greensboro, NC. Another gem with this band is the lead guitar player for Furthur is John Kadlecik who is the lead singer and guitar player for Dark Star Orchastra a Grateful Dead coverband which we will address next weekend!!! He looks and sounds just like Jerry and guitar playing is excellent.

I attended the show w/ my two friends Bo and Dustin and while there I did see my friend and old boss Jon M as well. Show started as usual 40 minutes late @ 7:42 which I have come to expect anytime you see the major jam bands play. Overall a great show. I have yet to go to a show with the dead that has not been a worthwhile experience. On this occasion I would have to give the song selection a 6 out of 10 due to my personal liking but still a great show. My favorite songs played were "Me and My Uncle", "Cold Rain and Snow", and the encore "Box of Rain"(one of my all time favorite Dead songs of all times). All the songs played I would describe as the slower / lighter side of the Dead's music which is still good just not my personal favorites. The atmosphere was extremely positive and the Furthur's real fans were definitely in attendance which makes experience that much better. You really see all ages from kids to 80 year old men with beards and tie dies running around like they are 15 years old enjoying the music. It is always a site for sore eyes. I'm not sure if the show sold out but there was a large crowd. Even in the bands old age you would never know it by listening to their music played live. Phil Lesh's voice is starting to show it's age but that's OK!!!! Overall I would rank this show a 9 of 10 - If they had played (in my opinion) a better set list this would be a 11 out of 10 but awesome experience.

Ticket Price $52

Saturday 2/6/2010

I'm starting a week late so all of this a week behind b/c the inspiration for doing this didn't start until this morning BUT I hope you all enjoy!!!

First Concert of the 7 - Perpetual Groove (http://www.pgroove.com/)- Neighborhood Theatre - NoDa - Charlotte, NC

I have a lot of friends that have seen Perpetual Groove many times. I first heard of them my Sr year in college (Appalachian State) when they played at legends the local venue on campus. This was my first time actually seeing PGroove (nickname). I went with my friends Bo, Abbott, and Dustin and a couple of friends that I currently work with. The show itself was really good being that it was the first time that I had seen them. It definitely met my expectations for a good jam band and I had a blast at the show. Some of my friends that have seen the show before said that it was an OK show but not the best that it could have been from their previous experiences. What did catch me off guard was the length of the show. Generally jam bands play longer and extended sets and songs can last anywhere from 4 - 20 minutes each since a majority of it is free style "jaming" and not so much defined lyrics only. From what I can recall from last Saturday the show seemed to be only 1.5 - 1.75 hours total this is not including their set break after about only a 50 min first set. The band did play naive melody from the Talking Heads which is my favorite Talking Heads song. In my opinion only I do not think that they did the song any justice and I was not impressed. They also did play Helter Skelter by the Beatles which I believe they did a very good job with. Overall regardless of length I would give the show an 8.5 / 10 - I would definitely go see them again next time they come to town

Ticket Price $15

Next Stop - Further!!!!!!