![]() Nine Inch Nails The Jesus and Mary Chain with Gabe Gurnsey Cold and Black and Infinite North America 2018 Night #1 from the Aragon Ballroom Chicago Thursday 10/25/18 - - - Trent Reznor took the stage commandingly for the first of a three night residency at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, to the strains of "The Firemen", a song from Angelo Badalamenti, an American composer best known for his work scoring films for David Lynch. How fitting. And that's so badass, and so unmistakably Trent. The opening salvo for night number one is unrelenting- a full on onslaught of the aggressive and in your face Nine Inch Nails. "Mr. Self Destruct" into "The Perfect Drug" into "Wish". I mean Jesus. Trent's shirt and hair were soaked through even after Mr. Self Destruct". The blinding white strobes front / center / back and both sides of the stage may have had something to do with as well. This is truly live performance to extremes, and that says something for a guy who's over the age of fifty. Easy songs to perform righteously and with unrelenting abandon? I think not. Most of Trent's early back catalog when performed live, have a look and feel of a "pain driven stage act", acted out accordingly. Although, we're far removed form the days of throwing mics and mic stands, smashing guitars to bits, and tossing synths and keyboards into the drum kit. Still, the look and feel of dread is in the air. You can smell it. You can taste it. You cannot fake that delivery of passion and pain. The songs command it front and center. And for the first of three nights, we're blessed to hear "The Perfect Drug" performed live for the first time ever on this current North American tour, a song that buries itself in pain and utter defeat. And with a break midway through which has an experimental freeway jam of punishing drums, courtesy of Ilan Rubin. Ilan is one multi talented dude. Not only an accomplished and excellent drummer, but he also fronts his own band The New Regime, on lead vocals and guitar. We actually have had his band play on our JBTV stage a couple of years ago. So even on the first of three nights at the Aragon, everything performed live is still unexpected, and to extremes. What an electrifying show from beginning to end, and guess what? We're graced midway through the show with Trent playing a saxophone, for the song "God Break Down the Door", a song from recently released EP "Bad Witch". It's fits the freestyle swing that some of Trent's new songs are all about. Not necessarily out there like an Ornette Coleman or Charlie Haden, but still you can't help but hear some of that when it comes to instrumentals and free jam solos. The whole night is so full of surprises, such as guitarist Robin Finck giving it a go singing vocal , singing his lungs out for "Shit Mirror', and convincingly as well. How about bringing out David Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans"? Well done again., with a blistering guitar solo from Robin Finck. The whole night, wonderful and exhausting, mentally, physically and spiritually. But it has to come to close sometime, and before the encore, prepare yourselves for the bludgeoning from "Head Like a Hole". Some minutes later, the encore blasts away with three songs, ending with "Hurt". "Hurt" all over and by this time exhausted. That is me. And so well worth it. The Jesus and Mary Chain make full use of their 45 minute set to open the show, with not much stage banter, but plenty of piss and vinegar from their first release "Psychocandy", dating back to 1985, and opening with "Just Like Honey". Nice to see the brothers Reid attempting to get along as well. This is a feedback laden times ten wall of sound that they produce, with Bill Reid cranking his Orange amps to 11, and Jim Reid all chameleon like, wrapping his long vocal chord into a bundle along with his mic. A set from Jesus and Mary Chain so concise and on point, with nothing but pure noise rock delights one after the other, and bathed in solid blues and reds, punched with some white strobes to add flair to the mix. A true feedback lover's dream, and a great way to open the show. - NIN Setlist The Firemen (band intro) 1. Mr. Self Destruct 2. The Perfect Drug 3. Wish 4. Less Than 5. March of the Pigs 6. The Lovers 7. This Isn't the Place 8. Reptile 9. Shit Mirror 10. Ahead of Ourselves 11. God Break Down the Door 12. Copy of A 13. Gave Up 14. I'm Afraid of Americans (David Bowie cover) 15. The Hand That Feeds 16. Starfuckers, Inc 17. Head Like a Hole Encore: 18. All the Love in the World 19. Over and Out 20. Hurt Jesus and Mary Chain Setlist: 1. Just Like Honey 2. Head On 3. Amputation 4. Between Planets 5. All Things Pass 6. Some candy Talking 7. April Skies 8. The Living End 9. Cracking Up 10. Teenage Lust 11. I Hate Rock n' Roll 12. Reverence Filed by Bobby Talamine
Photos by Bobby Talamine
0 Comments
![]() John Lydon and his band, Public Image Ltd. played Thalia Hall on October 22 and featured no opening acts -- as it should be. The band came on a little after 8:45, to strong applause and adulation, one by one first with guitarist Lu Edmonds, then drummer Bruce Smith, then bassist Scott Firth, and lastly, the man everyone wanted to see -- John Lydon. ![]() John, in a long trench coat, with his notebook of lyrics at the ready and front and center, still had the look of punk and anti-authority about him, even at the age of 60. As I looked back at photo I took from that night when editing, I noticed that his reading glasses had a safety pin ever present keeping them intact, like an homage to the past when his band, the Sex Pistols who broke into the mainstream in 1977. As much as the band is tight throughout, and spot-on in regards to accompaniment, the main focus was on John Lydon, and his signature yelps, yells, and rants to end every lyric he sang, no matter what song he was playing. ![]() From the start it seemed as though John's style of singing is beginning to take a toll on his vocal chords. From the first song "Deeper Water', a new song form their album This is PIL, you can clearly see that John is singing low-key and not blasting audience members right away. I also noticed that on the drum riser, John kept his bottle of Pedialyte there and drank from it in between songs, for what reason god only knows, but maybe it has something to do with soothing his vocal chords whilst staying hydrated. From there, the momentum builds with each and every song played, with John getting more lively and angry, and the band following in lockstep time. I can't say enough about guitarist, Lu Edmonds and his many many talents. A guitarist and contributor to the mighty Mekons, which is an art collective of coolness if their ever was a term for them, which also features Sally Timms and Jon Langford. Lu Edmonds and his approach to guitar playing is intricate, yet brash, just what Public Image Ltd. needs to stay afloat and ever present. Drummer, Bruce Smith also brings a lot to the table when performing with Public Image Ltd, having drummed with The Slits, The The, and also Bjork. Bassist, Scott Firth who also plays keyboards has played with The Spice Girls believe it or not, along with Toni Braxton, Steve Winwood, Julia Fordham and Joan Armatrading, to name a few. To put it simply, these guys can play, which shows how much Public Image Ltd. is a band's band. Toward the end of the show, the hits came, one by one, with "Memories" into "The Body", followed by "Disappointed" into the "Warrior", building up to the finale before the encore with "Flowers of Romance" and of course "This Is Not A Love Song", into the anthemic "Rise". By this time, John's bottle of Pedialyte was finished, and his voice was sounding great with no break or sign of fraying. All in all, spending the night with Public Image Ltd. was a great way to spend my Monday evening, with the post-punk diehards out in full force to witness the band first hand. Filed by Bobby Talamine
Photos by Bobby Talamine To quote the rapper Yo Gotti, "it goes down in the DM." After Givers gave a great performance at JBTV on September 10th, we received this Instagram direct message from Wolfmother later that night: Having heard horror stories about the cesspool that is direct messages, we at JBTV are happy to say this is a DM success story. And to answer your question Andrew Stockdale, of course we remember Wolfmother! With no time to waste, the JBTV team and Wolfmother organized a show for Friday, September 14th at 1pm. However, while on the way to JBTV studios, Stockdale realized the band's first song on their set list was "Lazy," a single off of his new solo record Slipstream, which features a predominate saxophone riff. The problem? Wolfmother doesn't have a saxophone player. So in true rock 'n' roll fashion, and mirroring how Stockdale booked the show, he posted this video on Instagram: Luckily, Stockdale received a phone call from one of Riot Fest's stage managers that got him in contact with Chicago's own Bruce Lamont. Lamont rushed to the JBTV studio, learned the song minutes before the show, and rocked the place with his saxophone skills. "[Bruce Lamont] gave the song something else," Stockdale added later in the JBTV interview with Jerry Bryant. Not only did Lamont perform with them at JBTV, he performed with them for their Riot Fest set that following weekend! Check out the great addition Bruce Lamont made to Wolfmother's set below: Next, Wolfmother played "Slipstream," another song off of Stockdale's latest solo album of the same name. With Stockdale's iconic voice and Wolfmother guitar riffs that rock fans adore, "Slipstream" kept the momentum of the set going to a highly energized crowd. To add another rock 'n' roll layer to this set, Wolfmother did not have a guitar slider for this song. During soundcheck, Stockdale was using a pint glass to create the desired slider effect. Our leader Jerry came to the rescue by providing the band a transformer--a piece of studio equipment used to change impedance between microphones. The sheer talent of this band and the DIY spirit of how they create their distinctive sound is a true spectacle that needs to be seen. Wolfmother continued to awe the audience with their next song "Sweet Spot," a song that according to Stockdale is about "Find[ing]...the way you want to live [your life]." He explained this notion further by comparing the sweet spots of surfing and music, "in music you can find a sweet spot, and in surfing once you take off and you pull back in you sorta just--it's a pocket. That flow is what you want to get in your life." Like a wave organically forming and crashing, Wolfmother's "Sweet Spot" whisked the audience away and took them for a ride that would compete with the best waves you can catch on the beaches near Stockdale's hometown of Brisbane. After showcasing some of their newer music, Wolfmother played a slew of hits from previous albums ranging from "Gypsy Caravan" off of their 2016 Victorious album, to 2009 Cosmic Egg's "New Moon Rising." Of course, longtime fans wanted to hear songs from their 2006 self-titled debut album, and Wolfmother did not disappoint. As soon as the familiar "Woman" guitar riff began to echo from Stockdale's guitar, the place erupted with jovial head bangs and excitement. Once "Woman" ended to thunderous applause, Wolfmother continued to play songs off of their debut with "White Unicorn," Vagabond," and "Colossal"--drummer Hamish Rosser's favorite song to play. "It's slow, but really heavy, tuned down, doubles up and gets fast, I really enjoy this one," Rosser added. Having giving the audience rocking set mixed with old and new fodder, Wolfmother ended their epic set at JBTV with their smash hit and one of our Jerry Bryant's favorite songs "Joker and the Thief." "[The song has] taken a life of its own, it's powerful and we always finish with that one," Stockdale added in the JBTV interview. See the raw power the song has over the JBTV crowd below! Wolfmother has carved their place in rock 'n' roll history, and we were all happy to have them stop by the JBTV studio for the second time. Feel free to DM us on Instagram anytime, Wolfmother! See Wolfmother on the tail end of their Slipstream Tour now! Watch the rest of their awesome set at JBTV by going to our YouTube! Filed by Alex Ghere
Photos by Bobby Talamine & Wolfmother ![]() Saturday night was one for the books as we joined TWO JBTV alumni, The Districts, and Hippo Campus for the BAMBI Tour at the Riviera Theatre. Following the release of their sophomore album, Bambi, the boys immediately hit the road to share their new tunes! On Saturday, October 6th, we were in for a treat as we joined the boys in Chicago for just the second day of tour! Starting off the night, The Districts took the stage. The five piece greeted Chicago with , the hit single, “Nighttime Girls”, making a lasting impression on the new audience. Reminiscent of 80’s classic rock and roll, the band welcomed new eyes and ears to their nostalgic sounds, exciting the audience for what was yet to come. The way the band took the crowd by storm was no surprise to us, at JBTV. Earlier on in their career, the band took to our HD stage and showcased their star talents to a mere crowd of 100 people. Immediately, we knew these rockstars had a bright future ahead. Fast forward two years, and the band is back, louder than ever, playing to crowds more than fifty times the size, all across the nation. Hippo Campus then took the stage, opening with their title track, “Bambi”. For familiar fans, this release introduced a new side of Hippo Campus. In contrast to their previous releases, Bambi, leans toward an experimental genre with elements from Landmark sprinkled in. After a first listen, one would surely be curious to know how this new style would be paired with prior works, but like always, the boys did an excellent job of melding the new album into the show! Intertwined with works from Landmark and their previous EP, the band performed, their latest single, “Golden,” as well as rising song, “Why Even Try,” and “Doubt.” From start to finish, the setlist was seamlessly blended with the old and new, giving a refreshing spin to their traditional lineup! Tour has just begun for these boys, so it can only get better from here! Make sure to catch them at a venue near you! Filed by Jade Trazo
Photos by Jade Trazo ![]() Electrifying indie-pop band, St. Lucia graced the JBTV stage for the second time and gave an energetic performance to a packed studio on October 3, 2018 — just hours before their sold out show at Concord Music Hall. Prior to St. Lucia’s set, for the duration of the soundcheck lead singer, Jean-Philip Grobler, and multi-instrumentalist, Patti Beranek’s son, Indy, took center stage at JBTV -- most of the staff noting his high level of energy and future in the music industry, despite being nine months old. Indy was definitely a nice addition to the day’s activities at JBTV; Grobler noting that his son has already shown signs of being very musical. ![]() Having just embarked on the North American tour for their newest effort, Hyperion, fans didn’t know what exactly to expect of the band, in regards to new material and new antics contained within the band’s performance. However, all in attendance were pleasantly surprised to witness an amalgamation of old and new songs, including some ballads as well as upbeat ones. Blending elements from their older work by incorporating fan-favorites into their set such as “Elevate” and “Before the Dive” and adding in newer songs like “Next to You” and “Bigger”, St. Lucia’s set was truly a memorable one at JBTV. Not to mention that fact that the band restarted “A Brighter Love” three times due to a malfunction of drummer, Dustin Kaufman’s drum machine equipment as well as playing dancey hit, “Dancing on Glass” twice because of an instrument malfunction from keyboardist, Nicky Paul. While most bands would shrug off the mistake and play on, St. Lucia made sure to perfect each song played within their set, which just goes to show the band’s dedication to their craft. ![]() Opening their set with, “Before the Dive,” one of the band’s oldest songs from their first EP, audience members were absolutely shocked by the choice to open with this song, in that St. Lucia does not usually include this track in their live shows. I, myself, was rather shocked by this choice, since I have seen the band a handful of times and they’ve never played it at the shows I attended. As the moody song progressed, as did the set. St. Lucia quickly transitioned into new song, “A Brighter Love” off of Hyperion -- a track featuring unique drum machine elements and effervescent harmonies between band members. According to Grobler, “A Brighter Love” is about searching for something deeper and more meaningful in the current world. ![]() As the set gained more energy, St. Lucia quickly shifted gears when transitioning into “All Eyes on You,” another classic track from the five-piece which happens to contain an infectious bass line from bassist, Ross Clark, as well as smooth vocals from Grobler. By this point, everyone in the crowd was singing, clapping, dancing, and having a great time. St. Lucia always seems to put on a phenomenal show, no matter the location or audience size. As I mentioned before, I am a huge St. Lucia fan. I’ve seen them at festivals with crowds of over 20,000 people, in venues that hold 1,000, and now at JBTV where the maximum capacity is a little over 125 people. I can assure you that no matter what the circumstance, the band always delivers a stellar performance. The audience was truly on a musical journey with the band, being that each song played possessed a different vibe. Although St. Lucia’s songs clock in a little over 5 minutes each and flow nicely together, the set the band played at JBTV alternated between slow and upbeat songs, which resulted in a memorable show. Filed By Ava Butera
Photos By Bobby Talamine & Ava Butera |
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
BLOG STAFFBobby TalamineSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER FIZA JAVIDBLOG WRITER Erika ForceSOCIAL MEDIA |