Member Review: The Killers

BPD member BabaluBabe writes:

This evening had it all. There were very good moments, some bad song choices and sound problems that had to be overcome. One audience member enjoyed themselves too much and a full crew of police officers showed up.

The concert started out simply enough. There were no confetti drops at this Killers’ show, but the stage was set up Las Vegas-style, with lights in the shape of a palm tree and lots of other glittery designs.

This time around, the Killers crowd wasn’t totally filled with young indie-rockers. In fact, a large chunk of the audience was 30-to-50, well dressed and looking like they were easily able to afford the $50 ticket price.

Maybe that’s what inspired the Killers’ set. Instead of kicking into the raw, indie-rock numbers the band’s become famous for, the Killers decided to show off their new pop tunes off of Day & Age. Perfect music for a Top 40 radio crowd — not so much fun for indie-rock fans.

The Killers kicked off the night playing new songs such as “Human,” and frontman Brandon Flowers did warn the audience that they were in for a barrage of new tunes. “We hope you like the new album,” Flowers said. “We’re going to be playing a lot of it for you tonight.”

That’s where things started to go wrong.

The Killers pounded out track after track of new material from Day & Age, only pausing to throw in a song or two from band’s two earlier CDs. That’s when musical karma hit the band.

In the midst of the Killers’ new, overly-poppy tunes, the sound went out. Seems the Killers brought in their own sound system, but the crew was having trouble bringing it up to high quality. Watching this chaos from the back gave new meaning to the term "Chinese fire drill". For a few moments, the music just stopped and everyone appeared lost and noticeably frantic.

Fortunately, they finally realized how to make the band’s stage sound become crystal clear, and it was all uphill from there.

The group suddenly switched gears and pulled out crowd pleasers such as “Read My Mind” and “Mr. Brightside.” The songs energized both the band and the crowd.

It proved that when the Killers have the right material, they can be a brilliant band.

IMHO, the Killers have talent, chops and songwriting ability, but the group’s too busy chasing Top 40 radio for now. I’d like to see the Killers again when they decide to return to their musical roots.

Keep sending those reviews in, members. Those who haven't ever seen a show from backstage or those who would like to do it again, visit us at BackstagePassDirect.com and become a member today.

Member Review: The Meat Puppets

BPD member "DoubleDown" wrote to us recently:

The Meat Puppets are a band that changed my entire way of approaching music when I was introduced to their music by a friend in 1986. The Meat Puppets taught me that you don’t have to be perfect to be great and that having a personal style was more important than being the fastest guitar player on the planet.

When we shook hands, I was struck at how Cris Kirkwood has aged. Life has not been kind to him as he’s been shot, lost his wife to a drug overdose and spent time in prison. It showed on his face and he looks much older than his brother Curt now. That being said, when he went outfront, he absolutely nailed his bass and singing parts. He has a fantastic touch on the bass guitar and it’s a testament to what a player can do with just a simple bass guitar and an amplifier to watch him play. He made that bass come alive with his playing and his playing is the perfect compliment to Curt Kirkwood’s guitar playing. Cris and Curt are brothers and their voices are very similar when they sing. Because of that the harmonies have a silky quality that is a real pleasure to listen to.

Ted Marcus, the new drummer, did a great job of keeping the beat going for Cris and Curt to work their magic. Ted played his butt off all night long and by the end of the night his shirt was drenched from the effort. He really knew how the drums fit in the Meat Puppets music and he is a great fit for them.

The show was really a thing of beauty. The Meat Puppets work together as a perfect team and it’s awesome to watch the interplay between them from backstage. Watching Curt ask the others what they wanted to play and watching how the used eye contact with each other to go from song to song was really entertaining. The show ebbed and flowed with moments of brilliance and plenty of improvised jamming as well. They played all their biggest hits and the crowd loved every minute of it. The Meat Puppets are proof that some bands are just plain better live than they are on a recording. If you get a chance to see them when they come to your town, go to BackstagePassDirect and get yourself some passes.

They are truly a great band to see play live and they're even more awesome from the back.

Staind IS Extreme Metal

If you're into extremes of molten metal, you haven't heard heavy until you've heard Staind. But leave yer mom at home.

This dark and dynamic band emerged from the 1990's underground in Springfield, Massachusetts. Consisting of vocalist Aaron Lewis, guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki, the group developed a unique sound that got them a lot of attention and enthusiastic appreciation from fans who really know the metal genre. Controversial from the first, Staind went multi-platinum with a series of important albums: "Tormented" (1996), "Dysfunction" (1999), "Break the Cycle" (2001), "14 Shades of Grey," and "Chapter V" (2005) and blew audiences away with such hits as "It's Been a While," "Fade," "For You," and "Epiphany."

Initially, some critics were troubled by what they perceived as Satanic images in Staind's album-cover art and by their bleak and hard-edged lyrics. But the band was admired by such groups as Limp Bizkit and Alice in Chains, as well as legions of fans who were blown away by their explosive live performances. In recent years, the quartet has cultivated a less aggressive, more emotional style, offering sensitive, soul-baring insights into a number of current issues including abortion and parent-child relationships. This is truly a group that is progressing, to the extent that alternative metal seems to be a better label for them now.

Seneca Niagara Casino
Niagara Falls, NY
May 1, 2009

Sunset Station Hotel
Las Vegas, NV
May 15, 2009

Peppermill Concert Hall
West Wendover, NV
May 16, 2009

Spotlight 29 Casino
Coachella, CA
May 23, 2009

Everybody who has heard Staind in concert says that their music sounds even better live than it does on CD. Find out for yourself. Passes for this limited engagement will go quickly; don't miss out. Request your backstage passes now at BackstagePassDirect.com

John Legend Is On His Last Leg

.........................well, that's not completely accurate. Actually, John is currently on the last leg of his US tour which will end in early February before he kicks off his tour of Europe to support his dynamite CD Evolver.

You can catch an amazing JL performance and interview on NPR's World Cafe program this Friday, Jan. 9th. National Public Radio’s World Cafe can be heard on nearly 200 stations nationwide. You can find your local station and broadcast time by scrolling to the bottom & choosing your state under "Find a Program Broadcast Time" at the following link:

http://www.npr.org/templates/stations/schedule/?prgId=39

…or worldwide you can listen online to the WXPN/Philadelphia stream Monday through Friday, 2pm to 4pm Eastern Standard Time by going to:

http://www.xpn.org/listen-live/listen-live

Here's the remainder of John's schedule for the next month:

01/16/09 La Jolla, CA RIMAC Arena

01/17/09 Indio, CA Fantasy Springs Resort Casino & Special Events Ctr.

01/22/09 Grand Prairie, TX Nokia Theatre At Grand Prairie

01/23/09 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall

01/24/09 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater

01/26/09 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium

01/28/09 Orlando, FL Bob Carr Perf. Arts Centre

01/29/09 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall

01/30/09 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theater

01/31/09 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theater

02/02/09 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre

02/03/09 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre

02/05/09 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall

02/06/09 Mashantucket, CT MGM Grand Theater

02/07/09 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa / Event Ctr.

Meet John and see the show from the unique perspective of backstage. Visit BackstagePassDirect for complete details.

Lyle Lovett and John Hyatt acoustic tour

The multiple-Grammy-winning Lyle Lovett kicks off his 2009 tour calendar Jan. 14 in Beaver Creek, CO, before heading back on the road with the legendary John Hiatt beginning Feb. 5 in Pittsburgh, PA. The pair has confirmed a slate of 11 cities together. Details are included below.

Lovett's 13th album, "It's Not Big It's Large," was released last August, reaching No. 18 on The Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart. The 12-track set features Lovett's signature Large Band and covers everything from country to blues, to folk, jazz and gospel. A deluxe version of the album including a DVD with studio footage is also available. A few song samples are streaming at the performer's MySpace page.

"Its Not Big It's Large" follows Lovett's Lost Highway Records debut, "My Baby Don't Tolerate," which surfaced in 2003. That set marked his first collection of original material since 1996's "Road to Ensenada."

Hiatt is touring behind his latest studio set, "Same Old Man," which was released in May.

01/14/09 Beaver Creek, CO Vilar Center For The Arts
02/05/09 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Music Hall
02/06/09 Philadelphia, PA Kimmel Center For The Perf. Arts
02/08/09 Morristown, NJ The Community Theatre At Mayo Center For The Performing Arts
02/09/09 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Ctr.
02/10/09 Morgantown, WV Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre
02/12/09 Nashville, TN Schermerhorn Symphony Center
02/14/09 Danville, KY Norton Center
02/15/09 Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theater
02/18/09 Joliet, IL Rialto Square Theatre
02/19/09 Cincinnati, OH Aronoff Center For The Arts
02/21/09 Midland, TX Midland Center

Don't forget, all passes are first-come, first-served. So don't delay. Order yours today and hang out with Lyle and John. Visit BackstagePassDirect.