Weekend Update

With Norm MacDonald....I mean Zach Change! (add audience throwing batteries cheers and such) I swear it'll be as hilarious and witty as anything you can currently see on SNL:








Another phenomenal music weekend, as per usual to kick off summer in Philly.  My highlight was The Roots Picnic which included a murderer's row of awesome acts from across the music spectrum.  Personal favorites that played there were:
Mayer Hawthorne

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The Very Best

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The Roots (with John Legend and followed by Wu Massacre or Raekwon, Method Man, & Ghostface) even Hub showed up for a hot sec.

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Vampire Weekend

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Things I took from this concert are that Wu Tang Clan should have been playing with a backing band since they started, The Roots will be and always have been one of the best live bands around, and Vampire Weekend sounds better outside then they did at the Electric Factory.  I am upset that I missed out on the tent acts, but there is always next year.  Check out phrequency's  & smoking section's take on the day, with some amazing photos.


The National played Friday and Saturday at the Electric Factory, both sold out.  As I have mentioned before I am not a huge fan of these guys but was asked last minute to see them perform a noon show over at World Cafe Live's Non Comm(vention) so I decided to give them another chance.  I've come to the following conclusion:  they are a good band that I just have no desire to see live.  They played some really good songs, including closing with "Terrible Love" off their new album.  I just don't get why people go to see depressing music live.  I mean they even have a sad horn section.  But as we say here "That's why we live in America!" (cue laugh track).  My mission of '10 is to coin that phrase.  Here are some pics I took of that show:

To cap of this music-till-your-ears-bleed weekend, Broken Bells played over at the Electric Factory.  Broken Bells is one of Danger Mouse's latest collaborations with James Mercer from the Shins.  I am going to take this opportunity to be a fan boy, but I believe rightfully so.  I have not heard anything from Danger Mouse collaborations or solo projects that have not completely blown me away.  He is always ahead of the curve, working with the right people at the right time, and consistently puts out amazing music.  Look at this laundry list of albums he's put out over the years and tell me he's not currently in the best producer conversation (god bless Wikipedia):

• Danger Mouse & Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life (2003)
• Danger Mouse - The Grey Album (2004)
• Gorillaz - Demon Days (2005)
• Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask (2005)
• The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love (2006)
• Sparklehorse - Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain (2006)
• Danger Mouse - From Man To Mouse (2007)
• The Good, the Bad and the Queen (2007)
• The Black Keys - Attack & Release (2008)
• The Shortwave Set - Replica Sun Machine (2008)
• Martina Topley-Bird - The Blue God (2008)
• Beck - Modern Guilt (2008)
• Joker's Daughter - The Last Laugh (2009)
• Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse - Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse Present: Dark Night of the Soul (2009)
• Broken Bells - Broken Bells (2010)
• The Black Keys - Brothers (2010)

All that being said, I didn't go to the concert. Fuck you, lay off me.  The Flyers are in the Stanley Cup.  Regardless, I heard the show was amazing, albeit lulling at times.  Here is a review of the show (via philly.com).