Band of Horses come to Sydney

I haven't been to a show in a while... I think the last really good concert I went to was Joe Purdy at Park Tavern's Unplugged in the Park free concert series last summer (check it out if you're in town - it's a great time). Since I've been out of the country I haven't had a lot of time or choices. I found out about Florence and the Machine's show in Sydney in August, but the tickets were sold out for both shows a few months in advance. I still want to see them live, I guarantee it would be worth the ticket price.

I was browsing Facebook and saw that Band of Horses also had a show coming up.  Once again breaking out of my comfort zone, I decided to go although I would be solo.  It's something I would never think of doing back home.  I was surprised there were tickets available, but then again I don't know how popular they are here.  If you've never heard of them, you've still probably heard their music. I catch them on commercials, TV shows and even mixed into rap songs and covers by other artists. BOH songs are very chill for the most part, kind of folky with good lyrics. I have been listening to them since their first (and best) CD came out in 2006 and saw them back in 2007 at Unplugged in the Park - someone I went with wanted to leave the show early that night and I have always regretted not getting to see an entire set. They also come around to Atlanta the past few New Years Eves but I have always had other plans. I jumped at the chance to buy a ticket ($65) this time even though it was a school night.

The venue is called Enmore Theater and the inside reminded me of The Roxy in Atlanta (a really cool theater in Buckhead that has been shut down for the past 2 years for renovations). It's a medium sized place that isn't so small that you're crammed and deaf but not big enough to make it feel like an impersonal show (like when I went to the Kings of Leon concert in Philips Arena last year). I'll definitely have to be more on the ball with concerts here, because the other shows this week are Grizzly Bear and The Ting Tings.

The opening band was called Gentlemen of Fortune - their name was the best part about them and they don't deserve a hotlink even if they have one. People started filling in after that and by 9:30 the place was packed - I would say a few thousand were there. Here's the set list, although I didn't catch a few of the songs. EATT = Everything All the Time (2006); CTB = Cease to Begin (2007); IA = Infinite Arms (2010).

Set List
The Great Salt Lake (EATT)
Is There A Ghost (CTB)
Weed Party (EATT)
NW Apt. (IA)
Islands on the Coast (CTB)
Blue Beard (IA)
Compliments (IA)
The General Specific (CTB)
Older (IA)
Marry Song (CTB)
Detlef Schrempf (CTB)
Factory (IA)
Cigarettes, Wedding Bells (CTB)
Just Fear - (New song... I think I heard the title right?)
Laredo (IA)
Wicked Gil (EATT)
Ode to the LRC (CTB)
The Funeral (EATT)

Encore
No One's Going to Love You (CTB)
Am I A Good Man by Them Two (cover)

There was a giant white sheet in the background that projected images throughout the show. At first I wasn't too keen on it, but after a few songs I thing it added to the experience. Some of the songs fit with the images and other times they were quick flashes of pictures from their tour. Here's a short video clip I took:

One highlight was during one of the songs when someone held up a lighter (cheesy, I know). A bouncer in the front row climbed up on the rail and flashed his light at the guy who obviously did not get it at first. I guess you aren't allowed to light a lighter inside in Sydney? It pretty much took everyone's focus there. BOH's lead singer looked down at the bouncer in a "WTF are you doing?" gesture as he sang and then gave everyone the motion to "bring it on". Everyone that had a lighter whipped one out (see pic at left) and kept it on for the rest of the song.  Everyone cheered really loud after the song and the bouncer didn't try to stop anyone from using lighters from then on.  My favorite songs of the night were The Funeral and No One's Going to Love You - I could've told you that before the show started.  Monsters is up there as well, but they didn't play it.

I'm not entirely won over by the new album after listening to preview on iTunes and seeing a few songs played live, but I think I'll buy it and give it a chance.  Their first album, Everything All the Time, is still their best.  I definitely recommend them to anyone.  I came directly home and wrote this while it is still fresh and I'll try to upload a few videos when I get a chance.

July, July!

So the title references a Decemberists song, but the post isn't about that. Here's my July so far...

I met up with Carol and Daniel (aunt and uncle of my ATL friend, Laura) for the 4th (of course we didn't get a day off, but at least it was on a Sunday). They're members of a 'Meetup' group of American ex-pats that had a party in Centennial Park for Independence Day. I met a few cool people but mostly stayed around the few I met at Carol's Texas Hold 'Em party a few months ago.  It was weird to celebrate the holiday with strangers in a cold place, but everyone else was kind of in the same situation.

A few weeks later my friends Tim and Erin actually made it to Sydney and survived the whole trip without a scratch (at least physically - King's Cross may have caused a few scars). The weather wasn't the best but we did the Coogee-Bondi walk on their first day, took the ferry to Manly and then finished the night off with a drink just below the Opera House.

I still had to work during the week, so I left the two of them to wander Sydney on Monday. We met up for dinner and of course Tim iced me the first chance he got. It's ok because I got him back the next day.  They went to Taronga Zoo and took a bus trip to the Blue Mountains where they got some really cool pictures.  I'm going to have to make my way up there when it gets warmer.

Tim really wanted to see the reef in Cairns but Erin was a bit skeptical about getting a plane ticket on such short notice (~$650 vs. the $400 I paid to go there back in April).  She also "isn't that into fish" so I advised her not to go.  Instead she spent her time shopping around the city (despite the prices).  When Tim got back into town on Thursday I gave Erin a much needed "break from boys" at the Marriott where I spent my first few weeks in the city.

So the weekend... we went to Surry Hills and King's Cross on Friday night.  I was really looking forward to showing them what all of my hype was about, but it wasn't that crazy the night we went out.  (September edit: King's Cross had 737 arrests on Saturday night - I told you it got crazy).  On Sunday we hiked at my favorite spot - the cliffs at La Perouse.  We saw a seal sunning itself as it floated in the water (we thought it was dead at first) and got some really good pics of Tim being.. well... Tim.

On Saturday night I got us a hotel room in downtown Sydney at the Marriott again and we went to The Ivy which did not go over well.  I got a call from my British friend Dan who met up with us at 3 Wise Monkeys, a backpacker bar with a live band.  That made up for it and we had a good time. 

On Sunday we decided to rent some snorkeling gear at a dive shop in Coogee since it was a nice day.  Snorkeling... in the middle of winter - only in Australia.  The water was definitely cold, so I'm glad we rented wet suits as well.  We took a short walk from Coogee Beach over to Gordon's Bay, but I wasn't that impressed with the amount of fish we saw.  Erin chilled out with a bottle of champagne on the shore while Tim and I explored.

Pinky and the Brain went off to New Zealand for four days which brought my life back to normal.  I found out that I was going to miss my high school reunion at the end of the month because of project delays (boo) and worked a lot of overtime.  The only upside was the wired cable that was hooked into our conference room in the office.  Nat, a fellow cycling fan, and I watched Le Tour recaps every day at 6:30.  When Tim and Erin got back into Sydney the inevitable fight erupted between the two of them.  They did well to hold off for that long, but I think it's safe to say if Erin goes on vacation with Tim again, it will be planned to a T.

I'm glad I had some visitors and though I know I'll be home in a few weeks, it made being away a lot more bearable.  And anyone else that is tempted to visit... the project's now finishing in February so get down here!

Two years, three months, five days

My friend, Angela, whom I met in Cairns a few months ago, recently broke up with her boyfriend and is having a rough go of it. A lot of what she is going through reminds me of my own experiences and we talked a few times about them when I was back in the US. I went back and read some of the things I wrote down. It's pretty amazing to see how far you can rise from being so low. So have faith and know that someone else has been there. That being said, I wanted to include one of my favorite songs by Will Hoge, called When I Can Afford To Lose.

Two years, three months, five days,
I've been tryin' to climb this wall.
Two years, three months, five days,
Well, please don't let me fall.
Understand, my dear,
When you come walkin' near,
I want you back again
'Cause I know that I can't win.
It's not for me to choose.
I'll take you back again,
When I can afford to lose.

I see your picture on my table
And your ghost is sleepin' in my bed.
And your goodbye still rattles
And rattles and rattles around
Like thunder through my head.
So I'll have one more cigarette
And hope that soon I will forget
When you walked in..
'Cause I know that I can't win.
It's not for me to choose.
I'll take you back again,
When I can afford to lose.
Take you back again,
When i can afford to lose.

Don't leave me hangin' on this
Borderline.
The things I could do
With a whisper from you
Could just
Blow your mind.

And understand, my dear,
When you come walkin' near,
I want you back again
'Cause I know that I can't win.
It's not for me to choose.
I'll take you back again,
When I can afford to lose.
Take you back again,
When I can afford to lose.
I'll take you back again,
When I can afford to lose.

Joe Purdy

Ok, one of my favorite artists, Joe Purdy, just came out with a new album.  I got the chance to see him live at Unplugged at the Park last year with a few friends, and I definitely recommend you check it out!