Week In Review

I need a nap.

Monday - I watched 24 at home. Jack Bauer is funny.

Tuesday - My lady and I went to see Secret Machines at Amoeba. They really shouldn't play acoustic. It's the antithesis of everything they stand for. After the show we grabbed some food and then stopped by Safari Sam's. We didn't realize it was Frankie Chan's new night. It was empty when we arrived and then started to fill up around 10:30PM. There was free Coors Light for an hour and it was one of 25 record release parties around town for the new Wolfmother album. My lady took a free t-shirt. By the time we left it was packed and the hormones were raging. The Presets were scheduled to play at midnight but it didn't seem worth sticking around.
Wednesday - A friend and I dropped by Spaceland to see The Clean Prophets. It was first time seeing them, and they were good. I took some photos but I don't have my camera with me right now. I need a Flicker account. Their songs are really catchy (but I already knew that from their CD). Check them out next time they play. The next band had a smoke machine. It got to be too much.

Thursday - A different friend and I went to the El Rey to see the Secret Machines. It was my fourth time seeing them (I'm not counting Amoeba). They're always great, but this time they were fantastic. It was an in-the-round performance with a massive stage setup in the middle of the floor. Quite a spectacle. Purple lights shining up through the massive chandelier. There wasn't any pushing to the front, because people weren't really sure where to stand. We found a good spot behind the keyboards. Bouncers pushed their way through the crowd and they climbed onto the stage. I'm always blown away by Josh's drumming. I was a little nervous about the sound because we were in the front and directly under the amps but it was loud and clean. Whoever re-did the El Rey's sound and stage setup did a great job (and it couldn't have been easy). I can't remember what all they played because the songs flow together pretty seamlessly. Even the songs I'm not crazy about on the new record sounded great live. If you're a fan of the last record don't hesitate to see them on this tour. The encore was a bit awkward given the lack of a backstage area. They left the stage under the escort of security and then had to be ushered back in. It was worth it, because they played two favorites from the last record. They managed to put on a big arena show in a relatively small venue. I see a lot of shows and I'm pretty jaded, so I really appreciate it when bands put so much effort into the performance. I saw the Cobrasnake there but he didn't really capture it. Unforutunately I didn't have my camera. See his photos HERE. Mighta been better photos from the balcony?