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Tears for Fears at Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay | San Diego, California | 10/9/2016 (Concert Review + Photos)

October 12, 2016 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

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“Wow, it’s amazing to be back here at Humphrey’s, or as we like to call it, ‘free concert for boats!’  [pointing to the water]  You were the guy who wrote the review!  [mocking imitation] ‘Didn’t sound any good from my boat…’  Buy a fucking ticket!”  Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears, bringing not just amazing music but laughs too, carrying on a funny faux dialogue in-between songs with an unseen concert reviewer from their last appearance at Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay in beautiful San Diego.  Alongside Curt Smith, the pair added to the casual atmosphere of the venue with their playful quips and anecdotes throughout the evening, making the entire affair feel somewhat like a private gig among friends.  But then there is that music… song after song that added significant color and style to the soundtrack of our lives, for many of us in attendance who found the band in our formative years.  Which isn’t to say that they are exclusively “an 80’s band”, but that is the decade that they helped to craft and shape not just in music, but pop culture at large.  And many of those songs are as “alive” today as ever, with younger artists creating their own versions of some of the songs, as well as the music still giving life to new works in other mediums (like Donnie Darko).  Tears for Fears is one of my favorite bands to see live, because they always deliver with a top notch group of fellow musicians on stage and recreate those familiar songs in new and substantive ways.  They are still relevant, and they’ve still got “it”. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, Live Rock Music, News, & Events, Michael Wainwright, San Diego California, Tears for Fears Tagged With: 80s, announcement, artist, band, British, california, cities, city, Concert, concert photography, concert photos, Concert Review, Curt Smith, england, english, event, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, gig, guitar, Head Over Heels, high resolution, keyboards, live, location, Los Angeles, Mad World, michael wainwright, modern rock, Music, new wave, performance, Photo, photograph, photography, photos, review, Roland Orzabal, set, set list, setlist, Shout, show, Tears for Fears, tour, uk, upcoming, venue, venues

Tori Amos (Unrepentant Geraldines Tour 2014) at Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay | San Diego, California | 7/24/2014 (Concert Review + Photos)

July 26, 2014 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

Tori-Amos-Concert-Review-Unrepentant-Geraldines-Tour-2014-San-Diego-Humphreys-Concerts-By-The-Bay-Outdoor-Amphiteatre-FI

“He had all these things there… Sandman comics… things like that…” Tori Amos, coincidentally playing in San Diego during Comic Con week, reminiscing about her brother (who was in attendance) back in the day, and the inspiration for her song, “Flying Dutchman”, which was third up on her phenomenal setlist at Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay.   This was my second show seeing the “Unrepentant Geraldines Tour” (having seen the show in Oakland on Monday night at the Paramount Theatre).  As with that show, Tori is ever full of surprises, and the two shows were completely different on many levels.  The most obvious being the venues, with the indoor, ornate, classy and historical Paramount Theatre having a certain sophistication, while the outdoor Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay is more relaxed, with the unmistakable coastal air and open feeling sitting out under the stars.  With the setlists from the respective shows sharing only three songs (opening with “Parasol”, closing with “Cornflake Girl” and having “16 Shades of Blue” in their encores), it was two very different shows in terms of the music as well.  The show in San Diego was at least to some degree a celebration of “Under the Pink”, as it was highly represented in the song choice.  I loved both shows, but I’d have to say – for me – my love for Oakland’s was on more of an intellectual level, while San Diego’s was because she played more of the songs I truly love (and if I had to pick any one song for her to play, it would be “Bliss”, and she totally killed it on stage at Humprey’s.  One of those rare artists that has the ability to completely change up her show night to night, this is definitely one of the best tours of 2014.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, Lexus, Live Rock Music, News, & Events, San Diego California, San Diego Comic Con, Tori Amos, Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou Tagged With: #sdcc, 2014, 2014 tour, access, album, announcement, california, cities, city, code, comic con, Concert, Concert Review, date, dates, details, event, humphrey's concerts, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, july 24, lexus, live, location, Music, new album, performance, Photo, photography, photos, pre-sale, pre-sale code, press release, program, rock, sale, san diego, san diego comic con, set list, setlist, show, studio album, ticket, tickets, tori amos, tori amost, tour, Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou, u.s. tour, united states, unrepentant geraldines, Unrepentant Geraldines Tour 2014, upcoming, us tour, venue, venues, world tour

X at The Casbah | San Diego, California | 01/16/2014 (Concert Review + Photos)

January 17, 2014 by Jason DeBord 5 Comments

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“We played the Whiskey last night for their fiftieth anniversary, and I don’t want to kiss your ass or anything, but this is way more fun…”  X vocalist and bassist John Doe at The Casbah in San Diego last night, in the midst of a rocking set in the tiny club, well sold out at its 230 capacity.  I had seen the band last September on the “No Principals Tour” with Blondie in San Francisco, but this was more like taking a step back in time.  Depending on where you were standing, they frequently could not be seen at all, which made the illusion all the more convincing.  An authentic throw back to the earlier 80s punk scene they pioneered, it was a fantastic night of music and definitely an interesting, somewhat quirky crowd, which was apparent to those on the stage as well.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Casbah Presents, Concert Reviews, Gary Heffern and Blood On Fire, Live Rock Music, News, & Events, San Diego California, The Casbah, X Tagged With: 2014, 70s, 80s, artist, band, billy zoom, blood on fire, california, Concert, concert photography, Concert Review, details, dj bonebrake, Exene Cervenka, gary heffern, gary heffern and blood on fire, gary heffern's blood on fire, gig, high resolution, january 16, john doe, live, Music, performance, Photo, photograph, photography, photos, Pop, Post Punk, Punk, review, rock, san diego, set, set list, setlist, show, the casbah, tickets, tour, tour dates, x

Pet Shop Boys “Electric Tour 2013” at Copley Symphony Hall | San Diego, California | 10/8/2013 (Concert Review)

October 9, 2013 by Jason DeBord 8 Comments

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I had really high expectations for this, the latest Pet Shop Boys tour… yet somehow, as I sit down to write my thoughts about their show in San Diego at the Copely Symphony Hall last night, I am left a bit speechless… Not because I have nothing to say about it, but because I have this swirling flood of thoughts in my mind, and can’t seem to form a coherent approach to the whole thing. Maybe it was the overpowering strobe lights that disrupted the circuitry in my brain. Maybe it’s because they put on one of the most brilliant shows of the year.  The cover of the tour program reads, “TURN IT ON”.  Not a mere concert, it was a full blown, avant-garde stage production of the highest order, with credit also due to Stuart Price with his music production and programming, Creative Director/Designer Es Devlin and Stage Director/Choreographer Lynne Page, the two colorful dancers (Merry Holden and Tom Herron) with their interesting costumes and stage presence, and many others behind the scenes. Just when you expect that they should have peaked by now, they keep blazing new paths in music and life. Real artists, they create new work (in the studio and on stage) with a palette featuring colors all their own. They obviously put a lot of thought into not just sharing their music (old and new, hits and deep cuts), but creating a captivating and memorable experience. Though the visuals were mind blowing, the arrangements were amazing, Neil’s voice sounded better than ever, and the sound quality within the venue was superb.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Copley Symphony Hall, Live Nation, Live Rock Music, News, & Events, Meet & Greet / Meet The Artist, Pet Shop Boys, San Diego California Tagged With: 2013, 80s, alternative, axis, British, chris low, chris lowe, Concert, Concert Review, copley symphony hall, dance, electric, electric tour, electric tour 2013, electronic, english, go west, house, live, meet and greet, neil tennant, new wave, north america, october 8, pet shop boys, petheads, premium, psb, richard blade, san diego, seats, set list, setlist, Synthpop, tickets, tour, uk, united states, venue, victor willis, video, village people, vip, vip package, will call, world tour

Metallica (San Diego Comic Con “Secret” Concert) at Spreckels Theatre | San Diego, California | 7/19/2013 (Concert Review)

July 20, 2013 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

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“What do you think?  You’re scared…  you want to know more, you want to see the whole thing”…   Capping off “Metallica Day” at Comic Con International: San Diego (i.e. San Diego Comic Con) with a “secret” concert at Spreckels Theatre, the metal band’s front man James Hetfield makes a mid-gig reference to the IMAX 3D film, Metallica Through The Never.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band gave away tickets to the intimate 1,463 capacity concert venue during their Comic Con Hall H appearance earlier in the day (and funny enough, Hall H accommodates a much larger crowd of around 7,000.  I know from picking up my own ticket at the special will call earlier in the day that many Fan Club members were also in attendance, so it was a pretty great energy from the crowd.  Though the show was not too long (they came on an hour late at about 11 PM and finished up well before 12:30 AM), it was a fairly relentless onslaught of the metal music fans came to hear.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Goldenvoice / AEG / Axs, Live Rock Music, News, & Events, Metallica, San Diego California, San Diego Comic Con, Spreckels Theatre Tagged With: 2013, 3d film, appearance, california, collecting, comic con, comic con 2013, comic con international, Concert, Concert Review, hall h, hidden, hidden show, imax, july 19, kirk hammett, live, Metallica, metallica day, performance, photos, san diego, san diego comic con, san diego comic con 2013, secret, secret show, set list, setlist, spreckles theatre, through the never, venue, video

Adam Ant and The Good, The Mad & The Lovely Posse at Balboa Theatre | San Diego, California | 7/17/2013 (Concert Review)

July 18, 2013 by Jason DeBord 9 Comments

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“This is a song for you young lovers out there.  I was in love once.  When I picked my guts up afterwards, I wrote this tiny little song, I hope you enjoy it; it’s called Wonderful.”  A twisted sort of sentiment about his most mainstream song, New Wave icon and post-punk pioneer Adam Ant and The Good, The Mad & The Lovely Posse kicked on their 40-city North American tour in San Diego last night, at the classy Balboa Theatre.  Adam Ant launched his first album in 18 years, Adam Ant is the Blueback Hussar in Marrying the Gunner’s Daughter, earlier this year.  Somehow last night’s show felt even more spectacular than the one I caught in San Francisco last year.  Adam Ant was like a rock star possessed; perhaps more confident and somehow… joyful?  At one point deep into the set, he tossed his mic stand, which landed on his bass player’s effects pedals, completely shorting them all out.  One of the stage crew came out and messed with it briefly, then unplugged it and plugged him directly into his amp…  the relentless onslaught of music could not be stopped, or even paused due to technical difficulties…  and the near sold out crowd was perhaps treated to a more raw version of what was planned.  A lot of music acts continually reinvent themselves, over and over, sometimes to the point where they become a series of completely different artists.  Adam Ant is different.  He is today what he was more than 30 years ago, in terms of his identity, style, and sound.  He has evolved, of course, but stayed true to what he was and has always been – one of those rare artists who maybe got it perfect the first time.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Adam Ant, Balboa Theatre, Concert Reviews, Goldenvoice / AEG / Axs, Live Rock Music, News, & Events, Prima Donna, San Diego California, San Diego Comic Con Tagged With: 2013, 80s, acting, actor, adam and the ants, adam ant, Adam Ant & the Good, Adam Ant is the Blueback Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter, ant music, ant rap, antmania, antmusic, artist, balboa theatre, band, bazooka joe, bow wow wow, British, brothers of brazil, comic con, Concert, concert photography, Concert Review, desperate but not serious, drums, english, friend or foe, gig, glam, goldenvoice, goody two shoes, guitar, high resolution, live, london, malcolm mclaren, Music, new wave, north american tour, performance, Photo, photograph, photography, photos, pop music, Post Punk, prima donna, Punk, regency ballroom, review, rock, rockabilly, san diego, san diego comic con, set, set list, setlist, Sex Pistols, show, singer, siouxsie and the banshees, solo, stand and deliver, stuart leslie goddard, the Mad and the Lovely Posse, uk, wonderful

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Concert Reviews

The Psychedelic Furs | James at Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino | Reno, Nevada | 8/3/2019 (Concert Review + Photos)

“…hopefulness and lifting up and then deep, deep grief and then lifting up… because that seems to be the human experience right now, doesn’t it?”  Tim Booth of James, part of their co-headlining tour across North America with The Psychedelic Furs this summer, with one of their last stops in Reno at the Grand Theatre […]

Podcast Interviews

Ted Ottaviano, Book of Love: “Rock Talk” Podcast Audio Interview

This article features the latest in an ongoing series of “Rock Talk” podcast audio interviews for the Rock Subculture Journal. Today’s guest is Ted Ottaviano with Book Of Love. The synth pop New Wave group continue to celebrate their 30th anniversary with the release of new music as part of 2016’s “MMXVI: The 30th Anniversary […]

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels (Run-D.M.C.): “Rock Talk” Podcast Audio Interview

This article features the latest in an ongoing series of “Rock Talk” podcast audio interviews for the Rock Subculture Journal.  Today’s guest is Darryl McDaniels, best known as DMC with Run-D.M.C. (he prefers to be called “D”).  D was a featured guest at Sac-Con in Sacramento this past weekend, promoting his authentic foray into the […]

Dick Dale, Guitar Legend: “Rock Talk” Podcast Audio Interview

This article features the latest in an ongoing series of “Rock Talk” podcast audio interviews for the Rock Subculture Journal. The first guest for 2015 is Dick Dale, a legend in music, regarded as both “The King of the Surf Guitar” and the “Father of Heavy Metal”.  Now 77 years old, Mr. Dale is well […]

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