David Chan’s Blog

Regardless of what others think of Panic at the Disco, I enjoy their music, and I thought I’d go see them live as they promote their Pretty. Odd. album.

I’ve seen pictures and videos of some of their performances which encorporate the circus theme, but that was more A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out era.  The current PATD is more 60’s flower power hippy, which I assume is why they have teamed up with Honda to promote the Civic hybrid.

They played some hits from their first cd, which are more danceable than some of their current songs, and which were obvious crowd pleasers.  They also performed numerous numbers from their latest album, though the crowd wasn’t as involved during those songs, from what I saw.

Here are three videos from the concert, before my Flip’s battery died.

Opened with We’re so Starving and Nine in the Afternoon

But it’s Better if You Do (probably my favorite PATD song)

The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage

I went to the M.I.A. concert last night at the PNE, and it was an interesting experience. I’ve been to numerous rock shows, and I’m more used to that kind of crowd and atmosphere, so I had no idea of what to expect from my first hip-hop concert.

When the (unknown to me) opening acts finished, M.I.A.’s show started, and we were shown this interesting video message:

It’s impossible to make out the subtitles from that video, and if you listen carefully there’s a guy in the back reciting the words.

Lots of beats, dancing, glow-in-the-dark glasses, disputes, and mosh-pit attempts later, the show was over. M.I.A. ends the concert with an encore, featuring Paper Planes:

Over all I can’t complain. My decision to see this show was a last minute thing, and I got my ticket for cheap off Craigslist. Anyone reading this also went to the concert? Did you see the fight over the flag?

I watched the Foo Fighters live when they were in Vancouver promoting their 2005 album In Your Honor, and I thought that was an amazing show. Three years and many live shows attended later, I wasn’t sure if they were still going to wow me like they did before.

I was totally wrong.

Eighty dollars (exorbitant Ticketmaster taxes included) for my floor ticket to Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace was a steal. Not only did attendees get the four person Foo Fighters lineup, but as Grohl proudly exclaimed, we were getting “100% more Foo Fighters”. For a few songs they had four extra members, an extra guitarist, a pianist, a guy who played exotic percussion instruments (various chimes and of course, the triangle), and a girl on strings (chello/violin). “We’re into that experimental s—,” Grohl explains.

Two stages, two hours, three song encore, one triangle solo. A hell of a hard rockin’ concert. There’s going to be a huge influx of people getting Foo Fighters tattoos this week.