Ra Ra Riot in Anchorage

While I do have some major issues with the base setup of First Tap events at Bear Tooth in Anchorage, Alaska (the bulk of which came out in a discussion with my friend Stephanie), I'd be lying if I didn't say that they sometimes give us some pretty damn kickin' shows. This past Thursday was a particularly good example of that, as indie favorites Ra Ra Riot came into town and assailed Alaskan eyes and ears with the fun tunes and energetic live shows that have long been well known to those from the contiguous United States.

While the less said about the two opening acts, the better (a DJ who acts like he's god's gift to music named Alex the Lion that just knows how to press enter on a MacBook Pro, and The Smile Ease, a band who has no idea who they are), Ra Ra Riot had an air about them. They seemed like seasoned veterans who haven't lost their love for what they do yet. Sometimes a band can sound tight and good, but they clearly are going through the motions and not having a good time.

Definitely not the case for Ra Ra Riot.

They were smart in their setlist design, sticking to tracks that are more crowd pleasing and keeping the audience eating from their hands the whole time. The only real downer from the set was when the vocals went out at the beginning of "Can You Tell?" and I missed my favorite part of my favorite song. Besides that, it was all dancing and singalongs from yours truly, with a side of winking at their gorgeous string section. Hot!

If you get the opportunity, definitely check out Ra Ra Riot. They're a heck of a good time live, and they make some damn fine music too.

Cold War Kids at First Tap

This past Thursday, Bear Tooth actually had another band up in Alaska I liked for First Tap! Not to say there is something wrong with Rusted Root or Clinton Fearon or any of the others that followed Ghostland Observatory's performance at November's edition, but those bands are well past their prime. To be fair, as I noted with my friend Kerstin before the show, even the performers of the evening are not exactly on their way to the top.

Cold War Kids are their name, and they shot onto the scene with 2006's Robbers & Cowards. While it wasn't their first release, it was their first to gain them widespread attention. Highlighted by three particularly transcendant tracks in "Hospital Beds", "Hang Me Up to Dry" and "We Used to Vacation", they toured vigorously and gained them a lot of fans.

Including yours truly.

Of course, their follow up release Loyalty to Loyalty in 2008 was received by reviews of the negative nature from all kinds of critics.

Including yours truly.

Now they visited Alaska, supporting their recent EP release Behave Yourself (which is solid, in case you're wondering), and they were...mostly good. I saw them at Sasquatch 2008 before the release of Loyalty, and they were excellent. They brought a lot of energy and vitality, like you'd expect a band who'd just recently hit it big would do.

However, when they came into town on Thursday preceded by Wasilla's Lavoy (a decent local opener for what they are, but as Kerstin and I said it's like they don't know who they are so they switch genres constantly and have no real identity) instead of on the same day as The Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, and Tegan and Sara. Not sure if how much it affected it, but the timing and situation couldn't have helped as the band prepared.

Overall, they sounded very solid. They had a good mix between all of their releases, spreading all of my personal favorite tracks out over the length of the performance to keep me having something to look forward to. Everyone in the band performed their duties admirably, but there is one simple problem with the performance: they have a few great songs, and a lot of mediocre ones.

To me, this led their performance to drag on. They aren't particularly engaging performers, they don't draw us in with their stage presence, and they didn't have an insane stage show like Ghostland Observatory (or The Who at the Super Bowl today, mother of god!). While they sounded just fine, nothing about the evening excelled short of the excellent company with me and the fine brews Bear Tooth provided. Still a good time, but ultimately nothing fantastic.

Cold War Kids are coming to Alaska

To help continue our recent influx of musical talent to Alaska (which have included shows in the past two months from Iron & Wine, The Hold Steady, and Ghostland Observatory), now the illustrious indie rock group known as Cold War Kids will be visiting the Great White North on February 4th for one of Bear Tooth's classic First Tap events.

While I highly doubt I will enjoy them as much as Ghostland (saw them at Sasquatch 2008, they're good but they don't really blow minds like Ghostland does), I can say that there may have never been a better band to pair with a First Tap event. I've frequently described their style of music as "dangerous" and "boozy," and really, you aren't going to get a more boozy locale than the Bear Tooth on a First Tap night. Even bars look at them and say "wow...that's a lot of drinking." I think they'll be a major hit here, and I really can't wait.

Also, bravo to Bear Tooth for bringing another high quality band that actually has legit buzz about them. While you did manage to fit Clinton Fearon (back for the millionth time), Lyrics Born (back again as well), and Rusted Root (another return visit) in between the Kids and Ghostland, in a paraphrasing of Jack Nicholson's character in Mars Attacks, that's still two out of five and that ain't bad. Keep it up Alaska. Maybe you'll keep me around a little longer if you keep me entertained.

Tickets go on sale Monday, November 23rd. Don't miss your opportunity to support good music in Alaska.

Ghostland Observatory at Bear Tooth

Ghostland Observatory

Recently, Alaska has had a rash of good concerts. That this statement means we've had three in two months that were good is sad, but in comparison to what we normally get it's an embarassment of riches (what do I have to look forward to the rest of the year, concert wise? Lyrics Born, Three 6 Mafia, and Clinton Fearon - shoot me in the face) as The Hold Steady, Iron and Wine, and now Ghostland Observatory have come up to Alaska. Somewhat predictably, Ghostland also ended up being far and away the most fun of the three, as it was not only one of the best dance parties I've ever been to (perhaps even better than when I saw Girl Talk), but the best First Tap I've ever been to at Bear Tooth.

Given that it was a Bear Tooth show, we were subjected to bad openers. This time, they started up with a pair of DJ sets, the first of whom I missed entirely (evidently he basically played Justice's album Cross) and the second I just wish I missed, as he was effectively playing Bass Nectar and Daft Punk from what I understand (as in the exact mixes). Whatever it was, he was a simply terrible DJ.

If I went to these shows for the openers, well...I wouldn't go. Thankfully, Ghostland came out and blew the roof off the building. Starting up with five straight tracks off Paparazzi Lighting ("Piano Man", "Ghetto Magnet", "All You Rock and Rollers", "Vibrate", and "Sad Sad City") was a great idea, as everyone was clearly more familiar with the superior earlier album than their follow up Robotique Majestique. At this point, I was up front dancing my feet off, not really dancing with anyone in particular but always dancing with someone. Regardless of what was playing, it sounded perfect and was a massively entertaining romp for all to dance to. That they threw in a stellar laser light show and enough smoke machine action to give a fire marshall hives was just icing on the cake.

This show was the perfect example of how First Taps should be: great bands, great sound, great show. You give us those three things and I guarantee you every First Tap will sell out that fast. That we get retreads like Born and Fearon for the rest of the year is disappointing and just assures that I will not attend, but I hope someday they realize what they could accomplish by bringing up incredible bands like Ghostland up.

Plus, without bands like Ghostland, how will the guy that had a Tron suit on at the show display it in a public setting? You just don't get a lot of chances to wear that.

Lasers!

Dance party plus!

Thomas Ross Turner dropping some wizard beats

Glorious lasers!

Frontman Aaron Behrens resting his weary voice

Yes Month: Day 3

Keller Williams

Yes Month continues as a rousing success, as I've said yes to a number of things I wouldn't typically say yes to and they've all been fun. Today is the first big event, as I'm going to Bear Tooth's First Tap tonight with Keller Williams performing. I've never heard anything by Keller Williams, I generally am not a fan of First Tap events (is it possible to make that place hotter or more crowded, plus, I wanted to save my high school reunion for 2012), and it's $25...but who cares! It's Yes Month! I'm going with Cate, Joanne, Eric and Darren, and I feel like it's going to be an awesome time. Who knows what other opportunities will arise where I'll get to say yes? I excitedly await that answer tonight...