Last Night: Willie Nelson at Broward Center

Categories: Concert Review
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Monica McGivern
Willie Nelson
Broward Center
February 7, 2012

There is a trustworthy and relaxed quality to the experience of seeing a performer who clearly has nothing to prove, one who is simply and delightedly doing his thing. It's rare in this world, but that's what you get when you see Willie Nelson. 

That's also why the Broward Center was full last night and why folks with fake tans and yachts parked outside were clapping in unison with the bleary-eyed stoners who were peppered throughout the crowd as the night coalesced into a show-ending gospel sing-along.

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Live: Tool at BankAtlantic Center, February 6

Categories: Concert Review
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The set list drew heavily from Tool's 1996 album AEnima.
Tool
With Yob
BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise
Monday, February 6

Better than:
Many bands who waste more stage time on useless chatter than actual music.

About 20 minutes -- or three songs -- into last night's headlining Tool show at BankAtlantic Center, frontman Maynard James Keenan finally spoke. "Some of the songs we're playing tonight were written back when most of you were sperm," he said.

This wasn't exactly true. Yes, the set list, consisting of only 11 long, multipart songs total, came almost entirely from 2001 and before, with the most songs selected from the 1996 album AEnima. But most of the crowd, from mid-20s on up, were old enough to remember them from the first time around.
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The Civil Wars Charm a Sold-Out Show at the Culture Room

Categories: Concert Review
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The Civil Wars
with Zach Williams and the Bellow
Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale
Saturday, February 4


Better than: Staying home on a Saturday night and watching the movie Once.

The success of the Civil Wars can be seen as happening overnight, but, with or without the help of Grey's Anatomy, there is no denying the raw and intricate talent bursting from the duo.

The musical match of Californian Joy Williams and Southern good ol' boy John Paul White is certainly a curious one, but it works. Having met three years ago when both musicians were on the brink of leaving music, it's almost naive to say fate didn't bring them together. And despite the members being married -- not to one another -- there is a chemistry that exists between them that is mesmerizing.

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The Bright Light Social Hour Reanimated Rock 'n' Roll and 2 Live Crew at the Funky Buddha

Categories: Concert Review
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Adam E. Smith
The sensation those exiting the Countdown Club in London circa 1964 after an early era Pink Floyd show had or the way the Ramones' fans stumbling out of CBGBs in Manhattan around 1974 felt would be analogous to my experience at last night's the Bright Light Social Hour show. 

My mixed bag of sonically instigated elation and rising-star-struck stupefaction arose from a full-frontal assault by the Bright Light Social Hour. It was a strategic blend of clean bass bombs, machine-gun guitar shredding, rapid-fire drum fills, and maniacal organ mortar belting from a Leslie rotating speaker. Austin's award-winning rising stars took the hype in stride, rose to the occasion like a band of veterans, and rocked the hell out of the the Funky Buddha's Bamboo Stage.
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The Kills Captivate the Crowd at Revolution in Fort Lauderdale

Categories: Concert Review
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Ian Witlen
The Kills
with Jeff the Brotherhood and Hunters
Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale
Saturday, January 28

Better than:
Seeing them in front of 15 people at Common Grounds in Gainesville circa early 2000-something.

To describe the Kills show in one word would be easy: intoxicating. However, I'm not sure my editor would approve of such a short review. Still, the undeniable sexual energy flowing within the four walls of Revolution on Saturday night was pumping through everyone's bodies.

Seeing the Kills live is more than just going to another concert; it's as though you're a voyeur being invited into the duo's secret world. You can feel the unspoken connection, both musically and emotionally, that Hince and Mosshart hold between each other. It's authentic. It's genuine. And not just a product of a brand the two are trying to sell to the masses.


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99.9 KISS Country Chili Cookoff: Fewer People, More Manners, Please

Categories: Concert Review
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Nothing says sexy like a Confederate flag.
If many of those in attendance at the 27th Annual 99.9 KISS Country Chili Cookoff were official representatives of the United States, they'd offer a sort of dim but realistic view of American history. 

We have a longstanding history of demonstrating unfailing pride for living in the land of the free, the home of the brave. That history, however romantic, is also one of wrongful invasions and some not-so-nice racism. Check out those Confederate flags flying high.  

Despite all of that, what 99.9 KISS Country has done is a beautiful thing. It's created a longstanding music festival that celebrates twang, freedom, and good ol' Southern glory -- one that's still able to sell out 27 years after the fest's inaugural date.
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Tom Rush Talked Joni Mitchell, Festival Express, and His White Shoes at Broward Center

Categories: Concert Review
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Photo by Bruce W. Bedford, courtesy of TomRush.com
Tom Rush 
Amaturo Theater, Broward Center for the Performing Arts 
January 28, 2012 

Better than: Practically every other performer armed only with two guitars, great songs, and a stunning wit.

For those who had never seen Tom Rush in concert before last Saturday night, there were two things they learned right at outset of his show. 

One, he's a stunning guitarist. This is a skill that, to fully appreciate, one must witness in person. Two, he's laugh-out-loud funny, a man who possesses a sharp wit and a brilliant sense of humor. 

His third skill is obvious already. A veteran of the seminal '60s Cambridge folk scene, he's not only a superb songwriter in his own right but an artist who's always had the knack for spotting other songwriting sources and adapting that outside material to suit his own style. Hence, his early albums featured the songs of the as-of-then-unknown Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and a number of other artists who had yet to command the spotlight on their own.

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Anthony Green Brings Out Tears and Singing Voices at Culture Room

Categories: Concert Review
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Steven Martinez

Anthony Green
Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale
Saturday, January 28, 2012

Saturday night at the Culture Room, sleeve tattoos were displayed, vocal cords were pushed to their limit, and a few tears were probably shed as Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green, backed by Good Old War, lead what amounted to a highly emotional, group sing-along.

Green poured his heart out from start to finish, and the audience followed suit. As he stood, drenched in sweat, chest tattoo glistening in the bright lights, droplets of moisture flinging from his effortlessly coifed hair, the faces in the crowd became flushed along with his as they shared vocal duties. And they did so with such spirit, conviction, and surprising ability that he often stepped back from the mic and let his friends carry the tune.

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Machine Gun Kelly Brings Nirvana, Porn Talk, and Mosh Pits to Revolution in Fort Lauderdale

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Machine Gun Kelly
Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale
January 26, 2012


Better Than:
Staying in to watch another reality show.

Cobain's back! Cobain's back! Well, not really, but anyone could have been fooled when the crowd was shouting, "MGK!" started to amp up when the DJ dropped the intro for "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Then, from out of back, the slim, tatted up Cleveland native Machine Gun Kelly rushed out to welcome the audience by stage diving.

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Electro Kaleidoscope at Little Munich With Sumsun, Bubbly Mommy Gun, and Low Level Laser Radiation

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Monica McGivern
Little Munich: Authentic German food and brew with an occasional night of psychedelic electro rock.
​Low Level Laser Radiation, JJXP, Michael Collins, Garrett Johnson, Bubbly Mommy Gun, Telethon, Sumsun, Yahtzee Guy
Little Munich, Lake Worth
January 21, 2012

Better than: Not liking slam poetry, sticking around, and then realizing that you do.
​ 
Two guys walk into a German bar at the request of a mutual friend (this lady right here). Said mutual friend orders an authentic sauerkraut dish while the two guys order their beers. They look up to see a stage at the far end of the room. One of the two guys exclaims, "Hey, is that Weezer?"

The person they're referring to happens to be the very talented Nelson Hallonquist, performing under the moniker of Low Level Lazer Radiation. Wearing blackish framed glasses does little to avert a geek-rock comparison. Although, a true scenester would know that Rivers Cuomo and company are somewhere in international waters right now.
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