On Stage: Yeasayer @ Paradiso

There was a time when Yeasayer were the hippest band on the block, selling out all clubs and wanted by every festival around. They were guaranteed to draw big crowds to their performances, driven by the success of their first two albums. The experimental band from Brooklyn didn't compromise however, refusing to milk that success. Critics and the main stream music world seem to have lost interest and the band is starting to fly under the radar. Their new release Erotic Returns made me curious enough to go check them out again.

Yeasayer at Paradiso Amsterdam, August 19 2019

Playing a club show in the middle of the summer is not really a good for ticket sales. This is the off season for these kind of shows and most bands are earning their money at the summer festivals. Yeasayer did play a few festivals and maybe they just squeezed in the Amsterdam show. They do mention they think it is the best city in the world. I'm not the one to disagree here and it may just be the reason they are playing a more than half empty main hall tonight. This doesn't get the band down in any way though and the foursome are in great spirits.

The core members of the band are keyboard player Chris Keating, guitarist Anand Wilder and bassist Ira Wolf Tuton, while adding other musicians to their live band. I really love the sound of this band, the warm melodies with eastern influences and the great vocals and harmonies. Keating and Wilder are sharing lead vocals, which is pretty rare to have two of those amazing voices. Tuton adds lovely backing vocals and harmonies, possessing a clear falsetto. Live it all sounds just as good, with a well balanced sound mix where you can hear all the details.

Of course the group has a couple of giant hits like '2080' and 'O.N.E' that are incredibly catchy and can make even the biggest stiff move his body. But the band is so much more than that, exploring many musical directions, often not choosing the easy road. The new songs have a great pop sound and sometimes the band even rocks out quite hard. On a song like '24 Hateful Live!' I can't help but hearing distant echoes from Duran Duran. The band is not shying away from some political criticism either, although tonight they will only shortly give their view on their president.

Mostly the band is simply playing their songs in a tight show without many breaks in between them. This is working very well, creating a nice summery atmosphere where most people are moving to the lovely tunes. It does turn into a short night though, since after a three song encore the show is over, lasting not even 75 minutes. Still the band played a 15 song set, which is not bad at all. It is the same set they played at some of the festivals, where the band has to stick to 60 to 75 minutes slots. They definitely are able to fill those slots efficiently. Hopefully it reminds many people of what an amazing band this is, with a unique sound that should be able to please so many. Maybe the band is fine with their current status, but I think they deserve a lot more exposure and I hope the music world won't start to forget about them. I sure won't.

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Setlist:
01. Madder Red
02. Henrietta
03. Ohm Death
04. 2080
05. 24-Hour Hateful Live!
06. Let Me Listen In on You
07. Tightrope
08. Sunrise
09. People I Loved
10. Fluttering in the Floodlights
11. O.N.E.
12. Ecstatic Baby
Encore:
13. I'll Kiss You Tonight
14. Blue Skies Dandelions
15. Ambling Alp


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Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 3

Finally day three of the festival brings us sunshine and a lot to look forward to. After a crowded and wet day we could do with a little warmth and relaxation.

Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 3, June 19 2016

What better way to start the day with a karaoke? I can think of a few. The Indie Karaoke is actually good fun where people could enter in advance to sing a song with a professional band. So we hear songs from Oasis, The Hyves, Blur and more. The karaoke singers aren't all that good (and they shouldn't be), but put a lot of heart into it and are having a good time. And so are we!

Ryley Walker
We stayed longer at the karaoke than I planned but I manage to catch a few songs by Ryley Walker. I saw him last year and was pleasantly surprised. He's not your regular singer songwriter but brings a lot more to the table. His compositions are well thought through and I like the jazzy vibe his songs have now and then. I'm glad I could catch about 15 minutes of his performance in the very hot stage Three tent.

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Vant
This new band managed to create quite a hype with their catchy poprock songs while they only released a few songs. When you see them play live, it's not that strange that people pick up on them. The young lads are active and energetic on stage and definitely not shy. Their music is catchy but still packs enough meat to chew on. They already look like they have played all the big stages and have studied their rock poses. It results in an entertaining show and the future looks bright for this group.

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Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Ruban Nielson and his band had quite a year. After their album Multi-Love broke through, it seems they have toured continuously. It didn't wear them out. On the contrary, this is their strongest show I have seen them play. The band sounds tight like always and their set is well balanced. The songs sound even stronger live and it rubs off on the crowd who are greeting the songs with loud cheers. It turns the tent into a festive dancing party.

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Half Moon Run
We end up at the main stage where Half Moon Run wants to start their show, but the stage has a power failure. Only one mic is working so the two singers decide to use that one to do a song with just the two of them. Of course everyone loves this and the band have everyone eating from their hand after that. It's quite nice to hear them play in the sunshine, with their innocent music folk music with beautiful harmonies, but it's not my cup of tea.

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Israel Nash
We head over to the other side of the festival site instead to catch a bit of Israel Nash. Now that's more to my liking. It's good honest Americana and psychedelic rock with lots of character. The band look like they came from the seventies. They bring exactly that vibe to the stage and into their music. Nash's voice is great and the band is wonderful. Really glad to have caught a bit of this.

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Yeasayer
This band from Brooklyn returned with a new album Amen & Goodbye and it's always good to see them play live. I don't know the new album that well yet, but I've always had a weak spot for their mix of catchy electronic music with African and Eastern influences and danceable grooves. I'm glad to find out they still now how to make this mixture sound good on stage. The band looks pretty pleased themselves and especially their hit songs are greeted with loud cheers. Today everybody wins over here.

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Band Of Horses
The right band at the right time at the right spot, that's what happens with Band Of Horses. They are playing the main stage in broad daylight when everyone is buzzing from the booze and in a cheerful mood. The band looks in good shape themselves and their sounds has beefed up quite a bit. The crowd and the band get the best out of each other and when some people bring a life statue of a horse in, things can't go wrong any more. An inspired performance of 'The Funeral' is even moving to hear.

A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!?


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Wilco
Sometimes there are bands that everyone keeps raving about and I simply don't get it. This is the case with Wilco. Yes, they are a good band, but I dont find them that special. I decided to give it another try and although the band plays well I simply don't feel it. According to many it was the best performance of the weekend but I decide to take a look somewhere else.



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Badbadnotgood
We end up at stage Three where Badbadnotgood are playing. It didn't quite grab when I listened to their music but live their mix of jazz and heavy grooves are working quite well. I read a description that called them "crowd surf jazz" or something and that's actually describing it well. Especially the jazzy tunes with great solos are wonderful. It's great to see so many show up and enjoy this explosive show.



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Fat White Family
I try to get a bite to eat but this turns out to take longer than I want to. In the end I make it into the tent way too late and only catch the end of their show. By then the band has already torn the place apart telling from the way the band looks and the way the crowd is going mental. At least it's a good and fitting end of the weekend.

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So there you have it. I end up with mixed feelings about this weekend. We saw some great bands and wonderful music but had trouble finding the vibes we like so much of the pas editions. It seems we are not alone in this and by growing their festival Best Kept Secret may have lost some of their faithful early birds. Sometimes it's better to just keep it a bit of a secret.

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Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 1
Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 2

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Colourful Yeasayer

You have got to give Brooklyn band Yeasayer credit for trying to reinvent themselves on all three albums they released so far. After the highly successful second one, Odd Blood, they travelled into a different direction again. Fragrant World sounds more electronic and for some fans this is hard to get used to. How is this band going to put this together live on stage?

Yeasayer at Paradiso Amsterdam, December 5 2012



Well, they need a lot of equipment apparently. Paradiso's main stage is full of keyboards, samplers, drum machines and other electronics. Together with a huge backdrop, consisting of numerous triangular mirrors, and colourful lights there's hardly any room for the band members themselves. When the show takes off it's clear right away how effective these lighting effects are. Together with the new electronic direction it's as if we're looking into the future.



One thing that sticks out is that there's no drum kit any more. New drummer Cale Parks is not seated but is standing in the middle, surrounded by samplers, drum machines, pads, cymbals and some drums mounted to a rack. He's playing them ceaselessly during the show, producing great beats and rhythms. Contrary what you may think the music still sounds human, which is quite impressive. Every band member has transformed his sound accordingly. Anand Wilder's guitar produces synth like sounds instead of guitar riffs, while it's hard to believe what Ira Wolf Tuton is able to make his bass sound like.



Songs of Fragrant World sound very organic live. The gentle 'Henrietta' has gained more depth. It's hard not to move to 'Fingers Never Bleed' and 'Demon Road' with their groovy tribal like drums. Older songs got new arrangements so they fit in as well. 'Wait For The Summer' never sounded better. From time to time it's almost like everyone is a bit stunned by the music and the colourful lights. Chris Keating is telling us so many times how much they love playing here, that it's hard to believe him. But after an impressive one hour regular set and a half hour encore, it's easy to forgive him.



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Setlist:
1. Blue Paper
2. Henrietta
3. 2080
4. Longevity
5. O.N.E.
6. Don't Come Close
7. Madder Red
8. Demon Road
9. Wait for the Summer
10. Reagan's Skeleton
11. Ambling Alp
Encore:
12. Fingers Never Bleed
13. Devil and the Deed
14. Tightrope
15. Folk Hero Shtick


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Yeasayer Enlightens Melkweg

It's been hard to miss Yeasayer this year. The band from Brooklyn played lots of festivals and several club shows as well over here in the low lands. And for a reason: their latest album is very successful and their festival shows got positive reviews including mine. So I was really looking forward to their club show in the Melkweg last Friday.

Yeasayer at Melkweg Amsterdam, October 29 2010 (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
The stage looks familiar as it shows the same setup as the festival shows. The keyboards, samplers and other electronics are placed on square lit pillars that can change colours. When the venue lights dim they start to glow red while the band members make their appearance. During the show they are bathing in the changing colours.



This is characteristic for their show. Their music consists of several layers with many percussion elements, samples and tasteful use of electronic effects. It's what colours their music. The live versions of their songs are different than the album versions which give them an added value. Singer Chris Keating seems to be more lively on stage as is the rest of the band compared to a few months ago. He is moving around to play some percussion either with percussionist Ahmed Gallab or drummer Jason Trammell or on his own instrument. Bass player Ira Wolf Tuton and guitarist/singer Anand Wilder sometimes leave their spot on the right and left side to face Tramell or join Keating. They are really playing together as a band and it looks like they are all feeling relaxed and enjoying the gig.

There isn't a lot of interaction with the audience besides the occasional "thank you's" and "I love this place". Besides maybe more uptempo songs like 'O.N.E.' or 'Wait for the Summer' most of their songs aren't exactly gonna turn the crowd into a bouncing sweaty mass going mental. Nevertheless there's a good atmosphere in the venue tonight and the band sounds tight and convincing. I find that somehow they sound better live than on their albums that doze off on some points.




After a short hour they leave the stage and when they come back play a few more songs as an encore. Still it feels like a short performance and they could have added a few more songs. But it was a strong performance and they have shown that they are making progress because of playing many live shows. This is good news for the future.

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Lowlands 2010 Day 3: Lowlands Goes Out With A Bang

Although the forecast promises rain later on this morning looks pretty good. It's cloudy with a nice temperature so we wake up slowly, have a bit of breakfast and then quickly head to the festival site. We already missed Blaudzun but sure don't want to miss Go Back To The Zoo's party!

Go Back To The Zoo (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
And what a party it is! There are lots more people than fit in the India tent so all around the tent there's a huge crowd. We cannot make it into the tent either and so outside we dance to the catchy songs of the Dutch band. They play like they have been playing on Lowlands a dozen times before. They stick to the up-tempo songs which is a smart move. Their slower songs are also the weakest and this way they keep the crowd dancing and the spirits high. Another great start of the day. Watch a video over here.



Moss (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
Onto another Dutch gem that we find playing on the Grolsch stage. They easily fill up this tent and put down a convincing set. They brought the extra drummers with them like at their gig in Paradiso. They are focused and put a lot of effort in it which is appreciated by the crowd. This results in an atmospheric and glorious performance.



My favorite scar (Ronald Says 5 out of 10)
A lot of Dutch bands are filling the stages today. One of them is a new metal band My Favorite Scar. But the members are all experienced musicians that have been around for a while. Unfortunately everything about this band is made up. The band members are dressed in sturdy looking outfits and are going through every cliche rock pose. This wouldn't be a problem if the music made up for that but as you can expect when you go for style first the songs aren't anything special. This is a concept for a metal band rather than a genuine metal band. Sorry Jeroen.

Staff Benda Billi (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
A Congo-based band with several disabled musicians that bring Afro-funk and other swinging tunes. This results in a festive performance with everyone dancing. The fact that some of these musicians are in wheel chairs or on crutches doesn't hinder them in putting down a lively performance.

Yeasayer (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
A great performance on Rock Werchter made me want to check them out again. I've listened to their albums several times since then but they don't represent their live performance because both have their weaker moments. But on stage they play a well balanced set that sounds great. It's nice to see that their songs have many subtle elements and layers without sounding complex. Singer Chris Keating complains about the height of the stage a couple of times that makes him feel disconnected from the audience. It did look like their performance on Rock Werchter was more relaxed. Let's see what he thinks of the Melkweg stage in October.



The National (Ronald Says 9 out of 10)
After releasing probably one of the best records of the year I really had to check them out. In the meantime I listened to most of their albums and really love their music. I wasn't disappointed. Singer Matt Berninger's baritone easily fills up the tent and sounds impressive. His stage appearance is neurotic at times when he walks around like Rainman. His warm vocals can change to aggressive screams within a second which gives the songs a dramatic feel. Guitarist Dressner does most of the talking in between songs while Berninger is totally absorbed by the music pouring out his guts and soul while he seems to be facing his demons. And all we can do is watch in total admiration.



Two Door Cinema Club (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)
It was no use anymore checking out Placebo so we decided to watch this band instead. Their songs are catchy and the crowd are eager to party so the vibes are good. But the guitar licks and chords all sound alike while singer Alex Trimble's voice is too thin. This makes every song sound alike and it does get really weary in the end.

Queens of the Stone Age (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Time for the final blow of the festival. And you can leave that to Queens of the Stone Age. They must have taken that literally. The sound is poor: it's very loud with lots of bass causing a wall of noise to hit you. Of course their music is powerful and rough but it does kill all the subtleties that some of their songs have. The band is really eager though and Josh Homme sure looks in a good mood. He's chatty and repeatedly mentions what a great time he was having. The crowd is eager to party one more time and every ending of a song or guitar solo is greeted with loud cheers. When they finish their set 15 minutes before time the crowd goes crazy for an encore. But when it is clear this is really the end it changes into an even louder booing. Just one or two more songs would have made this a perfect ending and maybe even a memorable performance. Now it leaves a bad taste in my mouth and only a 7-rating instead of a higher one.

And so Lowlands 2010 has come to an end. We check out some more comedy have a few more drinks, finish all our coins and more than pleased go to sleep. Only to wake up to horrible rainy weather the next day. In a rare dry moment we quickly pack up and go home. But this cannot change our merry mood since this was a great Lowlands edition with so many quality performances and great music. Better get your ticket on time next year since I'm sure it will only sell out even faster.

See more pictures over here:
Lowlands 2010 Day 3 Pictures

Lowlands 2010 Day 1 Review >
Lowlands 2010 Day 2 Review >
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Rock Werchter 2010 Day 3: Perfect Festival Day

We were looking forward to this day since it had some nice bands lined up and it promised to be cloudy. But again the sun was forcing us out early. And before we knew it we went through our daily regular routine and made it to the festival site early.

Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
The first one up is Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. After his relaxed performance in June we decided to come up close to the stage again and got a top spot in front of the stage. They again were having lots of fun although this stage was a bit too big for them. But it's always a treat seeing a drum player like Hawkins beating the crap out of his kit.

Das Pop (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Belgian band Das Pop had no trouble filling the main stage as they brought lots of inflatable palm trees to add to the tropical feel. Ironically the sky had filled with clouds and the monsoon rain had started. No problem for these guys because with a lively and energetic set they put a smile on every one's face. Some palm trees even made it into the crowd. Haven't seen them afterwards anymore. They would look great with my hammock at home. By the end of the show the rain had stopped, things had cooled down and we had perfect festival weather for the rest of the day.

Yeasayer (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
I don't know what to think of their albums. They have so many ideas and styles that sometimes you feel a bit overwhelmed. But so many people were praising their live performances I really wanted to see them. Live on stage this overwhelming feeling of too many ideas was gone completely. Instead I was overwhelmed with all the creativity. They played a very tight set that was well balanced with all their different styles. Everyone was loving it and this was definitely a pleasant surprise. Time to pick up their albums again and see if I can absorb it better this time. And of course turn up at their live gig in Paradiso at the end of October.



Porcupine Tree (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
One of the bands I definitely wanted to check out was Porcupine Tree. Their complicated music sometimes makes me listen in admiration and other times makes me tired. But things can be so different live on stage. First I listened outside the Pyramid Marquee and watched them on the big screen. But shortly after they sucked me into the tent to watch it up close. Great musicians were putting down breath taking music with great effort. And everyone was watching with their mouths open.

The Ting Tings (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)
What is left after the big hype? New bands have taken their place as the hippest band on the block. What is left isn't enough to lay down an entertaining show on the main stage today. Of course everyone is dancing to their few hit songs including mega hit 'That's not my name'. But besides that that they didn't have much to offer.

Florence + The Machine (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
This lady is creating her own hype. She seems to draw bigger and bigger crowds and I still don't know whether to like it or not. Her singing works better for me in some songs like 'Dog Days Are Over' than in others where it's starting to get on my nerves. Fact is that she's killing it in the Pyramid Marquee today with an energetic set that sends everyone out with a blush on their cheeks.

P!nk (Ronald Says 5 out of 10)
She may look a bit out of place on a rock festival but most festivals like to surprise us sometimes. She still drew a big crowd because everyone wanted to see the killer show that was promised. And she was off to a flying start. Dropped from a cage that was lifted above the crowd she kicked off with her first song. An impressive stage set representing a carnival with lots of visuals supported her. But she also showed that she doesn't have many good songs. Apparently she feels like that herself too since she played many cover songs and not even that good. Combined with an overacting band I couldn't watch it anymore. The carnival started to look spooky and in the end we had been watching an expensive cover band. Even the flying wasn't real.



Rammstein (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
If you want overacting and a show that will blow you off your socks leave it to these guys. They have taken overacting to the next level. Is it theater with music or music with theater? Their show has all the known ingredients: lots of fire and fireworks, scary looking greasy musicians and bombastic metal riffs. But all with a wink of course. Their music with repeating distorted metal chords isn't all that great and many songs sound a alike. But no one wanted to miss a spectacle like this.

With all that fire we were longing for some fried chicken. So we were off to get one and swallow it down with some more beers. My body was already protesting with every muscle and joint aching. Nothing a good night sleep can't fix!

See more pictures over here:
Rock Werchter 2010 Day 3 Pictures

Rock Werchter 2010 Day 1 Review >
Rock Werchter 2010 Day 2 Review >
Rock Werchter 2010 Day 4 Review >

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