Seen live: Silversun Pickups + Against Me! + The Henry Clay People

I can't even begin to describe how amazing the Silversun Pickups show was Saturday night. I had wanted to see the L.A. rockers live for a few years, and it was totally worth the wait. 

The foursome performed a quality mix of songs and pumped up the crowd with witty banter and incredible on-stage energy.

You get the impression the former indie-rock darlings play their music like it's the first time each night and love connecting with their fans via a great live concert.

And in saving the best for almost last, the SSPU granted my wish and played "Three Seed," my favorite tune of theirs, in the three-song encore.

As for the openers, the Henry Clay People put on a show worthy of veteran performers. I got a chance to talk with lead singer Joey Siara on my way back from the bathroom and getting a beer between their set and Against Me!. Joey was totally down to earth and humble in thanking me for coming out to the Marquee.

The highlight of the Henry Clay People's set was drummer Eric Scott, who rejoined the band after getting laid off from his day-job. His loss definitely was our gain as the husky dude killed it on the sultry tune "Saturday Night."

Download: "Your Famous Friends"

Going into the concert, I was skeptical as to why the SSPU would tab Against Me! as their tour mates, and my suspicions were confirmed after the Florida-based punk outfit's set. Everything from their attire to their facial expressions to their performance was cheesy, unimpressive and the only flaw in an otherwise solid show. I just wasn't feeling it.

Come to find out the SSPU and Against Me! became good friends after doing a radio show tour together. And if we learned anything after Saturday night, it's sometimes you shouldn't take your homies on the road.

Silversun Pickups set list:

Growing Old Is Getting Old

Well Thought Out Twinkles

Sort Of 

There's No Secrets This Year

The Royal We

Little Lovers So Polite

It's Nice To Know You Work Alone

Future Foe Scenarios

Kissing Families

Catch And Release

Panic Switch

Lazy Eye

Encore: 

Substitution

Three Seed

Common Reactor

Even more visuals from the show:

 Disclaimer: I apologize some of the photos are blurry, have rock hands in them, etc. I need a new camera and there was beer consumed during the taking of these images. Enjoy.

 

  

Nothing like a little new vinyl to usher in a lazy, post-concert Sunday afternoon. My ears are still ringing.

Five for Friday

This weekend you can find the fiance and I confined to the city limits. But for good reason.

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1. Rock out: One of the top groups on my "bands-to-see-live" list will be checked off Saturday, hence the sticking around. I finally will experience the Silversun Pickups, one of my favorites, in concert at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe. 

I hope, hope, hope, hope they perform "Three Seed" ... their best song in my opinion.

2. Rest: I'm sure we'll need it after the consumption of fuzzed-out, hard-hitting tunes as noted above. Proving 28 is the new 68? We'll see.

3. Refresh: My resume, that is. I'm starting to get a better idea of what my next career move will be. And, sadly, it's probably not here.

4. Cover up: Curtains and bookcase shelf doors are two of the next purchases in the townhouse decorating adventure. A trip to Ikea may be in order Sunday.

5. Window seat > aisle seat: My mom is making an AZ appearance in August, so I need to book her trip, ASAP.

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Cool like the ocean / Burned like a summer home / Fooled by the notion / That the sums don't add up at all ...

Hopefully, I will hear those lyrics on the night of Saturday, July 17. The music gods have smiled on me and brought the Silversun Pickups, one of my favorite bands, to Tempe. I pray they play that line of perfectly-crafted lo-fi goodness, which is from what I consider their best song, "Three Seed."

As a way to combat my insomnia Tuesday night, I perused Facebook on my phone. Imagine my delight when I saw "Pre-Sale for the Portland, OR and Tempe, AZ shows start tomorrow at 10 a.m." as a status update for the band's page illuminating the screen. I woke up at 9:20 a.m. barely able to contain my excitement at the thought of seeing them for the first time in concert.

Their quick return to the AZ is a bit unexpected considering they opened for Muse at the US Airways Center at the beginning of April. I looked into tickets, but they were about the cost of our power bill for the month. Their upcoming show at the Marquee Theatre, which I've never been to, is way more in my $$$ range. Against Me! and the Henry Clay People are slated to open.

I've followed the Los Angeles group from their early stages as indie rock darlings to full-fledged headliners. Their spin on shoegaze could be classified as mellow, dreamy, fuzzed-out alternative rock.

And I thought my live show luck had run out as evidenced by Modest Mouse's geographical taunting of me with their shows in New Mexico and Colorado that I'm unable to attend.

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Top tracks: "Three Seed," "Ne Plus Ultra," "The Royal We," "Growing Old Is Getting Old"

Silversun Pickups on last.fm

"Panic Switch" music video 

Official Web site