Ezra Furman & the Harpoons @ 3rd & Lindsley. Nashville.

I'm starting out here by saying that Ezra Furman and the Harpoons are the shit.


With that said, I attended their show at 3rd and Lindsley last night and was shocked at how engrossed I became in it. I first saw Ezra play at the WXPN festival in July in Philadelphia. They definitely got my attention, but I could have gone with never seeing them live again.. or so I thought.

This band makes me think of how Bob Dylan would sound if he were just starting out today, only a bit quirkier and with a mascot goose named "Mortimer". There are similarities, especially in Ezra Furman [the lead singer]'s voice. They popped out songs from their past album,"Banging Down the Doors", like "I Dreamed of Moses" and "How Long Diana?" and did newer songs like "We Should Fight" and "Take off Your Sunglasses" with the addition of a harmonica, which the crowd seemed to respond most to. Andrew Langer, guitarist for my favorite band of all time, The Redwalls, flew in to play guitar for this show and is also featured on Ezra's newest album [not yet in stores]. Ezra Furman and the Harpoons don't need him; however, his help certainly payed off and together, they made some beautiful music last night.

Check out Ezra Furman and the Harpoons @ http://www.myspace.com/ezrafurman
And if you like their music, go out and get their album, "Banging Down the Doors", then wait for their new album "Inside the Human Body" which should be in stores mid October.

Matt Wertz @ Borders. Nashville.

Matt Wertz played a free show at the Borders West End in Nashville on September 16th. My best friend is in love with the man and dragged me with her. Because I had never seen him live, I had not a clue what to expect. One fourth of the store was packed, mostly with kids from Vanderbuilt University. We arrived early, yet had to sit on the floor because all seats were taken. When he sat down on his stool and started to play, I was pleasantly surprised. The mini soundcheck he did prior to the show was even entertaining. I could have sat on that carpeted floor all night and listened to the man sing.

Wertz is a singer/songwriter type with an acoustic guitar and melodic put-you-in-a-happy-mood songs. He was promoting his new album, "Under Summer Sun", which includes handpicked songs from past albums, plus a few new tunes. My personal faves are "Carolina" and "5:19". If you enjoy the type of music that is light and mellow while still giving you the urge to tap your feet, run [don't walk] to your local record store and buy Wertz' new album.

Wertz [in white] from the floor's view

*Check Matt out @ www.myspace.com/mattwertz

Michelle Branch @ The Nashville Airport

This just in: We met Michelle Branch at BNA, Nashville's International Airport. I know this has nothing to do with live shows, but it does have a lot to do with good music, so it's getting its own post.

I flew in today from New York City to spend a few days with the best friend. There I was, minding my own business at the baggage claim and who did I see but Michelle Branch plus her tatooed husband and adorable daughter standing next to me. We walked out to the parking garage at the same time and just had to say something. We told her we were huge fans and asked for a picture. Despite being with her family and attempting to leave the airport, she was extremely friendly. Her hubby took the picture and even offered to take a second one. She apologized for looking like "crap", having just come off of a plane and I told her I had too. She asked where I flew in from, then asked for our names and repeated them back to us. She told us thank you, then went on her merry way.

Thank you, Michelle Branch, for being a normal person.

And yes, please do excuse the lack of glamour in the above photograph.

Gavin DeGraw @ City Hall. Nashville.

Gavin Degraw played at City Hall in Nashville on Thursday, August 28th. My friend and I managed to get into the show for free, thanks to Gavin himself remembering us from 2003, when we were two "teenie boppers" obsessed with his "Chariot" album.

I went into the venue expecting to take a trip down memory lane and be completely consumed by his artistry. I'm sorry, Gavin, but I have to admit that did not happen and I was indeed disappointed. The place was packed with fans of all ages, most of whom seemed to not even know that DeGraw was around five years ago and wouldn't even know he existed today if it hadn't been for his latest *cough*sell out*cough* single "In Love with a Girl". He played songs mostly from his new album and the oldies even sounded more mainstream, as if they'd been changed. I was pushed so far back by drunken fans, DeGraw looked like a tiny bug with a guitar/piano, but from what I could see, he did interact well with the fans, even coming into the crowd a few times. He had a lot of energy, but the soul was missing.

After the show, we spent a bit of time at a local bar with him and he was very kind and offered to take pictures with us. There we are up there with his pals who decided it would be fun to act like idiots in the background. Thumbs up... to the bar anyway.

There's a [poor quality] video of Gavin singing "Young Love".

*Check Gavin out at www.myspace.com/gavindegraw

Josh Kelley @ 3rd & Lindsley. Nashville, TN.

A couple of nights ago I went to see a show at a small but lively venue called 3rd & Lindsley, in the heart of Nashville, TN. I took a seat at the only available table and was immediately welcomed by Trey Lockerbie, a young local musician who sang right from his heart, about true life experiences. The more he sang, the more I felt I was at a storytelling session... in a good way. You can tell how in love with music Lockerbie is and because of that, the crowd loved him.

Next was Grammer. He took the stage, seeming timid and unsure of how this would play out. The crowd was a bit unsure as well. However, when he opened his mouth, the mouths of many of us dropped. His voice was undeniably angelic and his lyrics catchy and sweet. We dubbed him the male version of Ingrid Michaelson. I had the pleasure of speaking to him after the show and he was a complete sweetheart and willing to spend as much time as possible with new fans.

The Massacoustics followed Andy Grammer. Honestly, I was not impressed. They were geared more toward a hardcore Southern crowd. You know, pick up truck driving, hard working, ripped jean wearing dudes, with completely outrageous songs. One thing I do have to give props for: one of the members in the band simultaneously rocked out on guitar and drums. Kudos to you, man.

By the time Josh Kelley came out, everyone was pumped. We fed off of his energy while he cracked jokes and spit out familiar tunes like "Amazing" and "Only You", while mixing it up with tracks from his newest album, "Masterpiece", which, by the way, is fresh and brilliant, without losing the feel of past Kelley creations. Lockerbie shared the stage with him at one point, and the two meshed well together. Kelley even switched places with drummer, David Goodstein, during a tune and sounded great. The fun was infectious. Some people were digging the music so much, they got up out of their chairs and danced the rest of the set away, encouraged by Mr. Kelley to "shake their asses". When the show came to a close, not a one of us wanted to leave. Oh well. There's always the next time Josh Kelley comes to town.

Lockerbie

Grammer

Kelley was having issues with a guitar.

Waiting for a new one...



Rockin' out on the new one, with guitarist, Erik Kertes

Me with Josh

*You can check out these artists @ www.myspace.com/treylockerbie

www.myspace.com/andygrammer

www.themassacoustics.com

www.myspace.com/joshkelley

Welcome, Music Lovers

Dear Readers,

I'm Genevieve. Yeah, that's me over there.

I'm twenty-two years old and an aspiring rock journalist. The goal of this page is to get that ball rolling. I plan to travel to as many cities as possible, attend many concerts, festivals, small coffee shop shows and get to know the artists by asking them directly about their lives as musicians. I will then correspond everything to you. I will try my hardest not to disappoint. They may be mainstream artists or they may be struggling artists you've never heard. Either way, you're getting something good - reviews of shows from your favorite bands, possible interviews, or the experience of amazing new music. So, if your whole heart is in the depths of your i-tunes playlists and your grandmothers' record players and monthly issues of Rolling Stone, stick around. I plan to start up the blogging soon, so stay tuned...

-G