Red Hot Chili Peppers at the House of Blues Cleveland

The scene downtown last Sunday was vibrant and buzzing in anticipation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing their free show in support of the Obama campaign. T’was a family affair as I attended with family and loved ones, including Ella and Ava (pictured, at their very first big concert experience). We all were treated to box seats thanks to a very generous friend, so the vantage point of the stage and show was free and clear and resulted in a few photos and a great video —admittedly slightly imperfect audio due to proximity to amps—of second song “Dani California” from the short and sweet 6 song (plus encore) set.

The energy level at the early hour of 1 o’clock in the afternoon (a disorienting time to be in full live show mode but I liked it) was as high, if not higher than any other Chili Peppers shows I’ve been to. And I walked away once again wishing that bottled essence of Flea-energy Juice was on the market. (Speaking of, Rocket Juice, anyone?)

Thanks to the mind behind Offmyeffingmeds who was in our entourage and took over review duties for the day (check his hilarious no holds barred social commentary blog and twitter account, I command you!).

Red Hot Chili Peppers live at House of Blues
{MORE PHOTOS via Flickr here}
Review from Offmyeffingmeds (via twitter:@offmyeffingmeds)

Catching the Red Hot Chili Peppers yesterday at the House of Blues was just too fucking cool! You’d have difficulty imagining a better way to spend Julian Easter. (I’m thinking Jesus would actually have to show up for the party.)

Anyway, warm temperatures and the early-afternoon performance only fed the surrealistic atmosphere. We got an invitation at 10:30 am, while we were still abed. The ensuing explosion of activity probably damaged the last (very small) shred of sanity our cat possessed.

We were presentable and out of the house soon thereafter, cursing drivers who had apparently received instructions to use any means necessary to delay us. Nobody drove no more than 15 mph below the speed limit. Their efforts failed, though. We reached downtown Cleveland in plenty of time to join the party on Euclid Avenue.

1,200 Obama workers had worked for free tickets to the show. All of them turned up.

After running a couple videos that highlighted the President’s achievements, his national campaign manager introduced the band, and urged the audience to consider why a world-class outfit like RHCP would sacrifice time and sleep to help inject political volunteers with a bit of energy. (You should do the same.)

The House of Blues is not a concert venue…it’s a large saloon. Being locked down in a room of that size with the Chilis is like Talking Heads’ “Heaven,” without the irony. It’s perfect. The band jumped into ”Can’t Stop” and didn’t waste a second of the next 45 minutes. Energy was not a problem.

Chad Smith is simply an amazing drummer, both visually and aurally, and tossed at minimum a dozen sticks to the fans and no one worried about losing an eye. Josh Klinghoffer seems to have been bred to play guitar for the band. He’s got the swag and the chops cold…and merits at least a 9.2 for floor exercises! Flea and Anthony, the over-amped heart of the Chilis, did what they always do: brought the funk and never let up.

“Dani Cali,” “Look Around,” and “Rain Dance Maggie,” followed and then everybody caught their breath during “Under the Bridge.” Two more songs and it was over.

We felt the longing of Mother Teresa: God spoke to her once at an early age and then abandoned her for the rest of her life. Leaving her with one powerful hunger.

Thanks once again to everyone who got us there!

White Rabbits live at Union Transfer, Philadelphia

I’d first seen White Rabbits at Daytrotter’s brilliant Barnstormer5 tour when it rolled into Akron, Ohio last summer. It was the perfect summer evening event with five bands sharing the spotlight, and each equally but uniquely dominating the stage. When White Rabbits arrived (and I was several delicious beers in) I found myself temporarily putting down my camera (I only caught one photo). Not because I wasn’t enjoying them, but so that I could really soak in the show. White Rabbits filled the air with a thick electric blanket of sound as they lived up to the ol’ barnstormer name.

Of course I kicked myself later on and wished that I had gotten more photos that night. When I heard they were playing in Philly this week, I made sure Ady was going to be there, and that she would take photos. She was, and she did. Always ten steps ahead of everyone, a working professional who had already put in a 10 hour work day prior to arriving at the venue, she did it all half in her pajamas (anyone at the show catch a girl with a camera in a pajama top mostly hidden by a grandpa sweater? That was Ady). More words from her about the show to follow very soon, but for now you can check out the amazing set she captured and documented with her lens. Wish I coulda been there, too.

View the full photo set of White Rabbits at Union Transfer 3-6-2012 via Flickr.

From the Vault: photo set – First Aid Kit 9:30 Club

From the vault, a small but very expressive batch of photos from their set as opener for Bright Eyes at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC on September 4, 2011. All photos were taken by Ady.

First Aid Kit are two sisters (yeah!), Klara and Johanna Söderberg from Stockholm, Sweden. They have, since these photos were taken, gone on to release the incredibly powerful and lush full-length album, The Lion’s Roar, of which the title track you can sample here.

The other Two Sistas, (that would be Ady and I) will be attending another First Aid Kit show in the near future when they return to the states, so expect a full report down the line! Sista sista, yeah!

View the full First Aid Kit 9:30 Club set on Flickr.

Drake Bell live at The Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, Ohio (photo set)

The ever expanding saga of Two Sisters and a Show, this time with a twist. It’s . . . two sisters and two daughters/nieces, and two sons/nephews in tow! The six of us had a great evening starting at the essential Tommy’s restaurant on Coventry (Brownie Monster!), followed by the much looked forward to 30 minute getting-lost-amongst-delightfully-bizarre-treasures session in Big Fun.

It was then time to make our way to The Grog Shop to top off the evening with a truly enjoyable acoustic set by Drake Bell. The kids were at full attention as that oh so familiar face—which over the years they have come to know via his comedic side as well as his music—arrived on stage, accompanied by another guitarist, Andy Alt, and Will Herrington on keys.

The audience demographic was wildly and nicely varied and Bell showed his musical chops via his own songwriting as well as giving us an accomplished tribute to the Beatles as he covered of a portion of the Abbey Road medley (Mean Mr. Mustard/Polyethene Pam/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window/Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight), and a very beautiful solo version of “Blackbird.” It was great to see our kids get excited by the covers (they are well versed already!), and for those in the audience not yet familiar, Bell did a great job presenting such a unique yet classic representation of the Beatles that will hopefully broaden the musical horizons of the younger set in the audience.

Ady and I are both excited to have been able to introduce the kids to the world of live music via an artist that is genuine, talented and incredibly gracious, and to watch them be as inspired by music as much as we are. Music heads in the making.

View the full Drake Bell live at The Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, Ohio photo set on Flickr

Wilco live at The Fillmore Detroit (photoset and review)

Wilco live at The Fillmore Detroit – December 10, 2011
Words by Shan, photos by Ady

Ady behind the lens (photo by Shan)

The first time Ady and I met up to see Wilco live together—for me via Cleveland and, back then Ady traveling from Miami, Florida—was the summer of 2004 at Point State Park for the free show in Pittsburgh, PA. The now well-seasoned line up of Tweedy/Stirratt/Kotche/Sansone/Cline/Jorgensen was just starting off together for the A Ghost is Born tour, and it was then and there after that show that we made a pact to take time out from the crazy world and travel together at least once a year. We’d explore some new destination where later we’d blow off some steam and do a mad dance at a Wilco show, just like we’d done that day. “Two Sisters and a Wilco Show” we said. Our mom was at the show with us.

Seven years have passed since that evening, and we’ve continued to travel together, far and wide and for other music as well. Two Sisters has evolved and expanded, we’ve added photography and artwork, interviews and maintaining this site to our repertoire. It was exciting, then, and felt full-circle that our last show of the year we would celebrate in a big way as Ady was granted an official photo pass from the kind folks from the world of Wilco for this show (this time to support the recently released The Whole Love). Our mom was with us for this show, too.

Glenn Kotche behind his percussion factory

If you’ve found this post, chances are huge that you’re already a Wilco fan yourself. Which therefore also probably means you don’t need convinced of the brilliance of Wilco, both in studio and live. In a nutshell, the band played so tightly and in synch with one another that I kept marveling how, over the years six people seemed to have morphed into a singular musical organism. The stage was filled with its dripping, draping lighted cloth hanging from above and their maze of instruments—guitars, pedals, cords, keyboards everywhere. Glenn Kotche’s percussion set was so elaborate and visually bombastic that it alone looked like a scene straight from a Terry Gilliam movie set.

John Stirratt

Jeff Tweedy was as comedic as ever, though kept it short as they zoomed through 27 songs in a dream set that lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes. As Tweedy pointed out, the audience, which also felt as if it were a single, unified entity in it’s excited state, was the “perfect blend of intoxication and concentration—intoxitration.” He also told us his shirt, which seemed fresh and clean earlier when he’d put it on, after a few hours and now while on stage, had activated. He apologized to those in the front few rows for this. The Fillmore show was everything a Wilco fan could hope for, and the set list will speak a million words.

After the show, we had a pajama party with our Two Sisters cohort Cindy (who had taken us on a tour of Detroit earlier in the day: pastries, crepes and the incredible Diego Rivera mural . . .). We poured a drink, made a toast, looked through Ady’s photos, and in true Two Sista style, baked a spanakopita at 1:30am to celebrate. We’re excited to share our photo set of roughly 100 of the best of the best. Wilco, we love you.