Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals: Chicago, IL 09.06.07

On the rainy night of September 6^th, I had the pleasure of going to see Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals play at the historical Chicago Theatre. It may not be possible to not be in awe regardless of who is performing when you enter into the beautiful Chicago Theatre. However, Harper and the Innocent Criminals let the theatre be only a background to great show they put on that night.

June @ Chicago, IL House of Blues 8/17

Sorry for this update being 2 weeks too late. i just got to school 2 weeks ago and have had no time to do updates as of late. so 2 weeks ago, i got the pleasure of going to the june/the graduate/the higher concert at house of blues. this show was a show i was looking forward too because i love going to june shows to hang out with those guys. so i get there 30 mins before the show and i go to the will call box and they look through their list and they say im not on the list. now this is the first time that this has happend to me, while doing mobile beat. so i start calling people and finally run into their manager, lucas, and he worked everything out for me. so, after i solved that problem, doors opened up and i headed on over to the merch area to hang out with their merch guy, coop there it is. over the period of the show i helped him out at the merch area and hung out with him. i met some sweet people with doing merch, like kate, a fellow chicago mobile beatter. i also checked out some of the bands that were performing. im not a big fan of driver side impact or 2 sweet, so i didnt really watch them, minus a few songs.

Lollapalooza Day 3 @ Chicago, IL 8/5

my day 3 was a little more eventful than my day 2. after waking up a little late downtown, me and my friends got our stuff together and proceeded to head towards lolla. before we went to lolla, we stopped off for lunch and portillo's, the best italian beef in chicago. once i got there, i headed on over to the at&t stage. lupe fiasco was about to perform and this being one of my favorite MCs, i had to watch. i wanted to watch amy winehouse, but i just couldn't miss my chance to see lupe. so, he started off his set with his part in the famous kanye west song, "touch the sky". then he started to hype up the crowd by asking them "can you dig it?" and the crowd yelling back "yes i can!" he then freestyled over the gorillaz's "feel good inc." song and progressed onto new songs. he sang his part in the crs (mega group that includes himself, kanye, and pharelle) song "us placers". his set consisted of songs off his cd, "food and liquor" and new songs off his upcoming cd, "the cool". his set all in all was a decent set. i was happy to see him perform and he did a good job, but all the changing of pace during his set destracted me from my reason of watching, lupe fiasco himself.

Lollapalooza Day 2 @ Chicago, IL 8/4

white day 1 at lolla was an eventful and fun day, day 2 for me was a little different. instead of taking in all the amazing bands that they had on saturday, i had to play in a softball tournament. not only did i not win the softball tournament, we took 2nd :( , but i also missed some of my favorite bands that were playing. im so mad that let me just tell you the bands that i missed: silverchair, the roots, regina spektor, and motion city soundtrack. not only did i miss those bands, but i also had a lolla lounge pass this day. now if you guys don't know what the lolla lounge is, its these little fenced areas around the at&t stage and the bud light stage that has free food, BEER, WINE, VODKA, water, and vitaminwater.

Lollapalooza August 4th-6th Chicago, IL

After attending my first Lollapalooza at Grant Park in Chicago for its entire three-day span, let’s just say it has become my new favorite weekend of the year. My friends and I have decided that there needs to be a Lolla at least once a month. That would be amazing. The only minor downfall was that after spending three days running around in the blistering hot sun, I got pretty sick the week after and spent more time laying around than I like to. But I am still not complaining and would like to point out the fact that it was well worth it.

Jack's Mannequin

Lollapalooza Day 1 @ Chicago, IL 8/3

So it has been a little over a week since i got to experience one of the greatest weekends in my life, LOLLAPALOOZA!!! this was one of the, if not the number one, reason i entered the mobile beat contest. i asked for the festival in the beginning of june and after numerous emails and phone calls, i finally got the green light for the festival. i woke up friday finding out that i got into lolla, so i hurried up and got ready. once i checked into the media tent, i walked around the media area before jacks mannequin went on. when i got there i found out that since we were using our cell phones for pictures, we were not allowed in the photo pit, so i will not have photos (minus one or two pics i took) in my lollapalooza blogs.

Warped Tour @ Milwaukee, WI 7/31

Hi everybody!!!! it's me again, Gene Han. I assure you guys that i am fine and well. do not listen to the rumors that I chased down my assistant's mother and got a DUI on a suspended license. anyways, for the 2 people that actually read this thing, i am sorry for the lack of updates, but I have been really busy as of late.

Now on with the show.....i am writing this entry about the warped tour i went to in Milwaukee. this, being my third year at warped, i should of felt a little more prepared for what was in store. i knew that with warped it is usually hot, you are usually thirsty, and you are usually........., the first band of the day i saw was the starting line. they sounded just fine live, like they usually do. i enjoy their music, but i could of cared less whether they played that day or not. after the starting line, i had about an hour and half to kill before circa survive went on, so i went exploring around the booths. at this point it hits me that warped was starting to feel a little wierd for me. it feels a little wierd that as i am getting older and another year gets added to my life, i change, but warped seems to still remain the same, the same people touring, the same booths, the same antics, just to a younger crowd now. anyway, during the exploration i run across the fueled by ramen tent and i say hi to metal mike. this guy is in charge of running the fueled by ramen tent and he was the first person i met three years ago at my first warped tour. he helped me surivive my first experience and ever since then we've been talking on and off again.

Warped Tour Chicago, IL 07.28.07

2007 marks the fifth anniversary of my attendance at the Vans Warped Tour.  It's weird to think that I still get excited about going to the same summer concert that I did when I was only 15, but ever since my first time, I have been hooked.  Warped is more than just a tour, I really think that it is growing more and more to represent a large subculture of our younger generation.  After spending a week on the tour last year with one of my best friends and a record label that we were interning with, I fell even more in love with it.  And after going this past Saturday, I thought to myself "why didn't I try to work the whole tour this summer?"  As an added bonus that you get to listen to countless bands playing fun music, it really is just a bunch of mostly 20-something year old kids hanging out and having a good time.  Why wouldn't I want to be a part of it?  Kevin Lyman, if you happen to read this, I'd really love to work for you next summer after I get my degree.  Anyway...

Me and my friend Caitie on stage during Bayside

ERIC CLAPTON'S CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL @ Toyota Park, Chicago, IL 7.28.07

I still can't quite believe I got to go to Chicago to see ERIC CLAPTON'S CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL!!!     The minute they went on sale, Gary got on-line and bought tickets ... they sold out in 23 minutes.     This was our "summer vacation" trip planned long before I won the Billboard/Mobilebeat contest, but of course I ASKED Billboard if they could get me photo/press access since I already had a ticket.    (They tried their best,  but couldn't.)     You'll see that the quality of the photos I took at the concert aren't as good as they could have been if I were able to get "up close and personal," but this will give you an idea of the kind of photos "normal people" (who don't go through life with "special access")can take with this LG camera phone!

BRYAN LEE & THE BLUES POWER BAND @ Buddy Guy's Legends, Chicago, IL 7.26.07

My long-awaited trip to Chicago finally arrived!    Gary and I are BIG Eric Clapton fans -- he's got a 37-year old son named Eric after you-know-who, and I, a more recent fan, have a dog named Layla!   (Speaking of Layla ... she is a VERY SPECIAL Dalmatian, and was just bred -- so we hope to have a houseful of little "Laylas" soon.   As the doggie people say, "Keep fingers & paws crossed!")    Anyway, we are BIG blues fans, and BIG MUSIC FANS in general, and when we heard Clapton was putting on another "Crossroads Guitar Festival," this time in Chicago, Illinois on July 28th ... our summer music festival travel plans were SET.   We both have to work for a living ... I have two young kids (and three dogs) ... as much as we'd LIKE to, we can't do them all.     No doubt about it ... there would be no 10K Lakes or High Sierra or Vegoose or any other trips this summer for us ... we're goin' to CHICAGO!!!

Arriving at our hotel after midnight Wednesday night (with a big thunder storm approaching), we decided it was too late to strike out in search of live music that night (silly us!), so Thursday night, after a day of sight-seeing in a surprisingly BEAUTIFUL and CLEAN big city (with no homeless people sleeping in doorways, and the most gorgeous flowers you've ever seen growing in planter boxes and hanging baskets EVERYWHERE) we headed over to Buddy Guy's "Legends" to see Bryan Lee & the Blues Power Band.

Bryan Lee & The Blues Power Band were H-O-T.    This guy is one busy musician ... check out the schedule on his website (http://www.braillebluesdaddy.com/schedule_dates.html) and you'll see he's booked 5-6 nights a week through October.

Sounds of the Underground @ Congress Theatre: Chicago, IL 07.23.07

Interestingly enough, as I ended my last blog entry with the idea that I was definitely ready for “some more METAL,” I didn’t have the upcoming Sounds of the Underground show in mind. I did, however, get what I had hoped for! SOTU has been a nationwide tour since 2005 and although on a smaller scale, is almost a rival tour for Ozzfest. Despite 10+ hours consisting of 15+ metal, hardcore, and metalcore bands seeming like almost too much for anyone to handle, the 3000 capacity Congress Theatre sold at least 2000 tickets, and for most people there, it was probably worth every penny of the $30 spent. 

Job For A Cowboy

Poison, Ratt, and Vains of Jenna in Tinley Park, IL 07.17.07

It has always been a curiosity of mine to see a heavy metal hair band live in concert, but until now, I have never been provoked to actually do so.  Although this is not music I listen to on a daily basis, I definitely enjoyed seeing the glam band Poison play live, and even recognized most of their songs... I'm not surprised considering they were at the peak of their popularity while I was growing up.  My most favorite part of going to a show that I wouldn't ordinarily attend is recognizing the crowd's enthusiasm and even fanaticism.  When you're a big fan yourself, you don't usually notice these things.  So let me tell you, there are more than a few HUGE poison fans out there.

Days Away @ Chicago, IL The Beat Kitchen 7/10

out of all the shows this summer, this show was probably one of the most i'd been looking foward to. not only because i haven't seen the guys in about a year, but because days away is probably one of my most favorite bands. knowing they were coming through chicago, i called the bassist, chrisky, and had him hook me up for the show. after that was settled i headed on over the show and got there just before they were on. they opened up their set with a new song. it got the crowds interest and everyone from the back started to move up a little. after that, they started playing some of their stuff off their last full length cd, "Mapping An Invisable World". keith was singing everything spot on and the backup vocals were sounding just as good. something fun and exciting to watch was their newest guitar player, jake. during their set he would just start jamming out to their old songs, mixing it up a little and adding a little flavor to songs that are already amazing. the high point of their set, and every set days away plays, was when they played the song "T. Kline's Decline". if you have not heard this song before, STOP READING AND DOWNLOAD IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! this song is a 6 minute epic, in my eyes (even though they are a little small).

The Junior Varisty @ Summerfest Milwaukee, WI 6/30

So on a beautiful saturday afternoon, me and my friend decided to drive up and see the junior varsity up at summerfest. if you guys know the junior varsity, you guys know their luck.....pretty bad. last year they were going to play at summerfest, opening up for jack's mannequin, but luck would have it, a hail storm. they were one of the only bands to ever have their sets cancelled during the history of summerfest, so this year was their first "official" year at summerfest. i was really excited to see the guys because 1) i havent seen the guys in about 9 months 2) their new cd just came out, "Cinematographic" (GO AND PICK IT UP!!!), so they were bound to play some songs off of it. their set was as tight as a size small t-shirt on me. The set list mostly consisted of songs off "Cinematographic" with a few "Wide Eyed" songs thrown into the mix. vocally they sounded spot on, with nick and sergio singing back up vocals for asa. one thing that i always enjoy watching at the junior varsity shows is chris birch drumming. he always sounds crisp and on beat, also he makes weird faces when he hits his snare :) finally, watching andy play guitar is eye opening. he is probably one of the best guitarests in this "scene". all in all, they played a set that was worth catching. and i guess karma does exist because after last years fiasco, they played this year and won best emerging artists this year at summerfest.

+turkey leg!

+got to hang out with the guys

+found out my shirt was glow in the dark

+having security say sorry

+nick dodson acting like security

-all access really means general admission

-1 case/9 people

-didn't play cinematographic

-security

-long walks

Jack's Mannequin/The Graduate @ Summerfest Milwaukee, WI 6/28

first was the graduate. i must admit i was sort of excited to see them play because the last time i've seen these guys play was at a little church in Arlington Heights, over a year ago. their set list consisted of songs from their new cd "Anhedonia" (GET ON THAT NOW!!!) and from their ep "Horror Show". let me say that these guys put on a good live performance. one thing that suprised me is that they did not use any samples. when bands like panic! at the disco and gym class heroes first started playing live, they used keyboard and synth samples. the graduate being so young and new, i would think they would too, but instead they incompess it into their live show with songs like "Interlude" and "Sit and Sink" they play all the parts themselves. another cool thing they did was a drumline kind of thing where the lead singer and guitar player banged on the drums during the last song "The Formula". from seeing this band in front of about 60 kids, to seeing them in front of about 2000, i can say this band is going to be one off the hottest bands in this genre in the year 2007/2008.

Social Distortion at Summer Fest, Milwaukee

Whether or not Summer Fest really is "the world's largest music festival," it has to be one of the most interesting.  On my way to watch the extremely influential punk band Social Distortion, I walked past stages blaring with music from every genre, including R&B singer Ne-Yo and even the popular 70's band Heart, where my parents were actually in the crowd watching.  How could you not appreciate a festival that celebrates musical variety?

Jack's Mannequin Sets the Mood for Summer Fest 2007

Southern California heartthrob Andrew McMahon definitely ended the opening night of Milwaukee's annual Summer Fest on a good note... literally.  His incredibly melodic piano skills are unlike any of today's numerous piano rock bands, and for a full hour, Jack's Mannequin had everyone standing on bleachers and singing along into the late summer night. 

Being an avid Something Corporate fan throughout high school, I had no less than the highest expectations of a live performance from McMahon's new band, and I was definitely not disappointed.  After a long and serious battle with leukemia, it is more than impressive that he is still able to woo any crowd with his amazing talent and stage presence.  Perhaps his relaxed persona was due to a little alcohol, "don't mind the Jager, I'm a little nervous," but his flawless performance would never let you tell.