RTP-area local music and culture

[Rawls <jcmidrange AT yahoo.com>]

     I must be suffering from that I-95 hegemony like
a lot of sports writers (what's up with UCONN always
ranked #1?), because I took no sordid spirals down
into the A-T-L in '03 (my apologies to the Claremont
Lounge), my live music ventures were focused HERE
(Triangle) and some north eastern locales. So here's
the live stuff I liked the most in '03.


10. Erase Errata -Cat's Cradle-9-16-03

9. Confessor-Lincoln Theater -3-8-03- The previous
year's reunited, original line-up was a bit better,
but this version was still a thumbs up.

8. Deerhoof -Talking Head (Baltimore)-4-21-03- The
Zombies meets DNA is the best description I've heard
of these folks, this show had a better flow than their
set a few months later in Chapel Hill.  I'm a big fan
of The Wire and The Corner, and I'm proud to report
that this Monday night in Baltimore did not involve
needles and hepatitis...I hate the Ravens.

7. Rocket From the Tombs -Kings'-12-8-03- Can't say
that I assumed I'd ever see this band...HOLY SHIT,
well worth the wait.

6. Adult -Go Studios-4-29-03- Male/Female duo from
Detroit, but their tickets aren't $35 and the male
doesn't seem prone to punching people.  They made fun
of electro-clash, fun fun disco times.

5. 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes -Walnut Creek-8-13-03-Nothing
too musically revelatory, but it's very rare that I
get to see a half decent artist live while his songs
are concurrently atop the charts (I think the
Cardigans,REM, and Outkast are the only other ones
I've seen), it makes for a very carefree stage
performance.  The highlight for me was a toss up
between Tim Ross on the lawn yelling, "Busta SUCKS!"
and the muscular African Amercian male wearing a Kobe
Bryant jersey while accompanied by a young, white,
blonde haired female (it was August, so it wasn't a
trite Halloween costume, this was true love...maybe)
and the constant gun fire samples.....

THREE WAY TIE FOR FOURTH PLACE:
4. Buzzcocks-Cat's Cradle-7-15-03

4. The Fall -Cat's Cradle-7-11-03- I recognized maybe 
3 songs, but man was it good.

4. Superchunk, The Rosebuds -Cat's Cradle-10-16-03 and
the next week at the Bowery Ballroom NYC..., new
songs, old songs, deep cuts, still great.

3. Portastatic, The Rosebuds -The Cave-3-5-03- I saw
Portastatic in an assortment of venues this year
including the parking lot of Orange County Social Club
and a hotel convention room in Manhattan, all of which
were great, but this particular show (and this is why
it outranks Superchunk) had more Springsteen covers!

2. Wrangler Brutes -Charm City (Baltimore)-10-29-03
and Warehouse Next Door (DC) 11-9-03- Any band that
has people from Men's Recovery Project, Born Against,
Skull Control/Monorchid, U.O.A ranks high on my list. 
Sam McPheeters' oratory in and of itself is true art.

1. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band-Kenan
Stadium-9-14-03- HOLY SHIT!  A half empty stadium (and
this is my favorite place on earth, so it was kind of
sad) on a Sunday night would lead a lesser performer
to phone it in, but Springsteen gave everything he had
and more.  This tour had been going on for over a year
by this point, and on this night for the first time in
the tour they played "Brilliant Disguise" and songs
that had never been played by the E Street Band at
all("Living Proof", Bruce himself hadn't played it
since '94), Johnny Cash, Hank Ballard covers, the
stadium house lights were on for most of the encore. 
Plenty of free tickets were given away, Kristi
Yamaguchi was there, where were you?

Honorable Mentions:
-Lilys, Need New Body-Go Studios-6-18-03

-DAT Politics-Nightlight-5-24-03

-Iron Maiden, Dio, Motorhead-Merriweather Post
Pavillion (DC/Baltimore)-7-29-03- Maiden's dead weight
third guitarist just blows...

-R.E.M -Walnut Creek-10-10-03- way better than
expected.

-Thin Lizzy -Jaxx (Springfield,VA)-10-17-03-Seriously,
I'm not joking, it's really good.

-Oneida, Manamid -PS211 (Winston
Salem)-2-28-03-Frantic, crazy, chicken haired woman
bouncing around...

                                             Rawls




__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes
http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus