Yak's Brutally Honest Union Recap, or The B*tch is Back
SEPTEMBER 28, 2009, 11:26 pm
I arrive at Madison Square Garden to await my favorite Fairy Godpoodle, who once again conjured up tickets for the Yak. I enjoy the ear-piercing yowls of buskers, pleas for spare change and the clickety clack of wobbly wheels attached to totally overstuffed carry-on luggage - and the smells - well, there are few corners on the face of the earth that can match the smells of 31st and 7th Avenue. I look up at the marquis and see an advertisement for Blink 182, Fall Out Boy and All American Rejects. Hmmm...now that's the kind of tour I could get behind for David Cook and The Anthemic. Seriously - would love to get some varied butts in the seats. Anywho - suddenly, my fairy Godpoodle waves her paw and off we go to grab our magical carriage to Jersey. Being a paranoid freak, I drag the poodle by the leash and follow some random guy who looked like he might live in Union. Good thing, cuz it was a dang train where only certain train doors open. We are *this* close to wandering lost in Trenton, I tell you. We arrive and I scan the crowd. A very large ratio of the regulars were in attendance (myself included, of course). And lots of young'uns. Very few guys.
QueenJ - please skip next paragraph.
Time for opening act and out comes Ryan Star, who evidently is the only opening act I will ever be allowed to see (how GRO snuck in there once is beyond me.) I am stricken by his range, which runs the gamut from anguished to tortured, from cynical to angry. Seriously, who knew Breathe could be so..so.. well, so damn loud. The clutching of stomachs. The rending of garments. Good lord - take a pill. I start to doubt myself - after all, there was a large contingency of ladies who stand, cheer, sing, shout and generally are having a ball. I decide to get the honest opinion of the guy who sat next to me. After all, his leg was jiggling so nervously the whole set, I thought I might owe him my V-card. He responds, "He's alright.". then looks nervously at his date who gushes, "OMG! I've seen them 5 times and he's so wonderful, I love him so much, and I hope Ryan and David are together forever and ever and ever!" I look at boyfriend whose eyes plead, "Help me."
Time for the main event - David Cook and The Anthemic (or Andy, Monty, Neal and Kyle, which now appears to be the new band name). But wait - hoards of women rush the stage, completely obliterating the view of the kids who were so excited to have front row seats with their asses. Adorable little boys stuck behind them chant, "David Cook!", "David Cook!" Come back in a few years when you're six feet five, boys, and you can stand in front of me at a GA show.
Out come the guys - they are absolutely adorable - beanie, bandanna, whatev. Damn they look young. Like babies. Very heavy setlist and the band is sounding mighty fine. There's this cool wind machine blowing behind Kyle which is giving his hair a life of its own - serious Pert commercial potential. For me, for you Dave was visibly working to connect with the audience, scanning the crowd, signalling for us to get loud - not feeling so organic. He noticeably fumbled with words more than once. There were a few times when he slipped into that "Creep" voice. It was a little Hungry Like The Wolf. Basically his energy level seemed low. They need to be a little more flexible with the song list - if David's not up to a high energy show, they should swap songs accordingly, or do something acoustic. It was a tough set - there was no vocal downtime - the only balladdy songs were LOTM and CBTM, which he basically had the audience sing all of the verses to. Lie or TWIK were missed by me because the band's signature sound is so thick, when there are no ballads to break up the setlist, it becomes a 75 minute wall of sound. For the 87th time, I have changed my mind, and now think they should release LOTM as the next single.
Random observations:
Despite our protestations, David seems to like signs.
Neal should end his solo moments with a flourish - it actually helps us to break focus and go back on Dave - he occasionally ends by meandering back to a speaker.
Neal's pants are a marvel - I spent some serious time trying to determine just what fabric was stretchable and clingy enough to show every muscle and still allow him to kick himself in the earbob.
Kyle was made to do this. Do not let him get away.
It took me a year, but I am finally convinced that Light On is a very good song.
I know - tough love, but David's less than perfect is still better than 99% of what I've been hearing out there.
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Comments for this Blog post
The Yak Is Back
If you can't count on a yak for honesty, who can you count on?
Your recap has helped me realize something about something my husband said after Musikfest. He complained that the music was a "wall of sound" and I attributed this to his stubborn dislike of all forms of rock written after 1979. But when you used the word "thick" I understood what he meant. I can understand how a set that doesn't have palate cleansers like Lie or Avalanche or Permanent (not that we can expect that one anymore) might make "thick" cross over into "wall." (Of course, they sang Lie at Musikfest so maybe my husband really was being a stubborn classic rock snob.)
I didn't notice David's voice sounding tired on Saturday night in AC. But I've frankly been astounded that he hasn't shown signs of vocal strain before. Almost every other musician inevitably has to struggle with that. Hopefully he'll take care of himself. But Lie doesn't really offer him vocal relief, especially now that he's singing a cappella AND away from the mic. His voice filled the Event Center Saturday night, and it's a big frakkin' room. That voice is a gift from God; he needs to take care of it.
And can I just say how relieved I am that I'm not the only person on this board who doesn't like Ryan Star. Given all the good buzz on the board, I was prepared to like him. But when Mr. T and I took our girls and three of their friends to the New Haven show, all seven of us agreed that we couldn't wait for Ryan to get off the stage. Big Miss T summed it up: "He's trying too hard."
I really really liked Tonic, who opened for David at AC, and I liked GRO a lot too. I'd be happy to see either one of them again. Ryan, not so much. And that doesn't even take into account how he creeped out Little Miss's best friend after the concert.
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Platinum? A round of Bacon Martinis, on me.
Thank You YAK
Your honest opinion is refreshing. Thank goodness for your sense of humor and the ability to put your perspective into words. I think you gave a fair review. I only saw Ryan once here in LA and was impressed, but it probably helped that I had not seen him consistently as the opening act for David, which would have been overload, in any form and for any opening band.
I agree that David Cook, even at less than 100%, is still better than most of his peers in the current music business.
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You can come back baby, Rock 'n Roll never forgets - Bob Seger
It's a known fact: Yaks write the best recaps
Thanks for recapping so I wouldn't have to because I'm a lazy ass poodle. Boo for making me recall HLTW and then how we were BO-ed. I did, however, think he had more energy than that -- but the Vedder voice did throw me off. It's been a grueling tour and it's remarkable that David's voice has held up so well. I do wish that David would *sing* most of CBTM -- whilst the audience sings along, because you know they will. Not a huge fan of the audience solo sans The VOICE for half of the song -- and for some reason (that night) it felt like a wee bit of a cop out.
Couple of points:
* I thought Kyle was outstanding -- best I'd ever seen him. I want him to get a Rock/Eagle tatoo, too.
* I still think signs are stupid at a rock show - regardless if David likes them.
* I always knew Zenny would work his magic on you.
* I totally agree that LoTM would be an awesome single.
I love the Yak
Loved your observations. Disagreed with some (I happen to love Ryan and thought GRO was meh) but I like that you aren't afraid to say what is on your mind. When I saw two shows in a row (Noho and New Haven), the difference between the two was significant and those who were with me agreed. But I agree, his "off" day is still better than most!
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--AheadofStraight
we're only honest when we're recapping ;-)
yes re the desire for a little more diversity of music density in the setlist.
Ryan a good man, but.... he could use a little more diversity also, imo. there are other angles to work.
glad to see your comments here. thx for posting them. always of interest.
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I laugh at myself while the tears roll down....
We're only honest....
Thanks for sharing your opinion. I was at the concert as well, so it's great to hear a diversity of opinion. I happen to be a huge Ryan fan, but I've noticed that with Ryan, more so than with DC's other openers, you either love him or not. Very few are neutral. I like strong personalities and people who "leave it on the stage" and Ryan has said a million times that he feels things, emotions, life very very deeply. That comes across in his music, and I happen to love his range. Sorry you didn't get a chance to experience Crash Kings or have GRO more than once. They are great as well.
Regarding David and the Anthemic, I'll touch on some of your points in my recap, so I'll spare them here. Thanks again.
The pantz etc
What? You were there and we missed each other? We have to work on this. Are you going to Providence?
I was up front for this show and could hear the singing quite well which was nice.
I have to say that I had the same question in mind regarding Neal's pantz. I want Dave to get pantz like that.
Dave's face looked puffy to me, especially around the eyes. I noticed it in some of the pics too.
I really enjoyed the concert though. I didn't mind the different mood although my favorite is when he plays a lot of the harder stuff with incredible energy. He didn't look at me tonight like he usually does though, so I missed that connection a bit. The music sounds great, and the time flew by as usual. Kyle is just a force unto himself and really drives the sound.
Ryan is a sweating, spitting animal and a force to be reckoned with. I do like his music, it has really grown on me as time goes by. I still feel that he tries a little too hard, but I feel like his overall act is improving as he gets more confidence. If David showed me his tummy as much as Ryan does I would be ded, but for some reason Ryan's doesn't effect me and I just watch it with amusement. He had a new drummer (to me) at Union and I liked him a lot better than the last one I heard, which was some time ago.
Thoughtful Recap
Lie or TWIK were missed by me because the band's signature sound is so thick, when there are no ballads to break up the setlist, it becomes a 75 minute wall of sound
Thank you for being brave enough to post this review. Interesting observations. And I have a feeling that others will agree with you.
Let's be honest (tm Dave)...
...this is a great, very thoughtful recap, Yak. I appreciate your candor, and I'm sorry you feel like you got a little less than 100% Dave. Though as you said, even when not at his ultimate best, he's still one of the best there is.
I've only seen Ryan opening once, and I've been fortunate enough to see 3 other bands in addition (NTB, GRO, and Crash Kings), and I find myself agreeing with your assessment of Ryan. It could be because I saw him very early in the tour, so I didn't know what to expect just yet. I also know *I* was having an off-night at that show, so that may have lessened my appreciation. But in the end, Ryan has been my least favorite of the opening bands. Not to say I don't like his music, because I do like the EP and Breathe. But I found his live show to be a little more OTT than I personally prefer.
On the setlist, follia mentioned Mystic Lake, and I think you're right, follia. We had TWIK, Lie, and Avalanche at that show, and I'm pretty sure that's the last time Avalanche has been played because Monty has not played it yet, and he started just two shows after Mystic. Hopefully they'll bring it back, because it's a song that should be heard.
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"Take a minute just to breathe..."
√D; WTFU; Poetic Solace
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Not 100%?
Thanks for the recap. Yes it's possible for him to be less than 100%. But it's always a treat and I always want more.
I've been to about 7 tour concerts now, one with Ryan. Don't like Ryan's voice and agree with the emotional range. LOLOL. Do love Breathe and last Train Home. The song entitled Psychosuicidal Girl kept going through my head when I saw the new Cherise Theron movie, Burning Plain.
Loved the Crash Kings, btw, hope you got to see them.
I think that the remarkable thing about David is how consistent he's been for so many concerts almost night after night. And he must be tired. He gave his all at Borgata, up late at the after party, onto Kean/Union.
I think that tonight, his head might have been into writing and in anticipation of meetings in NYC. Just a guess. We'll see if we get another brutally honest recap of tonight's concert.
I agree with you about the energy mix at the concerts. I hope that David mixes it up a bit more next time. I love the energy of the concerts. I'm surprised how much I love it. But, I think that sometimes it's ok for the audience to quiet down and just take it in and let David and the Anthemic play while we just listen. I think that used to happen with Avalanche, and I think that's why he dropped it. I thought I noticed him struggle a bit to pick up the energy again. after a song like that. I don't think he liked the more reflective appreciation instead of the usual participatory and loud reception he goes for. Just my theory of course, but then I'm a DWoPer so I'm full of them. (I did NOT say full of it, btw, .) I think the last time he played his "softer" set was Mystik. I might be mistaken. Not sure. Many of us remember that as a tour highlight.
About Neal's solo's----A friend pointed out to me at a concert that one of the downsides of the ever changing venues and setlists is that it's harder for the light tech to properly focus on the soloists. So pretty often the light doesn't get to Neal until he's halfway through a solo and then it lingers. More precise spotlighting might help as well as your suggestion, which I find quite interesting.
So, perhaps in the context of your recap you can answer one burning question I've had from way back when. Why, in your opinion, does David insist on the audience being so loud all through the concert? I really enjoy the sing alongs, the countdowns, and of course the whoo whooing and applause and screaming in approval after each song or even at the beginning in recognition. But I'm not sure whether he needs that much energy coming back to pump himself up, or if he thinks that we need to be screaming to feel energized by the concerts and really enjoy them. What is your theory? I haven't been to rock concerts before David. Not unless you consider Woodstock and Neil Diamond (don't laugh). I've looked at you tubes of other concerts by other bands, but it's hard to get a sense of how the singer is working the crowd.
Thanks for breaking the ground here.
Follia
Honesty Is The Best Policy!!
Love your recap and have been to enough concerts to agree. The energy level definitely varies from concert to concert. When everything is the same tempo, it does become just one big wall of sound. Since I love David's ballad voice best of all, I wish more ballads were included in the set list. Sorry to hear that there are sound issues again.
Hey, B$tch, tell us what you REALLY think!
Hee, poor Ryan. I was just saying the other night he's my comic relief before the real show begins. Thanks for being so honest and keeping me laughing while doing it. And, I totally agree with all of your random observations. Except that I'm pretty sure I don't spend quite so much time contemplating Neal's pants.
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The now defunked StockTV. Oh, where I've been sold and spun again.
Honestly, I loved your recap.
I really appreciate your review: funny and honest. Thanks for putting it all out there. Ultimately, herein lies the truth: "David's less than perfect is still better than 99% of what I've been hearing out there." That's what keeps us coming back.
This is some good writing...
Hi Yak
This is so funny and well written. I think you are brave to be so honest. I really appreciate that. Not many will dive into the "David isn't 100% every night" waters. Never mind that if he were, he wouldn't be human (psstt, that's part of what we love about him... that he's (gasp) human!)
And I'm going to have to whisper this, cause I hate when these things show up on my profile page: I am so glad to have someone agree with me about R.S. Your description is hilarious.
Thanks for the entertainment. Now go get yourself published!
Thanks Yamina
You mean David is not perfect? He has off nights. Oh noooos you burst my bubble. LOL I for one long for acoustic MITB, Souvenir, Lie, LOTM or anything. Just a few songs David just a few, slow it down David. Thanks for the recap.
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Now we are looking back, through wasted photographs
Blank pages filling up our past.......Souvenir
sky1234
Great recap!
LOL I love what you said about Neal's pants!
I feel bad for the folks in the front row who got mobbed by the crazy women. That almost happened to me at the Ameristar, but luckily Zillablue was smart enough to realize what was about to happen and practically pushed me up against the stage so no one would get in front of me. By the time the show ended there were five rows of people between the stage and my "front row" seat.
Not a Ryan fan, huh? haha. He was the opener at 7 out of 8 of my shows, and I've decided that I really like his stuff. But hey, different strokes for different folks.
I'd love to see LOTM as the next single....but I don't think it'll happen.
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Rolling Out Across the Desert Word Hero #293
"If I was in a band competing with Andy, I'd quit." -- Neal Tiemann