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- Coachella Week
- Jello Biafra as wild as ever at LVCS
- The Postal Service puts its stamp on the Cosmo
- Five thoughts on Of Monsters and Men at the Cosmopolitan
- Five thoughts from Thursday’s Hot Chip show
- The xx equals makeout music on stage
- 5 observations from the Beach House show
- Andrea's Sunday festival notes
- Spencer's Sunday festival notes
- Electrifying Yeah Yeah Yeahs close out four nights of great performance
- How to Destroy Angels’ live show emphasizes art over rock
- Foals go heavy on sonic tension at House of Blues
- Andrea's Saturday festival notes
- Spencer's Saturday festival notes
- 5 observations from Vampire Weekend's Cosmo set
- 5 things I wrote in my notebook during Spiritualized
- Andrea’s Friday festival notes
- Spencer's Friday festival notes
- New Order slays monster crowd at Boulevard Pool
- Purity Ring's special effects win over Beauty Bar crowd
- 6 thoughts from Tegan and Sara at Cosmo
1. Here’s me eating crow. I was wrong! I find Band of Horses to be plodding and bland on record, even the harder stuff. Live, they take on a completely different energy, with their guitar-driven, jangly and loose rock pumped fill of vigor and passion. I’m going to have to listen again to a good portion of their catalogue to see if I was mistaken about their studio sound.
2. After Wednesday’s too-crowded show in the cold for Of Monsters and Men, this one was back on track with nice weather and people actually having the ability to move around and find good sight lines to the stage. I love the idea of Cosmochella but if something sells out at the Boulevard Pool that means there are going to be too many people there. The Chelsea Ballroom has to be ready as a backup when weather issues and high ticket demands run amok.
3. Coolest shirt of the night initially seemed liked it would go to BOH singer Ben Bridwell, sporting a black T with the bordered words “Ladies and Gentleman Mr. Waylon Jennings” boxing in a picture of the country star’s face. However, a come-from-behind win went to the large man wearing the tight Billie Jean King T-shirt showing the tennis legend nailing a drop shot. I hope he also owns a Bobby Riggs shirt.
4. “Is There A Ghost,” BOH’s first hit in Europe (#22 in Denmark in 2007!) is a perfect representation of just how a full a sound the group creates live. The track, off Cease To Begin, is a rocker as catchy now as it was when it first came out and still soundtrack ready. Seriously, was I that wrong about them on record?
5. It’s time to officially stop hipster hatred. When the “movement” first started, it was mostly artsy kids and indie geeks and film buffs. Then, as it went mainstream, and every idiot who wanted to be cool Downtown decided to sport an ironic mustache and cut up their own jean shorts, it just became annoying. But let’s get back to the original take. Without the hipsters, there is no way Cosmochella happens. Now if only they could reignite CineVegas. If they do, even I’ll wear a stupid mustache and cut up my own jorts.
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