Now, the U.S. portion of the Armistice tour is over, and I find myself in Japan. I feel like I can temporally decompress over here, even though it's been a long journey to get to this beauty country (14 hour flight from JFK) because things are a bit slower. Four more shows (Nagoya, Osaka, and 2 in Tokyo) and we are officially done playing for 2009. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by!
Anyway, trying to blog after the fact is quite difficult; so, I won't write about every show but below I've written a few things about my favorite moments. Overall, the shows that stood out to me from October 22 until November 13 were (in order of most to least favorable):
1) New York: Nokia Theatre
I was truly surprised at how much I liked this show because this was the fourth show in a row on the very last show of about a 40 city tour; needless to say, we were all extremely tired and hadn’t slept much the night before due to difficulties in scheduling. (NYC makes it so difficult for bands to play in the city!). Anyway, why was this my absolute favorite show of the tour? Well, because it was the last, of course! Seriously, it sounded really good to me in that room, even though we had heard quite the opposite, and I think we all performed extremely well in front of an audience that was ready to have a good time, which is the most important part. If the energy of the room is in union with the music, it's impossible to have a bad experience; it wasn’t a flawless show, but no show ever is, which is why we strive to continue to out-do ourselves. I hope we play this room again.
2) Ft. Lauderdale: Revolution
Finally, I arrived home! It’d been three weeks since I been in the glorious presence of my lovely wife and beautiful son, which is way too long for me to deal with. I hope I can avoid such prolonged distance in the future. It is amazing how fast he is growing and developing, and it makes me super sad that I miss out on those moments. Emotionally, it's been a lot to handle this tour.
As far as the show goes, this was the best crowd ever of the Armistice tour! South Florida is where our craziest fans live, and I can’t wait to do more shows here in my adopted home.
3) Dallas, TX: The Palladium
I was extremely happy to see my sister, mom, and many other friends in my old home-state. This was MM's first time in this rather new venue, and it was pretty good. But, the bottom-line was that I loved this show because I was surrounded by lots of people that have shaped my live in positive ways, and I felt like I gave something positive back to those people tonight.
4) New Orleans: Voodoo Fest.
Probably the best festival experience of the year! The rain cleared; the weather cooled down; and the sound on and off stage was best we've ever had at a festival. We played a solid hour, and it felt good to be in the city where I grew up musically. NOLA was given a lot to me in that regard, and it will always been a part of me. Also, I was able to see some great bands during this time. The most enjoyable for me was Lenny Kravitz; his band was ridiculously good, and I loved that he played mostly songs from Let Love Rule. Flaming Lips were an amazing spectacle as normal, and the nostalgia of the whole event was Jane's Addiction, probably one of the more influential bands for me around the age of 12 and 13.
5) October 23, 2009: St. Louis, MO: The Pageant
I loved this venue, and I clearly remember this day. It was the first day of this fall tour that felt cold to me; it was raining, which prevented me from going across the street to one of my favorite places in St. Louis: Blueberry Hill Restaurant. I love checking out all the collectables and the pictures of artists on the wall, which was the reason I truly enjoyed meeting the owner and getting our picture taken with him. I feel like I officially joined a special type of club of sorts. I know: it’s kind of stupid and superficial sounding but I’m glad that there are people out there who still appreciate music and its creators; that’s what all those photos mean to me – a sort of commemoration to music and the arts. That’s why it’s so great over here in Japan: the Japanese truly appreciate the arts and support it.
Until next time . . .
11 comments:
Sounds like the last part of the tour went well overall. That's good to hear. I've heard American bands do very well in Japan. I'd love to visit sometime.
It is true, kids grow up so very fast, and they learn so much in just the first year! It has to be difficult being away. I had a feeling it would be tough on you. I'm glad that you got to see your family at least during the tour.
Glad you made it to Japan safely, and hope things go amazing there for you.
We miss seeing you guys in Ft. Lauderdale!
We moved to NC last year so we were still able to see you in Charlotte (and you guys were phenomenal), but you're right, the craziest fans are in South Florida...I know because they're my friends. ;-)
I was really looking forward to your thoughts on the show in Boston! It was my 3rd MM show (last 2 were in Lawrence, KS).
i was at the show at revolution and you guys were fantastic. the guys from as tall as lions were really great as well
Glad you were able to leave another blog. You guys have the best stories, we've been missing reading about them. I hope all is well in Japan, I'm glad your able to relax. This was an amazing tour! I can't wait for another chance to catch a show, even if I have to drive, it's well worth it! Syonara! (I hope I spelled that right)
The New York show was great! The PA system was fantastic and as an audience member, you could pick out all of the components of the sound-scape quite easily. The low-end was particularly strong! I think the only problem is that the Nokia Theater is an incredibly dead room as the walls are padded like a bunker. Therefore, there is little crowd vibe... Both shows I saw on this tour were great and I look forward to 2010!
Ah, I'm sad to see the Charlotte show wasn't on your list of faves!!! It was an incredible show though! We got to meet you guys afterwards and you were all so very nice!
NYC show was absolutely fantastic! I'm glad you enjoyed it because I sure did. The VIP package/ first in line pass was a great idea (front row makes everything even more incredible). Hope the Japan shows go just as amazingly!
As a Texas native and current resident, the show at the Palladium was stunning. Although the crowd was relatively reticent and fairly subdued, there was an unbounded energy from the stage. Truly, a profound musical experience. Considering the comments about Texas and their brevity, all Texans, being brainwashed by that insidious Lone Star, are family.
As a brief aside, I went back to the tour bus and saw the other gents, but no Roy. Hopefully, next time there can be a dialogue. Recently, picked up Ed Bickert, the Genius of Charlie Parker, and Mingus .."And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare" and
remember, Texas our Texas (the impetuous vortex)!
Loved the ATL show. I'm sure it was probably extra stressful with the DVD filming and stuff but ya'll did great and it sounded great.
Thanks.
I am glad the Revolution stop made it on your list, but of course I had no doubt. It was my 4th time seeing you guys and this concert was my favorite by far. The fans were so crazy that this time around I feared for my life. Glad to see the stop brought you home to your loved ones.
I posted a blog post with some pics on my blog, here's the link. Enjoy!http://borethemind.blogspot.com/2009/11/mutemath-concert.html
Post a Comment