The Whigs w/ Company of Thieves @ Jewish Mother Backstage

I had seen The Whigs open for the Black Keys (Photos from that very show!) a few years ago at the NorVa and they were really fun. Now they are the main act supported by Company of Thieves. The show was great and the crowd was really into it. Most everyone who came knew the words and sang along. Those situations make for the best shows as the crowd feeds their energy to the artist who then turns it up to 11.

Company of Thieves really blew me away with how tight the performance was, they are a serious band not to be messed with. Incredible stage presence and I will definitely see them again sometime.

What I took away from this show is the power of an opening act. I found The Whigs when I went to see The Black Keys. I now happily know about Company of Thieves and will continue to follow them. I saw the MacGregor band open for The 2 Skinnee Js and followed them to a show in Baltimore, and they still hold it down as Wax and Herbal T on youtube. My current favorite touring band of all time, The Gay Blades, were on support for Sikamor Rooney.

I think it works in reverse as well, sometimes you can find a great band while supporting your local independents. Westbound opened for Gliss, came for the Westbound and stayed for the Gliss. So when I went to see Gliss when they came back to Norfolk, I met Stephen from Yesper and ended up filming a very impromptu accoustic session with him.

How many great bands have you discovered while they were supporting a larger band?

Slick Rick the Ruler Live @ Shaka's Virginia Beach

Hip hop shows are always a blast because there is a huge sense of community. There were 5

opening acts, each bigger and badder than the previous one.

It ranged from an old school block party feel with Ghetto Prince Productions to a a full band with Jay Pharaoh and the Manhattan Project. One really notable act was Spring Entertainment who killed it with 5 MCs, awesome beats, and a killer performance, all while passing the "good" mic around.

The living legend himself, Slick Rick, was a blast to see live. He came out dressed the part, completely covered in gold chains, diamonds, and the craziest watch I've ever seen. I can now rest easy after haveing seen Lodi Dodi performed live. Slick Rick and DJ Kaos were there to keep old school hip hop alive and welcoming new schoolers to join in. DJ Kaos played the deep cuts and I danced and sang right along. I might be 10 years to young to be truly nostalgic, but I can certainly appreciate it.

Check the photos out and the video of a little bit of Lodi Dodi.

EDIT: Not my video, but an awesome video of Spring Entertainment - 757 Holla What! (check that azn nerd up front)

Show Photos from Sunday

Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun rocked out to a sold out Taphouse in Ghent on Sunday 3/27/11. They are from Atlanta, GA but I hope they feel at home when they come to VA. The level of energy they bring just has to be seen in person. Next time get there early because they were turning people away at the door. Check out their Facebook and be on the lookout for their new album on May 7.

The Winter Sounds from Nashville, TN opened up and were also really good. What band doesn't mean business when there is a violin involved? Check out The Winter Sounds here.

Reencoded

This is the Yesper basement test but reencoded for full maximum optimal Ach Dee Quality.

Fotos

I saw How I Became the Bomb at The Boot in Norfolk. I go there quite often and you will read about them in the future for sure.

First Up

This is a test shot for Yesper. It is a preview of things to come.

Boombackground

Theres a Boombox in the background. How typical of me.