Rolling Cef Concert Reviews

Saturday, we started out with Cake, the band. The guitarist and bassist were really good, but the way the singer talks through the lyrics gets boring after a while. It was ok for one or two songs, but that's all I could handle. Next we stepped inside the Bumperclub for a beer and heard a couple more bands, one named Juno and the other I forget the name of. They didn't leave any impression on me. After that, it was time to head over to the Rock Arena for the much-anticipated Pavement - another disappointment. The one band member at the back of the stage who let out these shrilling screams provided a little bit of humour, but otherwise the songs were weak. Next, it was over to the Blues stage for The Souvenirs. Boring. Back into the club for a beer and a listen to Lo Phat Hi Fi, a reason to keep moving. Things got much better when we headed over to the Opera House. We saw Stacey Earle - you guessed it, Steve's Earle's sister. She sang and playing acoustic guitar, in a duo with a guy who played some good lead. Stacey had a pretty good voice, or "purty" good, as she would pronounce it. Her songs weren't half-bad. Following her was an entertaining folk guitar player named Greg Brown. He was a fairly good guitarist himself, and sang with a Tom Waits voice. Finally the night was finished off at the main stage where the legendary Steve Winwood performed. He played mostly all the old hits, "Dear Mr. Fantasy", "Higher Life", "If You See A Chance", …you name it. It was quite the blast from the past.

On Sunday, our schedule was a little less aggressive. We started at the Rock Arena where Cibo Matto played. They're these two Japanese girls with Sean Lennon on bass. But their pop music didn't appeal to me at all. Next we set things right by heading back to the Bumperclub for the always loud, New American Shame. These guys kicked ass with their AC/DC rip-off sound. I saw them earlier this summer open for the Cult, and although they were mocked for their 80's hard rock sound, they won me over then. Definitely a way to blow off some steam. Next, it was over to the blues stage for a listen to Swamp Mama Johnson, but that was uninteresting, so we got over to the Bumbrella stage to a get a good view of The Damnations TX. I had heard a lot of buzz about this band when I was in Austin this year, so I was really looking forward to catching their live show and they did not disappoint. The two female singers share the lead vocals and sing well in harmony too. They have a country rock sound, legitimate of Austin. Finally the last band of the day, was the versatile Everlast. The crowd loved this guy. I was not very entertained, until he played his one hit, "What It's Like".

Monday was the shortest day of all. We spent the earlier part of the afternoon trying to locate Jimi Hendrix' grave. After stopping at a gas station to ask directions, we found the cemetery, and walked over to a little area where some people were hanging out. We get up to the stone, and there's this old guy with about a thousand crayons running a little business. He was taking an impression of the lettering for a few bucks. It was a disgrace, and Adam thought he heard Jimi rolling around under there, so we took off. After a late start to the festival on this day, we still made it out for my favorite blonde singer, Trish Murphy. She was one of the few acts I was really looking forward to at Bumbershoot. I had caught her in Austin last year, and fell in love with her then. I picked up her CD at the time, and although it was more like country than I would like, I've still enjoyed listening to it. She came on stage wearing some tight colourful pants and small top. My, she looked sweet. Her band broke into the first song, and it was awesome from that point on. She played all new songs, except for one, and they rocked much harder than her last album. I got her to a sign a CD for me after the show, and I told her that her sound was more rock since the last time I saw her. She said she "wasn't married to anything." Me neither, I thought. After Trish, we found our way to a little theatre where a woman named Laura Kemp was playing. We got in as she was starting her sound check. Next thing that happens is the fire alarm goes off, and everyone gets ushered outside. First they try to cancel the show, but no one is impressed, so after hanging out for a bit, they finally let us in. Laura Kemp played for about an hour or so. She had an acoustic guitar and a drummer with her as well. Her songs were pretty good, and she did a good job of holding most people's interest. I'd like to see her again if she passes through San Francisco. Finally we ended the night by sampling a couple tunes from Alejandro Escovedo, a Texas blues player, believe it or not. But he played the blues too straight up to keep my attention.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page