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VatIt’s hard to find much information on Vacationer. They’ve intentionally remained mysterious, releasing only music, and not much background. What I was able to find out is that they’re signed to Downtown Records, currently supporting their debut record, Gone, and I’m pretty sure they’re from Philly.
I was also able to catch them at Terminal 5 in New York last Wednesday opening up for The Naked and Famous. Live, they give off the same breezy, poppy, summery vibe that their songs would suggest. Their catchiness is undeniable. Their lead singer (whatever this mystery man’s name is) is charming and confident on stage. He leads them in a similar preppy aesthetic to say, Vampire Weekend. Their music also reminds me a lot of those neat looking Columbia boys. They cover similar territory in their melodies and the lead singer’s voice is reminiscent of Ezra Koenig’s, without biting his style too hard.
One thing that sets Vacationer apart from their contemporaries is their subtle but effective usage of samples and beats. There are a couple really good examples of this style in their music, including “Trip” and “Everyone Knows,” but the song that stands out to me most is their track called “Good As New.” On it, they take an orchestral sample and mix it with a hip-hop influenced drum beat. All that is placed underneath a classic feel good melody. “Good as New” was the second song in their set at Terminal 5, and it really got the crowd going. Another highlight off of Gone is its title track. “Gone” is a steady pop-rock song that really sticks in your head, rooted in some great guitar and synth lines.
By the end of their set at T5, beach balls were bouncing around the crowd, everyone was dancing, and all of the sold out audience were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Their stage setup included samplers, keyboards, guitars, bass, and even a xylophone which they used frequently. The lead singer repeatedly told the crowd, “let’s party.” If a party was their goal, I’d say they definitely achieved it.
Vacationer is music to enjoy with some sun, a beer, and lots of girls in bikinis. Or just in your room on a computer, I guess. Whether or not you’re actually on some sort of relaxing getaway, Vacationer will do their best to make you feel that way. Look, you can even tell them where you want to go on their website and they’ll take you there! So, take a moment, and drift off to some Vacationer. Some choice tracks below.
“Besides Tyler, Earl is the most promising rapper in the whole group,” an excited patron at Odd Future’s March 20th mixtape release show told his excited friend. He was referencing the fan-appointed head of L.A. rap collaboration Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (usually just Odd Future) Tyler, The Creator and his best friend – and partner in crime – Earl Sweatshirt. There was a smidgen of hope, whether it was the fact that Earl did an interview on New York’s Hot 97 or the fact that it was their mixtape release show, that Earl would make his performance debut after being absent from the group at a reform school in Samoa.
The cunning teens and early 20-year-olds in Odd Future didn’t show all their cards – their main attraction – right at the start. Displayed on a small projector screen in the middle of the stage was an episode of their Jackass-influenced sketch show Loiter Squad – produced by ****house Entertainment. Dim light from mobile phones were recording skits like a Armless Dentist – a dentist who uses his feet since he’s missing arms – or someone sitting in a chair, complaining about the side-effects of the hot nacho cheese that was poured all over him. It’s the exact kind of response Odd Future thrives off of – they do whatever they want, you show it to all your friends and talk about how crazy they are. They didn’t disappoint.
After the video finished, the darkness that ensued was filled with palpable energy from hundreds of fans yelling combinations of “Wolf Gang” “Golf Wang” “Flog Gnaw” and “Earl!” Syd tha Kyd – the collective’s lesbian DJ – came out first and played some choice songs (most notably “Bricksquad” by Waka Flocka Flame and “Niggas in Paris” by Watch the Throne) before Hodgy Beats and Left Brain came out midway through “64″ (MellowHype – an Odd Future shoot-off ) to start rapping. Left Brain was holding a giant American flag umbrella, Hodgy was telling the audience to “shut the fuck up.” Yeah, Odd Future was definitely ready to start the show.
Then it just exploded, one by one they came on stage. “Sandwitches” and “Tron Cat” (Tyler, the Creator) to “Rolling Papers” (Domo Genesis and Tyler, the Creator), “Rella” (Domo Genesis, Hodgy Beats, and Tyler, the Creator) the lack of a setlist was noticeable – but, oddly enough, created a flow. Rather than methodically laying out their songs, they “don’t got no set list ’cause we some live ass niggas,” as Hodgy said. They let the feel of the crowd and show dictate the songs.
The sweaty moshing stopped, the adrenaline-filled teens paused. Earl stepped on stage, clad in a Hawaiian print shirt, Supreme hat, and winning smile. There was a moment, right before the deafening eruption of applause, cries and screams where the world stopped moving due to the long-awaited presence of this 18-year-old kid. “Y’all better act like y’all missed me” Earl exclaimed, out of breath after absolutely destroying “Orange Juice” (EarlWolf, the collaboration of Earl and Tyle). We did, we definitely did. The night featured the live debut of “Kill” and “Earl” (Earl Sweatshirt) as well as another EarlWolf song, “AssMilk”. After the enormous group hug that culminated around Earl, Tyler, in the most earnest voice he could muster, told us “You have no idea how awesome this is.”
It was a giant homecoming – away from their Los Angeles home. Frank Ocean came out, donning a Zen backpack and his customary headband to sing the hook on “She” (Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean) and “White” - his highlight track off the new mixtape – just him and the piano. Tyler claimed, “this one’s for the bitches!” since the song features Ocean’s characteristic R&B ballad style. Tyler held out the microphone for the audience to rap (in unison) the first few lines of “Yonkers”: I’m a fucking walking paradox, no I’m not/ Threesomes with a fucking triceratops, Reptar.” There was raucous anarchy on stage during “Radicals”: “Kill people, burn shit, fuck school.” Everyone on stage rapped – an thrusted - the hook on “Bitch Suck Dick”: “my bitch suck dick like she suck dick” – lyrics the surprising number of women at the show yelled as loud, if not louder, than the men. Taking a quote from Dan Vayness, “they’re not even rappers, they’re riot-inciters”
Self-consciousness was thrown out the window. We had all seen rap history, the return of Earl. Finishing the night up with 10-minute “Oldie” that features everyone, including a rap verse from Ocean and Earl, Tyler just said the last line, no time and a capella: “Not only are we talented, we’re rad as fuck.”
I first saw the Black Keys about a year and a half ago at a sold out performance at New York’s Terminal 5. Since then, they have exploded into one of the world’s biggest rock bands, going from selling out clubs to selling out arenas. I was dubious as to how their sound would translate into a place as big and loud as Madison Square Garden. Fortunately, the Keys did not disappoint.
Let me start with the opening act, a little British band you may have heard of by the name of the Arctic Monkeys. It’s kind of odd seeing the Arctic Monkeys opening for the Black Keys, as I had always seen the two bands as contemporaries, peers in the crusade to bring back rock n’ roll. The Black Keys have had more success in developing their sound into something bigger, whereas the Arctic Monkeys have been putting out solid, but stylistically similar albums for the past decade. They still have it though, and lead singer Alex Turner charmed the growing New York audience through a great set. They chose to play mostly heavier songs for the occasion, highlights including “If You Were There, Beware” and “I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor.”
Arctic Monkeys cleared off and the stage setup for the Black Keys was revealed. A brightly striped and shimmering drum set was put in the front and center of the stage. Drummer Pat Carney and singer Dan Auerbach came out with 2 backup musicians who switched off from extra guitars, bass, and keyboard. They opened with crowd favorite “Howlin’ For You,” off of 2010’s Brothers. The Keys proceeded to rip through an 18 song set, not including the encore, killing every song. There were some slight timing issues on Dan’s part, but it was barely noticeable.
After an awesome rendition of “Gold on the Ceiling,” probably their most appropriate “stadium rock” song, the backup musicians left the stage. The next phase of the set began with another one of my favorites, “Thickfreakness,” and ended with “Your Touch” before the rest of band came back for “Little Black Submarine.” My favorite of the many guitar solos of the night came near the end of the set during “Ten Cent Pistol.” Auerbach plays with a touch that very few current rock guitar players posses. He understands the meaning of dynamics and knows how to bring a solo from a quiet moan to a roar loud enough to make the crowd of almost 20,000 go wild. They closed their set with current single “Lonely Boy,” with nostalgic images of some old cars playing behind the stage and Auerbach’s extremely fuzzed out guitar. Now, what will they bring out for the encore?
Picture this: MSG going crazy, two disco balls come from the ceiling, one on stage and the other in the crowd, the band finally comes back out. The lights turn on and we see the effect of said disco balls- blue and orange dots(maybe a Knicks reference?) fly around the garden. The Black Keys proceed to play one of the most beautiful renditions of “Everlasting Light,” the opening track on Brothers, that I’ve ever heard. It was a ballsy move for Auerbach to bring out his falsetto at a venue as loud as MSG, but he pulled it off with finesse. For the second song of the encore they chose “She’s Long Gone,” off of Brothers. The closer was “I Got Mine,” and in true rock and roll fashion, a flashing BLACK KEYS sign came down from the ceiling to end the night.
So, in my mind, the Black Keys have proven themselves as a bona-fide stadium rock band. There may be a few out there, but none of them are doing 2 man blues rock the way the Black Keys are. It’s a real feat, being able to play to the masses while still keeping their integrity, and they are one of the very few acts still touring and making music that can say they’ve accomplished it.
Metrojolt has teamed up with Talenthouse to offer you a chance to open for Rusko!
On February 16, fellow metro-jolter Forrest and I went to see a very special Matisyahu show at the Terrytown Music Hall in Terrytown, NY. Matisyahu grew up in White Planes, NY, not ten minutes away. The show was a charity even for local Westchester County non-profit Westhab, which provides housing and other programs for homeless families in the area. Westhab is run by Robert Miller, Matisyahu’s father. So, with that context in mind, and a crowd packed full of family and friends, the show began.
The first act was a local African Dance group, including little kids and more advanced dancers. They entertained the growing crowd until the next act, the male host and his rap partner, who led into the next act, a local group from Scarsdale, NY.
The local group is a band called We Stole the Kids, a group consisting of live drums, guitar, bass, an extremely talented female singer named Jess Ingui (watch a video of her covering Whitney Houston), and rapper/songwriter virtuoso August Coupe aka Daniel Lonner (who also happens to be one of my current roommates). But don’t take my compliments lightly just because I live with the kid. These guys have their own sound, a mix of pop/rock, electronic, and hip-hop, taking influence from bands like Blink 182 and Awolnation. They just released a music video for their infectious track “All In My Head”, which you can check out here. The group played a great acoustic set, showcasing Ingui’s vocals, and even including some nice touches of cello from the classically trained Coupe.
After We Stole the Kids warmed up the crowd, Matisyahu was next. He was given a heart-warming introduction by none other than his father, and then took his place on the stool he had been given for the night. He and his band of old friends, consisting of keyboards, drums, and guitar, played a mellow, semi-acoustic dub raggae set to go along with the intimate feel of the night and the small theatre. The band was extremely impressive. The drummer was perfectly locked in with the keyboard (who handled bass duties as well as some very cool synth sounds). The guitar player was also phenomenal, adding touches of airy, delayed chords throughout.
Matisyahu met his bands musicianship with some of his own. He showed us his full range of talents, from his beautifully soft singing voice to a rapped verse or two, to a couple of extended improvised beat-boxing jams. He commanded the stage from his stool with a quiet confidence that seemed to be bolstered by the fact that he was surrounded by loved ones. There was no mention of any of the recent controversy surrounding his rumored denouncement of Hasidic Judaism, although he was missing most of his trademark long hair.
The two moments of Matisyahu’s set that stood out for me most both included special guests. The first was a little boy, Luke, who is a friend of Matisyahu’s and going through chemotherapy. He joined Matisyahu on stage for a moving rendition of “One Day,” which they sang together while Luke charmed the crowd with his shyness and his smile. By the end of the song, the whole crowd was swelling with tears, and Luke was given a well-deserved standing-O. The next guest was local rapper Stanley Ipcus, another friend of Matisyahu’s who came out for their song “WP”, a track written about his hometown, White Planes. Ipcus is clearly more than just a bum local rapper, and he killed his verse after some playful banter between him and his old friend Matis (a nickname I kept hearing). The show closed with an encore ending with his biggest hit, “King Without a Crown”, a soulful jam and a fitting way to end the night. The show felt more like a family reunion than a rock concert, and it was really a special thing to watch.
Also, please take a second and check out We Stole the Kids on Facebook (link here). They’re a really talented group of kids, and I watched them win over a skeptical sold out crowd and leave the stage with an amazing response from the audience.
