2012 Coachella Day 3: Santigold, Fitz & The Tantrums, Gotye, Calvin Harris, Florence & The Machine

Posted on April 16, 2012 by CenterOrch

Weather on the third and final day Coachella, Weekend 1, was perfect.  Eighty-two degrees and I barely needed a sweater after the sun set.  Got to the polo fields by mid-afternoon to catch Brooklyn-based Santigold.  A logistical disaster at the pat-down security station prevented us from seeing the first five songs of her set, but what I did see I loved.  In fact, I immediately bought tickets to her upcoming show in New York.   She was performing “Gifted” when we arrived and then she went into “Disparate Youth,” her latest single from her forthcoming album Master of My Make-Believe, then “Freak Like Me,” which featured horse nays and galloping.  Her dancers appeared in a two-person horse costume.  “That cow follows us from New York wherever we go,” she teased.  A fun song, “Brooklyn (We Go Hard)” followed and was dedicated to all the Brooklynites in attendance.  She closed with her recent single “Big Mouth.”

Stuck around the main stage for Fitz & The Tantrums, an LA-based indie soul pop group led by Michael Fitzpatrick, who sports an awesome skunk stripe in his hair, and the sassy and brassy Noelle Scaggs.  Great vibe and a lot of fun, Fitz and friends played songs off their debut album including “Breakin’ the Chains of Love” and “Pickin’ Up the Pieces.” I want to know what Fitz has against Gs?

The big meet up and the one act everyone could agree to see together was Gotye.  We speculated that he has blown up since he signed on to be at Coachella.  He was cool, but he gravitated to a lot of the slower songs on his new album, which didn’t bode well for a fiesty crowd.  Still, “Eyes Wide Open,” “Easy Way Out” and “I Feel Better” did the trick, but it was monster hit “Somebody That I Used To Know” that got all those damn girls around me screaming at the top of their lungs.  We got a pleasant surprise in the form of Kimbra, who appeared just for her one line.  Amazing.  Even though every girl was singing so loud you couldn’t hear her.  Oh well, I’m lucky I saw them both a couple weeks ago.  I love Kimbra!

Girl Talk or Calvin Harris?  That was the dilemma.  These are not big problems really, unless you’re a die hard music fan.  My friends wanted to see Calvin because there was rumor on the polo fields all weekend that a certain Barbadian may make an appearance.  Mr. Harris, the Scottish producer and DJ has made a big name for himself this year.  He’s worked with all my favorites — Kylie, Kelis, Sophie.  But it’s his collaboration with Rihanna on “We Found Love” that has propelled him into the dance pop stratosphere.  His set was great, and so were the lights.  I wisely witnessed the euphoria from the Heineken beer garden.  And for once, the rumors were true.  “eh, eh, eh…  RiRi’s in da tent!”  It was actually very, very cool for her to show up.  Rumors swirled that she’d been around the festival all weekend with bestie Katy Perry.  Never saw them of course.  Heard Jared Leto was around too.  But I digress.

While I technically stuck around for headliners Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog and special guest Eminem, I was tired, sitting on the lawn, and letting my friends squeeze the last minutes out of Coachella 2012.  My Coachella ended with the great Florence & The Machine.  The highlight of my weekend.  I love Florence and I have since Lungs.  About to tour to support Ceremonials, I was excited to see her perform new songs.  She slayed the night.  Bewitching and beguiling as ever, she opened with “Only If For A Night,” the lead track off the new album, and then went on to play the beautiful “What the Water Gave Me,” “Cosmic Love” off Lungs, “Spectrum,” “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up),” the soaring “Never Let Me Go,” the resilient “Shake it Off” and her big one, “Dog Days Are Over.”  The best part of Coachella is that after an artist has performed their biggest hit, the non-loyalists bolt.  Happened again here, and it opened up the field and let us get up and personal for “No Light, No Light.”   Perfect ending to a perfect weekend.  I cannot wait to do it all again next year.

Filed under: Calvin Harris, Fitz & The Tantrums, Florence & The Machine, Gotye, Kimbra, Rihanna, Santigold | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Pride Weekend Summary: Florence & The Machine Howl Through Central Park | Gay Marriage Legal in New York | Olivia Newton-John Says Its Magic

Posted on July 2, 2011 by CenterOrch

Talk about a spectactular weekend.  It’s Friday night of Gay Pride weekend in New York City and the spectacular Florence & The Machine is set to play SummerStage in Central Park.  It’s been raining in the city, and spooky clouds hover low and swallow up the tops of skyscrapers surrounding the park.  Could the scene be more perfect for Florence?  She sneaks on stage behind a giant curtain that drops as soon as the opening notes to “My Boy Builds Coffins” begin to play.  She looked fantastic wearing an emerald green dress that billowed in the wind of the night. 

Prancing across the stage and twirling as if she’s the second coming of Stevie Nicks, Florence soared through most of her debut album Lungs, now two years old or more, and a few new tracks off her sophomore album.  Highlights included a stripped down “I’m Not Calling You a Liar,” “Between Two Lungs,” “Drumming Song,” “Cosmic Love,” “Hurricane Drunk,” “You’ve Got the Love” and her encore “Dog Days Are Over.”  But my favorite moment was her opening the intense “Blinding” by sampling Lady Gaga’s “Judas.”  “I’m in love with Judas.  I’m in love with Judas,” she teased.

As the concert closed, thousands scattered in all directions of Central Park.  As we walked closer to the edge of the park, rumblings of a legislative passage begin to surface.  It has happened.  The New York state senate (finally) made gay marriage legal in the Empire State, granting same-sex couples equal rights and benefits enjoyed by straight couples.  It was a euphoric moment, walking around Lincoln Center, in what seemed like everyone in the city had a smile on his or her face.  A proud moment indeed. 

The next day, I went with a friend to the Bondi Beach party on Governor’s Island.  It was pretty much a circuit party and not my scene, but the beach on Governor’s Island in New York Harbor is amazing, especially when the sun sets over New Jersey.  But the real reason I went was to see Olivia Newton-John perform.  I’ll admit it, the first cassette tape I ever bought with my own money was her Greatest Hits Vol. II.  I still have it, I just don’t have a tape player anymore.  I got up to the front of the stage with no obstructive view to see the icon who preceded Madonna.  She performed three songs:  “Xanadu” and “Physical” and to set up her closer, she referenced the legalization of gay marriage in New York, congratulated us and exclaimed it’s truly “Magic.”  You have to believe it’s magic.  Perfect exclamation point to an exciting and emotional weekend.

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Florence & The Machine Howl Through Terminal 5

Posted on November 6, 2010 by CenterOrch

Howling, coffins, girls with only one eye, and rabbit hearts consumed my Monday and Tuesday nights this week.  Following a long, exhausting Halloween weekend of terror and debauchery, it seemed only appropriate to cap the weekend with two nights of the glorious Florence & The Machine at New York’s Terminal 5.  On the first night, she appeared wearing a Stevie Nicks-inspired flowing dress with cape — perfect for twirling — even though it made her look like a Druid princess.  The second night a tight, bedazzled onesy with cape (of course).  Apparently someone in the audience designed it for her in a contest.  Let’s see if she shows up on Project Runway next season!   Still, her spellbinding vocals, coupled with her witchy wardrobe, sort of made it all work.  As she did when I saw her back in the Spring, she opened with “Howl.”

When I saw her in the Spring, I’ll admit I was a bit disappointed with her vocal performance.  It was pitchy and I worried she was one of those artists who shine only in a studio.  I’m pleased to report that it’s not the case.  Her vocals were either well rested, and/or she’s matured as an artist — working on her control, improving her stage presence, connecting with the audience — she’s come a long way.  “Drumming Song” and “My Boy Builds Coffins” were next on her set list and performed to perfection.  But I loved, loved, loved the bluesy, creepy “Girl With One Eye.”  Its just good, plain, fun, dirty, filthy, lesbian fantasia.   “I said, hey, girl with one eye.  Get your filthy fingers out of my pie.  I said, hey, girl with one eye.  I’ll cut your little heart out because you made me cry.”   Oh my God, I love her.

Up next was one of my favorite songs off her debut album Lungs, “Cosmic Love.”  Amazing song and she sings it so beautifully and powerfully.  But the big torch song of the night was “Blinding.”  I have not listened to this song as much as her others, but this performance blew me away — both nights.  The chorus was brilliantly emphasized with a flood of strobe lights juxtaposed to her haunting vocals “no more dreaming like a girl so in love in the wrong world.”  At the bridge, Florence unleashed everything she’s got with screaming howls with her arms spread wide open, and strobe lights cutting through her cape and red locks.  It seemed to go on forever.  I was at church for the time she performed this song.  Amazing.

On the second night, a guy standing near my friend Currey in the back of Terminal 5 — who he described as a lumberjack fresh off the bus from Oregon — let out a huge roar for Florence on the opening notes to “I’m Not Calling You a Liar,” and it got her.  She smiled, looked up and tried her hardest to pull it together.  Currey said “he loves him a Florence ballad.”  And don’t we all?  She went on to a pitch-perfect delivery of “I’m Not Calling You a Liar,” and my other favorite song of her’s, “Between Two Lungs.”  Check it out:

Here’s another reason to love Florence:  She switched it up quite a bit from the first night to the second.  Not only did she kick things off with different songs, she swapped a few in and out.  On the first night, I got to hear her perform “You’ve Got The Love,” and the second night, “Hurricane Drunk.”  I suppose with a relatively small library of songs to pull from, you have to do something to mix it up so you don’t become a robot — or in her case, a zombie.  But she did perform a couple of new songs, including one off her forthcoming sophomore record called “Strangeness and Charm.”  I won’t be called a liar.  This one will have to grow on me.  She also performed “Heavy In Your Arms,” which I liked a lot better, off The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack.  This is truly a beautiful song.

She closed her main set with “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” on both nights, encouraging everyone to raise their arms every time she said “raise it up.”   “Kiss With a Fist” is such an awesome, punky song.  I was worried she wasn’t going to perform it, but she did, right before her harpist clicked way with the opening chords to “Dog Days Are Over.”  I predicted this song was a contender for song of the summer.  I was way off, but just by a season.  Her VMAs showcase, and performances on Ellen and Dancing with the Stars, put her howling Lungs album into the Billboard Top 4o albums chart for the first time since she released the record back in 2009.  Look out for her again soon.  She’s already coming back to New York in November to play Saturday Night Live, and again in December to play Irving Plaza (anyone have an extra ticket?).  You Go Flo.

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Between Two Lungs: Florence & The Machine at Terminal 5

Posted on April 10, 2010 by CenterOrch

Is it just me, or is the music scene in the U.S. more exciting when we’re in the midst of a British Invasion?  Perhaps my affinity for the Brits is rooted in my ’80s upbringing (Duran Duran, PSB, Yazoo, New Order, Bananarama).  But the late ’00s and early ’10s are proving to be just as exciting with imports like Adele, Keane, Lily Allen, Marina & The Diamonds, La Roux, Little Boots and Ellie Goulding.  But the Brit with the lungs belongs to Florence Welch — known to most as Florence & The Machine.

“The Machine” refers to her band and long list of collaborators, as well as her loyal and ever-growing legion of fans.  And there are reasons there’s a machine behind her: That Voice. The Harp. The Dramatic Crescendos. Quoted as being fascinated with “terror and doom,” Florence draws from dark places and pains from her past in her songwriting.  But her songs materialize as beautiful statements of empowerment and love.  I’m a bit in awe of this inspiring artist, and I’m so happy she has made her way to New York and a venue fitting her big voice, the cavernous Terminal 5 in Hell’s Kitchen.

The lights dim and The Machine make their way to their many instruments and Florence emerges wearing a fascinating silver, glittery “leotardress” with exaggerated sleeves that occasionally get tangled in her mic stand.  So Stevie Nicks!  She opens the night with “Howl.”  For the next hour or so, she covers most of her debut LP Lungs including the feisty “Kiss With a Fist,” the soaring “My Boy Builds Coffins,” and the poignant, “I’m Not Calling You A Liar.”

My absolute favorite moment was “Between Two Lungs.”  Such a gorgeous song, and likely the strongest vocal of the night.  I also loved “Cosmic Love.”  But it was “Drumming Song” and song-of-the-summer contender “Dog Days Are Over” that truly got the packed house at Terminal 5 bouncing off the walls.  She closed the night with her hits “You’ve Got The Love” and “Rabbit Heart.”  Raise it up!  And so the British invasion continues.  If you ever have the chance to see Ms. Flo, you better go!

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