Tonight I will be attending my first, and probably only, rock show of 2010. Steve and I are going to Philadelphia to see the Eels, and it should be a lot of fun. This will be my fifth time seeing the “band” (always consisting of Mark Everett, aka E, and whoever he feels like playing with): four times in Philly, and once at the Roxy in Los Angeles.
My brain is feeling a little battered today, but I can only think of one other artist or band I’ve seen perform live more than five times. And that’s Paul Westerberg/The Replacements. I’ve seen lots of bands two or three times, but five or more is apparently an elite group for me. I think I’ve seen the Beautiful South four times, but not five.
Do you have any bands/artists in the five or more club? Tell us about it in the comments, won’t you?
Here’s the latest video from the Eels. It’s a slow song, and I didn’t really like it the first time I heard it. But it’ll slither into your brain if you give it a chance. The video is pretty interesting too.
And here’s a more representative song, closer to what we’ll be getting tonight (I hope). The audience always likes to participate when he yells, “rock!” during this tune. It’s almost like “Leonard Bernstein!” at an REM show. Hey, and now that I think about it, I might’ve seen REM five times. But anyway…
To close out the category, check out this bizarreness. In England the Eels were forced to purchase additional insurance, because the band members have beards? Because it’s a…. fire hazard?? What in the finger-snapping hell?
Perhaps I’m in the minority, but I’ve never seen a man’s beard just spontaneously go up in flames. Have you? I’ve never, for instance, been waiting in line at a grocery store, heard a sound like a gas grill firing up, and turned to find a man frantically slapping his facial hair out.
And what’s the deal with the part near the end of the article, about E being stopped and questioned by antiterrorist officials, because he’s bearded? The whole thing is like something out of the Onion. Crazy, man.
I couldn’t get off the platform this morning. The alarm must’ve gone off five times, and I kept swinging my arm in a high arc, and expertly hitting the snooze button, over and over. I was involved in physical labor at work last night — once again — and it kicks my ass. I feel like I’ve gone five rounds with Evander Holyfield, or Rosie O’Donnell, or someone.
So, I’m gonna cut this one a little short, and start getting my shit together here.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you about our evening, and promise not to focus too much on the music side of things. It’ll be more of a road trip report… So, I’ll see you then.
Have a great day, boys and girls.
Foist.
Dang.
I’m glad I shaved today. It’s fire season here out west, after all.
Top 5!
I;ve seen the Stones and Bruce Springsteen more than 5 times.
And George Carlin. Seen him around 7 times (RIP, George!)
What about women with beards? Do they have to pay extra insurance?
The Indigo Girls. How they have changed since the old days.
Fifth?
Hair doesn’t even keep a flame well.
I’ve been to 8 Phish shows and 6 Dave Matthews
That’s a lot of mushrooms.
LOL!
LOL! More like, mushroom chocolates, but that’s another story.
In the ’80s and ’90s I used to keep a list of all the rock shows I attended, including my rating of each. At some point I entered it all into a database, so I can tell you exactly what bands I’ve seen five or more times:
Husker Du: 6 times
Jason & the Scorchers: 5 times
R.E.M.: 8 times
Replacements: 17 times (yes, seventeen)
And lots of others I’ve seen 3 or 4 times. But that’s it for the 5+ club.
I don’t think I’ve been to five concerts. Old fuddy duddy.
Beards a fire risk? WTF, I’m pretty sure we would of read about a tragic ZZ Top accident by now.
KISS, Dwight Yoakam, Kix, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Poison (I despise them, but have seen them as openers and with supporting acts I love), Def Leppard, Cinderella, Queensryche, Wrathchild (America), and I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot of others… And lots of locals.
I’m a live music whore.
I can’t remember the last concert I went to. Maybe Keith Jarrett up in Pittsburgh. But, I’ve never seen any act more than once.
The Brits have gone nuts with their “Health and Safety” initiatives. They call it “The Nanny State” for a reason.
The more than five times concert list:
Grateful Dead (25 or so)
Jimmy Buffet (25)
Allman Bros. (5)
Bruce Springsteen (7)
and my favorite on the list: John Prine (11)
I envy you. I would LOVE to see Grateful Dead. Grateful Dead and the Beatles are two bands I’m sad I was born too late in life to enjoy at their prime. I also saw the Monkees in ’96, but at age 11, I half expected them to walk out on state looking like they did in the 60’s.
stage*
Frank Zappa and Jack Bruce more than 5 times
Oh and Ray Davies more than 5 – If you count the times I saw him with the Kinks
Have fun man. The Eels are at the top of my concert wish list. I hope they rock your everloving face off.
I have never been to any big name more than twice. I accidentaly saw Megadeth twice, they are the only big name I have been to more than once actually.
However, I am a huge fan of locals. I have seen some local groups a dozen or more times. So much so that one band brings me up to play a song with them every time I go see ’em.
Three words: Michael Jackson’s hair.
Of course, The Eels probably don’t use nearly as much product in their beards. 🙂
5+ times? Probably Rush, Styx, and Def Leppard.
Zamfir, the master of the pan flute
I have seen REM twice, and both times, it was spectacular. I would love to seem them many more times, but they don’t tour very often anymore.
Last time I saw them was in Philly, at the Mann Center. Modest Mouse opened. Pearl Jam was in town to perform a concert the next night, I think. They were backstage at the Mann. I am also a PJ fan, but couldn’t swing two concerns in one week.
As one of the encores, I Eddie came on stage with Michael to sing Begin the Begin. It was a great moment.
I have seen Tori Amos in concert in Philly many, many times. Much more than five….maybe 10? She tours A LOT.
I love to go to concerts. I try to catch the bands I like whenever they come to town and the tickets are affordable.
AC/DC and the Ramones are the ones that come to mind.
I’ve seen The Church at least once for every album they’ve put out since Gold Afternoon Fix. Maybe 10 times. Lots of bands a few times, but never five.
I’m sickeningly jealous of anyone who’s seen The Replacements, but 17 times is just greedy!
I’ve never seen anyone 5 times. The most for me would be Alan Jackson, 3 times. The last concert I went to was Toby Keith/Trace Atkins at Star Lake or First Niagra Pavillion or whatever the fuck they’re calling it now. We had “lawn” seats…which pretty much means… shove as many drunk and sweaty redneck hicks and hicklets assholes to elbows into one space to make as much money as we possibly can….charge $14 a beer and $8 for a boiled weiner…..and let ’em have a free-for-all to get the hell out of the parking lot…. Every time I go I say “never again” unless we have actual seats. The concert is 2 hours. It takes 3 to get out of the parking lot. Phuck dat.
I said “weiner”
We had lawn at Alpine Valley theatre over the summer, which is literally in a valley…walking up and down treacherously steep hills with a million drunk assholes is not something I would care to do ever again. I feared falling and breaking my face a few several times and I was sober!
Beers were $14 bucks for a tall boy here…A vendor tried to sell one to my already drunk boyfriend who then asked him, ‘I don’t know, do you sell lube with that too cos you’re RAPING US!”
LOL – that’s somthing Beloved would come out and say. Another of his favorites “You gonna buy me dinner first before you fuck me?”
This is crap, my left earphone just shorted out. now my hearing feels lopsided.
Attending rock concerts is one of my favorite pastimes, and the artist/band I’ve seen the most is Paul McCartney. This summer alone, I went to seven of his concerts. Since 1989, I have seen him live exactly 40 times.
Like Swami B, I keep a database of the shows I attend. However, it’s on my home computer, and I’m at work right now. I’ll play along anyway…
Off the top of my head:
Five or more times:
Beastie Boys
Madonna
Prince
Duran Duran
Ringo Starr
Iggy Pop
Pixies
Cibo Matto
Sean Lennon
Echo & the Bunnymen
The Psychedelic Furs
The Who
10 or more:
Grateful Dead
David Bowie
Dead Milkmen
The Friggs
The Cure
Thompson Twins
Ben Vaughn Combo
I know I’m forgetting a band or two somewhere…
Just remember another one:
Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players.
I’ve seen them about 10-12 times. The first time was about a month after this aired on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI9sHO0R5iY
I think the song “You’re The One Who’s Made For Me and I Was Made for You” by The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players is one of the most beautiful, heartfelt and sincere songs ever written, and it never fails to put a smile on my face. It’s always a regular stop in my YouTube forays. I bet they’re fun to see live!
Grateful Dead – 22
Elvis Costello – 14
Wilco – 7
Springsteen – 11
Reigning Sound – 6
Phish – 8
Tom Waits – 5
Live music, I just love it!
Reigning Sound – kick ass!
i’ve heard the Eels referred to as ‘drearily hip’. Is that good?
Haven’t been to a concert since my mispent youth, with the notable exception of J.J. Cale in a small theater in Fresno. During the concert going days I did see some classic bands, The Who in ’74 or ’75 being a notable one. In the over five club are Steven Stills at least a half dozen times (including with CSN&Y in ’74) and Eric Clapton a dozen times in a half dozen states. And on the flaming beard note, if faces self combusted I’d have gone up, I’d think. Since I’ve been sporting the full beard or right around 35 years now. Complete with the past the shoulder length hair. And I’ll be 55 at the end of the month. I did, however, once set my head on fire lighting a bong, in the pre-beard days of my distinguished military career.
Before I forget.
More than five times, some more than ten.
Soul Coughing
Ass Ponys
Wussy
500 Miles to Memphis
The Saps
Two Cow Garage
Slobberbone
Drive By Truckers
Phish
Fairmount Girls
Hamell on Trial
Adam Brodsky
Dock Ellis Band
Granted, some of those bands are local or semi-local but most of them I have seen in out of town venues also.
Are you familiar with the Franz Klaber Orchestra? I’ve seen them over 5 times.
Retro,
I missed TFSP at SXSW in 2003 and regret that.
Bummer — they were/are incredible. Everyone needs to see them at least once.
My over-five club is empty at this time. There are only a couple that I’ve seen more than once: Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) at three, maybe four; Uz Jsme Doma, about the same. Pharoah Sanders twice. That’s about it.
.
The five and over club for me would be:
Ween
Gov’t Mule
Grateful Dead
David Lindley
Robbin Ford
Allman Bros.
Alan Holdsworth
The Tubes
Mike Keneally and BFD
Jeff Beck
Picking up on the trend here?
Jeff Beck is awesome
This has nothing to do with anything:
http://www.pricasso.com/index.html
Though I might have agreed to watch him “perform” more than five times if I could just get past the fact that he’s a dead ringer for Harry from “Dumb & Dumber”.
Ouch, that makes me feel raw just watching it. He does look like Harry.
You watched a video?
hmm, off the top of my head
phish – 23
rush – presto, roll the bones, counterparts, test for echo, vapor trail, r30 – 6
the rugburns – 5
poi dog pondering – 5
bela fleck – 7
cheap trick – 5 or 6
morphine – 4 or 5 – scott would know
railroad earth – 5
phil and friends – 6
carol’s country inn house band – about 100
i’m sure there are more, but those come to mind.
um, Gretchen? um…. what did you put in to the Google to get THAT website? just asking….
Jeff – I’m sitting here naked except for my new WVSR T-shirt. I’ll send you a picture so you can post it on the site. Thanks buddy.
My entire concert going experience in random order
Barry Manilow (it got a little crazy when one dude tried to bogart the spliff)
Dolly Parton and her breasts
Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s breasts
John Denver
Chicago 2x
Maynard Ferguson 2 or 3 times…
Buddy Rich
Jay Leno
Toby Keith
Prairie Oyster (yeah I never heard of them either)
Great Big Sea (most fun you can have with your pants on)
Does Cirque du Solei count? thrice
Canadian Brass 3x
I saw the KW Orchestra with a 200 voice choir, a 60 voice youth choir and soloists perform music from Lord of the Rings. It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life – the sheer power and emotion of the music had tears streaming down my face – I love the fact that music can move me so…
The Three Tenors – back before the maestro had his last curtain call or else it would have been two tenors spend a weekend at Bernie’s
don’t judge me….
🙂
“Pulsating Painted Penises”, why?
No, actually, I just followed a link from regretsy.com. 😉
I’ve seen Mark Kozelek about 8 times in various incarnations. With the Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon. I was in a really heavy ‘Shoegaze’ period.
Also saw Pearl Jam around 7 or 8 times, but only because I signed up for their fan club when I was a kid and was able to score premium seats on the cheap.
Saw Dave Matthews 5 times exactly. Something I wouldn’t usually admit publically. But I had a beautiful girlfriend for those years who was a huge fan and I would have attended Laser Dome features the music of Pink Floyd if she insisted.
And I’ve seen Yo La Tengo at least 9 times.
I’m just under 5 times with Warren Zevon.
Spectacular Girl is one of my favorite songs by the EELS!
Have a great time Jeff!
oh yeah gummy? you won’t talk? yeah? oh, I think you’ll talk…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txkRCIPSsjM&feature=player_embedded
Poor little fella …that ruined my morning . Thanx hot. I would have been alright with a gummy worm or even a Swedish fish.
hot…
NASA has long been trying to develop a fuel that will power a manned space vehicle to Mars and back. Also, there are issues with how to pack along enough food to keep three or four astronauts satiated for the full ten month journey.
Two birds, one stone.
jtb
jtb
I am greatly relieved to discover that Pricasso’s site came up before mine as a result of Gretchen’s search. That was a close one.
jtb
I have sported a beard since early 1974. Because of sputtering roaches, seeds carelessly packed into pipes, and the surprising flammability of nitrous oxide, I have experienced several regional brush fires. On the positive side, a beard, like an old grown forest, returns thicker and bushier after such an incident.
jtb
Jtb – I found the same regrowth phenomena after some rather aggressive clear cut manscaping.
The comments I put with the link were all the newspaper writer’s own but I felt compelled to share.
The Snowbirds air display team had a talk with the boy’s grade school class a while back. In their survival kit they have a high calorie (3500+) package of a similar product. Who knew they were survival food?
Can you hear the Bears Clarice, I mean Jenny?
sffiffiffiff sffiffiffiff sffiffiffiff
(anybody know how to make the creepy Hannibal sucking noise in type?)
Five and Over Club:
Tool – 8
Metallica – 6
Korn – 6
Pearl Jam – 5
I Mother Earth – 5
Our Lady Peace – 5
Not a big concert goer, but back in high school I had a friend whose dad worked at the Charleston Civic Arena. We saw Van Halen at least 5 times – probably 3 times with David Lee Roth and 3 times with Sammy Hagar. His dad got us front row center seats each time. Well, a few times we had to settle for 2nd or 3rd row seats, that sucked 🙂
The first big-time rock concert I ever attended was Journey, Van Halen, and Montrose in April, 1978 in Ruby Diamond Auditorium in Tallahassee, FL. I suppose I was 13 at the time.
That’s probably more information than anyone really needs. At this time.
Todays Further Evidence is some of the best and funniest mockable letters I have ever read .He needs to be a surf reporter too !
I’m completely embarrassed to admit that my record number of times to see any band was REO Speedwagon – 7 times. I never really was an REO fan, but it just happened to work out that way. Next in line would be AC/DC, Kiss, Foghat and Aerosmith at 5 times each.