Jay-Z, House of Blues, October 16: “Jay-Z and his dozen-man band tore through the Brooklyn rapper’s phone-book-thick catalog — topped by the thunderstruck, ‘Back in Black’-borrowing “99 Problems” — as Bun B, several Houston Texans (and Texans Cheerleaders) and the rest of the sold-out house got their swerve on in high style.”
Butthole Surfers, Meridian, October 23: “I can’t speak for the band, but frontman Gibby Haynes was either on something unknown to even Central American shamen or, well, just being Gibby Haynes. It took an hour before I understood a single lyric that came out of his mouth.”
Tina Turner, Toyota Center, October 27: “Elemental and overpowering, she gathered velocity through slow-burn opener “Steamy Windows” and sleek ’80s funk vamp ‘Typical Male’ before reaching cruising speed on Broadway-meets-Beale-Street extravaganza ‘River Deep, Mountain High.'”
Kings of Leon, Verizon Wireless Theater, October 28: “Herein lies the problem. Since [debut] Youth and Young Manhood, the Kings have gone out of their way to distance themselves from their Southern roots – in their music if not their lifestyles – repeatedly citing bands like the Strokes and Pixies as primary influences over the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd.”
TV on the Radio, House of Blues, October 29: “TVOTR opened with its mission statement, ‘Young Liars’ from 2003’s self-titled debut EP. This song is every single strand of the Brooklyn band’s DNA distilled into a simmering five minutes. Its tracks like that that leads to utter rock-journalist mythology because it leaves you no other choice than to be floored. (Craig Hlavaty) – Chris Gray
This article appears in Jan 1-7, 2009.
