Paul McCartney & Wings - Mrs. Vandebilt

So this past Sunday night I had the utmost privilege of seeing a Knight, a Beatle, a Living Legend. I got to see Sir James Paul McCartney perform to over 50,000 hollering fans at BC Place. This show had "HUGE" written all over it. The entire city was talking about it and was completely pumped for it. From the rumour that even my dog had heard about Springsteen being a special guest to the lights at the stadium flashing the union jack all week long. It was the first show of this magnitude that I had been to (or even remember hearing about) since The Stones were last in town (also the only other show I've seen at BC Place and the only band on the planet worthy of that stage). A few months back I managed to score four lower bowl tickets ($186 bones each, yeesh!) within the first 4 minutes that it took to sell out the whole stadium. Now I could officially get excited! I saw several shows in between purchase time and the show itself but they were all pretty much warm up for the show of the year, and likely the decade, for BC and myself. 

McCartney kicked off with "Magical Mystery Tour" at 8:45 pm and, oh boy, better buckle in cuz we were in for one helluva ride. Literally the second he started he had the entire crowd glued to his every move. Dressed in a cool blue jacket (pictured above) McCartney quickly kicked into "All My Loving" after saying to the crowd "It's been a long time, Vancouver. It can't have been 48 years... I'm not even 48!". This was one of many witty statements Paul made in his wonderful Liverpool drawl. A few Wings and solo classics later he removed the jacket for "the only wardrobe change of the evening". Then came the Help! track "The Night Before", a personal favourite and not very popular tune that I never thought he'd play in a million years. This night was gonna be really special! The bluesy Wings track, "Let Me Roll It", followed and featured top notch guitar work from McCartney and Rusty Anderson as they segued into a snippet of the Hendrix classic "Foxy Lady". Epic!

After a rockin' "Paperback Writer", Paul started to move off stage but it turned out he was only going to the piano in the back corner of the stage. He played the lovely ballad "The Long And Winding Road" before kicking it into another gear with "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five". He was especially at home playing the keys and this version was particularly groovy. Kudos to McCartney's and BC Place's sound teams for making the enormous arena sound as amazing and intimate as the Commodore Ballroom. Next came the newest track, "My Valentine" which featured cool images of Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman signing the song. Then his greatest solo song "Maybe I'm Amazed" which he dedicated to his late wife Linda and sang with a passionate fury. Despite his 70 years of age, McCartney's voice is still full of power and range which is truly incredible to see.

Sir Paul moved away from the piano to take centre stage for a solo acoustic set that featured the Beatles hits "Blackbird" and "And I Love Her" as well as a tribute to his old friend John, "Here Today". McCartney told a few stories about Hendrix and the Civil Rights movement in the 60's (to which he played "Blackbird"). He followed with another personal favourite that he played to my dismay, "Mrs. Vanderbilt". This was a real crowd pleaser that had everyone chanting "Ho, Hey-Ho". He and drummer, Abe Laboriel Jr. really hammed it up on this one, taking turns doing goofy dance moves. Then an excellent version of "Eleanor Rigby" before another great tribute, this time for George as he played "Something" on ukulele. This was a very touching moment in the show, especially as images of Paul with George appeared on the big screen.

Now the show had already been worth the ticket price and 48 years of waiting but, as the Stones did a few years ago, McCartney found a way to raise the bar even more. What followed were a slew of Beatles hits as well as his 2 most popular tracks with Wings. "Band On The Run" kicked it off then the rocker "Back In The U.S.S.R.", "A Day In The Life" (Holy shit he actually played it?!?!?!) and "Let It Be" among others. The show then hit its craziest, rockingest peak with the pyro-charged "Live And Let Die" followed by the greatest sing along of all time "Hey Jude" to close the set.

Cue the encores and even more Beatles classics. The great riffage of "Day Tripper" followed by "Get Back" and the most recorded single of all time, "Yesterday". McCartney then started the Wings track "Mull Of Kintyre" and right on cue the Delta Police Pipe Band joined him on stage. Quite a proud moment for British Columbian police and a special song for Vancouver as he has not performed this at any other stops on the tour so far. One final epic rocker, "Helter Skelter" lead into the last trilogy of Abbey Road classics "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight" and, fittingly, "The End". "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make" were his final words as the crowd was showered with confetti after almost 3 hours of outstanding rock and roll. A fitting end to the greatest and most memorable concert that I have ever been to. No, the heavily rumoured appearance of Bruce Springsteen never did occur. But it did not matter as the night belonged to Paul McCartney and his trove of timeless classics that will live on as long as humans continue to record history. I feel so blessed to have seen them performed by a true living legend... one of the most famous people on planet erf. A once in a lifetime experience that I will never, ever forget!

The Beatles - The Night Before

Both of the songs I have chosen are personal favourites that I was genuinely shocked when Paul played them. The "Ho, Hey-Ho's" of Mrs. Vandebilt along with its brilliant sax solo and clanging guitars make this a great foot-stomper and sing-along. "The Night Before" features one of Paul's most ferocious lead vocals and this video is fucking sick. 

Diana Ross - Love Hangover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy185xXA93E&feature=fvwrel

On Saturday night I saw James Murphy perform a DJ set at Celebrities in Vancouver. Celebrities is Vancouver's most famous Gay club and, therefore, it gets all the best DJs. This was my first time at Celebrities so I was very curious as to how it would be. I had heard rumours about transvestite corner and was warned to always feel for the Adam's apple lol. Luckily James Murphy brought a very diverse crowd and everyone was there to dance and have a great time. However, this did not stop some guy from pinching my side and then ass a few times lol. I made sure to put my arms around the girls in front of me and he backed off. As awkward and uncomfortable as this was I had to be slightly flattered as, hey, I'm good enough looking for dudes too lol!

Now for the DJ set! Holy fuck was James good! Definitely my favourite DJ show ever! (Flying Lotus at Gossip during the Olympics is a close second tho...) He actually DJ'd, no laptop to just press play and sit back on. He used real turntables and was constantly making adjustments and, well, DJ-ing. He played an awesome mix of funk, disco and just great, danceable beats. The majority of the songs were very underground and unknown yet so fucking awesome. I looked into finding a setlist or a recording of one of his gigs but came up empty. I then learned that he simply does not want a radio version of his club show. He wants to keep them to what they are as a live performance. I definitely respect that but it sucks because the songs were so damn good! Luckily near the end of the show I had enough awareness to try to shazam some of the tracks. Most came up empty but I did manage to get his last 3. The above Diana Ross disco banger, the ridiculous Neil Young cover of "Harvest Moon" by Poolside and a Talking Heads song. James was super cool all night, only looking up occasionally and smiling rarely; just so into the music, as his little eyes-closed shimmy's displayed. We ended up getting right up front and my friends even got to shake his hand at the end of the show! Also, water bottle guy, an Asian guy in a wife beater balancing a water bottle on his head was maneuvering his way through the dance floor. Such a dope addition/dude for the night. I know that I've seen him at a show before but have no clue when or where.

For those who don't know James is the frontman and leader of the group LCD Soundsystem. They are a rock group with some electronic elements that had hit songs such as "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" and "All My Friends". To the dismay of many fans, he dismantled them just as they were reaching their highest point of commercial success. They are completely different from his DJ set. I quite like both but would honestly prefer to see James DJ.

This Diana Ross track is an absolute disco banger as soon as you hit the 1:10 mark. But it sounded so much better live and mixed by Murphy. This song is great but unfortunately it's far from the best I heard that night. Sorry I couldn't find more and if I ever do I'll be sure to post them. The below tracks are from when I very briefly saw him DJ at Sasquatch. My friend and I stayed to watch the first two songs and had to force ourselves to leave to go see Bon Iver (great choice as it's in my top 3 shows of the year so far). I highly highly recommend seeing the dude DJ any chance you get!

Begin - Elate

Floorplan - We Magnify His Name

And here he is doing the same set that he played at Sasquatch, not the one I saw on the Weekend. Still Epic!

The Pharcyde - Soul Flower (Remix)

So Saturday night I was heading out to a friends place in Vancouver when I got a message from another friend inviting me to go see The Pharcyde the following night. They were playing at Venue and would be performing their entire classic album Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde, celebrating its 20th anniversary. Now I honestly had not listened to much Pharcyde at all but knew that I had heard them before several times from this same friend. I just felt that, even though I did not know them all that well, I should like them. Plus it was only $30 and Venue is dope so I figured it'd be a solid show. And boy was I right! 

The 2012 version of The Pharcyde consisted of original members Fatlip and Slimkid3. Then they had a big guy, who I cannot seem to find anything about yet he was excellent and probably my favourite up there lol, and J-Swift, the albums producer, filling in for the other 2 former members Booty Brown and Imani. Then LA Jay was the DJ behind them spinning all the dope beats. Fatlip and Slimkid3 were both excellent, rapping and dancing like 1992 never left. The big guy was great, taking the high-pitched rap verses and performing them with great wit and charm. J-Swift was probably the weakest member of the group; he played the keyboards brilliantly but wasn't the best rapper and not a very good singer.

They performed the ENTIRE album. This included all skits and interludes which were acted out with excellent comedic timing. Highlights included a skit on 'Yo Mama' jokes and arguing over who was the 'Nigga in charge'. The stage setup was awesome with an awesome screen in the background showing videos of everything from colourful, psychedelic images to black and white 1920's cartoon scenes to marijuana leaves. Then the band had great costumes/props; from Slimkid3's epic angry birds hat to scream masks and huge afros. They were having an absolute blast and so was the crowd. They kept telling us that it was a great crowd and one of their best in a while. I know bands always say this but it felt quite legit as they continued to say it. Highlights included the excellent "Passing Me By", a very hazy "Pack the Pipe", crowd shout/sing-alongs "Oh Shit" and "Soul Flower (Remix)", and the triple-header encore after the album of an "Apache" cover, "She Said", and "Runnin'". I went in with modest expectations, just hoping there would be at least a few songs that I liked and came out a huge fan of The Pharcyde, loving every minute of the show! Kanye West called this his favourite album of all time in 2010 and I now know why!

The opening acts were both local rappers, Emotionz and KAi Sky Walker. Emotionz was kind of goofy but still a decent rapper. It was his beats that saved him as they were insane (a sesame street beat!?!?). KAi Sky Walker is actually a friend of 2 friends of mine. He's from Surrey and went to Earl Marriot Secondary. He's a great rapper but was lacking the beats of the first guy. If only they could be combined with Emotionz' beats and KAi's rapping...

"Soul Flower (Remix)" was my favourite song from the show that I had not heard before going to it. I absolutely love the beat; great 90's old school. The lyrics are ridiculous too. From the "Eee ah ooh ah ah"'s to the crazy closing line "If magic can admit he got aids, fuck it--I got herpes". On a side note I realized that there's a part in this song that K-OS samples in his song "4, 3, 2, 1"... Just a dope song. But I also had to include probably their most famous track, "Passing Me By", one that I definitely did know before the show (and that we timed our j to ;)) Also this was only the second time that I have seen the performance of an entire album, with the first being Roger Waters doing The Dark Side Of The Moon.

The Pharcyde - Passing Me By

"Passing Me By" has a trill beat that oozes the jazz influence on much of the hip-hop in the early 90's. But its highlight has to be the great chorus that is half sung, half screamed, to the point where you truly feel his agony. Brilliant. Listen to these songs and Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde now! An absolute masterpiece!

Big Boi - Lines (feat. A$AP Rocky & Phantogram)

Brand spanking new music from Big Boi. In "Lines", Big Boi teams up with NYC swag-mixtape superstar A$AP Rocky and fellow NYC indie synth-pop band Phantogram. Now this combination with the Southern MC (and one half of Outkast) should make heads spin but, wow, they actually pull it off. Somehow the production by Organized Noise brilliantly meshes A$AP's deep dreamy bass, Phantogram's shimmering synths, and Big Boi's Southern drawl. This is where hip-hop has landed in 2012 and damn it sounds great. 10, hell even 5 years ago nobody could've ever dreamed up this crazy collaboration. Rappers working with others outside of their 'coast' (let's call the South the third coast) and outside of their genre. Spectacular!

Now sit back and enjoy this one. From A$AP's hot, bass heavy opening rhymes to Sarah Barthel's gorgeous hook this is a barn burner from start to finish. I especially love the magical, shimmering electronic breakdown near the end of the track that transports you into a wonderful, mythical world where brooks babble, birds of paradise chirp, and leprechauns frolic in rolling meadows. Go explore!

Some thoughts...

- The new Bond movie is fucking dope. Go see it now!

- 3 straight wins for The KEE to Winning and the playoffs are looking more and more like a reality in Fantasy Football. Shout out to the Broncos D/ST that I traded for earlier in the week and their 28 points! I probably had 28 points all year so far from the dreadful Eagles and overachieving Cardinals. 

- Going to see James Murphy DJ at Celebrities (Vancouver's main gay bar) on Saturday. This'll be the first time I've been there and it should be interesting to say the least.

- Then I'm off to the West Final on Sunday to watch my BC Lions shit-kick the Calgary Stampeders who just lost their starting QB. Na-na-na-naa...

Bruce Springsteen - Gypsy Biker

Bruce Springsteen is the final honourable mention for the 5 greatest solo artists of all time. He was definitely the closest to making the top 5 and I really wanted to put him in but just could not deny the popularity and pop culture status of Madonna. I fucking love The Boss! I was fortunate enough to see him and the E Street Band the last time they stormed through Vancouver. And boy oh boy did they ever storm! Playing for over 3 hours, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band are a tour de force of epic rock and roll. They mixed old classics ("Born to Run", Dancing In The Dark") with newer tracks ("Radio Nowhere", "The Rising" and today's chosen song) and didn't miss a beat. It was incredibly special to get to see Clarence "Big Man" Clemons in action. The saxophone player, who passed away recently, didn't do much when he wasn't playing. He just sat on a stool and played the tambourine. But then when it came time for one of his huge solos he slowly made his way to the front of the stage before belting it out, giving everything he had. Just insane!

"Gypsy Biker" is my favourite Bruce Springsteen song. The harmonica is brilliant and it sent chills up my spine the first time I ever heard it. Then the electric guitar kicks in and it's really rockin'. It was definitely a highlight of the first half of the show and the best of the new material. Guitarist Little Steven went nuts during the solo. As usual, the lyrics are great as Bruce tells about a dead soldier returning from Iraq and his family and friends polishing his bike for the funeral as he's "comin' home". Make sure you give this one a listen, as well as the whole 2008 album, Magic, an often overlooked masterpiece imo.

Bruce Springsteen - Spirit In The Night (Live 1975)

I just had to include this incredible performance in London in 1975. Bruce and the band are about to take over planet erf and they proved why during this amazing show. This is just one brilliant example of why they are so fucking good live!

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Cinnamon Girl

So last night I was finally able to give my Dad his birthday present when I took him to see Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. This was the second time the two of us had gone to see Neil but the first with Crazy Horse. While the last show certainly had more hits and well-known songs, this show was all-out rock! The band jammed like madmen, often extending songs to 10, 20, even 25 minutes! The place was packed when we got there just before 9 (missed the opening bands The Sadies and Los Lobos) and the air was filled with a mixture of pot haze and booze. 

About 10 minutes after we sat down in our seats (row 1 of the upper corner) the lights went out and "A Day In The Life" blared over the PA system. Then a bunch of men in white lab coats and crazy white Einstein wigs came out, frantically running around checking the set and instruments; pretty cool for roadies! The set was quite simple with 2 large amps on the sides with 2 even larger amps in the middle, standing like twin towers in between the drum kit. It was actually incredibly similar to the stage set in the video above; old school but with a modern twist. The final, different touch was the giant mic stand in the front middle of the stage. As it rose, a giant Canadian flag appeared behind the stage and the dudes in the lab coats lined up to sing "O Canada". Right before it started, Neil and the band joined them and the crowd rose to its feet, belting out the lyrics to our Nation's anthem. Something tells me they don't get to do this every night ;)

The band kicked off with a raucous version of "Love and Only Love", stomping through the chorus and extending every epic guitar solo. They sounded amazing as they tore through a few more classics before getting to the new stuff of their excellent new double album, Psychedelic Pill. "Born in Ontario" really got the crowd singing along and "Walk Like A Giant" was over 20 minutes of epic distortion, soloing, and trippy whistling. Not a lot of the crowd knew it but they sure loved it by the end! After a brief break, Neil came out with an acoustic guitar and harmonica and did a heartfelt rendition of "The Needle And The Damage Done". He wrote the song about Crazy Horse's original guitarist who OD'd in the early 70's. He was a man that Neil was very close to and truly felt he was his perfect musical partner. 

Then they played a few more quiet ones before bringing back the axes for excellent versions of "Cinnamon Girl", "Mr. Soul", and "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)". The set was closed with Crazy Horse and the crowd singing "Happy Birthday" to Neil who had just turned 67 on the east coast. Just an excellent night of rocking out with a Canadian living legend.

"Cinnamon Girl" is one of my favourite Neil Young songs. It's a great foot-stomper and probably got the biggest roar from the crowd when they started playing it last night. This is an awesome live performance of it too.

On a side note, Neil Young is definitely another honourable mention for greatest solo artist of all time. And I cannot leave this without something from the new album. So enjoy 20 blissful, psychedelic minutes of "Walk Like A Giant".

David Bowie - Moonage Daydream

David Bowie is my first honourable mention for the 5 greatest solo artists of all time. Bowie is fucking awesome. He has  hit singles and albums, influence, and incredible popularity that rival the top 5. However, he is missing one key characteristic that eluded him from the top 5: He is currently alive and well yet doing NOTHING. Bowie would sell out all over the planet if he ever toured again. Yet the Jean Genie seems content to enjoy his golden years outside of the public spotlight. Kudos to him for being able to and wanting to do this but, c'mon man, you're epic, come back just for 1 tour and/or album!

"Moonage Daydream" is a brilliant track off of The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. "I'm an alligator!" starts the song off with a bang as heavy electric and jangling acoustic guitars swirl majestically over a bouncy backbeat. Bowie's singing is very powerful and one of his best performances. But it is guitarist Mick Ronson who steals the show at the end of the song with his scintillating guitar solo. One of my all time favourites for sure! I certainly hope your neighbours like it ;)

Some thoughts...

- US election tonight and it's looking scary close. Florida you'd better step up because right now you only hold a 40,000 vote lead in favour of Obama. The 29 points from the state are critical for Romney if he wants any sort of chance. Keep holdin' ur breath folks!

- My family recently bought a cabin out at Cultus Lake and it is fucking awesome! Really nice little neighbourhood with a dope club house featuring 2 pools, full gym, media theatre room, and lounge complete with TVs, a bar, and pool tables etc. Can't wait to get back!

- Had a winning weekend in football: my Seahawks defeated the Vikings and I won a 6-pack back from a buddy who's a diehard vikes fan (loser!) and I crushed in fantasy football (even though I benched 36 points from 2 players!)

- Had a losing weekend in soccer as my outdoor team blew a 2-1 lead with 15 mins left to lose 5-2, ouch! and my indoor team played terrible and just could not find the net, succumbing 4-3 to the worst team in the league, double ouch!

- Check out Neil Young & Crazy Horse's new album Psychedelic Pill, great stoner riffage and psychedelic freakouts!

Madonna - Ray of Light

Finally we have come to the last of the 5 greatest solo artists of all time and, holy shit I can't believe it, it's Madonna. Say what you want about her but Madonna is HUGE. She has been at the forefront of the pop culture world since her debut in the early 1980's. Her millions of fans across the globe pay big bucks to see her when she sells out large stadiums and arenas worldwide (and often with multiple shows in major cities). She has changed her sound, image, and tabloid-ready relationships more times than anyone thought possible. She has also stared controversy in the face (sex, religion, violence) and come out basically unscathed, usually with more fans and record sales. Regardless of what you may think of her I can almost guarantee that she has at least one song that you like and can dance to!

Madonna is the ONLY pop star to remain at the top of the game for over 3 decades. For every massive pop artist (Bieber, Backstreet Boys, Britney, Timberlake) there is always a time when they fade away (or will) and become relegated to the nostalgia circuit. But not Madonna. She is still pumping out hit albums and singles and many of her moves are watched very closely by the media and therefore all of us. I'm basically saying that she was massively popular, still is very popular and will continue to be for as long as she can still sing and get up on stage. I dare you to find another solo artist that could replace her in this #5 slot.

"Ray of Light" is a great late 90's pop/rock song. Its fast pace and electronic backdrop makes it a great song to go crazy and dance to. The video echoes those same feelings with great sped up shots of everyday life.

Madonna - Like A Prayer

I wouldn't go so far as to say that I am a Madonna fan but I do like a solid number of her songs and highly respect her as an artist. Unfortunately I do not know her well enough to be able to choose a lesser known track. So here's my other favourite, "Like A Prayer". This song has a legendary and controversial music video that completely stunned and horrified the Catholic Church upon its release. Burning crosses and a black Jesus!?!? This song is also very epic live (basically any charity type concert: Live Aid, Live 8, Live Earth etc.) and always brings down the house.

Here's a quick recap of the top 5 greatest solo artists of all time:

1.) Elvis Presley

2.) Bob Dylan

3.) Bob Marley

4.) Michael Jackson

5.) Madonna

I personally don't see how you could replace any of these 5 with someone else and the only change would possibly be switching the order of Marley and Jackson. I am curious as to what you think though... did I miss any? Am I insane? Next week I'll go through some honourable mentions too.