Following Rabbits Blog — hear it

I went to see Julian Velard play Rockwood tonight to hear a preview of his new album, Mr. Saturday Night. He performed with a full band, which was great. Some of the songs I recognized from his last Rockwood gig... can't wait to get 'em all on my iPod and rock out! If you missed it, he's playing every Wednesday in October at Rockwood Stage 2 for FREE!

I had a hell of a time getting down to Miami today. The airline waited until we were all settled on the plane for a cozy 40 minutes before letting us know that our pilot was stuck in Holland Tunnel traffic and would be another hour. Then when we finally got down to Florida, we had to circle above the airport for 45 minutes to wait out a thunderstorm. By the time we finally went in for a landing, all the right turns and other planes out the window doing the same thing had given me serious anxiety. Then the luggage carousel busted. So we waited again. What was supposed to be a 2 1/2 hour trip had taken 5. I will never fly American Airlines again. They didn't even apologize. Common courtesy, people. 

once I saw the thunderstorm, I was glad we didn't fly through it... turbulence makes me cry. seriously.

Anyway, I rushed to my hotel on Biscayne Bay, checked in, and ran back out to head to the Honda Civic Tour featuring New Found Glory, Tegan and Sara, and Paramore. The show started at 6:30 and I didn't get there til 8, so I missed New Found Glory (booo). I did get there just as Tegan and Sara were starting their set though, which was sweet.

I only knew a few of their songs, but I'm definitely a fan now. They killed it! They were giving away downloads of their new album Sainthood with tshirt purchases, so I bought one and downloaded the album when I got back to the hotel. Good stuff! My fave song is Northshore:

I saw Paramore once before, when they opened for No Doubt last summer. Hayley Williams has some serious pipes! They were amazing, as expected. I got to hear all my faves: Misguided Ghosts, Crushcrushcrush, The Only Exception, Fences and Decode:

They encored with Misery Business which was awesome. They even pulled a girl from the crowd to sing with Hayley. (Jealous!) Confetti, pyrotechnics, a sweet acoustic set (that included a couch and floor lamps on stage)... such a good show. So glad I made it out there.

Now I gotta rest up so I can hit South Beach tomorrow!!

I bought a ticket to see KT Tunstall on a whim yesterday morning, and it was one of the best shows I've seen in NYC. I love the intimacy of ballroom shows, and Hiro is a really beautiful place. KT performed a solo acoustic set, promoting her new album slated for September, Tiger Suit. The album got its name from a recurring dream she had as a child, where she would go outside to her garden and find a tiger there, which she was able to touch. Upon later reflection, a young KT decided that if the tiger didn't eat her in the dream, it must have been because she was wearing a tiger suit, fooling the tiger.

With no opening act, the crowd was amped for the show when she came out at 9p. Using looping pedals to record 2-4 tracks of percussion and backing vocals before each song, she put on an amazing solo show. She sang One of my favorites of the night was a fabulous mix of Other Side of the World, from her last album:

She gave us a good taste of her new album, singing Push That Knot Away, Still a Weirdo, and Fade Like a Shadow (which will be the first single). Since it was just KT on stage, and the crowd was relatively quiet, she was able to tell stories and interact with the crowd between songs. Getting herself set up with the backing tracks before each song took a few minutes, so she provided a lot of silly commentary in between. Here's my favorite:

"So much has happened since I last put out a record, it's terrifying! I was looking for something to wear for this new campaign, and thought maybe I'd get some roadkill to put over my face..." {pause}{pause}{pause} "...you know I'm talking about Gaga."

Absolutely hilarious. Her sense of humor, down-to-earth demeanor, and- most importantly- her kickass voice and stage presence made me an even bigger fan than I was to begin with. I love when you go to a show and the sound you get is a quality above and beyond the album. KT's talents as a vocalist and a musician are incredible. Singing a song titled Madame Trudeau (about the Canadian Prime Minister's wife who ran away with the Rolling Stones... true story), KT was rocking out so hard that by the end she only had 2 strings left on her acoustic guitar. Now that's passion.

She closed the show with a 2 song encore. First up was Black Horse and the Cherry Tree which morphed into a mashup with the White Stripes' 7 Nation Army... involving a kazoo. It was absolutely fantastic:

Finally she sang LCD Soundsystem's New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down. I looove that song, and she sang it beautifully. She ended with a final "New York- I love you!" I'm so looking forward to her new album. It's going to be great- keep an eye out for it in September, and if you ever get a chance to see her live, jump on it!

I went to both of Julian's Rockwood shows, Friday and last night. Friday night I went solo and was able to score a close seat at the front (it was actually embarrassingly close once they centered the piano on the stage... so I only took a few pics on the sly sans flash). He sang all of his hits, including Joni, Do It Alone, Love Again for the First Time, and Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen. His shows are high energy, with sarcastic commentary spewed out between songs. Both shows were great, as I knew they would be, but Friday's crowd was a little more cooperative. Saturday I had family with me, and we sat in the balcony. People were talking so loudly that Julian stopped mid-song to ask if people were listening. After that people were generally quiet, although I did have to ask the girl behind me to kindly *stfu* when Julian started singing A Dream, which is my fave song of his. He also played two songs I really like that I can't find anywhere to download: Take the Money and Run and a song about Saturday Night... Julian?

These shows kicked off his east coast tour- you can check out where he's headed here. Absolutely see him live if you get a chance! You can also download his music on iTunes, become a facebook fan, follow his twitter... you get the picture.

Civil Twilight, from left: Steven McKeller, Rich Wouters, Andrew McKeller (photo via MySpace)

I've been a huge fan of Civil Twilight since I saw them open for Evanescence last November. I went to that show having never heard of them, and went home that night and downloaded their entire album. I've since seen them perform a second time at Bowery Ballroom, and am going to see them a third time tonight at Union Hall in Brooklyn. Their music is full of emotion, and their live performances are just as powerful. Being a band that quickly became one of my favorites, I was thrilled to do a Q&A with their drummer, Rich.

1. Gimme five random facts about you.
I grew up on a beach in South Africa and surfed almost every day as a kid.
I like cooking.
I have the best family ever.
My favorite book is 'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky
I believe that art can save or destroy us.
I once wrestled a bear to the ground with my bare hands. (Just kidding...)
That was 6 but the last one doesn't count... ;)
 
2. Favorite song to perform? I kind of go through phases... Right now Im enjoying 'On The Surface'.

3. Sort your iTunes library by play count... what's the most played song? Doves, 'Black and White Town' 

4. Favorite meal to make for yourself? Penne with ragu meat sauce. Or very fresh fish on the grill.
 
5. What superpower would you most like to possess? The ability to fly.
 
6. Favorite tourist spot in NYC? Hm... Central Park.
 
7. Who or what inspires you most? Music, literature, nature, family, God.
 
8. Favorite sports team? Brazilian national soccer team.
 
9. Your best friend built a time machine- where in time would you like to go? It would have to be Jerusalem at the time of Christ.

10. Biggest pet peeve? Complaining about things one can't change.
 
11. Favorite dessert? Tiramisu.
 
12. You get to go anywhere for a week, all expenses paid... where you headed? The French Riviera.

13. Favorite TV show growing up? MacGyver!

14. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A professional soccer player.
 
15. You just won the lottery- what’s the first thing you're buying? A new car.
 
16. Favorite breakfast food? Eggs and bacon on toast with fried mushrooms and tomato!
 
17. You just had a 5-star evening- what happened? Ate great food with friends, played a show at a nice venue, hung out and relaxed with good people.

18. Favorite guilty pleasure? Haha. Taylor Swift's songs!
 
19. You're at Starbucks- whatcha drinking? Tall cappuccino. No sugar.

Rich takes iPhone photos of his travels and posts them on LettersfromtheSky.com

20. I love all of your random photos on lettersfromthesky.com… do you have a favorite?
Thanks! I kind of like that new one there called 'Dawn from above'. I took it out of the window of an airplane whilst flying over the Pacific. Photos of sky and clouds and water are my favorite. Especially when the light is interesting... I always just try capture a mood.
* * * * *

Come out tonight to see Civil Twilight at Union Hall! Doors open at 7:30p, tickets are only $10. If you absolutely can't make it out, I'll forgive you, but to make it up to me you must see them at Bowery Ballroom on July 13! I pinky-promise you'll love them as much as I do.

Another amazing Civil Twilight show! They played a long set, including my faves Perfect Stranger and Letters from the Sky. They covered Massive Attack's Teardrop again, which I absolutely love. For their encore they played Quiet in My Town (which always makes me a little teary) and Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song. Totally kick ass! I'm planning on seeing them at Bowery Ballroom on July 13. Come out!!