Eric Clapton
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
September 28, 2006

Make no mistake—at an Eric Clapton show, Clapton is the one who stands front and center on the Persian rug. Still, the appearance of Clapton’s newest protégé, Derek Trucks, instantly recalled the legendary Clapton/Duane Allman sessions that yielded Layla. Trucks’ melancholy slide sounds in sharp contrast to Clapton’s confident spikes. It’s a nice combination, one that clearly means something to Clapton.

Toubab Krewe
Nectar Lounge, Seattle, WA
October 4, 2006

As if calling forth the audience to participate in a Wednesday night ceremony, Toubab Krewe kicked off its show by delivering a booming hit of percussion, sending out circling shockwaves that trembled and reverberated for a solid ten minutes.

Toubab Krewe’s concept of West Africa meets surf rock could potentially qualify for a case of multiple personality disorder; however, the North Carolina group proved that a trip to the psychiatrist would reveal a clean bill of mental health. Studying under masters in places like Mali and the Ivory Coast for extended periods before applying that knowledge in the States has clearly paid off.   

Built To Spill
Irving Plaza, New York, NY
October 4, 2006

It’s often difficult to tell which bands will cross over into what genres. But few live acts have been able to merge the freeform adventure of improvisational music with the edgy excitement of indie-rock as easily as Built to Spill. Over a decade into his career, Built to Spill’s primary visionary Doug Martsch has perfected his trademark blend of Crazy Horse’s guitar-rock with Stephen Malkmus’ frail introspection, helping the group age into modern-rock icons without fully moving away from its workingman roots. Indeed, Built to Spill still plays by punk-rock rules, even loading in its own gear before this sold-out Irving Plaza performance.

Matt Costa
Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL
October 5, 2006

I am always surprised to learn which bands do well in Amsterdam and which fizzle. There is no formula; I have been to wretched shows that have sold out and brilliant shows with only a handful at hand. So would the Dutch take to Matt Costa’s breezy, So-Cal skate-pop? As I arrived late and soggy to an over-packed Melkweg, that question had been answered.