John Evans: WRNR's Official Lollapalooza Correspondent 2010

John has a horse shoe in his toosh.  We sent John to a massive weekend of live shows and he meets the bands left and right with no help from us.  Here's a pic of John in the elevator of his hotel with The xx.  John and his sister, Lisa, also managed to crash the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros after-show party, shook hands with Britt Daniels of Spoon... the list goes on and on.

Check out the ridiculously awesome coverage and pictures of John's Lollapalooza blog when you CLICK HERE.  A job well done, sir.... job well done.

Mitch Takes an Unforgettable Trip to London!

First off, let me thank everyone at WRNR that helped make this trip to London to see Florence + the Machine a reality for Kate and I, it was truly one of the best weekends of our 6 year relationship. As Kate and I hastily threw together a plan of what to see and do over the two-day trip to one of the most historic and beautiful cities in the world, I was secretly planning something that would change our lives forever. (Juicy details later... keep reading)

We headed to the airport on Friday evening with and 12 hours (time change) later we touched down in London, Saturday morning. We bustled thru the airport and onto the Tube (London’s version of the subway), we settled in for our trip across London by train. We spotted our first taste of London shortly there after, we were joined on the train by a group of cross-dressed hipsters headed for a day of drinking in second hand floral dresses and bad wigs, apparently pub crawls are a big deal.

Still trying to get the image of short hemlines and hairy legs out of heads, we arrived at our stop. Upon exiting the station, we were blown away by the view. We were right across the street from the Tower of London and Tower Bridge both of which overlook the Thames. After we dropped our bags at the hotel and grabbed a quick bit to eat, we headed over to explore the Tower of London. Little did Kate know that she was in for a big surprise. After viewing the lavish splendor of the Royal Crown Jewels, I decided it was time to let Kate in on my secret; she was getting her own jewelry. I got down on my knee and asked her to marry me; she said yes immediately and made me the happiest person in London. The rest of the Saturday was a blur of phone calls to family, dinner and delicious pulled draught beer.

With the excitement of our engagement fueling us, Sunday morning we headed down the Thames for a river tour of London, checking out all the things to see in London, the Globe Theater, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tate Modern and tons of other points of interest. The boat dropped of off right at Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and we explored the streets of London by foot over to Westminster Abbey, then over to the London Eye, a quick cab ride past Buckingham Palace and we headed back to get ready for the show.

Back on the subway, Kate and I finally focused on the purpose of the trip to see a fiery red head, Florence Welsh, perform at the one of the premier rock venues in London, the Brixton Academy. The venue is a renovated 1930’s style theater with a grand balcony and an open floor plan on the ground level. We arrived just about 30 minutes prior to the show start and joined the max capacity crowd of 5,000 people on the floor. Florence was excited to headline the Academy after grinding through the London music scene and the show did not disappoint. A full choir backed Florence + the Machine and strings section that helped drive her powerful voice throughout the tiny rock house. Florence had the entire crowd bouncing and hopping as she belted out song after song from Lungs. After an hour performance and a quick encore, they were done and we were exhausted.

We caught a Monday morning flight back to Philly and we were home. Thanks again WRNR for everything, I will never forget the surprised look on Kate’s face or the view of Tower Bridge from the walls of a 2,000 year old castle.

---------- Mitch Bowers

Mitch!  We love your style.  Congratulations to you and Kate!

TESS AND CAMERON SEE MONSTERS OF FOLK IN LOUISVILLE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT!

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when Tess won the trip to Louisville, KY (where?) to see Monsters of Folk (who?). But without a doubt, it was awesome! Turns out Louisville, Kentucky is a pretty cool place: very chill, friendly, and fun people, lots of bourbon, horse racing, fancy old architecture, and of course; good music.

The Brown hotel was gorgeous; very elegant and fancy. We felt like royalty in our luxury, king-sized-bed suite. The Palace Theater was also very ornate. Both places gave one the feel of being an upper-class businessman in the 1920s travelling to the Midwest to invest, but taking a breather to see a show and relax in luxury.

The show itself was great. 4 all-stars working together on stage. Each got his own chance to shine in a solo or a duet. They really did a great job balancing the limelight between the performers. However,Yim Yames, the hometown boy, was clearly the crowd favorite. I have a feeling that there were a lot of My Morning Jacket fans (and reportedly two MMJ band members) in the audience.

(Left: Tess and Cameron at the Monsters of Folk show. Right: The Brown Hotel)

Going out there on Halloween couldn’t have been more fun. Most people dressed up. Tess and I were Lady Gaga and Kanye West, respectively. While our roommate said he counted 8 Lady Gaga’s in DC on Halloween night, we didn’t see a single other Lady Gaga in hippy-dippy Louisville. We did see a giant bunny, a couple guys from the Darma Initiative, Wooderson and the Redhead from Dazed and Confused, and a host of other hilarious costumes. And it wouldn’t have been complete if after the intermission, theMOF themselves didn’t come on stage and play the rest of the show as the KISS army. MOF finished off their show with a rousing rendition of “Rock and Roll All Night” with a number of costumed, crazed, fans dancing around on stage. Truly awesome.

All in all, a great weekend. Thank you RNR!

SEAN AND MARI-ANN GET ON A BOAT TO PORT PARADISE FOR THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND!

I was the lucky Grand Prize Winner on RNR’s Dave Matthew’s Band/Bud Light Cruise to the Bahamas! After completing the required on-line forms, our trip was completely mapped out for us. My wife, Mari-Ann, and I flew from BWI to Orlando where we were greeted by Bud Light Port Paradise representatives. We were guided to our tour bus which shuttled us to Cape Canaveral Port and our ship: The Monarch of the Seas.

There was Bud Light everywhere: one the bus, on the ship, on the island, but I’m getting ahead of myself here. Once on the ship, we learned everyone there was a free guest and there to have a good time. There were some people who had never heard of DMB on one side of the spectrum then there were the two girls we had dinner with from Long Island who had seen DMB sixty-one times!

After sitting poolside on the boat for about 5 hours and watching the beer-fueled mayhem, we noticed the ship had finally pulled away from the pier. There was a Halloween costume party that night. Before we left, I shamed my wife into getting a costume then I forgot mine! We wound up just watching the party from the rail above the dance floor. The DJ was awesome and the costumes were killer.

Saturday, after working out in the ship’s gym, we pulled into Nassau, Bahamas for a day of Coconut Monkey shopping and Conch fritter eating. There was even a Starbucks with a second floor balcony where I could drink a mocha frappaccino and smoke a big fat Cuban maduro cigar!  Back on the ship, we discovered UFC pay preview fights were shown for free in the “Sound of Music” theater – Score! After watching those fights, we went up to the pool area and hung out.

Mari-Ann and Sean on The Monarch of the Seas and DMB live at Coco Cay

Sunday morning we pulled into the Coco Cay waters. Coco Cay is a beautiful private island with no paved roads. Everyone had to take a ferry over there. Once on the island, we co-mingled with members of our sister ship. Barbeque lunch was served buffet-style. An opening band played on the Port Paradise stage while we explored the coastline. After finding fallen coconuts (notice a coconut fixation?), we moseyed back towards the stage. DMB came on and played a great concert!  Here's the set list:

1) Don't Drink The Water 2) Funny The Way It Is 3) Seven 4) Satellite 5) So Damn Lucky 6) Why I Am 7) Spaceman 8) Cornbread 9) Shake Me Like a Monkey 10) Burning Down The House-Talking Heads cover 11) Tripping Billies 12) Crash Into Me 13) Jimi Thing 14) Grey Street 15) You & Me 16) Stay (Wasting Time)  Encore: 17) Everyday 18) Ants Marching

Monday morning, the ship pulled back into Cape Canaveral. After a pretty painless Customs departure, we were back in the bus on our way to the airport.

It was a great little get-away and we want to thank WRNR, DMB, and Bud Light for taking care of everything (well, except babysitters!).

ANREW FOSTER FLIES TO NEW ORLEANS TO SEE THE DEAD WEATHER

OK, let me give a brief back story- I think the first Jack White related song I ever heard was 7 Nation Army a year or so ago (I know, I'm way late on the scene!) and I loved it! I've been a HUGE fan of all things Jack White ever since. Then I hear about It Might Get Loud- my only must see movie for the year, Jimmy Page? 'Nuf said! I won tix YAY!!

The morning Rob & Alex called to give me the GREAT news, you couldn't have kicked the smile off my face for the next few days. Never been to New Orleans, never been west of W. Virgina actually. EVERYTHING was incredibly great- the flight, hotel, N.O. (I think people like to drink a lot there), Po boys, shrimp & crawfish Étouffée, House of Blues, and OF COURSE The Dead Weather concert. They tore up from the floor up- great sound, stage presence & lighting it all came together in one big-loud-warm-incredible rush I will never forget.

(view from the hotel)

 
So big ups to WRNR & the good folks a Warner Bros. for the hospitality- "I'd like to grab y'all by the hair and hang you up from the heavens," (in a good way of course!) Thanks so much!

Lastly, and sadly, the big dudes working the door at House of Blues put the kibosh on me bringing my camera into the venue without a press pass so the only photos I have to share are shots of New Orleans, I hope you enjoy!

Warmest regards,
Andrew

RNR AGENT TERESA CHAPMAN'S U2 INTEL REPORT:

0100 hrs:  At approximately 1800 hrs, Agent Chapman was able to gain access to the facility know locally as “The Meadowlands”. The masses, approximately 82,000 in total gathered in anticipation of the Irishmen.

Prior to concert onset, Agent Chapman collected significant intelligence by infiltrating the inner circle of the concert arena known as the “Red Zone”. Here, Agent Chapman was able to observe, undetected, the inner workings of the crew, the band, and the masses. Much intelligence was gathered via a new informant; an Englishman man known simply as “Richard” claims to have been to 74 U2 concerts, including 14 on the current “360° Tour”. Agent Chapman considers “Richard” to be highly suspicious, recommend Federal Authorities investigate this man for terrorism nexus. See photo above.

The concert, approximately 135 minutes in total included musical selections from most of the U2 albums, with special emphasis on “No Line on the Horizon”. However, the set list included several standards: “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “One,” Sunday Bloody Sunday.” This last mentioned selection included political overtones in reference to the recent unrest in Iran. In addition, special attention was paid to the plight of one Aung San Suu Kyi, long detained President of Burma.

Overall, concert very entertaining, with special attention paid to the extraordinary stage and 360° screen that offers powerful imagery to the gathered masses. Sound quality excellent. Security prevented further penetration of the Irishmen. However, potential security breach was discovered at hotel. Night desk clerk informed Agent Chapman that the concert crew was staying at the same hotel, and that the Irishman known as “Bono” was at the hotel the previous evening, at approximately 0300 hrs. Agent Chapman offered the night clerk a payoff if he would notify her of Bono’s subsequent arrival. However, contact could not be made with the Irishman.

Agent Chapman will continue to scout out the Irishmen in Washington DC’s FedEx Field on 9.29.09.

End of Message.

WILL PALMATORY GOES TO L.A. FOR BAT FOR LASHES

From the first step off the plane everything was amazing! We were greeted by that great Cali vibe... smiles and lots of sun. We headed to the hotel but, we couldn't check in yet. No problem. Since we were within walking distance of everything, first, we headed to Micheal Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame. (You will always be missed, MJ). We saw the Hollywood sign, Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Capital Records Building, on and on. It was a whirl wind of every corny cliche of what Hollywood is to an outsider, like myself.
After rounding around every tourist trap and landmark in Hollywood, it was to the beach to catch a wicked sun burn...hr mm tan.

I was finally ready to head to The Music Box inside the Henry Fonda Theater; such an amazing place. The opening band called "Other Lives." is from Stillwater, Oklahoma. They blew me away. They were one of the best opening acts I've ever seen. These kids will be on one of the billboards on Sunset one day: Good Luck Fellas. Bats for Lashes took the stage and every one's breathe away in the packed sold out house. At the time, we were unbiased to any of her music, since we had only heard a few songs. We didn't know what to expect. Every song was so solid and so sweet. The beats were hotter than the wildfires, a few miles up. HA HA... not funny. They rounded the set out with some sweet a cappella tunes. After the show we were invited to the after show party which was a bit how we expected to be: really cool and Cali. California was hot and so was Bats for Lashes.

Thanks again WRNR!!

------Will

ROB HALLWORTH SEES McCARTNEY AT FENWAY

As someone who grew up in New Hampshire playing in garage bands, idolizing The Beatles and obsessing over the Red Sox, it would be an understatement to say that I was excited to see Paul McCartney at Fenway Park last Thursday. Paul's band was phenomenal, but when you're a living legend I guess it's fairly easy to pull together an ensemble that includes guitarists Brian Ray and Rusty Anderson, keyboardist Paul Wickens and a phenomenally talented and insanely entertaining drummer named Abe Laboriel, Jr. The complex vocals sounded amazingly good (have you ever tried to do the intro to Paperback Writer?). On a basic level, the energy it takes to put on a show of that level and length (they played for nearly 3 hours) is staggering, especially for a soon-to-be septuagenarian.

The set list featured a healthy mix of songs including some from his latest, The Fireman. The real crowd pleasers were, of course, the Wings and (especially) Beatles offerings. Band on the Run, Mrs. Vanderbilt and the fireworks-enhanced Live and Let Die (see attached photos) were highlights of the former for me. Beatles standouts included Get Back, Helter Skelter, I've Got a Feeling, I Saw Her Standing There, A Day in the Life, Let it Be and Hey Jude. McCartney also included a couple of touching tributes to George (a ukelele version of Something) and John (Here Today)--no Ringo mention, but he's still drawing breath and that's to be expected, I suppose.

The whole show was basically highlights, but my personal highlights of the highlights were Blackbird, Eleanor Rigby and Yesterday. Having never seen McCartney before, it was really amazing to listen to these songs that have been such a huge part of my life and think "that's actually Paul McCartney!" Add the Fenway factor and that I got to share the experience with my wife, Beth (it was our anniversary the week before, so this was a wonderful unexpected anniversary present for us both) made it an almost surreal wonderfully harmonic convergence of sorts. So, now I can say that I got to sing the Na na nas of Hey Jude with Paul McCartney (along with tens of thousands of others, but it still counts) before I eventually kick the bucket. I want to thank WRNR and Columbia Records for running the contest and for all of their help in getting us to Fenway. It was a night I will never forget.

---- Rob Hallworth

LIZ GANNON GOES TO BELGIUM FOR ROCK WERCHTER:

We met up with a group of Americans that have been living in the Netherlands since 2002. They were from PA originally!! I found them on the Rock Werchter forum. They were a godsend. There were 80,000 or more people there on the day they went. The European go absolutely nuts for Coldplay. The town was about 10 miles north of Leuven, where the hotel was, and we took a bus to get there. Then they just drop you off and you have to walk about 2-3 more miles on a back road surrounded by corn none the less! The atmosphere was very relaxed and not to crazy considering all of the people that were there. Our main highlights were sitting in the campground with the Dutch Americans before the acts came on stage; Elbow was fantastic live, very good band that I recommend highly; Jason Mraz was a good touch to listen to in between Elbow and The Killers. We just relaxed on the lawn and listened to him. The Killers were on the mainstage next and the was the our MAIN highlight. I wish I had taken more pictures but I was so caught up with everything. I took some of Elbow and The Killers and there are a couple of us just in the actual festival. Most of the ones I took were blurry because I was taking them with one hand because I had a beer in the other hand!

----Liz

Here are couple more of Liz's pics: Matching tents that we like to call "The Girls" and the main stage at Rock Werchter.  Glad you had fun, Liz!

LISA GRANT IN CHICAGO!

When I heard that WRNR was posting a position for a Lollapalooza correspondent, I immediately put together a resume. The 2008 Lollapalooza line up was an indie rockers dream: Rogue Wave, The Go! Team, The Kills, The Black Keys, Mates of State, Bloc Party, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, The Ting Tings, Broken Social Scene, Wilco, Iron and Wine, the National, NIN, and many many more! If that was not cause enough to want to go, I have one word for you: Radiohead! In May, we had an unfortunate experience at the recent Radiohead show at Nissan Pavilion. We were totally pumped to see In Rainbows performed live. Sadly, we did not make it to the rain based show despite an extensive effort to build an ark to float us to Thom. Jeremy declared war on Nissan and stated, "I will never return to that venue even if the Beatles were resurrected and opened for Jesus". Thankfully, WRNR gave us the chance to experience Lollapalooza and see Radiohead.

As soon as I got word that we were the correspondents, I began lifting weights with my right arm only in order to build fist pumping endurance and work towards the perfect fist pump. I practiced multiple rock band instruments in case Jeff Tweedy asked for crowd participation with the Wilco set. All of the air instruments such as guitar, xylophone, and keyboards were ready to be busted out all over the festival.

My husband, Jeremy, and I spent three full days totally ROCKIN' out. Radiohead was so incredible as usual. Wilco, Iron and Wine, and the National posted such strong performances. Band after band, we were blown away with the talent. At the time, the relatively unknown Ting Tings played a great set and now, have a top 40 billboard single. All weekend, there were so many festival rumors going around which we reported back to share with WRNR listeners. Concert goers whispered about Obama coming to introduce Kanye and Wilco and the possibility of the Flaming Lips as a secret act. Anything seemed possible at this festival.

Lollapalooza at night was quite a scene! The Chicago architecture lit up behind the stages was one of the ultimate city skylines. It was an Amazing Line up in an Amazing city! You can't ask for a better music weekend than at Lolla. Thanks WRNR for a wonderful and memorable weekend! --- Lisa Grant

MANDY WOLFE IN NYC!

RNR listener, Mandy Wolfe, in front of the Beacon in NYC!  RNR sent her to the sold out Regina Spektor show!