The 10 Musicians that Have Influenced Me the Most

This list was especially tough to make.  I started with a brainstorm of 99 musicians and started having a really hard time after I had reduced that list to about 25.  For instance, I almost cried when I realized that I had to eliminate Tim Armstrong from the list.  So, this one was very, very, tough.  I hope that I don't look at this list in the future and realize that it's all wrong but, at this point in time, it's the best I can do.  It's just so hard to choose some over others as they have all influenced me a great amount.

Number 10:   Josh Farro - Paramore

Josh Farro

Backing Vocals, Guitar, Scream 

Farro's guitar riffs have influenced me without a doubt.  I've always loved the guitar work in Paramore.  In fact, there is a certain approach that they take to bar chords that has influenced my own writing a great deal. Unfortuanately, I can't really describe it in words.  It's a very simple change but the only way I can describe it is by showing it.  So, I'll have to leave it at that. 





Number 9:     Justin Warfield - She Wants Revenge 

Justin Warfield

    Bass, Keyboards, Drums 


She Wants Revenge goes back to about the time I was 13 or 14.  She Wants Revenge have greatly influenced my approach to composition.  Especially with my early compositions.  Actually, the first song I ever wrote was probably mostly influenced by She Wants Revenge.  If you listen to it, you can definitely tell.  Justin Warfield writes simple drum and bass lines accompanied by dark sounding synthesizer.  The first song that I ever wrote could definitely be described as that.  Ever since then, I have found myself leaning more and more towards darker music than the rock and roll that I grew up on.  Justin Warfield's riffs led me in that direction.


Number 8:     Matt Bellamy - Muse

Matt Bellamy

  Guitar, Piano, Lead Vocals 

  
I have been a Muse fan for quite a long time now.  I was introduced to Muse when I was around 12 or 13 years old.  This was back before they were popular in the United States.  Muse is a very talented group but the clear   standout is Matt Bellamy.  Matt Bellamy is incredibly energetic, passionate, and talented at multiple instruments. He's also a very talented composer.  Basically, he can do a lot of things and serves as a musician to really look up to. 



Number 7:     Kurt Cobain - Nirvana 

Kurt Cobain

   Lead Vocals, Guitar

I always loved listening to Nirvana.  Their music makes the jaded feeling of being a helpless teenager really come alive.  Kurt Cobain is an amazing showman.  He brings passion to every live show he does and puts his whole body into it.  You can tell that he means every word that he sings and that the music is very close to him.  That is how it should be.





Number 6:     Joe Strummer - The Clash 

Joe Strummer

Lead Vocals,  Guitar

Ever since I came across Combat Rock in my dad's music collection, I have been a Joe Strummer fan.  He doesn't just play music, he's making a public service announcement and he's pissed off!  Joe Strummer basically introduced me to what punk is all about.   Not even just what punk is all about but what music is all about.  Not only can you relate to the listener about what you are feeling, but you can also change the world by making people more aware of major problems.  Music truly is a powerful tool..  



Number 5:     Matt Freeman - Rancid/Operation Ivy 

Matt Freeman

 Bass, Backing Vocals

If you haven't heard this guy play, then I suggest you watch this.  Matt Freeman is, hands down, the best punk bassist of all time.  There's just no one else who compares.  Listening to Rancid really inspired me to up my skill level at bass.  When I was able to play the studio version of the Maxwell Murder solo, I was very content.

His one drawback is that he's a very calm guy when playing live, even when he's playing the easy stuff.  That is why he only comes in at number five. 


Number 4:     Matt Sharp - Weezer 

Matt Sharp

Bass, Vocals 

Weezer is one of the first alternative groups that I really started getting into.  My favorite Weezer albums are Blue and Pinkerton.  Of course, those are the two albums that Matt Sharp is on.
This is no coincidence.
Matt Sharp is goofy, funny, and knows how to have a really good time on stage.  This is something that I didn't really do for the longest time.  Now, I pride myself on it.  I have Matt Sharp to owe for getting me in the right direction.  
Also, Matt Sharp plays some interesting bass lines which really influenced me to spice my bass lines up a bit.


Number 3:     Roger Glover - Deep Purple 

Roger Glover

Bass

Roger Glover essentially taught me how to play bass.  When I first picked up a bass, I started messing around with it using what I had learned about music from playing clarinet and, most importantly, from watching Deep Purple live DVDs so much.  For those of you that don't know me that well, I've been playing bass for about seven years.  For about four of those years, I used techniques that were similar to Roger Glover.  I finger picked and wore my bass a bit higher to reach the frets closer to the body easier.  Now, I wear my bass lower and use a 2mm pick (which is about the thickest you can get them).  My left hand spends most of its time around the headstock since the notes down there sound deeper than equivilant notes on the E string near the body.
Anyways, Roger Glover is about the most overshadowed musician in Deep Purple since he's outshined by the overwhelming talent of Ritchie Blackmore, John Lord, and Ian Paice.  However, I always looked up to him when I first started learning bass and there is no other person I would have in the number three spot.


Number 2:     Jim Adkins - Jimmy Eat World 

Jim Adkins

Guitar, Lead Vocals

First of all, if you haven't heard a Jimmy Eat World song other than "The Middle," you are missing out.  Jimmy Eat World is one of the most emotional bands I have ever heard.  Jim Adkins guitar work is extraordinary.  He knows how to make the quiet stuff have great tone which is something not a lot of guitarists can say.  His song writing is also phenomenal.  Time and time again I find myself being struck really hard by a line or stanza of lyrics that he writes.  Most importantly, I think that I relate to Jim because I feel we are similar people.  He's just a socially awkward nerd.  A lot like me.  In fact, the rhythm guitarist Tom Linton is the same way which is probably why Jimmy Eat World really connects with me in general.


Number 1:     Frank Iero - My Chemical Romance/Pencey Prep       

Frank Iero

Guitar, Scream, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals

Anyone who knows me knows that this comes as no surprise.  Frank Iero is the last musician to really influence me a huge amount.  Really, he was the one who really caused me to breakout on stage.  I now have a kind of stage dress that has similarities to Frank Iero's concert wear from circa 2004.  I also do a few things on stage that he does as well.  However, I still can't quite develop a method for throwing my bass up in a circle while still wearing it.

I feel that Frank and I also share some similar qualities.  For instance, we both are pretty goofy and emotional.  We are also about the same height.  I know it sounds kind of shallow but height has always been a significant self-esteem issue for me.  Someone who is as awesome and is short really gives me something to live up to.

Sadly, My Chemical Romance has recently broken up.  But, even though the band is gone, Frank Iero's influence will always course through my veins.





Honorable Mentions:

Dennis DeYoung - Styx - Lead Vocals, Piano

"Come Sail Away" was the first emotional song that really had a deep meaning with me.  I can still remember watching a concert of theirs on TV during their Return to Paradise tour.  He's just so passionate in that song.  It's one of my earliest memories.  I'm pretty excited about seeing Dennis DeYoung on April 27th at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Illinois. Third row.

Brandon Flowers - The Killers - Lead Vocals, Keyboards

I started getting into The Killers shortly after I started getting into Weezer.  Brandon Flowers is a very emotional performer and very emotional composer.  This furthered my understanding of why music is most powerful when it is emotional.

Mike Dirnt - Green Day - Bass, Backing Vocals

Mike Dirnt was my kind of lead-in to what punk bass playing should be.  Though, Paul Simonon also contributed to that and then, ultimately, Matt Freeman.

References:

Josh Farro Image
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lav68xWp8x1qbq7kho1_500.png

Justin Warfield Image
http://images.gibson.com/Lifestyle/English/AllAccess/2010/Images-Stories/Justin-Warfield.jpg

Matt Bellamy Image
http://alexanderjuni.blogsmall.com/uploads/matt_bellamy_pic_03.jpg

Joe Strummer Image
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCC9DRqzNmaHSUyvW0XAPJNRqN0rIcgndiianrcikkm_y7oFvt8CH-VySF7yXfyZ_JJzmKM9FnG8O6k0gmaCCzPqVkErHatEAZbxjFTCGm7-Lzj6u9FwSCxYYizFau2ULXaREpJL4AUdQ/s640/Joe+Strummer+strummer.jpg

Kurt Cobain Image
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m23lq5pqRF1qfl5zi.jpg

Matt Freeman Image
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFGHGxrTTqkqpM6DUY_MtpxNcaC1oBcv9mCJTenn005LVbAb5gGvuyCGqtU4HBfe2TCxSUj7X_4DcIBxGhBkoNAcCUadSBeR82th4MVKcDJgdKdMFAZdXymCcFWrizZqAufzYA6jdvTI/s1600/318947554_ab4eafccef_z.jpeg

Matt Sharp Image
http://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/images/6/69/Matt_Sharp_2.jpg

Roger Glover Image
http://www.darkside.ru/band/11408/n33866.jpg

Jim Adkins Image
http://www.virginmedia.com/images/jimmy_eat_world-gal-download.jpg

Frank Iero Image
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd72/punkupthefunk/Frank%20Iero/FrankIero42.jpg

Every Musician that Significantly Influenced Me

Alphabetical by Band Name:

1.)    Tyson Ritter - The All-American Rejects - Lead Vocals , Bass
2.)    Travis Barker - blink-182 - Drums
3.)    Tom DeLonge - blink-182  - Lead Vocals, Guitar
4.)    Mark Hoppus - blink-182 - Lead Vocals, Bass
5.)    Jarret Reddick - Bowling for Soup - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
6.)    Mike Hindert - The Bravery - Bass
7.)    Mick Jones - The Clash - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals
8.)    Paul Simonon - The Clash - Bass, Backing Vocals
9.)    Joe Strummer - The Clash - Lead Vocals,  Guitar
10.)  Chris Martin - Coldplay - Lead Vocals, Piano
11.)  Jello Biafra - The Dead Kennedys - Lead Vocals
12.)  Klaus Flouride - The Dead Kennedys - Bass
13.)  Ian Gillan - Deep Purple/Jesus Christ Superstar  - Lead Vocals, Jesus
14.)  Roger Glover - Deep Purple - Bass
15.)  Jon Lord - Deep Purple - Keyboards
16.)  Brody Dalle - The Distillers - Lead Vocals, Guitar
17.)  Ray Manzarek - The Doors - Keyboards
18.)  Jim Morrison - The Doors - Lead Vocals
19.)  Keith Emerson - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer  - Keyboards
20.)  Dave Grohl - Foo Fighters/Nirvana - Drums, Guitar, Vocals
21.)  Simon Williams - Goldfinger - Bass
22.)  Benji Madden  - Good Charlotte - Backing Vocals, Guitar
23.)  Slash - Guns and Roses - Guitar
24.)  Jeff Garcia - Grateful Dead - Lead Vocals, Guitar
25.)  Billie Joe Armstrong - Green Day - Guitar, Vocals
26.)  Tre Cool - Green Day - Drums
27.)  Mike Dirnt - Green Day - Bass, Backing Vocals
28.)  Grace Slick - Jefferson Airplane - Lead Vocals
29.)  Jack Casady - Jefferson Airplane - Bass
30.)  Jim Adkins - Jimmy Eat World - Guitar, Lead Vocals
31.)  Rick Burch - Jimmy Eat World - Bass
32.)  Tom Linton - Jimmy Eat World - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals (early)
33.)  Neal Schon - Journey - Guitar
34.)  Ross Valory - Journey - Bass
35.)  Brandon Flowers - The Killers - Lead Vocals, Keyboards
36.)  Mark Stoermer - The Killers - Bass
37.)  Jimmy Page - Led Zeppelin - Guitar
38.)  John Paul Jones - Led Zeppelin - Bass
39.)  Roger Manganelli - Less Than Jake - Bass, Lead Vocals
40.)  Bryan Pyper - The Moves - Bass
41.)  Matt Bellamy - Muse - Guitar, Piano, Lead Vocals
42.)  Dominic Howard - Muse - Drums
43.)  Chris Wolstenholme - Muse - Bass, Backing Vocals
44.)  Frank Iero - My Chemical Romance/Pencey Prep - Guitar, Scream, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals
45.)  Ray Toro - My Chemical Romance - Guitar
46.)  Gerard Way - My Chemical Romance - Lead Vocals
47.)  J. Bradley Collier - The New Minstrel Revue - Lead Vocals, Guitar
48.)  Kurt Cobain - Nirvana - Lead Vocals, Guitar
49.)  Josh Farro - Paramore - Backing Vocals, Guitar, Scream
50.)  Hayley Williams - Paramore - Lead Vocals
51.)  David Gilmore - Pink Floyd - Guitar
52.)  Roger Waters - Pink Floyd - Bass
53.)  Thom Yorke - Radiohead - Lead Vocals, Guitar
54.)  Joey Ramone - The Ramones - Lead Vocals
55.)  Tim Amstrong - Rancid/Operation Ivy - Lead Vocals, Guitar
56.)  Lars Frederickson - Rancid - Lead Vocals, Guitar
57.)  Matt Freeman - Rancid/Operation Ivy - Bass, Backing Vocals
58.)  The Flea - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Bass
59.)  Michael Stipe - R.E.M.  - Lead Vocals, Guitar
60.)  Tim McIlrath - Rise Against - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
61.)  Mick Jagger - The Rolling Stones - Lead Vocals
62.)  Sid Vicious - The Sex Pistols - Lead Vocals
63.)  Adam Bravin - She Wants Revenge - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
64.)  Justin Warfield - She Wants Revenge - Bass, Keyboards, Drums
65.)  Billy Corgan - Smashing Pumpkins - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals
66.)  Deryck Whibley - Sum 41 - Guitar, Lead Vocals
67.)  Dennis DeYoung - Styx - Lead Vocals, Piano
68.)  Tommy Shaw - Styx - Lead Vocals, Guitar
69.)  James Young - Styx - Vocals, Guitar
70.)  Bono - U2 - Lead Vocals
71.)  The Edge - U2 - Guitar
72.)  Ezra Koenig - Vampire Weekend - Guitar, Lead Vocals
73.)  Eddie Van Halen - Van Halen - Guitar
74.)  Gordon Gano - The Violent Femmes - Lead Vocals
75.)  Rivers Cuomo - Weezer - Guitar, Lead Vocals
76.)  Matt Sharp - Weezer - Bass, Vocals
77.)  Brian Bell - Weezer - Guitar, Vocals
78.)  Scott Shriner - Weezer - Bass, Vocals
79.)  Jack White - The White Stripes - Lead Vocals, Guitar
80.)  John Entwistle - The Who - Bass
81.)  Pete Townshend - The Who - Guitar
82.)  Ryan Key - Yellowcard


Solo Artists and Musicians with Bands Named After Them:
Alphabetical by Last Name:

83.)  Jeff Beck - Solo artist - Guitar
84.)  Chuck Berry - Solo Artist - Guitar, Vocals
85.)  Eric Clapton - Solo Artist - Guitar, Vocals
86.)  Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper Band - Lead Vocals
87.)  Buddy Guy - Solo Artist - Guitar, Vocals
88.)  Ricky Davis - Solo Artist - Guitar
89.)  Jimi Hendrix - Jimi Hendrix Esperience - Guitar, Vocals
90.)  Michael Jackson - Solo Artist - Vocals
91.)  Sonny Landreth - Solo Artist - Guitar
92.)  John Mayer - Solo Artist - Guitar, Vocals
93.)  Tom Petty - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Guitar, Vocals
94.)  Carlos Santana - Solo Artist - Guitar
95.)  Joe Satriani - Solo Artist - Guitar
96.)  Bruce Springsteen - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Guitar, Vocals
97.)  George Thorogood - George Throrogood and the Heartbreakers - Guitar, Vocals

Other:

98.)  Murray Head - Jesus Christ Superstar -  Judas
99.)  Nobuo Uematsu - Final Fantasy VII and VIII soundtracks - Composer

Oz the Great and Powerful

Last Sunday I saw Oz:  The Great and Powerful  in IMAX 3D.  Of course, it's expensive as hell being $14.50 a ticket.  However, my parents gave me the money to take my sister and I to see it so, I wasn't complaining.  This was one of the few films that I was actually waiting for it to come out.  I always liked the mystic and magical feel of Oz and I thoroughly enjoyed the original film and the musical Wicked.

Well, basically, it's amazing.  I would give it three and a half stars.  Why?  Well, the CGI is astounding.  Bright colors, mystical creatures really coming to life, the CGI really made all of the magic in Oz seem real.  It really draws you in.  Let me tell you, no film yet has really captured the grandness of Emerald City until this film.  It is amazing.

The 3D is also used very well.  I haven't seen a lot of 3D films but this is the best I have seen.  It didn't overly use the 3D but it didn't underutilize it either.  There were some moments when the 3D was really cool and was used in a way that wasn't quite as effective as other films I've seen in 3D.

The characterization is very good.  Though, sometimes Glinda kind of comes off as a bitch.  Not very characteristic of someone who is supposed to be the "good" witch.  But, I can give it a pass.

James Franco has a very fun performance to watch.  He plays the lead role of Oz who gets brought into the land of Oz in a similar fashion as Dorothy did in the original movie.  Oz is basically a selfish asshole who does things to get what he wants and doesn't care about anyone else.  Yeah, it's similar to Scrooge from A Christmas Carol but it's done well here, especially when he's trying to deal with certain characters in the land of Oz.

Melia Kunis also has a good performance.  Though I can't really talk much about it without spoiling stuff so, I'll hold off on that.

The music is phenomenal, though, at this point, we don't expect any less from Danny Elfman who is probably the best movie soundtrack composer of all time.

The plot is actually very interesting.  It's both predictable and stunning which works pretty well.  Why?  Well, using what you know about the original movie, you can predict some things that will happen pretty easily.  However, this lulls you into a false sense of security which makes the twists in the story really take you by surprise.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie.  I personally don't think that IMAX 3D is worth the cost for any film but I definitely think that you should see this movie in the theaters.  Should you see it in regular 3D?  Maybe.  I suppose it depends on if you're a fan of 3D or not.  I know with some people the 3D really bothers them and it screws with their eyes.  I, on the otherhand, don't have problems with that so I enjoy the 3D perspective.  So, I would say, see it in 3D if you can handle it.  Otherwise, see it in regular.

Either way, this is one that you don't want to miss.

******************* SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT*******************

First of all, one of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Theodora (I think her name is) is incredibly hurt that Oz also spent intimate time with her sister.  Most notably, when she's crying, her tears are melting scars into her face.  Of course, this foreshadows that she is going to become the Wicked With of the West and sure enough, Theodora's sister gives her an apple that makes her emotionless, permanently evil, and hideous beyond belief.

Speaking of which, I don't know if this is something that Disney was going for when making this film but, it almost seemed like the witch from Snow White and Theodora's sister have a lot of similarities.  In fact, it almost seemed to me that Disney was trying to say that they were the same person.  They're both very jaded, power hungry, evil, and they both have a thing about being very beautiful, or should I say, "the fairest in the land."  Even when Theodora's sister has Glinda all shackled up, she has to touch her face and make a comment or two about how beautiful she is.  Also, the apple scene was just all too familiar.  She used an apple to turn her sister evil?  It's just all so similar.

I think the overall message of the film is pretty cool.  You don't have to have magic powers to be magical.  Creativity and ingenuity are a kind of magic in their own way too.

I like that.  Especially the way Oz uses the talents of everyone to trick the sisters on numerous occasions in the final battle.

Though magical and colorful, some of the scenes are really dark too which is a great contrast to the very colorful scenes.  For instance, when Oz gets to the city of tea pots and china dolls, the scene is very dark and you get the full extent of how gloomy it is and the horrid destruction of the town.  In this scene, I also like the reference to the beginning of the movie when he can't make the girl in the wheel chair walk but uses the glue from his home world to fix the china doll's broken legs.  Kind of cool that he can appear to be a magician in Oz with just regular household stuff from our world.

I also thought it was cool that they had the same actress playing Glinda as the woman in the beginning of the movie that Oz liked a lot.  It was incredibly predictable but it was still kind of cool.

I think this movie really puts out a bad underlying message for kids.  Amongst the regular Disney stereotypes like:  ugly people are evil and good looking people are good, basically, Oz gets what he wants in the end despite being an asshole the whole movie.  He lures all of the witches into his trap of being a good man and genuinely loving them.  All of them.  Sure he admits to Glinda of the kind of guy he is but come on.  He literally got some with every witch in the land of Oz!  So basically, if you go around being an asshole to everyone, you will get all the chicks.  Also, you will get the Emerald City treasury, throne, and scepter.  He literally got everything he wanted since the beginning of the movie.  How do we know that Oz isn't an asshole after all of this?  How do we know that Oz didn't save Emerald City just so he could be king and get some with Glinda instead of being a "good" person?  

Bet the Levels at Pub Yahoo

Last Saturday, I went to Pub Yahoo (off of Gary Ave.) in Carol Stream to see my friend's band play there.  I had not seen them play prior to last Saturday so I really didn't know what to expect.  Here is a breakdown of the musicians that I saw there.

Before I had walked in, there were a couple of solo artists that had performed there so I can't say anything about them.  The third solo artist of the night was about to start his set when I had walked in.  I don't remember his name or anything like that.  He was just an older teen with long, blonde hair.  He definitely prepared the songs that he played but his show was very laid back and unorganized which wasn't really a problem.  He first played a Nirvana song (I don't remember which one).  You could tell that he hadn't warmed up his voice first because he was really out of tune and sounded like shit.  After that, he sounded better.  Not amazing, but definitely better.  He mostly did covers but he played a couple of originals too.  The originals were simple but well-written.  He also did a cover of Nirvana's "Heart-shaped Box," David Bowie's "Man Who Sold the World,' (which, ironically, Nirvana also did a cover of), and Rise Against's "Hero of War."  For whatever reason, he appeared to be the most nervous during "Hero of War," probably because it was the least prepared of the songs he did.  He was rushing, a lot.  The song started fast and proceeded to get faster and faster.  He also consistenly flipped two words in the chorus around which drove me crazy (I listen to a decent amount of Rise Against).  He also lacked self-confidence.  He kept making a joke about wasting the audience's time.  He wasn't wasting my time.  I was enjoying his music.  With a little bit of effort and confidence adjustment, he will be a fine performer one day.

There was a girl that decided to pick up a guitar because the next scheduled band was late.  She was okay.  There really isn't much more to say about her.

Straggling in was a grunge band called Runch.  They were all teenagers and the bassist and guitarist had long blonde hair.  The drummer and guitarist were pretty talented.  Especially the guitarist!  He could play a grunge solo very well.  I know that doesn't sound hard.  Just play random notes right?  It's harder than you would first think.

However, despite the talent of the drummer/singer and the guitarist, the band did not sound that good most of the time.  The first song that they played sounded like shit because the bass player didn't tune his instrument.  In fact, after the song was over, the guitarist walked over to him and tuned his bass for him!

Wow.

After that, they played a cover of the song "Breed" by, you guessed it, Nirvana.  Actually, it sounded really good.  There wasn't a ton for the bass player to mess up so it sounded pretty awesome.  The drums were powerful.  The guitar solo was good.  I was pretty impressed actually.  They played a couple of originals that were okay.

But then...

They did a cover of "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath (of course). My God!  Lord have Mercy!  What shit.  It was like someone was spewing hot sauce in my ear and then using a paper clip to try and clean it off my ear drum.

The drums and guitar sounded good as usual, but of course, the bass player had no idea what the fuck he was doing.  It's like he was playing a completely different song.  It's a shame that one person can bring down the group so much like that.

I don't mean to pick on the bass player like this.  He's probably inexperienced and still learning about music. If he's new to music, it's not his fault.  A lot of times bands have trouble finding a good bass player.  It could have been the situation they were in.  I hope that their bass player develops much farther as not only a bass player, but a musician.  If he develops, they can be a really talented and fun group to watch.

After Runch vacated the premises, the bartender came and cleared the chairs for the featured band of the night. Another guy and I gave him a hand because, well, I needed something to get my mind off of that Iron Man cover.  Bet the Levels came out to have a good time and it truly was a good time.  Of course I'm going to have a bias towards the band though because I used to be in a band with the co-lead singer/co-lead guitarist.  In fact, when the band finished their final sound check, he pointed me out to everyone and then yelled, "SPARKLE SPARKLE SPARKLE!" which prompted me to return with a "FUCK YEAH!  SPARKLE SPARKLE SPARKLE!!!" Confused?  Yeah, I would be too.  You'll understand if you watch Nostalgia Critic's review of Thomas and the Magic Railroad which can be found here.

Anyways, Bet the Levels have a very late eighties/early nineties punk sound which is a sound that I enjoy quite a bit.  They played mostly originals except for the Weezer song "Say it Ain't So" and the last song.  Like I said, they give you a good time.  Their music makes you want to dance and get moving.  What I remember of their originals?  They had one that they called "I am Error":  a reference to Zelda II:  The Adventure of Link no doubt.  Their most memorable song is called "Converse Man."  It's not about a man who likes to talk to people; it's about someone who wears the style of shoes.  More specifically, it's about his own life and what it's like to be in his shoes (which happen to be Converse).  It's got a catchy riff and delivers what Bet The Levels do best.  It's not bad for a first single either.  They have a recording of it on Soundcloud.com which they actually recorded with Jet Lagg Records in Glendale Heights.  You can hear that here.

At the end of their high energy set list, they had time left for a couple more songs.  They played a basic instrumental which had no ending so they just kind of stopped playing it.  It actually had pretty good potential to be turned into a completed song so maybe in the future we will hear it in completed form.  They still had time for one more song after that so they decided to play "Undone (Sweater Song)":  another Weezer cover.  For this one, my friend got me up on the stage to converse (not the shoe brand) with him during the intro.  Little did I know, he wanted me to stay up there to sing with him but, instead, I did a pseudo stage dive (because there was no stage) by jumping over the stage monitor with my hands in the air in classic rock and roll gesture.

Overall, Bet the Levels have average drumming, average bass playing, above average guitar playing, and average singing (for punk anyways).  However, their energy is extraordinary.  They are a live band and they show it.  I had a lot of fun seeing them.  Sure, I got some special treatment so my opinion is going to be biased but, their show really wants to get you going.

Muse at the United Center

Last night, Muse came to The United Center in Chicago on their 2nd Law Tour (I guess it's called).  I'll give a brief review on the 2nd Law album:

It's pretty good.  Not as good as their other albums but still pretty damn good.

Now that I got that out of the way, the concert.

Dead Sara opened up for Muse.  I'm not too familiar with Dead Sara's music and neither was anybody else, it seemed.  In between songs, it got dead silent.  I was back in the seats but my friend in general admission said that it was quiet enough that the singer from Dead Sara decided to have conversations with the people in the crowd.  Pretty funny that a mostly full United Center could get that quiet while anyone was playing a rock concert.

Overall, Dead Sara was actually very good.  A couple of weeks before the show, I checked out a couple of their music videos and wasn't particularly impressed.  The recordings were fine but lacked energy, so they were okay.  However, Dead Sara is a completely different band live.  They play with a ton of energy and, boy, do their songs come to life!  I was pretty impressed.

For those of you who don't know who Dead Sara is, they're basically an alternative metal version of Paramore.

Well, enough about Dead Sara, let's talk about Muse.  Muse basically met my high and hyped up expectations, which is pretty impressive.  This was my first Muse show and my friends who had seen Muse before (one of them five times now), would rave about Muse's live show.

They did not disappoint.

The show started with the song "2nd Law:  Unsustainable"  This wasn't preferable for me on the account that this song is my least favorite Muse song but, it still made for a pretty cool opener.  They followed it with "Supremacy" which sounded pretty good.  From there, it gets pretty blurry as to what came in what order so instead of trying to keep things chronologically straight, I'll just start talking about it.

"Panic Station" sounded pretty good.  This was about what I expected.

"Supermassive Blackhole" sounded pretty amazing.  A very energetic song.

They played "Resistance" which sounds just phenomenal.  This song sounded very passionate.  Especially vocally, Matt Bellamy is allowed to really showcase the singing that he's best at.  They also added an outro onto "Resistance" which was "The Star Spangled Banner."  It certainly wasn't the best version of our national anthem but, considering that Muse is British, I think I can cut them a little slack.

Muse used "The Star Spangled Banner" as a kind of interlude into "Hysteria" which was pretty awesome.  Of course, not surprisingly, "Hysteria" sounded amazing.  Definitely one of the most energetic songs of the night.

"Explorers" came surprisingly early in the set.  It sounded great but, considering that it was the only slow song that they played, it should have come more towards the end of the set.

"Follow Me" sounded awesome.  Most notable about "Follow Me" was the laser show.  The laser show was very cool and impressive.

"Knights of Cydonia" was played with a ton of energy.  Of course, they did the "Man with a Harmonica" intro which is famous amongst Muse fans.  Sounded great.  I can't say for sure or not but I think Wolstenholme threw the harmonica into the crowd when he was done with it.

"Starlight" sounded great, as expected of course.

"Stockholm Syndrome" lived up to its expectations.  That song was more hyped by my friends than any other Muse song.  I'm glad that they played it for this tour.

To appease the die-hard fans, Muse played "Sunburn" for what Matt said would be the last time in Chicago.  This isn't surprising by any means since they have so many albums and want to play more of the newer stuff.  It sounded great though.  It's a shame that they would completely stop playing it.

Chris Wolstenholme came down the runway to sing "Liquid State."  Sounded a lot like the recording.  It was very well done.

"Undisclosed Desires" was pretty cool.  Definitely enjoyable.

They also played "Animals."  Not my favorite song but they put it right after "Hysteria" in their set.  All the momentum that "Hysteria" had built up was completely wasted by having "Animals" after it.  Let's just say that I would have ordered it a little differently...

"Madness" was actually, surprisingly, unmemorable.  In fact, it was so overshadowed that I almost forgot to mention it.  The only memorable part about it was Matt's singing towards the end.  It sounded just like the album.

The recording of "2nd Law:  Isolated System" was played while the band was surrounded by a pyramid of television screens playing back footage of a woman running and, inevitably, getting swallowed up by a giant sandstorm.  It was cool but I felt it was kind of a long time to technically have the band on the stage but not have them playing anything.

Muse closed with "Survival."  Before starting the song, Bellamy said that the song was about the Blackhawks (since the Blackhawks are currently on a historical start of 19-0-3) which made the crowd go nuts.  It was a good end to a great show.  You really couldn't ask for more.  The show was a little over two hours long.


Other Notes:

Muse's lighting effects and the like were pretty awesome.  They definitely lived up to the hype.  The only thing I would have changed was the jets they had shooting smoke in front of the stage.  Every time they shot the smoke in front of the stage, all I could think was that it would look cooler with fire.  The smoke was still cool though.

Chris Wolstenholme had lights for fret markers on his basses.  That, I thought, was pretty damn cool.  I had definitely not seen anything quite like that before.

During one of the songs, (I don't remember which one) Matt decided to start shaking hands with people in general admission.  That was pretty cool of him.  A lot of musicians as famous as Matt Bellamy would be afraid to do that.

There were two platforms at either side of the stage that Matt and Chris used effectively to bring themselves closer to the fans in the stands.  

Muse is truly a talented group.  Dominic's drumming is clean and tricky, Chris' bass playing great, and, of course, Matt's piano playing, guitar playing, and singing were all extraordinary.  Matt's singing sounds better than just about any pop artist live (including the ones that lip sync).  He is definitely one talented man.