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(10/06/10 4:30pm)
The men’s soccer team was seeing red this week and, like a bull, pounced on it, defeating the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers-Camden on Wednesday and the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders on Saturday.
In front of a blissful homecoming audience, junior forward Ray Nelan collected a ball from junior forward Luigi Moriello netting the only goal of the afternoon on Saturday in the 1-0 Lions victory over Rutgers-Newark.
“It’s important that Ray is starting to get is going on offense,” head coach George Nazario said. “Especially during conference games where opponents are more familiar with your roster. We need to find more sources of offense and be more unpredictable. Someone has to step up, and Ray has.”
Moriello gathered a pass just inside Scarlet Raiders territory and sent a pass between a pair of Rutgers-Newark defenders. The ball was chased down by Nelan inside the box who then made a move around a charging goal keeper and tickled the twine for his second marker of the season providing the Lions with the only offense it would need.
“I’m very happy with Ray’s play of late,” Nazario said. “He’s a junior right now and he’s really developing into a leader, and as a forward the best thing you can do is put the ball in the net.”
Defense was the overwhelming theme of this game and it was led by the strong play of sophomore goal keeper Adam Friedman between the pipes. Friedman stopped four shots and earned his first shutout of the season, increasing the Lions record to 4-5-1.
“These conference games are the most important,” Nazario said. “If we’re sound defensively, we’ll create offensive opportunities and the defense really stems from strong play in net. Adam has done very well for us, shutouts are hard to come by.”
Wednesday’s match in Camden saw much of the same, a strong Lions defense, and another one goal victory for the men’s soccer program.
Junior midfielder Ryan O’Donnell scored the first goal of his career and it proved to be the game winner at 57:31. O’Donnell redirected a crossing pass with his head on a restart kick from sophomore Vince McEnroe to put the Lions up 2-1 in NJAC play.
Nelan scored his career goal in the first half of this game to put the Lions up 1-0. Nelan controlled the ball inside the box and crushed a shot with his left foot to the opposite post.
“I’m sure the team is thinking about our conference rank,” Nazario said, “but we can’t focus on it. We’re not as talented as a lot of the NJAC teams but our positioning is solid and we play well as a team. We have to stay focused on the next game if we’re to remain where we are.”
The Lions are now 4-5-1 on the year and 3-1-0 in NJAC play. The team takes to the pitch again on Saturday against William Paterson University at the Soccer Complex at 1 p.m.
(09/22/10 3:42pm)
The Lions played host to Muhlenberg College this weekend at the Lions Fall Tournament and handled their opponents easily, winning 12 out of 14 sets in two days.
The biggest news of the tournament came when sophomore Lauren Balsamo reached the half-century mark in wins, making her the third Lions player that week to reach the coveted career milestone.
“Fifty wins is a great feeling and I am super excited about the upcoming weekend,” Balsamo said.
Balsamo earned four wins in the tournament: one singles victory (4-6, 6-0, 10-6) and three doubles match victories.
Her doubles partner sophomore Paige Aiello also picked up a singles match win (6-2, 6-2).
Sophomore doubles partners Karisse Bendijo and Allison Tierney led all Lions players in weekend victories with five apiece. As well three combined doubles match victories, the pair also won a couple of singles matches.
Freshmen Allison Migliore and Tara Criscuolo each earned two singles wins, while the doubles team of juniors Emily Petersack and Felice Trinh accounted for two more victories. Petersack also picked up a singles win, as did sophomore Laura Turner.
The Lions finished up its regular season schedule undefeated, and will ready itself to enter the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Tournament, commencing in Geneva, N.Y. next Saturday.
“Our team has done really well this fall because everyone consistently works hard on and off the court,” Balsamo said. “Hopefully everyone goes far in the tournament and someone goes to nationals.”
(09/16/10 8:41pm)
The women’s soccer team is five games into its season and not only remains undefeated, but has yet to give up a goal. This weekend at the College’s Adidas Classic, Husson University and Eastern University fell victim to the Lions 2-0 and 1-0.
“Our hard work ultimately helped us win the game,” sophomore midfielder Toni DeMaio said. “We had plenty of opportunities. We didn’t play as well as we could have, but we still pushed through in order to pull out the win.”
The final game of the tournament lived up to its name, as the No. 2 ranked Lions earned a hard fought 1-0 victory against a talented Eastern University squad that is slotted as the No. 25 ranked team.
Entering this season was the question of who would fill the void left by previous goalkeeper Jessica Clarke. It appears head coach Joe Russo has literally found a successor in freshman Kendra Griffith, who recorded a season-high three saves.
The Lions took the lead 65:17 into the match when sophomore Amy Van Dyk ripped a rising drive beyond the 18-yard line, over the goaltender’s outstretched arm and under the crossbar.
The Lions swarming team defense smothered the Eagles, snuffing out any comeback attempt and preserving the shutout.
On Saturday Sept. 11, the Lions set the tone for the weekend with a 2-0 victory over Husson University by way of two second half goals. Sophomore forward Jessica Davila had a hand in both.
At just over 77 minutes into the game, Davila sent a pretty crossing pass in front of the goal where DeMaio finished the play, putting the Lions on top, 1-0.
The first marker proved to be all the Lions would need, but minutes later Davila struck again, netting her team-leading fourth goal of the season.
Again, the Lions defense impressed, not allowing a single shot on goal and only one shot attempt.
“For us to continue to win, we have to finish the chances that we get because as our competition gets tougher, we won’t have as many chances,” DeMaio said.
The women’s soccer program will showcase its arsenal again against Swarthmore College on Wednesday Sept. 15, on the College’s home turf, Lions’ Stadium.
(09/08/10 4:35pm)
Down four goals in the first 15 minutes of opening match is not how any team wants to start off a season, but the Lions found themselves staring down such a deficit last week on the first afternoon of September, eventually dropping the home opener to Drew University, 5-2.
“Our goal keeper (sophomore Adam Friedman) was at fault for the third and fourth goals,” coach George Nazario said. “I thought the first goal was definitely offsides,” Nazario said. “And the second one, the other team’s player (freshman forward Matthew Gragnano) beat our defender to the spot, out-jumped him and put it in the back of the net. Down four goals in 15 minutes of play isn’t good, but that’s the way it went.”
The Lions absorbed a haymaker that stumbled the team but failed to put them down for the count.
With under 20 minutes left in the first half, the Lions converted a corner kick sent into the box by sophomore defenseman Vince McEnroe and directed off the head of junior midfielder Anthony DiPalmo.
The offensive assault continued when Chris Pisano, a junior forward, sent another headed ball over the leaping Drew goaltender off a restart served up by senior defenseman Mike Razzoli.
“The team definitely showed a lot of fight cutting the lead in half in the first 45 minutes,” Nazario said. “It was good to see.”
A botched Lions penalty kick at the end of the first and another Drew goal by Philip Mabika at the start of the second that extended the Rangers’ lead to three shifted the momentum and halted the Lions’ comeback.
“That fifth goal definitely took the team out of it psychologically,” Nazario said. “It took the wind out of their sails.
“The thing about the first game is that it’s the first game,” Nazario said. “We have no ability to contact other coaches for scouting reports, no outside information, just what we can remember from last year. It’s tough to know who to focus on and who not. It’s one game and we’ll get past it.”
This weekend the Lions traveled down to Fredericksburg, Va. for the University of Mary Washingon Soccer Classic.
Game one against the host university was a double-overtime, 120-minute stalemate that ended tied at one.
Sophomore Taylor Gregory scored the lone Lions goal, the first goal of his collegiate career, late in the first half, tying the game at one where it would remain.
Lions defense was stellar allowing only three shots on goal throughout the entire contest.
Lions sophomore goalkeeper Aaron Utman earned his first start in net and helped preserve the tie stopping two shots.
The Lions were entrenched in another overtime battle during the second game of the weekend against Lynchburg College, this time taking a 1-0 loss.
Although the Lions outshot the Hornets 9-5 in regulation, it was Lynchburg’s Scott Colman that was able to beat Utman for the win.
It was a rough first week for the men’s soccer program but coach Nazario is still optimistic that an NJAC title is not out of the question.
“Last year we were picked to finish seventh in the conference and wound up in second,” Nazario said. “This team is equally capable of finishing at the top of the conference with a little luck and hard work.”
(07/27/10 7:51pm)
Last Saturday I occupied a space in the Starland Ballroom as wide as my own body. I stood ass to ass with some of the grimiest, rancid stinking concert goers I’ve ever had the displeasure of being forced to smell. Wall to wall with bodies, the club’s thermometer read “molten,” and I drank it in, because New Jersey’s fourth favorite fixation (behind Bruce and the gang, Pork roll and fist pumping) Streetlight Manifesto was in Sayreville.
It was the only time Streetlight would dock in the Garden State on the band’s Ship of Fools Tour, supported by the Ska/Punk four-piece The Supervillains, former front man of MU330 turned nerd rocking, solo act, Dan Potthast, and Philadelphia pop punks, The Wonder Years.
The last time the band played Starland Ballroom its long time trombone savant, Mike Soprano, said goodbye for other business ventures, marking the Ska/Punk collective’s biggest lineup change since trumpeter Jamie Egan departed in 2005.
After six years at the helm, the torch was passed to 24-year-old bone buzzing prodigy Nadav Nirneberg. Nirenberg, a band leader and session player for Wyclef Jean, has made a name for himself on the New York club circuit for his versatility and brass warping solos.
Although Nirenberg is a rare talent, performing for Streetlight Manifesto’s Jersey diehards is a far cry from his Jazz Club exhibitions. He traded in finger snapping for fist thrusting, applause for crowd surfing, and swing dancers for mosh pitting punks. Nirenberg appeared to be affected prior to the show, frantically pacing around the stage during setup, sweat dripping from every gland. He perspired more than the band’s latest, husky, trumpet ace Matt “Squealer Dealer” Stewart. And Stewart needs his towel shoved through the ringer after every song.
Stewart spoke highly of Nirenberg after the show.
“He’s working out great for us,” said Stewart. “He’s unbelievably talented, the sickest, nastiest trombone player I’ve ever seen. And he’s only 24, he’s mad younger than all of us. He’s going to be great for a long time.”
Eventually Nireneberg settled and picked up where Soprano left off with flawless trombone play. The best compliment I can pay this Skadigy (short for Ska prodigy) is that I forgot Soprano had left the band.
Nirenberg, as did the other six members of the band, showcased his noted solo skills on the extended jam session known as “A Call To Arms,” a musical piece written by front-man Tomas Kalnoky’s side project Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution (BOTAR).
A few years ago Kalnoky announced to a Starland Ballroom audience that the band would be filtering songs off Streetlight’s debut album, “Everything Goes Numb,” out of the rotation, and for the most part that was the case for the last number of years (save for the band’s 2009 Jersey performance where it played every song from both of its original studio albums “Everything Goes Numb and Somewhere In The Between.”
In fact, since Streetlight just put out “99 Songs of Revolution Vol. 1,” an album of covers, the fear was that the entire show would be other people’s music.
However, on this night, we would be treated to such classics as “Failing, Flailing,” “A Better Place A Better Time,” “If and When We Rise Again,” “A moment of Silence” and “A Moment of Violence,” as well the mainstays “Here’s To Life” and Streetlight’s closing number “Big Sleep.”
Oddly enough, the band didn’t start the show with its “unity” song “We Will Fall Together,” off its 2007 LP “Somewhere In The Between” (although the song was played), but chose another track off that record, “The Receiving End of it All,” as the opening salvo.
Streetlight even pulled out some oldies from the 1998 classic “Keasby Nights” like “9mm and a Three Piece Suit,” an acoustic version of “Sick and Sad,” and the album’s closer “12341234.”
As for cover songs there were two: an acoustic version of NOFX’s “Linoleum” and super charged “Punk Rock Girl” out of The Dead Milk Men’s catalogue.
You can check out the rest of the setlist here: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/streetlight-manifesto/2010/starland-ballroom-sayreville-nj-6bd40e7a.html
Jim Conti, Streetlight’s saxophonist, told me the band wouldn’t be back in Jersey until late next year. If you missed this show you can catch the band in NYC at Highline Ballroom on July 30 and August 1.
(07/05/10 3:07am)
Day 4 – June 13
Japandroids Dissapoint…Me At Least
I specifically woke up early this morning to get into Centeroo and attain a good spot for Japandroids, the Canadian garage-rock duo that took the indie music world by storm in 2009 with its debut studio album “Post-Nothing” that SPIN rated as its 16th best album of the year. I have to say, the music was good, but the production was shit, and it ruined the experience for me.
Japandroids is too eccentric and strange to be widely accepted and it will not break through into the mainstream music machine, but these days who would want to? This band has the potential to develop into a solid indie act, but these guys need to get their shit together. I know the band is going for a minimalistic, “we don’t give a fuck” attitude, but, they were late to the stage, the lack of a sound check caused major acoustic problems, their equipment kept breaking, the roadie couldn’t figure out how to tighten the clasp on a microphone stand, and do you have to complain about the heat after every song? We get it, the two of you are from Canada and are not used to this weather. Neither are we, everyone is hot, play the next damn song!!!
That being said, when the pair mustered up enough energy to actually play music they performed with such emotion that just being within hearing distance of the speaker could instill life into the most burnt out festival patron.
When Brian King ripped into “The Boys Are Leaving Town,” the band’s escape anthem, with a fuzzy guitar riff played over David Prowse’s manic stick-work, it was like an espresso filled syringe shot into the jugular.
I love the music, but the live show needs work. There is a lot of energy but this particular performance had major pacing issues. The crowd would get worked up into a frenzy and then be denied that non-stop euphoric rock session it so desired. Most attendees could only muster up a simple head bob.
Mission Accomplished
If you’ve been paying attention, you know about the botched interview on Friday. This afternoon was one of redemption and one of the prouder moments of my journalistic career.
About to exit the press compound for the last time, I decided to take one final walk around in search of a departing interview. It being the final day of the festival, many musicians had left, and most of tonight’s night’s performers had not yet arrived, subjects were scarce. With nobody around, I was about to give up when I noticed a large guy in a Boston Celtic’s jersey, kilt, and black steel toed boots strolling toward me. It was him, Scruffy Wallace, the bag piper for Dropkick Murphys.
“Nick!,” called out Evan, the Murphy’s Tour Manager. “Anybody seen Nick?”
I continued to hover, and five minutes later, Evan came back in search of the mysterious Nick, with no such luck. We locked eyes and I seized the moment.
“I’m not Nick,” I said, “but if he doesn’t show up, I’ll take his spot.”
“Who are you,” said Evan? ”Just some guy?”
“Yes, I am just some guy looking for an interview.”
“Wait here,” said Evan. “If this douche doesn’t call me back in five minutes, it’s yours.”
Long story short, Nick never showed, and I got his five minutes at a shady picnic table with Scruffy Wallace.
I’ve read about the band’s influences, but I’d rather here it straight from the source…
“Obviously we’re influenced by traditional Celtic music. We all grew up in the environment of it, like The Chief Tones and The Pogues. Then we got stuff like Stiff Little Fingers, The Clash and Billy Bragg. Good, honest, rock and roll. And I think all of that definitely plays a very big part of our musical influence in Dropkick Murphys, the way we amalgamate all those different sounds.”
When talking influences, a lot of musicians discuss their sound, but what did these bands mean to you, what messages did you take away from their music?
“That the working class, it’s an honest way to make a living. That your family and your friends are number one. And that there’s nothing more important than the people that have surrounded you and the people that have worked to help give you what you have. We stay very true to those ideas and very dedicated to our fans because they are the people that make us what we are. Everything we produce is for them and because of them. We try to stay true to who we are as people and the music follows suit.
Bands come and go, especially punk rock bands. Dropkick Murphys are going on 14 years now. What’s the secret to your longevity?
“For 14 years it’s been the greatest fucking job ever, and we only have our fans to thank. Without them we wouldn’t be who or where we are. We try to stay true to them and remember that they’re the reason we do it. That’s why we’ve been given the opportunities that we have, because our fans have stuck by us. It’s a give and take relationship, and I think it’s very cool, very unique.”
You just put out your second live album, Live On Lansdowne, Boston MA, and you’re currently touring, so what’s next?
“We’re actually writing a new studio album, we’re in the process of it. We’re taking about 25 days to tour, we’re flying down to New Orleans tomorrow, then over to Copenhagen to do a few festivals in Europe. Then we’ll fly back and get back to the writing. The way we try to do it is, we’ll go home for a few weeks, write some new songs, get them down and let them sit, and then we go back on the road. Back and forth and back and forth. We’re always writing, even on the road, but we’re really concentrating on the new record and trying to get it done because it’s been three years since The Meanest of Times came out, we’re kind of overdue you know?”
The Murphys contributed to the Rock Against Bush Vol. 2 album, you guys are involved with the AFL-CIO, many in the band have claimed to be Democrats, you’re about head down to New Orleans, what are your thoughts on President Obama and how he’s performed in office so far?
“Personally, my best thing when it comes to politics is just not to get involved. I honestly don’t have any kind of opinion on anything political because, it doesn’t, well, it affects me in the long run, but directly it doesn’t affect anything that I think about. I bother not with any kind of that trivial shit…As far as politics go, we’re kind of a tongue-in-cheek band, we don’t really sing about politics, that’s for other people to decide. We’re just a band that wants to have fun. We want to talk about things that should be important, like family and friends, and the unity we have in our scene, and staying strong. We don’t like to get wrapped up in bullshit that mires you down.”
Well let me ask you about something you may care about. What are your thoughts on the Red Sox slow start?
“I am a Red Sox fan but I only really started watching baseball about a week ago because there was no more hockey on. I’m a big hockey guy and it was big let down with the Bruins, the Flyers were like a bad cold you couldn’t get rid of, but they [Bruins] played a hell of a season, they played through a lot of injuries. As far as the Sox go, I know they had a rough start but they’ve won the last three or four in a row so that’s cool. And now with the Lakers and the Celts I’ve been wrapped up in that, go Celts! Beat LA! So with all that, baseball’s been on the back burner a little bit. But once the playoffs are over it’s back to the Sox.”
My five minutes were up. Scruffy was on his way to go catch the Against Me! show and so was I.
Against Me! Is Reinventing…Itself
This collection of Gainsville punk rockers has transformed its sound from that of gritty, thrashing, basement dwellers to a polished, major label, poppy punk band. Anybody who has a problem with that, who labeled these guys sell outs, who has continually trashed their vehicles and equipment outside shows, who has tried to keep this band from taking the stage, fuck you.
Why is it that every time a punk band has an important message to send, one that needs to reach more listeners than an indie label can cater to, their fans turn on them? Fuck you! A true fan would be excited about their favorite band’s success. A true fan would want their favorite band to reach as many listeners as possible. True fans wouldn’t sucker punch their favorite band when it came back to town. That isn’t “punk,” or “revolutionary,” or “anarchic,” it’s a temper tantrum.
Seeing Against Me! Perform live, one wouldn’t understand what former fans of this punk rock quartet have to gripe about. They were one of the hardest rocking collectives at this festival, playing to an audience of shirtless skins, denim clad punks, and innocent bystanders that didn’t know what type of fist pumping they were in for.
The “audience” could no longer be referred to as such when the first galloping notes of “Pints of Guinness Make You Strong” were struck, it transformed into more of riot, an amorphic mosh pit that spilled out of This Tent into the burnt and shriveled grass and mud.
The ruckus didn’t skip a beat when the band charged into “Rapid Decompression,” a powerful little number off the band’s latest release, “White Crosses,” that lasted less than two-minutes, yet was actually able to take us to a new level of madness described best as an unruly mob of slam dancing hooligans.
The self titled single off “White Crosses,” the track that “hardcore” fans seem to have a beef with, came next. The song rips into the many flaws of the Catholic Church with guitar hooks, and choruses, and catchy lyrics, and apparently that’s against the rules of Punk Rock! If it’s good enough for The Who, The Clash, and The Ramones, it’s good enough for any punk band that walks the earth, so get over it!
One captivating pop-punk single deserves another as the band followed up with “Don’t Lose Touch” off its 2005 effort “Searching For A Former Clarity.” The song is slow building but explodes after the first chorus. It’s a track that begs for repeated tossing of the fist into the air.
The band performed “White People For Peace,” and “Bamboo Bones” followed by “I Was A Teenage Anarchist,” a song that wouldn’t be out of place on a Bruce Springsteen record. This is the track Tom Gabel and company addressed to all the “fans” that turned on them. “I was a teenage anarchist, the revolution was a lie!” yells Gabel before the final chorus kicks back in. This song is basically a big “fuck you” to all the scene punks that have no loyalty or integrity, you know who you are.
They Are Giants
Finally, after years of waiting, I have seen They Might Be Giants in concert, and it was everything I ever hoped it would be: great tunes, lots of laughs, and of course, a puppet show.
The great thing about TMBG shows is that, love them or hate them, you are going to learn something. I still stand that I learned more about Astronomy from Here Comes Science than I retained from Professor Hiack’s 8:00 a.m. on Monday and Thursday of sophomore year.
The music is accessible by people of any age, especially children. John Linnell and John Flansburgh (The Johns) have continued what Raffi started back in 1975, but updated it. Kids these days are mentally more advanced and “The Wheels On The Bus” just will not cut it anymore. That’s where TMBG comes into play.
Apparently The Johns have been playing too many kids shows lately because they forgot just how beloved this band is. We packed into The Other Tent like dorky cattle awaiting a much needed feeding of nerd rock.
“We honestly were not expecting this,” said a bewildered John Flansburgh to the explosive mob of dweebs.
Let me paint a more vivid picture for you. With my black, thick framed glasses, I was the meet inside one of many nerd sandwiches. To my left was a guy with an extremely detailed Spiderman universe themed tattoo that ran the length of arm, featuring such villains as Doc Octopus, Green Goblin, Rhino, Scorpion and Venom entrenched in battle with none other than Spiderman. To my right was a “Clerks”-era Kevin Smith look-alike, minus the trench coat, for obvious reasons.
Anyway, want to know a country that starts with the letter “S?” TMBG notified us of one by opening up with “Alphabet of Nations,” and its called Suriname. Suriname, at 163,000 sq. km is the smallest sovereign state in terms of area in South America. The country is the only Dutch-speaking region in the world that is not a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands or Belgium, and is the only state outside Europe with Dutch as an official language. I just hit you with some knowledge.
The Spiderman guy and I traded verses on “Birdhouse In Your Soul,” just to prove that neither one of us was an imposter TMBG fan, a friendly test of our nerdhood. The tension eased when positive results came out of the exhibition.
John Linnell introduced us to his friends that call the periodic table home with “Meet The Elements.” Did you know carbon in its ordinary form is coal? True story.
“Particle Man,” “Boss of Me,” “Your Racist Friend,” and an electrically juiced up version of “Doctor Worm” in a row was absolute ecstasy.
I believe I mentioned a puppet show. This happened. And I feel like if any other band in the world tried to pull it off, the situation would be totally unacceptable. But when TMBG do it, it’s just right. The Johns donned gym socks on their arms. The socks had googly eyes and paper Gatorade cups for hats. The pair of socks performed a duet on “What Is A Shooting Star” and were banished back into their drawer.
TMBG closed the show with “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” at an exceptional speed shaving at least 45 seconds off the track that is originally only two and a half minutes long. Amazing.
The crowd cheered so loud that The Johns and friends graced us with “Ana Ng” as an encore.
Dropkicked
It turns out that the biggest conflict in my schedule came on the final day, between the final two shows I would see and TMBG won out over Dropkick Murphys. It was not an easy decision by any means. However I was still able to catch the last 40 minutes of the Murphys, and it was probably the best performance I saw.
I got to This Tent just as James Lynch sank his pick into the first notes of “Famous For Nothing,” the opening salvo off The Murphys’ 2007 record "The Meanest of Times." This hard rocking number caused multiple pits to open within the crowd, expanding its border further toward the outskirts and denying me any chance of getting close to the stage.
I strolled around to the left side of the tent and saw my opening. Matt Kelly clubbed the opening drum hits to “Worker’s Song” and I charged into the sea of black and green. By the songs end I had squirmed my way 20 from the stage. Victory was mine.
As reward for my efforts Ken Casey, the bassist and only remaining original member of the band, sang the opening verse to my favorite Murphys’ song “Black Velvet Band.”
We stepped into the way back machine when Scruffy Wallace sunk his breath into the opening pipe play of “Barroom Hero,” a classic Murphys song off the band’s 1998 studio debut "Do Or Die." I’ve never been punched in the face so hard. I didn’t give a shit either. That dude and I wound up hugging by the end of the show.
The band sped through “Captain Kelly’s Kitchen” and “Flannigan’s Ball” en route to their ode to the Boston Red Sox “Tessie.” As a Yankee fan I should despise such a piece of music but I can’t. My musical taste won’t allow it. It’s a damn fine song led by the collaboration of a beautiful piano lick, AC/DC-like hard rock guitar, and Scruffy’s superb pipe work. I challenge you to listen to this song and not get amped. You can’t help it.
The band’s unity song “Forever” was up next, a slow bag pipe heavy track with an elongated, single word chorus of “forever,” built for the audience’s vocal accompaniment.
The band closed the show with “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” the track made famous by Martin Scorsese’s The Departed. The Murphys took a bow and exited stage right but the crowd didn’t budge. We wanted another song and were prepared to yell as loud as it took to get it. And eventually the band emerged with an encore to the tune of “Kiss Me I’m Shitfaced.” It was the perfect way to end the best weekend I’ve ever lived.
If you want to know why Bonnaroo is such a great experience it’s moments like this: Bonding with total strangers over a common interest. Name another place where it’s totally acceptable to wrap your arm around somebody you don’t know, someone from another part of the country, even the world, and join them in song. Bonnaroo is the perfect community, the archetypal utopia.
(07/05/10 2:45am)
Day 3 – June 12
The Postelles Rock The Sonic Stage
I went into Centeroo early this morning to get a good spot for The Postelles noon-time Sonic Stage set. Luckily for me this New York quartet’s talent for playing a contemporary fusion of crude and powerful 1970s punk rock and mellifluous 1960s Motown was still somewhat concealed from the Roo-Fest masses.
The Postelles is a band on the rise and in a musical era where the weirder get work and many new musicians choose to occupy an electronic palette, with synths, turn tables, and computer generated drums and/or bass beats, this New York foursome has “stripped down” to an archetypal rock format, and in turn produced some of the catchiest garage-punk tunes I’ve heard in years.
“New York City is sort of the birth place of Punk Rock and growing up there, it was what we lived with and were exposed to,” said lead guitarist David Dargahi of the band’s sound, “as well as a lot of other 60’s rock and Motown music.”
“Our first show was at the old CBGB’s,” Dargahi continued, “so we were led in that direction from the beginning.”
I made it to the rail with ease standing no more than ten feet from the band’s fedora sporting guitar maestro who strums his six-string with a similar sound to that of Strokes axe-man Albert Hammond Jr. who helped produce The Postelles recently completed debut studio album.
“Albert’s an awesome guy and was a huge help,” said bassist John Speyer. “He taught us how to use guitar tones and how to really record an album.”
The self-titled record contains 11 tracks and is due out on July 27th.
“We’re really excited about the album,” said Speyer. “It’s the ultimate example of what we’ve been doing for the past two years and we’re really proud of it and all the work that went into making it.”
The most exciting time for a band is right before it blows up, and The Postelles exhibited that excitement running through a collection songs that included a super charged cover of The Ramones’ “Beat On The Brat,” two new cuts off the upcoming album and three tracks off the “White Night EP,” and they did it all within the 30-minute parameters of the performance.
All three of the songs on the EP are undeniably satisfying with catchy choruses and guitar play that sinks its hooks too deep within the listeners mind to be removed. “Looking glass” is simplistic, poppy, garage rock excellence. Daniel Balk’s intoxicating vocals on “Sleep On The Dance Floor” will have you pressing replay for a long time. “White Night” showcased several tempo changes spurred on by drum cues from Billy Cadden and the bass play of Speyer.
“ ’White Night’ is one of the first songs we ever wrote,” Cadden said. “It was that song that really steered us in the direction we’re headed now.”
“It’s about us going out into New York City as 16 and 17 year olds,” said Dargahi who throws down a distortion laden solo on the track, “living a fast paced life and growing up really fast, and the song captures what that was like.”
“Stella” is a song that will be on the bands upcoming album and saying it was Strokes-esque is a legitimate claim. However, these days, whenever a new band with a raw sound and a “less is more” dynamic hits the scene they undoubtedly will be compared to The Strokes. The Postelles is another act that has not been able to escape that label, yet feels honored to have it.
“We grew up on The Strokes,” Dargahi said. “I was 14 years old when “Is This It” came out and I was blown away. We take it as compliment, maybe some people think it isn’t, be we do.”
“That’s the highest compliment we can get,” added Cadden. “We love The Strokes.”
“I think it’s because we’re a straight forward rock band, and no matter what, you’re going to be compared to the other straight forward rock bands like The Strokes,” continued Dargahi. “And there aren’t that many bands now that are straight up rock, a lot of bands use synths and other electronics, but we’ll take it.”
Today’s performance was a little more intimate than the opening night show. The stage and audience was smaller and compared to video I saw of their first set, the band appeared more at ease this afternoon. I’m not saying they have trouble playing to the larger crowds, I’m saying on the smaller Sonic Stage the guys seemed more in their element.
The tiny, fenced in compound’s dimensions resembled those of a New York City night club, a surrounding The Postelles are comfortable in, and the show had that feel. They performed with an swagger and appeared to feed off the energy of specific faces rocking out in the crowd. The majority of spectators appeared well versed in The Postelles’ music, a big difference from the opening evening. Calling out to friends and dedicating songs to others, the band played loose and the musicians felt free to show off their personalities to the audience, both parties exchanging smiles after well struck drum beats and precisely performed guitar solos. Daniel Balk even felt good enough to jump down off the stage, shake hands with us in the front row and even share his singing duties with surprised female turned vocalist.
This was the band’s second trip to the farm, The Postelles made their Bonnaroo debut in 2008, and have enough experience touring clubs and festivals to give an opinion on their preference. I asked John Speyer about it and he gave me a genuine, although predictable, answer.
“I like it all,” said Speyer. “That’s why I do this, I love playing music for everybody. It’s all about the crowd. If the crowd is receptive and into it, then I’m having a good time.”
After spending time with The Postelles, talking with them, and watching one of their shows, I can honestly say that this band is the epitome of everything that is great about music. These guys are humble and hungry, they crank out awesome tunes, and they embrace where they come from and who supports them. The Postelles have the potential to do big things.
Skanking In The Pit With Jimmy Cliff
I can’t dance in most settings. In fact, I am extremely awkward dancing anywhere that skanking is not accepted as official dance currency. However, somewhere around senior year of high school I developed the ability to have very little shame and made it my goal to skank at least once during any music event I attended. I’ve skanked at Giant Stadium while Bruce Springsteen sang “Rosalita,” at The Arts Center during STP’s “Sex Type Thing,” and even as recently as an extensive session during Matt and Kim’s performance at the College.
Thankfully, Jimmy Cliff provided me with appropriate platform to do such a dance. I was in my glory, King for an hour in the bloodshot eyes of the surrounding hippie/Rastas.
Cliff played an inspiring set that included such hits as “Blessed Love,” “Many Rivers To Cross,” and “I Can See Clearly Now,” to name a few of the fan favorites.
He spoke his views on the environment, the war, and entertained the crowd with various forms of Jamaican style dancing, it resembled the skank, that no 62-year old man should be able to do without spraining a hip.
Cliff even played a kick-ass Cat Stevens cover of “Wild World.”
This show was a lot of fun, and I’m glad I got to see it.
The Dead Weather Bring The Rain
On a day that was by far the muggiest since my arrival, The Dead Weather, with self-inflicted feedback emitting from Jack Lawrence’s bass amp, a howling single guitar note from Dean Fertita’s grandiose white six-string, the heart stopping thump bred from the loins of Jack White’s drum set, and banshee-like shrieks reverberating from somewhere deep inside Allison Mosshart, offered the rock and roll rain gods their opening salvo of noise as a ritualistic sacrifice. “So it was played, so it shall be done,” this hypothetical deity seemed to say, answering the wishes of the crowd by casting a beautifully gray rain cloud over the field and dumping the chilled precipitation on us. A faint sizzling could be heard when the first drops landed.
“Let it be known that we brought the rain,” White said from atop his drum throne before drilling the first notes of Pentagram’s “Forever My Queen,” the band’s official opening number, and it was a cover?
When The Dead Weather broke into “Hang You Up From The Heavens,” the first single off its 2009 debut “Horehound,” the transitions from sludgy to fast and whimpering to raucous literally blew me away. The sound was so intense that it physically moved me backward. The Dead Weather is the most powerful live act I have ever seen. Having been born in 1989, I never got to see Led Zeppelin but the comparison is evident. I can only imagine that the experience was similar. Both bands play that hard-rock with blues undertones with repetitive distorted guitar riffs, controlled chaos on the drums and howling feminine vocals. What does it say about the state of music when a band so similar to the legendary Zeppelin still plays in a state of virtual anonymity? Ask around, not enough people know who The Dead Weather are.
“Cut Like a Buffalo” was another highlight of the show. The song has developed into a fan favorite and the audience erupted for it.
My personal favorite was the performance of “I’m Mad,” where Mosshart actually lost her mind on stage. This song was written for her. Mosshart may sing the songs, but she by no means acts as the band leader. It’s a tough position to be in because White still controls too much star power. He may have shoved himself behind a bulky drum kit, but all eyes still remain on him and his black fedora. However, during this angry number she walks hard, strutting from wing to wing, cackling at the audience. She leaps atop speakers and White’s drum platform, releasing her beautiful wailing vocals. Her charismatic movements, long jet black hair swinging frantically in the wind, and shrieks of madness command your attention. And you’ll give it. Allison Mosshart is a rock goddess and should be treated as such.
I stayed for one more song, “Hustle and Cuss,” and it was time to leave. Weezer was taking the Which Stage.
Weezer Opens With The Hits
I don’t know about you, but Weezer’s latest album bugged me a little bit. I’m all for a band expanding its musical horizons, but “Raditude” just was not Rivers and the crew. The band is an imposter of itself if that is possible. The album is good for what it is, a poppy, made for dance halls record, but it isn’t Weezer. Thankfully, Weezer only sprinkled a few of the new tacks into their hit laden set.
Weezer opened with the crunchy guitar number “Hash Pipe” and the place exploded. I thought this song was overplayed on the radio, I thought the joy it used to bring me had died, but the surrounding energy revived it and forced me to scream every word.
“Trouble Maker” followed that, piggy backed by “Undone (The Sweater Song).” I love this song. I don’t know what the world record is for largest sing along, but we had to come pretty close.
I couldn’t believe they played “Surf Wax America” next. Do you want to know why this song is great? Because it’s full-fledged rocking from start to finish. I still stand that this track has one of the most rocking outros in the history of song. The last 13 seconds are harder than the first three minutes. “Oh, I’m sorry, your personal rock quota wasn’t filled yet, here’s a super charged ending for you to linger on,” the band seemed to say.
Next, Weezer ran through “Trippin Down The Freeway,” one of the more tolerable “Raditude” tracks. I tuned out a little bit because it took way too long to set up. Cuomo brought out some solo artist named Julia Nunes to assist the band on ukulele, but she tuned the damned thing wrong. So she sang, and it wasn’t very good.
However, the show was revived when Brian Bell squeezed out the first few notes of “Perfect Situation.” Cuomo climbed up atop Pat Wilson’s severely raised drum platform and belted out the vocals, emphatically notifying the audience that, contrary to their looks, these guys are rock stars.
“Dope Nose,” “Say It Ain’t So” and “Why Bother” in succession blew my mind. Unfortunately we had to leave. Rivers cued up “Can’t Stop Partying” and the consensus was that the band was going to begin playing “Raditude” songs, and nobody in my group wanted to hear that.
They wanted to see Jeff Beck. I’m not the biggest fan, but, when is the next time I’m going to have such a convenient opportunity to see one of the greatest guitar players to ever pluck a six-string.
I later learned that Weezer played “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To,” My Name Is Jonas,” “Beverly Hills,” “Hot For Teacher,” “Kids,” “Poker Face,” “Island In The Sun” and “Buddy Holly” in a row. It was a terrible miscalculation, but such is life.
Here Is What I Know About Jeff Beck…
The consensus is he is one of the greatest guitar players of all time, his inability to work with others is partly responsible for the creations of Led Zeppelin and Cream (thanks for being a dick), he likes to wear scarves on stage, he has a group, I don’t know any of its music, and I like Weezer better.
I watched Jeff Beck perform three musical pieces (What Beck plays are not songs because the word “song” implies singing, thus, they are musical pieces. “YYZ” is not a song, but a wonderful musical composition.) each one a longer guitar solo than the last. How conceited is that? There is no singer, the other band mates are huddled off in a corner, Beck is center stage, and the spotlight never moves.
A Beck-type performance is not my cup of tea.
I recognized one of the pieces he played. It was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” No, words, just Beck’s wailing, bluesy, guitar play. It gets old, quick.
Stevie Wonder…Metal God?
As 8:30 hour neared Conan O’Brien returned to the What Stage to introduce one of the greatest performers in the history of music, the legend, Mr. Steveland Hardaway Judkins, better known as Stevie Wonder.
Conan ran awkwardly off stage to “go and get him (Wonder),” and did not return. The audience feared the worst. Had Stevie Wonder bought the farm (pun intended)?
NAY! Wonder strolled on stage, opening his show with a nasty, face melting Roland AX-synth shoulder synthesizer solo (glorified key-tar) that sounded metal as shit. I threw up my horns thinking Slash was taking the stage.
Wonder carried the synth solo into “Did I Hear You Say You Love Me,” his funky 1980 hit. Next up was Wonder’s “Master Blaster” followed by his Motown hit “Uptight (Everyhing’s Alright)” which made the 60,000 people in attendance get up and groove.
After that, things got strange. Wonder was Peyton Manning checking down his setlist at the line of scrimmage, confusing his band and the audience who received a long look at the original playlist that was posted on the jumbotron a few minutes earlier.
Not that we were going to argue when he began playing hit after hit. “For Once In My Life,” “Higher Ground,” and “Don’t You Worry Bout A Thing,” all in a row, it was like a best of compilation.
Wonder followed with a cover of Parliament’s “Give Up The Funk,” and transitioned into “Heard It Through The Grapevine,” my favorite highlight of the performance.
Then it was sing along time. Wonder led us through a call and answer session where he taught us how to sing because Wonder didn’t “want us screwing up his words.” The men had their part, the women another, put it together and we were singing the instrumental part of “Living For the City.”
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours,” “Sir Duke,” and “Give Peace A Chance” surrounded our sing along.
Wonder closed with “My Cherie Amour,” “Do I Do,” and funkified, rocked out rendition of “Superstition.” It was a performance of epic proportions.
Jay-Z Is The Greatest Living Musical Artist
The title is a bold statement indeed, but an undeniable truth. Name another artist/group that has the ability to bring so many different people together in song. The Beatles? I saw a sea of Caucasians in the video of the fab four’s Shea Stadium concert, not much cultural diversity there. Michael Jackson? Maybe, but the amount of hatred and ill will his off-stage antics brought about overshadow his musical superiority. Bono maybe? But too many people despise his music. Jay-Z appeals to everyone. He is the epitome of the American dream, a rags to riches story played out in front of our eyes, one that anybody can get behind no matter what the color your skin may be. The diversity of his fan base shown through tonight in the mass of patrons exiting the performance.
I witnessed a pair of inebriated good ol’ boys from Alabama embrace two African American men from Atlanta in celebration of what they just saw. Women were kissing men, women kissed women, men kissed men. I witnessed adults high fiving teenagers, there were cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria played out before my eyes. But a Jay-Z party made it okay. Laws of intolerance are non-existent inside the Bonnarooniverse. The world can learn a lesson.
Jay-Z also takes home the award for Best Set. During “Empire State of Mind” his composition of several giant computer screens morphed into a living, breathing, New York City Skyline, before transforming the audience perspective into that of a bird’s, flying in low above Times Square, The Empire State Building, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the rest of the big apple. People walked the streets and traffic sped along Broadway. The detail was mind boggling, as was Jay’s performance.
The Man spit nothing but the hits. It’s amazing how many tracks you don’t realize are his work until you see him on stage owning them.
The guy turned out 29 songs so I won’t go through all of them. Here is the setlist :(http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/jay-z/2010/bonnaroo-festival-manchester-tn-5bd427f0.html).
For as good as it was, there remained a feeling of disappointment. With a chance for so many different collaborations, I can’t figure out why Jay-Z kept it a solo act. Bonnaroo would have been the perfect setting to show what he and Jack White have been working on. Why not perform as Jay-Zeezer for a couple of songs (look up the Black And Blue Album if you don’t understand this). And when will he and Stevie Wonder be within 100 feet of one another again?
(06/24/10 3:31am)
Day 2 – June 11
That Was Awkward
This is the tale of the most embarrassing question I have ever had to ask…ever. I was up early this morning, running on three and a half hours of sleep. Not by choice, but once that Tennessee sunshine pops its gaseous, incandescent head above the tree line the thermometer shoots up from “bearable” to “you need to put sunscreen on your balls, because they will burn off.”
Sitting in my big purple mini-van, I decided to prep for my noon-time interview in the press tent with the Dropkick Murphys – The band’s manager Mikey got me in without creds - The vehicle is my sorry excuse for an office this weekend. It has little air circulation so the stench of body odor, cigarettes, and Italian subs still linger. There is no wi-fi either. The conditions are not ideal, but, it will make for one hell of a story when I’m a famous staff writer for SPIN. Anyway, I had written a thoughtful outline of questions for the Murphys and was now studying up, second guessing every single one. “What are some of your influences?” That’s childish! “What is the secret to your longevity?” They make great fucking music! Ken Casey will bust a Yuengling bottle over my face if I ask that. Abnormal objections from an abnormal writer.
When I was confident enough that I wouldn’t throw up all over Al Barr’s boots I dressed the part, an unbuttoned collard short sleeve over my black, Streetlight Manifesto, cloak and dagger t-shirt - I hoped the shirt would buy me some street cred with these punk rock legends - geared up, and began the two mile trek from camp to Centeroo. I reached the entrance to the press compound and like a military garrison it was protected by a pair of tazer wielding sentinels in dark aviator sun glasses, just waiting to sink their electric spewing hooks into some “Yank” northerner. I was an hour early, so I hung out for a bit and it was here that I met a man from Louisiana. He was a real Picasso of the aerosol can and told me the piece he was spraying was a response to the gulf coast oil spill. “I live inland,” he said. “so I haven’t seen it, but you can smell the oil. It’s real bad down there.”
I couldn’t help myself, I had to ask. “If your such an advocate for preserving the environment, how do you justify the pile of aerosol cans behind you?” He didn’t answer me, just flipped his gas mask down and took a step forward when I delivered my final inquiry. “Are you allowed to spray paint at Bonnaroo [there are wooden walls in Centeroo and many patrons paint them] do they give you permission?” “It’s either illegal or I’m getting paid,” he said. “There’s no such thing as permission.”
THIS WAS NOT THE AWKWARD CONVERSATION…IT GETS BETTER…KEEP READING!!!
The phone rings and Mikey is on the other end, the band is ready, and he comes to get me. Dressed in a Chicago Bulls Jordan jersey, tight black pants, and Beatle boots, he led me into the compound and up to four members of Dropkick Murphys, or so I thought. Mikey gave me two of them and we went back into the compound to grab some shade and talk. That nervous excitement came over me, I was chatting with members of the Murphys en route to my first official Bonnaroo interview. I don’t know what I was saying, what they were saying, I didn’t even catch their names yet, but I knew this was something special. We found a table under a tree, I fiddled with my tape recorder, and we got into it.
Q: A lot of Celtic acts choose folk music as their genre of choice, why punk rock?
“Punk rock is what we grew up with as well as Motown, and other 60’s rock…”
“Really,” I thought to myself, “Motown and 60’s rock? I’ve yet to hear that type of influence in your music.”
“Being from New York, Punk Rock is sort of the direction we were led in,” he continued, “In fact, one of our first shows was at the old CBGB’s…” (We are losing cabin pressure) Did he just say the band was from New York? What the hell is going on here? It had to be asked before this madness went on any longer.
Q: Fellas, let me ask you this. Do you know the Dropkick Murphys?
“Oh yeah, definitely.” (The left wing has just caught fire)
Q: But you’re not actually in that band are you? “Nope.”
(MAYDAY!!! We’re in a tailspin and going down!)
Q: Well, holy fucking Moses, if you don’t mind me asking, who am I talking to right now?
“We’re David and Billy from The Postelles.” (This plane has crashed…end of transmission) I had gotten the e-mails mixed up. Kristen handles the press for The Postelles and Kristene for the Murphys. An “e” screwed me over. It wasn’t a total loss though. I planned on talking to these guys anyway. I love their “White Night EP.” It’s very Strokes-esque. You can pick up the single White Night for free on the band’s Myspace page. For more on the Postelles stay tuned. I’m going to catch their noon show tomorrow and follow up with them afterward. Now it’s time to see a person about press pass.
I Met Wayne Coyne Of Flaming Lips
I got to shake his hand and everything. No time for an interview though. The people from FUSE shoved me out of the way and Coyne into a hut to answer questions for them. What the hell FUSE?
Damian Marley & Nas – Welcome To Jamrock:
Damian Marley and Nas, a reggae star and a rap legend sharing a stage. Is the combination of these bedfellows too strange for success? The two artists answered that question with a resounding no. The duo sandwiched a few solo numbers a piece between a slew of duets off their May 18 release “Distant Relatives.” The single “As We Enter” is the cream of this album and of their performance. It’s an upbeat song announcing Nasty Nas and Jr. Gong’s presence with the authority of a pot smoking, gun toting, gangster-revolutionary. Like quick talking stock brokers these self proclaimed “Rhythm Piranhas” trade lines back and forth at a lightning fast pace. This song is rap and reggae at its finest, harmoniously fusing the two genres together, it is Jamrock.
NOTE: Jamrock is not a musical genre - although it should be - it is slang terminology for Jamaica. It also refers to a person’s joyous state of mind. “As We Enter” put me in joyous state of mind, thus, it is Jamrock. “Nah Mean” was also a highlight of the performance, showcasing both artists ability to rap, but especially Nas’ fire spitting capabilities. A noticeably slower jam than “As We Enter,” the beat is still heavy and got the audience bouncing and swatting the air like a massive game of whack-a-mole. Unlike many other reggae acts, Damian tends to rap over his beats rather than provide the soothing, syrupy, vocals of the his late great father. The revolutionary heat is still there, good will and love for one another is still being preached, the only difference is Nas at his right hand. The two are perfect for one another and I hope they combine to make more music.
HEY!!! CONAN O’BRIEN IS HERE!!! “Are you ready to rock?” O’Brien asked the crowd that patiently awaited Tenacious D. “Are you ready to laugh?.. Do you want to rock and laugh but first urinate?” “I was asked to come host a lot of festivals and I said no,” he continued. “I was asked to host Coachella. I said no! I said, it’s not humid enough. They asked me to host Lollapalooza, I said no! It sounds like a goddamn candy…” “I want to introduce an incredible act ladies and gentlemen,” O’Brien said in closing. “There’s an old rule in show business that you should never set the bar too high for an act. But the act you’re about to see is going to CHANGE YOUR LIVES! This will be the greatest performance in the history of entertainment. I’ve known these guys (The D) a long time, they’re brilliant, they’re hysterical, they’re important figures in history! Ladies and gentleman, give it up for TENACIOUS D!!!” Conan proceeded to kneel down and take the inevitable humping he had coming to him like a man, Jack Black from the front and Kyle Gass from behind. The perfect introduction.
Climb Upon Your Faithful Steed, It’s Tenacious D Time:
People toss around the phrase “emotional roller coaster” a bit too loosely these days. “Avatar was an emotional roller coaster,” or “My child’s birth was a real emotional roller coaster.” Bullshit! I’ve been on a rolling coaster of death that toyed with my emotions, tugging my every heart string, frying my every brain cell, mentally and physically taking me to the brink and back again. In short, I have The D to thank for this. Surrounded by 50,000 viewers I witnessed the very real, very human drama play out before my eyes. I saw a pair of musicians rise out of wreckage and ash “like a phoenix” fortifying a bond stronger than the greatest wall and bigger than the sun. Then the phone rang. It was Jack Black’s lawyer. $25 million would be placed into JB’s account for "The Pick Of Destiny 2." The catch you ask? Kyle’s out, Kevin James’ is in…done deal. I witnessed that insurmountable, unbreakable, unsinkable bond have a hole the size of Texas punched into its side sinking it like the Titanic. Kyle Gass, heartbroken and betrayed, pulled down his black gym shorts revealing his bulbous white ass and pointed it in the direction of his former partner in crime. Black made one final attempt to convince his brother to stay, but it was met by the flip of Gass’ middle-finger. It spoke louder than any statement could have. The remorseful Black did what the remorseful do when words alone cannot express their feelings. He broke into song with “Dude I Totally Miss You.” His message was heard as Gass emerged from the wings still unsure of his position in the Tenacious D universe. With a resounding “Fuck Kevin James!” that crashed like a tsunami wave over the rocking and churning sea of Tenacious D-ciples, Gass’ place in their world of two was realized again. Back together again, the D-namic duo christened their new relationship with a song conveniently written for the occasion entitled “Kyle Quit The Band.” It told of the reformation and their plans to kick ass, smoke hash, make cash, and throw a bash in which everyone was invited. All I can say is they are men of their words. Suddenly and without warning the sound of crunching gears and pounding machinery filled the field of patrons, overtaking the sweet grooves of The D. Finally the beast showed itself. Slowly trudging out of the shadows came the destroyer of less awesome music genres, a crudely constructed robot built to rid this world of poppy solo acts, smooth jazz, and country music. They call it…The Metal. A badass creature indeed, it was still no match for Tenacious D who vanquished the industrial devil away from Bonnaroo, Jack Black delivering the final blow, a swift flying dropkick to its carborator. If there is one thing Tenacious D taught us tonight it is that you cannot kill The Metal. In fact, the band wrote a song about The Metal’s immortality called “The Metal,” in which no explanation is provided for indestructibility. The D played it in celebration of its victory and all I can tell you is what the band told me. “The Metal will live on,” sang Black. “Punk rock tried to kill The Metal but they failed as they were smite to the ground. New wave tried to kill The Metal but they failed as they were stricken down to the ground. Grunge tried kill The Metal but they too failed as they were thrown to the ground. No one can destroy The Metal…” Black and Gass had fought The Metal and survived. They’d fought each other and overcome it. But how could they possibly defeat Satan himself?
It’s 2:30 A.M. Do You Know Where LCD Soundsystem Is? You read correctly, Lucipher had taken over the stage. Summoned by The D’s own disbelief, The Devil showed up to set the record straight. There is a Hell and it’s filled with awesome metal music. Satan was there to claim the souls of the non-believers, but he wasn’t going to leave with more than a boot up his ass if Tenacious D had anything to say about. Thus, a rock-off was held. With the aid of John Spiker on bass and John Konesky - a.k.a. John Bartholomew Shredman- on the electric axe, Tenacious D played the greatest song in the world and sent the evilest demon of them all straight back to the underworld. The band followed up that performance with Tribute, an ode to the greatest song in the world. Tenacious D had saved themselves, saved us twice, and even dry humped Coco. They had done enough, and it was time for them to go.
Kings of Leon and Bonnaroo
I would love to see some statistics on this because I believe Kings of Leon has drawn what will prove to be the largest crowd of the weekend. There had to be at least 75,000 people watching this performance. Viewers were backed up all the way to the famous Bonnaroo arch that acts the entrance to Centeroo. There wasn’t a spot worth standing in front of the stage so I headed back to the press tent to at least find a comfortable spot to listen. I heard three songs and they are as follows: “Where is My Mind,” a Pixies cover that sounded very close to its original form, “Sex On Fire,” and my favorite Kings’ song “Notion.” I left after this set of songs because I knew it wasn’t going get any better for me. I heard the band cover my favorite Pixies track, play the song that made the Followill foursome world famous, and my favorite song in their catalogue. I had heard all I needed to hear. Here’s the skinny: Caleb Followill has the best voice in rock music right now. The man has a set of pipes on him unlike anyone else in the business. A far as bands go, Kings of Leon is not King of the hill just yet, but its singer is atop the heap. Also, save for a breakup, Kings of Leon will remain one the biggest arena rock bands in the world for a long time. They are right up there with Bruce and the gang and U2. This band’s sound is huge and everybody loves them. Hipsters like the Kings because the band’s early stuff, like “Joe’s Head,” and “Taper Jean Girl,” is raw, it rocks out, and they still play those songs live. And collegiate Joe Bros and their girlfriends love Kings of Leon because “Sex On Fire” and “Use Somebody” are hits being played all over the radio waves. Don’t be hating hipster elite. Admit it, those songs are great. This is Southern Rock done right.
The Greatest Live Performance I Have Ever Seen – Flaming Lips:
“Is everybody ready to go crazy a little bit?” said Wayne Coyne, the leader of Flaming Lips. “This is the first night of the festival so there’s no excuse for you not to have energy, and enthusiasm, and love!”
Coyne was absolutely correct, and we didn’t disappoint nor did the musical collective on stage composed of Flaming Lips and Dennis Coyne’s band Star Death and White Dwarfs. Dennis Coyne is Wayne’s nephew. He and the rest of the members of Star Death and White Dwarfs are full time roadies for Flaming Lips. Regardless, what we gave them in energy they gave right back to us in production value. Let me attempt to put this as clearly as possible. What happened on this night was not a show. Classifying it as a concert would be unfair. And it was much more than simply a performance. Pardon my language, but for lack of better adjectives I can only describe what took place justly by calling it a FUCKING PRODUCTION. The only thing missing was a parade of elephants. The Lips and company had two-hours to play. They broke it up into halves. The first hour was all their hits and during the second half, for only the second time in the band’s history, Flaming Lips performed Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” in its entirety. Tonight I witnessed something special and I will never truly be able to explain it well enough to you. You had to be there. For this I apologize. But it won’t keep me from trying. Drink it in readers. I you will, picture a giant projector screen in the shape of an arch. It runs the length of a stage cloaked in fog and currently displays a blue, nude, female with orange hair frantically racing toward the audience, seemingly getting nowhere fast, ominous tones being played over this one-woman track meet. Finally she starts creeping closer and closer. She is huge now. Most of her body is no longer on the screen. It’s just a torso and little lower now and she is still gaining ground. The mystery woman comes closer and closer until only her vagina is left on the screen. It glows piecing rainbow colors now. The screen is so bright I can barely stand to look. Suddenly, a door inside this digital birth canal bursts open and out walks the band one by one. They walk to their instruments, Coyne gets into a giant blowup hamster ball and literally rolls into the audience while the band rolls into “The Fear,” a spacey noise rock jam that does just as the title implies, freaking out the girl behind me that confidently stated only a few minutes ago that she “dropped six and a half tabs [of acid] prior to this” and she “feels fine.” It’s during the third song where shit goes wild. The Lips play the first few notes of their biggest hit, She Don’t Use Jelly, and the audience erupts. When Coyne starts into the first chorus he calls for the largest confetti explosion I have ever seen. Picture the worst blizzard you have ever had the displeasure of driving through. Now pretend your wipers are frozen to the windshield and the snow is blinding. This mass of confetti was worse than that. I’m talking 2.73 percent visibility. But Coyne was far from finished with his shenanigans. He calls for the roadies to start chucking giant balloons into the crowd for us to play with. “I’m pissed dude,” I overhear a shirtless male standing next to me say to his friend. “I don’t have any drugs in me for this.” “I saw The Lips three days ago with no drugs,” replied his friend. “Believe me, you’ll be fine.” The guy was right. I’ve never done a hallucinogenic drug in my life, and I was tripping balls. I didn’t know if what I was seeing was happening or not, my depth perception had floated away with the last balloon that passed overhead, it was pandemonium, and I loved every second of it. If your mind has not yet blown, try to imagine the confetti explosions, the naked blue and pink women racing around in the background, the giant balloons, Wayne Coyne firing more confetti into the audience out of a hand cannon, and fresh layers of fog pumped onto the stage. All of this took place for several other songs including The Yeah Yeah Song, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 1, Pompeii Am Gotterdamerrung, and the closing number of the first half Do You Realize. It was absolute madness. And one of the trippiest albums ever constructed by man had yet to be played. The Lips came back out on stage and ran through Speak To Me/Breathe and On The Run before pausing. Wayne Coyne had something to say before the band took on the Pink Floyd classic “Time.” “What time is it Bonnaroo,” asked Coyne. “I propose that at this time, a year from now, that everybody here has made it so that marijuana is legal in America…[pause for audience applause]…Everybody has talked about it, everybody has dreamed about it. I’d say if we really mean it, everybody is going to come back here a year from now and marijuana is going to be made legal in America because we’ve all made it possible.” At this point in the story I realize I have been focusing on all the lights, confetti, and balloons, and have not given enough credit to the musicians for their playing ability. This is the band’s 27th year in business so the playing is tight. However, the thing about Flaming Lips music is that it “is” about all the bells and whistles. The actual music is almost secondary. It’s one of those situations where if you don’t notice the music, then The Lips and Company have done their job. And just for the record, Pink Floyd’s “Time” is a very bluesy, barroom-type jam that The Lips played to perfection. When The Lips started into Money, Coyne again started chucking balloons into the audience. This time however, the difference was “money.” Coyne had these balloons filled with cash before hurling them into the gathered mass. Just a band giving back to its fans I suppose. I can only describe what I saw in detail for so long. I can however describe how I felt and in a word, mesmerized. I have never been mesmerized before. I have never stared at something and gotten lost in it for a long period of time. Sure I’ve day dreamed before, everyone has, but for two hours on a Friday night in Manchester, Tennessee I was in complete awe of what was playing out before me. I imagine that type of wonder can only occur when a person experiences something for the first time that is so grandiose they never believed anything like it was possible. That explains my reaction.
In closing Coyne said something that stuck with me. I can’t quite remember the exact quote but it meant a lot to me and went along the lines of: When you look back on this show and your time here at Bonnaroo, don’t look at in terms of what bands you saw or how many bands you saw. Look at it in terms of who you were with for the experience. It’s the people you surround yourself with in life and the experiences you share with them that make it all worth it. Without your friends, without people who care about you, you’ll miss out on a lot of the fun this life has to offer.
“Let them know you realize that life goes fast. It's hard to make the good things last. You realize the sun doesn’t go down? It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round.”-Flaming Lips, "Do You Realize"
Yes I do. James Murphy and crew were in This Tent and so was I. It was hovering around 90 degrees outside and the massive amounts of body heat inside cranked up the temperature to at least 270. I sacrificed my well being to witness LCD Soundsystem on its final tour before the group is disbanded so the front man Murphy can reinvent himself musically. I suppose it is time for the Princeton Junction, NJ native to move on. It’s definitely a bit creepy for forty-year old to be making music about picking up drunk girls that are half his age as is described in the aptly titled track Drunk Girls off LCD’s May release and final studio album, “This Is Happening.” The song is so damn catchy though. I thank him for treating me to it this morning, it was a great performance. I hung around in anticipation for one final song, Daft Punk Is Playing at My House. This is my favorite LCD Soundsystem song and as soon as it was played I was gone. One can only handle so much Dance-Punk music that late in the game, or early in the game, however you may view 3 a.m. You will be missed LCD Soundsystem. I hope your future endeavors don’t depress you as much as your success with LCD Mr. Murphy.
(06/20/10 4:59pm)
Staff writer Chris Rotolo shares his experience at this generation's version of Woodstock: Bonnaroo
Day 1 - June 10
Humble Beginnings
This year’s Bonnaroo marked the fifth time, since the festival’s inception nine years ago, that a four-day format was used over the original model: a trio of dates.
In the past, top tier acts like The Allman Brothers, Dave Mathews Band, Bob Dylan and Wilco brought zealous patrons out to the farm in flocks —the site of Roo-Fest rests on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn.— on day one. Now, music fans have a new motive for gathering on opening day: the discovery of the next big thing.
With every impending summer festival season since Roo’s inaugural shove off in 2002, its popularity has grown. An event that once struggled to produce three full days of music had to expand by a day in 2006 to accommodate the throngs of artists that desired a slot on one of the many stages and tents on-site.
The evolution of this gala’s headliners is staggering. Producers have migrated away from procuring the likes of Jack Johnson and Trey Anastasio and have since booked legendary acts like Metallica, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z to be the top dogs on the bill.
Since the aforementioned addition, you won’t find those with the furnished plaques in Cleveland anywhere on the day one schedule. This period of time has grown into a creature of its own, a special entity, reservations set aside for the up and coming.
Crowds pack together, uncomfortably scraping elbows with every minor muscle spasm. They jockey for position to best view the future of music. The past tells the story better than I can; MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit and Zac Brown Band are just a few of the names that were jettisoned toward stardom on the back of a first day Bonnaroo performance.
So spectators fight for the extra foot, always looking for the coveted crevice, the part in the sea that will lead them to the railing. Everyone in the tent knows the inevitable question pending from their ponderous friends: “How close were you for ______?” And nobody wants to be in the outskirts looking in at a career making performance.
If You Don’t Know About Them You Better Ask Somebody
Here are five acts I caught on the first night.
Baroness:
Remember that time when the Devil went to Georgia? He was in a bind, way behind, and looking to make a deal? Well, the city was Savannah and the deal was a multi-album contract with this thrashing metallic quartet.
Supporting its most recent release, Blue Record, which debuted at number one on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart in October, Baroness brought the metal to a Bonnaroo lineup that was metallically deprived.
With the growling, bearded and beast-like Baroness front-man John Baizley on rhythm and his cohort Peter Adams on lead, the duo combined sharp progressive metal guitar, with regional punk rock undertones and a hint of twangy 1970s hard rock distortion that was audible when the pair of axemen tag-teamed a tandem riff. Apparently nobody near me could make it out, but, when I heard the sounds emitting from those amps, visions of Scott Gorham, Brian May, and Tom Scholz shred in my mind.
What’s great about Baroness is that the band possesses a changeup. Not every song is 100 mph, balls to the wall, testosterone driven brutality. “Steel That Sleeps the Eye” is a ghostly acoustic track that takes a page out of the Coheed & Cambria song book. But, Baroness doesn’t need to strip down to bask in its own sludgy lethargy. The electrified instrumental piece “Ogeechee Hymnal” pays testament to that, as well as the numerous improvised jams Baroness used to bridge its songs.
Baroness produces three part harmonies that can shame any demonic symphony of hell beasts. This is the type of band you expect to hear rocking down in Mephisto’s Café. Lucipher should be proud of his new acquisition.
Local Natives:
In a few weeks, music enthusiasts, journalists and other industry representatives that are much more important and official than I, will look back and say, “That performance was important, that was the show Local Natives blew up at, that was where they got big.” (You heard it here first I suppose)
So, to answer vocalist Taylor Rice’s inquiry, “It’s Thursday,” said Rice to the sea of hipsters that filled That Tent to capacity and then some, “what are you all doing here?”
We came to see you get famous, good sir.
Local Natives is a band cut from the same cloth as Arcade Fire and Grizzly Bear, utilizing echoing gang harmonies, low-key rhythmic guitars and minimalistic percussion giving the music a simplistic acoustic sound. The difference: Local Natives make consistently catchier songs.
As the five-piece Silver Lake, California, collective rolled into their latest single, “World News,” a captivating number that can only be described as a giant buildup, I couldn’t help but overhear a gentleman to my left yell to anyone who wanted to hear “Right now, at this very moment, this is the coolest place in the world to be!”
I agreed, it definitely was exciting to be present for that sort of bench mark in a young band’s career. But I couldn’t help myself. Despite knowing better, I retorted, “What’s the big deal? They look like a bunch of hipsters to me!”
“Well of course they are,” he said, “but they helped create modern hipsterism, they were at the forefront of the movement. Besides, their music is great.”
He had answered that question before.
And yet I couldn’t argue. It’s become a pastime of my friends and I to rip on hipsters, but, none of them have ever entertained me like Local Natives were. So the band got a pass, especially when they broke out a cover of Talking Heads’ “Warning Sign.”
However, what really gained my respect was the fact that this group was still humble, hungry and genuinely surprised at how big a name they had made for themselves.
Neon Indian:
This chlllwave band made the biggest name for itself on opening night shaking That Tent with the heaviest bass I have experienced since Crystal Castles performed on the same stage last year.
Envision the audience chucking glow sticks at the stage during “Terminally Chill,” track two off Neon Indian’s 2009 debut "Psychic Chasms," only to have them kicked back by an invisible force.
Some people may say that Spingsteen’s "The River" or Nirvana’s "Nevermind" 'Saved their life,' but Alan Polomo—the brains behind Neon Indian’s trippy operation—is actually capable of preserving the existence of a living creature.
The music is bass heavy but not completely dominated by it. Leanne Macomber tickled the electric ivories, providing the necessary pop-beat behind the wall of sound, in turn separating Neon Indian from other psychedelic synth acts.
The best way I can describe Polomo’s filtered vocals, the gurgling squeals and shrieks generated from his lap top, distorted by his bulky keyboard, and shot through amps into us innocent bystanders, is to call it a deep space dance party. But the strangest had yet to come.
Toward the back end of the set, led by the distorted
guitar sound of Ronald Gierhart—the body of his axe had a built in electronic screen that generated pictures of faces and other weird images—played over an irresistible dance beat, Neon Indian belted out its single “Deadbeat Summer” and, without warning or introduction, were joined on stage by a group of scantily clad females in homemade Indian costumes. Some strategically placed feathers on their bodies. Others didn’t bother. The band seemed just as confused as the audience…I love Bonnaroo!!!
It was truly the best performance of the night. Neon Indian will blow up like Phoenix did last year after its Roo-Fest performance.
Temper Trap:
“The Australian U2,” is how Temper Trap was described to me by Christine, a college student from Binghamton, New York, who is a huge fan of Temper Trap and wants to “have babies” with the bands pretty boy front man Dougy Mandagi.
I have to admit, that was a turn off for me. I despise U2's music. I contemplated walking out of the tent, but I was dead center and four rows from the stage, plus, you know, Christine was next to me, so I stayed.
The band started playing and was surprised at what I heard.
“I thought you said Temper Trap was like U2,” I said to Christine after a few songs.
“They are,” she replied. “Can’t you hear it?”
“A little bit,” I said, “But there’s a distinct difference. These guys are actually good.”
A little later Temper Trap blasted into its big single and World Cup 2010 anthem “Sweet Dispositions,” the band’s hit off its 2009 debut "Conditions," and I realized that’s where the U2 comparison is coming from. This track combines the “best” of the U2's soft tenderness of “With or Without You,” the rock of “Vertigo” and the emotion of “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Bono wishes he could write a song this good.
And one thing you will never find at a U2 concert is a mosh pit. This is actually the first show I have ever been to where I and the rest of the audience were lost in the beautiful music one minute and banging bodies the next to an intense, upbeat, instrumental jam called "Drum Song."
You will never see Bono take out a drum head and smash it repeatedly until the sweat frantically whips off his face with every swing of his stick, like Thor dropping his mighty hammer of the gods. Mandagi doesn’t have to worry about ruining a pair of pink sunglasses, so he can bang on his drum all day.
The XX:
The London trio appropriately opened its set under the cover of darkness with the popular instrumental piece off the band’s 2009 debut "XX" simply dubbed, "Intro.” Many in the audience mockingly sang DMX’s “Rough Riders Anthem” over the track, and I knew it was not going to be a night to block out for the critically acclaimed The XX.
There was no massive light show, no confetti cannons, balloons, whistles or bells. It’s three people dressed in black, playing their music on a predominantly darkened stage, in a hazy machine generated fog cloud, their faces illuminated by a minimal amount of white front lighting. The show was visually boring and it lost the attention of many in the audience causing an exodus to the exit.
The music is very tone driven, simplistic and even frightening at times. The lyrics are sexual banter really, conversational dirty talk in a call-and -answer type fashion between front-man, Jamie Smith and Romy Madley.
Listening to the XX is comparable to sitting in a darkened movie theatre, by yourself, while you close your eyes tight, and listen to the sexy murder scene in your favorite cheesy slasher flick.
“I can’t take it anymore,” said one disgruntled viewer that shoved past me on his way out of That Tent. “These guys are like Pink Floyd before they realized they had talent.”
I agree with the first half of that statement. There is definitely a little Floyd influence in The XX. But this band has talent, you just have to have an open mind, or at least a narcotically altered mind, to appreciate it.
Day 1 Notes:
-Due to traffic I missed the opening act in That Tent, The Postelles, a Strokes influenced rock band from New York that I wanted to jump to. Download their single “White Night” on Myspace for free. If upon listening to it you don’t get the sudden urge to sing the chorus and jump around, then go get checked out by a doctor because you’re probably lacking a central nervous system.
-I also missed the Atlanta based indie rock band Manchster Orchestra’s performance. I was looking forward to catching this act ever since I fell in love with its eerie track “Wolves At Night” off the 2006 album "I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child." The band’s follow up was the 2009 release "Mean Everything to Nothing" that included the hit single “Shake It Out.” Manchester Orchestra’s music is real, it’s truthful, and a joy to experience.
-Wale was half an hour late to This Tent, Snoop Dog was an hour late last year, and Kanye showed up at his 2:45 a.m. gig in 2008 at 4:15. These rappers seem to have no respect for the Bonnaroo audience. Something needs to be done. Jay-Z takes to the main stage on Saturday night. Maybe rap royalty can set an example.
-Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim has their own mini-carnival here complete with an oversized Meatwad tent. Is this place heaven? No, but it’s pretty damn close.
(04/27/10 5:35pm)
Thirty track and field programs competed this weekend on Saturday April 24 at the Lions Track Complex during the Lions Invitational, none of which were able to outshine the host.
“We had a great meet,” Coach Philip Jennings said. “The team loves to compete at home, and we faced a lot of good competition.”
Freshman Andy Gallagher posted an impressive time of 4:00.74 in the 1500-meter event earning second place, only to be bested by his own teammate. Junior Dennie Waite beat his underclassman counterpart by less than one second, breaking the tape at 3:59.75.
“Dennie wasn’t happy with his time,” Jennings said. “But, he really wasn’t going for a great time, so much as it was a case of a junior hanging back and pushing a freshman to a better time. It wasn’t really a competitive thing, it was a junior helping a freshman.”
Junior Kyle Gilroy clocked in at 53.61 in the 400-meter hurdle race. Gilroy’s time not only gave him the victory, but, set a personal record and earned the junior a national qualifying time. Gilroy also placed second in the 110-meter hurdle event, crossing the finish line at 14.97.
“Kyle was hurt last year (hamstring injury),” Jennings said. “And he’s really had a good comeback season.”
Gilroy has progressed throughout this season and has improved his hurdling with every event.
“Kyle is one of our better athletes,” Jennings said. “The 400-meter hurdles event is a rhythm event. Kyle is going to continue to get stronger, faster, and more durable allowing him to stay in rhythm longer as time goes on.”
Freshman Steve D’Aiutolo competed in the triple jump event recording a distance of 13.88 meters. His second place finish broke the school record, which was set by himself earlier this season, and was an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifying performance. When D’Auitolo broke the record earlier this year, he shattered a 45-year old mark set back in 1965. It was the longest standing track and field record the College.
Sophomore Emma Tucci competed in the women’s long jump and posted the longest leap at 5.44 meters, earning a spot in the National Championship Event.
Junior Brianna Brennan recorded a distance of 39.82 meters in the javelin toss. Brennan’s performance earned her a spot in the National Championship event along with her teammate Tucci.
The track and field program will take to the field again on May 1, down the road a bit when Princeton University hosts its own Princeton Elite event.
(04/06/10 6:39pm)
Duke, Michigan and North Carolina State … these are just a handful of the mammoth collegiate programs the Lions shared a track with this past weekend in Durham, N.C. at the Duke Invitational.
“It was a little intimidating competing against D1 opponents but I did not let it ruin my focus,” senior Priscilla Senyah said. “But I just kept telling myself to just do what I went down there to do and have fun.”
The Lions’ relay teams had the best showings of the weekend. The foursome of juniors Tiffany Etheredge, Meryl Wimberly, Miriam Khan and Senyah raced to a fifth place overall finish in the 4x100 meter with a time of 48.63.
“The competition was high in most races, but as a team, the college always puts on a respectable showing, and we continue to demonstrate our ability to compete with D1 and D2 schools,” freshman Andy Gallagher said.
Sophomores Chris Medina and Rob Jiggetts, junior Kyle Gilroy and freshman Kyle Magliaro busted the tape at 3:27.16, good enough for 18th place in the 4x400 meter race.
Jiggetts, Medina and Magliaro also ran the 100-meter dash. Jiggetts finished in 22nd with a time of 11.23. Medina posted a time of 11.38 while Magliaro crossed the line at 11.46.
Gilroy competed in the 110-meter hurdles recording a 20th place finish at a time of 15.44.
Apart from her relay team performance, Priscilla Senyah competed in the 100-meter hurdles and crossed the finish line eighth place overall with a time of 14.43. Senyah’s eighth place finish was something special as she was the only Division III runner to reach the finals.
Senior Jianna Spadaccini posted a ninth place finish with a time of 57.71 in the 400-meter sprint.
Wimberly also competed in the 400 meter sprint finishing just behind her counterpart in 12th place at 58.23.
The Lions take to the track again this upcoming weekend when they will host the New Jersey Invitational.
“I’m just really excited to run at home in front of friends and family,” Senyah said.
(03/30/10 4:13pm)
The College showed no fear last week as both the men and women’s tennis teams went on the road for two meets apiece. The men had no problem picking up 7-2 wins against St. Lawrence University and Hobart College. The women’s team were even more dominant in their two wins as the Lions shutout both St. Lawrence University and William Smith College 9-0.
It was business as usual for the No. 23 nationally ranked women, who defeated the talented St. Lawrence University and William Smith College programs by scores of 9-0.
“We have a very talented group,” head coach Scott Dicheck said on how the women were able to dominate after such a long time off. “At practice the team sees great competition just by playing each other.”
Senior captains Jackie Shtemberg and Stefanie Haar led the way with two singles match victories. Shtemberg also collected a pair of doubles match wins.
“Both Jackie and Stefanie played very well,” Dicheck said. “It’s especially tough on a double-header when the other teams are only playing one match.”
Doubles partners freshmen Karisse Bendijo and Allison Tierney and the pairing of sophomore Emily Petersack and fresman Lauren Balsamo both produced two doubles victories. All four also won two singles matches apiece.
Sophomore Felice Trinh and freshman Paige Aiello also aided in doubles matches to Shtemberg, Trinh against St. Lawrence and Aiello versus William Smith.
“The team played great,” Dicheck said. “It was a long day and to perform as well as we did was a great sign, very encouraging to see.”
With a couple of 7-2 victories over St. Lawrence University and Hobart College, the men improved their season record to 6-3.
“We have a very young team,” Dicheck said, “and it’s been so far so good at this point in the season.”
The doubles partnership of junior captain Jonathan Yu and sophomore Dan Lee produced two victories on the weekend. Yu and Lee also won two singles matches each.
Sophomore captain Steve Fernandez also put on a show. As well as being victorious in two singles matches, he was also part of a pair of doubles wins while teaming up with his brother Stewart.
Freshman Keith Goldstein won both of his singles bouts and fellow freshman Dean Thompson also added a singles win. Thompson also teamed up with freshman T.J. Riley for doubles match victory.
“This weekend was very big for the men,” Dicheck said. “They had to win both matches to keep their shot at the NCAA Championships alive and they did, and they are very excited.”
The men will have the week off, while the women have three upcoming meets. First the team travels to Johns Hopkins University tomorrow for a 3:30 p.m. meet. The College then returns home on Saturday April 3 for a 11 a.m. meet against Skidmore College and a meet against New York University on Tuesday April 6 at 3:30 p.m.
(03/26/10 2:10am)
Thanks to a goal scoring contest between Lions’ scoring leader, junior midfielder Ali Jaeger, and sophomore attacker Sara Keating, the Lions stretched its winning streak to five consecutive victories on Thursday night in a 22-8 routing of Ursinus College 22-8.
The crowd’s interest in the match began to wane after the Lions opened up an enormous 15-4 lead at the half. But the scoring competition between Jaeger and Keating held the crowd’s attention until the end.
“Ali is always helping and controlling the play,” head coach Sharon Pfluger said. “She is the premier player in the program.”
Although Jaeger continues to be the cornerstone of the College’s offense, Keating put forth the largest goal-scoring effort. She netted seven goals, a personal single game record, and edged out Jaeger by one goal.
“Sara has worked so hard in the off-season,” Pfluger said. “It was really nice to see her score the way she can.”
Both Jaeger and Keating finished the night with seven points, Ali with six goals and an assist. Keating more than doubled her season goal total from five to 12, while Jaeger increased her goal total to 39.
Sophomore midfielder Leigh Mitchell added four goals and an assist, while senior attacker Lisa Saldeen had four assists and a goal.
The Lions return to action on Tuesday March 30 for a 4:00 p.m. road game against Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham.
(03/16/10 5:46pm)
The Lions picked up accolades, All-American honors and second place overal at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships over two weeks of competion.
DePauw University played host to the NCAA Division III Track and Field National Championships this past weekend and several Lions competitors earned the title of All-American.
Michelle Wallace was dual All-American for her individual performance in the 5,000-meter run, finishing seventh with a time of 17:09.09, as well as competing with the women’s distance medley relay alongside Katie Nestor, Brielle Doremus and Meryl Wimberly. They clocked in at 11:56.92, good enough for fourth place.
“I’m very happy with both performances,” Wallace said. “Individually I did exactly what I wanted to and as a team we ran to the best of our abilities.”
“It’s very hard,” Wallace continued, “to get everyone to run a great race together, on the same day, at the same time, but we were able to do that. Coming in fourth in the nation is a great feeling.”
Senior Priscilla Senyah and junior Jianna Spadaccini also received All-American honors with third place efforts, Senyah in the 55-meter hurdle event with a time of 8.15, and Spadaccini for her 800 meter run time of 2:10.45.
“(Senyah) and (Spadacinni’s) performances played huge factors in our eight place finish overall,” Wallace said. “Both of them did a great job and stepped up big time.”
Kyle Gilroy was the lone male to have title of All-American bestowed upon him. Gilroy, a junior, finished seventh in the 55-meter hurdles event breaking the tape at 7.67.
One weekend earlier the Lions traveled to Smith College in Northampton where both the men and women’s squads earned second place finishes in fields of 63 (men) and 62 (women) respectively in the ECAC Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The women, who racked up 64 total points, fell just a half point short behind the overall champion Ithaca College.
Michelle Wallace notched another title on her storied belt in the 3,000-meter race clocking in at 10:05.21. Freshman Rachel Morris finished fourth in this race at 10:37.24.
Senyah set a school record in the 55-meter hurdles event with a time of 8.13.
Spadaccini won the 800-meter race, breaking the tape at 2:13.02, while Nestor recorded a first place performance of her own in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 3:01.66.
The men accumulated 48 points and finished in a second place tie with Southern Maine University, and four points behind the event champion Ithaca College.
Gilroy and junior Rob Nihen took second place in their respective events, Gilroy in the 55-meter hurdles race at a time of 7.78, and Nihen in the 3,000 meter event at 8:41.82.
Senior Dennie Waite was the champion of the one mile run recording a time of 4:14.45.
Next up for the Lions Track and Field Program is the Danny Curran Invitational on Saturday March 27 at Widener University.
(02/23/10 4:55pm)
The Lions brushed off the dust from fall play as the team traveled to Salisbury University in Maryland for a two-day tournament. The College started spring play with mixed results, as the team compiled a cumulative 10-12 record in singles play and seven doubles victories out of 11.
It was an army of freshman that led the Lions’ assault on the No. 29 nationally-ranked Salisbury Sea Gulls.
“We have a very young and energetic team,” head coach Scott Dicheck said of his freshman filled roster. “Comparatively, with our competition, we do lack experience. But, we expect our guys to progress throughout the season and overcome that.”
At the forefront of this battle was a two- pronged attack piloted by T.J. Riley and Keith Goldstein who were both undefeated in singles play with three victories apiece.
“I was very impressed by the play of T.J. and Keith,” Dicheck said. “They are big parts of our very talented freshman class and we expect good things to come from them.”
Fellow freshman Dean Thompson also collected a pair of singles wins.
“Dean is another part of the core of strong freshman we have,” Dicheck said. “He’ll do well this year, we were very happy with his performance this past weekend.”
Doubles play was where the Lions shined, despite the fact Dean Thompson and his past counterpart, junior captain Jonathan Yu, a pairing that played its way to the NCAA regional finals earlier this year, were split up.
“One thing about our team is that we have a lot of possible doubles combinations,” Dicheck said. “Right now we’re searching to try to find our best options.”
Instead, Thompson was placed with Riley, and this pairing proved to be a success as the duo produced two victories.
Yu was placed with sophomore Dan Lee and the twosome split a couple of doubles matches. Lee also notched a singles victory in the round-robin tournament.
Steve and Stewart Hernandez, a pair of sophomores, also won a pair of matches in doubles competition as did the combination of sophomore captain Bill Carrig and freshman Jordan Cruz.
The Lions are scheduled to take the court again on Saturday in a home stand at 2 p.m. against a Christopher Newport University program that has played its way to a 4-2 record this season and is most recently coming off a victory over Division I George Mason University.
“Christopher Newport is a very experienced and talented team that has beaten a few well known Division I programs this year,” Dicheck said. “It should be a great test for our young group. It’s the type of completion we want to play and I’m excited to see what we can do.”
(01/26/10 3:25pm)
On Saturday night, Jan. 23, the men’s basketball team showed New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival Montclair State that it’s players are more than capable of bouncing back from a disspointing loss.
After a disappointing 61-54 defeat at the hands of the NJAC Southern Division cellar-dwelling Kean University on Wednesday night Jan. 20, where the Lions were out-rebounded 41-26 and devastated by the 17 offensive boards they relinquished, the Lions welcomed Montclair State, currently resting at the bottom of the North rankings, to their home court and trounced their opponent handily by a score of 96-70.
Lions’ senior captain Jay Frank, who leads the team in scoring for the season, bested his 16.3 points-per-game average in the first half alone.
Frank’s 17-point first half performance put the Lions up 38-33 after 20 minutes. Frank would put up a total of 24 points for the game to lead all scorers.
Frank also fronted the Lions defensive attack with three steals in a first half marked by 10 Red Hawk turnovers. His sticky fingers earned Frank another trio of thefts in the second half of the game for a career-high six steals.
The Lions began the second half by rattling off a 12-0 run to open a 50-33 lead and would stay ahead by at least 14 points throughout the remainder of contest.
Aaron Syvertsen and William Jett also had impressive second halves.
“The play of our seniors has been so important this season,” head coach Kelly Williams said. “When they’re on the court they’re scoring points and helping us get the wins. When they’re off the court they’re taking on leadership roles with our younger players and making them better.”
Syvertsen knocked down three of four shots from the three-point line and led all scorers in the second half with 14 points. Syvertsen would finish with 16 for the game.
Jett came off the bench early in the second half and dropped nine points as well as four rebounds. Added to his five first half boards Jett would finish with totals of nine rebounds, a career high, as well as nine points and four assists, both season highs.
Junior forward Steven Siracusa posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Albert Matlock collected nine points as did freshman guard Brandon Johnson, a career high for Johnson.
The Lions are 7-1 in their last eight games and continue play on Wednesday at home against conference opponent Richard Stockton University.
“We’re going to have to take care of home court as the season winds down,” Williams said. “We have three or four games left at home this season and if we can keep winning here we should be in a strong spot for the playoffs.”
(11/20/09 7:25pm)
All eyes were focused upon Lions center Scott McClintic during Saturday night’s contest against Rider at Loucks Ice Center on the campus of Lawrenceville Prep High School, where the Broncs defeated the Lions by a score of 6-to-4.
While a belligerent Rider University fan section rained down verbal attacks upon the Lions leader in points (43 in 14 games) with choruses of boos and drawn out taunts of “Scotty,” gangs of Broncs defenders, four at a time on a few occasions, attacked the centerpiece of the Lions offense, delivering painful rib shots and gut checks to the mid section of McClintic.
Despite Rider’s collective efforts, they could not keep McClintic from producing a four-point night with the two goals and two assists on a pair of markers by Elie Klein. Klein assisted on both of McClintic’s scores including a first period goal at 12:29 that tied the game at one, quieting the ruckus Rider uproar, and sending the College’s fans into frenzy.
Klein collected a long rebound and carried the puck out of the Lions zone. Looking up, Klein sent a long pass McClintic hitting the forward in stride. McClintic was met two defenders and proceeded to drag the puck past the first and carry it around another before being knocked off the puck by a third defenseman. Klein, following the play, picked up the loose puck by the right side boards and sent a drop pass to McClintic who had set himself up for a shot. McClintic ripped a one-timer through the goaltender’s stick side and a small celebration ensued.
“There's nothing that can explain the feeling of scoring against Rider,” said McClintic. “It gets very emotional, and I think I was screaming just as loud as the fans were when I saw the puck hit the back of the net.”
The celebration was short lived as the offensive endeavors put forth by the Lions two premiere scoring threats were not enough to earn a victory over their rival Broncs.
Down 3-to-2 and slowly starting to pick up momentum, the Lions were on the power play and on the prowl at 7:14 in the second period.
McClintic collected a bouncing puck in the Rider zone, carried it forward, and fired a quick laser, beating the goaltenders glove. However, the shot rang off the post and deflected out to a Rider forward Nick Saviano who broke down the ice toward goaltender Justin Zegal. Lions defenseman Matt Asaro engaged the Rider skater but was beaten on a quick move to the outside. Once around Asaro, Saviano was able to slide the puck under Zegal and score a short-handed goal, putting the Lions down 4-2.
“It absolutely had a negative effect on our team,” said McClintic. “To be inches away from tying the game, and within only a few seconds, have the game swing to a two goal deficit is definitely a tough thing to swallow.”
A few moments later at 6:42, a power play goal by Klein off a feed from McClintic once again cut the Broncs lead to one.
The Broncs held a 4-to-3 lead over the College entering the third period and despite an extra few minutes of rest caused by a zamboni breakdown, the Lions looked beaten up and tired and could not keep up with the fresh legs of a Rider roster that heavily outnumbered the Lions.
“I have no regrets or issues about the way we played,” said McClintic. “Its always tough to lose against a rival, however we played very well and I think we need to stay proud about that and remain focused going forward.”
(11/17/09 8:45pm)
On Saturday the College’s cross country teams competed in the NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional Championships hosted by SUNY-Geneseo and produced disappointing showings with the women placing 11th of 33 teams and the men bettering them by one spot at 10th place out of 39 programs, meaning neither team has qualified for the National Championships.
“Saturday was not a good day for our team,” said Michelle Wallace, who personally placed eighth overall with a time of 22:15. “We were looking to qualify for Nationals as a team and we just did not pull it off.”
“Our team was definitely prepared for this race,” Wallace said. She personally qualified for the singles National Championship race in Ohio next week. “We knew that we were one of the top teams in the region. Sometimes the race just doesn’t go the way you plan.”
In their final regional races, the seniors stepped up and led the way for the women with Nicole Ullmeyer following Wallace in 36th place finishing the 6,000-meter race with a time of 23:22 and Cathy Goncalves clocking in at 23:51 and taking the 63rd position.
Sophomore Katie Nestor finished in 80th place with a time of 24:13 followed by freshman Rachel Morris at 111th and junior Brittany Erickson at 112th. Morris broke the tape at 24:58.4 and Erickson at 25:00.4.
“It was a little bit disappointing to tell the truth,” said junior captain T.J. Bocchino of his team’s showing. “We were hoping to maybe slip in there in the fifth spot and maybe get a shot at qualifying for nationals, but we did not think we would be as far back as 10th.”
Although Bocchino finished in 24th place with a time of 25:50 and earned a trip to Ohio, he was not happy with his personal performance.
“It was one of my more lackluster performances of the year,” he said. “If I raced like I was capable of, I would have been in the top 10 or 15 in the field.”
Freshman Max Sparsha finished with an impressive time of 26:21 that was good enough for 44th place. Senior Brandon Rodkewitz followed Sparsha in 47th position at 26:26.2. Sophomore Alex Yersak and junior Dennie Waite posted top 100 times and freshman Matt Hernberg and sophomore Kevin Schickling finished back to back at 123 and 124.
(11/15/09 2:28am)
Late in the third period of a hard fought contest at the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of ’23 Rink on Saturday afternoon, the Lions were down a goal, on the power play.
With two Lions defensemen at the points and three more forwards down low, the unit put on a passing display exposing the defense of Penn and eventually tying the game at three.
Junior defenseman Hunter Carson dumped the puck down low to the Lions season leader in points, Scott McClintic. As McClintic walked the puck in a few paces, the short-handed defense gravitated toward him and the junior forward Arno Miller who was crashing the net down the slot.
This left the weak side open for Lions captain Elie Klein, who recently returned last weekend from injury after a six-game absence, to sneak into the play unnoticed. A quick pass through the crease from McClintic allowed Klein to punch the puck in through the back door completing the comeback of a two-goal deficit faced by the Lions entering the final period of play.
Klein also put home the goal that brought the College within one.
“Once we scored that first goal,” said senior forward Mike Kaufer, “the momentum shifted back into our favor, and we really took control of the game.”
A five-minute overtime period would occur with no markers for either team, thus, ending the game in a tie.
“Although we didn’t win, this was definitely one of our best games of the year,” Miller said. “Even though we had a short bench, we were sill able to battle back and grind out a tie against a good UPenn team.”
A key to the Lions hard fought tie was the play of goaltender Justin Zegal who stopped nearly 40 shots. His high save percentage has been a common theme throughout this season as his teammates have taken notice.
“Hands down, Justin is one of the best goalies nationwide in the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association),” McClintic said. “He is the sole reason for many of our wins this season. He is consistent, a hard worker, and has a strong desire to win every game. He had incredible games in both the tie at UPenn, and his shutout against Kutztown.”
In the two-game series played at Kutztown two weekends ago, the Lions swept both contests in grand fashion with 11-0 shutout in game one and an 8-3 victory in the second.
Looking back in a few weeks, that pair of wins may prove to be a turning point in a season that, prior to those wins, had seen only three victories through 11 games. However, that weekend, Elie Klein, Vinny LaRosa, and Scott McClintic played together on first line for the first time in weeks, and a team that had been struggling to find offense was producing goals at a rapid rate once again.
“With Vinny and Elie back in the lineup the momentum has finally started to shift in our favor,” McClintic said. “In the last three games I believe our line has scored around 15 goals. The chemistry is definitely there. Those two guys are huge impact players on our team.”
The Lions next game is on Friday night at home against rival Rider University.
“I expect there to be a lot of excitement and motivation to win against Rider,” McClintic said. “It will be a true test of character for everyone, as many of the rookies haven't played in front of such large crowds before. But if we maintain our composure, and aren’t sucked in to the intense atmosphere, I think we have the skill to beat them. We’ll be ready.”
(10/30/09 4:27am)
Sadly, none of the tens of fans were wearing hats on Saturday night in the Loucks Ice Center at Lawrenceville Prep High School when the College’s Scot McClintic sent a low riding wrist shot past the outstretched right leg of the Neuman College Knights goaltender capping off the forward’s hard earned three goal evening.