Imogen Heap, November 24, Dallas

I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this one, except to say that it was rather disappointing...

Lots of technical problems and poor mixing just sapped the energy right out of it for me... From the opening acts and into Imogen's set, it seemed like the performers were all having to take care of technical problems. The sound mixing wasn't great either -- at the beginning, the instrumentation was really low, and her vocals were really loud. Then it flip-flopped, and the instrumentation seemed to take over, especially the bass.

Imogen: I really like you a lot, but please hire professionals. Don't try to do a tour on the cheap...

To Imogen's road crew: When someone is on the stage having problems, you go out there and help them get it sorted out! Don't make the performer crawl all over the stage unplugging and replugging cables... One, it's not dignified. Two, it's keeping them from entertaining the audience. Three, it's your friggin' job! If you're out there taking care of the problem, at least the performer can tell a story or sing something A Cappella.

Highlight of the evening: Levi Weaver doing a one-man cover of Radiohead's "Idioteque" using just an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal. Astonishing, and very nice...

Overall, a very disappointing evening... I was very much looking forward to seeing Imogen, but... Should've gone to the John Legend show at Gypsy...

Hold Steady - Boys & Girls In America

The Hold Steady might be copping pretty heavy from Bruce Springsteen on their Boys and Girls In America, but what's wrong with sounding a little like the Boss? Sure, the riffs are big and the lyrics are all about drifters and teenagers, but frontman Craig Finn's penchant for wordplay and humorous storytelling give the disc its own original voice. Tracks like the raucous opener Stuck Between Stations and the new single, Chips Ahoy weave quirky narrative into good ol' fashioned rock 'n' roll, while tracks like Citrus show a more restrained storytelling. If Bruce fronted Thin Lizzy, it might sound something like this.

Postscript - This is a review that ended up not running in the Star-Telegram. I know it's been awhile since I've posted, as the newspaper world has owned me for the last few weeks, but expect some more bad-ass posts on the way. Musicgluttons - unite! (But if we're going to do that, we better make sure we all have seats in the same place)