Latest News

April Starts With New Concert Plans and Jamboree IV Aspirations

April 2, 2012

 

 

We are one week removed from the first words of a 2012 Jamboree, and already the hype and the talk has been growing. A Jamboree IV is now anticipated to take place in June, before the Wedding. Let the lead-up period begin! However, as far as actual concert plans and music right now, Andy's new April concert plan will already get some of the jamboree juices going, with Feels Like Love. He isn't just calling Wednesday night an April 2012 debut, he is calling it a Jamboree 4 debut. He is combining classic jamboree music with the classicism he has had in concerts in 2011 and 2012. This is promising to be a unique and exciting combination for Wednesday night. Gary is also releasing a new concert plan for April, but it is expected to contain a jamboree mentality. He says his April 2012 plan will be a lot like April 2011. His plan is being released Tuesday morning. So Wednesday night is looking like it will contain a lot of different kinds of music and ideas into one! Gary also noted that while his April 2012 plan does not have jamboree music or plans, he is going to work behind the scenes to add music to his Jamboree IV folder and prepare for that event, much like the April-June 2009 and April-July 2011 jamboree lead-ups were. So while Andy is starting early, Gary is still going to prepare in the background for Jamboree IV. Both performers are now in preparation mode for June and the Jamboree IV, as this event's hype has already begun. Wednesday night will be the 16th concert of 2012.

 

2012 Concerts Could Have Their Jamboree

March 26, 2012

 

 

For the last three years in a row (2009, 2010, 2011), the summer has brought a big event in concerts that really helped defined each concert year, and gave that year its "Midseason All-Star Break". The events: the 2009 Jamboree (the original jamboree), the Wedding Era in June/July 2010, and the Jamboree III last July. Each of these significant concert events really split each year into two halves: the pre-jamboree/summer period, and the post-jamboree/summer period. They helped make up the identity of each year. Entering 2012, the performers knew that a similarly big event was to occur this summer (a wedding), but they weren't sure if there would be some kind of a jamboree-style event that would occur, especially this "late" in concerts. And if so, when? A midyear/summer event in concerts has become the norm in these later years, and another one in 2012 would be ideal. It would be ideal because the performers really have turned such events into huge, hyped lead-ups, and specially planned concert events. They are a blast to prepare for, run, and they create memories in the basement that will forever be remembered. With the spring well underway here in 2012, and the Wedding in June getting closer, the performers have begun to imagine and talk about the possibility of having some kind of jamboree/pre-wedding concert event. It would likely be in June, right before everyone leaves for Hawaii. The performers haven't set any official dates yet for a jamboree or wedding concert event, but that may come in the coming weeks. And once an official date/week range is set, and a name for the concert event is set, the performers, believe it or not, will yet again enter into a pre-jamboree mode of designing, discovering, and brainstorming ideas for their music and plan ideas! This could be very exciting to host such an event again in the basement, and the performers know all too well how the basement can be transcended into a world of its own. What a stage June 2012 could be right before Hawaii. This means that April and May would be the lead-up months to June, and will pretty much stay status quo in terms of what the performers have done to this point of 2012 in concerts: and that's rock hard, play classics, and continue the momentum.

 

Summer Radio

March 22, 2012

 

Under a summer shimmer from the now wide open window in the basement, thanks to unusually soaring temperatures of late, the performers had one of the best concerts of 2012 on Thursday night. There is no denying that it has been the classics that have turned into the surprises, and have become the staple of what these latter-day concerts have become. The performers were absolutely on top of their game on Thursday night. There was a significant 2005 feeling on Andy's side tonight, especially with the long lost midtempo gem of "Rest In Pieces", the absolutely stunning "What If I Do?", and the pretty chorus on "Private Radio". These songs made up the lifeblood of the beginning origins of springs long ago, and to hear them replayed tonight was something special. It was a humbling experience to say the least. Theory of a Deadman shined on Gary's side and was by far his best band of the hour. Most remember their haydays in April-June 2006, but Gary brought them back to the concert world in 2008-2009, and again they were felt tonight. Their spring sound is rocking. This also marked the first time---perhaps ever---that both performers played a Saliva song. Not to go underlooked, but Green Day and Simple Plan continue to be the most consistent bands of each respective sides in 2012---both classics. The list goes on. It has been a stunningly deep year for classics, even more so than 2011. And it was 2011 in which the performers never thought a year as classic as it would happen again. Its happening now. The humor, the wavs, the positive energy flow in the basement all year has been excellent and moving. But it is ever so apparent that the performers are more prideful than ever about playing classic songs, and playing them with style and prestige. They are reliving these songs. They are giving them new blood, new perspective, and new history. Concerts have never been so fluid and so exciting as they are right now. And even with all the classics being played, the performers still don't know which ones will be played next. Its never been so classic yet so unpredictable as it is right now, its unprecedented. Its almost like the performers are living a second career in concerts. Its a second life. All of these songs are getting second, third, fourth lives. And its nights like tonight that could have gone on forever. The concert was that good, and rocked that hard. The performers could have gone on all night. Its really scary to think that its only March and there are 9 more months left of 2012, and already its felt like a year in and of itself...

 

Grasping Spring 2012

March 12, 2012

 

Concert history has shown that the better the spring season is, the better the summer season is, and ultimately the better the Fall/Halloween Season is. Spring 2009 was unbelievable...so was Halloween 2009. Spring 2011 was the best yet...so was Halloween 2011. The spring season of concerts creates the momentum for the rest of the year. Spring 2012 is starting to do the same. There's a lot of madness going on down there right now, with classic after classic continuing to be played. Its setting up to be that kind of year, very similar to 2011, but even more layered with classics, and lesser-played classics. Perhaps this template that has been in place the last few years in the concert world is the template that will occur every year. It makes sense. Because as the seasons change each year, so to does the music, the artist pool, the concert plans, plan names, plan concepts. It all changes with the time of year. Its enjoyable to play songs from each season as each season passes. Spring has its own kind of power, and we're seeing it once again right now.

Concert Notes: Sunday night was the 11th concert of 2012, and the 3rd concert of March already...Unwritten Law has now had a song in three straight concerts...this was the 4th Sunday concert of 2012 already...there has not been a home-alone concert yet in 2012.

Why 2012 Is Getting Bigger

March 10, 2012

 

You can kind of see where 2012 is heading, and where it might end up. January started off the concert year with immediate success and energy, much more than January 2011 started. There was no slow period at the beginning of the year, the year 2012 started off fun right out of the gate. February further took what happened in January, but a new batch of artists came in, more spring artists. Spring really started early this year, much earlier than the last few years. And now March. March has seen immediate return of classic spring artists, even more classic than the ones played in March 2011. Thursday night we saw more in the way of April 2011 artists on Andy's side. On Gary's side, the prime spring artist core (3EB, Green Day, STP, CVB, Limp Bizkit, etc) stayed strong and true. When this core of artists are all played in the same concert in the spring months, the concert world feels at equilibrium. The same holds true for many of the wide variety of artists Andy has been playing as well. The performers have never seemed so proud and so content with playing from classic artists, and designing playlists full of surprises. The surprises have come from the lesser-known classics that suddenly get played after years of no plays. But also, classics from only a year ago are also a great idea, like Sugar and Eve 6 for example. Thursday night seemed different than the last string of concerts. The music was unbelievably diverse and enticing. Again, it was the lesser-known classics that generated much of the "ohhhs" and "ahhhhs". Concerts in 2012 are building, and building quickly. Spring is helping to accelerate their growth. At the end of the day, 2012 doesn't look like it will be much different than 2011 as far as concert mentality and format goes. The classics will continue. The performance will continue. The humor will continue. But it will get even more interesting as we get towards April, May, June, July, and the Fall. Fall 2012 could be the biggest sleeper of them all. The possibilities are unlimited.

 

Spring Madness Continues

March 5, 2012

As great as last Spring was in concerts, it didn't have any Sunday night concerts, like the ones that have been happening over the last few weeks. These Sunday night spring concerts have produced a lot of packed energy and very interesting playlists. What has become the trend in 2012 is what the trend was in 2011: classicism, rock, and performance-based concerts. In that light, 2012 hasn't been a heck of a lot different than 2011, in fact, 2012 has had perhaps even more classicism than anticipated. And the classics started pretty much right away in January. But since late February, the performers have pretty much gone back to the spring formulas of the last few springs. The typical spring artists have risen and made their presence felt already. The duo of Camper Van Beethoven and Third Eye Blind were a big hit on Sunday night, both bands so crucial in Spring 2009, and hearing them in the same concert again is one of the most familiar indicators that spring has sprung in the concert world. Limp Bizkit, Green Day, and Saliva also continue their torrid run here in early spring 2012, as these bands have always brought on the harder rock/punk rock side of spring music. One band that seems to be missing is Stone Temple Pilots. But maybe they will make an appearance before March is out. Katatonia is very underrated in the fact that they have been played in the spring before and have done very nicely there. Everyone knows what they did in Fall 2009, but what goes overlooked is the fact that they are just as powerful in the spring. New material from Simple Plan, Hit The Lights, Eve 6, and Rookie Of The Year, has really made up the majority of the the best new songs of 2012 so far. Two of 2011's best were played back-to-back last on Sunday night. "Judas Cradle" by Sugar is one of the biggest rock songs ever in concerts, its a huge song that still hasn't gotten stale. "Bride Burning" was the stableford song that made up Foo Fighters' bigtime comeback a year ago. Both songs made good late Sunday night enders, and certainly brought back the juices from Fall 2011 and Spring 2011. Its really awesome that songs like this suddenly get played again, because in hindsight the songs are less than a year old in terms of concert industry, so they should still be played as often as possible. They are still relatively young concert songs. At the end of the day, 2012 has been an adventure, a unique ride, similar in ways to 2011, and similar in ways to some previous years, but its still felt like its own year. The performers are way past being called veterans anymore in concerts, by now they are engineers and scientists almost. The playlist design has become a science, and has become a greater joy more than ever, because the performers know it is very late in the concert industry, and they want to put forth a big playlist each and every opportunity they get in the basement. The spring is forming, and it seems to get more exciting and more interesting with each passing week. You know its already been a great ride when the performers can't wait to see what happens next...

 

 

 

Spring Has Sprung

 

Variety

 

February 26, 2012

 

Sunday afternoon concerts became popular again in December 2011. On Sunday night, in the final concert of February 2012, the intrigue of a Sunday night concert was shown once again, as a wide range of variety in the artists and music was displayed. From the bashers of Saliva and Limp Bizkit, in the latest edition of Gary's Concert Madness, to the true spring hearts of Coldplay and The Decemberists, to October 2011 rock of Bob Moulds, Sugar, Dead Can Dance, and Zeromancer, this concert touched almost all ends of the spectrum. This kind of a concert can create a very memorable playlist, and it did. Classics continue to be at the heart of 2012 concerts, as they were similarly in 2011. But 2012 has felt different, it has been in ways even more colorful and adventurous than 2011. So far in 2012 there have been 8 concerts performed, and each one has felt different than the last, which is good. Performances remain at a high level, especially with added lighting effects and a range of props now in the basement. Spring is inching closer and closer with each passing week, and with March this week coming up, we can only expect that the music will get richer in the spring department, as it always seems to get. But the performers already started that process as soon as February began. They will want a solid March in concerts, and each week is an opportunity to add another concert adventure to the 2012 resume. Sunday night was one of those concerts that seemed to get better and better, and its already being called an instant classic. More writing and analysis from Sunday night's concert to come in the coming days.

 

 

 

The Beginnings Of Spring

 

February 25, 2012

 

As lengthy as the break from concerts had been coming into Thursday night’s 7th concert of 2012 was, history tells us not to be that concerned. Februarys haven’t historically been the most memorable or the top concert months of the year. Even in such a dynamic and brilliant concert year as 2011 was, February 2011 wasn’t anything to write home about. Februarys in the concert world have been generally uneventful, calms before the storm periods, as focus and preparations always look towards March and spring.
 
January 2012 was a terrific starter month for concerts. It was active, energetic, very rock-oriented. These are the same adjectives that were used often during the 2011 concert year as well. And in this sense, January 2012 was sort of a continuation of 2011, but with a few new twists and additions to the mix, in the form of new artists and songs, and props. But the main thing was that January stayed within itself, and didn’t get too big or too produced, in much the same way that 2011 was: steady and true to rock and performance.
 
February saw one concert on the first day of the month, followed by a three-week break. And while this lengthy break wasn’t scheduled or expected, in some crazy way, it could in fact work in their favor. Because, since February isn’t the most illustrious concert month on the calendar each year, and since the main focus is getting to spring (March), maybe a break from concerts wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Because now look, next week is already March, and on Thursday night, since it was close enough, the concert world officially began the shift to spring mode. Two weeks ago, one week ago, they could not have done that. It would still have been “winter”. But starting Thursday night, the concert world is now in the spring phase, or at least the beginnings of it. Now the attention can be fully paid to the spring season, since 95% of the winter season, at least calendar-wise, is over.
 
So on Thursday night, we saw examples of this happening. We saw the performers playing spring music. They were on their spring sides in the basement, and their playlists definitely had spring flavor. It certainly felt like spring down there, along with added lighting, and most of the winter/Christmas decorations and lights taken down by now. Even the palm tree, which is really a winter prop, is gone. The window, even though it’s too cold to leave it open yet, at least the drapery was taken down and you can see the window now. It may be opened on Sunday if it’s nice enough outside. The window was opened for the first time during a concert last year in late February as well.
 
Thursday night showed once again that it doesn’t matter how long it has been since the last concert, the performers take each concert as it comes. They weren’t thinking about how long it had been since the last concert on Thursday night, they were just enjoying the music and the ride. As Gary said after the concert, he was still listening to a lot of music and organizing playlists and a concert plan during the last few weeks, nothing changed in terms of preparation and music listening. The question wasn’t if there would be a next concert, but really when the next one would be. Concerts have seen breaks before; long, short, and in between length.
 
Risers
Rookie Of The Year – Here’s a band that was talked about as possibly entering concerts at the beginning of the month by Andy, and “Pop Destroyed The Scene” did not disappoint. Catchy, good production, great chorus with a hook, this was a great song to introduce them.
Simple Plan – It’s amazing this classic band is still spinning new concert songs. “Anywhere Else But Here” on Thursday night was unbelievably catchy and fun, as they always are, but this song had their more modern production and the hooks were gigantic and crystal clear. Simple Plan exploded late last spring and were still very much in the mix into August and the late Fall. It doesn’t really matter when this band is played, because they are good anytime, anywhere.
Fort Minor – For a band that fell from radar rather quickly after Spring 2007, Concert Madness 2012 gave them a little bit of airplay on Thursday night, and they surprised. “In Stereo” is a macho banger simply about how loud they can make the bass in a song and driving around “testing” the song before it hits the album. Kind of funny really. “Believe Me” was the gem, a Spring 2006 song that put this band on the map at the time. A very hooky chorus with some very witty rapping in the verses, the song is packaged tightly and doesn’t have a lot of the excess of a lot of rap out there today.
Limp Bizkit – This would be the 4th spring rodeo for this rap-rocker. They had big springs in 2007-2009, but took a hit in 2010 and 2011. Even though their popularity is well past its prime, it was still nice hearing the humorous “Creamer” and the pretty down-tuned “Drown” on Thursday night. These were two of the crown jewels from their hayday period in Spring 2007 and 2008.

 

 

 

Concerts Spring Back

 

February 21, 2012

 

After a two and a half week break, concerts are resuming on Thursday night, exactly one week before March 1st. It was at this time last year when concerts launched into spring mode and vaulted into elite status, and that run never died down the rest of the year. The March 2011 concerts were started with the famous March 3rd Thursday night spring debut, a historic night, which really began an epic spring run for concerts. April was even better. We think the same kind of launch could happen for concerts, after what was the second down month of February for concerts in as many years. But if last March was any indication, this March can be just as good, and it all begins this Thursday night. "Concerts had a big jolt in January, and they need another burst of energy again right now. With March next week, we are close enough to spring, and the weather has already been spring-like all winter, Thursday night could be the start of another historic spring run of concerts," Gary said. The performers' sides have been switched, and it looks just like it did one year ago, right at the start of that epic spring 2011 run that defined the entire year for concerts. It can happen again. In other news, Gary plans to begin the 3rd annual Concert Madness on Thursday night with the "Play-In Round". The event has been fairly successful over the last few March's, in correlation with March Madness time. But the main focus will be on concerts resuming again, and with a distinct beginning of spring feeling in the air, the music will inevitably follow suit. Just like one year ago. Just like every March.

 

 

 

This Hooded Scene Was

 

Caught On Tape On The

 

Weekend Of The First Ever

 

Concert

 

February 16, 2012

 

This was live video caught by the media back in January 2005. A very famous sound bite came from this image above.

 

 

 

What Happened To T.O.'s

 

Eyes?

 

February 12, 2012

 

Watch T.O.'s eyes closely during this press

conference after a loss in 2010.

 

 

 

From Hurricane To Halloween:

 

Why 10-1-11 Is A Lasting

 

Legacy

 

February 11, 2012

 

The 2011 Halloween Season continues to be one of the most cherished timeframe of concerts in recent memory. Yet it still feels like it wasn't talked about enough. It began right after Hurricane Irene in late September 2011. Eight weeks later, the Halloween Season concluded on a Friday night, October 28th. While this Halloween Concert was not ranked amongst some of the best (2008, 2010), the eight weeks of Halloween in the basement leading up to it were unbelievable. It was these eight weeks (September - October 2011) that is remembered most, and in them contained some of the best home-alone concerts ever performed. One that sticks out is the home-alone concert performed at the halfway point of the Halloween season, on Saturday, October 1st. Outside it still looked like summer, with all the leaves still on the trees, green grass, and warm sunshine. The high temperature for October 1, 2011, was 76 degrees. The performers gathered at the house at around 4pm, ate pizza, and went down in the basement to begin the concert. The concert would go on for over two hours, and with seamless transition from song to song. It would be one of the greatest concerts of the year, and perhaps one of the best home-alone sessions in history. The concert came after four straight weeks of Halloween opening season music. Concerts were clearly at their peak and the performers were at the top of their game. "I still remember the next day, the Patriots were at Oakland, and it was also in the midst of the Redsox historical collapse from playoff contention. The weather felt like Indian summer. Concerts were thriving. It was an awesome time period, it really was," Gary said. The biggest question could be whether the 2012 Halloween Season will be as a follow-up to the outstanding 2011 edition. The performers were able to find music, apparel, and websites in the 2011 Halloween Season that were new to the season and were still able to create a huge shock value and surprise value. And this is after the performers seemingly did everything to that point of the concert career. In 2012 they will need to do the same: find new ideas and music and a Halloween plan that is fresh, creative, and never been done. In 2011 they were able to do things that had never been done before. In 2012, they will also have to follow-up one of the greatest time periods in concert history.

 

 

 

Mayor Mispronounces Patriots

 

Receivers

 

February 6, 2012

 

Chad Ochocinco wasn't just left out of the Patriots' 2012 Playbook, but he wasn't even remembered enough to have his name mispronounced like the mayor did with his fellow receivers.

 

 

 

 

 

Sundays Have Been Super

 

For Concerts Recently

 

February 4, 2012

 

The streak of consecutive Superbowl Sunday concerts is likely to hit 4 on Sunday afternoon. It will be the 7th concert of 2012, and given that it is right before the Superbowl, it is expected to have at least some kind of a Pep Rally atmosphere. The 2012 concert year has gotten off to a jolting start, already far exceeding January 2011. The performers are also expecting March to open up with a significant spring debut, similar to last year, and similar to some of the springs past. March will come quickly, with February already underway and with it being the shortest month of the year on the calendar. But February will be critical, like January, in helping set up the spring season in concerts. The better January and February are, the better the spring season will be. Gary will have first turn on Superbowl Sunday afternoon. 

 

 

 

Why Was Josh McDaniels Wearing A

 

Coat In This Game?

 

February 2, 2012

 

Josh McDaniels caught on camera shouting vulgarities at his backup tight end, this Youtuber decided to put a Mickey Mouse voice to it. But if you look at the coach, he's wearing a coat. A closer look into this game, and you'll find that this is a very odd fact.

 

 

 

The Dynamic Era?

 

February 2, 2012

 

Its safe to say that concerts themselves have evolved even further in 2012. They have become dynamic shows. And this all started in 2011 with the host of creativity that was established in playlists and in individual concerts, and each season. But in 2012 we have seen concert tributes, one-song tributes (Sevendust last night), pep rallies, new music, deep classics, middle-years classics, new songs by old artists (311 and Third Eye Blind's new songs last night, etc), WAV sounds, humor, spring...the list goes on. We are seeing concert as more than a static, one-dimensional event. A concert now is something more dynamic. There are multiple ideas and things going on in a concert now more than ever. But the performance and format remains the same: its still two brothers going down in the basement and having some fun and listening to music. But the creativity is more complex, the humor is stronger than ever, and the playlist design is pretty much an art now. Nobody knows what's going to be played night to night. There have been more surprises and "oohhhs" and "ahhhhs" during concerts this year more than ever it seems.

 

 

FROM THE FRONT: This game was played on September 12, 2010, with

 

the gametime temperature at about 68 degrees. Yet Josh McDaniels was

 

wearing a coat during the game.

 

 

 

 

 

A Ball Of Fun

 

January 29, 2012

 

With a new month beginning this week, a month closer to Spring, and with the newness of the new year subsided, the performers know that the concert year is beginning to take form. Andy stayed very strong to classics in January, from beginning to end. Gary expects to do a whole lot more of that on his side beginning this week. This means that this week's concert could have a long list of classic songs on the playlists. The days of consistency finding and playing new concert songs, and finding new artists, could be at the beginning of the end. But there will always be new songs, both by classic artists and new artists. We saw that in January, on both sides. New material will never end as long as concerts are performed. But the years of all new songs and artists all the time are probably passed us. There are several reasons for this. But music can't be contained. Neither can concerts. The performers know all too well what can happen in any given concert year. They know what happened in 2011, particularly as soon as March hit: the concerts and the concert year got better and better and better, and it never stopped. They carried the momentum from a monster Spring into the summer, and into the Fall. There was no turning back. 2012 has been different: the momentum was felt right from the beginning. The performers can rest easy knowing that as the final few days of January 2012 come and go, that they had themselves one heck of a ride in the opening month. February will be a shorter month, calendar-wise, but it is promising to be a just as interesting follow-up month to January. Nobody knows what exactly is going to happen in the concert world week to week and month to month. The performers know all too well by now that new ideas and surprises are possible each and every time they hit the floor to do a concert. Nothing is predictable anymore. But that shouldn't be a surprise, because after all, music itself is the most unpredictable concept in the world.

 

 

 

February Will Be Multi-faceted

 

January 28, 2012

 

Almost every week in February will have an event. From the opening Superbowl week, to Valentine's week, to All-Star game weekends, February will be a short, but very dynamic month. In many ways, it will be more multi-faceted than January was. January was very consistent and uniform throughout, with five brilliant concerts packed with action, classics, humor, and instant memories. February will be no different in terms of this energy and passion, and the loyalty the performers will continue to have towards their concert plans and playlist design. But with February comes one month closer to Spring, one month deep into the definition of the new year, and another month to see what the performers come up with in terms of originality, creative ideas, and music. Its all about building their concert resumes for 2012, and January gave them plenty of color to add to it. February will be about further digging into the year, further establishing their concert plans, and also releasing more classic songs, and also mixing in new songs. Last February started off very slowly, in compilation of that mood from January 2011, the year started slowly. But in late February, a switch was turned on, and the performers were well on their way for 2011, and it never stopped. They continued to dominate March and April. June was another strong month, as was July, and August, right through the entire Fall. The performers don't have that in 2012: January well surpassed January 2011. So they have momentum still on their side form the end of December with the successful pep rally period. February will be about further diversifying their concert plans and music, and continuing to do what it takes to make each week fresh and exciting.

 

 

 

January 2012: An Uplifting Show

 

January 25, 2012

 

Coming into the year 2012, the performers knew that, given the high sense of momentum heading into the year (thanks to two outstanding pep rallies in late December), that 2012 could be as good as 2011. But would it be possible that it could be better than 2011? In 2011, it felt the ceiling had been reached as far as what concerts could do. And the result was one of the most fulfilling concert years in history. It was really that good. Not much was revealed or leaked about the music for January 2012 heading into the year, but it was really easy to make a determination about it on debut night on January 4th. Andy was going to rely on classiciscm, even more so than 2011. And Gary was going to live on alternative surf rock and punk. These were the names of the game early and often in January, and these two themes never really stopped. And that lead to a very consistent and defined concert month to start the year. Oh, and the other intangible was that the humor level was once again very high (it was like that in 2011 as well), and the fun factor was enormous (even more than 2011). The basement appearance and positions of the performers also stayed static throughout the month, which also contributed to this very consistent month.

2012 started off heaps better than 2011 did. 2011 started in a frozen ice world, and the concerts were a little on the damp side until late February. It just took a long time to get things going. But January 2012 quickly expounded that memory. It well excelled it. The performers also seemed younger and fuller of energy this month. It almost seemed like they got a second wind, and just basically did what they knew what to do best. At the beginning of 2011, the performers seemed aged, and seemed slow out of the gate. In 2012, they were electric and lively from the start, and it never stopped or hit a snag. But also, they were just as much focused and determined in their concert plans and the music they played. They were very prideful in what they wanted to do this month, and it showed. The lighting came back also and created a more energetic climate, instead of the darkened and bland appearance of the basement in January 2011. There were aspects of January 2011 that were timeless and special in their own rights, it wasn’t all bad, but there was a darkness to it that didn’t make it fully appealing. January 2012 was a much better product. It was more uplifting, it was more accomplished.

Overall, January 2012 will go down as one of the best January’s to ever start a concert year. It was almost as good as January 2010, and was about on par as January 2008. As a matter of fact, at times it felt almost just like January 2008, even some of the music was identical to it. But at the end of the day, January 2012 was January 2012, and had plenty of newities and creativity to it, and new life, that really made it a special way to begin what will absolutely be a very interesting 8th concert year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2012: Glowing Reviews So Far

 

January 21, 2012

 

Just when the performers thought that 2011 was the best concert year ever, 2012 is getting off to a hot start, way hotter a start than the one 2011 got off to. The performers seem even looser than last year, and they didn't think that was possible, but its happening. Not only are they loose, but they are creating a mystique here early on, already. And they are doing it in a familiar way: blending classics and new songs. But its the classics that are creating all the hype so far this year, especially with names like The Whigs back, Radiohead, American Hi-Fi, and Green Day. These are large bands, and they are creating a lot of noise in January. And this is the coldest time of the year. Just think if they keep going on this path, how February will look, and March, and so on. And they are doing what they did in 2011: they aren't trying to see the end. They are not putting any deadlines on anything in the concert world. They are just going and going. And they seem even bigger and better than 2011, and we forget, that was really considered the best year of concerts. 2012 might be well on its way to outdoing that.

 

 

 

Ed Cooley Took The SATS More Than

 

Once

 

January 23, 2012

 

While the Friars have enjoyed more success than last year, even without Marshon Brooks, they have played poorly in Big East play again, as usual. But find out what happened to Ed Cooley at Stonehill.

1/23/12: FROM THE FRONT PAGE: Matriculating to Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, Ed Cooley was required to take the SATs four times before the NCAA allowed him to play basketball there. He did not score high enough on his first two attempts, scored a 900 but was accused of cheating on his third test, and finally scored a 1390 on his fourth, supervised test.

 

 

 

 

 

Quiet: Painters At Work

 

January 18, 2012

 

Consider the performers like artists now. With 8 years of artists and music at their disposal. Just like an experienced painter has a wide range of colors and tools to use, the performers have experience and depth on their side here in 2012. Take Wednesday night for example, the third concert of the year. Gary decided on a tribute, and nothing is more of a slam dunk than Green Day. The band has lived and thrived over a decade for him, and seven years in concerts. The band has never gotten old, and the classics were out early and often from them tonight. It was a riveting and rambunctious tribute, one of the finest performed, with tight song play and spirited performances. He knows these songs like the back of his hand and it showed. Andy was one or two songs away from a Whigs tribute. But the true gems were songs like the crunchy and defiant "Vegetable" by Radiohead, the universal groove of "Mysterious Ways" by U2, and the explosive sound on "Rope". This could have been Andy's most classic playlist so far, but he played classics that are still infectious and moving. These songs are still alive, and still generate a huge reception.

 

Earlier in the week, when Gary first announced he would be doing a tribute, there were some rumblings as to whether this was a good idea or not, or why it was even being done (Gary). Those thoughts quickly became an afterthought as soon as "Burnout" rang in after a David Letterman introduction. The night went without a hitch, and the flow was nice from song to song. This turned into one of the best and slickest tributes performed. You have to give a lot of credit to the artist that was tributed though. There will never be another Green Day, just as there will never be a night quite like this one.

 

One of the most memorable things of the night was Andy's new prop: a plastic/wood guitar he purchased at Target (at a good price we might add). It looked like a real guitar, and is almost perfect for use in concerts. This was heaps better than the inflatable guitars that the performers got a few years ago, that broke easily. Andy's idea tonight was so good that Gary immediately wanted to get his own. This prop and this idea is one of the aspirations that will make 2012, like any year, the way it will be remembered: new ideas and new memories and moments. And tonight was certainly that.

 

 

 

Back In The Saddle

 

January 16, 2012

 

The 2012 Concert Season gets back underway this week, in what will be the 3rd concert of the new year. The first two concerts saw explosive rock music from past concert years, as well as new music. This mix of old and new was experienced in 2010 and even more so in 2011. The third concert of the year is promising to see a little mix-up from the first two starter concerts. Andy has hinted at going the experimental route, and different sounds in his music, while Gary is performing a tribute. Tributes are best known for their run in Spring 2010, and also from February 2011. They were an unprecedented concert creation in 2010, and while their effect wasn't quite as explosive in Gary's Tributes II last February, it was still a memorable event of its own. These 2012 tributes Gary says will be a little more layered and different than the tributes prior to this year. He wants them to be more informational, and release more facts about the artists that are tributed. In any event, concert #3 of 2012 is shaping up to be different than the first two, but no less interesting or fun. Gary says he hopes that his tribute brings back a little more in the way of creativity and unpredictability to the concert, similar to the 2010 and 2011 concerts, in general. The performers are looking forward to getting back at it this week, and further writing the 2012 chapter in concerts! Gary has first turn.

 

 

 

Gary's Game Prediction

 

January 14, 2012

 

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots / AFC Divisional Round
23 The Patriots have already beaten Denver this season, in Week 15. But the Broncos are once again on a role right now, and Tim Tebow had his best passing game of his career last week against the Steelers. So this is likely to headed to a high-scoring game, with not that much in the way of defense. There will be turnovers though. At the end of the day, I think both quarterbacks will play very well in this game, but ultimately New England will pull away and advance to the AFC Championship.
35
 

 

 

Sir Mix-A-Lot

 

January 12, 2012

 

With the newness of the new year beginning to wear off, and now that the debut and follow-up concerts are now in the books, the performers are expected to mix things up a little for at least the next concert. Rumblings of getting experimental musically, and tributes, are at least two of the switches-in-gears that have been thrown around in recent days. And this isn't something out of the ordinary. Look back just one year and you see what happened after January: there were tributes and changes in music in February and again in March. "Concerts are ever-evolving operations in this day and age. No longer are we playing the same artists and music from beginning to end of the year. Music and concerts is a constantly growing and changing process, and it seems to change even week to week sometimes," Gary said. And now, the dead of winter is truly upon us, this is a good time to get experimental, change things up from the initial concerts of the year, and keep things going, keep things interesting. The element of surprise in concerts is still the performers' greatest weapon. Gary has hinted at performing a tribute in the next concert, which would be the earliest tribute in any concert year, but he also adds that it may not be a tribute as the performers' know them (from 2010). Andy has also said that his music is changing from what he played last year at this time, and also from what he's been playing so far in 2012, but he said he will still play classics. In any event, the performers want to keep things fresh, keep things interesting, and still try to be creative in their playlist and performance design. The two opening concerts of 2012 did all they needed to do. They were excellent. Now its time to dig into the year, and try to bring forth some ideas, and use wintertime as a period to add depth and layers to the concerts.

 

 

 

Why This Guitar Only Lasted 8 Days

 

January 9, 2012

 

Inflatable guitars were a good idea for concerts, but this one only had an 8-day lifespan. Find out why here.

 

 

 

Throw Concerts A Statue After Two

January 8, 2012

 

Sunday afternoons seemed to really work at the end of 2011. They also are working in 2012. On Sunday late afternoon, the performers came together again in the basement to perform the follow-up concert to the 2012 debut from last week. The energy and passion and appearance in the basement remained the same from the debut. The performers' plans and direction also remained consistent with the debut, which is really great to see. It seems like they are just having good ole-fashioned fun in the basement, which is what happened in 2011 so well. Right from the start, Andy released an instant classic, and a surprise song, the lovely "She's So High" by Blur, a great, dreamy song from late 2008. More 2006-2008 songs came from his side the rest of the concert, which really brought the performers back to their origins and memories. It was great to relive these songs today, and re-appreciate their value and sound, and meaning. Gary played a little more in the way of classics in this concert as well, but they were from very recent memory, from the years 2010 and 2011. The best being MxPx's "Bass So Low" which has an awesome chorus. Of note, he also ended his concert with replays from his debut. This was a really interesting and new technique. The basement was really rocking, and looked great. The continued play of funny wavs and sound clips has also been a great part of concerts, as is the overall humor. The performers aren't looking too far ahead of themselves, which is also another acquired trait from the great year 2011. They are just coming together each concert, and releasing innovative playlists with good rock in mind.

 

The performers may be doing the first Thursday night concert of 2012 this Thursday, or they may do the next one early next week sometime. Its been a lot of fun to see the performers grow after just two concerts, and really remain consistent in their plans and ideas. They are well on their way so far this year, and they know they have an awfully interesting concert year ahead of them. These first two concerts of 2012 are already very memorable and have already went a long way in making 2012 what it's been so far.

 

January 9, 2012

FROM THE FRONT...That inflatable guitar in that photo was purchased for use in 2010 concerts, but it was actually used just before the new year, at the very end of 2009, during the final concert of the year, on December 23rd. A week later, in the 2010 Pep Rally on January 1, 2010, Gary smashed the guitar on the pool table during his opening song "Don't Believe A Word" by Third Eye Blind, and in the midst of all the chaos in that pep rally, the performers didn't realize that the guitar was deflating because it got a hole in it. The performers tried duct tape to repair it, but it was never the same. The performers never got a replacement.

 

 

 

Victor Cruz Does A Concert In Game

January 7, 2012

 

UMASS alum Victor Cruz does salsa after every touchdown. Click here to see this Week 17 score.

 

 

Rare Live Footage Discovered

January 7, 2012

 

View old home videos found by Andy thanks to the power of Youtube's archiving system. Click here for the concert media room to check it out.

 

 

Fantasy Five: Week 1

January 6, 2012

 

1. Risers: Allstar Weekend, All Time Low, Art Brut, Beach House, Nine Days, The Decemberists, The Verve, The Whigs

 

2. Keep An Eye On: Best Coast, Massive Attack, Panic! At The Disco

 

3. On The Bubble: American Hi-Fi, Maximo Park

 

4. Concert Quote Of The Week: "This is my senior flunk-out" - Andy

 

5. Fantasy vs. Reality: Fantasy: Rap will be a part of 2012. Gary had another good run at party music during the pep rallies with Drake and Jay-Z and Kid Cudi. The songs were good flyers and produced funny performances, but the reality is that 2012 will still continue the 2011 mentality: rock music first.

 

 

The Launching Point

January 5, 2012

One year ago the performers were buried in a crazy winter wonderland of deep snow and ice pack. On Wednesday night, snow and winter were the furthest things from the performers' minds. The 2012 debuted with a thriller of a show, one of the most action-packed concerts in recent memory (excluding pep rallies, Jamborees, and Halloweens). The performers were seamless with their approaches to their playlists, the music, the performances. Everything seemed to flow into the next without delay. Albeit, after 7 years of concerts on their resume, 7 years of seeing and hearing it all in the basement seemingly, there was no way not to come out with a surge of energy and newities in 2012's first concert. But they still had to go out and do it. And they did. And then some. Each song brought on its own performance, and a different reaction. The lighting was excellent, and the set up was unique. Gary had his stage area and sat near the furnace, and Andy had his side with the colored flickering light which he used awesomely during big parts of songs. The energy was pure spring-driven, something that has sort of been missing over the last couple of springs. There hasn't been that total guitar spring rock in uniform the last few springs. Wednesday night had spring, even summer-type rock. With band names like Beach House, Allstar Weekend, Best Coast, even the band names sounded like spring and summer!

 

But the main storyline of this concert was just the way it rocked from beginning to end, in uniform, and it felt like old-fashioned rambunctious rock fun. It felt like a new year, but it just as much felt old-school. It felt young. It felt revived. It felt like 2010. It felt like 2008. It felt like 2011. It felt like 2005. But most importantly, it felt like 2012. A new year. A new chapter has begun. And the first page, the debut, has given the performers one hell of a launching point.

 

 

2012: Back To Base

(News Archive)  |  Ratings Page  |

January 2, 2012

You get the feeling, that 2012 is going to be more than what 2011 was, in different ways. The adventures could be richer in 2012. There might be more depth in 2012. 2011 was all about consistency and stability. 2012 will be about being more colorful than that. Adding layers to an already proven formula and template, that has been established in the concert world since 2009. 2012 isn't about continuing that template. Its about adding to it. 2012 needs to be more colorful, more youthful in ways. It needs to have all of the good from 2011, but it needs to have more substance. More purpose. Andy called it the breakthrough year. He's right. 2012 needs to exceed 2011. 2012 will not be about trying to stay within the limits and boxes. 2012 needs to be about thinking big, doing big, and doing things differently.

 

All of this begins in the concert world, on Wednesday night in the 2012 debut. What will this 2012 concert year become? What will January be like? Musically? The performers have both hinted at continuing the 2011 mindset of being simplistic with the approach. But they also said that in 2012, they will further practice this philosophy: they are thinking 2005-type basics. This is a significant debut this week, but its not one that has all this pressure and pomp with it like 2010's and 2011's debut. It does have urgency, but the performers have 7 years of concerts under their belt, and 2010 was already sort of a "tribute" or "farewell" to the 1st Era of concerts year, so 2012 has no excessive or oppressive pressures to it. The performers know the drill by now with these beginning of the year debuts. This one needs to be good though, it does need to show a little uniqueness, it needs to show a little bit of that go-back-to-basics kind of style. It does need to show a little bit about what 2012 means and is about.

 

Each yeah takes time to develop. Each concert that goes by will write a clearer picture of what kind of year it is going to be. A concert year is not made and determined in one night, in one debut. But it does pave the way towards it. The performers are already very satisfied with what they have accomplished in their concert careers. all of the hard work is already long behind them. 2012, then, is not about reinventing the wheel. 2012 is about realizing themselves and all their accomplishments that have already happened, and just going down there and doing what they've done the last 7 years.

 

 

Finishing Strong

New Concert Year Brings New Storylines

January 1, 2012

By the time late Fall hit in December, the reviews about the concert year of 2011 subsided. This was probably due to the fact that they ran out of superlatives and adjectives to sum up what was arguably the finest concert year ever, along with 2005 and 2009. The year 2011 was probably right in between the two in terms of rank, but the top 3 concert year list is a mix of the three somewhere. On Saturday afternoon, the final day of the year, the brothers came together to perform what would be the final concert of 2011. And it seemed to continue the tradition of 2011: rock, melody, fun, humor, and performance. These words seem to also best describe the concert years listed above. The lighting effects were back in full force, as well as wall decorations, posters, and plenty of props at the performers' disposal. It was the 8th home-alone concert of the year, unprecedented, and it overall was a very positive, uplifting way to end out the year. Andy relied heavily on rock, and also some Jamboree-style music in Michael Jackson, even an appearance by Jeff Buckley. Andy had a huge rock year in 2011, as did Gary. That's why it felt so much like the old years in the basement this year, because most of the time it was melodic rock being played. Only during the Jamboree 3 and the Halloween Season did the performers branch off genre-wise.

 

Gary relied heavily on pep-rally specific music: hip hop, upbeat surfy rock, and plenty of club atmosphere. For the most part, it worked more than the first pep rally of the week, it seemed more immediate and the beats were better. This style of music likely won't be indicative of his 2012 music. But it will at least be a part of it. Drake had a stronger showing in this pep rally, as well as newcomer Kid Cudi, who triggered a few laughs. But at the end of the day, he was pretty rambunctious on the floor, and this was similar to what he did in July with the Jamboree 3.

 

When the final songs were played, the performers felt satisfied and full. They spoke of the year, the good times, the things that worked, the memories. It was such a full, eventful, but unique year, that its hard to come up with which memory was best. The performers enter 2012 as seasoned and polished concert veterans, who have just come off a year in 2011 of even furthered depth and ingenuity in terms of concert plans, websites, and creativity, and always coming up with something new along the way. The performers have set high expectations for themselves as a result of their own success, and 2012 may require even more out of them in terms of finding new inspiration, creativity, newities, and spirit. But the performers know all too well: music will make all of that possible.

 

 

Pep Rally I Instills Intrigue

December 26, 2011

Monday night's pep rally certainly got the juices and talking in the concert world going again. After a nearly three-week break from concerts (to concentrate on Christmas), the performers admitted that they didn't really prepare an official playlist for this concert, and instead, sort of went on a whim with their selections. And it showed, because there was a deep mixture of classic and new. Perhaps these more randomized, spontaneously selected playlists are better. They are certainly better for pep rallys' sake. Andy seemed to be much more minded on classics overall, especially with the bangers "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Bawitdaba" being his starters. Loading the show with these songs back to back was a brilliant move. "Welcome to the Jungle" is a song that particularly came to life this year, and will forever be associated with the Jamboree 3 and its encore. It was nice to experience that flamboyance once again. Andy then brought in some new music, with Paul Westerberg and Ash. Ash was the new band of the night by far, with some excellent-sounding songs on the night. It was really nice to hear "Lazy Days" again, and its lively, attractive sound. "Little Fury Things" also once again proved it is one of the best from Dinosaur Jr. But perhaps one of the other interesting storylines on Andy's side was the two great songs by The Killers. They definitely have what pep rallies, and any upbeat concert, would consist of.

 

Gary's evening was a little different, in that it mainly stayed with two genres: hip hop, and alt rock on the heavier side. This seems to be what he's done in pep rallies before: its either going to be party rap or heavy rock. He stayed with that trend on Monday night. The hip hop worked for the most part, although a few of the songs were a bit stumbly. The rock was pretty good. Some of the lesser-played classics on Gary's side seemed to work almost better than the more known classics, namely "Jump Right In" by The Urge, which has an excellent chorus. Drake has been much talked about lately, but he never really seems to make much of an impact, mostly because much of his songs are too explicit to play. So instead, he's sort of forced in to play the B-sides and studio demos, which are considerably less vulgar, but often suffer in production. Regardless, "Scriptures" and "Let's Call It Off" worked pretty well. But the more definitive memory from Gary's concert on Monday night was the fact that he begun his path to creating the 2012 identity: and that's being more loyal to his classics, and having a more confident approach to making that part of his repertoire.

 

Overall, this was a night that had an awful lot of 2010 in it, as well as 2011, as well as 2005. The appearance of the basement, the flair, the decorations, the lighting, that was the 2010 part. The faith in classicism and humor and fun was the 2011 part. And the simplistic approach to the playlist selection, the performances, and the nostalgia, that was the 2005 part.