Sia
Barclays Center
October 25th

Sia later #ElasticFart

A photo posted by Thigh Master (@thighmaster) on Oct 25, 2016 at 6:22pm PDT

Sia isn’t quite herself, because she doesn’t want to be herself, and usually wants someone else to be her.  She’s written a slew of hit songs for other chart topping artists, and even made hits for herself, and even even made hits that were meant for other people, but they rejected the songs, and so their awesomeness reverted back to her.  If you’ve seen any music video of hers, you know that she’s nowhere to be seen and makes you seek her in the form of other people acting out as her

So what would a Sia concert be like?  Would she hide?  What would we see(k)?

Well, if you have seen those music videos, the live show is essentially the same thing, except she’s on stage, in the shadows singing along, while performers play her part in the foreground.  But is it really her singing?  Or is it a stand-in?  And with the videos on screen mimicking what’s on stage, are the performers even themselves?  It’s highly doubtful Paul Dano, Tig Notaro, Maddie Ziegler, Kristen Wiig, Gaby Hoffman and the GREAT Ben Mendelsohn are actually touring with her, and so whatever is actually going on, on stage – live or staged, is a sight to be seen.  Obviously, the sounds are definitely to be heard!

What’s real and what isn’t may be up for debate, but all I can say is I’d Sia her again.  Sia now, and Sia LATER!!

Setlist – Alive / Diamonds (Rihanna cover) / Reaper / Big Girls Cry / Bird Set Free / One Million Bullets / Cheap Thrills / Soon We’ll Be Found / Fire Meet Gasoline / Elastic Heart / Unstoppable / Breathe Me / Move Your Body / Titanium (David Guetta cover) / Chandelier

Encore – The Greatest

I let @siathisisacting be the rhythm tonight #MoveYourBody #SiaLater

A video posted by Thigh Master (@thighmaster) on Oct 25, 2016 at 8:53pm PDT

Tidal X 10/15
Barclays Center
October 15th

I know nothing of modern music.  I was born too late to be a teen rocking out to the music of the 60s that I truly love and live for.  But here I am, in the twenty first würst century and I want to know what the kids are into.  I’ve tried to tune into the MTV Video Music Awards year after year, but I quickly tune out after realizing that this is not my cup of tea’s nutz.  Well, Jay-Z’s Tidal streaming service held a 2nd annual Tidal night of musicness, and I said, well, my wife and I like that one DNCE song, and I’ve never seen Beyoncé live, so why the hell not!

We didn’t arrive on time, so we missed probably the one and only time we’d hear Robin Thicke play live (unless he ever decides to tour with his divorced parents), and we left early, cause 4 hours may work for Bruce Springsteen, but it doesn’t work for me, so we missed out on Alicia Keys (who I had sorta heard live once before), but what we got was A LOT!!!!  Look at all these names!!!!

Who are 1/2 of the people?  I think that’s the point, and I did really enjoy all the ones who actually played an instrument – cause you could actually hear what they were playing.  Stand outs in my mind were Kevin Garrett and Emeli Sandé.  The other acts were mainly rappers, and were too loud and distorted to understand, or enjoy

As for DNCE?  WAY NICE!!!!  They were rocking!  Did I ever think I’d say that about a Jonas brother?  Well, I didn’t ever think about a lot of things, but sometimes life hands you lemons and Jonas brother bands that are actually way rocking!!

#DanceForMeBaby #CakeByTheOcean #RakeByTheLotion #BakedByMelissaSux #HisNameIsJonas #TidalX #TidalX1015 #ItsLikeTheVMAsWithNoAwardsAndIStillHaveNoIdeaWhoMostOfTheOtherPerformersAre

A video posted by Thigh Master (@thighmaster) on Oct 15, 2016 at 9:36pm PDT

and while it was nice to see Lauryn Hill, alive, performing, and showing up in general, the showstopping showstopper of the evening was whatever Beyoncé was doing with those holograms.  Sh!t was TIGHT, and confusing, and led me to believe that maybe seeing holograms in concert, in the future, isn’t necessarily the würstest thing

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLmzkCYhpzP/

31st Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Barclays Center
April 8th

Say what you will about the actual Hall of Fame for Rock and Roll, and how they go about figuring out who gets in and who doesn’t, but the show they put on to induct whoever gets in is simply amazing – cause these moments only happen once – and sometimes people come together that haven’t been in awhile, and then never will again  

I know how special these induction shows can be and how knees bees they is cause 2 years ago I had my shiz flipped watching Cat Stevens playing in America for the first time in ages AND Nirvana be Nirvana without Kurt, but with some awesome ladies doing their best to be Kurt + a bunch of other awesome shiz (outside of the E Street Band being inducted and giving 31281238238 hours of speeches – F them!) at the 29th induction ceremony

This year’s inductees weren’t AS monumental, both to me personally and for music in general, but the show went on, and the show was AWESOME!!

it opened with David Byrne and Kimbra and The Roots paying tribute to David Bowie with ‘Fame’!!!

–

Deep Purple

I had no idea who was in Deep Purple or whether they were still alive or not.  Well, they are alive!! And David Corverdale was in Deep Purple at some point (and now actually looks like a white snake)!  And Lars Ulrich loves them!!!!  And they were great! Although they didn’t play ‘Child In Time‘, which is one of my mos flavorite longest songs of balls thyme, but I guess there wasn’t time for 10+ minutes songs, but the ones they played were juss perfect

Highway Star / Hush / Smoke on the Water

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Steve Miller

I think we take Steve Miller for granted and granite.  Maybe cause his name is so basic and so American, or that his music has become so commonplace and so 70s American.  But you know what – we took a listen to Steve Miller’s greatest hits last week and we realized how foolish we’d been for not listening to him in ages.  His music is CLASSIC rock that truly rocks, and Steve’s still got it at age 72.  Hearing 3 of his songs was not nearly enuff to quench my need for Miller time.  I’ll have to go see a full on Steve Miller show.  HAVE to!

Fly Like An Eagle / Rock’n Me / The Joker

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N.W.A.

Coming off the HUGE success of the hugely awesome Straight Out of Compton movie, N.W.A.’s influence and importance has never been higher – so what a PERFECT time for them to be inducted into the RnR hall of fame (becoming the 5th hip-hop group to do so), right???  And the group members speeches?  Thighly memorable – but they didn’t peform – which is almost a complete waste of inducting them.  Apparently N.W.A. wanted to perform but the Hall wasn’t helpful in helping them do what they wanted to do, so they didn’t do anything, which is BS.  But hey, if all we have are those speeches, then speech on!

–

then a little break for a Sheryl Crow and Grace Potter duet of The Eagles’ ‘New Kid in Town’, a tribute to the late Glenn Frey (who was at on this very stage 2 years ago)

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Chicago

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions that bring about unexpected reunions are the single greatest reason for the Hall to exist.  I mean, it brought The Talking Heads together, and the 3 other heads HATE David Byrne more than I hate microwaved Nazi tunafish at Duke University.  Well, if Peter Cetera and his former bandmates of Chicago were to EVER reunite – this would have been the time – but alas, they didn’t, and so, we heard Chicago as they are today – Chicago minus Peter Cetera.  They do have a faux Cetera, but it’s juss not the same.  Anywho, Chicago remain cheesy, but they’re fun, and groovy, and cheesy groovy fun

Saturday in the Park / Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? / 25 or 6 to 4

25 fcuking or 6 or fcuking to 4!!!!!!!!!

no Cetera, but nothing stops 25 or 6 to 4 #RockHall2016

A video posted by Thigh Master (@thighmaster) on Apr 8, 2016 at 7:32pm PDT

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Cheap Trick

2 weeks ago, I was like – I don’t know who Cheap Trick really are or why are they being inducted (esp over Three Dog Night or Duran Duran or whoever you think).  Then I youtubed some of their hits and was like, oh yeah, I know those songs, but they’re so MEHHHHHHHHHHHH, and I was like, so why are these guys getting inducted??  And then when I was at the show, I was like, they must induct these guys first and get them out of the way.  But no – they were the last dudes to go.  Probably cause their music is high engery, but whateves.  They were inducted, and they sounded good (and it was cool that their former drummer played with them for maybe the last time ever), and now I can move on with my life and Cheap Trick can with theirs

I Want You to Want Me / Dream Police / Surrender

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and it all ended with a jam that was not one for the books, but hey, when else are Steve Miller Deep Purple Chicago Cheap Trick Paul Schaffer Sheryl Crow Kid Rock Rob Thomas and Little Stevie all going to play music together at the same exact time????  Nowhere else but for the Hall!!!!!!

one day I can tell my kids that Steve Miller Deep Purple Chicago Cheap Trick Paul Schaffer Sheryl Crow Kid Rock Rob Thomas and Little Stevie all played music together at the same exact time #RockHall2016 #AllStarJam #AintThatAShame #ItsNotAShame

A video posted by Thigh Master (@thighmaster) on Apr 8, 2016 at 8:57pm PDT

Smokey Robinson
Barclays Center
December 11th

It’s no miracle that Smokey Robinson STILL sounds like good ol’ Smokey Robinson (or that he can rock a green outfit from neck to toe AND look simply amazing), but it is a absolute sin that I walked away from his concert dissatisfied. Yes, he played the sure-fire hits, and yes, they sounded great, but he only played 14 tunes in total, and 3 were shortened into a quickie Temptations medley. Where was ‘Shop Around’ or ‘Going To A Go Go’ or ‘Mickey’s Monkey’? Smokey was too busy padding time with pointless stories and jokes that a 6 year old could make. How could such a gifted writer have no gift for gab? And even if he did, why bother when there’s plenty more music he could have done sung? How could a Smokey Robinson concert not be amazing? That’s like an anti-miracle. And how could he have written the song ‘Love Bath’? It’s so gross that I need to take a hate shower after hearing it

Setlist – Being With You / I Second That Emotion / You Really Got a Hold on Me / Quiet Storm / Ooh Baby Baby / Temptations Medley – The Way You Do the Things You Do / Get Ready / My Girl / The Tears of a Clown / Fly Me to the Moon (Kaye Ballard cover) / Love Bath / That Place / The Tracks of My Tears / Cruisin’

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 29th Induction Ceremony
Barclays Center
April 10th

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame may be meaningless (OH LOOK, THEY HAVE JOHN LENNON’S POOL PASS!), and who they decide to let a lot too arbitrary, but they certainly know how to put on a show (Their 25th Anniversary ones were near legendary to me), and especially an induction ceremony.  Previously an industry and insider only affair for years, the powers that be decided to open the festivities to the public this year.  With the 29th class consisting of Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Cat Stevens(!!!!!), Kiss, The E Street Band, managers Brian Epstein + Andrew Loog Oldham, Linda Ronstadt & Nirvana, I knew that this was a show NOT to be missed.  But apparently people thought otherwise, and one could have snagged a ticket for 1/2 off of face value.  Maybe the Kiss army weren’t pleased that the band refused to perform.  Or maybe people are juss dumb.  I’m sorry you missed this, cause you really really missed something.  Anywho, here’s how it went down, in order…

Peter Gabriel

Love me some PG.  He can totally shock my monkey, BIG TIME, with a Sledgehammer on the games without frontiers!!!!!!!!!!!  Those are MY favorite PG tunes, but sadly, he didn’t play any of them. He played

Digging in the Dirt  / Washing of the Water (with Chris Martin) / In Your Eyes (with Y’Sou N’Dour)

Not bad choices, but Peter, c’mon man, lets rock a little, not put me to sleepzzz.  Guess this means I’ll juss have to see him play a full show some other time.  Jerknutz.  Not a total loss, as I used his speeching as a time to go grab that yumcredible brisket mac & cheese from Fatty ‘Cue

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Kiss

I hate Kiss, but would have been happy to see them perform, with the original line-up or with whatever line-up they wanted to play with.  Still, their speeches were sincere, and funny, and pointed, especially when Paul Stanley took a shot at the Hall for how they choose the inductees, saying the fans should have more say

I still hate Kiss, but this Chuck Klosterman love letter on them was pretty fcuking great, and comprehensive!

I really hate Kiss, but mainly cause when I was younger, my cousins had Kiss wallpaper in their room, and when I went into that room, the wallpaper scared the living crap out of me.  It SILL scares me.  All of it – the wallpaper, the dudes in make-up.  Eeeek

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Cat Stevens / Yusuf Islam

Dude, I think we all take Cat Stevens for granted.  Sure, he (now Yusuf Islam), may have had some poor choice of words and thoughts over the years, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s Cat Stevens.  Apparently some still think he’s a ‘terrorist’.  The US even put him on the no fly list from 2004 – 2006.  Even my mom said last week that there’s juss something not right about him.  What do we all know?  Well, what I know is that Cat/Yusuf/whomever is a lover of peace, and music, and that peaceful lovely music shined thru BIG time in his set…

Father and Son / Wild World / Peace Train

Oh man, he sounded SO FCUKING GREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT.  He has to do a proper tour of America, and America muss open its arms and doors to him.  Maybe he can tour with his induct-or, Art Garfunkel, who said of the honoree ‘this guy’s better than Paul Simon’.  BURNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!

Btw, one of the greatest things ever remains Colbert & Jon Stewart piecing together the Peace/Crazy/Love Train medley with Cat, Ozzy & The O’Jays

CAT FCUKING STEVENS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Linda Ronstadt

A couple of days before this show, all I knew about Linda Ronstadt was that her last name isn’t easy to spell AND she dated George Lucas in the 80s.  Then I decided to youtube her hits, and man, oh woman, did I have a brain fart.  Linda has quite the impressive back catalog, we all know AND love.  Even her cover versions are equally as famous AND awesome as the originals is/are!  But poor Linda, she has Parkinson’s disease, and can no longer play or travel, but in her place was a chick-love-fest that initially I didn’t think much of, BUT AFTERWARDS I THOUGHT MUCH OF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Look at THIS set, and WHO was involved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Different Drum (with Carrie Underwood) / Blue Bayou (Roy Orbison cover with Emmylou Harris + Bonnie Raitt & Carrie Underwood) / You’re No Good (Dee Dee Warwick cover with Sheryl Crow + Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Carrie Underwood & Glenn Frey) / It’s So Easy To Fall In Love (Buddy Holly cover with Stevie Nicks + Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Carrie Underwood & Glenn Frey) /When Will I Be Loved? (The Everly Brothers cover with Stevie Nicks + Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Carrie Underwood & Glenn Frey)

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The E Street Band

I’m no fan of Bruce or the E Street guys/gals, but there’s no denying their talent.  There’s also no denying that they should have been inducted with Bruce back in ’99, so we didn’t have to hear EACH of these dogdammnn band members give a speech, which resulted in 23921392939139 hours added to the concert.  The only speech that had any resonance or purpose was the one delivered by Clarence Clemons’ widow’s.  The Band and Bruce played three songs, but none of them were ‘Dancing In The Dark’ and Courtney Cox wasn’t honored, so who cares?

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Hall & Oates

Never thought too much of lion-maned Hall & mustachioed Oates, but they did have some killer hits.  LOTS of them.  Not enough time to play em all, but we were treated to

She’s Gone / I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do) / You Make My Dreams Come True

These dudes eat men!  And props to Daryl Hall who took aim at the E Street Band for making too many speeches, and decided not to make too much of a speech himself

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Nirvana

The Rock Hall saved the best for last.  Not necessarily the best inductee (I’d say Cat Stevens is the most deserving on the docket), but the best performance for last.  Rumors swirled for days as to who would take Kurt Cobain’s place in the show.  Would introducer Michael Stipe take the honors?  Or some other random dude?  

Then Joan Jett’s name popped up online.  I was like, OK, that’s cool, I guess.  Well guess what, Joan Jett DID indeed front Nirvana, for ‘Smells Like Teen Spirt’, and OMG, here we are now, AND IT ENTERTAINED US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  One of my biggest regrets in life was never seeing Nirvana live.  Would never be able to correct that error, but you know what, watching Dave Grohl behind the drum kit, and Krist bouncing with his bass (+ Pat, smearing), and hearing Joan belt the mulatto, albino, mosquito, libido bits kinda sorta really makes up for it.  Not really, but really.  Whatever, I’ll take this times a zilllllllllion over nothing!

Then Joan left, and then Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon came on for an awful, earsplitting rendition of ‘Aneurysm’.  No stretch for her, since Sonic Youth are kinda awful and earsplitting (I only dig their more commercial Dirty album)  

Then she took off and St Vincent/Annie Clark came on and RAWKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKED THE FCUK OUT OF ‘LITHIUM’.  I FOUND GAWDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Then that Lorde came on to do a decent ‘All Apologies’, with Krist Novoselic playing accordion  

OH MAN –  THIS WAS AN ALL TIME HIGH!!!  Til the end of my days, I will never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never forget what Jett & Annie St Vince & Dave & Krist (+ Pat) done did.  It’s right up there with greatest concert performances I’ve EVER seen – Simon & Garf reunited at MSG, that RnR at 25 Night 1 show + An Evening with Fran Healy and Andy Dunlop from Travis

Although I bet this after-show-secret show of Nirvana + Joan + St Vince + Kim Gordon AND J Mascis and John McCauley would have put all other shows I’d ever seen to shame.  They really should do a tour of this Nirvana with multiple Kurt Cobain stand-ins thing.  A tribute act that’s part tribute, but all parts awesome

 

Sadly, since the show ran super long, they axed the usual all star jam at the end.  BOOOOOO YOU E STREET BAND!!!