Bono finally admits that he has been annoying the rest of U2 with his political speeches at shows.

Solid show last nite at Masonic Temple in Smithtown.




Nakatomi Plaza



Slingshot Dakota





Con Amore


Satellite Lost (when vegan Phil isn't being a goth club kid, he likes to be a ghost)


Dearly Departed

Best of 2005 according to Kenyon. not in exact order, but sorta close.


1. Warlocks: Surgery (Mute)
2. Mercury Rev: Secret Migration (V2)
3. The Bravery: s/t (Island)
4. Embrace: Out of Nothing (Atlantic)
5. My Morning Jacket: Z (RCA)
6. Sigur Ros: Takk (Geffen)
7. Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Columbia)
8. Cloud Room: s/t (Gigantic)
9. BRMC: Howl (RCA)
10. A Northern Chorus: Bitter Hands Resign (Sonic Unyon)
----------------------------------------------------------
11. Russian Futurists: Our Thickness (Upperclass)
12. Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice)
13. Tender Forever: The Soft and the Hardcore (K)
14. Architecture in Helsinki: In Case We Die (Barnone)
15. Ladytron: Witching Hour (Ryko)
16. Elkland: Golden (Columbia)
17. Manual: Azure Vista (Darla)
18. British Sea Power: Open Season (Rough Trade)
19. Project Skyward: Strange Synchronicities (Nebula)
20. Maximo Park: A Certain Trigger (Warp)
21. Amusement Parks on Fire: s/t (Filter)
22. Outhud: Let Us Never Speak of this Again (Kranky)
23. Shout Out Louds: Howl Howl Gaff Gaff (Capitol)
24. The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema (Matador)
25. Saxon Shore: The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore (Burnt Toast Vinyl)

Depeche Mode on FUSE tonite, 10pm (EST).

Measles Mumps Rubella: Fantastic Success (Doubling Cube)
release: February 21, 2006 (totally in the future, baby)
rating: ***
similar: Liars, Erase Errata, Public Image Ltd.

Okay, you wanna start getting some buzz going on this band or what. Cause, I mean, the record doesn't come out for two more months. Which is risky, because everyone might even HATE post-post-punk disco bands from New York by then! Check this out though: Measles Mumps Rubella worked with Ian MacKaye on some early songs (before they got their current vocalist) and toured with Le Tigre, Bratmobile and Trans Am. That's some serious street cred, dude. Oh, you think the name of the band is dumb (dude, what about that band Test Icicles? come on!). Yea, well, see, after a while you'll get used to it just like we did with a thousand other band names and then Measles Mumps Rubella will just sound very hip. We'll associate diseases with cool guitar effects, disco-dance punk and a yelpy vocalist. Totally. -Kenyon

Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice: The Flood (Troubleman Unlimited)
released: ?? ?? 2005
rating: *
similar: CocoRosie, Devendra Banhart

Wooden Wand (with or without the Vanishing Voice) has already issued several noteworthy works amongst a bombardment of recordings from the past two years. The Flood is not one of them. It doesn't help when the first two tracks are over 10 minutes. By the fourth track we at least get something that works and doesn't sound like they're trying too hard to be creative, even if it's just over two minutes. Sure, maybe if you just smoked some good weed, their experimental folk is "trance-like." Otherwise, there's a lot of straining vocals and guitars that are too unmelodic to be considered music or even interesting, making much of this as irritating as a Dunkin Donuts opening across the street from a 7-11. -Kenyon

let's have a black celebration. tonite.
martin on guitar, dave on vocals and andy doing, er, something. wait, i thought this was synthpop!

Depeche Mode/The Bravery @Madison Square Garden. December 7, 2005.

Set: Intro, A Pain That I'm Used To, John The Revelator, A Question Of Time, Policy Of Truth, Precious, Walking In My Shoes, Suffer Well, Damaged People, Home, I Want It All, The Sinner In Me, I Feel You, Behind The Wheel, World In My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence.

Encore 1: Somebody, Just Can't Get Enough, Everything Counts
Encore 2: Never Let Me Down Again, Goodnight Lovers

Hot shows on Long Island this Friday:

Pretty Girls Make Graves, The Double (Matador), Tangiers (Frenchkiss), Encrypt Manuscript (local) at Live Trax, 242 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore. 6pm, $12.


Electro-industrial Metropolis artists Negative Format and God Module at Metasin, 2715 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown. (kenyon will be DJing at some point).

Music sounds better with video.

Mixel Pixel
"Body Automatic" and "Tell Tale Drum Machine"
Psychodelic animation which goes hand-in-hand with the NYC trio's lo-fi electronic weirdness. And of course they're still on tour too.

I Hope You Are All Happy Now
Photographs by Nicholas Zinner
(Evil Twin Publications/St. Martin's Press)

Nick (whoops, Nicholas) Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has seen a million faces. And he's rocked them all. Now he's got a book of photos he took to prove it. Of course, pretty much anyone with a camera can be a photographer these days. But not everyone (ie, me) has been around the world on tour. What sets many of these shots apart is that instead of a photographer going to several concerts or someone following a band around, the person taking the photos is the rock star himself. And you just can't get any closer to the secret life of a rock star than that (ie photos of hotel beds, backstage, etc). Sometimes those shots of the crowds actually stand out, like the one from Coney Island with the Cyclone rollercoaster. Don't be mislead though. There's a lot more subjects in front of the camera from the past few years than just a large volume of crowds. Zinner has been hanging out with bands and musicians that you may or may not recognize (TV on the Radio, Zinner's bandmates, Liars, Bright Eyes). And stay with the book, cause there's some great shots of the YYYs, cityscapes, people laying on the floor, and more people laying on the floor. -Kenyon



nick and kenyon. december 2003 (not in book)

Until the End of the Show
U2 @Madison Square Garden, November 21, 2005.
Section 218, row B, seat 15.

Main Set: City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, I Will Follow (with additional lyrics towards end), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day, Original of the Species, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday (snippet, "Rock the Casbah"), Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One.

Encore 1: Until the End of the World, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You

Encore 2: The First Time (acoustic), Stuck In a Moment (acoustic), Instant Karma (with Patti Smith), Bad (snippet, "People Have the Power").




This review is a little shorter than the other two shows i went to on this tour (May 18, October 10), because i already wrote all about it and the main set this time was so similar to October 10 in particular. As a result, boring and predictable, I know there's a schedule and routine the band and crew follows and there's only so many songs they can have ready, but come on U2, you have like 300 other songs available. I guess they have to play it safe most of the time as far as what songs to choose. U2 has to cater to the general fans and play the popular and succesful songs. That really is a shame and we wind up hearing a lot of the same stuff. Now there are some songs which i am truly sick of (i already hated "Elevation"). I know there are people there who haven't yet seen U2 on this tour but the band has to know that people are going to multiple shows. Here's some suggestions: New Year's Day, Even Better Than the Real Thing, something from the second side of Joshua Tree, something from Zooropa. Being in section 218, relatively close to the stage but mostly seeing their backs, doesn't help too much. If i was in the "ellipse", i know it would have been a different story and i wouldn't even care what they were playing. Well, at least this time i took photos with a sweet zoom lens.

So after the lame main set (really, i just couldn't get into it much), the band came back for the first encore with the ZOO TV images on the screen to start. I was like, oh no, here we go again with "Zoo Station" and "The Fly". Shit. Then i got the biggest, best surprise of the night: "Until the End of the World" (awesome, only saw them play it once on Zoo TV tour which i barely remember), and "Mysterious Ways." (although "New Year's Day" really is a great transition from "Until"). So by now i was praying for "Bad", and after the acoustic songs and the John Lennon song, we got it. And i think that, along with "Until the End" made my night. oh yea and after reading about the following night at MSG (show cut a little short, no "bad") i am so so glad i went to the first one. sorry guys!

Crowd and seat report: energy level was definitely better and more intense for October 10 (though an earplug in my left ear may have clouded my meter-reading). as usual, the people around me were total deadbeats. hardly moving or dancing or responsive. the guy behind me was a total jerk talking to his girlfriend. i didn't even bother making small talk with the girls to the left of me. aside from the jerk behind me though, it was a good spot because i was at the end of my row (the odds are 1 in 15, yea?), therefore as soon as the arcade fire song came on, i went right in the isle and had plenty of space to dance (very lucky to be at the bottom of the section, with the guardrail in front of me). so, i had a clear view of the stage (see photos).

Notes: Among the snippets, Bono sang a line from the chorus of "Please" somewhere, forgot what song. I'm sure few people caught that. Young boy pulled onstage for "Sunday Bloody Sunday", not sure what to think of that. girl for "With or Without You" worked better. Patti Smith just had to comment about the war. Said there is no reason to be there. Half the crowd booed, half cheered.

Last note: I wore an old long sleeved shirt on which i wrote U2 lyrics and images from achtung baby tour. to my surprise, absolutely no one at the show commented on this. i purposely wrote lesser known lyrics, but come on. yea, i mean COME ON.

Can't get it out of my head.

Although Madonna's latest outfit is dreadful, "Hung Up," the first single from Confessions on a Dance Floor (released November 15), is immediately one of the best pop singles of 2005. The electro-disco track is hella better than that last piece of garbage called "American Life" and more on par with "Music" and "Ray of Light." See VIDEO.

Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)
released: October 4, 2005
rating: **1/2

Go ahead, Pitchfork, gush about Broken Social Scene releasing a record and going on tour. It's not gonna make me like them more. I mean, they're not THAT amazing. So they've got 15 people in the band. Woop-dee-freaking-doo. I would have done the same thing if I could find all the people. The Canadian band's last record didn't impress me (for some reason it won a Juno award). A couple decent indie rock-type songs with a nod to the late '80s/early '90s, though the rest wasn't very significant. The same thing pretty much goes for this self-titled third outing. Seriously, a lot of what they're doing here is indeed interesting. That's if you can sift through all the instruments and vocals that sometimes make it seem like the record is playing in another player at the same time 20 seconds behind. The last track is a little epic, but come on, with that many people, they could do a whole lot more. -Kenyon

Happening Beats.
K records at the Hobo House in Huntington, Long Island. November 1.


Calvin Johnson says: "We played in Allentown. It was.....pleasant enough."


If someone such as Calvin Johnson is going to be playing 15 minutes away from me, I don't think about it, I just plan on being there. Even if I've never regularly listened to his heralded indie pop band Beat Happening, or even heard his solo work. We're talking K records, afterall, one of the most trusted indie labels around. Knowing what the label's roster is like, bringing a K records artist with him means fun times.

Tender Forever was fun. But in a serious way. Like the Blow (also on K), one-person band Melanie Valera mostly sings along with some of her own pre-recorded music. Trust me, this indie-electronic comes out wonderfully, thanks to her heart and energy.

Calvin Johnson is an enigma. Is he joking or serious when he asks if we have any questions for him? Does he ever display excitement? What was the lesson of the story he told about that country singer? I'm at a loss.



Melanie of Tender Forever touched me. In more ways than one.

Kenyon on MTV's High School Stories

The next season of MTV's High School Stories finally began and I'm in the one about the cafeteria boycott at St. Anthony's in Huntington. I haven't seen it yet and you probably didn't either but the show is on very frequently on MTV2. 12noon, 8pm, 11:30pm (EST) Monday-Thursday. You really don't want to miss the shenanigans in this episode. It involves food-throwing and a priest.

Ladytron: Witching Hour (Ryko)
released: October 4, 2005
rating: ****

"Destroy Everything You Touch," from Ladytron's third record, is one of the best dance-tracks of the year. Oh it's so obvious even the first time you hear it. In fact, I cannot wait to mix it into my DJ set at the club. What will happen is, I'll be spinning "One Roman Choir" by KieTheVez (huge bonus points if you know this song, unlikely that you do) and then mix it into "Everything You Touch." After the track begins with a low-volume beat, followed by an irresistible synth progression that bursts in, anyone on the dancefloor will be like "wow, what IS this?" A few smart people will actually wonder if it's the new Ladytron. They may not know for sure because there's something different here. You can still dance to their electro-pop. And it has the robo female vocals. But it's darker and more sinister. Afterall, the record IS titled Witching Hour. Alongside "Everything" are several other stand-out tracks such as the dreamy "International Dateline," the beat-lead "Sugar," and "Beauty*2" (which is like a gloomier, electronic Cocteau Twins). If you can't groove to this then you're just a robot that hasn't been programmed to dance. -Kenyon

My Morning Jacket? Or Pink Floyd circa 1971?

My Morning Jacket
October 18, 2005 at Webster Hall, NYC.
by Shannon Ronan

The leaves have been slow to change color this autumn, but upon leaving my first My Morning Jacket show, I could have sworn they'd turned golden. At that moment, I could state with complete confidence that the band had proved to be worth many months of waiting. And those months of waiting were hell, often filled with worry that frontman Jim James' endless charm might fail to distract from possible shortcomings (i.e. the recent line-up changes or the experimental meanderings of the latest record.)

Though Z was actually recorded far from the band's home of Kentucky, it is undeniably an acquired taste. No matter how smooth it starts to sound after repeated listens, chances are you will never forget the sting it left the first time you heard it. That is the beauty of the record. MMJ is not content unless they are out exploring unfamiliar rugged terrains. And that is the beauty of the band.

Tuesday's set list consisted of mostly newer songs, foregoing catchy country hooks and homegrown harmonies for those loaded with hard rock breakdowns. In step, the audience--made up primarily of an older crowd--put down their beers to raise their finger-horns in well-deserved salute. The band's overall mood proved hard to read beneath some of the members' hair, but their maturity and respectability as musical pioneers came through clearly in the way they swung that hair (a move presumably perfected only after many years of dedicated practice). MMJ whispered in with "Wordless Chorus," mesmerized with fan favorites "Golden, "One Big Holiday," "Run Thru," "Off The Record," and "Mahgeetah" and kicked up the dirt one last time, closing with "Anytime." Amazingly, even in its quietest moments, from the black shadows of the stage (lit only by an occasional flashlight to allow for guitar switches), MMJ never stopped rocking long enough to wonder if its fans would follow.

Set list: Wordless Chorus, It Beats 4 U, Gideon, One Big Holiday, The Way That He Sings, Golden, Sooner, Wonderful, Off The Record, Lay Low, Dondante, Run Thru. Encore: At Dawn, I Think I'm Going To Hell, Mahgeetah, Anytime.

Shannon is a graduate of the New School and has a job that requires her to look through the New York Times. You better be godddamn impressed by that.

There are three really rad songs on Harmonies for the Haunted, stellastarr*'s follow-up to their excellent debut from 2003. And so far there's one really super video for one of them. Unlike most of the debut album's upbeat new wavey rock, "Sweet Trouble Soul" is more along the lines of their darker "In the Walls," which showed the band's dramatic side. And like the video for "Walls," "Sweet" has got some intriguing visuals, which includes somber, yet dreamy animation. In other words, one of the best videos of the year. Come on, someone quote me on that! Watch video: HI. LO. Too slow. -Kenyon

U2: beautiful. Cell phones and beer: bad.
(or, love and peace or else I'm going to hurt someone)

U2 at Madison Square Garden, New York, October 10, 2005
-Kenyon Hopkin


You'd think that after three dates in the area in May and two at Madison Square Garden in the past weak would produce less of an energized crowd. With U2, that's just not the case. At least, not for this impressive third gig at MSG. And you'd think that being in section 419, facing the side of the stage, would be a drag. Not so. Not when it's an open stage and you're in Row A!

When they first came on for "City of Blinding Lights" (after the Arcade Fire over the PA got my fists pumping) the crowd was nearly deafening and a lot of the time it was difficult to even hear the music. Several people that posted at u2tours.com said that Bono's voice was a little off. I remember the singer from Keane (who were not bad) even mentioned that his voice wasn't up to par tonite (no one should be pointing that out, cause it only brings attention to it). I really didn't notice any flaw with his voice, but come on people, U2 is playing like 200 shows in a year, so what do you expect. It's amazing that they can play two hours each nite at all.

I was very ecstatic that they started with "City" again, but "Vertigo" and "Elevation" (why they chose to keep this in the set so long is beyond me, that song is weak), was like they were just going through the motions. I know they can't mix up sets TOO MUCH, but I'm just sick of those songs. The next two songs, however, more than made up for this: "I Will Follow" and "Electric Co." Most of the crowd was into "Follow" but (surprise, surprise) only a small percentage even knew "Electric Co." That was the first of a few songs where I was dancing and jumping around while the people around me were sitting down or just standing there like zombies.

"I Still Haven't Found" unexpectedly followed, I've never known of that song coming so early in a set. Then of course the crowd got energized again with "Beautiful Day." "Miracle Drug" slowed it down and again Bono had to dedicate the song to nurses, etc. and then "Sometimes You Can't Make it", which i don't even clearly remember them playing because I was probably sitting and putting my head on the guard rail in front of me. Good time for a break.

Then came the sorta charged-up-with-a-political-message segment with "Love and Peace," "Sunday" and "Bullet the Blue Sky", all which were pretty rocking, with Bono playing a little drum kit on the ramp for "Love and Peace". After "Bulllet" was probably the most unexpected song (for me at least) of the nite: "Miss Sarejevo," a song they recorded under the name "Passengers" with Brian Eno and opera singer Pavorotti. Holy cow! Are you kidding me? I assumed it would be "Running to Stand Still" cause that's what usually comes after "Bullet". The Edge played piano instead of guitar for "Sarejevo" and sadly, most of the crowd didn't know it, and since it's a quiet song, I could hear people talking. As a result at that point, I pretty much hated most everyone there. This was a really special moment, and Bono was even singing Pavorotti's part, wow, impressive.

Favorites "Pride" and "Streets" of course followed and then the so so boring and overrated "One". (I'm pretty sure) just before "One" Bono had the crowd do the thing with the cell phones, which I find pretty ironic since he was talking about how they can do everything including lending support to the ONE campaign and yet here they were annoying the hell out of me with people calling their friends before and during the show (I kid you not, this guy next to me, who thankfully later moved cause he was in the wrong seat, called his friend during Keane like 5 minutes after getting there and says "yea, they're pretty good" and holds the phone up to record some of it to send to him. jerk)

The main set ended, they took a short break, and then the Zoo TV-like images were on the screens. Totally sweet. The best part of the show, second only to start of "City". It's like a new concert is starting, like you're at the Zoo TV tour in 1992. I happen to love "Zoo Station". Of course it's not a "hit", so not as many people are into it. I wish Bono moved around more for the song though as he did in the Zoo TV live from Sydney Australia video. Here he kinda just did the same movements when I saw them May 18, so that was just going through motions there. "The Fly". I'm sorry, that song is very average for U2. Why aren't they playing "Even Better Than the Real Thing" on this tour? That would work so much better, especially earlier in the set. "With or Without You" I was hoping would flow in from a previous song, it doesnt work too well after "Fly".

At that point it was 11:25, and my friend and I decided we needed to catch the 11:42 train (the next was at 1:04, dammit. yea yea I know, it's U2!), so just as they came on for the second encore with "All Because of You", we left, realizing it otherwise would have taken like 30 minutes to get from section 419 to the ground. I really hated to leave, especially after finding out they played "Bad" and "40". However they did play that May 18 so I'm not as upset. Hopefully they will play "Bad" November 21 (I'll be in a 200-level section near the stage). After the show, I was having second thoughts about Nov 21 and I wanted to sell the ticket. (get ready for the rant) I'll tell you why: phones, talking and beer. People, again: YOU PAID GOOD MONEY TO SEE U2, AND HERE YOU ARE DRINKING BEER (and spilling it on people), going to the bathroom or to get more beer (MSG is dumb for selling it) AND TALKING DURING THE SHOW ("yankees are down 2-1!"). I am sure there are bigger fans that deserved tickets more than you and got shut out. You just don't get it, this is one of the best bands and shows you will ever see, and some people appreciate it more than you and want to be incredibly focused and immersed in it. It's a chance/risk you have to take though. I guess my section could have been worse, it wasn't as awful as I am making it sound, it was just typical. I'm trying my luck on Nov 21, because well, U2 is the BOMB and this may be my last chance to see them, particularly at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Oh yea and um, I think I forgot to mention that the lights were pretty cool too.

Main Set: City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, I Will Follow, The Electric Co., I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (snippet of In a Little While), Beautiful Day (snippet of lou reed song), Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Happy Birthday/Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One (snippet of Ol' Man River.)

Encore 1: Zoo Station, The Fly, With or Without You. Encore 2: All Because of You, Yahweh, Bad, 40

photos and more at U2tours.com

Tonight Kenyon will be in section 419 at MSG for U2.


Depeche Mode at MSG went on sale this morning at 9am and it is NOT SOLD OUT YET. Second show added too.