The Music Circus is where I showcase my concert photos, posters, videos, and music news.
I've taken hundreds of videos, thousands of photos, and own more than one hundred posters.
The Music Circus features bands and solo performers from Alexisonfire to Zao - there is something unique and interesting here for everyone!
It's no surprise that Iggy Pop has been performing shirtless since the 60s. However, you might be a little shocked to see how his body has deteriorated over six decades of playing live shows.
Here's a shot of Iggy with David Bowie from 1986:
Nothing wrong with this photo, both men look like healthy young chaps.
Now fast forward to 2010:
Wow! Words escape me ...
Check out more photos from the official Iggy Pop shirtless aging time-line here:
I've never been a huge fan of STP, but I do respect their body of work and position as one of the 1990's alternative music "it" bands. Despite the drug-fueled controversy that has surrounded front-man Scott Weiland for years, STP are a fine band with talented players. Check out the STP poster I picked up on their recent stop in Toronto:
This poster looks like something you might pick up at a Tool concert. It's pretty trippy and fun, not something you would expect from a typical alternative rock band. Look at the art for Tool's album 10,000 Days. I swear there are some similarities between this and the STP poster, maybe the same designer did both.
Last, check out this song from Scott Weiland solo album "Happy" in Galoshes:
This is the same "Be Not Afraid" I heard every Sunday at Catholic mass. I guess Scott is at that place in his career where he records songs for himself - either that or he has gone completely wonky!
Sorry to disappoint, but this post isn't about my exploits as a club rat whose name is emblazoned on only the most exclusive guest lists. This post is about a newly-published book by three people who are tired of being on guest lists and getting special treatment (I think). I think author Nick Zinner, Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist extraordinaire, came up with the title "Please Take Me Off the Guest List" because he seems apathetic towards the whole "privileged rock star" lifestyle. Nick enjoys playing shows and writing music and couldn't care less about guest lists, exclusive parties, and the abomination known as "bottle service".
This is what the small but elegantly-designed book's cover looks like:
Here we have what looks to be the decorations of a really cheesy party one of the authors most likely attended on the guest list. The cover photo and all interior photos were taken by Zinner, while the essays/short stories are provided by Zachary Lipez and Stacy Wakefield. The essays are written with a sense of "New York hipsterism" that I am not a huge fan of, but the book's overall design and photos make up for the lackluster writing. And as an added bonus for pre-ordering "Please Take Me Off the Guest List", the book's author page was signed by all three authors! Check it out:
This special pre-order edition was also numbered 194/250 and written on the inside flap like this:
To top it all off, the pre-order also came with this:
What is this you ask? A random audience shot? Well flipping the photo around exposed the shocking bit of information you see here:
It reads: "Vancouver 02 1/1 N.Z."
Yes ladies and gentlemen, this is an original photo taken by Nick Zinner on stage at a Yeah Yeah Yeahs show at Vancouver in 2002. This photo has become one of my most cherished music collectibles. It's 1/1 for god sakes, that's so cool!
All Yeah Yeah Yeahs fans should check out their concert film "Live From London". Here's the trailer:
No, this post isn't about the plight of elephants in captivity, it's about the rock band from Kentucky formed in 2005 originally known as "Perfect Confusion".
Cage the Elephant's (CtE) singles have been playing in heavy rotation on Toronto rock radio stations since early 2009. Their sound is fun, semi-indie and loud; a great combination for casual music fans and hardcore fans of indie/alternative rock. It's not everyday that you see a relatively new band from Bowling Green, Kentucky have their song used in a popular online video game.
Check out CtE's song "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" in the opening cinematic video for Borderlands:
If CtE didn't think getting signed after a 2007 South-by-Southwest showcase meant they "made it", then having their hit-single in a video game surely does. This summer CtE is supporting Stone Temple Pilots on their North American Tour, yet another milestone for the little band from Kentucky that could.
Check out this CtE poster I bought at the STP show last night:
It looks like the poster designer was looking for a "DIY aesthetic" with this one. I like this poster because it doesn't try to be super artistic or reflect some pretentious theme. The poster seems to reflect a young band that is still defining their sound with all the potential in the world.
Who knew that an Irish band with such a bland name as "U2" would become the "world's biggest band" various times in their long career. To any naysayers who don't believe U2 are the world's biggest band, check out this story from the Montreal Gazette:
"U2 will perform on the polo field at the Montreal Hippodrome, kicking in $3 million for the construction of a temporary open-air stadium to fit 60,000 to 80,000 people.
But it’s also a testament to the grand scale on which a monolithic rock band such as U2 can afford to operate. Tossing in $3 million to build a stadium for a night (or maybe two – don’t discount the possibility that a second show could be added once the first one sells out, as happened in Toronto in September) is the privilege of the mighty, and wealthy. But you can bet the band is also getting bang for its buck."
Have you ever heard of a band building and stadium for one (or two) performances and demolishing it when they are done? So crazy!
Check out this poster I picked up on U2's 369 tour concert in Toronto last summer.
Not bad, but for a band that makes around 5 million per show I expected something a little more exquisite.
Check out this awesome clip of my favourite U2 song, "Sunday Bloody Sunday".
Check out the kids running away when the first note drops:
Is this a Filipino cover band?
I hope this "performance" is being filmed by a still camera on a tripod, because not even the most hardcore classic rock fan could enjoy this cover.
When Canadian prog legends Rush called off their July 7 show in Chicago because of heavy rain, some fans got angry. One fan tried to sue Rush for his transportation, accommodation and beer fees.
Rush made up the rain date, and offered every member of the audience a baseball cap that has stitching on the back that reads "The Rain Date, Chicago 2010".
Rush are a real class act and amazing performers. It's cool to see that they made up the date and gave the fans a little bonus token of their gratitude. Knowing how crazy some hardcore Rush fans can be, I bet some of those hats will be going up for hundreds of dollars on Ebay.
Check out this clip for the recent and awesome Rush documentary, "Beyond The Lighted Stage":
