Sprenzy Shopping Blog

Several years ago, I saw Annie Lennox open up for Sting and she sounded great. Last week, I went to another Annie concert at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco, which is a relatively small auditorium (3,165 seats). I enjoyed Annie the first time I watched her perform, but I left this past show a bigger fan.

In a smaller venue, Annie was able to show off her quirky and fun personality. She definitely played up the “diva” role in a good way during her performance. Her vocals are still amazing. Annie performed songs from her Eurythmics days and her solo albums. And she also introduced tracks from her new album, Songs of Mass Destruction. It’s definitely worth picking up if you are Annie Lennox fan.

Check out the Masonic Center concert review from the San Francisco Chronicle. And here’s a video of Dark Road, the first single from Songs of Mass Destruction.

In the 90s, I was a huge Dave Matthews Band (DMB) fan. I belonged to the fan club, the Warehouse, and used to attend at least one concert each year. Then the group got too big and commercial and I stopped going to their concerts. Every time DMB visits the Bay Area, they perform at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. I’ve attended multiple Dave Matthews Band shows at Shoreline, along with concerts by other artists and I refuse to ever go back!

I can’t stand the parking situation and the drunk/high kids yapping throughout the show. Call me old, but I’d rather listen to the music than socialize during a concert. Shoreline is bearable if you have reserved seats in the lower sections, but I prefer the Greek in Berkeley or the Paramount in Oakland for a concert.

Because of my dislike of Shoreline, the only time I plan on seeing Dave Matthews is when he plays small venues with Tim Reynolds. Unfortunately, ticket demand is extremely high for Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds acoustical shows. I haven’t been able to get tickets the last few times the duo played in the Bay Area. Back in 1997, I was fortunate to see Dave and Tim play at Centennial Hall in Tucson. That show was amazing and still is my favorite Dave Matthews concert I’ve ever attended.

Thankfully, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds recently released a new album, Live at Radio City. I haven’t listened to much DMB music over the last several years, so the CD is a nice re-introduction to Dave’s music. Dave and Tim are always amazing together and although this album isn’t quite as good as Live at Luther College, it’s still a very good CD with more recent DMB songs performed acoustically at Radio City Music Hall. A Live at Radio City DVD is also available with backstage footage.

Until DMB starts playing at a different venue in the Bay Area, I’m relegated to listening to my Dave Matthews Band music at home. Come on Dave, a show at the Greek Theater in Berkeley would be phenomenal!

It’s December 22nd and next day shipping isn’t an option anymore. If you still have holiday shopping to finish, you have two choices: 1) brave the real world, hit the streets/traffic and actually go to a crazy brick and mortar store or 2) procrastinate a little longer, relax with your favorite beverage and buy an online gift certificate.

If you chose option 2, here are a few suggested stores where you can send a gift certificate via email.

• Amazon.com - get anything from books, electronics, household items and groceries. No matter who the recipient is, he or she will find something on Amazon.com.

• REI - for the outdoor enthusiast: cycling, camping, hiking, climbing, skiing, boarding, if it ends with an “ing” and you can do it outside, you’ll find the right gear here. REI has great customer service and return policy if you aren’t satisfied with a product.

• iTunes - for the music aficionado. I love my iPods and iTunes software but I’m not a fan of DRM music and the low bit-rate you get when purchasing music from iTunes. Nevertheless, you procrastinated and this is an easy way to give music to iPod owners.

• Netflix - introduce movie buffs to renting DVDs through the mail and the movie queue concept.

• Zappos - perfect for the shoe fanatic. Zappos offers free shipping/returns and 365 days to return an item. Order 10 shoes of different styles or sizes, try them on at home and return the ones you don’t want with no hassle. This site is dangerous for the shoe obsessed.

• Charitable Donation - if you can’t decide on a gift or know someone who has everything, then make a charitable donation in their name. Check out Charity Navigator to help you decide on an appropriate charity organization.

Let me know if you have any other good last minute gift ideas. And Happy shopping to all of you still looking for gifts!

I went to my second Damien Rice concert earlier this month in Oakland. It was a completely amazing and brilliant show. Damien is now my favorite musician overtaking Ray LaMontagne. Sorry Ray, I still love your music but the live show is missing something without CT (bassist) and the string section. So for now, Damien is #1.

For those unfamiliar with Damien Rice, he’s an Irish singer/songwriter in the folk rock genre. His 2002 debut album, O, was critically acclaimed. The follow-up album, 9, was released this past November. The critics aren’t bestowing the same praise for 9 as they did on O but nonetheless, I still think it’s a very good album.

Beyond Damien’s talent, the beautiful voice of vocalist, Lisa Hannigan, and the haunting melodies of cellist, Vyvienne Long, make me love Damien’s music. During the Oakland show, the band did an amazing rendition of Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower. Imagine a rendition based primarily on an acoustic guitar, a cello and drums. I was in awe after the song.  

Take a listen to the two videos below and judge for yourself. The first video is a new song off of 9, called Elephant. The second video shows a short interview and a couple of live songs from 9. Damien Rice live is a must see concert. But if you can’t get to a show, download live shows via BitTorrent. IMHO, the El Rey Theatre performance is better. I just hope someone recorded the December 6th show in Oakland!

Ray Lamontagne’s new album, Till the Sun Turns Black, will be released on August, 29th. If you like singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan, Van Morrison or Damien Rice, you have to check out Ray Lamontagne.

Ray released his first album, Trouble, in 2004 to critical success. His backstory is quite interesting. Ray was working at a shoe factory for four years and had an epiphany one morning after listening to Stephen Stills at 4:30 in the morning. He immediately quit his job to become a musician.

I saw him live for the first time in 2004 at the Fillmore in San Francisco and then again at the Warfield in 2005. Prior to the first concert, I had listened to Trouble a few times and enjoyed the album. After hearing him live in concert, he completely blew me away. Trouble is a relatively mellow album but he definitely rocks it out in person. Now, Ray is one of my favorite musicians. Here’s Ray performing the title song from Trouble acoustically…

The great thing about Ray is he allows his fans to record his shows. You can download free MP3s and lossless quality songs via bit torrent from this Ray Lamontagne live show trading forum.

I have already pre-ordered Ray’s new album and can’t wait for it to arrive. I’ll update this entry to give you my thoughts and how it compares to Trouble.

Update 10.10.2006
I’ve been listening to Till the Sun Turns Black for the last month and I love the album. Is it as good as Trouble? I think so but it’s definitely different. The new album is more refined and darker than Trouble. I’m really looking forward to seeing Ray perform live on November 13th in Oakland, CA.

Here are a few reviews of Till the Sun Turns Black from:

Stylus Magazine

Sputnikmusic

Gather.com