Fiona is finally free to play with Chris the Wannabe Cowboy

No this wasn't quite the Rodeo, Chris Martin, sorry to disappoint, but honestly, yall rocked more than any of the performers coming to Houston next week ever could.


The show at Toyota Center started with Fiona Apple and her musical lunacy. She is one musician that I think her deranged psyche is what has blessed her to make great music. I mean, how can someone feel so much bitterness and hatred if nothing good was to come of it?? So atleast we get to appreciate the music she makes to express it. As soon as I heard that she would be opening this show, I was pumped because her music I knew would be amazing live with a powerful performance. She banged out new and old favorites of mine.


She successfully grabbed everyone's attention opening with "Get Him Back" and "Better Version of Me" from her newest album, Extraordinary Machine. I loved the breaks in both songs. They played "Shadowboxer" at a much slower tempo than the recording that gave it an "aching" quality. She wasn't behind the piano the entire show though, she went up to the front mic for "Criminal" and stayed for a while, so we got to see her crazy dance moves -- one minute she was hopping around like a frog and then was thrashing her arms all over the place -- very intriguing, but not as ridiculous as I had imagined. From her album, When the Pawn..., she busted out "Limp", "Fast as You Can", and my personal favorite, "Paperbag". I'm so glad I got to see her live -- the music and lighting was just as I had imagined it would be (I wish my pics had turned out better though -- but thats what happens when the band wears all black with little back lighting!!)



The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" came on over the PA as the crowd jumped to its feet to cheer for Coldplay to come out of the shadows. The concert was awesome -- as is every Coldplay show. However, my obsession with the band has gotten the best of me. I was able to predict almost every aspect of the show so nothing was a surprise to me (set list was identical to one I had looked up the day before). That, and I compared it to their 2003 tour and the unforgettable ACL show last fall -- neither were easy to follow up. Even so, I had a blast dancing in our seats, no matter if it pissed off the lame-asses around us who sat most of the time. Especially during "X&Y" and "How you see the world, part II" -- two of my all time favorites of theirs, but since not many people know those tracks they took the chance to have a seat. Not me, I kept standing and dancing and singing like I was the only one in the arena who knew the song -- which I probably was!! I'm always holding my breath that they'll play "Such a Rush" but I doubt that will ever happen for me.

Chris did come out into the crowd during "In My Place" and I wished I had been down a few more rows so I could tag his shoulder again!!

I think we might have gotten a bit short changed on the set list --- other shows on this tour they have been playing more than what we got. My one real surprise was that they stayed up front and performed "Trouble" immediately after "Till Kingdom Come". Good decision, good decision.

And yummy Guy Berryman. What a freakin' badass with his shades on the entire show!! I want to have his little Scottish babies!! (he's so money, I wonder if he knows it?!!)

Set list for Saturday, February 25, 2006 at Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

Square One, Politik, Yellow, Speed Of Sound, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, X&Y, How You See The World v2, Don't Panic, White Shadows, The Scientist, Til Kingdom Come/Ring Of Fire, Trouble, Clocks, Talk ----- Swallowed In The Sea, In My Place, Fix You

So show No. 4 for me was a success. Can't wait for the next tour...whenever that will be. Maybe in 2009??

Am I wearing a sign that says kick me?

BRRRR!! Only for music will I suffer extreme weather conditions: ACL Fest I waited 7 hrs for a great spot to see (and touch) Chris Martin &Co. in blazing 108 degree heat!!!, the week of Thanksgiving I sat on a frigid sidewalk in midtown Manhattan for 6.5 hours in order to get front row on the ellipse at the U2 Vertigo Tour at Madison Square Garden, and last night I stood outside in 27 degree freezing rain at Emo's to see Nada Surf only to get bruised by the people around me. The show rocked -- rocked way harder than last year's SXSW show at Red Eye. Last year I was front and center right between the lead singer and bass player. But this time I still had a good view of the band (when I wasn't getting knocked over by the obnoxious drunk-asses surrounding me).

With the cold weather and and outdoors show I was sure they would play Blizzard of '77 -- and I guess everyone else was hoping they would too -- that was the only thing people were chanting out requests for. They opened with Hi Speed Soul, one of my faves off the "Let Go" album. It was so energetic and fun, a great start. Other favorites they played in the evening - Fruit Fly, Happy Kid, Inside of Love, Blond on Blond. They do a great job balancing the fast and slow songs in their set lists. Fruit Fly stood out to me this time -- its really quiet in the beginning -- they had an a capella sing along for the intro -- then it busts out into the great beat. I love watching Daniel, the bassist on these kinds of songs. He's like Heath Ledger with super long dreads and he's always bouncing to the music and singing with a cigarette hanging on his lip. The epitome of rock star. They also played a lot from the new album "the Weight is a gift", which I don't have yet, but will be getting soon. Great continuation of where Let Go left off.

They are touring with Rogue Wave, a new interest of mine. After seeing they were touring with Nada Surf, I looked into them on iTunes and Myspace and was intrigued. I didnt buy anything bc I wanted to wait until after the show to make sure, but I'm convinced now that its worth it. I felt like I made eye contact with the lead singer 2 or 3 times but I can't be sure of that. He was wearing a hat like Danny from the Real World -- made me giggle. Publish My Love and California were pretty awesome - lucky for you they are both on myspace, so check em out.

Overall great music and great performances -- I just wish I had been standing in a different place to enjoy it more.