WWW BEN'S REVIEWS

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Apples in Stereo
[02.12.2007]

Assembly of Dust
[02.04.2007]

The Hackensaw Boys
[01.27.2007]

Paul Luc

[01.20.2007]

Local Honey / Slim Cessna
[01.13.2007]

Bob Seger

[12.14.2006]

Skinks / Rahim / Transcontinental Booze Hounds
[11.25.2006]

The Big Sleep
[11.18.2006]

Local Honey / The Izzys
[11.10.2006]

Cloud Cult
[11.07.2006]

Grand Buffet / Magnolia Electric Co
[10.31.2006]

Norman Nardini
[10.28.2006]

Wilco
[10.20.2006]

Wilco
[10.18.2006]

Kid Congo Powers
[10.12.2006]

Dave Alvin
[09.23.2006]

Wolfmother
[09.22.2006]

Mountain Goats
[09.20.2006]

World Party
[08.27.2006]

Gil Mantera's Party Dream
[08.16.2006]

Whiskey Daredevils / Local Honey
[08.11.2006]

The Silver Jews
[07.28.2006]

The Bottle Rockets / Marah

[07.27.2006]

Slim Cessna's Auto Club
[07.15.2006]

Alejandro Escovedo
[07.10.2006]

Cat Power
[07.09.2006]

Life In Bed / The Transcontinental Booze Hounds
[07.07.2006]

Violent Femmes
[07.01.2006]

Guitar Zack Wiesinger / Pittsburgh Pirates Loss # 54
[06.30.2006]

The Black Crowes \ Robert Randolph \ The Drive-By Truckers
[06.25.2006]

Pearl Jam
[06.23.2006]

The Octopus Project \ Black Moth Super Rainbow \ Amoeba Knievel
[06.19.2006]

The Bottle Rockets
[06.14.2006]

Govt. Mule / Local Honey / Wil E. Tri
[06.08.2006]

Tehran Iran
[06.03.2006]

Astronautalis
[05.25.2006]

Grand Buffet / Cobalt Black
[05.19.2006]

Phil Boyd w/Manny Theiner & Weird Paul / The Codetalkers feat. Col. Bruce Hampton
[05.15.2006]

The Four Seasons Boys
[05.11.2006]

The Supersuckers
[05.02.2006]

The Breakup Society
[04.28.2006]

The Four Seasons Boys / The Gris Gris
[04.19.2006]

Rhett Miller & The Believers
[04.14.2006]

Good Brother Earl
[04.08.2006]

Slim Cessna's Auto Club
[04.03.2006]

"Guitar" Zack Wiesinger
[03.25.2006]

The Minus 5 / The Silos
[03.24.2006]

The Mendoza Line / Great Lake Swimmers
[03.12.2006]

Dave Alvin
[03.10.2006]

Apollo Sunshine
[03.07.2006]

Lyle Lovett / John Hiatt / Joe Ely / Guy Clark
[02.14.2006]

Marah
[02.12.2006]

Marah / Slim Cessna's Auto Club
[11.12.2005]

Ted Leo + Pharmacists / Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
[11.08.2005]

The National
[11.02.2005]

Modey Lemon
[10.07.2005]

Gang of Four
[10.04.2005]

Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers

[09.24.2005]

Thunderbirds Are Now!
[09.22.2005]

The Walkmen
[09.17.05]

Circle
[09.15.05]

Akron/Family, Great Lake Swimmers
[09.05.05]

Los Lobos
[08.21.05]

Grand Buffet, Magnolia Electric Co.
[08.20.05]

Joe Ely

[08.19.05]

Solomon Burke

[08.14.05]

Billie Joe Shaver
[08.11.05]

Robert Randolph & The Family Band
[08.07.05]

Oneida
[08.06.05]

Richard Buckner
[07.13.05]


NYC Road Trip

[07.08.05]


Stars
[06.23.05]

Aimee Mann
[06.19.05]

Bobbie "Blue" Bland, Michael Penn, Erin McKeown, OPEK, The Mavens
[06.18.05]

The Holmes Brothers
[06.15.05]

Drive-By Truckers, Deep Purple
[06.11.05]

Los Lonely Boys, Martin Sexton
[06.10.05]

Marah
[06.08.05]

Brant Bjork & The Bros.

[06.03.05]

Railroad Earth
[05.20.05]

Andrew Bird
[05.17.05]

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
[05.13.05]

Rosavelt
[05.12.05]

Green Day
[04.23.05]

The Shins
[04.15.05]

Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Matt Sweeney
[04.14.05]

The Beakup Society, Whiskey Daredevils
[03.25.05]

Apollo Sunshine
[03.12.05]

From The Jayhawks: Gary Louris and Mark Olson
[03.11.05]

Clem Snide, Archer Prewitt
[03.07.05]

Norman Nardini
[03.04.05]

The SPUDS, Norman Nardini
[02.18.05]

The Comas
[02.15.05]

Tarbox Ramblers
[02.12.05]

Black Tie Revue
[01.28.05]

Elvismas, Shade
[01.08.2005]

Chalk Outline Party, Comrad
[12.18.2004]

One Star Hotel
[12.10.2004]

Ted Leo + Pharmacists
[12.03.2004]

Thanksgiving Eve / The Italian Club / Blairsville, Pa

Sue Foley
[11.20.2004]

The Whiskey Daredevils
[11.19.2004]

The Arcade Fire, The Cynics
[11.15.2004]

Steelers v. Patriots
[10.31.2004]

Mike Watt
[10.21.2004]

Magnolia Electric Co.
[10.14.2004]

The Mendoza Line
[10.09.2004]

The Black Keys
[10.07.2004]

The Secret Machines
[10.06.2004]

The Fiery Furnaces, Charles Bissell (The Wrens)
[09.23.2004]

The Minus 5 / The Silos
03.24.2006 / Club Cafe / Pittsburgh, PA

Quite possibly the best show entrance ever. I hand my ticket over to Rinaldo and I’m face to face with Peter Buck. Of course, I knew he was playing tonight, but shit. Peter Buck from R.E.M. I wasn’t drunk enough to muster up the courage to say anything and I had kinda swore off trying to make small talk with rock stars following an embarrassing exchange with Jon Spencer (though he was pretty much a dick) many years ago.

The Silos were already playing and I have told myself that I like them even though I haven’t heard many of their albums. Problem was I couldn’t help feeling giddy that I was standing next to Peter Buck for a bunch of songs. The Silos didn’t play my favorite, “Tennessee Fire,” though I may have missed it. And Peter came up and jammed with them for one song. I don’t think their set won over too many fans but they are obviously talented nonetheless.

Luckily I didn’t make my usual trip to Dee’s between bands because The Minus 5 were up and playing in no time. I had planted myself in the very back near the bar and the place was so packed it looked like I wasn’t moving up anytime soon. Scott McCaughey was in fine form sporting his Doctor of Evil guitar strap and pleased to be the master of ceremonies for the next two hours.

Some drunken idiot, who was acting extremely obnoxious during The Silos set, kept flailing around the front of the stage. I’ve got no problem with being drunk and enjoying yourself as long as you don’t think everybody should be digging your own stupid antics. I see Peter lean over and say something to this guy and all of the sudden he’s being moved towards the door. I see my in and work my way towards his spot near the stage.

I’d been waiting for the one song I’ve been listening to everyday at work “Cigarettes, Coffee and Booze” and when they played it I couldn’t get the shit-eating grin off my face. They also rocked out on “Twilight Distillery.”

It didn’t seem like Peter wanted to stop because near the end he kept leaning over to Scott apparently suggesting more songs. They then finished off with a Beatle lovers encore, first covering “The Ballad of John and Yoko” then closing with a cover of McCartney’s “Smile Away.”

Afterwards Peter Buck and the rest of the guys stuck around signing stuff. I’m now regretting not getting a picture with Peter but at the time I felt I was cool enough to not need one. Then the next day “Pale Blue Eyes” pops up on my iPod and I realize I fucked up.