2008 Party Update
Amanda Palmer, WFNX Interview (Live at Best Music Poll 2008)
Amanda Palmer, "Creep (Radiohead cover, Live at Best Music Poll 2008)"
In only her second show since vocal-cord surgery, Amanda Palmer took the Best Music Poll concert stage to preview a bunch of tunes off her forthcoming solo debut, Who Killed Amanda Palmer?, most of 'em at the piano -- although she began with her patented showstopping ukulele rendition of "Creep" and ended, with Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione on guitar, by howling a cover Neutral Milk Hotel's "Two Headed Boy." Here's "Creep," plus her interview on FNX, but stay tuned -- Amanda also consented to be our behind-the-scenes BMP guide, and we'll have some exclusive backstage treats to post soon.
Bob Mould: Best Music Poll Interview 2008
We knew Bob Mould had gotten his feet wet a few years ago with a brief foray into electronic music and a monthly DJ night, "Blowoff," down in DC. What we hadn't realized is that a) Mould is back to making very Sugar-like rock music, and b) that his DJ tastes have evolved to the point where he's become a huge Paris/Ed Banger fanboy. In this interview, conducted backstage a few minutes before he went onstage last weekend, he big-ups Justice, Kavinsky, and Sebastien, and talks about his remixes for Interpol, Low, Tokyo Police Club. Plus some clips from his solo-electric set at Best Music Poll 2008. Then click below for the full clip of "Wishing Well."
When the ladies of the Phoenix art department came running up to us at Best Music Poll in full-hyperventilation mode, we hoped that their excitement meant that someone had just uncovered a secret stash of drink tickets, or maybe an electric blanket. When we managed to calm them down, they claimed to have spotted Jim Halpert wandering around the venue. The Office hottie? At our party? And he wasn't even on the guest list? Naaaahhhhh, we pshawed. An extensive search of the grounds, with multiple photogs in tow, turned up nothing. But after we'd abandoned the hunt, the art girls found their prey: Newton homie John Krasinsky, just hanging out and watching his pals Death Cab for Cutie, with whom he was scheduled to rendezvous after the gig. Above: snaps of their brief auditions for the role of Pam, should the need for a replacement ever arise.
Presidents of the United States of America
Death Cab for Cutie
Amanda Palmer
Bob Mould
Eli "Paperboy" Reed
All photos (c) Carina Mastrocola
It's a wrap: the 2008 Best Music Poll Concert is in the books, and as far as we know, no one died of hypothermia. Fuck, was it cold. As we're uploading this, it's 65 and sunny. This couldn't have happened 18 hours earlier?
This was our first year putting on the BMP exclusively at the Pavilion -- in recent years we've split the action between the tent and the clubs on Lansdowne Street, but with Lansdowne Street in its current state of demolition (as if Dropkick Murphys' pipebomb fantasy had finally come true), we stuffed everything under one roof. Death Cab were epic, and Chris Ballew's Presidents were far, far better than we had any right to suspect (and we're not just saying that because they covered the MC5 -- we'd forgotten how much OKGO owe their careers to the POTUSA blueprint). Bob Mould, in solo-electric mode, came out and played a bunch of hits, not to mention some Husker Du. Amanda Palmer played just her second show since vocal-cord surgery and unveiled a bunch of new solo material, then brought out fellow Dresden Doll Brian Viglione to play guitar on a shrieking version of Neutral Milk Hotel's "Two Headed Boy." Passion Pit went on first, for an audience in the hundreds -- but trust us, by next year there's gonna be a couple thousand people claiming they were there-when. (Alas, they went on before our photogs showed up. If anyone's got snaps, let us know.) For our money the scene-stealing act of the day was Eli "Paperboy" Reed, who delivered the same shockingly, effortlessly house-shattering soul set he's been plying in clubs -- but on the big stage it felt even bigger.
We're still recovering from the after-party, but we've already got a shit-ton of photos up in case you missed it. And you'll probably want to check back soon: we'll be uploading interviews, concert videos, and a few special treats throughout the week.
BMP 2008 PHOTOS: Death Cab for Cutie
BMP 2008 PHOTOS: Presidents of the United States of America
BMP 2008 PHOTOS: Amanda Palmer
BMP 2008 PHOTOS: Bob Mould
BMP 2008 PHOTOS: Eli "Paperboy" Reed
If we had a Best Music Poll category for most-improved, Mike Fiore's FACES ON FILM would've had another notch in their belt, not to mention a pretty-much unimpeded cakewalk to the victory. As it is, he's up for best local singer-songwriter, for which we apologize because we didn't know quite where else to put 'em. The live show has gotten to the level of stunning motherfuckers, and it doesn't seem to matter whether he's onstage by himself, with a stripped down trio (we highly recommend their recent Flophouse Session over at Band In Boston), or -- see above -- with the full band plus friends, recorded live at the Middle East during one of our recent Best Music Poll showcase concerts.
Voting, of course, has ended for this year's BMP. Results will be released May 9, just in time to preview the Best Music Poll Concert at Bank of America Pavlion on May 10 with Death Cab for Cutie, Bob Mould, Amanda Palmer, and a couple of recently-announced BMP winners: Eli "Paperboy" Reed and Passion Pit. Tickets are still available, but not for long.
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COMING SOON!: Hallelujah the Hills, Big Digits
