seems like my concert-going has fallen off distinctly in the last year or so. i’m just getting pickier i suppose, and more able to tell which new bands i’m really not going to listen to much after the initial infatuation wears off.

the opposite is true of ac newman and/or the new pornographers. i’m still on the upward trajectory of liking these albums, getting more into them and thinking i should probably go pick up the older albums i don’t have yet. we went to his show thursday night at the troubadour and had a lot of fun. it wasn’t too crowded so jessica and i even got right up to the foot of the stage, which was great for her since she usually has a tough time seeing over other people’s heads and shoulders. of course, we also discovered that the speakers are right above you and facing out, so the sound is less than ideal. (sorry violinist at stage right, we might have missed out on some of your playing.)

this guy just writes a ton of really catchy, smart pop songs though. it’s bizarre honestly how high his percentage of winners is compared to other bands. part of me suspects some sort of black magic may be involved — he is a red head after all, and they’re witches, right?

anyway, please enjoy this little sample, ‘like a hitman, like a dancer‘, which was one of my favorites from the show.

we’re also going to ra ra riot tonight thanks to jessica’s quick call-in skills and kcrw membership. lucky me, huh? their album was very pleasant, i imagine that show will be fun too, especially since several friends are going to this one too. also, they have a really cute cello player, which doesn’t hurt either.

oh shit, before i forget, for the local folks, we also hit up 8oz burger bar before the show on thursday. one of those gourmet burgers where you can choose from a big selection of fancy toppings. the place was spacious, well-decorated, friendly, affordable and all that jazz. but the burgers, holy crap. i think i may have chosen some only-okay toppings (the smoked tomato sauce was uninspiring), but the actual beef patty was spectacular all on its own. seriously, if you like burgers you owe this place a visit. i’m super excited it’s so great and so close, since going to the west side to eat at the counter isn’t always worth the trip.