Concert: The Heavy Heavy September 28, 2024

For the second time this year and and the 3rd time in 14 months Katie and I saw The Heavy Heavy live in concert. You can read about the other two times here:

The Heavy Heavy: July 27, 2023 Albany, New York

Boston Calling Day 3: May 26, 2024

For the first time we are seeing them in Maine, and the show was at the Portland House of Music.  This is the smallest venue that we have seen them at, however it was packed shoulder to shoulder with people.  

We got there when doors opened at 7pm, and just hung around until Fonteyn went on at 8:15pm.  At one point Kate commented that she sounded like Olivia Newton John and from that point on that was all I heard.  Near the end of her set she did a cover of Todd Rundgren's "I Saw The Light" stating he was an inspiration, and it was clear that he was.  We both really enjoyed them. 

It didn't take long for them to remove Fonteyn's equipment to get ready for The Heavy Heavy.  The hit the stage at 9:30pm and by then the crowd had really packed in.  After a few songs we moved towards the back because the quarters were a bit too tight for my liking.  The venue is small enough that you have a great view from anywhere and they just sound so awesome.

I love this new album, every song on it with "Feel" and "Wild Emotions" being my favorite 2 songs on the album.  They announced the new album a few months ago, I immediately pre-ordered a signed vinyl from their website and bought it digitally from Amazon music.  That day or the next day they announced the tour and I was pumped to see a Portland, Maine show and immediately bought tickets on the presale.

In the months leading to the show they released a few songs I loved each one.  The week before the albums September 6 release they did listen parties on Bandcamp and YouTube and I listened to both excited to hear all the songs and asked questions in the live chat.

Sometimes you go to a concert and you get disappointed that the band doesn't play your favorite song.  This was not the case.  "Feel" was every bit amazing live as I thought it would be.  I just love the guitar riff and told Will and Georgie that at the merch table.  Will told me they recorded that in one take, which is wild!  He may have meant just the guitar part, but I took it as the song.

Frank, who plays guitar, was breaking down the stage so I went and chatted with him.  Also saying how much I love that song and the guitar riff.  He thanked me and said they have only played it live a couple times and he's still getting the timing down on it and wasn't vey happy with it tonight.  I told him I know nothing about playing guitars, but I thought it sounded amazing and I loved it. 

I had brought my Life and Life Only first printing album to get signed, which they graciously did.  I also bought the tour poster and bought one of the cool felt pennants they had made up.

What I love about this band, aside from the amazing music, is every interaction I've had in person or online has been positive.  They seem to really appreciate their fans and even more so the music they are sharing with us.  

On my office wall at work I have a cool display going on.  I have all three albums signed as well as their Spring and Fall 2024 tour posters.  I REALLY love the Fall 2024 poster.  I do have the poster from the July 2023 show we went to in Albany, NY but it is not signed.

The first two albums are the 6 and 11 track versions of Life and Life Only, the subtle difference is the color of the words "Life and Life Only".  The 6 track was released in June 2022 and the 11 track expanded edition in May 2023.  I bought the expanded edition from them in Albany and had it signed there. 

 

Set List

Parakeets

Lemonade

Man of the Hills

Miracle Sun

Feel

Go Down River

Cherry

All My Dreams - Extended Instrumental

Dirt

Unknown Song

Lovestruck

Wild Emotion - with Fonteyn

Happiness

Because You're Mine - Extended Instrumental

Miles and Miles - Extended Intro

Encore:

Real Love Baby - Father John Misty cover

One of a Kind

Fonteyn

Set List - incomplete

These Days

Darlin (How Do I Let You Know?)

I Saw The Light - Todd Rundgren cover

I cannot wait to see them again.  Hopefully next time it will be at an all ages show so we can bring our son, currently 9, who would love to see them.  

While doing research for this blog I found on DISCOGS this cover art 

With the notes: Original 2020 release of the EP. This version was released independently before the band got signed to ATO Records and has different cover artwork.

Now I need to find this version because I can be a completionist and want all the versions.  So if anyone has a line on this, please let me know. 

Until Next Time!

Concert: Boston Calling Festival, Day 3

 Kate and I went to the Boston Calling Music Festival on the Harvard Campus during Memorial Day Weekend.  We went on Sunday only and I bought tickets after it was announced that The Killers were the headliners on Sunday and that The Heavy Heavy were also performing on Sunday, two of our favorite bands!

I ended up getting us VIP tickets and it was well worth the cost.  VIP gave us access to exclusive viewing areas closer to the all of the stages, airconditioned bathrooms with running water, VIP bar area, and in the VIP free water and soft drinks.  The water was cans of liquid death, not what I expected but whatever it was free.  Talking to others Sunday was the most attended day, the GA section was packed, and we never would have gotten as close as we did nor would we have been able to move around the grounds like we wanted too.  

The set up has 4 stages, with Green being the primary followed by Red, Blue, and Orange.  Red and Green were next to each other and would not have bands playing at the same time, Orange was for locals and Blue was on the other side of the grounds and had bands performing at the same time as Red & Green so you had to choose.  The only band we wanted to see on the blue stage The Revivalists were moved to the Red stage, so we only watched acts on the Red and Green.  What was cool is from either the Green or Red Stage VIP you could see the other stage, and the music was coming out of the speakers in both areas so you could hear everything as well.  

We got parked and walked the half mile to the entrance, we got in the VIP entrance line about 1245, 15 minutes before doors opened.  We got in and checked the grounds and headed to the Green Stage VIP area in preparation for The Heavy Heavy.

Stefan Thev was the first act of the day at 1:40pm on the Red Stage, they were just ok.

The Heavy Heavy were on the Green State at 2:20pm and only had 35 minutes but there absolutely killed it playing songs we loved and we got a new song as well!  Their set was not long enough for me.

We headed to the food area next to get lunch and then to locate the VIP tent for our free beverages.  We ended up sitting on a hay bale in the shade for a while to cool down, it was wicked hot! 

 

We headed over to the Red stage VIP area to and caught the majority of Chappell Roan who was on the Green Stage from 4:05 - 5:05 she was fantastic which surprised Kate & I as we were not familiar.  The crowd loved her as well and were very into everything!  We did listen to a few of her songs the next day, and she is better live in our opinion.

Next we watched the majority of the Revivalists on the Red Stage who performed from 5:15 to 6:15.  We made our way back to the Green Stage VIP for the remainder of the event

Megan Thee Stallion was on the Green Stage from 6:25 to 7:25, she went a little over.  She is not my style of music but the audience LOVED her.  She has not band, she sang to a supporting track with back up dancers, twerked and slapped her ass a lot and cursed up a storm.  She put on a hell of a show and has amazing cardio.

Hozier was on the Red Stage from 7:35 to 9:05 and I'm glad I got see him live, but his stage show was kind of boring, and his 10 plus minute Ted Talk was unnecessary.  I wouldn't go see them again.

The headliners of the day and of the weekend were The Killers on the Green Stage, we were about 40 feet from the stage, had no one crammed around us and and had an amazing time.  Georgie from The Heavy Heavy was with a few members of The Revivalist just a few feet away from us enjoying The Killers as well.

The Killers hit the stage at 9:15 and finished up near 11pm.  They were awesome, they are tremendous live have so much energy and we have the best time at their shows.  This is our 4th time seeing the Killers.  Just a few feet away from use during the Killer's performance was Georgie from The Heavy Heavy and a couple members from the Revivalists. 

The walk out after the show was VERY rough on our feet and legs from standing all day.  The roadways were shut down so it looked like a protest march with everyone walking down the street to get to where they parked or the public transportation. 

We got to the van, I had prepaid for parking at a garage in February and paid $8, they were charging $35 that day, which is great for Boston.  We got home after 2am.  I would go back to Boston Calling again but only if the line up all day was amazing, and I would definitely get VIP again. 

Set Lists

The Killers

All These Things That I've Done

Spaceman

Jenny Was a Friend of Mine

Caution

Smile Like You Mean It

Shot at the Night

Run for Cover

Somebody Told Me

On Top

(Interrupted by Brandon due to someone in the audience needing assistance)

For Reasons Unknown

A Dustland Fairytale

(with "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Charles Hart cover outro)

Runaways

Read My Mind

Dying Breed

When You Were Young

Encore:

Human (Electro)

Mr. Brightside

Hozier - Unreal Unearth Tour

Eat Your Young

Jackie and Wilson

To Be Alone

Dinner & Diatribes

Francesca

Like Real People Do

From Eden

Cherry Wine

Work Song

De Selby (Part 2)

Would That I

Too Sweet

Nina Cried Power

(with Melissa McMillan) (LONG history lesson about revolution etc beforehand)

Almost (Sweet Music)

Movement

Take Me to Church

Megan Thee Stallion - Hot Girl Summer Tour

HISS

Ungrateful

Thot Shit

Freak Nasty

Megan’s Piano

Gift & a Curse

Say I Yi Yi

(Ying Yang Twins cover) (Ying Yang Twins song)

Hot Girl

Kitty Kat

Cobra

Plan B

Cognac Queen

Big Ole Freak

BOA

Sex Talk

What's New

NDA

Don't Stop

Body

Savage

The Revivalists

Good Old Days

Don't Look Back

Criminal

It Was a Sin

Down in the Dirt

All My Friends

How We Move

Keep Going

Time to Pretend - (MGMT cover)

Wish I Knew You

Kid

Chappell Roan - The Midwest Princess Tour

Femininomenon

Naked in Manhattan

Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl

Love Me Anyway

Picture You

HOT TO GO!

After Midnight

Casual

Red Wine Supernova

Good Luck, Babe!

My Kink Is Karma

Pink Pony Club

The Heavy Heavy

Jamming Intro

Man of the Hills

Go Down River

All My Dreams

Real Love Baby - (Father John Misty cover)

One of a Kind

Miles and Miles

Stefan Thev

I can't find a set list

Until Next Time!