Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, a.k.a. American Idols No. 1 and 2, Tuesday night at the Tacoma Dome.
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A point of disclosure: I’m not the biggest “American Idol” fan. Just don’t get it, actually. It’s kind of like televised karaoke, minus the sloppy drunks singing hideously off-key versions of Crue tunes before hitting the parking lot for a quick chunder. (For the record: Always entertaining.) So over the course of eight seasons, I’ve tuned in only about as much as my nine to five required; that is to say, I mainly just followed local boys Sanjaya, Blake Lewis and A.J. Gil (remember him? Season one?) and ignored most of the rest.

But I must confess that, as jaded as I am, I may have caught just a smidge of Lambert mania Tuesday night.

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Keep it up and your face is gonna get stuck like that, Mike Dirnt.
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So how is it that Green Day, of all the alt-rock hit makers of the 1990s, is still packing arenas like few bands this side of U2?

And what's the deal with "21st Century Breakdown," yet another high falutin' concept album about American mores? Didn’t these guys used to write three-chord punk anthems about masturbation? On albums called “Dookie?” And are they just trying to make up for paving the way for New Found Glory and Good Charlotte at this point?

So many questions in the days leading up to the band's tour launch at Seattle's KeyArena. And at least that question about the band's longevity was soundly addressed by last night's performance.

The band may have been somewhat two-dimensional back in the day, but songs like "Brain Stew" and "Longview" are still undeniably catchy. And the increasingly diverse new songs benefit from apparent study of the best of arena rockers past and present, with riffs that recall everyone from the Kinks (a la "Horseshoes and Handgrenades") to Marilyn Manson (that first part of "East Jesus Nowhere" is effective "Antichrist Superstar" lite.)

But nearly four years had passed since the “American Idiot” tour dropped in on the Tacoma Dome, so I'd almost forgotten how much singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool look like they're having every time they play, and what a special bond they have with their fans, which always wind up on stage in some capacity. Here are a few scenes from the early set.

The band’s unofficial mascot, an afflicted looking pink rabbit with a nasty drinking problem, was back from the “American Idiot” tour. He staggered up and down the catwalk, chugging brews, dry humping the stage and otherwise getting fans hyped for the main attraction. But seriously, it’s time for an intervention, Bugs.
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Green Day kicked off their set with the title track, “Know Your Enemy” and “East Jesus Nowhere” from the new album. Put the band's pop-punk label aside, and the newer sounds – which hint at a whole slew of classic rockers, from the Kinks to AC/DC – are a natural progression from what Green Day does best; namely deliver arena rock anthems that stick in your head long after the last power chord has faded.
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“Alright, who wants to hear some old s---?” Armstrong inquired before his band dusted off fan favorite, “Geek Stink Breath.” The middle part of the set was dedicated to radio hits like "Brain Stew," "Longview" and "Basket Case," with pyrotechnic blasts, cascading sparks and towering flames punctuating the music. “King For a Day” was a set highlight, as on previous tours, with the band donning funky hats and Armstrong incorporating bits of the Isley Brothers’ classic “Shout” and Ben E. King’s “Lean on Me” into the lyrical mix.
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And there was the expected crowd participation, part of what makes every Green Day set special. The band didn't recruit an entire replacement band from the audience, as on previous tours. But Armstrong did pluck a couple of fans from the audience to sing verses on “Longview.” He probably got more than he bargained for when the second one, a dude, gave him an awkward, lingering kiss before singing his lines. Is it just me, or did Billie Joe edge away just a little bit as the fan declared, “Who wants to (make love to) him?” Armstrong seemed to think it was pretty funny, though, and called the guy back onstage to take the customary stage dive back into the crowd. Later, during Green Day's encore, another kid held his own, playing lead guitar for “Jesus of Suburbia.” Hey, maybe hours of Guitar Hero does pay off?
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Forget that “papa” guy. Neko Case is the real rolling stone, having switched cities like an overgrown army brat in the decade and a half since she left our “dusty old jewel in the South Puget Sound.”

The red-headed chanteuse has moved to Seattle, Vancouver, B.C., Chicago, Tucson, Ariz., and most recently settled down on a farm in rural Vermont; you know, where she recorded the amphibian chorus you hear on the last half hour of her dreamy, new “Middle Cyclone” album.

But you know what they say about absence. “I’ve never played here before,” Case confessed at the beginning of her headlining set Tuesday night at Tacoma’s Pantages Theater. “I’ll try to do this without bawling.”

Case wasn’t joking. The mood was mostly light, with funny Frisko Freeze and Steve Miller references dropped in between song banter between Case and backup singer Kelly Hogan. But tears did eventually flow during a loving, set ending performance of “Thrice All American,” Case’s ode to Tacoma, her home in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Case said it had been eight years since she did the song. And she dedicated it to her friends in the crowd, asking them to imagine they were back at the Community World Theater. That would be the short-lived but locally legendary punk venue located at 56th and M streets in the late ‘80s. (Case was into the local punk scene back then, and could have caught a fledgling Nirvana at CWT, before those lads were even called Nirvana.)

Fans stood and sang along with Case’s nostalgic, bell-clear vocals. “Well the factories churn and the timber's all cut down, and life goes by slow in Tacoooooma.”

The singer's excitement was palpable as she danced with a bashful little girl named Opal, who had been brought onstage by daddy, Kelly Mickelson of Tacoma garage-rock fixtures, the F---ing Eagles. And as the Case coasted to a cathartic close, joyful tears could be seen streaming down here.

Tacoma was happy to finally see you again, too, Neko, even if it took you way too long. And guess you weren’t kidding about that “I sadly neglect you” line in the song. (Now if only we can get the Sonics to do a hometown show.)

Case’s homecoming was all the more special since, a decade and change into her solo recording career, she’s achieved a commercial breakthrough with “Middle Cyclone.” The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 this year, 51 spots higher than her previous studio album “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.” And while she’s still not quite a household name, appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman,” NPR and in the pages of Paste and other glossy rock rags have definitely raised her profile.

Backed by Hogan, multi-instrumentalist Jon Rauhouse, guitarist Paul Rigby, drummer Barry Marochnick and bassist Tom V. Ray, Case delivered a healthy dose of the new disc, with the title track, lead single “This Tornado Loves You” and ballad “Don’t Forget Me” providing high points. “I Wish I Was the Moon” from 2002’s “Blacklisted” disc packed and emotional punch, too, even if Case zoned out and skipped the song's bridge.

“I’m sorry,” Case acknowledged, laughing. “I’m just nervous.” Honestly, the song sounded great, and she could have acted as if the mistake hadn't happened with most fans none the wiser.

Rauhouse's rousing pedal steel guitar playing elevated many of the songs. And granted parts of the set were sloppy, with awkward pauses for tuning, miscues and technical glitches. But with Case and the witty Hogan trading jokes, the lulls and responses to fan outbursts were pretty funny. Hogan's spirit animal is “the cougar,” in case you were wondering. Go wherever you will with that.

Artist Kathleen Judge’s mostly impressionistic videos clips provided eye catching backdrops for the songs. Hazy clouds drifted by. Galloping Gerty bounced and buckled during "Thrice All America." Killer whales, deer and tigers (lots of tigers) underscoring the natural themes running through “People Got a Lotta Nerve,” “The Tigers Have Spoken," "I'm an Animal" and Case's cover of Sparks' "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth.”

And a note on security: Before we even sat down for Calexico's opening set, no less than three little old lady ushers warned us that our cell phones would be confiscated if we pulled them out during the show.

Huh? They were very polite with their warnings, but I'd never heard of that kind of phone scrutiny at a rock show. Can they even do that? Was this a mandate from Neko's handlers, attempting to put the kibosh on YouTube bootlegs? Or was there something else going on here?

Anyway, I posted the set list here, in case you missed it. And you can find find details for Thursday night's show at Seattle's Paramount Theatre here. Assuming you can still find a ticket.

Two things have been in abundant supply for Fleetwood Mac during the band’s first four decades: Smash hits and behind the scenes drama.

The legendary rock outfit packed plenty of the former into a monster, 22-song greatest hits set Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome. And early on, singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham got a laugh, alluding to the drama with a dry, understatement about his band’s “fairly complex and convoluted emotional history.”

That history, of course, includes his past romantic entanglements with smoky-voiced band mate, Stephanie “Stevie” Nicks and bassist John McVie’s ill-fated marriage to departed keyboard player, Christine McVie. Those rocky relationships tested the band’s stability over the years while adding creative tension to cuts like “Second Hand News” and “Storms,” a song that Nicks introduced as being about “stormy people in dark, dark, stormy relationships” Saturday night.

But against all odds, Fleetwood Mac has endured through all that “Behind the Music” turmoil, not to mention roughly a gazillion lineup changes. And Buckingham declared, “Every time we come together there’s a sense of forward motion.”

Granted, that statement that seemed a tad ironic in one sense, since the Unleashed tour is all about revisiting the band's '70s/'80s heyday. Fleetwood Mac doesn't have a new album for 2009 (“yet,” as Buckingham emphasized.) Not that all those cheering Baby Boomers at the T-Dome seemed to care.

But Fleetwood Mac is a legendary band seemingly back in peak form after seeing its share of troubles. And at times Saturday’s set did seem like a triumph, as if the veteran group had moved on to a happier, more stable place.

The quartet - also big, wild-eyed drummer Mick Fleetwood - was backed by a great supporting cast: Neale Heywood on guitar and backing vocals; Brett Tuggle on keyboards; and Sharon Celani, Jana Anderson and Lori Nicks (Stevie’s sister-in-law) on backing vocals.

And while Fleetwood and John McVie may be the band’s namesakes, with Christine McVie long gone, Fleetwood Mac has essentially become the Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks show, with Buckingham’s manic intensity contrasting and often overshadowing Nicks’ icy detachment.

Buckingham’s buoyant, finger-picked melodies elevated early set numbers “Monday Morning,” “The Chain” and “Dreams.” Later, the guitarist held little back, whooping and stomping like a revival tent preacher after nailing cathartic passages in “Never Going Back” and an intense, solo, acoustic delivery of “Big Love.” An especially invigorating moment saw Buckingham swatting at his fret board, as if he were banging a set of bongos, during an epic solo that turned “I’m So Afraid” into a late set highlight.

And the comparatively aloof Nicks did her share of thrilling, too, most notably on “Gypsy” (about she and Buckingham’s early days in the San Francisco outfit Buckingham Nicks); “Landslide” (one of the most elegant ballads of the mid-1970s, which she dedicated to her friend, Valerie); and “Gold Dust Woman” (during which Nicks belatedly seemed to hit her stride, delivering a few twirls as psychedelic haze wafted across projection screens behind her.)

The show started half an hour late, and usual set closer “Silver Springs” got the axe as 11 o' clock curfew approached. But bubbly “Rumours” era smash “Don’t Stop” seemed a more fitting finale for the new show's feel-good vibe, anyway.

Fleetwood Mac set list
May 16, 2009 at the Tacoma Dome

"Monday Morning"
"The Chain"
"Dreams"
"I Know I'm Not Wrong"
"Gypsy"
"Go Insane"
"Rhiannon"
"Second Hand News"
"Tusk"
"Sara"
"Big Love" (Lindsey Buckingham solo acoustic)
"Landslide" (Stevie Nicks and Buckingham acoustic)
"Never Going Back Again" (Nicks and Buckingham acoustic)
"Storms"
"Say That You Love Me"
"Gold Dust Woman"
"Oh Well"
"I'm So Afraid"
"Stand Back"
"Go Your Own Way"

Encore:
"World Turning"
"Don't Stop"

A few pop big shots have called Tacoma their home in recent years (or at least one of their homes.) Rickie Lee Jones kicked it here for a bit. Ditto with Nirvana's Krist Novoselic and ex-boy bander and Rainiers co-owner Nick Lachey. And could the Pixies Frank Black and wife Violet Clark be next?

The couple made their first Grit City stop Saturday as their first tour with their new pop project Grand Duchy wound through Jazzbones. Clark seemed especially enamored with what they saw before the show. “We’re real estate addicts, and there are some cool houses,” she remarked a few minutes into Duchy’s set.

Hey, they only live a few hours down the road in Eugene, Ore. as it is. I'm thinkin' Mr. and Mrs. Black Francis should pack up their stuff, round up the kids and come on up. It's a buyer's market, right? Just sayin'.

Anyway, the couple recorded all of Grand Duchy's debut album "Petits Four" on their own. But on tour they're joined by Black Francis drummer, Jason Carter, and a keyboard whose name I didn’t catch. (Sorry, keyboard player.) I didn't take down the entire set, but I can tell you the quartet played most of the new album and their remake of the Cure's "A Strange Day," previously recorded for the Cure tribute album "Just Like Heaven."

Sketchy sound plagued the early set, and I was a little bummed that Clark’s vocals were nearly muted during “Lovesick,” one of my favorite pop songs of 2009 so far. But the bugs seemed to get worked out for the most part, and the set was a nice showcase of the Duchy’s eclectic sound, with breezy pop numbers (the aforementioned “Lovesick,” set closer “Fort Wayne”); euphoric new wave cuts ("Seeing Stars"); brooding post-punk (“Black Suit”); and an alt-rock cut or two that more overtly recalled the Pixies (notably set opener “Come On Over.”)

Frank Black (a.k.a. Black Francis, born Charles Thompson) hung out for a spell after the show, and he told me that he hoped to swing back through Puget Sound with Duchy later this year. Hmmm. I'm thinkin' the One Reel peeps need to give him and his wife a jingle before their Bumbershoot lineup firms up.

Frank Black and Violet Clark brought their new band, Grand Duchy, to Jazzbones Saturday night. Check out cuts from the new CD on their MySpace page or hear clips mixed in sound bites from my interview by clicking here.
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It had been a minute since I caught the Nightgowns (Trevor Dickson and drummer B.J. Robertson in photo, Cody Jones and Kyle Brunette out of frame.) As a matter of fact, they were stilled called the Elephants last time. During their opening slot Saturday, the Tacoma synth-pop outfit previewed cuts from forthcoming collection “Sing Something.” The CD release party is set for May 16 at Tacoma underground venue, the Warehouse (you know, where Kulture Lab was held) followed by a June 2 gig at EMP/SFM’s Skychurch. Cody handed me an advance copy of the disc. And if it’s OK with the fellas I think I’ll stick a track or two in the South Sound Mix Tape player this week. Check back soon.
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America's most hipster approved metal band, Mastodon, delivered an epic set last night at Neumo’s.

Troy Sanders, Brent Hinds, Brann Dailor and Bill Kelliher have strayed from their thrash roots and moved in more of a King Crimson/Pink Floyd/early Yes direction in recent years. And last night the quartet put all those proggy inclinations on display, kicking off their set by delivering new album “Crack the Skye” in its entirety. A recent trend has found numerous rock veterans - Roger Waters, Heart, Motley Crue - delivering their quintessential recordings like this in concert. So was this a statement, an assertion that “Skye” will one day be heralded as just such an essential recording? That, perhaps, it's already an instant classic? One thing's for sure. The Atlanta outfit is quite proud of where it has taken its music. Check out Sanders' enthusiasm for the new songs from the interview I did last year here.

Mastodon left the stage briefly (the touring keyboard player took off) before resuming with most of its previous critically acclaimed album, “Blood Mountain.” And the foursome eventually plunged into “Leviathan,” with only a little nod to the “Remission” album with “March of the Fire Ants” towards the end, a compelling exercise in devolution. But as much as I appreciate the new stuff, I’m actually bigger fan of the heavy, hooky rockers from the band’s first two albums. I was disappointed the cuts like “Blood & Thunder” and “Workhorse” weren’t on the agenda (not to mention that sick cover of the Melvins’ “The Bit” that Mastodon served up at El Corazon a few tours ago.) But it was a solid display from a compelling and innovative band that will be rockin' us for years to come.

I'll take it one further. Mastodon is the new Metallica. There, I said it. And by that I mean old, edgy and on the verge of a massive breakthrough Metallica. But here's hoping Mastodon never goes all "Some Kind of Monster" on us.

From top: Mastodon's Bill Kelliher shreds; a view from a crowded and sweaty balcony; Wednesday night's set list; opening band Kylesa's Corey Barhorst and Laura Pleasants.
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Britney Spears didn’t show up with her dome shaved Thursday night at the Tacoma Dome. She wasn’t listless and pudgy, a la her career low on the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. She didn’t even storm off stage, peeved at the aroma of wacky tobacky, as she did night before last in Vancouver, B.C.

Nope, there were no tabloid-worthy moments during the pop princess’ first Puget Sound performance in half a decade, a victory by itself. Instead, Spears confidently strutted, gyrated and lip-synced her way through a slick two hours of smash hits, eye-popping spectacle and PG-13 erotica, much to the delight of more than 20,000 screaming and mostly female fans. It was another step forward on a comeback trail that’s seen her bounce back from the public meltdowns and trips to rehab that have largely overshadowed her musical career these last few years.

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March 28 shall henceforth be known as Little Bill Day. So says Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma, who delivered said proclamation Saturday night at the Rialto Theatre during a celebration of the life, legacy and music of Little Bill Engelhart, elder statesman of Washington blues and the namesake of seminal Tacoma garage band, Little Bill & the Bluenotes.

Engelhart turned 70 on St. Patrick’s Day. And while he may not be as famous as some of his Tacoma rock peers, he’s a legendary figure in the development of rock and blues in Washington. Fabulous Wailer bassist and former Bluenotes band mate Buck Ormsby took the stage to explain how he, Engelhart, Lasse Aines and Frank Dutra met up after seeing a 1955 screening of iconic rock flick “Blackboard Jungle,” back when they all attended Jason Leigh Junior High. That fateful encounter led to the Bluenotes, the band that paved the way for the Wailers and the Ventures, Tacoma bands that would in turn inspire fledgling rockers around the globe. (Dutra and the Wailers’ Kent Morrill were also in attendance.)

Engelhart was a portrait of cool, dressed in a black fedora and sunglasses as he sat on stage near wife, Jan Engelhart, and local band leader and show organizer Randy Oxford. And Little Bill looked pleased as he observed a cross-section of regional blues all-stars put their stamp on his material, as recorded for a new tribute CD “Big Blues for Little Bill.”

Billy Roy Danger & the Rectifiers ripped through a rockin’ version of Little Bill’s “Texas.” Adorned in black leather and slicked back hair, slide guitar wiz Henry Cooper offered a simmering riff on Engelhart’s “Comin’ Home Again.” And Junkyard Jane’s Leanne Trevalyan played a mean washboard as she sang “Thangs Gone Be” with the Blues Vespers All Star Band, a group of musicians that had performed at Immanuel Presbyterian Church’s monthly blues series.

And, of course, the man himself capped things off. I had my camera handy for the second half of the show, and here are some more highlights.

Mayor Bill Baarsma set up his Little Bill Day proclamation by recalling a time in the ‘50s when Tacoma’s “city fathers” barred Little Bill & the Bluenotes from playing “the Devil’s music.” “I’m the city fathers now, so I get to make things right,” he joked. Engelhart was also presented with an honorary diploma to Stadium High School, where he didn’t graduate in the 1950s, in part because of difficulties he suffered because of polio. Well, he also apparently had the rebel without a cause thing going on, too. “Mr. Christie told me on my last day, ‘Bill, you’ll never amount to a damn thing,’” he recalled with a big grin. “He was almost right.”
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Diva Patti Allen came out with guns blazing as the Randy Oxford Band got started with Etta James’ funktastic “The Blues Is My Business.” Between songs, she remarked at how she’d worked with Engelhart since the early 1960s. But between her infectious intensity and the form fitting dress she was wearing, it was hard to believe her when she joked, “We’re all on Medicaid now. It’s workin’, honey. I’m usin’ all the benefits.” In a poignant moment, Allen also acknowledged Randy Oxford Band drummer Riky Hudson, who recently suffered a stroke. Hudson received and ovation as he flashed a peace sign from his wheel chair at the back of the theater.
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Backed by the Rusty Williams Band, Merilee Rush also brought the house down with a booming delivery of her late ‘60s hit “Angel in the Morning” (also a hit for Juice Newton.) The band also put their stamp on Engelhart’s “Better Things to Do.” “We’re gonna do this song we took of his, and we just butchered it,” joked the bubbly Rush.
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Of course, Engelhart’s set included his 1959 hit “I Love an Angel,” with Heather Mueller, of Randy Oxford Band fame, handling the vocals. “She’s the only other person I’ve heard sing that besides me,” Engelhart joked. Many of the night’s performers crowded the stage for the big finale. And a palpably thrilled Engelhart made his exit with a few heartfelt words of thanks. “Thank you for letting Bill Engelhart be Little Bill all these years.”
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Country star Brad Paisley gets the party started with a little "Mud on the Tires" Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome.
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So why isn’t Brad Paisley on one of those Guitar Hero, anyway? They could make a special “Guitar Hero: Nashville” or something.

Such were the deep thoughts that sprung to mind as I sat in the Tacoma Dome press box last night, inspired by a funny spoof of the popular video game that popped up on Paisley's video backdrop as he performed his hit, “Celebrity.”

Hey, there's no doubt the guy can shred. Fans knew that well before Paisley put his hot licks front and center on his latest instrumental disc, “Play: The Guitar Album.” And if you haven’t noticed, the guy is kinda popular, as evident from the 12,000 or so folks who showed up at the T-Dome to catch his two-hour set (Paisley’s biggest draw for an indoor show, they were saying behind the scenes.)

I’m just sayin’, Activision. You’re leaving money on the table. Think about it. And I want a cut when you make the game.

The Guitar Hero clip pitted Little Jimmy Dickens against Taylor Swift, the first in a string of celebrity video cameos that included fun flashes of Keith Urban, Alison Krauss and William Shatner, the guy who actually showed up in person last time Paisley played the Puyallup Fair. But it was just one component that went into a pricelessly clever video presentation, one of the slicker multi-media setups I’ve seen at a country show.

Nearly every song got a special treatment, from the Saturday-morning-cartoon-style band avatars that battled diabolical villains during the “Play” medley (Paisley himself was credited with the animation) to the critters-eye view of a tick stalking babes and hounds during encore selection, “Ticks.” Paisley even breathed life into the obligatory band intro during “Letter to Me,” with “Tonight Show” worthy shots from each player’s high school yearbook presented next to their current mugs. That included a not too studly shot of the band leader himself, class of ’91, by the way.

“I think back to high school every time I sing this song, how scared I was with everything,” Paisley said, introducing to that cut. “I was scared I was gonna fail math … scared that my parachute pants were out of style.”

Not that the slick presentation totally overshadowed Paisley’s guitar heroics. During "She's Everything," the guy delivered a soaring solo reminiscent of “Purple Rain” as coronas pulsed from his body (you know, video again.) And it was obvious he's taken notes from some of rock's greats, whether he was dropping snippets of Dire Straits into the early set or delivering a cozy, campfire version of Clapton's "Layla" during a short acoustic set.

Paisley is one talented guy, and his goofy, self-deprecating sense of humor just makes him that much more lovable.

Check out a few scenes, or click here for the full set list.

Paisley and his band performed in front of a vivid, video backdrop. Their early set included "Mud on the Tires," "Better Than This" and "The World."
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Paisley roamed up and down three catwalks that jutted out into the crowd when he wasn't jamming in front of a giant video screen. Here he pauses to sign a fan's guitar as "The World" comes to a close.
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Rising country star Dierks Bentley channeled a mostly party vibe during his 40-minute opening set, too, which wound down with his biggest hits "What Was I Thinkin'" (which broke in Seattle) and "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)". With time limited, he didn't showcase his introspective side with cuts like "Better Believer" and "Pray" from his new disc "Feel That Fire." Saving it for his next headlining tour? Or maybe tossed those in his private set earlier in the day at the Varsity Grill.
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Buckcherry, featuring singer Josh Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson, got the Tacoma Dome all “Lit Up” last night. Click the “more” button to read more about what went down.
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So what exactly did you expect from AC/DC’s first stop at the Tacoma Dome in seven years? That the band would unveil the new ambient electronic sound it’s been working on with Brian Eno? That it would try out new world beat-influenced arrangements, featuring sitar and didgeridoo? A melancholy acoustic set with Brian Johnson sharing a few existential reflections?

No, no and hell to the no. AC/DC isn't about to pull any arty surprises on their fans -- you know, like those Who guys. And Sunday night at the Tacoma Dome, it was as if the band had been frozen in carbonite these last few years and thawed out in time to record a solid but not exactly revolutionary new album. The songs the band played from this year's “Black Ice” disc were, of course, the only firm indicators that 21,000 fans hadn't been warped back to the show they did in 2001 --or all the way back to some performance in 1983, for that matter.)

Many set staples and gimmicks were familiar to anyone who has seen Australia's mightiest rock export live: Brian Johnson, he of the sandpaper howl, ringing in “Hell’s Bells” with that big bell they travel with; guitarist Angus Young stompin’ and chompin’ his way through the set, and of course, clad in proper schoolboy-clad attire; a sweaty Mr. Young eventually shedding his most of his trademark gear in a striptease moment, eventually flopping around on a raised platform during his "Let There Be Rock" solo. And most satisfying was the thunder of cannons during the bombastic finale, “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You).”

Fans' devil horn headgear blinked in the arena's darkness throughout. Heavy handed double-entendres were also involved. And, Oh, I almost forgot the big, honkin’ props. A massive locomotive -- emblazoned with the band's logo and representing the new album's lead single, "Rock N' Roll Train -- provided a fun backdrop for Angus and company's antics. Eventually, said train was straddled by an even more ridiculous prop, an lewd, inflated woman that was pumped up in all the right places, if you know what I mean. This is apparently what the namesake of “Whole Lotta Rosie” looked like, assuming she's a real person.

Such arrested development would be a shortcoming for lesser bands. But this is AC/DC, people, possibly the partiest heartiest crew in all of human history. OK, Motley Crue might dispute that; the point being that part of AC/DC's appeal is that they still act like hormonal 15-year-olds trapped in AARP-eligible bodies. And you can be a Rhodes scholar, but their massively infectious sound makes you want to get in touch with our sophomoric side, too.

These guys definitely still rock, and for that we salute them.

Scenes from last night's AC/DC show: Front man Brian Johnson let's loose with his vocal chord-shredding howl; with drummer Phil Rudd, guitarist Angus Young and bassist Cliff Williams (Malcolm Young not pictured); Johnson, shown here doing some kind of monkey dance, seemed to pick up steam as the night went along; diabolical anime Angus, courtesy of a raunchy "Rock N' Roll Train" intro video. You can find a set list here, by the way, if you missed it earlier this morning.
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Brandi Carlile was back home Saturday night, fresh from a batch of European dates. And it was hard to pinpoint exactly what was most special about Maple Valley songbird’s homecoming show at Benaroya Hall with Seattle Symphony. Was it the opportunity to preview three new songs from the immensely talented singer-songwriter’s forthcoming third studio album? Was it hearing already breathtaking numbers “Follow” and “Turpentine,” given sweeping, new life by arrangements featuring the Symphony? Or was it just the opportunity to have that powerful, bell-clear soprano tugging at the ol’ heart strings again?

All of the above made Saturday’s show a truly memorable, emotional experience, one that a palpably elated Carlile declared a high point of her brief 27 years on this planet towards the end of the show. (And if you missed it, hopefully you’ll be able to get your hands on a related live album in the not too distant future, since Carlile said the show was being recorded.)

Joined by songwriting partners, Tim and Phil Hanseroth, and cello player Josh Neumann, Carlile kicked off the shorter, acoustic set on piano with “The Heartache Can Wait,” a Christmas-themed number found on the new “Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs” compilation. Then, as she took center stage, she ‘fessed to having a few butterflies on this momentous occasion.

“What a special show this is,” she said. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m nervous.”

The crowd erupted in support. And in contrast to what she’d said, Carlile was a portrait of poise and confidence, whether joking about the copious amount of kin folks in the audience or delivering a boot-stomping, totally unplugged take on “How These Days Grow Long,” done without the aid of even a microphone.

A few songs into the set, Carlile announced she was working on the follow up to last year’s excellent “The Story” album, a new collection that may feature a bunch of “reckless, barn-burner acoustic songs.” The first such selection was “Dreams,” a number that started out mellow and, well, dreamy before picking up with a rockin’ chorus. Two songs later, bass player Phil Hanseroth armed himself with a ukulele for the acoustic set’s final number, “Oh Dear,” the cue for one of the night’s funniest moments.

“Why don’t you bring out your little guitar?” some smart-aleck called out, a few rows from the stage.

The familiar heckler was immediately busted. “That was my brother!” a grinning Carlile exclaimed, pointing towards the perpetrator. “I know it was! And, Jay, be quiet.”

There was a short intermission before the band returned, this time plugged in and joined by drummer Daxx Nielson and the Seattle Symphony. Carlile kicked the latter part of the show off with “Sixty Years On,” a track by one of her favorite songwriters, Elton John, followed by the immaculate “Follow,” the song that made me fall in love with Carlile’s arresting voice in the first place.

The symphonic, electric set’s highlights included the pretty, yodel-infused “Have You Ever,” a rip-roarin’ romp through “My Song” and another unreleased track, “Pride and Joy.” But for my money, Carlile’s ballad “Turpentine” provided the show’s emotional peak, the melancholy tale of friendship lost turned triumphant as the crowd backed Carlile with a three-part, harmonic call and response.

“That was wonderful,” a visibly content Carlile commented on the crowd’s singing. “I’ll never forget what that sounded like.”

Brandi Carlile set list
Benaroya Hall, Seattle
Nov. 29, 2008

Acoustic set

The Heartache Can Wait
Throw It All Away
Someday Never Comes
Dying Day (new)
Dreams (new)
Cannonball
Oh Dear (new)

[Intermission]

Electric, symphonic set
Sixty Years On (Elton John)*
Follow*
What Can I Say
Have You Ever
Fall Apart Again*
Wasted
My Song
Turpentine*
Late Morning Lullaby
The Story*
Pride and Joy (new)*

Encore:
Hallelujah

* Backed by Seattle Symphony