2011 was apparently the year of the live show. I somehow managed to attend 27 shows this year, which is a new record for me. I saw some artists for the first time, like Rihanna, Goo Goo Dolls, and Keith Urban. I also tallied up more shows from some of my favorites, like Gavin DeGraw, Kris Allen, and David Cook.
Continue reading Wait…WHAT?’s Favorite Concert Moments of 2011
Hello lovely readers! Happy Summer to you all! Every year I always make an iTunes summer playlist with the songs that become my soundtrack, and I thought this year I would share what I’m listening with y’all. Over the past couple weeks I’ve been putting together my playlist of what I have been listening to since summer kicked off. 
Since it’s summer, you’re not going to find any ballads on this list. But you are going to find upbeat and fun numbers that probably want to make you dance, or at the very least sing-a-long. You’ll find old songs, new songs, and definitely some of my favorites.
Enjoy Wait…WHAT?’s Summer 2011 Playlist!
 “Summertime” – Will Smith: This the quintessential summer song. For me, it’s not summer without the classic Fresh Prince track.
“Right Here, With You” – David Cook: Let it be known that I love David Cook’s new album, This Loud Morning. For me this is one of those songs that you listen to loudly in the car with the windows down and the wind blowing through your hair. Definitely roadtrip mixtape potential with this one!
“Teenage Dream” – The Warblers/Darren Criss: Last summer I felt like Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” was summer rolled up into a fantastically catchy song. Cue Glee giving the song a slight makeover with the ever so dreamy Darren Criss and his kick awesome vocals, and you have a song that I never ever want to go away.
Summer officially kicked off in San Francisco yesterday out at Golden Gate Park ith Alice 97.3’s biggest music party, Summerthing 2011. It was my third time attending, and my third time enjoying some fun in the sun and great music. 
Once again, the line-up for Summerthing was insanely awesome. It included newcomer, Andrew Allen, Parachute, Michelle Branch, Matt Nathanson, and OneRepublic. By the way, did I mention that this was a free show?
 The very personable Andrew Allen kicked off the afternoon with a short set that included his single, “Loving You Tonight” and a cover of Sumblime’s “What I Got.”
This dude has a bit of swagger to his stage presence. His overall vibe kind of reminds me of fresher Jason Mraz. I would love to hear how he sounds with a full band backing him. I am definitely planning on checking out his album.
Check out his performance of “Loving You Tonight” below!
More Summerthing 2011 goodness after the cut! Continue reading Recap: Alice 97.3’s Summerthing 2011 at Golden Gate Park
Dear summer, your soundtrack has arrived. This week marks the welcomed return of Matt Nathanson with his latest effort, Modern Love.
The San Francisco-based Nathanson took a year-long break from touring to work on his seventh album with his longtime collaborator, Mark Weinberg. Drawing influence from such bands as Depeche Mode, AC/DC and Talking Heads, Modern Love is a striking move forward from the singer-songwriter.
“We started with the idea of keeping a groove steady the whole way through a song,” Nathanson stated in a press release about the album. “I wanted things to breathe and hang off these songs in a way that defied the fact that they were written on an acoustic guitar.”
The lead single, “Faster,” really took me by surprise at first, because it is such a departure from “C’mon Get Higher” and the other material from Nathanson’s previous album, Some Mad Hope. The song really grabbed my attention, and it left me feeling excited about the direction in which he is taking his music.
Songs like “Mercy” and the album’s title track are guaranteed live show sing-a-longs. Both burst with such an energy which makes them perfect additions to any listener’s summer playlists.
Other standouts include “Run,” which features Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, and “Room At the End of the World.” In particular, “Run” shows the singer-songwriter’s sexier, romantic side. Its opening lyrics, “I wanna watch you undress, I wanna watch you glow, let hair down, all around, and cover us both,” are just the tip of the intimate iceberg. While I feel like it could have been recorded by just Nathanson alone, the combination of his vocals with Nettles’ elevates the song’s overall chemistry and emotional connection.
I really like “Room At the End of the World” because it has a bit of an anthemic feel to it, and I can’t wait to see how it translates onstage during a live show. If you have ever had the opportunity to see Nathanson perform live, then you know that he has a very charismatic stage presence which leads to quite the enamored audience.
With a bigger sound combined with provocative lyrics, Modern Love will be the album this summer that moves people to sing-a-long, to dance, and to be good to one another.
Modern Love is available now. For more information on Matt Nathanson, check out his official website.
Originally posted on Blogcritics.
Wait...WHAT? 