BRIAN WILSON - New York City, 2004

This is a very special one, for a number of reasons:

First, my son missed his birthday yesterday -- I mean his actual birth day. He's officially a day overdue now, which gives us one more weekend to prepare his room...so we got that going for us, which is nice. He's most welcome to get born any day now.

Second, my main man Mr. Wilson has just released an exquisite new album you may have heard about -- it was even #1 on Amazon for a minute this week.

Third, I've been looking for this live boot for ages, and suddenly it popped up today without even trying! It's a perfectly recorded -- by Brian's own engineer, Mark Linett -- NPR FM broadcast of the Carnegie Hall show from Brian's magnificent 2004-'05 "SMiLE" Tour, still one of the peak concert experiences of my life (two times: at Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl).

All in all, a happy time. So smile, y'all...!

BRIAN WILSON
"Practice, Man, Practice!"
Carnegie Hall - New York, NY - October 12-13, 2004
(FMB @256 kbps)
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ELVIS PRESLEY - Memphis, TN 1974

Thirty-three years on, thirty-three years gone...

Pay your respects by checkin' out this excellent live boot, which documents Elvis' very first concert performance in his adopted hometown since 1961.

Here at Green Alien Chick we always give it up for The King!

ELVIS PRESLEY
"Hello Memphis"
Mid-South Coliseum - Memphis, TN - March 16, 1974
(SBD @ 256 kbps)
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RUSH - Largo, MD 1984

Rush's long-awaited (by me) Time Machine Tour show tonight at the hallowed Gibson Amphitheatre will be, if all goes according to plan, my last concert before the birth of my first child, two weeks from now. Fitting that it's a show by one of my all-time favorite bands -- one I try to see every time they come through L.A. -- at one of my all-time favorite venues.

As Geddy might exclaim in his faux-Scottish burr: "Ah cannat weet!"

So here's one of the great live Rush boots to mark the occasion, a soundboard show taped at (as any regular reader will know) my hometown rawk venue, the late, unlamented Cap Centre.

Enjoy, and please...wish us luck!

RUSH
"Cool Under Fire"
Captial Centre - Largo, MD - September 27, 1984 (SBD)
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DEVO - Boston, MA 1981

Following last week's primo Petty post, here's another cracking live show from 30 years ago, and another FM broadcast as well, this one from ye olde King Biscuit. I'm digging on the Devo lately, not sure why, but I'm on a bit of a kick; their nifty new album (after 20 years!) doesn't hurt. I know they're touring now as well, so I do hope to catch them...

I also love this early moment of the '80s, my 6th/7th grade year. It was post-John Lennon assassination and Ronald "Rambo" Reagan election (adieu, 1960s!), but pre-Big '80s obnoxious patriotic yuppie neon moussed pompadoured cokehead/greedhead acid-washed awfulness. And Devo was one of those transitional post-punk, pre-new wave bands (like Blondie and Talking Heads) that looked '80s but still sounded kinda '70s.

Anyway, this is one punchy half-hour show, nine songs flat, but four of those are "Whip It," "Girl U Want," "Through Being Cool" and "Working in a Coal Mine," their final hit before most Americans threw away their energy domes and stopped giving a shit.

DEVO
Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA - November 5, 1981 (FMB @320)
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