I know the closest many of you will get to hollywood is your local multiplex. Maybe blockbuster or just hang with the straight up cable idiot box, pumping you with more options than none from this hot town and that for most is pretty exciting. But not much else in the music on TV vein is as cool as being on a live late-nite (mostly) comedy based Tv talkshow (the first in over 40 years), there in person, to see pretty much your favorite band go LIVE on network television--right up in the fucking front.
I saw American bandstand as a wee one, mostly reruns, soul train...and yes these are music based Tv programs, still they are live in front of a packed house, featuring a live band, and you want to be there.
After I dunno how many minutes...people were lined up (I was at 6:30pm pst) early to get in to the week-nightly talk show hosted by Jk, the crowd is continually prodded by some funny guy (maybe more so than the host) all the way through several decent guests, including this week's co-host David Allan Grier--mr funny face--to, I'd say the moment quite a few people are most anticipating. A live Tv appearance of IMA ROBOT.
Set up on a small triangle stage in the front lounge/lobby of the El Capitan theater, there smack in the middle of the glitzy historic attraction that is the few blocks of 1000 neon lit signs on Hollywood Boulevard, the band came out to screams not unlike a small scale version of the Beatles arriving by Jet for the first time on US soil.
Dynamite! This show sets the audience up on this night, behind classic velvet ropes just feet away from the stage all ready for an explosion and here it comes. Just minutes before going live, the band are giddy with just as much anticipation,
doing funny moves, making blippy sounds...Timmy the Terror announcing, "we have a new sound and it goes like this", stepping on some wiggly sound effect like miniature helicoptors, and Justin
moving around with his own visual comedy (sporting a thick length of hot pink braided yarn in place of neck scarf and a big ol' button on the strap featuring a picture of a young boy holding a soccer ball).
3-2-1...and then host Jimmy, wearing a headband--stemming from earlier jokes--announces, "here to perform their new single off their album, Dynamite, here's IMA ROBOT!...the band and the crowd goes wild.
Hot off a monthlong tour of the US, they are definately in the mood to rock.
Ebert, all over the small space, playfully muses and abuses the in your face cameraman and fondles stage lighting among other things...he takes a stand, and then a seat, on JMJ's bass cabinet and totally revels in the moment. This is live Tv at it's best. The band is on and in a flash the explosion is over.
After a few moments for a commercial break and
spotlight sweat, the band again goes live for...no not Black Jettas, not STD Dance, ....Alive! Imagine that. "I'm alive!" Yes my friends you are.
Finally the moment of triumph is over. They run offstage and that's a show folks. More of a tease than the Laker cheerleaders, but hey, you can only upstage the host for so long. Now it's only 48 more hours until this show wows a sold out crowd at the Roxy. I can only pray that the club doesn't combust from the intense heat that will inevitably hit that stage. They are after all packing dynamite.

it's funny....they sounded SO rad in the room, but on tv the sound was kinda eh. it was fun nonetheless.

where were you standing up front? i was the girl who was up onstage before the show with the 69-year-old security guard. how embarrassing. oof.

The theories can now run wild that they're releasing Alive next in the U.S.!

Thanks for the reports. Sounds like the reception was good. Alas, football must have run long, for my recording didn't get any of it. Relying on Phobiac's Tivo now...

JMJs soccer kid pin is hilarious--I love the idea of filling a living room with all those photo frames from the 99 cent store, with the stock pic of some other family having a picnic in the grass.

[Edited on 10-28-2003 by draconian]

I fell asleep on the couch waiting to tape it, woke up at 12:30am or so, and Jimmy Kimmel still wasn't on. I managed to keep my eyes open long enough to tape it when they came on at 2:15am or so. It looked like it was alot of fun to be there. Gotta love their choice of attire-ah....the 80's!:D

Tivo captured it and it's in my computer, just needs to be put it together and upload it. I'll get to that tonight.

hold your horses.

Alive was really the highlight for me. Seemed to have much more energy packed into the performance of that one. Unfortunately, it was played during the closing credits, so we only get a little less than half of it.

[img]http://www.imarobot.info/ImaRobot/video/metro_15 copy.jpg[/img]



Straight from my Tivo to your computers! The perfomance last night is captured in all its glory and available for download in the video section of the download center..

enjoy.

--> Video Section <-- Download Here

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I'll be honest. Last night was a bit of a letdown-in terms of sound. Not sure if it had to do with the monitors or what but timmy was having trouble on backup vocals and Alex seemed to have a tough time finding his place in the groove. That said, the energy was there and it rocked. Jimmy Kimmel came off as a pompus ass in my mind and seemed to razz the guys just before going on stage. What was his deal?

Backup vocals usually take years to get in the mix just right...Ebert, Qbert, he's got his own groove and game and in your face it really didn't matter...they could've fucked up bad and it would've been cool. Alive did really get them into the groove...they just seemed to ooze ..."the stuff"...just magic, but like I said such a tease. It really does suck you only see like 30 seconds of it on Tv. With Dynamite so short, you'd think they'd play that second, but who knew?
The sound there was very nice and actually checking the tube a few hours later for kicks, it really didn't sound as bad as you could imagine...better than Letterman I think.
You know Conan said, "there has to be a good degree of self-hatred to be a comedian (or at least attempt to be)", ...and don't think it's not there somewhat with Kimmel...his whole show is about razzing...from the bits to...footage of lip planting Pat O'brien? That's razz in itself, but he plays it off legit and realizes (you could tell) that quite a lot of people show up for the musical guests...not just to see him. This is Letterman's edge. This night was no different, especially with razzing of groupies...yes there seemed to be budding groupies...there's one born everyminute.
We were actually warned by floor A.D.s to cheer for everyone, not just when they mentioned IMA Robot...at least in our section.
Foxy/h/c ...your bit with your new 70 yr old man was nice, go on girl, I think he liked you instantly.
Oh...I was in the right front corner pocket in front of Justin...the creep in the cheap suit jacket...
and uh, I'm down with art made of trash, rock on! @,@ !

Dynamite is great in person but the filter that comes from hearing it on TV takes so much away from it. Even Song #1 might be a better live TV choice.

Quote:

Originally posted by draconian Dynamite is great in person but the filter that comes from hearing it on TV takes so much away from it. Even Song #1 might be a better live TV choice.

I would have to agree. I also think most songs don't get the same sound out on tv. It didn't sound that great but it wasn't to bad.
I'm just glad I got to see it and get it recorded. It's quite neat to have!
nice to hear all the storys! thanks for psoting them.
ha ha, I found Jimmy funny, in a lafe at him kind of way, what was his problem?

Jimmy and I have a special relationship. Hee hee, actually I was on Win Ben Stein's Money when he was the co-host and he made some joke that fell flat..I ribbed him about it on air and he harassed me for the rest of the show.

Any way we could get that episode in the Download Center?

Yah, let's have a look!

Ha, I need to cut a montage of all my gameshow appearances and set it to inspirational music for maximum effect. Maybe they could screen it at Rotary Club meetings or something.