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Dave Pachence is the singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist behind Draw Tippy. A DIY artist in the truest sense -- he played every instrument on the album, which was recorded in his New York City bedroom -- he has more recently had the surreal experience of hearing his music plastered across the international airwaves courtesy of MTV. The music is a frothy mix of acerbic punk-pop and the smartest '80s club music made since, well, the '80s. Dave and I caught up via e-mail recently.  Daily Vault: So. You made an album in your bedroom and now snippets from it are showing up all…

The cool basement of Sokol auditorium in Omaha -- known as the Underground -- was a haven from the wall of humidity that had settled in for the past week. My roommate let out a few sneezes on the way to the show "12 hours into my f*$&ing 24-hour Claritin." Both he and my co-concertgoer grumbled about the 9 p.m. show (with all due credit, all of us had to work early). Still, Neko Case is one artist that you gladly sacrifice sleep for - without question. The crowd initially was made up of a lot of aging hippies and…

The pairing sounded mismatched and totally perfect at the same time -- The Roots and Wilco. One represents a glowing beacon for hip-hop; one represents a glowing beacon for alt-country. Both are known for their live shows and their willingness to turn a simple song into an extended jam session. Each band reached headline status about five years ago. The prospect of seeing Wilco live almost made me throw down the cash to see them at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The inclusion of the Roots made the show one of those shows that you had to see, regardless of the funds,…

Any time a band reunites with core members, it's not unusual for the group to do a few "warmup" shows prior to launching a major tour in order to work out the bugs in the set. In the case of the speed-metal band Anthrax - which was performing with its classic line-up for the first time in 13 years - their second night at the House Of Blues (and third show prior to leaving for a major European tour) proved there still were many bugs left to be squashed.Following a roughly 20-minute movie covering the band's history and the reunion,…

I have been attending concerts now for 20 years, and thought I saw everything there was to see.But when British rockers Marillion recently played in Chicago for the first time in seven years, the audience was not satisfied letting the band leave after the traditional encore -- or three, which is where I lost count. Even after the house lights were turned back on, the crowd refused to accept that the show was over -- and, five minutes later, the house lights were turned off again as the band returned for a final encore. Such an occurrence is indeed rare…

The sarcasm and cynicism that has defined Generation X is beginning to bite its members in the ass. Case example: the band reunion. In the '90s, the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols and even Fleetwood Mac were often the butt of jokes for cashing in on nostalgia by reuniting and going on $75-a-pop ticket tours.Well, now one of Gen-X's most beloved bands has reunited and is on one of the most successful tours of the year. What's an aging, jaded Gen-Xer to do? Make fun of one of the major founders of the modern alternative sound, or giddily jump in…

Hundreds of five and six-year olds clutch stiff clean Barbie, Justice League, Spider-Man, and Princess backpacks with sharpened pencils, glue sticks, and tissues this week. Kindergartners across the country are excited, boisterous when walking to their new classroom. Their teachers calm the fear in parents' eyes, assuring them "everything will be fine." The class of 2017 is ready.Metallica was ready Sunday night, August 22, 2004, at the Mark in Moline, IL. As the band took the stage with "Blackened," it was obvious on stage is where Metallica belongs. James Hetfield looked refreshed and smiled. Kirk Hammett concentrated on his intricate…

Just over one year (380 days, to be exact) after the city of Toronto was thoroughly rocked by the unholy trinity of New Wave of British Heavy Metal (Motörhead, Dio, and Iron Maiden), a second wave of metal legends had arrived to the Molson Amphitheatre. This time, it was thrash pioneers Slayer, and the legendary Judas Priest, reunited with their original vocalist, the charismatic, awe-inspiring Rob Halford.Naturally, I could barely contain my glee when I heard the news. I couldn't contain my glee when I got my ticket. After a short wait outside the gates, the hordes of metalheads were…