A shit load of bands are playing Glasslands tonight, including BSC show alums The Sounds of Kaleidoscope. It's $7 or $8 and there's free beer from 8-9PM. Expect a shit load of stoners and weirdos.
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Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tonight: UnProtected w/Emanuel & The Fear and Hank & Cupcakes; KSK Night Vision @ Trophy Bar
Start the night off at Music Hall of Williamsburg where The Film Shop is having a night of short films and music. I helped curate this jam so you should come hang. Emanuel and The Fear are playing. Hank & Cupcakes are playing. Jonny Santos is DJing. Doc Photog is shooting it. So yeah, good times my friends. Starts at 8PM.
When the show is over head over to Trophy Bar for Night Vision with Skinny Friedman and Pumpkin Patch for an all night dance party.
When the show is over head over to Trophy Bar for Night Vision with Skinny Friedman and Pumpkin Patch for an all night dance party.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Freelance Whales "Generator 2nd Floor" (MP3) + Tour Dates
Freelance Whales are all famous and shit now. Well, maybe not famous but considering no one knew who they were in August they've come pretty far. Here's a free download of "Generator 2nd Floor" which is one of my favorites. You gotta go see these kids live though, they're awesome.
Us Tour Dates
3/1- Webster Hall - New York, NY (With Shout Out Louds)
3/5 - Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
3/6 – Rock N Roll Hotel – Washington, D.C
3/7 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
3/9 – The End – Nashville, TN
3/10 – Pilot Light – Knoxville, TN
3/11 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
3/12 – Harvest Of Hope Festival – St. Augustine, FL
3/13 – Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL
3/14 – The Engine Room – Tallahassee, FL
3/16 – Mango’s – Houston, TX
3/22 – The Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
3/23 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA
3/24 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
3/25 – Bottom Of The Hill – San Francisco, CA
3/28 – Crocodile CafĂ© – Seattle, WA
3/29 – The Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
3/31 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
4/1 – Hi Dive – Denver, CO
4/2 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence, KS
4/3 – Turf Club - St. Paul, MN
4/4 – Schuba’s – Chicago, IL
4/6 – El Mocambo Club – Toronto, ON
4/7 – Il Motore – Montreal, QB
4/8 – The Middle East – Boston, MA
MP3:
Us Tour Dates
3/1- Webster Hall - New York, NY (With Shout Out Louds)
3/5 - Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
3/6 – Rock N Roll Hotel – Washington, D.C
3/7 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
3/9 – The End – Nashville, TN
3/10 – Pilot Light – Knoxville, TN
3/11 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
3/12 – Harvest Of Hope Festival – St. Augustine, FL
3/13 – Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL
3/14 – The Engine Room – Tallahassee, FL
3/16 – Mango’s – Houston, TX
3/22 – The Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
3/23 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA
3/24 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
3/25 – Bottom Of The Hill – San Francisco, CA
3/28 – Crocodile CafĂ© – Seattle, WA
3/29 – The Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
3/31 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
4/1 – Hi Dive – Denver, CO
4/2 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence, KS
4/3 – Turf Club - St. Paul, MN
4/4 – Schuba’s – Chicago, IL
4/6 – El Mocambo Club – Toronto, ON
4/7 – Il Motore – Montreal, QB
4/8 – The Middle East – Boston, MA
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Public Image LTD Announce Tour Dates
World class asshole, Johnny Rotten, is dusting off PiL for a North American tour. He rounded up former members of The Damned and Slits.
DATE
CITY
VENUE
Fri 4/16
Indio, CA
Empire Polo Field/Coachella
Sat 4/17
San Francisco, CA
Grand Ballroom @ Regency Center
Tue 4/20
Seattle, WA
Showbox at The Market
Wed 4/21
Portland, OR
Crystal Ballroom
Fri 4/23
Salt Lake City, UT
The Depot
Sat 4/24
Denver, CO
Ogden Theatre
Mon 4/26
Kansas City, MO
Midland Theatre
Sun 5/2
Chicago, IL
House of Blues
Tue 5/4
Boston, MA
Royale Boston
Wed 5/5
Boston, MA
Royale Boston
Fri 5/7
Toronto, ON
Kool Haus
Sat 5/8
Montreal, QC
Theatre L'Olympia de Montreal
Tue 5/11
Baltimore, MD
Rams Head Live
Wed 5/12
Washington, DC
9:30 Club
Fri 5/14
Pittsburgh, PA
Club Zoo
Sat 5/15
Atlantic City, NJ
The Borgata Music Box
Tue 5/18
New York, NY
Terminal 5
New Deftones Track "Rocket Skates"
The Deftones are fucking awesome. I mean to emerge from that mid-90's NuMetal bullshit fest is fucking proof alone. There's a reason they are the one and only band from that scene to be considered legitimate artists. Plus, have you ever seen them live? I have. They blow fucking minds.
But I digress, they have a new tune that was JUST released online called "Rocket Skates." I listened and it's pretty classic Deftones, which considering the shit coming out now is refreshing as hell. Some people are pissed they recorded new shit while their longtime bassist, Chi Cheng, is in a coma but I think it's a good thing they kept going. We need the Deftones. Long live Deftones!
Link:
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Unsane Played Union Pool 2/12
I got kinda busy this past week and forgot to post a recap from the Unsane show last Friday but here goes. I heard through the wire that the show sold out and they only had 30 tix left at the door. First of all I had no idea that there were even advance tix to begin with. So now at 7PM I rush over to Union Pool to make sure I get in. No one was there yet! I'm in right?
I struck up a conversation with the barkeep and he informed me that there were actually only 20 tickets left. That's when I noticed Chris Spencer, vocalist of Unsane, was sitting next to me at the bar. He told me that he set aside 10 of the 30 for people he knew. Shit, me chances of getting in just dropped a bit but I was still the only one there. My buddy Carlos showed up soon after and we had a few beers. We kept asking when the ticket dude was going to get there but to no avail. Dude, just wasn't around yet.
So we drank and kept an eye on the outside for a line to form. People were filling in now and we were watching the yard. We noticed people out there but from the inside it in no way looked like a line so we had another beer. A friend who was involved with the show told us since we were the first ones there we'd get in, even if tix sold out. I've heard this before and had it not workout so I kept watching the line anyway. I wasn't missing Unsane even if I had to fight my way in.
I ran out of cash and headed outside to hit the ATM in the yard and noticed the people outside were in fact in line. Fuck! They were about 25 deep or so. I jumped in and shot Carlos a text to get outside. He came out and the line started moving. after what only looked like 7 or 8 people through they told the rest of the line tough shit and fuck off. We were worried, very worried.
Then we heard a "Yo!" and looked up to a waving hand...we're in! We got our wristband and grabbed another brew in the saloon (that's what I call the band room). The first band started up soon after. We weren't impressed so we headed to Fette Sau for some food. When we got back Made Out Of Babies were just starting. The singer is a very cute chick but again, we weren't feeling it. Some of the songs were cool but a lot were a bit too "90's metal" for our liking. Back to drinking in the main bar!
We had a few and stumbled back into the saloon for Unsane. Fucking UN-fucking-SANE! We were super excited. Carlos had never seen them before and I hadn't for 2 years. This band inspired the hell out of me in the mid-90's and were one of the bands that got me playing music in the first place. The video for "Scrape" made them instant legends amongst metalheads, punks, and skaters alike. I was stoked to put it mildly.
The crowd was older then I expected and was a curious mix of aging hardcore dudes, beardos, Joe Schmoes in Mets hats, and hipsters rediscovering their inner metalhead. When they started the set everyone kinda just stood there - no pit, no pushing, no stage diving goons - nothing. It was fucking refreshing.
The vibe of the show was more like being at a practice in the Unsane garage then a proper show. They were cracking jokes with friends in the crowd and just having a good time. It was so laid back and they seemed so happy to playing together again.
The intro to "Alleged" was about 10 minutes longer then normal because Chris couldn't find his harmonica. When he finally did he came over to the mic and took a minute to remember how to play his part. Once he finally blew into that thing an unfamiliar sound came through the mic. Chris got a big smile on his face and his band mates just laughed, "Wrong key guys, sorry" Chris said into the mic. The crowd got a good laugh out of it while Chris went back and found the proper key harmonica. This time he got it right and one of the best Unsane songs ever was rolling along.
They played quite a few songs from Scattered, Smothered, and Covered, which is one of my all-time favorite albums. Halfway through the set as they played classics like "Alleged" and "Scrape" the crowd started getting wild. It wasn't much of a pit but some pushing and pogoing going down. The closed the set with my absolute favorite Unsane Sang ever, "Get Off My Back." If you've never heard it well it builds up for a few minutes and then explodes with the only 4 words of the song, you guessed it, "Get off my back!" Then after the tension is released it mellows out only to go at it one more time. It's the perfect closer and they extended it out an extra ten minutes or so and just jammed. It was amazing. The whole damn set was amazing and I feel honored to have been part of that.
I struck up a conversation with the barkeep and he informed me that there were actually only 20 tickets left. That's when I noticed Chris Spencer, vocalist of Unsane, was sitting next to me at the bar. He told me that he set aside 10 of the 30 for people he knew. Shit, me chances of getting in just dropped a bit but I was still the only one there. My buddy Carlos showed up soon after and we had a few beers. We kept asking when the ticket dude was going to get there but to no avail. Dude, just wasn't around yet.
So we drank and kept an eye on the outside for a line to form. People were filling in now and we were watching the yard. We noticed people out there but from the inside it in no way looked like a line so we had another beer. A friend who was involved with the show told us since we were the first ones there we'd get in, even if tix sold out. I've heard this before and had it not workout so I kept watching the line anyway. I wasn't missing Unsane even if I had to fight my way in.
I ran out of cash and headed outside to hit the ATM in the yard and noticed the people outside were in fact in line. Fuck! They were about 25 deep or so. I jumped in and shot Carlos a text to get outside. He came out and the line started moving. after what only looked like 7 or 8 people through they told the rest of the line tough shit and fuck off. We were worried, very worried.
Then we heard a "Yo!" and looked up to a waving hand...we're in! We got our wristband and grabbed another brew in the saloon (that's what I call the band room). The first band started up soon after. We weren't impressed so we headed to Fette Sau for some food. When we got back Made Out Of Babies were just starting. The singer is a very cute chick but again, we weren't feeling it. Some of the songs were cool but a lot were a bit too "90's metal" for our liking. Back to drinking in the main bar!
We had a few and stumbled back into the saloon for Unsane. Fucking UN-fucking-SANE! We were super excited. Carlos had never seen them before and I hadn't for 2 years. This band inspired the hell out of me in the mid-90's and were one of the bands that got me playing music in the first place. The video for "Scrape" made them instant legends amongst metalheads, punks, and skaters alike. I was stoked to put it mildly.
The crowd was older then I expected and was a curious mix of aging hardcore dudes, beardos, Joe Schmoes in Mets hats, and hipsters rediscovering their inner metalhead. When they started the set everyone kinda just stood there - no pit, no pushing, no stage diving goons - nothing. It was fucking refreshing.
The vibe of the show was more like being at a practice in the Unsane garage then a proper show. They were cracking jokes with friends in the crowd and just having a good time. It was so laid back and they seemed so happy to playing together again.
The intro to "Alleged" was about 10 minutes longer then normal because Chris couldn't find his harmonica. When he finally did he came over to the mic and took a minute to remember how to play his part. Once he finally blew into that thing an unfamiliar sound came through the mic. Chris got a big smile on his face and his band mates just laughed, "Wrong key guys, sorry" Chris said into the mic. The crowd got a good laugh out of it while Chris went back and found the proper key harmonica. This time he got it right and one of the best Unsane songs ever was rolling along.
They played quite a few songs from Scattered, Smothered, and Covered, which is one of my all-time favorite albums. Halfway through the set as they played classics like "Alleged" and "Scrape" the crowd started getting wild. It wasn't much of a pit but some pushing and pogoing going down. The closed the set with my absolute favorite Unsane Sang ever, "Get Off My Back." If you've never heard it well it builds up for a few minutes and then explodes with the only 4 words of the song, you guessed it, "Get off my back!" Then after the tension is released it mellows out only to go at it one more time. It's the perfect closer and they extended it out an extra ten minutes or so and just jammed. It was amazing. The whole damn set was amazing and I feel honored to have been part of that.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tonight: Free Hank & Cupcakes Show @ Brooklyn Bowl
Our friends Hank & Cupcakes are playing a free show at Brooklyn Bowl. If you haven't seen them yet then you're missing out on one of the best live acts in town.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Alexisonfire Broke The Olympics
If you read this blog often (and, I mean, who doesn't right...Right?) then you know that Alexisonfire is one of my favorite bands. These dudes are mega huge in Canada but in the States they're relatively unknown, which is a bummer. They're so huge that the fucking Olympics invited them to play. Shit, that's pretty cool, eh? (see what I did there? The "eh" thing? Canadians?) Well, apparently all hell broke loose just seconds into the first song. Fans rushed the stage and broke down a barrier and a bunch of people got injured. The band was forced to cancel the gig before they even finished the first song. What a bummer for those dudes - I mean you don't play the fucking Olympics every day.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Tonight: Fat Tuesday w/ Wavves + A Snow Parade
It's snowing...not sure I'm going.
About a month ago, we here at The L decided to make this year's Fat Tuesday one for the books. We asked Wavves if he would play a free show; he said yes. So did Hipsterdom's newly crowned queen of party-starting, MNDR. We obviously wanted to incorporate bead-throwing, so we made plans for local burlesque stars to ride on a float accompanied by crazy costumed revelers (that's you, dear readers!) as we make our way through the streets of Williamsburg to Brooklyn Bowl. And what would Mardi Gras be without Southern Comfort drink specials, prizes for the best bicycle float, and a few more surprises? A disgrace. (There will be those things.) RSVPs are required (must be 21+); do that at mardigras@thelmagazine.com. More info here.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Tonight: So So Glos, NinjaSonik, & Boogie Boarder @ Chelsea Hotel
Killer show tonight from Less Artists More Condos. Apparently no one seems to know how much the cover is or if there is one at all. Check out the LAMC website for more info.
• Ava Luna w/ Stalley• Boogie Boarder• So So Glos• Ninjasonik222 West 23rd St. in Manhattan1,R,W,C,E to 23rd St.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Tonight: Unsane @ Union Pool; Ballzy & Liquor Store @ Don Pedros; Trash 8 Year Anniversary; Raccoon Fighter @ Legion
Here's how it's going to go tonight. First I'm hitting Union Pool to see fucking UNSANE. I love this band, so excited. Then I'm going to Legion where my bud Wei (FullTimeFun) is throwing a party and my bros Raccoon Fighter are playing. If I can still function after that I head to The Studio for the Trash anniversary - it's the party that got me interested in NYC nightlife. Now if I can't get into the Unsane show (sold out I here) then I'm going to Don Pedros for Cerebral Ballzy & Liquor Store - awesome show.
New Sigmund Droid Video "Things"
My homeboys Sigmund Droid have a new video and it's pretty damn awesome...
Guns N' Roses Played Varvatos
I like to think I'm pretty on top of shit for the most part. Yesterday I heard rumors about a secret GNR show somewhere in the city. I assumed it would be at some fancy, uptown, fashionable establishment. So I went to a movie and did a little grocery shopping. I wasn't really paying much attention to Twitter and people's updates.
When I finally got home and checked it out I saw shit like "GNR playing Varvatos store?" Fuck! A buddy of mine is involved with events there so I shot him a text, "You're at the GNR show aren't you?" to which he replied "Yup, wanna come?"
But you see I was on the phone when that text came through discussing an event I'm working on so I didn't see the message for another 20 minutes. By the time I replied and got back "they just started" and I was still in Brooklyn. I figured these types of appearances are usually pretty brief and that by the time I got there it would likely be over. Well, as my luck would have it Axl and whoever the fuck else was on stage didn't just play a short set, in fact they played a "2 and a half hour set, amazing, he got his voice back" and didn't finish until 2:45AM.
I spent the night on my couch while Axl played a 2+ hour set of mostly old stuff. If you want a proper recap, and not just me sulking, then check out BrooklynVegan.
When I finally got home and checked it out I saw shit like "GNR playing Varvatos store?" Fuck! A buddy of mine is involved with events there so I shot him a text, "You're at the GNR show aren't you?" to which he replied "Yup, wanna come?"
But you see I was on the phone when that text came through discussing an event I'm working on so I didn't see the message for another 20 minutes. By the time I replied and got back "they just started" and I was still in Brooklyn. I figured these types of appearances are usually pretty brief and that by the time I got there it would likely be over. Well, as my luck would have it Axl and whoever the fuck else was on stage didn't just play a short set, in fact they played a "2 and a half hour set, amazing, he got his voice back" and didn't finish until 2:45AM.
I spent the night on my couch while Axl played a 2+ hour set of mostly old stuff. If you want a proper recap, and not just me sulking, then check out BrooklynVegan.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Tonight: Rando @ Gallery Bar; The Beets, Beach Fossils, & More
There's a new Tuesday party in town called Rando and from what I hear it's pretty crazy. My bro Full Time Fun as well as Dances With White Girls are behind the madness. Tonight is Mardi Gras edition, which is odd since Fat Tuesday is next week and well, it's a Tuesday. Anyway, go check it out after Lost or the Yeasayer show.
Elsewhere in the LES, at Cake Shop to be exact, you can check out an awesome rock n' roll show with The Beets, Christmas Island, Beach Fossils, and Total Slacker.
SNL Hardcore Punk Skit
I'm going to late pass myself on this one before I even start. I've been hearing about this skit since Sunday but I just got around to watching it. I have to say it's fucking genius! The little inside jokes are awesome too, like the nod to Dez and a few other hardcore legends as well as the break down tribute to Suicidal Tendencies. It's just so god damn good. "Street Fight!"
Svedka Vodka Sessions w/ Amanda Blank, Ebony Bones
Just got a press release about a Svedka / Giant Step event tomorrow. I already have 3 things to do tomorrow so not sure I can make it but I thought you punks might wanna go get liquored up.
Link:
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Tonight: Blood Warrior & Raccoon Fighter @ Pete's; The Loom Party
My homeboys, Raccoon Fighter, are playing a Sounds Like Brooklyn show at Pete's Candy Store with O'Death side project Blood Warrior, who are fucking killer. Have you been to Pete's before for a show? No. Well, the band room is about the size of your bathroom. Make sure you get there early if you want a good spot. Seriously, it holds like 25 people.
After that there's a pretty bitchin' party called The Loom. There's all types of bands and DJs and other forms of entertainment. Plus, there's some kind of free booze and you can BYOB.
Knife Fight Happened 2/4
On Thursday we trekked out to the middle of god damn nowhere for one of the better parties of 2010 so far. 171 Lombardy is out there to say the least but the beauty of it is anything goes. No neighbors wining about noise and no coppers driving by spooking the kids. And that's a good thing, for the most part.
We showed up early to take advantage of the free Colt 45 (which didn't last very long). It was probably 9:45 and the place was empty but that was fine by us. Every 15 minutes or so a burst of people would arrive, which makes sense since a shuttle bus was running every 15 minutes from Lorimer.
By 10:30 or so there was a decent crowd but the free beer was long gone. Leaders went on soon after. I've never heard these dudes before but I was digging them. Imagine if Black Sabbath decided to play nothing but songs that sounded like "Planet Caravan" and that's kinda what we're talking about. My only complaint is they were a little too jammy and the vocals just didn't match the style of music at all.
After the set I hit the pisser and there was some broad from some porn site trying to get dudes to whip their dongers out. She was like lady Bronques or something. There was all types of random weird shit going on too, like the raving Viking.
Next up was Boogie Boarder who are always good fun. I was up front for the first song or two but then nature called, fucking swill beer. Honestly, I think I spent half of there set in line for the can so unfortunately I didn't really get to see all the action. By the time I got back out to the floor there was a pretty big crowd that I wasn't yet drunk enough to fight through so I hung back and worked on my sobriety.
After BB the Ballzy boys took the stage. Cerebral Ballzy always bring the ruckus but there was something in the air on Thursday and you could tell it was gonna get crazy before they even started. About 30 seconds before they started I turned to my homey Sean, who had never seen Ballzy, and I said "All hell is about to break loose." Almost immediately after this they burst into the first song and the floor fucking erupted in chaos. A massive pit opened up and everyone was bouncing around and having a fucking blast. I remember seeing my pals in the pit pushing around with big smiles on their faces and these are dudes that don't like thrash or hardcore at all. Ballzy fucking rule!
After Ballzy the Death Set were up. I hadn't seen these cats in a long time and was pretty stoked about it. Again, as with Ballzy, all hell broke loose. There were literally people swinging from the rafters. The ceilings had a series of pipes and other shit hanging down and people were fucking swinging from them, it was quite a site. The performance and the crowd were fucking cool but the music seemed way more electro then I remember Death Set being. Maybe I'm wrong, I was pretty drunk by then.
We drank a lot of beer and a lot of whisky by this point and were getting bored. Not that the party died down or anything but we had been there for many hours and were drunk and antsy. So we bailed before Japanther went on and headed to Boulevard Tavern where we made a new friend. Hi, Sweet Tits (or was it Sugar Tits?)! Anyway, the party was a fucking rager and 171 Lombardy is a killer place for a party. Now I just need to convince my pussy friends it's worth hiking out to the middle of nowhere.
More pics:
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Tonight: Knife Fight w/ A Shit Ton Of Good Bands
If you're not familiar with the Brooklyn music scene but you're curious as to what all the fuss is about then come to this show. These bands (Death Set, Cerebral Ballzy, Japanther, Boogie Boarder, & Leaders) define the Brooklyn scene and this party defines the DIY craziness in all it's glory. What to expect? Expect sweaty drunk punks, cheap shitty beer, loud music, bloody noses, stink, holding it in, and leaving with an STD and wet clothes (beer, sweat, etc.). Yeah, I'd say that's a fair assessment. If you only go out once this winter you should make it this one.
The venue is in the middle of nowhere so take advantage of the free shuttle bus or ride your silly bike (not that bikes are silly, just yours). The shuttle details are on the Knife Fight website. Also, there's free booze for like 2 hours or something.
Link:
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Cerebral Ballzy & Das Racist Played The Woods 2/1
On Monday I headed to a benefit for Haiti at The Woods. It was my first time at the place and I have to say I give it a serious thumbs up. Cheap booze, a huge yard, taco truck, and a stage...wait, why does that sound so familiar? Anyhow, the place is awesome so check it out soon.
We got to The Woods right before Cerebral Ballzy took the stage and bought some beer and shots. Before the band started Sam Mason and a man with a badge took the stage. I didn't catch the dudes name but he works for a volunteer force from Bed-Stuy who are doing serious search and rescue missions in Haiti. The fundraiser was to help them with supplies for their next mission. Isn't it fucked that we don't know the name of the dude that is out there saving lives every day and yet we know the name of a guy who flips burgers for rich people? Ahh, society.
After the intro and explanation of where all the proceeds were going Ballzy got started. The set started a little slow but that's because it was an early set and people were still just getting there. Halfway through things picked up a bit and a pit broke out. Nothing too crazy but it made things a little more interesting. During the second installment of the last song the band just fucking wiped everything out on stage. It turned into a twisted pile of guitars and limbs that rolled off the stage onto the floor. Quite an ending.
Next up was Japanther. The place was pretty packed at this point and a delayed sound check was making the crowd antsy (the telephone mics weren't working...ugh). They finally got up and running and everyone started bopping around and such. I went to the back and leaned against the wall. I'm not really a Japanther fan to be honest so I used their set as my drinking time.
The Das Racist crew took the stage next. This was my third time seeing them and they're just always a good time. They get shit faced, crack jokes, and rap about shit 90% of the crowd doesn't understand. It doesn't sound like a good formula but it works.
After the show I stumbled out pretty shit faced...but it was for charity so that's a good thing.
We got to The Woods right before Cerebral Ballzy took the stage and bought some beer and shots. Before the band started Sam Mason and a man with a badge took the stage. I didn't catch the dudes name but he works for a volunteer force from Bed-Stuy who are doing serious search and rescue missions in Haiti. The fundraiser was to help them with supplies for their next mission. Isn't it fucked that we don't know the name of the dude that is out there saving lives every day and yet we know the name of a guy who flips burgers for rich people? Ahh, society.
After the intro and explanation of where all the proceeds were going Ballzy got started. The set started a little slow but that's because it was an early set and people were still just getting there. Halfway through things picked up a bit and a pit broke out. Nothing too crazy but it made things a little more interesting. During the second installment of the last song the band just fucking wiped everything out on stage. It turned into a twisted pile of guitars and limbs that rolled off the stage onto the floor. Quite an ending.
Next up was Japanther. The place was pretty packed at this point and a delayed sound check was making the crowd antsy (the telephone mics weren't working...ugh). They finally got up and running and everyone started bopping around and such. I went to the back and leaned against the wall. I'm not really a Japanther fan to be honest so I used their set as my drinking time.
The Das Racist crew took the stage next. This was my third time seeing them and they're just always a good time. They get shit faced, crack jokes, and rap about shit 90% of the crowd doesn't understand. It doesn't sound like a good formula but it works.
After the show I stumbled out pretty shit faced...but it was for charity so that's a good thing.
Hero
FRIDAY: Hot Chip & Free Energy Playing MySpace Secret Show
According to the press release I just got MySpace still exists. Who knew? To prove their existence they've put together a free show at Highline Ballroom.
UK electronic outfit Hot Chip will be playing a MySpace Music Secret Show in New York City at the Highline Ballroom on Friday, February 5 for their MySpace friends and fans in celebration of the release of their upcoming full-length album titled One Life Stand (Feb. 9, Astralwerks). Philadelphia-based DFA rock quintet Free Energy will open the performance. Doors for this all-ages event will open at 7 p.m. and entry will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition, MySpace Music will be streaming the concert LIVE in partnership with Livestream via Hot Chip's official MySpace Music profile at http://www.myspace.com/hotchip beginning at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST.
MySpace Secret Shows Presents: Hot Chip with Free Energy
Venue: Highline Ballroom
City: New York, NY
Date: Friday, February 5
Time: Doors at 7 p.m.
All ages
Additional info: http://www.myspace.com/secretshows
Party Alert: Knife Fight w/ Japanther, Ballzy, Death Set, Boogie Boarder, Leaders
Killer show this Thursday in Greenpoint with some of our favorites - Cerebral Ballzy, The Death Set, Boogie Boarder, Japanther, and Leaders. It's part of the Sounds Like Brooklyn Festival. It's all going down at 171 Lombardy which is way the fuck out by the Kosciusko bridge but fret not young heathen - there's a shuttle bus. The next night the fight continues with dance party.
Link:
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Turd Cutter Banned From YouTube
A few months back I discovered a little music video called "Turd Cutter." At the time it only had about 400 views. Once I posted it and sent it around to some of my favorite sites that number shot up to over 1,000. Not a lot by internet standards but enough to get the word out there. I just went to YouTube to see how the TC boys were doing with views and guess what? YouTube removed it! Bastards. I guess they're not ass men.
However, I did a quick search and noticed a that it's up on Funny Or Die and bunch of new sites are linking to it. So in the future when "Turd Cutter" is dubbed the greatest video of all time just remember it started here and also that YouTube doesn't like cake.
Link:
Turd Cutter - watch more funny videos
Tonight: LOST; Das Racist Performing Paul's Boutique
The premier episode of the final season of LOST is tonight. I will be home watching because this is the best show ever (non-comedy). But if you're leaving the house tonight I highly recommend heading to Cameo for Das Racist. They'll be performing the Beastie Boys classic Paul's Boutique in it's entirety. I saw Das Racist for the 3rd time last night and they're always good fun.
Todd P Announces Festival In Mexico, During SXSW
Todd P is taking on SXSW with his own festival right across the border in Mexico. The fest is called MtyMx and has most of the bands you would expect to participate. Tickets are $30 for a 3-day pass and there's a bus you can take from Austin to the show. Here's the lineup so far:
Dan Deacon*Neon Indian (MX/TX)No Age*Fucked Up (CANADA)Das RacistWashed OutThee Oh SeesPocahauntedIndian Jewelry (TX)Male Bonding (UK)Best Fwends (TX)Banjo or Freakout (UK)Los Fancy Free (MX)*Los Margaritos (MX)*dd/mm/yyyy (CANADA)LemonadeQuiero Club (MX)*Los Llamarada (MX)*Toro y MoiSmall BlackLiturgy* indicates that the band is *not* playing at SxSW, ie. is “exclusive” to MtyMxand many many more, along with Mexican bands, and more to be announced in the coming days.
Sounds pretty fun. I mean, it's Mexico, the land of the free. Party!
Wild Yaks Played Bruar Falls 1/30
On Saturday I rounded up some pals and we headed over to the Wild Yaks farewell show at Bruar Falls. The Yaks are on tour right now and will be relocating to Austin until April. The band wanted a proper send off and that is exactly what they (and we) got.
We got to the show around 11PM and the first band still hadn't started yet. Ill Ease was supposed to the first band but for unknown reasons Violent Bullshit switched slots with them. I've heard good things about VB but this was my first time seeing them. If you haven't had the pleasure they play late 80's NYC hardcore. They sound like Madball (circa Ball Of Destruction) but they sure don't look like Madball. The drummer is a dead ringer for Garth Algar and the rest of the band is straight out of a VICE mag Bushwick spread.
While they don't fit the profile of hardcore kids they sure as shit sound like it. No one I was with liked VB at all but that's fitting since none of them have ever been to a hardcore show in the 90's. I went to nothing but hardcore shows for a few years so I was digging it. The hardcore sound without the hardcore thugs - I can get used to that. In regards to the hardcore scene I've always been a fan of Ensign's old motto, "Love the music, hate the kids." (FYI: Ensign are playing Knitting Factory 2/27)
After Violent Bullshit finished up we started drinking a lot. By the time Ill Ease came on I was not paying attention at all. I saw their whole set but damned if I could tell you anything about it. I was focused on drinking and they simply weren't loud enough to draw my attention towards them. Sorry dudes (were they even dudes?), I guess I'll have to catch you next time.
Next up was Wild Yaks and by this time I was pretty twisted up. I pushed through the crowd and got a space right up front by Rob Bronco. The show was pretty crazy and at a few points a mosh pit (not really but for lack of a better term) broke out. People were dancing on the floor on the stage and on top of whatever the hell people were standing on along the wall. It's clear by the sheer number of people singing along that the Yaks are ready to move on to bigger and better things. We'll see you boys in April.
Link:
Monday, February 01, 2010
Tonight: Rock + Rescue (Ballzy, Japanther, Das Racist + More)
Haiti benefit show at The Woods tonight.
Link:
Rock + Rescue
Rock + Rescue
Please join us for a benefit concert for Haiti. Performers include:
-Japanther: http://japanther.com/
- Das Racist: http://www.myspace.com/dasracist
- Fresh Kills: http://www.myspace.com/freshkills
- Cerebral Ballzy: http://www.myspace.com/cerebralballzy
- Columboid: http://www.myspace.com/columboid
Post band DJing provided by DJ Unicornicopia http://www.myspace.com/unicornicopia
All proceeds, including 100% of bar sales, bartender gratuities, cover charge, and merchandise sales will be donated to the Bedford Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps (http://www.bsvac.org) Haiti rescue efforts.
Performances start at 7:30 PM. $10 minimum donation at the door.