Who's Driving the Bus?

Superchunk and Oakley Hall @ McCarren Pool

2007-06-24T21:57:00.000-04:00

The first Pool Party of the summer at McCarren Pool was today. It was a great time as always. The weather was perfect and all of the bands sounded amazing. This years lineup promises a lot of great shows so be sure to check out a few. I got there today in time to hear all of the bands. +/- started things off really well. Up next was a personal favorite of mine, Oakley Hall. As always they were great. I can't say enough good things about them. The day ended with Superchunk who I have never been a huge fan of but their set seemed to go over really well with the crowd.

See the rest of my photos here.

Mermaid Parade

2007-06-24T21:51:00.000-04:00

The 25th annual Mermaid Parade at Coney Island was yeasterday. It was a really great time. I hope that this isn't the last one, but it looks like it may be because there are plans to destroy Astroland and build luxury condos.

See all of my photos at my flickr account

The White Stripes @ the Fillmore at Irving Plaza

2007-06-20T01:31:00.000-04:00

Um...Yeah...um....Well....That fucking rocked. This show was amazing and to think it is only the appetizer before the main course. Jack and Meg just flat out destroyed Irving Plaza tonight. In my opinion the show really got going in the Icky Thump>Canon mash up. This version awesome as Jack just jammed on that opening line of Canon before unleashing the furry. The set which lasted for 2 hours just seemed to fly by. Check out my longer review over at Hidden Track and check back all summer for more pictures and reviews from the White Stripes shows at Halifax, Glace bay, MSG, Virginia, Connecticut and ACL.

See more photos here.

Three Years on and I still say WTF.

2007-06-18T15:05:00.001-04:00

Today marks the third anniversary of one of the top 2 what the fuck moments in Phish history. Three years ago Phish shocked a sold out audience in Coney Island by announcing Jay-Z as there special guest. Some would argue that the collaboration that followed was horrible. While others thought it was brilliant. Me I just thought it was a typical Phish move. The band always knew just how to surprise their audience the best. Although my biggest what the fuck moment was definitely when Kid Rock came out in Las Vegas this was still a pretty cool thing to witness.

Success! I will be at Irving Plaza on Tuesday

2007-06-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

I got to the Fillmore at Irving Plaza around 5:30 this morning there were about 75 people in front of me. By about 7am the line was numbering 200 people and an hour later it seemed to be at 400 people. Someone said that they only had 500 tickets to sell. I kind of doubt that but you never know. Around 10am they gave out numbers I was 89. Then around 11 I was finally able to buy tickets! I am super stoked for Tuesday.

Akron/Family @ Bowery Ballroom

2007-06-14T15:23:00.000-04:00

This was a great show. In my opinion this was the best of the 12 or so times I have seen them. Check out my full review over at Hidden Track. I really hope that Akron/Family play New York again soon. I also really wish these guys would think about putting out an official live album.

See more photos here.

BOOKER T. & THE MG'S with guest SHARON JONES @ Rockefeller Park

2007-06-14T11:09:00.001-04:00

Sharon Jones was great last night. The rest of the show was o.k in my opinion. Hidden Track has a much longer review.

See more of my photos here.

The Whitestirpes live on the Jools Holland Show

2007-06-03T13:21:00.000-04:00

The Whitestripes stopped by the Jools Holland show to play few new songs. This was my first time hearing "Icky Thump" live and I must say it rock even harder than the album version. This was also my first time hearing "Effect and Cause". I am digging this cut a lot. It has a great country blues feel similar to their cover of "Rated -X". After a brief interview the band finishes their performance with a version of "My Doorbell" featuring Jack on bass and Jools on keyboards.

Icky Thump

Effect and Cause

Interview

My Doorbell

Ryan Adams covers Alice in Chains and debuts new material

2007-05-23T13:40:00.000-04:00

Ryan Adams played a few shows last week to promote the upcoming release of his new album, "Easy Tiger". These shows saw Ryan confined to playing only the piano and singing after suffering from an undisclosed injury. I hope Ryan recovers soon but I have to admit I really like the sound of the Cardinals at these shows. Ryan and the band took kind of an unplugged/Reckoning approach to these shows by performing all acoustic sets. In addition to the striped down sound, the band also all sat upon stools which if I remember correctly was an unplugged requirement. In addition to debuting new material from "Easy Tiger" Ryan also debuted his take on the Alice and Chain's song "Down in a Hole". All I can say is "wow". This was a great choice and done beautifully. Here are two tracks from the Kingston show. But I urge you to check out the whole recording over at Ryan Adams Archive.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
Ulster Performing Arts Center
Kingston, N.Y.
May 16, 2007
Down in a Hole(Alice in Chains Cover)
Magnolia Mountain

There plenty of Ryan Adams else where on the web
Aquarium Drunkard has excerpts from both Exile on Franklin St. and the Destroyer Sessions
The Punk Guy has a few live MP3s.
That Truncheon Thing has a MP3 of "Everybody Knows" from the upcoming album.
Product Shop NYC also has two new tracks

Jesus and Mary Chain @ Webster Hall

2007-05-23T10:45:00.000-04:00

I heard the Jesus and Mary Chain for the first time when I was 13 or 14. I would often fall asleep listening to a nightly radio program called "Night Waves" that was broadcast on the local college radio program. This show served as my guide for what was cool for many years. I don't really remember what my initial reaction to the Jesus and Mary Chain's music was but I do remember going to a record store and being unable to determine what song it was I had heard on the radio so I bought both "Psychocandy" and "Stoned and Dethroned".

Later that year that same record store held a contest to win tickets and a chance to meet the band before their up coming show at Bogart's in Cincinnati, Ohio. Now I have never been a very lucky when it comes to raffles or give aways but I was that time. The record store called my house about a week before the concert to inform me that I had won and how I could claim my prize. There was barely a moment leading up to the show that I didn't think about what it would be like to meet the JAMC.

After what seemed like an eternity the night of the show finally came. I arrived at the back entrance of Bogart's and was escorted up to the backstage area. I think most people were a little confused on how a nerdy young kid had won the contest because I remember getting a few "What the Fuck?" looks as I waited for the band. As I waited in a dark dank room for the band I became more and more nervous. Once they arrived the meeting was pretty uneventful. We all shook hands and I think I told them that I was a huge fan and then they presented me with an autograph poster and I was told they had to do a sound check then, but my tickets would be waiting at will call. I memories of the show are all good ones but I think it may have been the entire experience that I was impressed with.

So when it was announced that the Jesus and Mary Chain would be performing 2 nights at Webster Hall I was really excited to relive a moment from my childhood. Although this time I was nearly as excited as I was then. Last night's show although it was not the most energetic concert it was definitely a lot of fun. It was great to hear so many amazing songs live again. I was a little surprised at how most of these songs still seem relevant. Although I do hope for the best for Reid brothers I am not sure I will need to see them again live. This show kind of closed a chapter in my life. Thanks for the great memories.

The Whitestripes live return and lots of new press.

2007-05-21T10:22:00.001-04:00

The Whitestripes performed their first concert in almost 2 years this past Friday. Early report are all pretty good. The concert was announced late last week and was billed as "an intimate show". The band opened with a cover of the Hank Williams Sr song "Tennessee Border" and played both new and old material. People on Ws.net are talk about how much that the live version of "Icky Thump" raged. NME has the entire setlist and a nice review. NME will also be giving away limited edition Whitestripes 7-inch with the June 8th issue.
In other Whitestripes news they will also be on the cover of Nylon magazine and they made this funny little video to go with it.
NYLON TV + THE WHITE STRIPES

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Beastie Boys new album and videos

2007-05-18T11:11:00.000-04:00

The Beastie Boys are preparing to release their brand new all instrumental album "The Mix Up". If the two music video they have posted on their website are any indication of what the rest of the album is going to be like we are definitely in store for one awesome album. I have been listening to a lot of old Beastie Boys specifically "Check Your Head"(which imo is their best) and the infamous "Live at Randy's Rodeo" bootleg. But these new vids are just getting me so stoked.

I can only hope they add a few more North American tour dates. I would love to see one of these all instrumental shows. But for now I will just have to settle for their set at V-Fest which I am not sure will be all instrumental. Check on this video of "Off the Grid" or head over to their website to see more, also check out this great photo set of new B-Boy photos.

!!! @ Bowery Ballroom

2007-05-17T14:30:00.000-04:00

The !!! show at the Bowery Ballroom last night was off the charts. The energy level and fun level were blown through the roof. It seemed like the whole audience danced and rocked out from start to finish which rarely happens at any New York City show. Ace will probably have a better review up on Hidden Track later or check out Brooklyn Vegan or the Music slut for more reviews.

A few more photos here.

Silversun Pickups @ Webster Hall

2007-05-16T16:09:00.000-04:00

It took about half the show for both the band and the audience to get into it but in the end I thought it was a pretty good show.

See more photos on my Flickr account

New Orleans Jazzfest 2007

2007-05-10T15:32:00.000-04:00

I am back from New Orleans and Jazzfest was amazing. I put a bunch of photos up on my Flickr account. Also Hidden Track posted a bunch of them. So check out both.

The Flaming Lips @ Brown University

2007-04-23T13:31:00.000-04:00

Check out my review of Flaming Lips at Brown University on Hidden Track and to see photos from all of the band head over to my flickr account.

Also I recently found this video of The Whitestripes and Flaming Lips from New Year's Eve 2003/2004. I was at this show at it has been fun to re-live it with the help of YouTube.

Roky Erickson @ Southpaw

2007-04-16T14:30:00.000-04:00

Roky fucking rocked! I had been waiting the last 10 years of my life for this show. Check out my full review at Hidden Track.

Also here are a few awesome videos I found on youtube.

Jandek @ the Abrons Arts Center

2007-04-16T08:41:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was reclusive Texan musician weekend here in New York City. On Friday and Sunday there were Roky Erickson shows and sandwiched in between was Jandek. Wikipedia has the following to say about Jandek:

“Jandek is the assumed name of an outsider musician who operates in or around Houston, Texas. Since 1978, Jandek has self-released 49 albums of unusual, often emotionally dissolute folk and blues songs without ever granting more than the occasional interview or providing any biographical information. Jandek often plays a highly idiosyncratic and frequently atonal form of folk and blues music, often using an open and unconventional chord structure. Jandek’s music is unique, but his lyrics closely mirror the country blues and folk traditions of Eastern Texas.”

I personally had never heard of Jandek before a year of so ago when he made his first New York appereance. Since then I have pick up a few of his recordings and struggled with most them. But being a music fan I wasn’t going to miss a possible once in a life time chance to see him perform. The show on Saturday was scheduled to be at Tonic but was moved at the last moment to the beautiful Abrons Arts Center. Jandek performed at a 3 piece band and it was unlike any of the recording I had heard. The music was a mix between rock and free form noise. Most of the songs lasted for close to 15 minutes and moved between multiple arrangemnets and structures. I was really captivated by parts but just flat out borded by others. Here is short video I shot of his performance

Dr.Dog @ Bowery Ballroom

2007-04-09T10:01:00.000-04:00

Hidden Track posted my review of Dr.Dog's excellent show at the Bowery Ballroom. So go check it out here and check out more of my photos on my flickr account.
.

Les Savy Fav @ The Bowery Ballroom

2007-04-02T09:51:00.000-04:00

Les Savy Fav totally rocked the Bowery Ballroom last night. The band debuted a bunch of new material that all sounded great. The addition of the 2nd guitar player also added a really cool new dimension to the band. The night got started with the really cool Call Me Lightning and the the always fun The Big Sleep.

For more photos head over to my flickr account

Last of the Breed @ Radio City Music Hall

2007-03-23T08:32:00.000-04:00

I had a a great time at this concert last night. Ray Price started the evening with his own band and they were amazing. Ray's vocals haven't lost anything at all. The highlight of his set was "Heartache by the Numbers". Merle Haggard was up next and although he didn't play all of the hit I wanted to hear he was still great. I guess the problem is that he just has so many amazing songs it is hard to pick which ones to play. He closed his set by performing my favorite tune of his "Sing Me Back Home". He was then joined by Willie Nelson for "Okie From Muskogee". Willie's appearance received the biggest cheers of the night. After a brief set by both Willie and Merle, Ray came back and they all performed a few songs together including this Hank Williams songs. Sorry about the bad video quality but I was sitting the cheap seat.

Steve Earle and Allison Moorer @ the Blue Note

2007-03-13T23:39:00.000-04:00

Last night I went over to the Blue Note to see Steve Earle. Overall I thought his performance was pretty good. He performed mostly songs from him extensive back catalogue and a few newer songs. The highlight for me was hearing "The Mountain" which Steve dedicated to coal miners in Kentucky. Steve also spoke quite a bit about living in New York City and how it was different from the country. He also briefly mentioned his character in my favorite television show the Wire and how they were going to be filming this summer. Allison Moorer opened the show and performed a beautiful version of the Sam Cooke classic "A Change is Gonna Come".

Here is clip of Allison Moorer performing "A Change is Gonna Come"

Steve Earle performing "Hometown Blues"

and here is Steve performing "My Old Friend The Blues".

The Good, The Bad and The Queen @ Webster Hall

2007-03-13T13:01:00.000-04:00

It was a great show. Easily my favorite of the 30 shows I have seen this year. Check out my full review over at Hidden Track.

Charlie Louvin @ the Gramercy Theater

2007-03-09T10:14:00.000-05:00

I will post a longer review later but until then enjoy this video from Charlie Louvin's fantastic performance at the Gramercy Theater.

More David Vandervelde

2007-03-01T17:36:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday night I decided to go down to Pianos to catch David Vandervelde and I am really glad I did. The Tuesday show was packed full of people eager to see David and the stripped down version of The Moonstation House Band. The show was awesome. It was like watching Marc Bolan and Neil Young and Stones all wrapped into one. For those still unfamiliar with David check out this great video of his cover of the Rolling Stones song "Cocksucker Blues". David will also be back in New York on April 21st at Luna Lounge.

More Awesome Album news, The Whitestripes to release Icky Thump

2007-03-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

Last night Jack and Meg announced the details of their brand new album entitled Icky Thump. This is easy the album I am most excited to hear this year. The album was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville(Jack's current home). Does this mean that perhaps we can expect a few more bluegrass numbers similar to "Little Ghost"? I certainly hope so, I loved the songs that Jack did for the Cold Mountain soundtrack and I have always wanted to hear more country and blues from Jack. Now if only they would announce a full tour, then I can get really excited.

Trey Anastasio in court

2007-02-28T16:09:00.000-05:00

I am still unsure what to make of all Trey Anastasio's recent trouble with the law. Part of me is sympathetic, it is easy to understand how a casual drug use can become a full blown addiction. But then there is part of me that has lost all patient with this story because it really seems as though Trey isn't really interested in getting clean. He has made multiple statements about being sober which all seem to be false. I will always be a huge fan of Phish and will continue to support him but Trey please get some help.

Ryan Adams set to release the Tiger

2007-02-28T11:30:00.000-05:00

Ryan Adams will release his 9th full length album entitle "Easy Tiger" on June 5th. This year has already seen a lot of great release and I guess you can add this to the list. While the final sequence is still to be determined, "Easy Tiger" will be comprised of the following tracks: "Goodnight Rose," "Everybody Knows," "The Sun Also Sets," "Halloween Head," "Off Broadway," "Two Hearts," "Tears Of Gold," "These Girls," "Two," "I Taught Myself How To Grow Old," "Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.," "Rip Off" and "Pearls On A String." We have already heard most of these track live and they all rock. Hooray for a new Ryan Adams Album.

David Vandervelde @ Union Hall

2007-02-27T10:22:00.000-05:00

Vandervelde likes to rock now, yes he does, yes he does. David Vandervelde and his Moonstation House Band played a short set at Union Hall last night. Vandervelde has been attracting a lot of blog buzz lately because of his awesome new album "The Moonstaion House Band" out now on Secertly Canadian. I personally was very impress by last night's set even though it was very obvious that David was very sick and probably should have been at home in bed. Hopefully David is feeling better by tonight when he plays at Piano's.

Trans Am, Oneida, and Big Bear @ the Knitting Factory

2007-02-26T11:05:00.000-05:00

Saturday was one of those typical New York nights when there are way too many good shows to go to and you are forced make some hard decisions. There was O'death at the Mercury Lounge, Call Me Lightning at the Cake Shop and Onieda and Trams Am at the Knitting Factory. I decide to head down to the Knitting Factory for Trans Am and Oneida early show. The show began with heavy math rocker Big Bear who I was completely unfamiliar with but they left me very impressed. Oneida set was great as usual and featured cool visual provided by The Mighty Robot A/V Squad. Trams Am's set which was kind of plagued by equipment problems was still pretty fun. After Trans Am's set I took off to try and catch Call Me lightning at the Cake shop but unfortunately got side tracked and ended up just watching SNL with Rain Wilson and the Arcade Fire.

MV + EE and the Road Bummer

2007-02-05T13:36:00.000-05:00

So while I was sitting in Carnegie Hall on Friday listen to a bunch of freak folk there was even more freak folk going on in Brooklyn. MV + EE and the Road Bummer who released the amazing "Green Blues" last year were playing at the Glassland Gallery. I was actually more interested in attending this show but because I already had a ticket to see "Welcome to Dreamland" that is the show I went to. For those interested in MV + EE check out the video below.

Welcome to Dreamland @ Carnegie Hall

2007-02-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to the David Byrne curate freak folk extravaganza entitled "Welcome to Dreamland" at Carnegie Hall. I remember being a little hesitant about buying the ticket sometime last fall because at that point was little worried about the direction "freak folk" was going. But last night's performance by the extended "Family" restored some of my faith in "freak folk". The show began with CocoRosie whom I have never really enjoyed very much but their brief portion of the show was nice. Adem was up after them at it then that the show really began to take form. Adem was joined on stage by Andy Cabic of Vetiver and Vashti Bunyan. From then until the end of the show the band transition amazingly from one artist to the next each performance sharing musicians from the previous performance. The highlight of the night for me was the Vetiver part of the evening. Andy Cabic is an amazing musician and brilliant songwriter. He sounded amazing last night and he will be performing next Saturday at Southpaw. The evening closed with 4 songs from Devendra Banhart and was followed by a beautiful encore that saw everyone including David Byrne take the stage for a joyous sing along.

See a few more photos here and below is a short clip of a new song Devendra performed.

The Holmes Brothers @ Joe's Pub

2007-01-17T22:32:00.000-05:00

The Holmes Brothers set at Joe's Pub on Tuesday night was great. The hour long set featured mostly covers such as "Bad Moon Rising" and "I Want You To Want Me" as well as a half a dozen songs off of their most recently release album, "State of Grace". The Holmes Brothers play the World Finacial Center on Saturday as part of the Amercian Beauty Project and Joe's Pub again next Tuesday with Allen Toussaint. Before they head out on tour.

See a few more pictures here.

Gil Mantera's Party Dream @ the Knitting Factory

2007-01-15T14:51:00.000-05:00

I have never really been sure what to make of Gil Mantera's Party Dream. The group, which is made up of brothers Donny and Gil Mantera, play a sort of synth-pop-rock mixed with a good bit of humor. On Saturday I headed down to the Knitting Factory to catch what I thought was going to be as much a stand up performance as it was a going to be rock show. But what I got was an all out crazy rock show. The sold out crowd just went insane during their set. The band barely gave the crowd a moment to breathe as the blasted through their 1-hour set. Overall it was a great time and if you haven't the Party Dream live strong suggest you catch them on their current tour.

See a few more photos here and just in case you are interested here is the video for "Elmo's Wish".

Beck Unplugged!

2006-10-23T15:45:00.000-04:00

Beck wrapped up a great week of New York City area concerts last night by performing a beautiful set at the Angel Orensanz Center for the Arts. Beck and friends were armed with only a few acoustic guitars, an assortment of things bang on, and a Casio keyboard. The 24 song set featured material from all stages of his career and a few choice covers. Of the 20 plus Beck shows I have seen since 1994 this was easily one of my top three. If anyone managed to record this show I love to get a copy.

O'death and The Goddamn Rattlesnake @ The New Fun Club

2006-10-04T14:10:00.000-04:00

Another fun show by O'death and the Goddamn Rattlesnake. O'death play at Goodbye-Blue-Monday on Friday and the Goddamn Rattlesnake opens for Langhorne Slim and Two Gallants at Northsix on Saturday so be sure to check them out.

The Raconteurs @ the Roseland Ballroom

2006-09-27T11:07:00.000-04:00

Last night The Raconteurs played their second of two shows at the Roseland Ballroom. The band continues to get better and better live. All of the songs sounded much better than the two other times I have seen them. They have also added a great version of the Cher song "Bang Bang" to their repertoire. Overall it was a pretty good show. But after the show I couldn't help but think that I really wish that I had been at a Whitestripes concert.

The Flaming Lips @ the Hammerstein Ballroom

2006-09-26T13:35:00.000-04:00

The Flaming Lips ended their tour by playing the Hammerstein Ballroom last night and on Sunday night. Both were great shows. Both nights had almost the same exact setlist. However the show on Sunday was much better. This was because the Flaming Lips handed out about 200 laser pointers to the audience. This allowed the audience to create there own laser light show. It was a pretty amazing experience. I can easily say that after 20 Flaming Lips shows this was one of the coolest things I have ever seen them do on stage. I unfortunately didn't bring a camera on Sunday night to capture this beautiful experience but there are a few pictures on Flickr. It was also nice to see that they had switched around the setlist since the Webster Hall shows. Although I do miss their cover of War Pigs.

Akron/Family @ Tonic

2006-09-25T12:19:00.000-04:00

Akron/Family played 2 sold out shows at Tonic on Saturday night. The shows were kind of spotty in my opinion. The band performed mostly new material from an album they have not yet recorded. Most of these songs sounded great. A few of these songs had a very Neil Young feel to them. The problem with the shows was that the band never seemed to really find their groove. The highlight of both shows came in the first set when the band invited Hamid Drake and William Parker to jam with them on the song The Rider.

Akron/Family Live Download

2006-09-20T13:28:00.000-04:00

After Akron/family's kick ass show at the Knitting factory earlier this year I began frantically trying to find a live recordings of AK AK. I eventually found this one. And although it is incomplete it definitely has some great moments of hard rocking.
Akron/Family will be headline 2 shows at Tonic this Saturday to celebrate the release of their new album "Meek Warrior". They will be joined by the The Hamid Drake/William Parker due. Humid Drake plays on Akron/Family new album and we can only hope that he sits in with the band. The last time Akron/Family played at Tonic they absolutely destroyed the place. Get tickets here.

Akron/Family
eke Utrecht, NIL
04-14-2006

suchness
moment
reinforest
small shape
blessing force
Ali
raising the sparks (incomplete; missing the last 4 minutes)

My Favorite Jerry show

2006-09-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

Not too much to say about this recording. Just the man and his guitar. Jerry's vocals sound amazing and the song selection is great. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.

Jerry Garcia
Capitol Theater
Passaic, NJ
04-10-1982 (Early show)

Deep Elem Blues
Freight Train>
Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie
Gomorrah
Dire Wolf
Little Sadie
Stagger Lee
Valerie
I've Been All Around This World
To Lay Me Down
Run for the Roses
Ripple
Reuben & Cherise

The Whitestripes on the Simpsons and Live Download

2006-09-18T17:30:00.000-04:00

I have wanted to post a The Whitestripes show on here for a while but could never find a good reason to. So i figured Jack and Meg appreance on The Simpsons last night was as good as any. If you missed last night's episode here is the clip of the Simpsons parodying the Whitestripes video for "Hardest Button to Button".

And now for the recording. I can confidently say that this is one the best sounding Whitsteripes recording available. This was one of the four show the band performed in April of 2003 in support of the release of "Elephant". The concert which occoured on a cold Easter Sunday and was a serious smoker. Jack and Meg's performance is nothing short of magnificent. Every song is performed flawlessly and with an incredible amounts of energy. And with that enjoy the show!

The Whitestripes
Orpheum Theater
Boston, Ma
April 20, 2003

Black Math
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Let's Shake Hands
I think I Smell a Rat
Jolene
Hardest Button to Button
Look Me Over Closely
Apple Blossom
You're Pretty Good Looking for a Girl
In the Cold, Cold Night
Death letter
Red Bird
Fell in Love with a Girl
Don't Blame Me
Hotel Yorba
Lord Send Me an Angel
Ball and Biscut
Astro>Jack the Ripper
Encore
Seven Nation Army
Boll Weevil

Man Man @ the Spiegel Tent

2006-09-17T20:55:00.000-04:00

Last night marked the eighth time I have seen Man Man this year. "Six Demon Bag" the band's sophomore record is one of my favorite records of 2006. So I went into last nights show expecting to be blown away again the by greatness that is Man Man .
The Spiegel Tents circus tent meets Moulin Rouge setting was the perfect location for Man Man's sold out performance. By 11:45 a 200 person line snaked its' way around the tent which is locate underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. Once the doors opened the room filled up immediately with people trying get as close to the stage as possible. I luckily secured a great spot directly in front. The energy level in the room continued to rise as the show drew closer and closer. And my anticipation for the show continued to grow. It was amazing to see how far Man Man had come in the past year. I continue to think back to the amazing show they performed at the Cake Shop earlier this year and there sweaty bar filled show at SXSW. But there wasn't too much time to reminisce because the band took the stage.
I instantly became consumed by the craziness of the show. Dancing and singing along to ever song. The set has radically changed from early this year when they would play the same set ever night. They have continued to add new material all of which sounds amazing. However just as the band was really starting to rock things began to get a little weird. I started to notice that crowd was becoming extremely obnoxious and overly insecure. It seemed as though 75% of the crowd all thought they were the biggest Man Man fan in the world. I have always have had a problem with people that compete for some sort of top level of fandom and I never thought I would see such behavior at a Man Man show. People's behavior at this show was almost comical. There was pushing for the sake acting out. There was crowd surfing by a girl that looked as if she was in high school. There was a big burly sweaty hoss picking fights and acting crazy in an attempt to prove that if given the chance he would kill to have Man Man's love child. All this was just too much for me and I kind of let my mind wander away from the music.
Yes the music last night was fucking great and the performance was off the charts but all of that couldn't make up for the behavior of the crowd. Now a day later I wonder what is next for these very charismatic performers. Will their next show be filled with drunken douche bags all trying to prove they are biggest fan? I certainly hope not but then again you never know. I do know that what ever happens I will continue to watch this band grow and slowly take over the world but from now on I will stay in back of the room.

My Morning Jacket Fall tour!

2006-09-14T13:17:00.000-04:00

My Morning Jacket annouinced their fall tour today and I am completely stoked to say the least. I will hopefully be seeing 4 shows on this tour!

Here are the dates.
November
09 Thu Charleston, SC Music Farm
10 Fri Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theater
12 Sun Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
13 Mon Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
15 Wed New Orleans, LA House Of Blues
16 Thu Dallas, TX Gypsy Theater
17 Fri Dallas, TX Gypsy Theater
18 Sat Austin, TX Stubb's
20 Mon St. Louis, MO The Pageant
21 Tue Milwaukee, WI The Riverside
22 Wed Louisville, KY Louisville Gardens
24 Fri Chicago, IL Riviera Theater
25 Sat Indianapolis, IN Clowes Hall
27 Mon Washington, DC
28 Tue Washington, DC
30 Thu New York, NY Roseland Ballroom
DECEMBER
01 Fri Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
02 Sat Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom

O'Death, Two Gallants, and more @ Maiden, Brooklyn

2006-09-11T12:42:00.000-04:00

Immediately following the show at McCarren Pool on Saturday I headed over to Maiden, Brooklyn for a late show featuring The Goddamn Rattlesnake, Two Gallants, O'Death and Skeletonbreath. This show was out of control. The fun level was way off the charts. About 100 people packed into the back of Maiden, Brooklyn to drink cheap beer and rock out to great sets by all of the bands. First up was The Goddamn rattlesnake, who in addition to performing also organized the event and rocked out in the audience during every set. The Goddamn Rattlesnake is a more country version of O'Death and just as good. People really packed in to hear Two Gallants. This set was a thousand times better than their set earlier in the day. O'Death was the next band to play. Their set rocked every last sock off of the audience. This was easily the best set I have seen them perform since their show at Brooklyn Fireproof. The show even featured a a cover of the Pixies' song "Nimrod's Son". The final band of the evening was Skeletonbreath. I was pretty tired by the time they came on but they still rocked me pretty hard. Skeletonbreath sound a lot like Tarantula A.D with more of klezmer music sound. They also performed the theme from the movie Beetlejuice and "When the Saint go Marching". After a long day and night of rocking I walked out into the street soaking of sweat and beer.

The Goddamn Rattlesnake

Two Gallants

O'Death

Skeletonbreath

Gov't Mule, Wolfmother, & Two Gallants @ McCarren Pool

2006-09-10T21:19:00.000-04:00

On Saturday night we waved goodbye to summer as Gov't Mule, Wolfmother, and Two Gallants rocked the final show of the summer at McCarren Pool. The show started out with a short set by Two Gallants. The highlight of their set was the smoking version of "Las Cruces Jail". Their set as usual left me wanting more but since I knew I was going to see them again later that night I wasn't to worried.
The next band to take the stage was Wolfmother. This was the second time I have seen Wolfmother. The first time was their performance at Mercury Lounge earlier this year. At that point I wasn't that impressed with their Sabbath meets stoner rock revival sound. But on Saturday I witnessed a totally different band. A band that when a couple thousand people are all clapping along, shaking their fist in the air and head banging made me a believer. They just brought amazing amount of energy to the show that neither of the other two acts did. From the opening notes "Dimension" the band was on a roll and the crowd loved every minute of it. In between songs they teased the audience with short versions of different classic rock songs such as "We will rock you". It seems that Wolfmother popularity will just continue to grow as they grow as a band.
The final band of the night was Gov't Mule. Gov't Mule just released a new album on August 22 entitled "High and Mighty". The album was recorded at Willie Nelson's studio in Austin,Texas. The album sees Warren and company take a much darker approach to their southern blues sound than I have heard from them in the past. Their two sets at McCarren Pool on Saturday night were fantastic. The band just find a deeper and darker groove as the show went on. The peeked during a ripping "Gameface>Mountain Jam>Gameface". Gov't Mule has also announced that they will be returning to the Beacon Theater for a three show New Year's Eve run. This year's theme will be "Dub side of the Mule".
Two Gallants

Wolfmother

Gov't Mule

Catfish Haven @ the Mercury Lounge

2006-09-07T13:12:00.000-04:00

Last night marked the 5 time I have seen Catfish Haven this year. I didn't think last night was the best show I have seen them perform. But it was really neat to see how they have evolved as a band. I biggest difference was the addition of two back up singers and an additional guitarist, members of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin also sat in on cow bell and drums. In my opinion last night confirmed that Catfish Haven really should have a lead guitar player. The few songs that he played on really made a huge difference to their sound. Catfish Haven perform again tonight in Brooklyn at Union Hall.

Bob Dylan Live Concert from 1999 Download

2006-09-07T12:07:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of Bob Dylan hysteria going on over the past week. So figured why not give into it and post a live Dylan concert. It was very tough for me when deciding what show to post. I love listening to Dylan bootlegs and I didn't want to post just an average show. At first I thought about posting a show from one of the classic periods. But I finally decided that I should go with a concert from the "Never Ending Tour" since it seems a little more relevant.

During the summer of 1999 Dylan set off on a co headlining tour with Paul Simon. But in between shows on this tour Dylan decided to do a small club show in Cincinnati, Detroit, Eugene, and New York City. I was lucky enough to attend the show at Bogart's in Cincinnati. I thought about posting that show as it one of my favorite Dylan shows. But unfortunately the recording I have of it isn't that great. So instead I have decide to post the Eugene, Or show. This show features Dylan and the original "Never Ending Tour" band at their best. Sure Dylan's voice isn't a good as it once was but Charlie Sexton and Larry Campbell's playing is nothing short of amazing.

Bob Dylan
EMU Ballroom
Eugene, Or
6-14-99

Cocaine Blues
My Back Pages
Boots Of Spanish Leather
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Down Along The Cove (debut performance)
Blind Willie McTell
Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
Simple Twist Of Fate
Can't Wait
Highway 61 Revisited
Not Dark Yet
Like A Rolling Stone
Blowin' In The Wind
Not Fade Away

Marc Ford quits the Black Crowes

2006-09-06T16:33:00.000-04:00

The following announcement was posted on the official Black Crowes message board.

Yesterday, The Black Crowes were notified by Marc FordÂs attorney that Marc was quitting The Black Crowes and that it was effective immediately.

The last show of The Black Crowes summer tour was on August 12, 2006.
The band has since been on a three week break.
On September 5, two days before the start of the fall tour which begins on
September 7, The Black Crowes attorney received a fax from Marc Ford's attorney immediately terminating his agreement with The Black Crowes.

The contract between The Black Crowes and Marc Ford stipulates that Marc must provide twelve (12) weeks notice if he wishes to terminate the agreement.

I am not going to comment on the timing of this notification or the way Marc has elected to handle his personal and business affairs with The Black Crowes, however I will state as a matter of fact, that this is not the first time that Marc Ford has breached his agreement with The Black Crowes.

Paul Stacey will be performing with The Black Crowes during the upcoming fall tour and Chris and Rich are currently in discussions with other guitarists.

Pete Angelus
Angelus Entertainment

In my opinion this is horrible news, but I am also the kind of person that believes that something great could come out of this. I also think that this isn't as clear cut as the Black Crowes management would like us to believe. I wish Marc all the best and hope that some day he returns to the band. So who will be the replacement for Marc is the big question. If I had my choice it would be Larry Campbell.

In other Black Crowes news they plan to release a new album next year. Read more about that here.

The Magic Numbers @ Joe's Pub

2006-08-31T15:59:00.000-04:00

Last night The Magic Numbers played 2 sold out shows at Joe's Pub. I was at the early show. The show opened with two new tracks that both sounded great. Last night got really excited for their sophomore album. Lead singer, Romeo Stodart said they had just finished recording their second album at a studio in New York. If the rest of the album is as good as the 4 songs they played last night it will definitely be a great album. Most of the songs seemed to have a little be more of a funk and R&B feel to them. As usual all the songs off the first album sounded great. The show ended with a very energetic "Mornings Eleven". It was also announced that the show was being recorded for WFUV(I think) and will be up on their website soon.

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young @ the Theater at MSG

2006-08-29T12:08:00.000-04:00

This was easily the most political concert I have been to in the past 5 years. It was very impressive to see a whole night of music dedicated to such strong political beliefs. Most musicians these days seem to try and keep music and politic separate. The crowd which was a good mix of young and old seemed to really appreciate what C,S,N,&Y are trying to do on this tour. The 3 hour concert focused mostly on Neil Young's most recent album "Living With War". Although during the second set each member of the band took turns performing one of their classic solo songs. The night ended with a great sing a long version of "Impeach the President", and a raging version of "Ohio". However I must say my favorite part of the concert was watching Donald Trump dance during "Keep on Rocking in the Free World".

Revenge of the Book Eater Review

2006-08-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

Last night "the Revenge of the Book Eaters" Benefit was a smashing success. The money raised by the event goes to help the 826 Writing Centers. The shows are suppose to ask the eternal question, words or music, which is better? The show featured brief reading by Jon Stewart, and Sarah Vowell. Musical performances came in the way of Sufjan Stevens, John Roderick and David Byrne. David Byrne's set was an "all country" featuring Jon Graboff on pedal steel. David's 6 song set included a duet with Sufjan which can be seen as Stereogum. Here is a short video of David Byrnes performance.

Win Tickets to see Gov't Mule, Wolfmother, and Two Gallants

2006-08-23T16:28:00.000-04:00

On September 9 Gov't Mule, Wolfmother and Two Gallants will be "rocking the burro" of Brooklyn. This will be a great night of music and your last chance of the summer to see a show at McCarren Pool. To win a pair of tickets to this show go here.

All of these band are great in concert. But if you don't believe me here are some live MP3s by each band.

Two Gallants Live at the Independent
Fail Hard to Regain (Acoustic)
Way out in West Texas (Acoustic)
More Two Gallants here

Wolfmother Live at Studio 22
Pyramid
Women

Warren Haynes (of Gov't Mule solo) live at NOLA Jazzfest
Hurts Me, Too
Stoned Me

McCarren Pool Party with Archie Bell and more

2006-08-21T10:56:00.000-04:00

It was another great Sunday at McCarren Pool yesterday. The weather was perfect. There was a very small turn out for the show but that didn't stop the people that were there from having a great time. All the performers were great. I would go so far as to say that most of the performances yesterday were better than 75% of the other bands that have played this summer.
The Fabulous Soul Shakers

Mighty Hannibal

The Dansettes

Archie Bell

My favorite new animated band: Dethklock

2006-08-18T14:33:00.000-04:00

Metalocalypse debuted on Adult Swim two weeks ago. The show is about the worlds heaviest heavy metal band Dethklock. This is easily my favorite Adult Swim show currently. The first and second episode were simply brilliant. If you aren't familiar with Adult Swim it is Cartoon Networks late night programming. It has featured such great cartoons as Space Ghost: Coast To Coast, Aquateen Hunger Force and many more. The third episode of Metalocalypse will air at 11:45pm on Sunday.

Here is a clip form the second episode:

Jim James solo tour and live download

2006-08-17T23:04:00.000-04:00

Today My Morning Jacket began a short tour through Europe. I gave serious thought about heading over to London to catch the final show. But I decide to hold out, in hopes of a late fall and winter tour in support of the upcoming live album "Okonokos". This album is awesome. It is sure melt many faces and blow thousands of minds.
But before a possible fall tour could start Jim James will head out on the road with John Prine for 5 shows. He will also play the 2nd annual Vegoose Festival. If you have never seen Jim solo I strongly suggest you get to one or more of these shows. To help convince you here is a great performance from Jim recorded for KEXP.

Jim James
Easy Street Records
Seattle WA
2005.11.5

Intro with Kevin Cole
It Beats 4 U
What A Wonderful Man
Sooner
Bermuda Highway
Hopefully
Dondante
Anytime
Into The Woods

And if this isn't enough Jim for you head on over to Sweet Oblivion to download Jim's recent set at WXPN music Festival.

Ryan Adams: Live at the Norva Video and Download

2006-08-16T11:13:00.000-04:00

A lot of people have been asking what the best concert I saw this summer was and I continue to respond Ryan Adams. Most people then respond back by saying "Ryan Adams you mean he didn't have a breakdown on stage". I really hate when people say this because the fact is Ryan is a great performer and yes from time to time he has problems on stage but Ryan is playing better than ever. He and the Cardinals are becoming a force to be reckoned with. So with this mind I offer you two examples his awesomeness. The first this great video of "I See Monsters" at the Norva. The second example is the complete show from the same night. This recording is amazing and features great covers, new material and very old material. Behold the power of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
July 22, 2006
Norva
Norfolk, Va

Set 1
Intro/tuning
Love Is Hell
Let It Ride
When The Stars Go Blue
What Sin
Please Do Not Let Me Go
A Kiss Before I Go
He's Gone
Games
Shakedown On 9th Street
Promises
The End
Blue Hotel
Magnolia Mountain
Mining Town
I See Monsters

Set 2
Banter/tuning
Breakdown into the Resolve
Two Hearts
Everybody Knows
Mockingbird Song
This Is It
Note To Self, Don't Die
Wish You Were Here
Two
Dear Chicago
New York, NY
Beautiful Sorta
Anybody Wanna Take Me Home?
Hard Way To Fall
Encore
Strawberry Wine

Sonic Youth @ McCarren Pool

2006-08-15T14:28:00.000-04:00

After work this past Friday I ran home changed clothes and headed over to McCarren Pool to see Sonic Youth. I arrived during the last half of Blood on the Wall. Who's set in my opinion was pretty good.
I have been a big Sonic Youth fan for a long time, however I wasn't wowed by Friday's show. I think the main reason was because it was almost the same exact set they played at Lollapalooza less than a week earlier. The set featured mostly material from "Rather Ripped". Which was nice to hear but I wouldn't have minded hearing some older stuff considering I had just heard most of these songs. It seemed like everyone in attendance adn on stage was having a great. So I guess what I am trying to say is that I will probably space out my next Sonic Youth shows a little better.

Anti Folk Festival in Thompson Square Park

2006-08-14T13:20:00.000-04:00

On Saturday I decide to head over to Thompson Square Park to check out the Anti Folk Festival. The weather was perfect for this even which last all day. I was there from about 1 until 3:30. The show began with all of the days performers parading in singing together. From there each performer played 1 or 2 pieces. The festival was put on by Sidewalk Cafe and is going on this week.

McCarren Pool Party with Deerhoof and more

2006-08-14T10:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I spent another great Sunday at the Pool Parties at McCarren Pool. It was a beautiful day and everyone played great sets. My favorites were Apollo Sunshine and Deerhoof both played very energetic sets. This was my first time seeing Deerhoof as 3 piece band. They sounded as good as usual. Beirut were also good but their live set need a lot of work. It came off sounding very sloppy. Also most of the songs sounded far to similar for my taste. Overall it was a great way to end a really fun weekend of music (I also saw Sonic Youth, Blood on the Walls, and the Anti Folk Festival).
Quest Love

The Harlem Shakes

Apollo Sunshine

Beirut

Deerhoof

See more photo here.

Lollapalooza Photos: Better late than never

2006-08-12T23:54:00.000-04:00

I am not going to say too much about Lollapalooza mostly because so many people have already written about it. But in my opinion it was just mediocre. I felt that most bands played typical festival sets and didn't really care too much for the die hard fans. The only time this bothered me was during My Morning Jackets set. I just love their music too much to settle for the performance they put on. But MMJ did impress a lot of people and it seems like there are going to be a bunch of people jumping on the band wagon. Which is great because Jim and company deserve it. My favorite set was Ryan Adams' because he truly said fuck it I am going to play what I want. The biggest problems with the festival were the sound and that the headliners put on terrible performances. This goes double for the Red Hot chili Peppers who put on the worst show I have seen in 5 years. With all this said I still had a awesome time and it was great hanging out with so many close friends in my favorite city in America.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals @ Charlottesville Pavillion

2006-07-26T13:08:00.000-04:00

Over this past weekend I headed down to Virginia to see Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. I had planned to take a bunch of photos on this trip but unfortunately my camera was malfunctioning. So I don't really have any photos but I can tell you a lot about this show. The show began with a 40 minute set by Neal Casal. I have really been enjoying Neal's solo work every since I discovered him when he took over playing guitar in the Cardinals. His set which featured Ryan on drums for 3 songs was great. He has an amazing voice and is a great guitar player.

After about a 30 minutes Ryan and the Cardinals took the stage. I had a lot of expectations for this show after how good his performance at the Bowery Ballroom had been a few weeks earlier. I knew immediately we were in for a great show when the opening notes of Magnolia Mountain rang out. This version was great and got me into the show right away. Next up were two more favorites of mine Let it Ride, and Easy Plateau. At this point I was starting to think how could this show get any better and then it did. Ryan and the band go into a great version of Wharf Rat. I love the way Ryan sings Dead songs and this just sounded great. After wharf Rat I was ready for a break in the awesomeness but I didn't get it. Instead the band rolls into Peacefully Valley. This song just flat out rages. But what happened next was what really began to melt my face. They launch into Beautiful Sorta but quickly steer the song into Bird Song and then back into Beautiful Sorta. Yes it was a great as it sounds. Next up was Trains which sounded great and segued nicely into Dear Chicago.

After a few more songs and few more B-Weisers I rush to the bathroom at the end of Cold Roses. On my way back to my seat the drum beat to Shakedown on 9th Street kicks and my pace changes from a hurried walk to a full speed sprint. Once back in to my seat I am rocking in overdrive and the song stirs the whole crowd into a frenzy. Just as I thought this show had reached it's highest point Ryan totally goes and blows my mind as Shakedown fades in Franklin's Tower. Are you fucking kidding me? I thought I had heard him sound checking it but I didn't believe my ears. Ryan and Neal share the vocals on Franklin's and it is sounding to good for my mind. The band smoothly transitions from a dark jam at the end of Franklin's into I See Monster's. There was a lot more great music played after this point including Ryan's take on the Gram Parson song Street's of Baltimore and a great slow then fast version of To be Young. But I am going to stop now and just say go see Ryan Adams on this tour. He is playing better than he ever has.

Psychic Ills @ Tonic

2006-07-25T18:25:00.000-04:00

The Psychic Ills opened for Vetiver last week at Tonic. Right before their set they asked to have the lights turned way down. This set the mood perfectly for their noise meets psychedelic rock sound. I was very impressed with their set and would love to see them again.

The Black Crowes @ Jones Beach

2006-07-21T19:01:00.000-04:00

Any night when you get to see the Black Crowes is a good night but it is an even better when you get 5th row, dead center tickets for free from the band. As part of the "Get Tall in the Rockies" contest anyone who entered was given a pair of tickets to any show of there choice. I wasn't expecting such good seats but it was a very pleasant surprise. The bill also featured the Drive-by Truckers who I missed completely but luckily they will be back this fall at Webster Hall. Knowing that I was going to miss the Truckers my friend Ryan and spent some extra time in the lot drinking tall boys of B-weiser because Jones Beach is a dry venue(WTF). We finally entered the venue middle of Robert Randolph's set which was good but was basically the same set he always plays. The Crowes took the stage around 9 and jumped right into the rock. The opened with Virtue and Vice which although it isn't my favorite Crowes song it was a good opener. After a few songs Chris announced that they were going to play a new song and the went into "Magic Rooster Blues" which was awesome. I had already heard this song at one of the Brothers of a Feather shows but it was so much better with the full band. The set from here just took off. Highlights include "Nebakanezer" into a awesome jam that then lead into "Thorn In My Pride" which was followed by a great version of Neil Young's "L.A" . The night ended on a perfect night with a great version of "Can't You Hear me Knocking". Overall it was a amazing time.

Vetiver @ Tonic

2006-07-21T01:48:00.000-04:00

Vetiver's new album "To find Me Gone" has been one of my most listened to albums this year. Andy Cabic's song writing has fully matured since their first album. The songs have such a beautiful lonesome quality. The music is a mix between country, blues, and folk. At time the sound resembles the Band, The Incredible String Band, and the Grateful Dead.
Last night Vetiver played an amazing set at Tonic. Andy has spent a lot of time performing in Devendra Banhart band and you can tell he is very comfortable on the stage. But where Dev's recent shows lack some professional qualities Andy is all business. The band was tight, and the music rocking. The band set lasted for about an hour and a half. The set featured material from both albums and a few covers. Vetiver will be on tour for the rest of the summer and I strongly suggest you get out and see them.

The Avett Brothers @ the Bowery Ballroom

2006-07-18T22:16:00.000-04:00

I was extremely impressed with the Avett Brothers show at the Bowery Ballroom this past Friday. Their set which ran for over two hours and the band never once let up. The Avett Brothers play great mix country, folk, and bluegrass but mixed with a modern music feel. Nicole Atkins and the Sea and O'Death opened the show. As always O'Death got the crowd hooting and stomping during their great set. I was less than impressed with Nicole Atkins. In my opinion she was rather boring but the hometown crowd seemed to really enjoy her. For those that missed The Avett Brothers this past Friday, they will be back on August 20 on the Rocksoff boat cruise. Jen from the Musicslut has more on the show at the Bowery.

McCarren Pool Party #1 with Les Savy Fav and more

2006-07-09T22:21:00.000-04:00

After watching the final match of the World Cup. I walked over to the first Pool Party at McCarren Pool. It was a great time Beans and Holy Fuck were good as always. Les Savy Fav were simply amazing. Overall it was a great event. The space is amazing and the scene is perfect.

See all of my photos here

My Morning Jacket and the Boston Pops

2006-06-23T08:34:00.000-04:00

Wow! This was easily my favorite concert I have seen this year. Jim James and Keith Lockhart completely out did themselves. MMJ not only melted my face last night but my heart and mind. Hearing Jim sing some of these songs with a full orchestra behind him was just breathe taking. Look for a longer review over the weekend with videos of "At Dawn", "I Will Sing" and "Run Thru".

More Bonnaroo Goodness!

2006-06-19T16:18:00.000-04:00

Here is a clip of the first perfomance by Trey, Mike and The Duo. They will be on tour this summer with Phil Lesh & Friends plus few other dates. I must say that in my opinion this group is much better than any of the other post Phish projects. Although I am quite fond of Ramble Dove.

Band Of Horses @ the Bowery Ballroom

2006-06-18T12:24:00.000-04:00

Hey Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket called and they want their sound back! Just kidding their is enough reverb to go around for everyone. Band of Horses who in my opinion do sound way too much like a My Morning Jacket cover band played the Bowery Ballroom on Friday night. The band was definitely working pretty hard on stage and I think a lot of people in the crowd were really into the show. But I felt like every time they would get into a rocking groove the song would just abruptly end. I had never really felt this way when listening to their album, "Everything All the Time". But live a lot off these songs just came of sounding way to bland and straight forward. However the song "The Great Salt Lake" sounded really great live as did a few of the new songs. Even though I wasn't blown away by this performance I will give them another chance perhaps when the return in fall.

Tom Petty and My Morning Jacket @ Bonnaroo videos

2006-06-18T11:42:00.000-04:00

I have been really excited for Tom Petty at MSG since the announcement of the show. And after watching this video I am even more excited. So in case you haven't seen this video here is, Tom Petty's entire performance at Bonnaroo. Enjoy

Tom Petty at Bonnaroo (this is a sendspace link)

I never really gave much thought to going to Bonnaroo this year until I heard that My Morning Jacket would be playing a three hour set on the opening night. When I first heard this I went straight to Orbitz and tried to find a cheap flight but there was nothing for under 450 dollars so I decided that I would just have to except missing this sure to be kick ass set. Well it appears that I am going to have a harder time excepting this now that I have seen the video(incomplete) and read the set setlist. It appear MMJ have out down themselves once again. The show saw them perform 30 songs. They brought back their classic song "Phone Went West"(sweet!!!) a hand full of covers and there were guest spots by Andrew Bird and KC Guetig.

MMJ @ Bonnaroo(this is a sendspace link)

Ryan Adams @ TPAC Download

2006-06-15T12:23:00.000-04:00

I have been on a big Ryan Adams kick lately, and since he is slowly releasing tour dates I thought it would be a good time to post one of his concert. I had also planned to celebrate the one year birthday of this blog by posting 4 concerts that I reviewed. But I got sick and didn't post for a while. So figured that I would also use this as anexcuse to post the first of these concerts.
Ryan and the Cardinals performed last year at the Tribeca Perfoming Arts Center as part of the Downtown Rising concert series. It wasn't Ryan's best show but it was definetly a fun time.

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Tribeca Perfoming Arts Center
New York, NY
11/18/05

Set 1
Intro
Shakedown on 9th Street
What Sin
Nightbirds
Peaceful Valley
Beautiful Sorta
Chatter
A Kiss Before I Go
Please Don't Let Me Go
Hello Jane
Love Is Hell

Set 2
The End
Jacksonville Skyline
Hard Way to Fall
Now That You're Gone
Games
Rescue Blues
Magnolia Mountain
To Be Young
Monsters Intro
I See Monsters
Monsters Cont.

A 20 minute conversation with Ryan Adams

2006-06-15T12:15:00.000-04:00

After being discharged from the hospital a few weeks ago I wondered home in the rain. On my way home I decided to stop by the Virgin Mega Store in Union Square to buy some new DVDs to watch while I rested for the remainder of the weekend. I was in a weird mood having seen a new side of American Health care, still being sick, and kind of bummed to have missed Pearl Jam and My Morning Jacket , but at the same time relieved to have avoided surgery. So I am wondering around the DVD section of Virgin Mega Store, when Katy points out a clean-shaven, denim clad Ryan Adams in the book section. I make my way over to Ryan and introduce myself. I mention I am a big fan and so on and so on. But instead of getting the regular ambiguous “thanks” I begin a 20 minutes conversation with Ryan. We spoke of the upcoming Cardinals tour. Dates have slowly begun to leak out so check your local venues. He mentioned that Neal Casal would be playing lead guitar for the tour. We also spoke of his upcoming album that he produced for Willie Nelson. Ryan seemed very excited about this album and he mentioned he was really excited to play with Willie at the Hollywood Bowl in September. I also talked about his playing with Phil Lesh and about how hard it is to fill in for Jerry. I also asked Ryan what had brought him to the Virgin Mega Store and he told me he was looking for the tablature books to Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks” and for the Stones “Exile on Main Street”. Ryan said that he was hoping to go into the studio and cover both of these albums in their entirety. Just him and a guitar. I said I was impressed and he said it was because he was bored. After this our conversation moved towards the Internet and how his new website would have a drive in movie theater feel and feature live tracks from previous shows. After a while I thanked Ryan for taking the time to talk with and I said I should probably get going.

A few tour dates:
7/20 The Starland Ballroom, Sayerville, NJ
7/21 Sonar, Baltimore
7/22 The NorVa, Norfolk
7/27 House of Blues, Myrtle Beach
8/1 The Ryman, Nashville
8/2 The Pageant, St. Louis
8/4 Lollapolooza, Grant Park, Chicago, IL
9/10 Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA(with Willie Nelson and Neko Case)

More O'Death!

2006-06-15T10:16:00.000-04:00

Last night I decided to take it easy and go see O'Death at Pete's Candy Store. These guys are rapidly becoming one of my favorite bands playing around New York. Their mixture of bluegrass, noise, and rock and roll is almost everything I look for in music. There was a pretty large turn out last night for their weekly residency at Pete's. Although their set was much shorter than the one at Fireproof last Friday it was still a great hoot and hollerin' time.

If you haven't yet heard O'Death here are a few MP3s.
Down to Rest
Only Daughter

The Black Keys @ the MSG Theater

2006-06-14T14:59:00.000-04:00

The Black Keys "warmed up the stage" for Radiohead last night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. I have seen the Black Keys a lot over the past five years and never once been disappointed. But last night I felt that their set was just o.k. It might have been because the room felt very empty when they took the stage. The new songs that played all sounded pretty good to me. If you have never seen them perform before I do strongly suggest you show up to tonight's show early. They come on around 8pm.

Radiohead @ the MSG Theater

2006-06-14T01:00:00.000-04:00

Radiohead absolutely rocked the Theater at Madison Square Garden tonight. I am still in shock at how great this concert was. Everything seemed to work just perfectly. The energy of both the band and the audience was off the charts. Overall it was just a an awesome evening.

Setlist for Madison Square Garden Theater June 13, 2006
You And Whose Army, The National Anthem, 2+2=5, 15 Step, Morning Bell, Arpeggi, Videotape, Kid A, Fake Plastic Trees, Climbing Up The Walls, Nude, Bangers 'N Mash, Idioteque, There There, Street Spirit, Bodysnatchers, Lucky.
Encore 1
I Might Be Wrong, Down Is The New Up, The Bends, Everything In Its Right Place [Thom sings,'Silent Night']
Encore 2
House of Cards, How to Disappear Completely

See a few more photos here

Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this Weekend

2006-06-13T14:46:00.000-04:00

The Renegade Craft Fair returns to Brooklyn's McCarren Park this weekend. This is a really cool event with a lot of great artist, printe makers, and crafters. If the weather is nice I strongly suggest that you check it out.

Sonic Youth: New Record and Live Download

2006-06-12T21:22:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow Sonic Youth will release their new record "Rather Ripped". I have yet to hear the album but most reviews I have read have been pretty positive. Sonic Youth will be celebrating the release by playing CBGB's. I unfortunately don't have tickets to tomorrows show but do have tickets to the next best show in town, Radiohead. Who Driving the Bus is also celebrating the release of Sonic Youth's new record by offering a classic show for download. Sonic Youth has played CBGB's many times and even when they out grew the club they would still go back and perform secret shows. The following show was billed as "Drunken Butterfly" and is a great example of Sonic Youth's energy and ability to rock. Enjoy!

Drunken Butterfly aka Sonic Youth
Live at CBGB's
Friday, July 3rd, 1992
New York City, New York, USA

Teenage Riot
Burning Spear
Dirty Boots
Drunken Butterfly
Theresa's Sound-World
Youth Against Fascism
Swimsuit Issue
Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit
100%
Sugar Kane
Expressway To Yr Skull

Folk Fridays @ Fireproof

2006-06-12T14:16:00.000-04:00

On Friday night I headed over to Fireproof to catch part of their on going Folk series. Fireproof have put together a great lineup of this set of concerts. They had Jason Molina of Magnolia Electric Co. perform, they have TK Webb this week, Vetiver will play there on July 19th and they have Bonnie "prince" Billy and Hazel Dickens wrapping it all up at Joe's Pub in August.

First up on Friday was 2% Majesty. 2% Majesty is boy girl duo that plays quiet traditional folk music. I wasn't really that impressed with their set but they seemed to be having a good time. It was also a nice relaxing way to start the evening.

Up next was Alex K Redfearn & the Eyesores. I never saw Alex k perform while I lived in Providence but supposedly he has been playing around Rhode Island for a number of years. Although I thought their performance was rather flat their noisy eastern European folk music did intrigue me.

The final band of the night was O'Death. Who have been getting a lot of blog attention lately, both Jerry Yeti and Heart on a Stick have written about them in the past few weeks. O'Death put on a great show. It was very fitting that a bottle of Jim Bean was passed throughout the crowd and onto stage through out the entire night. The crowd of about 30 people were hooting and hollering during the entire set. O'Death play every Wednesday during June at Pete's Candy Shop be sure to check them out, you won't be disappointed.

My Morning Jacket & the Boston Pops on Letterman

2006-06-09T16:44:00.000-04:00

Last night My Morning Jacket played with the Boston Pops on the Late Show with David Lettermen. I thought this performance was absolutely magical. Although I did laugh seeing Jim in a tuxedo. MMJ will play two shows with the Boston Pops next week.

Gnarls Barkley on the MTV Movie Awards

2006-06-09T14:08:00.000-04:00

This video is awesome! The clip they have on Pitchfork has nothing on this. Chewbacca on drums?

Jam on the River @ Penn's Landing Day 2

2006-06-09T13:33:00.000-04:00

Last week before I got sick and before I celebrated my birthday I headed down to Philadelphia for the Jam on the River Festival . I was mostly interested in seeing Ween but the whole day was fun. I arrived at Penn’s Landing at the very end of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s set. Penn’s Landing is a great venue. It faces out towards the Delaware river and is made up of a series of steps providing a great view from anywhere. Next up was the Secret Machines who I have found myself listening to more and more since their concert at the Hiro ballroom a few weeks ago. The Secret Machines seem to have really turned up the energy levels when performing live. Their set at JoTR may have been the best set all day.

After the Secret Machines played I wondered around for a while killing time before Ween came on. On stage during this time was Railroad Earth. This was my first experience with Railroad Earth and I wasn’t very impressed. Their sound had too much of generic jamband sound to it and not enough bluegrass.

I had been really excited for Ween’s set but it left me a little disappointed. The major problem was that it seemed as though the sound was turned down for Ween’s set. Also the set was very short lasting only about an hour and a half. Normally Ween plays for close to three hours. Although I may not have thought it was their best set the crowd was certainly having a great time. I often wish New York City could import crowds from other cities.

Catfish Haven @ the Knitting Factory

2006-06-08T12:24:00.000-04:00

Catfish Haven were definitely one of my favorite discoveries at SXSW. I have found myself listening to their EP “Please Come Back” a lot. I will often listen to the song “Still Hungover” over and over again. I am happy that I have gotten the chance to see them twice in NYC during the last few months. The first time was when they opened for Cold War Kids at Pianos and last night at the Knitting Factory . Their set last night was great as usual. George Hunter’s vocals are just so perfect for their southern-fired blues-rock and Miguel Castillo’s bass playing just drives this band. Their set last night featured mostly of the songs from “Please Come Back” as well as a few new songs that will appear on their upcoming full length album. They are playing again tonight at South Paw and will also be Lollapalooza. Check their website for all other dates.

See a few more photos from last night here.

Deadboy & the Elephantmen @ Mercury Lounge

2006-06-06T12:28:00.000-04:00

I almost skipped Deadboy & the Elephatmen's set last night at the Mercury Lounge but I am really glad I did make down to their early show. I have been listening to "We are Night Sky" a lot lately and it was really cool to hear these songs live. The duo were joined by a bass player for their entire set which lasted just over 45 minutes. Overall I was very impressed with their set. However I did find their cover of the Pixies' "Wave of Mutilation" to be a little lack luster. I will definitely try to catch their sets at the Siren Festival and at Lollapolooza.

Mike Gordon & Ramble Dove @ Irving Plaza

2006-06-05T14:20:00.000-04:00

Last week Mike Gordon brought his new band, Ramble Dove, to Irving Plaza . Earlier in the day Mike announced that Trey Anastasiowould be coming by to jam at the show. This made me even more excited for this concert. But first I would have to make it to the concert. As the day went on I began to have a slight pain in my stomach. Being busy at work and anxious for the concert I just ignored the pain.
After work I headed home to change my clothes and get ready for the show. On my way home I ran into Jim James of My Morning Jacket. Jim was in town because MMJ were opening for Pearl jam at Continental Airlines Arena. We spoke briefly about what MMJ was up to and then we went our separate ways. I decide to take this chance meeting a good omen and continue onto the concert even though the pain in my stomach was growing increasing worse. This was the right decision.
The show at Irving plaza last week was beyond fun. If you look up the word fun in the dictionary it will tell you to go a Ramble Dove concert. Mike and company did everything right. This style of music is right up my alley. Ramble Dove play a sort of funky honky tonk part Gram Parson part Phish and definitely country.
The first set started with just Mike and Ramble Dove on stage. The crowd was definably enjoying themselves. But it wasn’t until Mike welcomed Trey to the stage the crowd erupted. By this point in the concert I was having such a good time that I wasn’t even thinking about the pain I was in I was just rocking and stomping to the music. Trey fit into Ramble Dove’s sound perfectly. The second set was just more of the same, opening with a version of “Cocaine Blues” and featuring a great country version of the Phish song “Possum”. By the end of the show I had heard some great tune, learned of a great new musician named Grace Potter (I will have a review soon), met some new people and even wished another Gemini a very happy birthday. Unfortunately this was also the last good time I had last week. The next morning I would awake in so much pain that I would make a brief stop at work followed by a long trip to the ER.

To see all my photos from the concert go here

Strange Days

2006-06-03T21:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts during the past few weeks but these have been some of the strangest days of my life. The past week saw me celebrate my 26 birthday, meet Jim James of My Morning Jacket, watch Trey Anastasio join Mike Gordon and Ramble Dove on stage for some great honky tonk rock and roll, get sicker than I have been in the past six years, I became so sick that was hospitalized for 2 days, and then finally I met a very talkative Ryan Adams. Hopefully now that I am feeling better I will be back to posting full time. This week I should have details of my conversation with Ryan, a new show or two for download and a full review of Ramble Dove and Jam on the River.
Peace and love.
Danfun

The Raconteurs playing Tower Records and Download

2006-05-14T16:49:00.000-04:00

The Raconteurs' album, Broken Boy Soldiers, will be released tomorrow. To celebrate the release of their first album Jack White and Friends will be playing an exclusive show at Tower Records on Thursday evening. In order to be able to attend all you have to do is go buy the new album tomorrow.
I still have mixed feeling about BBS and I wasn't that impressed by their show at Irving Plaza. But that doesn't mean I am going to give up on Jack's new band. I will stick by my opinion that this group is just to safe for Jack. I am still hoping that he will decide to a tour that is more reminiscent of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue.
To help other Jack White fans make up their minds about the Raconteurs here is a recent show for download.

The Raconteurs
Live at London Astoria,
23rd March 2006
Level
Intimate Secretary
Hands
Steady, As She Goes
Together
A House Is Not A Motel
Store Bought Bones
Call It A Day
Yellow Sun
Broken Boy Soldier
5 On The 5
It Ain't Easy
Blue Veins
Headin' For The Texas Border

My Morning Jacket added to Mountain Jam and Live Download

2006-05-10T12:23:00.000-04:00

Jim James and My Morning Jacket have been ruling my face since the release of their sophomore album "At Dawn". Last year proved to be a really big year for MMJ. It saw the release of "Z" which received great critical praise and massive tour followed. However the year ended on a down note. Jim James was diagnosed with pneumonia and they were forced to cancel both their opening spot for the Black Crowes at MSG and a tour of Europe.
One of the best parts of MMJ has always been their live show. So I was especially pleased to see them get right back out on the road the moment Jim was feeling better. They are currently on tour with Pearl Jam. They are playing two nights with the Boston Pops! They may be playing a 4 hour set at Bonnaroo and they were also recently added to the lineup for the Hunter Mountain Jam. I had not planned to attend the Mountain Jam but I am now. The second day of this event looks awesome.
To celebrate MMJ being back on the road here is one their of the best performances ever. This show has it all a rockin' "Cobra", a great version of "Steam Engine" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "Man in Me".

My Morning Jacket
Lebowski Fest 6.18.04
Brown-Forman Ampitheater
Louisville, KY
Intro
The Man in Me
Golden
Just one thing
It beats for you
Lowdown
The way that he sings
How do you know
Strangulation
One big holiday
I will sing you songs
O is the one that's real
Cobra
Dancefloors
Mahgeetah
Encore:
At dawn
Steamengine
Run thru

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Recap

2006-05-08T16:11:00.000-04:00

The second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was awesome. I spent of the time at the Fais Do Do stage and the Jazz Heritage Tent. My favorite part of the festival was easily Paul Simon. He played a great set on Sunday. The set was mostly old material but did include "How Can you Live in the Northeast" and "Outrageous" both off of his new album "Surprise". Other highlight included Rebirth Brass Band and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band sharing the stage in the Jazz tent to end the festival, the great food, and getting to spend time with close friends.

See all of my photos from the Festival here and see my photos from around New Orleans here.

Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark: Live at the Cactus Cafe

2006-05-01T11:07:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen the recent documentary Be Here to Love Meabout the late great Townes Van Zandt you really should. It is an amazing movie bout one of the greatest song writers to ever have lived. Around the time I was watching "Be Here to Love Me" I thought it would be cool to post a few Townes Van Zandt songs on here. Instead of posting just a few tracks I have posted this entire concert of Townes and Guy Clark from 1991. If you enjoy this recording you really should check out "Live at the Old Quarter" or "live at MacCabe's".

Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark
Cactus Cafe, Austin, TX
02.16.91
No Lonesome Tune
L.A Freeway
Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold
Fraternity Blues
Old Friends
Marie
Texas 1947
Homegrown Tomatoes
Let Him Roll
Intro to Pancho And Lefty
Pancho & Lefty
Snowin' On Raton
Desperados Waiting For A Train

Sonic Youth playing CBGB's

2006-05-01T10:31:00.000-04:00

Sonic Youth will playing CBGB's on June 13th. Ticket go on sale on Friday at 10pm via ticketweb.

OM, Pearls & Brass, Wooden Wand, etc. @ the Knitting Factory

2006-04-30T11:15:00.000-04:00

Wooden Wand and the Enablers

Wooden Wand played four shows in New York City, in the past three days. I saw the first show on Thursday a the Mercury Lounge and his final show last night at the Knitting Factory. They were the same exact set. Both sets were very good. Most of the songs he played were off of his album "Harem of the Sundrum" as well as a number of tracks off his new album "Second Attention" that is coming out on Kill Rock Stars at the end of the summer. Other than one tentative date scheduled at Union Pool on June 20 Wooden Wand doesn't have any more sows planed until after the summer.
Downloads:
Wooden Wand - We Must Also Love the Thieves(Demo)
Wooden Wand/Hush Arbors/Satya Sai - At the Crossroads

Neptune

Most of my interest in Neptune was for their homemade instruments. However I couldn't really get too much into their sound. Neptune mostly reminded me of a hundred other bands that I saw when living in Providence, RI(the home of noise rock IMO). They were just to predictable when it came to their songs. Noisy part, hush part, noisy part and so on and so on.

Pearls and Brass

Pearls and Brass performance last night was awesome. These guys perform some great Black Sabbath influenced 1970's hard rock. Pearls and Brass perform at Union Pool on June 7 and then head out on a very long tour.
Downloads:
Pearls and Brass - Face the God
Pearls and Brass - Highway Sermon

Growing performed after Pearls and Bass but I spent this time drinking 3 dollar PBR and talking about the upcoming New York City Beard and Moustache Championships and weather or not wide mouth cans were a good or bad thing.

OM

After about 3 minutes of OM set I was in full head bobbing mode. I couldn't control my body from swaying to Al Cisneros drone bass and and my head from nodding to Chris Hakius awesome drum beats. These guys just get so low and put together great 15 minute epic drone psychedelic rock songs.

The Secret Machines @ the Hiro Ballroom

2006-04-27T08:35:00.000-04:00

The Hiro Ballroom + a special "in the round" performance + The Secret Machines = BRILLIANT! Last night the Secret Machines celebrated the release of their second album "Ten Silver Drops" by performing a "one of a kind" set in the round. The stage was set up in the middle of the floor with all three members of the group facing each other and the audience surrounding them. This stage set up for some reason really fit the Secret Machines. The set featured a lot of new material which all sounded really great to me. At time the band was plagued with technical difficulties. Other than these few problem the set was great. It definitely restored my interest in the Secret Machines which had been depleting for a while. The set was also filmed for a possible DVD release.

As always see more photos on my flickr account.

Two Gallants @ the Bowery Ballroom

2006-04-25T09:35:00.000-04:00

Last night Two Gallants rocked the Bowery Ballroom. I really enjoy Two Gallants blues-folk-punk sound. It is very reminiscent of another time but still very modern. The crowd was very enthused and really into the show last night. Their set which featured mostly material from "What the Toll Tells" including "Las Cruces Jail", "Steady Rollin", "Long Summer Day" and "Waves of Grain". If you haven't yet heard Two Gallants be sure to check out their two great full length albums or you can download a show from last year here.

See more photos on my flickr account

Celebration @ the Bowery Ballroom

2006-04-23T16:20:00.000-04:00

Celebration played great set before TV on the Radio last week at the Bowery Ballroom. This was the first time I had heard their music and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Part of the reason I felt their set went over so well was because their lead singer. She jumped into the crowd during the second song and got people to dance. Her performance was very fun tow atch as was the rest of the band. The guitar player in also plays an awesome organ of some kind and that has a series of moog foot pedals. Celebration are currently on tour with TV and the Radio and they are definitely worth showing up early to see.

See more photos on my flickr account

Two Gallants playing the Bowery Ballroom tomorrow and download

2006-04-23T15:47:00.000-04:00

In addition to going to concerts I also enjoy listen to recordings of recordings concerts. So I have decided to start offering recording of concerts of band that I really dig, or shows I went to or shows that in my opinion rock and so on and so on. The first concert I am offering for download is a great performance by Two Gallants. The reason I chose this recording was because Two Gallants perform tomorrow night at the Bowery Ballroom. Look for a photos from tomorrow's show on Tuesday and look for more concerts for download later this week.

Photo by : West Hayes

Two Gallants
Ernest A. Becker Amphitheater, California State University, Fullerton
Fullerton, CA, USA
4 May 2005
Intro
I Met My Baby at Japan Town Bowl and She Broke My Heart Over A Bowl of Nachos
The Only Woman That I Love
instrumental
Steady Rollin'
Two Days Short Tomorrow
Way Out In West Texas
Dappens
Settin' The Woods On Fire
Nothing To You
Outro

The Fiery Furnaces @ the Bowery Ballroom

2006-04-20T11:45:00.000-04:00

One of the most interesting aspect of The Fiery Furnances is their ability to continue to redefine themselves in a live setting. The songs always sound radically different from tour to tour and last night was no exception. This was totally different band from the last time they played the Bowery Ballroom. They have adopted a much heavier sound. Eleanor has begun to play guitar again and Matt is no longer playing keys. I haven't had a chance to listen to their new album Bitter Tea yet, but what I have heard I enjoy much more than their last album. The songs they performed from the new album last night sounded great. They seem to have gotten back to what they do best which is play a great stream of conscience rock and roll.

See more picture on my flickr account.

TV on the Radio @ the Bowery Ballroom

2006-04-19T10:11:00.000-04:00

TV on the Radio have never really been known for putting on great live shows. Of the seven or eight times I have seen them it has always been pretty average. I headed down to the Bowery Ballroom last night to catch their tour opener with Celebration. On my way to the show I was thinking to myself "if the show is just o.k, it may be a long time until I see TV on the Radio again." Perhaps it was this state of mind that made last nights concert so great. I expected so little and got so much. TV on the Radio hour long set was great. They have radically improved on their live show. The energy level in the Bowery Ballroom was off the charts. Everyone was dancing and clapping along. The band played a number of new songs from their up coming album which features David Bowie. Bowie was in attendance but never took the stage. All the new songs sounded great as did old songs like "Dreams" and "Ambulance". Last night's show will definitely make it hard to pass up the next time TV on the Radio play NYC.

See more photos on my flickr account.

Brothers of a Feather NYC review

2006-04-18T13:11:00.000-04:00

Chris and Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes played three sold out amazing concert over this past weekend here in New York City. This was the first time the brothers Robinson has ever venture out on tour just the two of them. All three concert were amazing and featured both new and rare Black Crowes songs. Of the new songs in my opinion the best was "Late Nights Again". Which was a kind bluesy number that featured great vocal harmonies by the brothers It was also great to hear "Wyoming and Me" and "Thunderstorm at 6:54" at the Rose Theater on Friday. The shows also featured a number of great cover songs including a awesome version of the Rolling Stones "No Expectations" and a very inspired version of the Devendra Banhart song "This is the Way" sung by Rich and the always great "Boomer's Story". Recording of both the Friday and Saturday can be found on bt.etree.org I will be putting up a few songs for download later this week.

The Black Crowes will be hitting the road this summer on a great tour feature the Drive By Truckers and Robert Randolph and The Family Band. All dates can be found here