May: Easy Like Sunday Morning All Month Long

It seems like May is a relatively quiet month. After a packed first four months of the year, it seems that people want to spend more time in the increasingly nice weather than in the rock clubs. Thats great but dont forget to catch some shows, and dont forget that shows are always added as the days and weeks go on.

The month kicks off as it should on the first. Aqualung is playing the Bowery Ballroom tonight. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs return to the New York stage since their pair of Bowery shows in February with two shows starting tomorrow night at the Roseland. The Black Lips will be opening up it may be the biggest crowd the Lips have ever played for.

On Sunday, the Bamboo Kids play Maxwells while the Brian Jonestown Massacre play Webster Hall a week from tomorrow. Friday May 12th is a huge night, the biggest of the month and its almost all happening in Brooklyn: Elvis Costello will be playing BAM, the Mooney Suzuki will be playing Southpaw, and the Fleshtones will be playing Magnetic Field. Anyone left should go see the White Rose Movement at the Bowery. The next night is all about the Yarrows at the Parkside Lounge.

Elefant will be playing Webster Hall on Wed May 17th while Art Brut plays two nights the Knitting Factory starting the same night (with rumors of We Are Scientists opening up). Art Brut just played 3 shows in NYC in April and here they are again. Maybe in June theyll take up residence at Madison Square Garden and try and beat Billy Joels record before Madonna does. The third week in May ends in legendary fashion with two nights of Television's Tom Verlaine at the Bowery. But that weekend will be another packed one: The Hard Lessons return to their Brooklyn Home-Away-From-Home, the Trash Bar, that Friday, while The Woggles play Magnetic Field on Saturday, and The National play Webster Hall on Sunday.

Webster Hall is the busiest venue this month by far, wrapping up May with Gnarls Barkley making their US debut the night after the National, and the Walkmen playing on Wednesday May 24th. In between, go catch Langhorne Slim at the Knitting Factory.

More gigs will pop-up and then it will be June, which has already shaped up as being twice if not three times as busy as May. So take a breath while you can because summer is coming and there wont be any slowing down after that.