Sunday Gigs: The Yarrows et al.

The Yarrows; Addie Brownlee
@ Mercury Lounge
New York, NY - September 9, 2007

The last time the Yarrows played the Merc, they sounded better than ever and tonight they continued the pattern. The songs are as complete, full, and tenderly ripe as they can be but if anything, this show showcased the musicianship of the band, each excelling at their instruments in a crescendoing pace. It reached a climactic, intense fury - a bottleneck of sound that surged forward. From the opening strands of "Lie Awake" to the very end, this band is making something good happening in the Mid-Atlantic states.
Here's "Impossible One"


Addie Brownlee plays modern country music which, while not very sonically exciting, is made better with her sense of wryness and a free-spirited attitude towards the music. Also she has a nice face, which makes it hard to criticize her. And the cover of "Dancing Queen" was unexpected and fun (mostly because of the outstanding vocals) If I could make a suggestion, it would be for her to use her backing band that includes a dobro and pedal steel player, and an upright bass player, and make some good roots rock and traditional country-blues music. The talent is there. A lot of talent. It just needs to be redirected as I see fit.

Photos here

The Crayons
@ Cake Shop
September 9, 2007

I stopped in the Cake Shop en route to the Yarrows and came upon a free all day kid metal punk hardcore fest and caught this young kid thing. Not the worst thing in the world, a good sense of the rawness which it needs, but also not exactly perfect. It is what it is.
And that all being said, I'm going on record right now: Enough with the kids bands. Work in your garage till your 18. And then come out to play.

The Yarrows Have Arrived

Wheat, The Yarrows; Verona Downs
@ Mercury Lounge
New York, NY - April 29, 2007

Indeed, the Yarrows are sound better than ever. The songs have complete structure, the band can finesse it rather than meander, and as a unit, they are clicking as a complete, solid, whole. They are still hard to define and slap with a label, which is good. I'd stick 'em on a bill with the Volebeats or the Changes, if that would give some set of boundaries.
Wheat is an eclectic outfit, starting off with a hint of alt-country and taking it down various indie paths. They suffered from major sound tech problems but the goods are there.
Verona Downs are also somewhat hard to define, except under that big umbrella of "indie pop". Pretty good band but not much to say about them.

April 2007: Return of the Concert Calendar

After many months of financial woes (which are still far from over) and an overwhelming sense of the cozy warmth of home with wine and film, it's time to come out of hibernation with a new and improved Concert Calendar. Less shtick, more info.

April Highlights:

-The Stooges are back and while I can't say I like the new record, you know the live show is going to be insane. They are playing the recently opened United Palace Theater in Washington Heights tomorrow night, one of a crop of new larger venues that are replacing a lot of the old smaller haunts.

-If you're not over some of the trendy hipster bands, you could see the Kaiser Chiefs and the Walkmen on Thursday.

-Detroit favorites the Hard Lessons are playing Pianos on the 12th and fellow Detroiters the Gore Gore Girls are playing there on the 18th.

-The Gossip are playing a sold out show at the Knitting Factory on Saturday the 14th so unless you have tickets, go to the Les Sans Culottes record release gig at Southpaw.

-Art Brut is back playing the Bowery B on the 17th and Studio B on the 18th.

-Patti Smith is playing the Hiro Ballroom on the 18th and the Bowery Ballroom on the 24th.

-New York's best punk rock n roll band, the Bamboo Kids are at Magnetic Field on the 20th.

-It's Hipster Cred City at the NYU Kimmel Center on the 26th when the Hold Steady and the Thermals play together. But unlike a lot of other trendy acts, these two bands are actually GOOD. I dare anyone to listen to the Hold Steady's "Hot Soft Light" and not smile.

-The last weekend of the month is the highlight of the month as well. The Knitters are playing the revamped Luna Lounge in Williamsburg on Saturday night the 28th. That's right - John and Exene and DJ - as well as Mr. Dave Alvin and Johnny Ray Bartel - in an intimate setting off the beaten path in Brooklyn. It doesn't get any better than that.

-And the next night, my friends The Yarrows are playing the Mercury Lounge. One of the few times the band has played up here was at the old Luna Lounge on the Lower East Side. So a full circle weekend going on.

-And on the 30th, some guy named Lou Reed inaugurates yet another new venue, the Highline Ballroom.

Stay tuned for May when other hipster trendy bands get paired up, New York rock legends return for more, and ELVIS COSTELLO plays the Nokia (AND I'm GOING!!!!).

Austin Powers Misses The Yarrows; The Mooney Suzuki Don't Miss Fads

The Yarrows
@Parkside Lounge
New York, NY – May 13, 2006

The streak seems to be over. The Yarrows were able to play a show at a venue that didn’t close up nor seems to have any plans to. The band sounds in fine form as it tests new songs out for a full length release in the fall. On a side note, Mike Myers had been in the crowd earlier in the night for another act. How random.

The Mooney Suzuki
@Southpaw
Brooklyn, NY – May 12, 2006

Finally seeing the Mooney Suzuki proper for the first time after all these years and it was rather anti-climactic. They played an incredibly short set of no more than 10 songs (the reason being they have a brand new bass player who doesn’t know enough songs yet), a few of which were new. More telling than the strong, ferocious live performance they put on, was the band’s tongue-in-cheek sense of relevance (or lack thereof, depending on how you want to look at it). Band leader Sammy said to the crowd “Hello we’re the Mooney Suzuki, you may remember us from such microfads as ‘New York is the new Seattle’ and ‘Rock n Roll is back’.”

(photo by Roxxan H)
There’s not much else to report except that the new songs still sound like the band is heading for a softer touch and that it’s just a shame I didn’t get to see this band when they were scorching clubs in the days of Sammy’s short hair and before they licensed their songs for commercial use.

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.

Blue Republic's My Space Band of the Week: The Yarrows

South Jersey's The Yarrows are coming to Williamsburg next Saturday to play at the Charleston.

Before you come to check the band out, listen to a tune on my page, before heading over to their page and their official site. Then let's all meet up for a drink at the gig next Saturday.

Dirtblanche 2005 & The Rest of the Year

Well with Thanksgiving less than a week away, it's the first sign of yet another year of our lives coming to an end. And what a year for rock n roll. Yours truly has gone to a personal-best 36 gigs this year (blowing away last year's record setting 21 gigs). And we're not finished.

First up is the big one. The unbelievable one. Dirtblanche 2005 at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland. It will be my first time in Cleveland, and the first time I am seeing a gig in a place that isn't the New York City or Philadelphia metro areas. And I am taking a 12 hour 770 mile road trip to get there from little ol' Springfield, Missouri. I will be seeing the American Heartland for the first time...Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio. Or as I call it, Red State, Blue State, Red State, Fucked Up State. Ok no politics in this post, I promise.

So why is Dirtblanche so big? Not just because of the eclectic nature of the Dirtbombs playing the same gig with Blanche...but because these are the two bands I care so much about that I started My Space pages for them with my Roxxan of Freshgigs and Blanche Manual. I am glad to say both those pages have been well-received and are doing well. Dirtblanche 2005 will be a culmination of this Dirtblanche year (and who knows what next year will bring with a new Blanche album, and even more Dirtbombs shows).

As for the rest of the year, New York will be hopping straight through New Year's. Immediately after Dirtblanche, the Dandy Warhols will close out November at Webster Hall. Let it be said that I hate Webster Hall. It's hot, stuffy, and fucking expensive.

December is packed. Southern Culture on the Skids make their triumphant return to the Big Apple with two shows (Maxwell's and Southpaw). Iron & Wine will soothe the soul for 3 nights at Webster Hall. The Deadly Snakes will play Mercury Lounge then Maxwell's 3 days later with the Black Lips. And X - that's right - X....I will say it again....X....is playing Roseland Ballroom. Everyone and their grandma better be there. And all of those shows are within the first 10 days of the month!

The middle of December does not let up. The Sights are back to play Maxwell's before opening up for the Donnas at Irving Plaza the next night. I have never really been sold on the Donnas but having Eddie Baranek around will help the night out for sure. I won't be there because on the same night in Southpaw, Reverend Horton Heat returns to New York. The week finishes off with the Lemonheads playing two nights at Bowery Ballroom and Brooklyn heroes Living Colour playing their biggest New York date in a long time at Irving Plaza.

The last week of December, and the year, feature a week-long residency at Maxwell's for Yo La Tengo. It's a Hoboken Hanukah this year! Also, not a bad way to spend Christmas Night, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Night too. Also on New Year's Eve so far, will be in their hometown of Brooklyn to play Northsix and They Might Be GiantsClap Your Hands Say Yeah is doing it at Irving Plaza (wow talk about a meteroic rise eh?).

And just to show you, things are still ticking into the New Year's, The Yarrows - who should be getting a My Space page if they listen to their smart, sharp drummer (yeah yeah, he's a long time friend of mine, ok?)...are playing the Charleston in Williamsburg on January 28. And just a few weeks after that?....you guessed it....the Dirtbombs.

Those of you in the New York area, if you can't make any of these gigs, or want something else to do in the meantime, go to Terra Blues on Bleeker St. by Laguardia Place, and catch hot, jumpin' blues nightly.