Returning ferries from Governors Island will run about every 20 minutes all evening long. Please note that returning ferries may stop at either the Battery Maritime Building or just a few hundred yards north at Pier 11 (Wall Street and South Street), which is also accessible from the 1, 2/3, J/Z, R/W and A/C subway lines.
Robert Randolph and the Family Band – The Bowery Ballroom – June 29, 2010
(Photo: John Nunu Zomot)
Has it been 10 years already? Yes, it’s been a decade and some change since Robert Randolph first announced his arrival on the NYC music scene, debuting on The Bowery Ballroom’s stage with a raw energy and superlative talent rarely seen in an unknown opening act. Last night, Randolph brought his joy-fueled pedal-steel guitar back to the Lower East Side, celebrating the release of his new album, We Walk This Road.
Backed by his Family Band, Randolph acknowledged the significance of the 10 years that had transpired, but for the most part he was looking back much further than that. Many of the tracks from the new album are reworked versions of old spiritual and gospel numbers. Scratchy samples of bits of older or original versions played over the PA before the band launched into updated fiery, funked-up versions of the same. “Traveling Shoes” opened the show and set the pace, with the pedal steel bridging the old and new, screaming like a sermon and bumping with dancehall energy along with the band—cousins, sister and sidemen all sharing the vocals.
Besides a scintillating version of “The March,” which got the sold-out crowd moving, the other constant from the past decade was the pure joy Randolph and Co. put into and get out of the music they play. It seemed they didn’t want to stop, extending each song with awe-inspiring, concise pedal-steel excursions. “If I Had My Way” brought out solos from bass, guitar and organ, before dropping into the classic sing-along coda of the Doobie Brothers’ “Black Water.” As always, there was positive energy, good times and smiles all around—enough to last another 10 years. —A. Stein
Delta Spirit has a new album out, History from Below, and the band is coming our way for two sold-out shows this week, tomorrow at The Bowery Ballroom and on Thursday at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Want to hit the second show but don’t have tickets? Then try to Grow a Pair from The House List. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Delta Spirit, 7/1) and a brief message explaining your idea of a perfect Fourth of July. Eddie Bruiser, a lover of all summer holidays, will notify the winner by Thursday. Good luck.
There were no opening bands on Friday night at Music Hall of Williamsburg, just an amazing self-contained festival on one stage. Woodsist Records packed the bill, and no one was going to miss any of these acts. The balcony tables were secured long before Moon Duo took the stage to deliver their screaming fuzz-guitar and organ jams. It was something of a milestone, bringing these acts together. From the West Coast, San Francisco-based Moon Duo, Sic Alps and the Fresh and Onlys bonded with Brooklyn’s own Woods’ and Real Estate’s sunny vibes. Hearing them all together like this, there’s no doubt they’re all rooted in those ’60s mind-altering sounds, relying heavily on effects and abstract melody.
Sic Alps, which just recently opened for Pavement and Sonic Youth, brought heavy guitar experimentation to the table, drawing out their hazy blues into laid-back explorations in scuzzy feedback. Whatever song structure they originally had was abandoned, and they repeatedly broke them down with ear-splitting volume. Up next, the Fresh and Onlys took a traditional garage-pop approach to the swirl of effects, favoring a catchy melody over an extended jam. Tim Cohen, a friendly flannel frontman, cracked jokes and led the four-piece in tracks off their self-titled release, which leans toward a dense, smooth harmony-laden good time.
Woods played with their trademark blend of high falsetto and the mysterious technical wizardry of G. Lucas Crane. They were taking obvious pleasure in teasing out the tracks into oblivion and reeling them back again long into the night. Finally, Real Estate, with themes of nostalgia for the Jersey Shore, was completely at home onstage before a packed audience. Matt Mondanile and Martin Courtney on guitar, playing off each other’s surf-inspired melodies, was the key to Real Estate’s lighthearted summer jams, with rivers and beaches making their way into the lyrics if you weren’t already staring into the sun. The band left the satisfied crowd to walk out into the humid night, with a comfortable dream-pop soundtrack for those slow 8 mm films of the boardwalk, the jerky home movies of friends running into the surf under the blinking lights of a run-down casino. —Jason Dean
Silversun Pickups – The Wellmont Theatre – June 24, 2010
A band’s live music is normally looser than the recorded version, sacrificing sonic quality for performance, or the group will try to replicate those recordings, resulting in a limp live show. Fortunately, Silversun Pickups did neither of those last night at The Wellmont Theatre—or perhaps they combined the best of both to faithfully recreate their distinct sound while using their live energy to add to the experience.
Silversun Pickups opened with the slow-burn-to-explosion “Growing Old Is Getting Old,” off their most recent album, Swoon. Moving steadily to older material, they wrapped with their most popular songs, throwing “Kissing Families,”“Panic Switch” and the blissful “Lazy Eye” all into the last quarter of the set. To say they were faithful to the recorded versions of these songs would understate the incredible hold they have over their live show. From the barrier up front to the mezzanine in back everything was clear except for the musical haze created by the three-headed aural monster that is lead singer-guitarist Brian Aubert, keyboardist-ambience master Joe Lester and bassist Nikki Monninger.
At first Silversun Pickups seemed content to move from one song into the next. But then Aubert paused and spoke genuinely. Not only was he thrilled to play for the New Jersey crowd, but he also joked how amplified that thrill was since he “felt terrible all day,” after drinking too much at the 9:30 Club in D.C. the night before. Fittingly, the show ended with Aubert on his knees mock conducting (à la Willem Dafoe’s character in Boondock Saints) alone onstage while manipulating what was left of the sound feeding back through his guitar. —Sean O’Kane
Thao and Mirah with the Most of All – Music Hall – June 25, 2010
(Photo: Jared Levy)
Collaboration requires a delicate balance. In creating a unified whole, individuals must forgo the full expression of themselves. And, by doing so, the sum embodies a product that the parts are incapable of creating. This is the appeal of subjugating the personal to a group. However, the ingredients must retain their integrity. When musicians come together, it is their participation as a single entity that is judged as well as their contribution and authenticity. Take, for example, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, who created timeless music as a folk-rock supergroup. While each shined individually, the group’s identity was fortified in their cooperative performance.
In the hopes of tapping into this spirit, the talented indie songstresses Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn and Thao Nguyen have teamed up to play a number of tour dates. On Thursday night, the two, joined by a backing band as Thao and Mirah with the Most of All, played a packed set at Music Hall of Williamsburg for the opening of the Northside festival. The fortuitous meeting of Mirah and Thao began when the two played a collaborative set at the Noise Pop festival in San Francisco. Both artists show flair for charismatic folk pop, perhaps explaining why their temporary union is ballooning into a intermediate tour.
For last night’s show, both women showcased their respective talents. Thao, a perpetual ball of energy, pounded and thrashed while Mirah took a more subdued and introspective approach. They traded songs, most successfully on Thao originals like “Bag of Hammers” and “Know Better Learn Faster.” Though these numbers came late in the set, Thao’s humor and charisma kept the audience present and engrossed. Thus, whether the partnership persists beyond their slate tour dates, it was a pleasure to see two talents share both stage and song. —Jared Levy
Despite his resemblance to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, there is something anachronistic about Sam Amidon. And with his bandmate’s occasionally squealing electric guitar, there was something almost unsettling about hearing centuries-old music come from Amidon. That tension provided the backbone for the library-silent crowd that hung on his every word and banjo pluck last night at Mercury Lounge.
Amidon’s set was multifaceted: Led first by his music, he also mixed in one part humor and one part performance art. Whether it was a story about little people on a rubber-band bridge talking in a “strange dialect” or holding a tai chi pose, Amidon used many different things to play with those in the audience, and it was just when he’d gotten the biggest laugh that he’d abruptly start his next song. Comedic timing is a talent rarely used in a music venue, and Amidon made it work without just trying to tell jokes.
The bottom line is that Amidon’s music was stunning (at its best when it had a quicker bluegrass vibe to it), brimming with musical and lyrical style that hearkened back to early 20th-century hymns (like “When the sun and the moon shine there in yonder sea”). While simple, Amidon’s unique voice drew in an exceptionally large crowd for an early show on a Wednesday, and deservedly so. —Sean O’Kane
The early show can be a tough draw in Manhattan, proving a constant battle with post-work plans. During the opening set at Mercury Lounge last night it appeared that happy hours and dinner reservations had won this round. But when the lights faded and “Tomorrow” (from the musical Annie) came through the speakers, a typically large Mercury Lounge crowd materialized, spilling out into the bar as Steel Train took the stage.
The band kicked off a tour (which will conclude with a headlining gig at The Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, July 22nd) in support of their new self-titled album, out next week. They focused on showcasing their new material, some old fun and that beginning-of-a-tour energy and joy. Early on they worked in the Arcade Fire-esque “Bullet,” the first track off the upcoming disc, contrasting it with the jaunty “Firecracker” off their previous release, Trampoline.
Adorned in his typical white shirt and blue jeans and playing his red guitar, lead singer Jack Antonoff echoed Bruce Springsteen better than most New Jersey bands that actually try hard to do so. His voice, strong on its own, grew larger when each band member lent his own for those power-shout moments made popular by the E Street Band. By the end of the set, Steel Train’s big sound had Mercury Lounge bursting at its seams. And as fun as packed, intimate shows can be, this band will be a spectacle when they return in July to The Bowery Ballroom. —Sean O’Kane
Don’t call it a comeback because Courtney Love has been here for years. But her band’s fourth album (and first in 12 years), Nobody’s Daughter, came out this past April, and now Hole (above, playing “Skinny Little Bitch” on Late Show with David Letterman) is hitting The Wellmont Theatre on Friday. Want to try to win tickets? Fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Hole, 6/25) and a brief message explaining why you deserve a free night out on The Bowery Presents. The winner will be notified by Friday.
After the breakup of Nickel Creek, mandolin badass Chris Thile gathered some seriously talented musicians, Chris “Critter” Eldridge (guitar), Paul Kowert (bass), Noam Pikelny (banjo) and Gabe Witcher (violin), and formed the progressive-bluegrass outfit Punch Brothers. Their first album, Punch, came out two years ago while their second disc, Antifogmatic, is just a week old, and its accompanying tour brings Punch Brothers—below, playing “This Is the Song (Good Luck),”—to Music Hall of Williamsburg tomorrow night. Expect original material with some cool covers (think: Radiohead and the Strokes) in the mix. Ahead of this show, Brooklyn resident Critter (pictured, above far right) e-mailed The House List to answer Five Questions.
Which band have you seen play live the most often (excluding bands you’ve toured with)?
It’s hard to say, but when I lived in Nashville I used to always go to the Station Inn to see the Time Jumpers, an old-school Western swing/classic country group. I am convinced that they are one of the greatest bands in the world.
Which bands that you listened to growing up do you still listen to?
Since both of my parents are banjo players, bluegrass is the music that I was surrounded by during my childhood. Probably because of that, I wanted nothing to do with it for years. However, lately I feel that I can learn a lot by hearing how direct really good bluegrass, like Bill Monroe or the Stanley Brothers, can be.
What’s the toughest part of playing New York City? This city has been one of the world’s epicenters of great art and music for a long time, which can be intimidating. But ultimately it is actually a good thing because it absolutely demands that you dig deep and pull the very best out of yourself. A disproportionate number of best shows that I’ve been a part of have taken place here.
Do you have any crutches when writing a song—are there certain words or styles you feel you lean on too much? I do have a crutch in that I have four great musical minds that I get to develop musical ideas with. If ever I have an idea that seems worthwhile but I can’t figure out how to proceed, they always have a good solution.
Your after-party is at Hi-Fi, the Avenue A bar known for its endless jukebox, and The House List gives you a buck. Which three songs are you playing? “Move It on Over” by Hank Williams Sr., “The Curse” by Josh Ritter and, finally, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by the Band. —R. Zizmor
The Austin, Texas, pop band Voxtrot is playing its final two shows ever at The Bowery Ballroom this weekend. Tickets are still available to Friday’s show, but Saturday’s is sold out. You can still get tickets to the band’s finale, though, because The House List is giving away two of them. Want to Grow a Pair? Then fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Voxtrot, 6/26) and a brief message explaining why you’re sad to see these guys go off into the night. Eddie Bruiser, not so much a fan of farewells but a lover of gatherings, will notify the winner by Friday.
