We’re bringing music to the Crossroads House in conjunction with the IFC, above, plus we’ve got our own showcase on Thursday night at Emo’s, below. Don’t be a stranger. Come check us out!
Archive for the ‘House List’ Category
Hockey Night in The Bowery Ballroom
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010Hockey - The Bowery Ballroom - March 16, 2010
Hockey’s lead singer, Benjamin Grubin, has this habit of touching his face. Sometimes it’s an index finger pressed to the temple, accompanied by a cocked eyebrow that indicates a revelation at hand, or he buries his face in his palm. But he nearly always explodes away from these gestures, whipping his lithe frame in circles. Last night at The Bowery Ballroom, the frontman was caught between the revelations communicated to his temple and the shroud of his palm over his face, both inspired and insecure, a spinning, exploding vessel of influences and new creations.
Of course, Grubin acknowledges the unique space Hockey inhabits between the bands they admittedly borrow from and the new music they forge in this crucible of pastiche. On “Song Away”—which transported the audience to summertime with Tom Petty on the FM dial—Grubin sang, “I stole my personality from an anonymous source/ And I’m getting paid for it too/ I don’t feel bad about that” just seconds after confiding “I want to write a truthful song over an ’80s groove.” The song was both completely lifted and completely elevating. Earlier on the soaring “Learn to Lose,” he admitted “Last time I lost control of my confidence it took me five years to get it back.” That forthrightness was winning and unquestionably original.
In between playing two new songs, darker creations suggesting a deep second album, the band crushed debut-record favorites “3am Spanish” and “Curse This City.” After a deserved encore, Hockey closed with the appropriate “Too Fake” and Grubin was back to the topic of originality. At the front of the stage, he screamed the chorus, “Look out! I’m just too fake for the world!” It was both terms of surrender and a declaration of war, exhaustion in the age of footnotes and inspiration in a time of collage. —Geoff Nelson
Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See Air on 3/19
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
The French electronica duo Air comes to town to play Terminal 5 on Friday. The show has been sold out for a while, but you can still get tickets because The House List is giving away two of them. Want to Grow a Pair? It’s easy. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Air, 3/19) and a brief message explaining your best bet to have fun on St. Patrick’s Day while avoiding puke and the Pogues. Eddie Bruiser, allergic to both, will notify the winner on Friday.
A Foot-Stomping Night of Old-Timey Music
Monday, March 15th, 2010Carolina Chocolate Drops - The Bowery Ballroom - March 14, 2010
(Photo: Bruce Deboer)
It was another one of those crazy-weather weekends, so that by Sunday evening you could be forgiven for thinking The Bowery Ballroom had been lifted clean out of the Lower East Side, Dorothy-and-Toto style, and placed in some bizarro world where irony hadn’t yet been invented, iPhones are irrelevant and old-timey music is just plain old music. The journey to this place was provided by Carolina Chocolate Drops—the multitalented trio of Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson—who played a grin-inducing pre-bluegrass hill music: banjo, jug band, fife-and-drum, blues, gospel and the like. This wasn’t influenced by anything. No, this was the real deal. In fact, until they mentioned their Web site at the end of their barn-burning set, I wasn’t 100 percent sure I hadn’t been sucked back in time.
Carolina Chocolate Drops opened with “Starry Crown” and immediately the crowd was theirs. The sound was gloriously imprecise, like they were not only recreating the music they had learned from old records, but also the scratches and clicks the records are riddled with. The effect was intoxicating, as the energy provided by banjo, fiddle, resonator guitar, hand percussion, jug and the like prompted hoots, hollers and plenty of foot stomping from the crowd. Often, the spirit would overtake Giddens and she’d hop out of her wooden chair to flat-foot around the stage.
The set was a folk-art patchwork of unearthed 100-year-old numbers sprinkled with originals, sing-alongs, instruments being passed around, history lessons and self-deprecating humor. The band slowed things down a couple of times, including a wonderful “Genuine Negro Jig,” the title track from their newest album, but mostly it was an infectiously good time. The Chocolate Drops turned a full Bowery Ballroom into a cozy barn dance down in Carolina with the magic of a music that will last at least one more generation. —A. Stein
Al Green - The Wellmont Theatre - March 14, 2010
Monday, March 15th, 2010
Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees - The Bowery Ballroom - March 12, 2010
Monday, March 15th, 2010
A Band Makes It Rain
Monday, March 15th, 2010Woods - Music Hall of Williamsburg - March 12, 2010
How often do you stop to think about bands like Woods and Real Estate being from our backyard, here in Brooklyn? They’re waking up late, buying coffee at the corner deli, doing their laundry and playing the Music Hall of Williamsburg at night. It goes far beyond the slightly-cheaper-than-Manhattan rents: The sheer amount of talent in one place attracts a huge number of musicians who struggle to be half as successful as Woods. And this press-shy band doesn’t just play great music. No, lead singer Jeremy Earl is expanding discographies with his own Woodsist label, home to Blank Dogs, Kurt Vile and Wavves.
With that same community-cooperative feel, Woods kicked off the first show of their “No Rain” Tour alongside Real Estate. (And when you tempt fate with a name like that, it should be no surprise that the precipitation came with such force.) Earl, singing in the highest registers of Neil Young or Jimmy Scott, strummed sensitive indie country on a well-worn acoustic. G. Lucas Crane—singing into an old pair of reverse-polarity headphones—twisted knobs on the tape players laid out in front of him and added an old tin-can telephone layer of harmony to Earl’s already impossibly high falsetto.
The end result was an eerie, distant Siren’s cry that didn’t sound like it could come from just the guys onstage. Their songs open up, and given this room to roam, Woods let the freedom of their live performance take over. The familiar structures were recognizable, like in “Rain On,” but as a bottle of Maker’s Mark was passed around, the songs expanded into psychedelic proportions. And then Real Estate returned to join Woods for an all-out jam party on a staple of ’90s nostalgia, Blind Melon’s “No Rain,” which is when I realized the tour had nothing at all to do with the weather. —Jason Dean
Yacht Rock!
Friday, March 12th, 2010YACHT - The Bowery Ballroom - March 11, 2010
Value is often measured based on contrast. Good is understood in relation to that which is evil. Bravery is honored compared to the shame of cowardice. However, when an entity comprises disparate forms, simple evaluation cannot suffice. The most puzzling images and figures confound due to their contradictory nature. Yet, like an M.C. Escher drawing or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, art flourishes from unresolved confusion. It is perhaps for this reason that YACHT is currently thriving.
The duo of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans package themselves as opposing forces. On and offstage, Bechtolt dons a white suit while Evans dresses in black from head to toe. Furthermore, although the two deliver evangelical messages and religious edicts during their performance, their Web site and stage design proclaim: “YACHT is not a cult.” Clearly they intend to personify that which they are and are not. Despite this façade of absurdity, Bechtolt and Evans create effervescent and captivating earworms. For this reason, they can draw a sold-out crowd at The Bowery Ballroom and persuade those in attendance to kneel, chant and dance.
During their short yet spirited performance, YACHT played the majority of their recent album, See Mystery Lights. The record plays on themes of death, heaven and hell but is in no way depressing or morbid. Even when it is in poor taste, as the group chanted the lyric “Do the Kurt Cobain and blow your brains out” from “B Side Suicide,” it was done with playfulness and levity. This charismatic energy was most apparent during the anthemic “Psychic City” and their show opener, “Ring the Bell.” Additionally, the duo constantly interacted with the audience, from descending into the crowd to laying hands upon eager fans. If YACHT intends to create intrigue, they have certainly achieved it with their personality and music. —Jared Levy
Photos courtesy of Jennifer Macchiarelli | www.jennylow.com
Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See the Allman Brothers Band on 3/15
Friday, March 12th, 2010
The Allman Brothers Band’s traditional NYC residency has shifted uptown this year—to the United Palace—and you should, too. So The House List is giving away two tickets to the legendary group’s Monday show. Want to Grow a Pair? It’s easy. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (ABB, 3/15) and a brief message explaining which Allman Brothers tune is your favorite. Eddie Bruiser, a “Little Martha” kind of guy, will notify the winner on Monday.
Foreign Born Doesn’t Miss a Beat
Friday, March 12th, 2010Foreign Born - Mercury Lounge - March 11, 20210
L.A. folk-rockers Foreign Born rolled through Mercury Lounge last night, bringing with them a warm sound and a pitch-perfect performance. The band played a good portion of its newest record (2009’s Person to Person), sounding almost Celtic (guitarist Lewis Pesacov did an excellent job feigning the typical violin sound with his Gibson) and at times like simple, folk-based rock. Lead singer Matt Popieluch shimmied around the stage when not anchored to his microphone, accenting the rhythms provided by drummer Garrett Ray and their touring percussionist.
Even while matching as many as five harmonies, Popieluch and company never missed a beat. It was as if the crowd just happened to be sitting in the recording studio with them, far from the aural mess many live shows end up being. That said, the concertgoers weren’t just flies on the wall. Foreign Born threw in many clap- (and sing-) along moments, pausing both their music and their (self-provided) stage lighting to engage the Lower East Side crowd. The set, short and simple, wrapped just before the stroke of midnight, having covered everything from dreamily hopeful-sounding songs like “Early Warnings” and “Vacationing People,” to Person to Person’s moody opener, “Blood Oranges.” —Sean O’Kane
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
Broken Bells - Music Hall of Williamsburg - March 10, 2010
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Men - Mercury Lounge - March 10, 2010
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
One Last Chance to See Tragedy…Ever
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
All too often the best things in life are fleeting. Such is the case with Tragedy, the all metal tribute to the Bee Gees. And so with just one more show to play, it’s best to let the band speak for itself:
“We, Tragedy, the No. 1 heavy-metal tribute to the Bee Gees in the tristate area, were founded in 2007 with one purpose and one purpose only: to fill a vast need within the hearts and minds of society—the need for heavy-metal versions of Bee Gees songs. We have accomplished this, and our work is done. Please come celebrate our incredible legacy as we play our LAST SHOW EVER at New York City’s famed Bowery Ballroom. This is it, folks. If you want to see us again, you must come to this show! Special guests Upper Crust, Les Sans Culottes and the Blondest (tribute to Blondie).”
So come say goodbye to Tragedy (above, covering “Stayin’ Alive”) when the band plays its final show on Friday at The Bowery Ballroom.
Win Tickets to Balkan Beat Box
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Ori Kaplan, formerly in Gogol Bordello, and Tamir Muskat, of Firewater, were born in Israel and met in Brooklyn. They were united by a love of music, and playing together—as Balkan Beat Box—they blend Balkan, klezmer and Mediterranean sounds with dub, electronica and hip-hop. The duo, joined by a rotating group of musicians, has put out a couple of albums since 2005. The third, Blue Eyed Black Boy, will be released next month. But you won’t need to wait that long to check out their new music because Balkan Beat Box (above, playing “Hermetico”) is playing Webster Hall on Saturday. Want to go? The House List is giving away two tickets. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Balkan Beat Box, 3/13) and a brief message explaining what you like so much about the band. The winner will be notified on Friday. Good luck.
Soulive - Brooklyn Bowl - March 9, 2010
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Photos courtesy of Michael Weintrob | www.michaelweintrob.com
(Soulive plays tonight, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Brooklyn Bowl.)
Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See the Magnetic Fields on 3/12
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
The Magnetic Fields have a new album and are coming to town for three shows at Town Hall this week. Tickets are hard to come by, but you’re in luck because The House List is giving away two to Friday’s show. Want to Grow a Pair of tickets? Then just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (the Magnetic Fields, 3/12) and a brief message explaining who will win the Big East Tournament. Eddie Bruiser, who will watch as many of those games as possible, will notify the winner on Friday. Good luck.
Sunday Night with Small Black
Monday, March 8th, 2010Small Black - Mercury Lounge - March 7, 2010
In an appropriate coda to the fading electro craze of the past five years, newly dubbed “glo-fi” bands stepped into a void that perhaps didn’t even exist. Small Black is exactly one of those bands, not quite original but more likely a sharp, revisionist critic. After all, the lo-fi synth movement managed to fire this electro impulse through muddy, underwater effects and fuzz, finding rough choruses and beauty in something intentionally broken. If Justice is a metaphorical Saturday night, Small Black is a slow-drive, contrarian Sunday morning.
With multicolored lights echoing around the front of the stage, Small Black appeared four across, opening with “Weird Machines.” Not the least bit ironic, even given the collection of technology onstage, the song is endemic of what makes the band such an intriguing prospect: It is both anthemic and intentionally drowned in cold-medicine reverb. In what is now typical response, those in the crowd moved their feet and nodded their heads with vicious and responsive purpose. Running through the bass-heavy “Lady in the Wires” and some unreleased material before finishing with the antihit hit “Despicable Dogs” and the closer, “Bad Lover,” Small Black defined something both steeped in criticism and concerned with the contemporary.
As the lyrics to “Despicable Dogs” (“Do it without me/ Do it when I’m gone”) sailed out through flashing light and moving humanity, there was no extra significance attached as the second-to-last song of the night. The pathos was the narrative movement from bands obsessed with the dance floor to bands making similar music in their bedrooms. This is the soundtrack to a Breakfast Club generation that never got detention, a soundtrack for the kids who actually enjoyed staying home. If Small Black isn’t crushing your Saturday night, and this was a Sunday, they are the blinking, blurry eyes of a Sunday morning—criticism and coffee in the kitchen. —Geoff Nelson
(Small Black and Washed Out play Mercury Lounge tonight. The show is sold out.)
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