Tag Archives: Black Taxi

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Black Taxi Celebrates

January 16th, 2012

Black Taxi – The Bowery Ballroom – January 14, 2012


It doesn’t get much better than seeing Black Taxi at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on the occasion of a new album, especially with a trio of great bands preceding the four-piece. The guys in Black Taxi work so hard and play so well that a sold-out, raging celebration was a given. From the first moment to the last, the space was jamming, with the crowd raucously reacting to each infectious riff. These dudes know how to work a room, and the whole quiver of instruments came out—with a horn section to boot. It was utterly impossible to tell who was having a better time, the band or the fans.

It isn’t just because the group has so many friends or that everyone in the band is really awesome that Black Taxi has such a loyal fanbase. No, it’s because these guys are just so damn good that rocking out at their shows is, hands down, the best way to spend any given night. And it gets better every time. So if you haven’t seen them already, the next time Black Taxi take the stage do yourself a favor and make it out to support them. And don’t forget your dancing shoes. —JC McIlwaine

Photos courtesy of JC McIlwaine | jcmcilwaine.com

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A Winning Combination

October 3rd, 2011

Black Taxi/The Bright Light Social Hour – Mercury Lounge – October 1, 2011


A single-release party just seems like an excuse to have a party, doesn’t it? Well, on Saturday night at Mercury Lounge, that’s what Brooklyn’s Black Taxi was throwing for a crowd that didn’t need any excuses to come out and rage. Taking the stage a hair after midnight, frontman Ezra Huleatt, bare-chested beneath a blazer—his usual attire—took the microphone, marched across the stage with a bass drum, blasted a trumpet and played some keys. And this was just the first song. Riding Krisana Soponpong’s irresistible Rickenbacker bass, a shade of ska ran through almost every number, like a band born of the British Isles and not the BK (think Franz Ferdinand, Doves, the Police). From there, it wasn’t a question of whether single release was a good reason for a party, it was more about how crazy the celebration would get.

Last time Black Taxi played the Merc, the Bright Light Social Hour, from Austin, Texas, opened the show, and the combination seemed so right, they just went ahead and did it again. The crowd assembled this time was twice as large (now pretty much filling the room) and twice as enthusiastic (stopping just short of bras and panties being thrown at the stage). While the band seemed concerned that everyone was having a good time, their music left the audience no choice. Mixing Southern rock, prog-y jams, discotheque dance and sweaty, sensual blues, the group’s repertoire was like a gratuitous sex scene: Sure, maybe you don’t need the Bright Light Social Hour, but after one listen you ain’t gonna change the channel. —A. Stein

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Halloween: So Many Options

October 29th, 2009
Boo!

Boo!

Halloween is about tricks or treats, but why settle for just one when The Bowery Presents is offering a night filled with plenty of both? Deer Tick is playing the songs of the Sex Pistols at Brooklyn Bowl. And if you’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing this band live, you already know that with their three-pronged guitar attack and frontman Jon McCauley snarling Johnny Rotten’s vocals that this will be “Anarchy in the BK” done right.

If the Sex Pistols aren’t your thing, but you still want some classic rock—and who could blame you?—then head to Music Hall of Williamsburg to see Lez Zeppelin. Their tagline is All Girls. All Zeppelin. And these girls are fierce (especially Leesa Squyres as John Bonham)! If you still want covers, but are looking to get down, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe will be doing a tribute to Michael Jackson at The Bowery Ballroom. And if you like a dance party with a slight political bent, then shake it all night at Terminal 5 with D.C.’s Thievery Corporation.

Of course, there are also other options. If you’re looking for some catchy-and-contemplative music, we’ve got that too: Tegan and Sara at Town Hall. And if good old-fashioned storytelling is your thing, hightail it to The Wellmont Theatre to see the engaging Robert Earl Keen and Todd Snider. And, finally, if you’re looking to check out several bands with some “high-octane punk rock with swagger” then check out Mercury Lounge’s lineup, led by Black Taxi. (Plus, there’s even a costume contest.) Do what you like, but do see some music on Halloween!

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