Photos courtesy of Greg Notch | photography.notch.org/music
Posts Tagged ‘Brooklyn Bowl’
The Machine - Brooklyn Bowl - August 27, 2010
Monday, August 30th, 2010Melvin Seals & JGB - Brooklyn Bowl - August 11, 2010
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
William Elliott Whitmore - Brooklyn Bowl - August 4, 2010
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Photos courtesy of Kirsten Housel
Assembly of Dust - Brooklyn Bowl - July 9, 2010
Monday, July 12th, 2010
A Band Plays Its First Show
Monday, July 12th, 2010The Statesmen - Brooklyn Bowl - July 9, 2010
Jonah Smith
It’s a special treat to see a band play gig No. 1. Maybe it will be the only show or maybe it will be the first of hundreds. Everything is just potential energy at that point. Well, maybe not quite everything. On Friday night, a new band called the Statesmen played their first live show, opening for Assembly of Dust at Brooklyn Bowl, and there was all sorts of energy abound in their tight 40-minute set. While the Statesmen are a new group, their members have been seen in clubs around town for quite a while now. Jonah Smith is the frontman on lead vocals and Fender Rhodes and Nord synth, with frequent cohort Ben Rubin on bass, plus Scott Metzger, on guitar, and Josh Dion, on drums and vocals, to round out the quartet.
Remarkably, the set consisted entirely of original material. Nary a clunker in the bunch, each song had a refreshing twangy groove with enough soul and swing to go around. Smith seems to be the kind of guy who wakes up in the morning with great songs waiting for him under his pillow, and this crop of tunes is no different. The energy was purely positive, each member of the foursome wearing his joy on his face. Metzger, NYC’s great guitar chameleon, was on target with each note, whether it was a quick, fiery solo or a funky rhythm to match Dion’s wild energy and Rubin’s foundation. The chemistry, with Dion’s and Smith’s vocals meshing in 1+1=3 fashion, and Metzger and Rubin making eyes at each other as they hit their marks, was impressive for a fresh-out-of-the-gates showing. These guys know how to do things—first write the songs, then get the chemistry and energy right, then make sure you and your audience are having plenty of fun, and then get the Web site. —A. Stein
Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk – Brooklyn Bowl – July 7, 2010
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
Northside Festival Starts Today
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Get ready for a flurry of indie rock in Brooklyn this weekend because The L Magazine’s second annual Northside Festival, today through Sunday, brings more than 100 bands to Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Of course you know The Bowery Presents is gonna get in on that, beginning tonight at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Thao and Mira with the Most of All and These United States. Tomorrow brings the Woodsist Records Showcase featuring Real Estate and Woods to Music Hall of Williamsburg while Brooklyn Bowl hosts the Fiery Furnaces (below, playing “Keep Me in the Dark” for Seattle’s KEXP), who will also be at Mercury Lounge the next night. On Saturday, Music Hall plays host to a Brooklyn Vegan showcase, with Memory Tapes, Twin Sister, Dom and ZAZA on hand. And, finally, close out this festival in style on Sunday when Islands hits Music Hall of Williamsburg.
Three Nights of Funk with Galactic
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
The New Orleans-based instrumental-funk outfit Galactic has been bringing shake-your-hips music to the masses since 1994. They started out as an eight-piece with Theryl DeClouet (House Man) as their singer. Over the years, they’ve paired down to five and parted ways with DeClouet. But they’re still bringing the funk: Witness this year’s Ya-Ka-May, with notable sit-ins from Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint, Trombone Shorty (who opens for Michael Franti & Spearhead at The Beach at Governors Island on Thursday) and the Rebirth Brass Band. You never know what to expect from Galactic (above, playing “Heart of Steel” with Cyril Neville on Jimmy Kimmel Live!). They could just as easily bump a hip-hop groove, drop some smooth jazz or rip a terrific Zeppelin cover. See for yourself when (featuring Cyril Neville and Rebirth’s Corey Henry) they play Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday (Living Colour singer Corey Glover sits in and Some Cat from Japan opens), Friday (High and Mighty Brass Band opens) and Saturday (Buzz Universe opens).
Travie McCoy Brings New Music to Williamsburg
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010Travie McCoy - Brooklyn Bowl - May 10, 2010
Monday night’s Brooklyn Bowl crowd came out hard for Bad Rabbits and Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy’s first area headlining show, in support of his upcoming solo release, Lazarus. The Boston-based quintet Bad Rabbits had great momentum throughout their set, dancing around the stage from start to finish. Their songs are catchy as hell, with a sound that seamlessly blends funk, soul, rock and electro into an entirely new genre. These guys have a lot of hype surrounding them right now, and it’s no wonder why.
Dressed in pink khakis and a sportcoat, Travie McCoy took the stage with a bare-bones backing band consisting of a DJ and Gym Class Heroes’ Matt McGinley on drums, which provided space for special guests. The best songs of the set were those with guests and the tunes that sampled familiarities. “We’ll Be Alright,” which borrowed Supergrass’ “Alright” and featured the Oxymorons, was an exceptional pairing. Another standout live track, “Critical”—featuring special guest Tim William, who often plays with GCH—had McCoy at times trading raps for screams in a crunkcore way. One of the set’s last songs and the forthcoming album’s first single, “Billionaire,” received the best crowd response of the night, with the track’s special guest, Bruno Mars, joining McCoy on stage. —Kirsten Housel
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
See the Ike Reilly Assassination Tonight at Brooklyn Bowl
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Ike Reilly is a talented songwriter who weaves often-funny tales of the down and out set to catchy instrumentals. Originally from small-town Illinois, he got his start in bands in the Chicago club scene before taking a hiatus from music in the ’90s. But Reilly later caught a break when Mike Simpson, of the Dust Brothers, came across one his demos. One thing led to another and Reilly signed a contract with Republic Records and eventually put out his well-received debut, Salesmen & Racists. Other releases followed, including last year’s Hard Luck Stories, and now the Ike Reilly Assassination (above, performing “Garbage Day”) plays Brooklyn Bowl tonight.
Bowery Boston Is Up and Running
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
(Photo: Matthew J. Lee /Globe Staff
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe played the first Bowery Boston show last night at Royale. Royale was previously the Roxy, and it has recently undergone extensive renovations before opening for last night’s show. The Boston Globe says, “Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe christened the club with its vibrant hybrid of jazz, funk, and rhythm and blues grooves.” Of course, this is just the beginning, and there are plenty more shows in store for Royale.
(Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe plays Brooklyn Bowl tonight and tomorrow.)
The Thermals - Brooklyn Bowl - April 20, 2010
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
Photos courtesy of Mina K
Snoop Dogg - Brooklyn Bowl - April 19, 2010
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Monotonix - Brooklyn Bowl - April 14, 2010
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
Photos courtesy of Charles Steinberg
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.)
Soulive - Brooklyn Bowl - March 2, 2010
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Power Trio Rocks Brooklyn Bowl
Monday, February 1st, 2010Earl Greyhound - Brooklyn Bowl - January 30, 2010
Some bands just have that look, like they’ve dropped fully formed out of the rock and roll womb onto the stage. Earl Greyhound is one of those bands. On Saturday night at Brooklyn Bowl, with guitarist Matt Whyte rocking the white jeans and Jesus-style hair and beard, bassist Kamara Thomas working the pow-bang, feather-clipped Afro and Ricc Sheridan, gleaming in full glory from behind the drum kit, was there any doubt that these guys were born to play loud, anxious, hard ’70s-anthem rock and roll?
Starting off slowly with newer material off their upcoming album and then easing into the older stuff, this wasn’t some high-fructose concoction, but the real deal sugar-sweet rock and roll. Each song presented the promise of at least a taste, and then the band would back away from the microphones and delve deeply. Sheridan looked like a child at a full-size drum kit—not because he’s a small guy, far from it, but because his drums looked so oversize. It seems impossible that he could match pounding fury with any subtlety behind such a behemoth, but that’s what he did. Whyte sounded at times like he was playing two guitars at two speeds in two different directions, and even if those stretches of glory didn’t last long enough, they still kept me wanting more. On “Monkey,” the last tune of the encore, Earl Greyhound finally fully opened up into a spacey all-out jam that rose above the falling pins and Saturday night din. —A. Stein
Photos courtesy of Jennifer Macchiarelli | www.jennylow.com
© 2010
