The Bowery Presents

Posts Tagged ‘Review’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

You Can’t Blame the Youth

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Robert Francis - Mercury Lounge - July 20, 2010

Robert Francis - Mercury Lounge - July 20, 2010
While sports and movie stars seem to become massively popular (and sometimes even talented) before they’re of the legal age, musicians often follow a slightly slower path (unless you’re Justin Bieber). Last night, however, Robert Francis made the case for the youngest generation of rockers during his hour-long set at Mercury Lounge.

The much-buzzed-about Francis carried himself as a mature but lighthearted 22-year-old in between songs, and the level of implied experience skyrocketed with each squealing guitar solo he loosed from his Les Paul. He was surrounded by a full complement of bandmates who supplied a range of sounds from bass and drums to organ and slide guitar. But Francis’s band didn’t contain all of the normal trappings of the folk-based sound they played so well. His pure and engaging voice was often left alone with just the slightest of harmonies eking their way through the speakers, so the set played more like a singer-songwriter sound with a lush background of music to go along with those vocal and lyrical abilities.

With the spotlight on him, Francis had the Mercury Lounge crowd in the palm of his hands while he crooned during introspective (and undeniably catchy) songs like “Junebug.” He concluded his set with one last impressive aural shift, taking his high school-dropout tune, “All of My Trains,” from pin-drop quiet to boisterous guitar solos at the end. —Sean O’Kane



Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com

Tags: , , ,
Posted in House List, Photos and Review | 1 Comment »

cat_review

Bob Log III Stands Alone

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Bob Log III - Mercury Lounge - July 18, 2010

l_0f7bed8078f24ce3961abbc862e468e6
Bob Log III made his entrance from the back of Mercury Lounge in his signature blue-and-gold velour jumpsuit wearing a metallic gold motorcycle helmet with a telephone receiver stuck to the front of the visor. Walking to the front of the stage slide-fingerpicking a hollow-body guitar as fast as humanly possible, he sat down to play a kick drum with one foot and a cymbal with the other. He stood and yelled, “Yeeeeaaaaaa!” at the audience at the end of his songs, telling the crowd he prefers “liquid applause”—drinks—passed to the front of the stage, “placed somewhere where I won’t kick them over.”

Bob Log III has been playing his unique kind of hybrid hyper blues since the early ’90s, in the form of his former band Doo Rag. Even then he’d play the cheapest-sounding loose-string guitars and would sing into a homemade microphone to organically distort the vocals, accompanied by reclaimed washboards, metal bins and cardboard boxes. He thrives on the anonymity of this Evel Knievel persona, and his performance is pure Americana: One part traveling street-corner bluesman, one part co(s)mic Sun Ra, born out of that DIY pioneer spirit to carve out his little niche in the world come hell or high water. He’s the sort of person who won’t ever be duplicated.

Bob Log III has the sheer charisma to summon women from the audience to sit on each knee as he stomps through another dirty slide-guitar blues tune, his instrument sounding more like a banjo in its frantic tempo. “I know what you’re thinking, New York…. ‘Bob, don’t you ever get lonely being a one-man band?’ Don’t you worry about me. I make friends everywhere I go.” You get the feeling he’s up there doing it alone partially because there’s no one who could keep up with him. Based on the collection of empty cups on stage, Bob Log III was greatly appreciated, as he played his way through the crowd and off into the hallway. —Jason Dean

Tags: , ,
Posted in House List, Reviews | 1 Comment »

The Return of We Are Scientists

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

We Are Scientists - The Bowery Ballroom - July 14, 2010

We Are Scientists - The Bowery Ballroom - July 14, 2010

After some time away from playing shows in New York City while they worked on their newest album, Barbara, We Are Scientists returned to a sold-out Bowery Ballroom last night. They dove right into the new, showcasing standout songs like “Rules Don’t Stop” and “Nice Guys.” The three-piece, led by guitar player and vocalist Keith Murray, sustained a larger sound without relying on massive amounts of effects pedals or audio loops to fill in the gaps. With anywhere up to all three members singing at once during the band’s arena-ready shout choruses, the crowd even helped them fill in the inevitable space.

That’s not to say We Are Scientists didn’t use dynamics, however: Murray and drummer Andy Burrows cut out often during crowd favorite “Chick Lit” while bassist Chris Cain showed his sonic strengths. Murray and Cain kept things light between songs, bantering back and forth about everything from Yo Gabba Gabba! to Eric Bana’s role as the Incredible Hulk. The songs from Barbara sounded great, with most of them, played live, having an airier quality, drawing from the British New Wave sound they began to embrace on their last album, Brain Thrust Mastery. In contrast, the trio’s older songs stood out even more, with their churning bass and drums making “Dinosaurs,” “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” and the tongue-twisting verses of “The Great Escape” addictive. —Sean O’Kane



Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in House List, Photos and Review | No Comments »

These Bastards Are All Heart

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Heartless Bastards - Music Hall of Williamsburg - July 14, 2010

l_c15257659a5d4ff099b76aae99e1e69e
If you were looking for in-your-face, fist-pumping rock and roll last night, you could’ve done far worse than Heartless Bastards at Music Hall of Williamsburg. In the wild jangle of electric guitars, wrecking-ball bass playing and heavy horsepower drumming, the true secret weapon was Erika Wennerstrom’s vocals, which seemed to be transported from beyond the grave—her compact frame channeling some long-passed, soulful blues legend. While other bands might build to a climax of dueling guitars at maximum decibels, the Bastards’ tension release came from Wennerstrom’s voice filling all of Music Hall like air in a balloon. Her “ooohs” during “Witchy Poo” had more energy and urgency than most frontmen could possibly consider.

Midset, Heartless Bastards were joined by a violin player who at first brought the volume to I-may-need-earplugs levels before making way for some acoustic numbers. The drummer left the stage, transforming the band into a living-room outfit. Bass player Jesse Ebaugh switched to banjo for an excellent version of “Had to Go.” Once the group returned to full strength, the home stretch of the show was an exercise in endurance rock and roll, with each song outdoing the previous in energy, length and volatile interplay. Ebaugh’s pedal steel work on “The Mountain” was a revelation. It was the highlight of the night, and you had to wonder why he only played the steel for one song. The encore featured Peter Pisano (of opener Peter Wolf Crier) singing in trio format with Wennerstrom and Ebaugh on a lovely “Be So Happy,” rounding out a 90-minute set that made the still-wanting-more crowd so happy indeed. —A. Stein

Tags: , , ,
Posted in House List | No Comments »

Huey Lewis and the News Are Still Going Strong

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Huey Lewis and the News - The Wellmont Theatre - July 13, 2010

Huey Lewis and the News - The Wellmont Theatre - July 13, 2010
As the lights dimmed at The Wellmont Theatre last night, a nearly unified, low-toned shout came from the crowd. What could have instantly been misheard as booing quickly became a much clearer “Huuueeyyy!” as Huey Lewis and the News took the stage. Now more than 20 years removed from the peak of their fame, Lewis and his band have settled into a remarkably tight groove in their live performance. Starting the show with new, soul-driven material off a forthcoming album warmed up the crowd. “Just wait ’til you get the record and play it over and over,” cracked Lewis in response to cheers.

The band then played the very first song they ever wrote, “Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later).” Lewis spent one more song in what he called the “greatest misses” section of the set and then shifted the show into high gear with the best of the News. “I Want a New Drug” was followed by a two-song a cappella break (a “customary” part of the shows according to Lewis), where he introduced each member of the band, two of whom he’s known or played with for more than 40 years. That long tenure lent the band a stunning ability to play, and the four-piece horn section blared with a groove akin to Tower of Power.

The 60-year-old Lewis performed greatly as a workingman’s Tom Jones, and while Beyoncé he is not, he still never stayed in one place onstage either, belting out notes in his signature gravely voice or sharply soloing on harmonica. The band encored with the best, starting with the smash “Power of Love,” then playing “Do You Believe in Love” before finishing with “Workin’ for a Livin’.” As the crowd once again unleashed “Huuueeyyy!” shouts, the band fittingly substituted a final bow with a sleeve-rolled flex of the arm. —Sean O’Kane



Photos courtesy of Greg Notch | photography.notch.org/music

Tags: , , ,
Posted in House List, Photos and Review | 1 Comment »

A Band Plays Its First Show

Monday, July 12th, 2010

The Statesmen - Brooklyn Bowl - July 9, 2010

Jonah Smith

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

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in House List | 1 Comment »

cat_review

Stornoway Lands on the Lower East Side

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Stornoway - Mercury Lounge - July 8, 2010

l_c358a8fb5faa4cf8a7d6f3b0270cf1d3
There was a fire on the top floor of a building catty-corner to Mercury Lounge last night. Stornoway singer Brian Briggs said the structure began burning during their sound check, so they ran outside to watch. The audience chuckled at such relevant stage banter, but the truth was larger than they knew. As Stornoway had gathered just hours earlier on the streets of the East Village for a bit of combustible rubber-necking, this crowd too gathered at Mercury Lounge to gawk and stare and be silenced by something stunning.

Playing only their second US show, Stornoway opened with the standout “I Saw You Blink.” It rode the inside edge of endearing, earnest for its own sake. Briggs looked toward the ceiling, asking, “I need to know, are you the one?” with vocal clarity so stunning and pure, it brought legitimate and spontaneous tears to the eyes of a woman in the third row. This was only the first chorus of their first song. Rolling through “The Coldharbour Road,” “Fuel Up” and “Here Comes the Blackout” (minus the carrot chopping you hear on the album, they were sure to tell us), the band proved that such beauty would come in bunches not bursts.

For the last two songs of their set, Briggs and his mates stepped in front of their microphones, unplugged their guitars and played with no amplification. The need for mutual trust in this moment couldn’t be missed: It is playing without a net, a performer’s voice no more powerful than any single audience member. The audience stood stock still and hush quiet as intensely human voices sailed out in blended three-part harmony. As they closed the set with “We Are the Battery Human,” Stornoway urged us out with the lyric “We were born to be free range, free range.” This was, of course, true. These people could do as they pleased. But for the moment, they stood and watched and clapped. —Geoff Nelson

Tags: , ,
Posted in House List, Reviews | 1 Comment »

cat_review

She & Him Keep It Cool

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

She & Him - Terminal 5 - July 6, 2010

(Photo: Sam Jones)

(Photo: Sam Jones)

She & Him, the retro-leaning combination of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, performed a sold-out show at Terminal 5 last night, a nice respite from one of New York City’s unbearable summer heat waves. The duo’s upbeat numbers “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” and “I Was Made for You” were as energetic and catchy as ever, rounded out by the able backing band (including vocals by the Chapin Sisters), with Deschanel lightly stomping her foot as she belted out her signature bittersweet lyrics.

With Terminal 5’s powerful AC winning the battle against the outside heat, She & Him played it cool onstage, with the exception of Deschanel letting out a bit of playful frustration with her Wurlitzer piano, which she felt was slightly out of tune: “Do we have a Wurlitzer tuner in the house?” she half-joked, half-implored. (Of course, her piano parts sounded perfect and lovely during songs like “Home” and “Sentimental Heart.”) As Ward strummed his signature shrewd guitar riffs and twangy flourishes, he floated around the side of the stage, often stepping out of the spotlight—his modest persona proving a nice foil to Deschanel’s sunny demeanor, as she spryly hopped up and down while shaking a tambourine in her pastel party dress.

But the night’s high point came when the band took a breather, leaving “she and him” alone onstage. With just Ward’s restrained guitar parts and Deschanel’s strong, powerful voice, the melancholy “Brand New Shoes” was perfectly realized. Yet She & Him’s delicate vocal interplay during a cover of Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Got a Hold on Me” was perhaps the best distillation of their unique synergy. Simple, soulful and sweet, the song elicited one of the night’s loudest squeals from the eager crowd. —Alena Kastin

Tags: , , ,
Posted in House List, Reviews | 1 Comment »

Two Great Bands for the Price of None

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Portugal. The Man - The Beach at Governors Island - July 3, 2010

Portugal. The Man - The Beach at Governors Island - July 2, 2010

On a perfect preholiday Saturday night, The Beach at Governors Island was an urban oasis with Portugal. The Man—and show-opener Alberta Cross’s blazing fireworks display of crackling rock and roll—serving up the soundtrack. With the sun recently departed over the horizon, a light breeze blowing, sand from the Water Taxi Beach sticking to our toes, tap beer in hand and July 4th just a couple of hours away, it would seem like a radio-friendly red, white and blue set was in order for the headliner. But Portugal. The Man doesn’t paint in those shades, sticking instead to their Day-Glo, funked-out psychedelia.

From where I was standing, the tone of John Gourley’s guitar was a bit thin and under amplified, leaving Zachary Carothers’ bass and Ryan Neighbors’ keyboards to carry the music. This brought an extra-groovy underbelly to early-set versions of “How the Leopard Got Its Spots” and “The Sun.” Gourley’s voice, though, was the dominant element in the mix, crisply carrying across the crowd, over the river to Manhattan and back.

The band didn’t shy away from any open-ended rocking out, turning their backs to the audience and ripping through a fuzzy jam on nearly every song. The show ended with the pairing of the near-perfect “People Say” segueing into “AKA M80 the Wolf,” both of which had the ready-for-the-long-weekend crowd belting out the chorus rock-anthem style. The vocals took center stage for the encore, with the quartet singing moving versions of “Created” and “1989” before sending us back across the water to the real world again. —A. Stein



Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in House List, Photos and Review | 1 Comment »

cat_review

Delta Spirit Converts the Masses

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Delta Spirit - The Bowery Ballroom - June 30, 2010

(Photo: Jared Levy)

(Photo: Jared Levy)

Three months ago the band YACHT played a sold-out show at The Bowery Ballroom. With a carefully constructed stage presence and songs utilizing loops and backtracks, they navigated through a set designed to meet their audience’s expectations. Most attendees, already familiar with the band’s music, heard the songs they wanted to hear and undoubtedly left satisfied. One striking moment, though, came when midway through their performance frontman Jona Bechtolt descended into the crowd to preach a performative gospel. Many people joined in the communal experience, but Bechtolt failed to rally a consensus. Yet, while one group could sell out a show without unfaltering loyalty, last night Delta Spirit made believers of their capacity crowd, capturing the audience with passionate playing and inexhaustible energy.

It is not an understatement to say that the pure joy people experienced during Delta Spirit’s hour-plus set was both entirely shocking and incredibly refreshing. Sandwiched between a middle-aged man who emphatically sung along with every lyric and a thoroughly drunk friend of the band, I stood in wonder as Delta Spirit conjured up unrelenting energy, feeding off the crowd and expelling back upturned folk and Americana. Two moments will stand out in my mind from this show: lead singer Matthew Vasquez’s rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” bleeding into Ode to Sunshine’s “Trashcan” (complete with trash-lid-banging accompaniment) and Vasquez effortlessly persuading the entire audience to kneel and rise to a cover of the Isley Brother’s “Shout.” If Delta Spirit continues to create this type of performance nightly, seeing this band will become a can’t-miss event. —Jared Levy

(Tonight’s Delta Spirit show at Music Hall of Williamsburg is sold out.)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in House List, Reviews | 1 Comment »

cat_review

Robert Randolph Returns

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Robert Randolph and the Family Band - The Bowery Ballroom - June 29, 2010

(Photo: John Nunu Zomot)

(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

Tags: , , ,
Posted in House List, Reviews | 1 Comment »

cat_review

Woodsist Records Showcase - Music Hall of Williamsburg - June 25, 2010

Monday, June 28th, 2010

woodsistblog1
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

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in House List, Reviews | No Comments »

Silversun, Won’t You Come

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Silversun Pickups - The Wellmont Theatre - June 24, 2010

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




Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in House List, Photos and Review | 1 Comment »

cat_review

Northside Festival Kicks Off at Music Hall of Williamsburg

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Thao and Mirah with the Most of All - Music Hall - June 25, 2010

(Photo: Jared Levy)

(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

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in House List, Reviews | No Comments »

Folk Music on Houston Street

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Sam Amidon - Mercury Lounge - June 23, 2010

Sam Amidon - Mercury Lounge - June 23, 2010
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



Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com

Tags: , , ,
Posted in House List, Photos and Review | No Comments »

You Can’t Stop This Train

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Steel Train - Mercury Lounge - June 22, 2010

Steel Train - Mercury Lounge - June 22, 2010
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



Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com

Tags: , , ,
Posted in House List, Photos and Review | 1 Comment »

cat_review

From Your TV to the Lower East Side

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

The Heavy - The Bowery Ballroom - June 16, 2010

l_94cee2e858a14b8599b1f8af5b0bf2d5
Sometimes you catch the buzz in time and sometimes it’s just too late. It was certainly the latter for me with the Heavy. The English quartet had a sold-out Bowery Ballroom crowd spilling out of the performance space Wednesday night. With a full suite of back-up singers and a horn section behind the band, frontman Kelvin Swaby powered a set that had one energy level, high, and one volume, loud. The weekly planner may have read Wednesday, but with a high-octane blend of soul, rock, ska and R&B, it certainly felt like Saturday night for all those inside.

Swaby was a force onstage, running the show like a rhetorical conversation with the audience, which he referred to lovingly as “NYC,” as if they were playing to the entire municipality. (“NYC, can we play some rock and roll?”) Those in the crowd obliged unconditionally: When asked to scream, they screamed. When asked to howl like wolves, they howled. When asked to throw their arms in the air, the arms went up. In turn they were rewarded with a full-fledged house party and, yes, even got to hear the Heavy’s as-seen-on-TV “that song” (“How You Like Me Now?”), which closed out the set. But midway through, when asked to jump up and down, to rage with the punk-soul hybrid pounding in the incense-tinged air and feed the band the same energy they were offering, the audience mostly waved their arms in a feigned jumping motion. I guess it was still Wednesday after all. —A. Stein

Tags: , ,
Posted in House List, Reviews | 1 Comment »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

© 2010