Singer Jack Shears (Jason Sellards) and keyboardist-bassist Babydaddy (Scott Hoffman) met in the late ’90s and formed Scissor Sisters, combining glam rock, pop, dance, burlesque, multiple singers, performance art and outrageous live shows, in 2001. As is the case with many bands, they struggled for a while before finding success. But in this case it was overseas: On the strength of their disco take on Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” and “Take Your Mama” (with its shades of Elton John), their self-titled debut disc was the best-selling album in the UK in 2004. And if that weren’t enough, Bono labeled them “the best pop band in the world at the moment.” Since then, the group has toured considerably and released two more albums, the most recent of which, Night Work, came out in June. And now Scissor Sisters (above, doing “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” on Later…with Jools Holland) are back, playing Terminal 5 tonight and tomorrow.
Posts Tagged ‘Terminal 5’
Two Nights of Scissor Sisters at Terminal 5
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010It’s a Family Affair
Monday, August 23rd, 2010Hacienda - Mercury Lounge - August 21, 2010
Hacienda—three Villanueva brothers (Rene, on bass and vocals, Abraham, on piano and vocals, and Jaime, on drums and vocals) and one Schwebel cousin (Dante, on guitar and vocals)—caught an early break when Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys got a hold of their six-song demo. One thing led to another and eventually the band finished an album at his studio and was opening for the likes of the Black Keys and Dr. Dog and gaining wider exposure. Last year, along with My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan, they backed Auerbach on his Keep It Hid tour.
This year, Hacienda released their second disc, Big Red & Barbacoa, and they played plenty of it on Saturday night at Mercury Lounge. With their four-part harmonies, early-Kinks intensity and surf-rock influences, the plaid-heavy San Antonio quartet played a sweaty, energetic 45-minute set of swaggering, hip-shaking rock and roll, punctuated by Schwebel’s vibrant guitar solos. Onstage, songs like “Shake Ya” and “Mama’s Cookin’” emerged more rollicking and raw than their studio versions. At one point Schwebel said, “Here’s a song for Saturday night.” And he was right. —R. Zizmor
(Hacienda opens for My Morning Jacket at Terminal 5 on October 19th.)
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
Crystal Castles - Terminal 5 - August 21, 2010
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Devendra Banhart Defies Expectations
Friday, August 20th, 2010Devendra Banhart and the Grogs - Terminal 5 - August 19, 2010
Devendra Banhart and the Grogs opened their set last night at Terminal 5 with Cripple Crow’s “Long Haired Child.” Fans who have followed Banhart’s music over the years likely associate the artist himself as a long-haired child—originally gaining popularity as a bohemian, shaggy-locked musician, prone to singing winding freak-folk tales over a gently plucked guitar. Yet the Banhart who appeared onstage last night, hair and beard trimmed short, dressed sharply in a tailored blazer, spent the night defying expectations.
In addition to performing tracks like “Angelika” and “First Song for B” from his latest release, What Will Be, a collection of mellow folk peppered with Latin influences, Banhart enjoyed shifting among different sounds, genres and moods throughout the show. He hammed it up as frontman, strutting and dancing around the stage during songs like “Baby,” and then Banhart picked up his guitar and revisited older favorites, with delicate solo renditions of “The Body Breaks” and “A Sight to Behold,” the latter as lovely and mournful as ever. When the band returned to the stage, Banhart shifted gears yet again, performing an intense, snarling cover of Johnny Thunders’ “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory,” an extended classic-rock-style jam of “Seahorse” and an ebullient “Carmensita.”
Although perhaps neither fans nor the shaggy, psych folk-leaning Banhart of yesteryear would have predicted that by 2010 he would be clean-shaven and dancing goofily while performing a rocking cover of the 1988 Taylor Dane hit “Tell It to My Heart”—perhaps the night’s biggest surprise—I’m guessing if Banhart saw how much fun he’d be having, the long-haired child would approve. —Alena Kastin
Photos courtesy of Jennifer Macchiarelli | www.jennylow.com
An Extra Chance to See Florence and the Machine
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Back in April, Florence Welch thrilled the sold-out crowd at Terminal 5 so much so that she’s returning to town to play the venue twice, on November 1st and 2nd. But you won’t have to wait that long to get your fix of the bluesy redhead with a big voice because Florence and the Machine will be performing “Dog Days Are Over” at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards (Sunday, September 12th). The song’s video is nominated for Video of the Year and Best Rock Video. Welch, an enthralling live performer, says the song is about “chaotic freedom and running really, really fast with your eyes closed.” Decide for yourself: Check out Florence and the Machine, above, in the video and, below, playing the song on the English show Live on Alan Carr.
Win Free Tickets to See Devendra Banhart Tomorrow
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
Alternative folkie Devendra Banhart (above, performing “Sight to Behold” on Later…with Jools Holland) is back in town, playing Terminal 5 tomorrow night. And the even better news is that The House List is giving away two tickets. Want to go? Then fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Devendra Banhart, 8/19) and a brief message explaining why you deserve a free Thursday night at Terminal 5. The winner will be notified tomorrow.
Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See Crystal Castles on 8/21
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
Looking for something fun and free to do on Saturday night? Then try to spend it with the Canadian electronica duo Crystal Castles. They play Terminal 5 this Saturday, and The House List is giving away two tickets. Want to go? Then try to Grow a Pair. Come on, you know you want to. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Crystal Castles, 8/21) and a brief message explaining what you love so much about our neighbors to the North. Eddie Bruiser, an unabashed McKenzie Brothers fan, will notify the winner by Friday. Good luck.
Glam-Pop Duo Electrifies Terminal 5
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010Empire of the Sun - Terminal 5 - August 9, 2010
In what was probably the most baroque Terminal 5 performance of the year, Aussie group Empire of the Sun used every inch of the stage last night. From the moment a spandex-wearing girl sat onstage reading a book under a fake tree during the Juan Maclean’s DJ set, it was obvious both the odd and the oddly specific would be embraced all night.
Fresh off a performance at Lollapalooza, Empire of the Sun’s Luke Steele, adorned in a sun-ray headdress and sweeping robes of various colors, took the stage surrounded by a cadre of costumed dancers. Rivaling looks that Lady Gaga would sport, the dancers did everything from mock-play light-up cardboard guitars to arbitrarily lay down cones onstage while wearing fish masks. Steele’s presence was fun and nearly tongue-in-cheek, and he was visibly in awe of the crowd that was brimming at the edges of each of the three floors.
The music bounced around genres a bit, sounding at times like MGMT-styled psych-rock and at others like Prince (with one song sounding dangerously close to “When Doves Cry”). Early in the set the band played “We Are the People,” the never-leave-your-head single that was featured in a Vizio commercial, but saved the twice-platinum (in Australia) “Walking on a Dream” for the encore. —Sean O’Kane
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
SPIN25: One More Time with Feeling
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
Last week SPIN magazine celebrated its 25th anniversary with an epic five-night run of shows: the Smashing Pumpkins, the Flaming Lips, the Black Keys and the National at Terminal 5 and then Spiritualized closed out the week with a choir and an orchestra at Radio City Music Hall. If you weren’t there in person you still had the opportunity to check out what went down because each show streamed live on SPIN.com. But that is so last week. And since the music was extra stellar—thanks to ZYNC from American Express—you’ve got another chance to see these shows: The headlining act from each date will be rebroadcast at 9 p.m. ET every night this week here.
Seu Jorge - Terminal 5 - July 30, 2010
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Photos courtesy of Charles Steinberg
The South Rises in Williamsburg
Monday, August 2nd, 2010Appalachian Voices/Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Music Hall - July 30, 2010
Appalachian Voices with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Two ends of the roots-music sonic spectrum were on display during Friday’s show at Music Hall of Williamsburg, as New Orleans’ Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Kentucky’s Appalachian Voices teamed up to bring a diverse night of Southern sounds to the Brooklyn landscape. Approaching its sixth decade of exploring the traditional jazz of the Crescent City, Preservation Hall opened with a rollicking 35-minute set covering such vintage classics as “Short Dressed Gal” and “Sweet Substitute.”
The Appalachian Voices singers joined the fray with Jim James grinding on a dirty “Blue Yodel No. 9” and Daniel Martin Moore guiding a gentle “Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea.” James closed out the collaboration by swinging a towel over his head and howling through an incendiary “St. James Infirmary,” significantly ratcheting up the intensity in the room. Inspired by the boisterous response, Preservation Hall’s Clint Maedgen immediately led the band through a more tribal and equally intense reprise to close out the set before an obviously excited crowd.
Headliner Appalachian Voices reversed the vibe with a subdued and poignant antidote to the opener’s raucous set. With James thanking the audience for remaining quiet and focusing on the evening’s messages about the beauty of Appalachia and the dangers of mountaintop removal, the quartet combined elements of folk, blues, bluegrass and jazz throughout their nearly two-hour performance. While the My Morning Jacket canon would be unavoidable, including a particularly explosive “Smokin’ from Shootin’,” rock star James often faced upstage and yielded the attention to his less-famous-but-nonetheless-worthy coconspirators, Moore and cellist Ben Sollee, the latter delighting with spiraling and occasionally funky cello solos that were met with loud ovations.
Singing of the Appalachian people, pathos abounded in stirring songs, like “Try,” “My Wealth Comes to Me,” and Lead Belly’s “Sylvie,” in which James thrillingly channeled Roy Orbison. The encore featured a droning, thunderous combination of both bands on “Dear Companion” and a driving cover of “Save the Last Dance for Me,” which sent the enthused assembly buoyantly bounding off into the Brooklyn night. —Brian Ferdman
Photo © Matúš Bence | http://idijot.tumblr.com
(My Morning Jacket plays Terminal 5 five times in October. Tickets remain available for the 10/18 and 10/19 shows.)
The Black Keys Sell Out
Thursday, July 29th, 2010The Black Keys - Terminal 5 - July 28, 2010
Historically any musical innovation has come from a hybridization of styles. In the case of the Black Keys, they’ve taken their love of the bare-bones sound of drums and an electric guitar and traced its origins all the way back to the Delta blues, then combined it with a variety of influences like Link Wray and Wu-Tang among others, eventually collaborating with Mos Def and Q-Tip on the rap-rock album Blakroc. Longtime friends since high school, guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney didn’t necessarily set out to pioneer a unique sound. They took elements from the music they grew up with and added tried-and-true classic-rock screaming distortion.
The Black Keys played three sold-out show in two days, and they headlined Terminal 5 last night, having just left Central Park’s SummerStage a few hours before, not that it showed in their performance. The stage show was as stripped down as the duo—although they played their new material as a foursome, adding keys and bass to the mix—no lasers or elaborate lights, just a huge drum kit stage right, a stack of amps behind Auerbach and a huge banner of two black hands clasped together inside a tire, a reference to their recent album, Brothers, and even Auerbach and Carney’s personal connection, at the back of the stage.
The Keys played their Zeppelin-referenced blues with big crunchy distortion guitar that became another voice alongside Auerbach’s eerie Hendrix-like vocals, which are as equally at home delivering hushed falsetto on “The Lengths” as getting the Led out on “10 A.M. Automatic.” Hardly pausing between songs, they seemed to be taking their Ohio Midwestern work ethic to heart onstage, delivering on the promise of two friends getting to do what they sincerely love: Brothers in riff-heavy blues rock. —Jason Dean
Photos courtesy of Gregg Greenwood | www.gregggreenwood.com
A Smashing Beginning to SPIN25
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010Smashing Pumpkins - Terminal 5 - July 26, 2010
Beginning a weeklong celebration of the anniversary of a premier music magazine is no easy feat. Thankfully for those in attendance at Terminal 5 last night, the Smashing Pumpkins were up to the task. The first in a week of top-flight shows celebrating the 25th anniversary of SPIN magazine went off with a bang as Billy Corgan and his gang roared through a two-hour set.
While he at times cracked jokes with the audience (saying, “Here’s a song you might know,” before playing “Today”), Corgan was mostly business—deafening, cackling business to be precise. He and guitarist Jeff Schroeder (labeled “the Shredder” by Corgan) matched solos all night, performing what was essentially an extended and hellish version of “Dueling Banjos.” The Pumpkins wasted no time getting the hits out there, covering crowd favorite “Ava Adore” and the monstrous “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” fairly early in the show.
Before starting the ear candy that was “Cherub Rock,” Corgan said, “The concert ends when you say so,” met by screams from all three floors of the sold-out venue. He must have figured the audience would want the concert to end with another hit, for a half hour later the band closed the set with its biggest, “Tonight, Tonight.” A two-song encore followed, with Corgan challenging Schroeder for “the Shredder” title as he stretched and squealed his guitar to its highest register during a nearly 10-minute version of “Gossamer.” And then as if by design, the clock struck midnight and the Pumpkins left the stage. —Sean O’Kane
Photos courtesy of Andy Keilen | spartanmarchingband.smugmug.com/Music
SPIN Turns 25
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Next week SPIN magazine celebrates its 25th anniversary with five great shows: the Smashing Pumpkins at Terminal 5 on Monday, the Flaming Lips at Terminal 5 on Tuesday, the Black Keys at Terminal 5 on Wednesday, the National at Terminal 5 on Thursday and Spiritualized at Radio City Music Hall on Friday. And the even better news is that if you don’t have tickets to these shows, you’ll still be able to see them because Spin.com will be streaming them live. So let the SPIN25 celebration begin.
Wolf Parade - Terminal 5 - July 13, 2010
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
Photos courtesy of Mina K
She & Him Keep It Cool
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010She & Him - Terminal 5 - July 6, 2010
(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
The New Pornographers - Terminal 5 - June 19, 2010
Monday, June 21st, 2010
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