Slightly Stoopid/the Aggrolites - Terminal 5 - November 19, 2009
The Aggrolites
Last night, Terminal 5 hosted a two-band reggae-tastic lineup of Slightly Stoopid and the Aggrolites. While both bands hail from Southern California, they couldn’t be more different while still exhibiting great modern talent within such a niche and dated genre.
Los Angeles’ the Aggrolites play what they call “dirty reggae”—a sort of darker, organ-lead, punk-influenced version that fits perfectly into the Hellcat Records catalog. Although he commented that the show was the largest yet on their tour, frontman Jesse Wagner had no problem working the stage and getting the young crowd to interact with the band. Over the course of their hour-long set, the black-clad quintet played a selection of songs from all of their releases, including a standout track from their 2006 self-titled album, “Countryman’s Fiddle,” which tells of a love for the soul of reggae, and a cover of the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down.”
Slightly Stoopid’s take on the genre is much more loose and chill, though their older material actually plays more as reggae-infused punk rock. The San Diego-area-based band doesn’t do much to mask their influences—fellow SoCal band Sublime is an easy comparison—but that is perhaps their strongest selling point. Many of the band’s songs reference one of their favorite pastimes, getting high, and again they exhibit no shame there, to the point of introducing “Above the Clouds” as a song about just that. Their 90-minute set had the sea of fans moshing, crowd-surfing and at some points even trying to light up. —Kirsten Housel
Sonic Youth is a band that keeps moving forward. Sure, they put out their first album, Sonic Youth, way back in 1982. But their most recent effort—their 16th(!) studio disc—the aptly named The Eternal, was released this past June. Not resting on their laurels, they’re playing three local shows over the next eight days. Bad news: They’re all sold out. Good news: You can try to Grow a Pair of tickets to this Saturday’s Terminal 5 show from The House List. Just fill out the form below. List your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Sonic Youth, 11/21) and a brief message telling us your best technique to cope with it getting dark so damn early. Eddie Bruiser, who’s basically nocturnal and doesn’t mind the encroaching darkness, will notify the winner by noon on Friday, November 20th. Good luck.
Wolfmother - Music Hall of Williamsburg - November 9, 2009
What was it your mother told you about making a good first impression? Wolfmother learned that lesson well, opening their show at Music Hall of Williamsburg with an eight-minute “Dimension”—an explosion of guitar and falsetto, machine-gun drums and bass. What was it your mother said about playing with matches? The band wasn’t quite as good with that one, throwing flame at the dry tinder of the audience. Never mind that it was a Monday night, it took about 30 seconds for the jacked-up, sold-out crowd to turn into a flailing mosh pit.
From there it was just a matter of playing with fire. Wolfmother leaned heavily on new material but strategically placed songs from the debut album throughout. Of course, these got the greatest reaction, with the crowd taking them in like an intravenous hit of an adrenaline-testosterone cocktail. These tunes were a bit more developed with long, pyrotechnic guitar sections and psychedelic breakdowns. Frontman Andrew Stockdale seemed to be able to flip a switch and turn a formless blob of volume and speed into a coherent sound at will. Never mind a lineup change or two, the band was tight and at his beck and call.
When the band hit “Woman” midset, the crowd and band merged with a crazy intensity, crowd-surfing, stage-diving and the whole lot. This was no video game. Stockdale joked about being warned that the Brooklyn crowd would just stand there, arms crossed, asking, “What have you got?” but the reality was kinetic craziness. Ending the set with a spacey “White Unicorn,” the volume maxed-out to the red, blowing a hole right onto N. 6th St. —A. Stein
The psychedelic-tinged hard-rocking Wolfmother’s debut album, Wolfmother, came out in 2006 to much acclaim. With Andrew Stockdale on vocals and guitar, Chris Ross on bass and keys and Myles Hekett on drums, the Australian band’s throwback sound earned comparisons to Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer, and their music was featured everywhere from Guitar Hero II to an iPod commercial to Shrek the Third. But despite the fact that things were riding high for the power trio, just like on Behind the Music, backstage things were falling apart.
Citing irreconcilable differences, Ross and Heskett left behind Stockdale and the group’s name in the summer of 2008. Undeterred, Stockdale got back in the saddle, recording new material—in L.A. this past spring—with Dave Atkins on drums, Aidan Nemeth on rhythm guitar and Ian Peres on bass and keys. The band, now a four-piece, then spent the summer opening for the Killers. But since releasing another heavy-rock disc, Cosmic Egg, two weeks ago, the newest version of Wolfmother is currently headlining a tour across two countries in North America and two boroughs in New York City—Sunday at Terminal 5 and Monday at Music Hall of Williamsburg.
(Above, Wolfmother plays “New Moon Rising” on Later…with Jools Holland.)
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!
Country music comes to the big city this weekend when the Academy of Country Music-award-winning Zac Brown Band plays Terminal 5 this Saturday. Expand your horizons and try to Grow a Pair of free tickets from The House List. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Zac Brown Band, 10/24) and a brief message telling us why you deserve a free night out this week. Eddie Bruiser, who’d also like a night out on someone else’s dime, will notify the winner by noon on Friday, October 23rd. Good luck.
It had all the trappings of a rock and roll show: A big club on a Saturday night packed from stage to bar, three levels high with crazed, adoring, fans pumping fists like hepped-up hooligans. There were guitar changes after each song, sing-alongs for almost every tune and, heck, even a glittering disco ball for one number. Except this wasn’t a rock show at all. An electric guitar didn’t even appear onstage until halfway through the set. Never mind that, it was the Avett Brothers, and that was all the electricity Terminal 5 needed.
There’s probably a word for the kind of music the Avetts play, but I’ll just call it pre rock—a stripped-down country hill music with plenty of banjo, acoustic guitars, upright bass and some wailing cello. I’d also describe it as pre irony. The music, with songwriting gems throughout the set, was genuine emotion. There was no shtick or accompanying knowing wink. It read on the faces of the brothers and company as they played each song from the depths of their hearts, even while raging, hopping up and down onstage and encouraging the eager audience to do the same. The gorgeous title track from the new album, I and Love and You, took on a beefier, sing-along air than the pensive tone of the studio version, but it didn’t lose a touch of its potency. The solo piece “Murder in the City”—simply a guitar and a voice—had just as much power. Yes, it was the real thing in an ersatz age, so it should be no wonder the crowd responded like it did. —A. Stein
HardNYC: Major Lazer - Terminal 5 - October 10, 2009
Take a deep breath: Major Lazer’s show on Saturday brought the famous producer Diplo, rowdy frontman Skerrit Bwoy, numerous guest appearances (including one by Santigold), a daring leap from a 10-foot ladder, ounces and ounces of spilled Hennessy and champagne, and about 30 fans to the Terminal 5 stage. And oh, yeah, really good music.
Major Lazer, sandwiched between more standard-style DJ sets from DJ Rusko and coheadliner Crookers, was easily the performance of the night and certainly one of the wildest shows Terminal 5 will see this year. Accompanied by two dancers, Skerrit Bwoy, using more than just his personality, pushed the crowd to its limits of excitement for the entire set. The renowned producer and DJ Diplo provided a constant, but never boring, flow of samples, blips and beats, all set to wildly colorful visuals on a giant screen at the back of the stage.
But what made the show such an event were the antics that took place, highlighted by the raucous “Pon de Floor”—which featured Skerrit Bwoy and some friends getting all too friendly with the dancers—and the removal of most of the front row of the crowd to party onstage. Capping the set were a brief appearance from Santigold during “Hold the Line” (on which she appears on Major Lazer’s album, Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do) and a few minutes of performance in almost total darkness. When Major Lazer left the stage, Crookers took over and carried the crowd into early Sunday morning. —Sean O’Kane
When the Bravery began its set last night at Terminal 5, something was amiss. Sam Endicott’s almost-absent vocals seemed to dampen the excitement of an eager crowd that had just stood through two opening acts. But when Endicott said he was suffering through swine flu, it made his performance that much more impressive. And the moments when he truly pulled it together, crooning vocals akin to Ric Ocasek’s (Endicott even resembles a younger version of the Cars’ singer) over driving rhythm and synthesizers, showcased the band’s strength. Endicott swayed around the stage with his microphone stand, putting on a performance reminiscent of Brandon Flowers of the Killers or Matt Berninger of the National, only with more character and life. He switched between hyperactive moments on guitar and multiple collapses to the stage floor for dramatic emphasis (and perhaps a bit of rest).
The Bravery sped through a collection of music from its new album, Stir the Blood (due out in November), and the previous two. Along the way, Endicott often had to rely on his bandmates. Drummer Anthony Burulcich took backup vocal duties on nearly every song and provided the pop that his lead singer couldn’t quite get. While Endicott powered his way through most of the set, the chorus of the set-capper (and big hit), “Honest Mistake,” seemed like too much. So instead, he swung the microphone stand around and lowered it over those in the audience, letting them finish for him. Let’s just hope he’s not contagious. —Sean O’Kane
Crookers, Major Lazer, Rusko, Jack Beats and Destructo are playing Terminal 5 on Saturday as part of Hard’s inaugural New York City event, HardNYC. And if you don’t already have tickets, try to Grow a Pair from The House List. It’s easy. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (HardNYC, 10/10) and a brief message explaining why you deserve a free night of cool tunes and a killer audio-visual experience. Eddie Bruiser, who hopes to have recovered from last Saturday’s hangover by next Saturday, will notify the winner by noon on Friday, October 9th. Good luck.
If you’ve seen The Big Lebowski, you love The Big Lebowski ’cause that’s just the way it is. So why not come out to Terminal 5 tonight to see the flick again and hang out with some like-minded people? Black Diamond Heavies—and their brash brand of blues and punk—will get things started. And, of course, White Russians will be served all night. Come on. You know you want to.
The Decemberists, a five-piece folk-rock outfit from Portland, Ore., are storytellers. And their songs often employ instruments that aren’t so obvious, like accordions and organs. The band, whose members claim to have met in a Turkish bath, released its fifth full-length album, The Hazards of Love, in March and have been touring to promote it ever since. That tour brings them to Terminal 5 this Saturday, September 19th, and The Wellmont Theatre next Monday, September 21st. The Terminal 5 show is special because, according to the group’s Web site, they “will draw songs from a lottery and dutifully play them, regardless of their quality or presence in our memory. Decemberists songs, naturally, but you do never know what bizarre cover songs or strange commands may end up in the pile.” Sounds pretty cool.
(Check out the Decemberists, above, covering Heart’s “Crazy for You.”)
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