The tough thing about New Year’s Eve is that it’s amateur night. But that’s OK because you can avoid all the drama by spending the night rocking out with us. Patti Smith and Her Band at The Bowery Ballroom and Soulive at Music Hall of Williamsburg are already sold out, but no worries ’cause we’ve got plenty of other options for you to close out 2009 in style.
If you like to shake your ass—and let’s face it, who doesn’t?—then you should check out Detroit Cobras (with the A-Bones and the Underthings opening) at Mercury Lounge on Thursday. They bring a mix of garage-rock grease and early soul classics (think Otis Redding and Irma Thomas) plus other R&B covers you’ve probably never even heard. Expect soulful singing, some fierce guitar and a whole lot of fun.
Have you been to Brooklyn Bowl yet? It’s pretty badass. They’ve got great food and local beers to go alongside 16 high-tech bowling lanes. And their sound system is fantastic, which works out great since Q-Tip (who also happens to be badass) will be spinning there. If you don’t want to be anywhere near Times Square, then do what feels right and head to Brooklyn Bowl tomorrow.
One good thing about New Year’s Eve is that places stay open later than usual, which means you definitely need some late-night music. You know this, and Titus Andronicus and their openers, the So So Glos, know it, too. After the Detroit Cobras’ show clears out, doors will open at 1:30 a.m. Titus Andronicus, whose name comes from Shakespeare and whose sound comes from Jersey, will ring in the New Year with energetic songs and a heavy dose of guitar distortion. What else are you gonna do—go to bed?
The Word is kind of like a recipe: Add John Medeski on keys to Robert Randolph on the pedal steel to the North Mississippi Allstars (Chris Chew, bass, Cody Dickinson, drums, and Luther Dickinson, guitar) and you get a tasty stew of blues, funk and gospel, plus some cool covers (like the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”). Because these guys are all in their own bands, it’s been difficult for them to find enough time to play together. They put out a superb self-titled album of gospel instrumentals in 2001 and played shows to support it. But then they didn’t perform together again until around this time two years ago. And now they’re back at Terminal 5 on NYE. “Joyful Sounds” indeed.
