What's going on Thursday? (Robert Plant, Judas Priest, Aziz Ansari, Dev Hynes, Polaris, Billy Idol, Heavy Trash & more)
Robert Plant in Chicago earlier this week (more by James Richards IV)
You can browse our full NYC show calendar for all of tonight’s shows, but here are some highlights…
Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters @ Brooklyn Bowl
Maybe Led Zeppelin will never reunite, but Robert Plant and his band the Sensational Space Shifters (including members of Massive Attack and Portishead) get the Led out on their tours and their original material’s not half bad either.
Judas Priest, Steel Panther @ Barclays Center
Heavy metal legends Judas Priest released their 17th album in 44 years this year. It had some classsic-sounding Priest on there and sometimes that’s all you can ask for. Of course, they’ve got tons major classics to play tonight too and we’ll surely hear plenty of those.
King Tuff, Cassie Ramone, Roya @ Bowery Ballroom
Garage powerpop royalty, King Tuff just released his new album, Black Moon Spell, and celebrates tonight with a complimentary lineup of openers.
Dev Hynes (performing score to “Palo Alto”) @ BRIC House (two shows)
Tonight the Blood Orange mastermind is performing his score to Gia Coppola’s new film Palo Alto (based on the book by James Franco, who also stars in the film).
Black Kids, Psychic Twin, Miami Drive @ Cameo Gallery
Victims of overhype success, lets not forget that what got these Floridians into the mess was some really catchy, likable songs. After a few years out from under the microscope, Black Kids are back.
Billy Idol, Walking Papers, Ex Cops, Skins @ Center 548 (CBGB Festival)
With that sneer and a boatload of catchy songs, Billy Idol was one of MTV’s poster boys in the network’s first few years. Tonight’s show is part of the CBGB Festival kickoff event. This will also be one of Ex Cops first shows since revamping their sound further into pop territory.
Heavy Trash, Bloodshot Bill @ Club Helsinki (Hudson)
With his band Heavy Trash, Jon Spencer takes the same approach to rockabilly as he does the blues: explode it. Bloodshot Bill, who also plays in the band these days, also has his own opening set.
Clouder, The Teen Age, Spirit System @ Death By Audio
Tonight’s DbA show is a quality lineup of Brooklyn indie pop. Stream Clouder’s most recent album below.
Electric Six, Soft White Sixties @ Knitting Factory (CBGB Festival)
Electric Six are essentially a one-joke band — off the charts ego/bravado/innuendo over danceable rock — who’ve managed to milk it across 11 albums. (Human Zoo is out next week.) Whether you had enough after “Danger! High Voltage!” or still dig the schtick, E6 are always a fun live show.
DEBUT @ Knockdown Center
Sleep No More performer Emily Terndrup and La Blogotheque director Derrick Belcham are on the final of three nights of their new project “Debut” tonight. “Debut” merges “independent music, contemporary dance theater and large-scale art installations.” The music was written and will be performed by a very impressive cast of Julianna Barwick, Mauro Remiddi (Porcelain Raft), Ruby Kato Attwood and John Ancheta (Yamantaka // Sonic Titan), David Moore (Bing & Ruth), Jessie Stein (The Luyas), Hannah Epperson, Taraka Larson (Prince Rama) and Reed Smidebush (Muuny).
Aziz Ansari @ Madison Square Garden (two shows)
Aziz Ansari has come a really long way from his early days, and is now not only headlining the iconic Madison Square Garden but playing two shows there tonight (7:30 PM and 10:30 PM). He deserves it too, he just keeps getting better and his jokes are smart too. His recent NYC-area set on the Oddball tour talked about the realness of #YesAllWomen while keeping the crowd in stitches.
Kaytranada, Benji B, Obey City @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Montreal producer Kaytranada has been having a good year, collaborating with Vic Mensa, signing to XL and more. Tonight’s his second of two NYC shows for the week.
Pete Tong, Sabo, Put In Werk @ Output
UK DJ Pete Tong has been a dance music force since the ’80s and his ear has stayed sharp since even if many people only know him as part of the phrase “It’s all gone Pete Tong.”
The Adventures of Danny & Mike Live featuring Polaris @ The Bell House
This was originally supposed to be a “nite of ’90s Nickelodeon Nostalgia” at Hammerstein Ballroom, but got canceled last-minute. It’s been turned into two events: “An Oral History of ’90s Nickelodeon” at Treehouse Theatre (6 PM) featuring the music of Doug; and then later at the Bell House (10:30 PM) a taping of Pete & Pete’s podcast with a live performance from theme song singers Polaris. The latter is maybe all people wanted anyway, and is now just $10.
Father Murphy, Oneirogen, Of Earth and Sun, Theologian @ The Acheron
The dark, noisy experimental band Father Murphy returns to NYC tonight and he’ll be joined by the intensely heavy one-man-band Oneirogen, industrial/noise unit Theologian, and the droning OF Earth & Sun.
Murphy’s Law, Hymen Holocaust, Beat Brigade, New York Junk, Heeney, The Martinets, The Threads @ Bowery Electric (CBGB Festival)
One of the few artists playing CBGB Fest who played the actual CBGB multiple times back in the day is Murphy’s Law. Catch them not far from the original CBGB location at Bowery Electric tonight.
Owen, S. Carey @ The Studio At Webster Hall
American Football’s about to kick off a 3-night reunion run in Webster Hall’s Grand Ballroom, all three of which are sold out. That’s quite the welcome return, but frontman Mike Kinsella’s also been keeping busy all these years since AF broke up in his consistently great Owen project. Here’s a chance to hear those songs in a smaller location before the AF run begins. Also sold out.
Foxygen, Juan Wauters, The Lemon Twigs @ Webster Hall
Foxygen’s sprawling 24-track double LP, And Star Power, is not quite as easy to play “spot the influence” as their last album. (But they are staying the the ’60s/’70s millieu.) How many new songs will they be able to pack in at tonight’s show?
Deicide, Abysmal Dawn, Septicflesh, Inquisition, Carach Angren @ Gramercy Theatre
Deicide, the grand-daddies of death metal controversy, are currently on the road with Septicflesh, Abysmal Dawn, Carach Angren, and no strangers to backlash themselves, Inquisition. Tour hits NYC tonight.
Ghostface Killah, Just Blaze @ Webster Hall
Hip hop DJ Just Blaze continues his weekly House Party at Webster Hall tonight, and he’s got a special guest with him this time, the great Ghostface Killah.
Intimate Evening with Anthony Fantano @ Littlefield
The internet’s self-proclaimed “busiest music nerd,” popular music blogger/vlogger Anthony Fantano is doing…something tonight at Littlefield.
For all of tonight’s shows, and tomorrow’s, check out our NYC concert calendar.
For laughs, check out the NYC Comedy calendar too.
————-
—
Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.
Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin’s friend on Facebook and BV Chicago’s friend on Facebook.
Follow BrooklynVegan on instagram.
What else?
—
