photos by Colin Kerrigan

Earth, Wind & Fire help Philly celebrate Independence Day

A little after 1 p.m., the Parkway was already jammed with people who had come from near and far for the Fourth of July celebration in Philadelphia - and it stayed that way well into the night as the Roots repeatedly rocked the stage, and Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey hit some stratospheric high notes.

Many came in red, white, and blue attire, with their children, their spouses, and their dogs.

Courtney Beckett, 22, a medical assistant from West Chester, even brought her six-foot boa constrictor, Sampson.

"They're cold-blooded, so they need heat," she explained as her cousin, Zhabree Jacobs, 8, let the reptile curl around her shoulders.

And, boy, did that snake get grilled.

Temperatures pushed 90 most of the day at the Wawa Welcome America celebration Monday, as people ate gyros and cheesesteaks, swayed to music, and reunited with friends and family to party Philadelphia-style.

Organizers had no official crowd count, although Mayor Nutter said, "This might be the largest Fourth of July event ever." The event has been known to draw a million or more people.

With a pink-and-orange sunset in the background and Sara Bareilles and the Roots performing. [Philly.com]

People arguing & fighting. I wanted to enjoy the concert but because so many people were trying to budge in front of those who were smart enough to be early and sitting down in their own seats, I ended up filming the entertaining arguments/fights that arose from this.

Parkway, Philadelphia, Philly, Jam, Concert, Fourth, 4th, of, July, Fireworks, Fights, Beer, Drunk, Arguing, Arguments, yelling, crowded, crowds, kids, pot, marijuana, smoking, wild, fiasco, rude, the roots, earth, wind, fire, &, and, PA, pennsylvania, city, mayor, nutter, police, popo, smh, penn's landing, downtown, city, delaware river, wawa, michael mcdonald, sarah bareilles

In other Roots news, Black Thought plays Brooklyn Bowl tonight (7/5) with J. Period, Mr. Mecca, Skotch Davis, Boogie Blind and DJ Suga Ray. Questlove DJs the same venue every Thursday. This Thursday is a "special free edition".

More pictures and videos from the 4th of July Jam below...

Continue reading "The Roots celebrated 4th of July in Philly w/ Earth, Wind & Fire, Estelle, Michael McDonald & more (pics & video)"

The Roots at Prospect Park in 2010 (more by David Andrako)

Although musical options in NYC are limited on the 4th of July, you could head to Philly for the Philly Fourth of July Jam. This year's show, which is being billed as the "largest free concert in America," will feature The Roots and special guests including Earth, Wind and Fire, Michael McDonald, Estelle, Sara Bareilles, and DJ Jazzy Jeff. It runs from 7-10pm at Benjamin Franklin Parkway and will be followed by fireworks (naturally).

Meanwhile you can catch Earth, Wind and Fire in NYC tonight tonight (6/28) and Wednesday (6/29) at Beacon Theatre. It's been forty years since Earth, Wind and Fire first hit the scene, and...

Forty years later, Bailey says Earth, Wind & Fire is still in pursuit of being the best band in the world.

"We're just being the best we can be and seizing the moment we've been given," he says.

"We still practice and we still hone our craft, though we've been playing these songs thousands and thousands of times. We make sure we go back and pay attention to the little details, and our audience appreciates the attention we put into stuff."

Throughout its storied career, Earth, Wind & Fire mixed funk-seared dance jams such as "September," "Boogie Wonderland" and "Serpentine Fire" with Quiet Storm classics such as "Devotion," "Can't Hide Love" and "Keep Your Head to the Sky." Often, the Grammy-winning band stoked its sound with African and Brazilian rhythms on its way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [Calgary Herald]

The Roots have been keeping super busy as usual. In addition to planning the biggest concert in America and collaborating with countless musicians, partially related to then playing Fallon on a daily basis, they played a series of interesting shows in NYC last week. At least Questlove is taking a day off from Brooklyn Bowl.

Most of those shows were part of the ongoing Blue Note Jazz Fest. Two of them, at the Blue Note, were The Roots and Rakim performing Paid in Full in its entirety...

"With an early show and a late show, the band ran through the 10 track of the classic album with funky flawlessness. During the first show, Nelson George asked Rakim and Black Thought questions about the album's legacy and Rakim's career at the beginning and half way points. The second show featured questions from Toure, and both Dave Chappelle and Talib Kweli were in the house who had their turn posing questions as well. Very dope stuff indeed." [Okayplayer]

The Roots also performed at the launch of Rebuild the Dream at Town Hall on Thursday (6/23). Rebuild the Dream is a new movement to bring back the American Dream and help Americans find jobs, go to college, etc. The Town Hall event consisted of a long motivational speech and call to action interspersed with a couple performances by The Roots. Learn more at the movement's website. Video of the entire event, and the other stuff, below.

Continue reading "The Roots played w/ Rakim, hosting giant 4th of July show in Philly w/ Estelle & Earth, Wind & Fire (who are on tour now)"

fireworks (more by Chris La Putt)

The 35th Annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks returns to the West Side to delight New Yorkers and the nation with an awe-inspiring display of patriotic firepower. This year's extravaganza, "Gift of Freedom," will feature more than 40,000 fireworks expertly synchronized to a dynamic 25-minute score that includes a mix of American standards and the hottest pop favorites!

Not in New York? Check out our entertainment
special on NBC, July 4th at 9 pm EST.

"The Fireworks can be viewed from any area with an unobstructed view of the sky above the Hudson River. For the best views, head to 12th Avenue below 59th Street at the following access points along 11th Avenue." Note that: The Westside Highway will be closed from 22nd Street to 59th Street beginning at 4:00 pm. You can also watch from NJ. I wouldn't recommend trying to see them from Brooklyn, though it may be possible if you get up high enough somewhere. One option for watching the fireworks is aboard a Rocks Off ship.

Unfortunately there will NOT be a free concert in Battery Park this year, not that last year's was anything special (for people over 5 years old anyway). There will not be a free show on Governors Island this year either. Last year they had a free She & Him show and a Rosanne Cash show too. This year the beach on Governors will be occupied by a not-free Pacha-presented dance party (part of the four-day Dance.Here.Now. Festival).

4th of July NYC show options are pretty slim in general this year, though Shea Stadium is hosting Summerjam III with Extreme Animals, Sightings, Liturgy, PC Worship, Hubble, La Otracina, Fuckton, In Buenos Aires, Dubknowdub, Black Ribbons, Future Shuttle, and more. Zebulon, Brooklyn Bowl and Barbes are all also open that day.

July 4th is a Monday though, and it's a Monday you probably have off of work (like Bowery Presents does -- all their clubs are closed that day). That means you can stay up late Sunday, July 3rd which is when Panda Bear plays Music Hall of Williamsburg, Tinsel Teeth are at Death By Audio, The Hairs play a free afternoon show at the South Street Seaport Fulton Market, Jaga Jazzist play Le Poisson Rouge, and the Feelies play their third of three Maxwell's shows.

What else?

Two days after filling in at the Seaport, Beach Fossils were one of the bands who played Mishka's 4th of July bash at Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City. During the show, the Beach Fossils bassist was apparently frustrated with the sound (or was just trying to be rock n roll) and so decided to throw his bass guitar into the river. I guess he has some expendable income laying around (and isn't super worried about the environment). Video below...

Continue reading "Beach Fossils threw a bass into the East River during Water Taxi Beach concert (video) "

photos by Andrew St. Clair

"No more room at she and him, walking over to Rosanne Cash"
- Lisa Davis (July 4th, 1:49pm)

"It was 3 squillion degrees on Gov's Isle but SUCH fun afternoon, & a tweetup! Heard ferry lines were long. Next year, extra ferries please!" - Rosanne Cash

I accidentally lied when I said there wouldn't be any more concerts this summer in "Colonel's Row" on Governors Island. Though it wasn't quite the production that the ticketed-nighttime Passion Pit gig was, the free, July 4th afternoon Rosanne Cash show was held in the same spot. The She & Him show happened right afterward on the same island, but at The Beach. And as the above tweet points out, it would have been impossible hard to see both shows due to She & Him reaching capacity before Rosanne Cash even started....

"You are wrong. It was far from impossible to catch both. Getting there at 12:30, we got wrist bands into She and Him then headed over to Rosanne Cash and walked right back into She and Him when Cash was done. The trick was to get there early and it was kind of funny watching the people stuck outside the beach grumbling to security about letting us in. Next time get there early fools." [Anonymous]

The full setlist and more pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Rosanne Cash played Governors Island on the 4th of July - pics & setlist"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

"at the "she and him" show on governors island. zooey deschanel is ridiculously adorable." - Sonal Dutt

She & Him helped NYC celebrate Independence Day with a free concert on Governors Island. The Sunday late-afternoon, Converse-presented show reached capacity early despite the intense heat wave we're currently still experiencing. Those who made it got a 20+ song setlist from M. Ward, Zooey Deschanel and band, and an opening set by their Merge label-mates Oakley Hall. Both setlists are below.

Those who got there a couple of hours earlier may have checked out a free show by Rosanne Cash in another area of the island (pics coming soon), and it's possible some people were also on the island the night before to see a free show by Portugal. The Man (pics coming soon).

She & Him do it again Tuesday night at Terminal 5 in Manhattan. The sold out (tickets were $30 each) 2nd NYC show has comedian Eugene Mirman listed as the opener. More pictures and the setlists from Governors Island below...

Continue reading "She & Him and Oakley Hall played the Beach at Governors Island - pics & setlist"

The 2010 Macy's fireworks show will feature more than 40,000 shells exploding at a rate of more than 1,500 per minute and fireworks reaching heights of 1,000 feet in the air. At approximately 9:20 pm on July 4th, the 26-minute display will be set off from six barges positioned between 24th and 50th Streets on the Hudson River. This year, Macy's has increased the amount of shells that can reach heights of 1,000 feet in the sky, providing for greater visibility of the show for millions more spectators.

The trademark Macy's "Golden Mile" fireworks effect, featuring a shower of golden sparks stretching a mile across the river, will be enhanced this year with additional mile-long showers of sparkling red and green.

"American Harmony" is the theme of the 2010 fireworks spectacular and the musical score will feature vocal harmony in styles uniquely American -- from a capella and gospel to barbershop quartets and choral ensembles. The score will feature The New York Pops orchestra, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and some of America's top vocal groups.

Sunday, July 4th, 2010
She & Him with Oakley Hall @ Governors Island
Updated Ferry Information

We encourage everyone to come early and enjoy the beach. Governors Island ferries will run from the Battery Maritime Building until 5:30PM. If you are on the island early, please make sure to get yourself to the Beach venue by 3:30PM, at which time concert wristbands will be distributed.

THERE WILL BE NO BOATS TO THE CONCERT DEPARTING FROM THE BATTERY MARITIME BUILDING AFTER 5:30PM.

Doors open at 10:00AM. Show time is 4:00PM.

Wristbands will be distributed at the Beach @ Governors Island on a first-come, first-serve basis, starting after 3:30PM.

Sleigh Bells and Glass Candy are playing in Philly.

Scream play in Washington DC.

Faith No More plays their 2nd of two Brooklyn shows at the Williamsburg Waterfront on Monday.

Bjork "Declare Independence" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday? (Independence Day) "

photos by Chris La Putt

Beach Fossils

"Abercrombie & Fitch Co. said Friday that it closed a second store in New York due to a bed bug infestation.

The preppy teen clothing seller said it closed a Hollister store on Thursday in the SoHo neighborhood of New York. That location is expected to open at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

It closed a second location, an Abercrombie & Fitch store in the South Street Seaport, on Friday for the same reason." [Huffington Post]

The next free Seaport show will feature The Old 97's on the 4th of July...

"Texas on Tour is a high-tech, interactive, roadshow featuring virtual reality, green screen video and photography, interactive games and more. Texas on Tour transports the consumer to unique outdoor Texas experiences that are highly entertaining, educational and personalized - from a virtual reality kayaking trip through Texas waterways to a dome theater offering a glimpse of the seven diverse regions of Texas.

Visitors can "picture themselves in Texas" and stroll along a Texas beach through the use of green screen technology. Live performances from a variety of Texas musicians and entertainers will also be featured.

Don't miss the special LIVE performance by The Old 97s on July 4th at 7pm."

More pictures from the Beach Fossils and Woven Bones show below...

Continue reading "Beach Fossils and Woven Bones (and bed bugs) at South Street Seaport (pics) +++ Old 97's play on the 4th of July"

Suckers in Prospect Park the other day (more by David Andrako)

Mishka, Etnies and something called SEEN (located at seenallover.com) are co-presenting a BBQ/party on Long Island City's Water Taxi Beach (dubbed "Red, White & Brews") this 4th of July. Confirmed music includes Suckers, Beach Fossils, The Death Set and Ninjasonik. There are also lots of DJs and they're promising a "Very Special End Of The Night Performance".

Add this one to the list of music events happening this 4th of July in NYC.

A flyer, more details on the party and all Beach Fossils dates are below...

Continue reading "Beach Fossils, Suckers, DeathSet, Ninjasonik & many others playing Water Taxi Beach in LIC on 4th of July"

DOWNLOAD: Future Islands - Tin Man (MP3)

Future Islands at a BBQ show in 2009 (more by Sarahana)

You can almost count on one hand the shows happening this July 4th. She & Him, The Old 97s and Rosanne Cash all play free shows, while the Feelies hold fort a Maxwell's in Jersey. Add to those Shea Stadium's all-day BBQ show, that'll also be celebrating the one-year anniversary of its 20 Meadow Street location. The bands & genres range from black metal (via Liturgy) to 'minimalist funk' (courtesy of CSC Funk Band ) to sludge rock of La Otracina to synthy post-punk Future Islands (grab one of their songs above).

A flyer, more details and videos are below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn's Shea Stadium hosting all-day July 4th BBQ (lineup)"

She & Him @ Bowery Ballroom in March (more by sarahana)

She & Him will be coming to NYC for two shows this July as part of their summer tour dates. All of those shows are posted below.

So far, music on July 4th in NYC includes kids music at Battery Park, the Old 97s at South Street Seaport, and a free 2pm Rosanne Cash show on Governors Island (presented by Trinity Wall Street) - you can add to that a free She & Him show at the Beach @ Governors Island (presented by The Bowery Presents, Highline Ballroom and Mad Dog Presents). Roseanne Cash and She & Him - same date, same island, separate shows. She & Him time TBA.

Two days after that (7/6), She & Him play Terminal 5. Tickets for the not-free show go on AmEx presale Wednesday, April 28th at 11am. General tickets go on sale Friday at noon.

Last time they were in NYC, in March, She & Him played two nights at Bowery Ballroom.

All tour dates (quite a few around North America, and Europe before then) are below...

Continue reading "She & Him playing a free 4th of July show on Governors Island (Rosanne Cash too), Terminal 5 & other 2010 tour dates "

by BBG

Scream

Scream was formed in Northern Virginia in 1981 by singer Peter Stahl, his brother Franz Stahl on guitar, bassist Skeeter Thompson and drummer Kent Stax. They are considered one of the benchmark bands in the history of the Washington, D.C. hardcore music movement. Along with bands such as Minor Threat and Government Issue, Scream ultimately merged the attributes of the movement, which were blinding speed, heavy political and social connotations in the lyrics, unpretentiousness of attitude, and shunning of commercialism...

For their second album Scream added another guitarist to their line-up, Robert Lee "Harley" Davidson, (a veteran of the local heavy metal band Tyrant, who later became know as Saint Vitus), to thicken up the sound in the studio and in their live performances.

After the 3rd album Banging the Drum, Kent Stax left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by local drummer Dave Grohl, who then played on Scream's 4th album No More Censorship... Scream then recorded their 5th and final studio album Fumble, (which was much later released in 1993 on Dischord Records) and then called it quits in late 1990. Pete and Franz moved to North Hollywood and gave rock a major-label shot with the band Wool, while Grohl joined Nirvana... In 1997, Franz Stahl joined Dave Grohl's newly formed group, the commercially successful Foo Fighters, for a two year stint. During this time Pete Stahl [continued] to record albums with several bands, including the Earthings? and Goatsnake.

Two days later, on Independence Day, Scream will take part in the 41st Annual Smoke In at the National Mall in Washington DC. The flyer for that, with Some videos from the Scream reunion (with Brian Baker of Minor Threat/Dag Nasty/Bad Religion) at Black Cat are below...

Continue reading "reunited Scream playing NYC & the 4th of July DC Smoke-In "

Sunday, July 4
Dan Zanes Jam & Jubilee
The Battery 4th of July Concert and Family Festival
Presented by Alliance for Downtown New York
Come celebrate the Fourth of July family style with Grammy-Award-winning artist Dan Zanes and his incredible array of musical friends. Spend the day dancing to the infectious rhythms of Columbian band La Cumbiamba eNeYe, marching with the parade of 76 Trombones, and singing along to Dan's own brand of Broadway classics like you've never heard them before! Bring a blanket and enjoy the lawn along with jugglers, stilt walkers, and a cast of larger than life characters. Free,
1pm doors
2pm La Cumiamba eNeYé,
3pm Dan Zanes and Friends,
4:30 76 Trombones
Battery Park, State Street and Battery Place. Space is limited and entry is on a first-come, first-served basis

The above-described free concert at NYC's Battery Park is an annual tradition, except usually the bill features indie rock. Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst were last year.

Most importantly, [The Old 97's] have fun while they're performing. [Frontman Rhett] Miller brings an almost hyper energy to the stage, especially with renditions of "Great Barrier Reef," "Roller Skate Skinny," and "Big Brown Eyes." He intermittently turns the stage over to bassist Murry Hammond, whose softer vocals, typified by "West Texas Teardrops," provide a welcome contrast. The faster songs brought a contagious energy that caused us to jump around, singing along at the top our lungs. Meanwhile the slower, heartfelt ones gave us moments to pause, hold each other, and reflect on the music's evocative powers. I don't think it's possible to hear Miller sing "Question" and not want to hold your partner's hand. [InbetweenBlog]

The band has more shows coming up this summer. Those include three free shows in July: one in New York, one in Chicago, and in San Francisco. That NYC date takes place on Sunday, July 4th at South Street Seaport. The show is free, but it isn't one of the Seaport Music Series shows that happen on Fridays in July and August. Still no word on who will play the 4th of July show in Battery Park, also in lower Manhattan.

Recent videos of Rhett and crew and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "The Old 97's playing South Street Seaport on July 4th & other tour dates "

photos by Tim Griffin, words by Andrew Frisicano

The Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival's Day One (7/3) was moved inside the Market Hotel. Thankfully, the weather held out for its second, 4th of July lineup, which went off as planned in the grassy, rock-filled lot of 979 Broadway Backyard.

I arrived just as Real Estate was going on, and the New Jersey band nearly stole the show with dreamy rock that seemed to be made for a sunny afternoon. The Beets held down their set with a casualness befitting a park lodge show (kind of what the fest was on a slightly bigger scale). The guys gave new meaning to the word "ramshackle" as things seemed to be toppling over continually onstage.

German Measles played a set before I got there. Bill caught them and said they "aren't actually that bad... But they're also not very good. And that kind of seems to be the point. Shambolic is an understatement, like 'why rehearse when we can just play shows?"

The Great Excape did a set of Jersey-style pop-punk that included their own theme song, several politically-themed tunes (a nice touch) and a cover of "Summertime Blues." Ganglians brought one of the day's only keyboards, and burst with a flurry of reverb and overdrive.

Brilliant Colors started out with straight-ahead noise punk, with a bit of a melody void left by their super-reverbed vocals (maybe a theme of the night) and washed-out guitar. When the bass stepped up its riffs a few songs in, the band immediately sounded twice as catchy. The Fresh and Onlys took that bass-forward momentum and went with it. Their bassist pounded the notes in between and then some. As a result, the group had one of the most complete sounds of the night (with a tambourine and three-part harmonies rounding it out). They dedicated their last song to the member of Tyvek in the hospital (the reason for that band's cancellation). Hopefully their situation turns out better.

Dum Dum Girls had to be one of the night's cleanest sounding groups. The band relied heavily on singer Dee Dee's vocals, which harmonized with drummer Frankie Rose on their songs' many hooks.

The atmospheric rock of Woods definitely got jammier as it progressed. As Bill Pearis pointed out, the group's fourth member, who sat on the floor twiddling effects and singing into a microphone strapped to his face, was a bit strange considering the rest of the guys were dressed proper enough for church. Whatever you have to do to make it sound good I suppose.

Kurt Vile & the Violators roared into the night as the sun finally went down. Vile and Vivian Girls (who, as one commenter pointed out, "played with a great intensity") more than warmed up the crowd for Thee Oh Sees, who capped the night (for some) with an unstoppable set. Frontman John Dwyer was literally foaming at the mouth as a streak of white drool smeared across his face for part of the set. Thee Oh Sees' strange, repetition-laced anthems are amazing for shaking and rattling, as the crowd proved. The band even got talked into playing an encore before sending everyone into the night.

The rest of the pictures from Day Two, with a bunch of videos, below...

Continue reading "Woodsist/CT Fest Day Two in pics & video (Thee Oh Sees, Real Estate, Ganglians, Fresh & Onlys, Woods & more)"

photos by Tim Griffin, words by Andrew Frisicano

Vivian Girls played ourdoors on the second day of the Woodsist/Capture Tracks Festival on July 4th. They mixed old and new tracks, with a sound that put guitar and bass centerstage. Vocals lurked just below, and came through strong enough to carry the melody all the way across the field. At one point, the band invited two crowdmembers up on stage to play tambourines as fireworks somewhere in Brooklyn (and some inside the gates...) shot off behind. Pictures from their set are in this post. Kurt Vile played the same day. His pictures are HERE. Pictures from Day One of the fest are HERE. The rest of the Day Two pics are coming soon.

Earlier in the day, The Beets casually played through their time, which included a brief cover of the Beatles' "I Should Have Known Better" (though no "La Bamba" despite requests). Their bass player sat out a considerable part of the set while switching his amp, but the remaining two Beets kept on, singing in sligtly off-center unison harmony. Intermittently, guitarist Juan Wauters would jump several feel in air to jolt the reverb on his amp into action. Where Vivian Girls sounded full and fleshed out, the Beets gave off a very one-on-one, basement show vibe. Pictures from their set are coming later.

Those two bands (Vivian Girls + The Beets) have a North America tour together set for August and September. Its kick off show will happen Tuesday, August 25th at Death By Audio in Brooklyn.

Before then, The Beets are playing the final Oxford Collapse show on July 18th. Vivian Girls play the Whitney Museum (as part of that space's Dan Graham exhibit/summer series) on Friday, July 31st with These Are Powers.

Vivian Girls' second disc, Everything Goes Wrong, is scheduled to come out September 8th on In the Red.

"Last time, the album was really rushed," says guitarist Cassie Ramone. "We were just go, go, go, go. And now we're taking our time with every step of the process, making sure we're really happy with everything before we move on."

With this band, though "taking our time" means they're taking six days to record the entire thing instead of the three days they used for their first album. Ramone says, "We recorded 15 songs, but if we put them all on the album, that'll be an hour's worth of music, so we're going to have to cut some of them out. Our last album was like 22 minutes, so we figure if this album is longer than 44 minutes that'll just be insane. It would be twice as long."

"We're aiming for around 35 minutes," adds bassist Kickball Katy. So you'll probably still be able to plow through the whole Vivian Girls album on your morning commute.

Continue reading "Vivian Girls - Woodsist/CT Fest pics, new album info, 2009 tour dates w/ The Beets (who also played July 4th)"

photos by Zach Dilgard

"Afterparty" & P.S.1. courtyard - July 4, 2009

The Museum of Modern Art and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center announce the winner of the 2009 MoMA/P.S.1 Young Architects Program: the architectural firm MOS. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the program, which affords emerging architectural talents the opportunity to design and present innovative projects. Five finalists selected by an invited nomination process were asked to present an urban landscape for the large courtyard entrance of P.S.1, with the allotted project budget of $70,000. The architects were required to incorporate elements of shade, water, seating, and bar areas into a proposed project. MOS's winning landscape, Afterparty, will be on view in P.S.1's outdoor courtyard starting in late June, and will serve as an immersive environment for the 2009 Warm Up summer music series.

Envisioned as an "urban shelter," Afterparty will serve as a cooling escape at the heart of P.S.1's Warm Up music series. Before visitors enter the courtyard, a series of tall hut-like "chimneys" with dark thatched skin will be visible from the street. The interior of the conical shelter will provide shade, similar to a Bedouin tent in which the dark textile creates its own microclimate shielding from the summer heat. Cool air from the thermal mass of the courtyard's shaded concrete walls and concrete water troughs located in the center of the structure will be drawn up through a series of cooling chimneys by induction. This will create a breeze and a "cool down" atmosphere for the active Warm Up crowd.

Continue reading "P.S. 1 kicked things off July 4th weekend - Warm Up pics "

Dum Dum Girls @ Woodsist Fest - July 4, 2009 (bajapuntos)

The two-day Woodsist & Captured Tracks Festival happened in Brooklyn on Friday (7/3) and Saturday (7/4). Both days were supposed to take place at 979 Broadway Backyard, but Friday was moved to the very hot Market Hotel due to the threat of rain. Pictures of both days coming soon, but first here is video Bill took on Saturday during the first-ever performance by Dum Dum Girls.

Dum Dum Girls is really just one person - Dee Dee.... aka Kristin Gundred from Grand Ole Party who is married to Brandon Welchez of Crocodiles who she released a duet with (video below) and who was one of the members of the Dum Dum Girls band at Woodsist. The other two members of the band were Mike Sniper of Blank Dogs and Frankie Rose of Crystal Stilts (and a former Vivian Girl)...

Continue reading "Woodsist Fest happened - Dum Dum girls (Grand Ole Party + Crocodiles + Blank Dogs + Frankie Rose) debuted - video "

photos by Chris La Putt

SATURDAY, JULY 4
AMERICANA - SOLD OUT - VENUE CHANGED!
Rooftop's annual celebration of the weird and wonderful country we live in. A sunset party with free drinks, a fantastic fireworks view, live music, and short film comedies, dramas and political documentaries.
Venue: The show has been moved to the roof of The Xchange.
Address: 640 W 28th Street, between 11th and 12th Avenue, 9th Floor (Chelsea, Manhattan)
6:00PM: Doors open
6:30PM - 8:00PM: Open bar provided by Radeberger Pilsner and Carlo Rossi sangria
7:00PM - 9:00PM: Music by Bachelorette, Love Like Deloreans, and Class Actress presented by Sound Fix
9:20PM: Great view of the fireworks
9:50PM: Films

Continue reading "Bachelorette, Love Like Deloreans, Class Actress, Rooftop films & fireworks in NYC - pics"

photos by Chris La Putt

"[Jenny Lewis's] hour long set (as the opening act for their good friends, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band) featured Lewis classics such as "Acid Tongue", "The Next Messiah" and Rilo Kiley's "Silver Lining" plus one or two new songs. And of course, they pulled Conor Oberst out to join them on one song, at which point he and Lewis pressed their faces together to share the microphone center stage." [Cassie]

"It was nice being able to just lay down and sun-nap for a little while listening to live music." [Spatula Queen]

"The concert was fabulous. The weather was perfect (clear sky, breezy), and there was a great energy in the park. There were tooons of people there.." [my so-called life]

"conor oberst was great. much better than i thought he would be." [Anonymous | July 4, 2009 10:36 PM]

"Kicked it on a blanket in a park listening to those two for hours. Pretty much one of the best afternoons I had ever had." [Typoscura]

Continue reading "Jenny Lewis & Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band @ Battery Park in NYC (July 4th) - pics & setlists"

Liberty Fest Parade '09 (vphotorob)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* Fireworks.
* Peelander-Z @ Union Docs
* The Feelies @ Maxwell's
* I'm in You, Sonoi, Swamp Sex Robots @ Bruar Falls
* Rooftop Films w/ Bachelorette @ Chelsea Art Museum
* Mixtape, Pet Ghost Project, El Jezel, Quiet Loudly @ Cake Shop
* Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band, Jenny Lewis @ Battery Park
* Japanther, NinjaSonik, Ghost Mall, Muhammid Ali @ Lit Fuse Cyclery
* Fresh & Onlys, Brilliant Colors, Pink Reason, Babies @ Market Hotel
* Afro-Punk Festival w/ Whole Wheat Bread, Pure Hell, Game Rebellion, American Fangs, The Objex, Funk Face, oOohh Baby Gimme, Jesse Nobody @ BAM
* Woodsist/Captured Tracks Fest w/ Thee Oh Sees, Vivian Girls, Kurt Vile, Woods, The Fresh & Onlys, Brilliant Colors, Ganglians, The Great Excape, The Beets, more @ 979 Broadway Backyard
* Miracles of Modern Science, Dinowalrus, Ex-Humans, Alana Amram and the Rough Gems, more @ Union Pool

We already did a round-up of most of today's events. There's also dancing and lots more in This Week In Indie.

Today, the Whitney is only $4. It's a great chance to catch the Dan Graham retrospective, which kicked off on June 26th with an acoustic Feelies set. Tonight is the last of three Feelies Maxwell's shows.

Mascott's video for "4th of July" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday? (4th of July)"

The Feelies @ The Whitney (photo by Scott Rudd)

Reunited NJ band The Feelies played an acoustic set to help open the Whitney Museum's Dan Graham Retrospective last week (on Friday, June 26th). Last night (7/2), the same band kicked off three-night run at Maxwell's in Hoboken which goes until July 4th which is also the day the Whitney is having a special -- $4 admission ("$4 on the 4th"). It'll be open that day from 11am to 6pm... which actually means you have plenty of time to spend the day at the Whitney before heading to see the fireworks in Jersey before heading to Maxwell's to catch The Feelies (if you have a ticket, because all three shows are now sold out).

While at the Whitney, you can check out the museum's regular wares along with the Dan Graham exhibit. That show includes rock artifacts like Graham's '80s doc Rock My Religion, which incorporates footage of Patti Smith, Sonic Youth and Black Flag. The music series in conjunction with the Graham show continues on July 10th, with a concert in the museum by Titus Andronicus and Real Estate. Bands over the next three Fridays after that include Vivian Girls, Woods, Abe Vigoda and These Are Powers. Full schedule below.

The Brooklyn Museum is also free this 4th of July from 5pm-11pm, running its First Saturdays special on the holiday. The Met (always by donation) is open too, as is the MoMA, whose free night is on Fridays. The MoMA is currently showing "Looking at Music: Side 2," whose focus overlaps some with the Whitney's Graham exhibit (both are connected to Sonic Youth, New York in the late '70s, etc.)

Two more pictures from the Feelies museum show, and one of Jasper Johns' Three Flags (which is in the Whitney's permanent collection), and the Whit's full music schedule, below...

Continue reading "The Feelies (with 3 Maxwell's shows this week) played the Whitney Museum (which is $4 on the 4th of July)"

Last week in dance I got a late start. I'm not sure what it was, but I couldn't get myself out and on a dancefloor until Sunday. Once that finally happened I could not have been happier...Justin Martin absolutely killed it at the BKLYN Yard as did Alex from Tokyo later that day at the Rivington Hotel. More on each of their awesome sets later. For now, here's where you can get down at the start of this lovely 4th of July weekend:

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (July 4th weekend edition) "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: The Fresh & Onlys - Fog Machine (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Fresh & Onlys - Love & Kindness (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ganglians - Hair (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bachelorette - Mindwarp (MP3)

It used to be Independence Day weekend was dead in NYC, the city emptying out, leaving only tourists and those unfortunate enough not to have some sort of beach hookup. There was nothing to do but barbeque with fellow left-behinds and see whatever Will Smith movie had just been released. (Actually, I like it when the city is empty.) And the only show would be whatever was at Battery Park on the 4th. Not this year.

The Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival is two days of just about every band on the two label's roster and also manages to be one of the best collections of reverb-lovin' lo-fi/pych/garage bands you're likely to see, including many names you may recognize if you read this column on a regular basis. You can buy a two-day pass for $25 or buy individual $15 tickets for Friday or Saturday.

As both Woodsist and Captured Tracks are Brooklyn labels, a lot of the bands are local and chances are if you're into this kind of music at all you've probably managed to already see some of these bands, probably more than once: Crystal Stilts, Vivian Girls, Blank Dogs, The Beets, caUSE co-MOTION, Kurt Vile, and Woods.

The Fresh & Onlys @ SXSW 2009

But there's also a bunch of great West Coast bands who have yet to hit NYC, which is what makes it most exciting for me. First and foremost are San Francisco's Fresh & Onlys who I caught at the Todd P/Woodsist party during SxSW and have become one of my favorite new bands. They play the Saturday (7/4) which is definitely the more essential line-up of the two days. The band features members of Skygreen Leopards and Black Fiction, and have also spent time recently backing up Rodriguez and Ty Segall (though not on the East Coast.)

The band's first album of 2009 came out in April on John Dwyer's Castle Face label, with a sound not that far off from what you might expect from cohorts of The Oh Sees (who headline the Saturday show), though The Fresh & Onlys are definitely more pop and less psychedelic freakout. Their second album of 2009, Grey-Eyed Girls, is out in August and they've also got 7"'s out or out soon on Chuffed, Dirty Knobby, Hozac and Captured Tracks. If you like 13th Floor Elevators, The Chocolate Watchband and other Nuggets era bands, I think you're going to dig them. I interviewed bassist Shayde Sartin a couple months ago on my blog if you'd like to know more.

If you can't make the daytime show, The Fresh & Onlys also play a post midnight show that same day at Market Hotel that also features Babies (members of Woods, Vivian Girls and Bossy) (does anyone know which members?) and Pink Reason, and maybe a solo performance from Crystal Stilts drummer Frankie Rose. And The Fresh & Onlys will be here again in October when they'll be on tour with fellow San Franciscans Thee Oh Sees.

Thee Oh Sees are also playing Siren in July, and playing maybe the best of the Woodsist fest's offshoot shows on Thursday night (7/2) at Glasslands. They're headlining the Glasslands show and Saturday night of the fest, and are definitely worth seeing twice, or even thrice. Also playing Glasslands: Golden Triangle who are working on their debut album for Sub Pop offshoot Hardly Art; The Beets who, the last two times I've seen them, have had Crystal Stilts' JB Townsend filling in on drums for an absent Jacob Warstler; and German Measels which features half of caUSE co-MOTION wearing fake moustaches.

Ganglians

A little earlier at Woodsist Fest on Saturday (3:45 if they keep to the posted schedule) are Sacramento's Ganglians, who just released an EP and an album on Woodsist. Not all that far off from The Fresh & Onlys, Ganglians have equal worship for solid songwriting and trippy arrangements/production. I think both records are worth picking up: the self-titled EP shows off more of their rocking side (which they favored when I saw them at SxSW), like the surfy, Kiwi-esque "Hair" of which there's an MP3 at the top of this post. The album, Monster Head Room, is more acoustic and owes a lot to Brian Wilson. If you can't make the July 4th show, they'll be playing the next night (7/5) at Monster Island basement with Psychedelic Horseshit.

In between Ganglians and Fresh & Onlys on Saturday (4:30PM) are San Francisco's Brilliant Colors, an all-girl trio who play short, scratchy pop with a definitely New Zealand vibe. They also play the late show that night at Market Hotel, and will be on WNYU on July 8.

Dum Dum Girls, who play after the Fresh & Onlys at 6PM, are from L.A. and owe much to the C-86 scene that has been an influence on Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Vivian Girls. Actually, Dum Dum Girls is just one girl, Dee Dee, who may or may not have a band with her when she plays. Dee Dee is also in The Mayfair Set, a collaboration with Blank Dogs (and Captured Tracks domo) Mike Sniper, who will make their live debut (I think) Friday (7/3) at 6:30.

I've got MP3s for most every band playing the Fest over at my blog.

Brilliant Colors

A couple non-Woodsist/Captrax Fest recommendation for the Fourth weekend. New Zealand's Bachelorette is back in town, playing the kickoff show of this year's Seaport Music Festival, opening for Here We Go Magic. I saw Bachelorette at Cake Shop a couple weeks back and was so smitten I bought everything at the merch table. There was a fair amount of laptopping going on, but Annabel Alpers' breathy, fragile voice was definitely live and the three-piece oozed unassuming charm. Bachelorette also play the sold-out Rooftop Films Fourth of July party Saturday night which happens on the roof of the Chelsea Art Museum.

And Thursday (7/2) starts The Feelies' three-night run at Maxwell's. Friday's show (7/3) is sold out but you can still get tickets for Thursday and for Saturday (7/4). Bring comfortable shoes -- they're doing two sets each night. The excitement of their reformation may have faded a bit since this time last year, but their great songs -- and still-awesome guitar interplay -- have not.

Full Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival schedule and other tour dates after the jump...

Continue reading "Ganglians, Fresh & Onlys, Brilliant Colors, Bachelorette, lots of Woodsist bands & more in This Week in Indie "

Advice for attending July 4th fireworks: arrive early and expect crowds [Everything Hudson]

What are you doing on the 4th? Below we've listed a bunch of other options if you'll be in NYC (and a few if you want to leave)...

Continue reading "Independence Day 2009 - 4th of July events in NYC (Conor Oberst, Woodsist Fest, Japanther, Feelies, fireworks, more)"