by Klaus Kinski

Doug Gillard @ Irving Plaza NYE (more by Chris Gersbeck)

I got heavily obsessed with Guided By Voices after the demise of the "classic '93 - '96 line-up" which featured Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Kevin Fennell, and Greg Demos (a line-up that reunited in 2010 and has been blazing a sweaty, beer soaked trail across the US since) (this past weekend's Sasquatch Festival included).

I've now seen the classic line-up twice thanks to the reunion, but prior to that my live experience was always delivered by Robert Pollard, Nate Farley, Doug Gillard, Kevin March, Tim Tobias and, later on, Chris Slusarenko. I often had to be rolled out of those shows in a wheelbarrow, and memories of those shows are muddied and schizophrenic, but two things I always took away from a GBV experience was A) that I had had the time of my life and B) that lead guitarist Doug Gillard was, and is, easily one of the most agile guitar gods in rock 'n roll. I mean, forget about shredding and other wanky guitar-athleticism bullshit. What Doug brings to the table is a prodigal level of rock-solid, rock guitar purity and proficiency. Doug is an absolute master of his craft, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone out there these days who can get such a thunderous onslaught from his Les Paul and his amps. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to find that your man Klaus has been following Doug's solo career with great interest and it is because of non-GBV-related Gillard news that I write to you fine people today.

On Saturday June 4th, Doug will be part of an ensemble of musicians paying tribute to Captain Beefheart at Bowery Poetry Club.

Gary Lucas (Beefheart alumni, Jeff Buckley), Nona Hendryx (Labelle, Talking Heads), Nina Persson (The Cardigans), Nathan Larson (Shudder To Think), Cynthia Sley (Bush Tetras), Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices), Eric Slick (Dr. Dog), & Weasel Walter (Behold The Arctopus), will be joined by musicians from the rock, jazz, metal, progressive, blues, experimental, & classical worlds to perform faithful and interpretive versions of songs from Beefheart's entire catalog, from his 1966 debut "Safe As Milk" to his final record "Ice Cream For Crow", released in 1982.

Captain Beefheart died on December 17, 2010 from complications from multiple sclerosis, so it's fitting that ALL PROCEEDS from this show (a reasonable $10) will go directly to The National Multiple Sclerosis Society. If you can't make it to the show, watch the live stream. And consider donating to the MS Society.

Besides the MS/Beefheart show, there are many more opportunities to catch Doug live. Speaking of beef, on Saturday June 11th, get your non-vegan ass to the Big Apple BBQ in Madison Square Park at 1:00pm on Saturday June 11th. While you're feasting on various forms of carrion with gristle and BBQ sauce dribbling from your lips (editor's note: Klaus!), the band Bambi Kino will be performing. Bambi Kino features Mark Rozzo (Maplewood), Ira Elliot (Nada Surf), Doug Gillard (Ex Guided By Voices), Erik Paparazzi (Cat Power) and were formed to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles' first concerts in Hamburg Germany. Back in those days, the Beatles were essentially a cover band themselves, and Bambi Kino's setlist is culled from the Beatles' set list from back in those days. So it's like a cover band covering a cover band who were doing their own versions of the whole blues thing. And it's free! More about who's playing the Big Apple BBQ, HERE.

You can also catch Doug when he goes on tour with Tommy Keene and Sally Crewe and the Sudden Moves. Doug recently wrote and recorded songs on Sally's upcoming 5-song EP "Transmit/Receive". Tommy is touring in support of his new LP, and Doug Gillard will have a new vinyl 7" he'll be promoting. The tour lands at the Rock Shop on September 10th, 2011. Complete tour dates below.

Oh, and before I forget... Doug is recording tons of guitar for the upcoming Nada Surf LP, which is due out in Fall of 2011. Look out for that as well as a tour in support of said LP. Nada Surf's Matthew Caws joined Doug on stage at Irving Plaza on New Years Eve when he opened for GBV.

Catch Guided By Voices, Wavves, and Surfer Blood during the Northside Festival on June 18th, yo.

Catch Bush Tetras (Cynthia Sley is also playing the Beefheart show) at Le Poisson Rouge on Friday, June 10th.

Gary Lucas's other upcoming shows include a July 3rd appearance at Iridium Jazz Club and a July 9th show at the Rubin Museum of Art.

Doug tour dates and the Beefheart flyer below...

Continue reading "Doug Gillard is doing stuff (Captain Beefheart show w/ Gary Lucas, Beatles band, Tommy Keene tour, Nada Surf LP)"

Black Joe Lewis @ Outside Lands 2009 (more by Chris Graham)

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears and Those Darlins just cant get enough of each other! After they toured through NYC and towards Coachella together, and then announced that they were each playing Maxwell's within a day of each other, we asked if there might be a free NYC show in their future, and there is...

Both bands will play the second day of the annual (and free) Big Apple BBQ Block Party which happens in Madison Square Park on June 11th and 12th. Doug Wamble rounds out the June 12th lineup. Dale Watson (who plays Maxwell's on 6/10), Guitar Shorty and Bambi Kino all play the free outdoor stage on June 11th.

Tickets are also still on sale for Those Darlins at Maxwell's on 6/11 and Black Joe Lewis at Maxwell's on 6/12. Updated tour dates for both bands, and more, below....

Continue reading "Big Apple BBQ 2011 free music lineup announced, includes Those Darlins and Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears"

Nada Surf @ REBEL NYC (pre-CMJ) (more by David Andrako)

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Where there is a cause, there is Nada Surf. In addition to the acoustic set they're playing at The Rock Shop on December 14th to benefit Little Kids Rock (tickets are on sale), you can catch Nada Surf back at Mercury Lounge on December 15th to benefit Transportation Alternatives. Bambi Kino (who also play the annual Maxwell's Holiday Party on December 13th) and "Musicband" are also playing the Manhattan show which goes on sale today, 11/3, at noon.

Nada Surf's only other upcoming date(s) is aboard The Rock Boat which is probably not a boat you want to be on, though the organizers claim, "Sailing January 6-10, 2011 from Tampa on the Carnival Inspiration, The Rock Boat XI will go down in history as the greatest musical adventure of all time."

During CMJ, Nada Surf made three live appearances. One was an acoustic performance at "Levi's Workshop", one was the pre-CMJ Syndicate party (pictured above), and one was their main CMJ showcase which took place that Friday night at Mercury Lounge (one of the harder official CMJ shows to get into unless you had an advanced ticket- lines were down the block). We didn't have anyone at Mercury Lounge to review or take pictures, though Chris did stop by the same show earlier in the evening to catch Ume.

Two videos from the Levi's thing, below...

Continue reading "Nada Surf played Mercury Lounge, playing Mercury Lounge"

Built to Spill @ Siren Fest 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

today in NYC
* Al Green @ BB King's
* Mat Maneri @ Barbes
* Bambi Kino @ Bowery Electric
* Kato Hideki @ The Stone
* Ray Anderson @ The Stone
* Cubic Zirconia, Chin Chin @ Union Pool
* Beige, Forest Magic, Contramano @ Pianos
* Riverboat Gamblers @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* The Hood Internet, Tanya Morgan @ Knitting Factory
* Marina and The Diamonds, Young The Giant @ Webster Hall
* The Beets, Backwords, Tatters and Rags, Brian @ Union Hall
* Chikita Violenta, A Great Big Pile Of Leaves @ Mercury Lounge
* Zach Williams, Thad Cockrell, Sarah Fullen @ Bowery Ballroom
* Larkin Grimm, Birds Fled From Me, Diane Cluck @ Knitting Factory
* ArpLine, Dinowalrus, Triangle Forest, Translations @ Death By Audio
* Party Police, Unnatural Helpers, Heavy Cream, The Young Things @ Cake Shop
* The Meters Experience (w/ Leo Nocentelli of The Meters) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Franz Nicolay & Major General, Yula Be'eri, Eddie The Gun @ Highline Ballroom
* Amber and The Little Criminals, Atlantic/Pacific, The Wind-up @ Mercury Lounge
* Built To Spill & DJ Doug Martsch @ Rocks Off Concert Cruise (The Temptress)
* Order Of Ennead, Wormrot, Mobile Deathcamp, Skull Crusher @ Santos Party House
* Octavio Lafuentes, Bona to Vada, Jason Anderson, Moxie Block @ Pete's Candy Store
* Text of Light (Lee Ranaldo, Alan Licht, and Uli Krieger), Loud Objects @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Alaskas, Weekends, Noah's Ark Was A Spaceship, Human Resources, Philip Seymour Hoffman @ Shea Stadium
* Beach Fossils (DJ set), Apache Beat, Blood Orange, We Are All Romans @ Coco 66

Bambi Kino is a Beatles cover band featuring Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices, etc), Erik Paparazzi (who has played with Cat Power and others), Ira Elliot of Nada Surf, and Mark Rozzo of Maplewood. They recently played four consecutive shows in Hamburg, Germany beginning on August 17, performing the exact sets The Beatles performed in Hamburg exactly 50 years ago. Tonight they play Bowery Electric in NYC.

Arts & Crafts-signed Mexican band Chikita Violenta are here.

New Drums video for "Down by the Water", below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"