"Lucero shows now perhaps surpassing Hold Steady shows in drunkenness of crowd. Saw @ least 6 ppl get kicked out last night. On a TUESDAY." - Juliet Ulman

"front row @ lucero tonight was nuts! sweaty rager! may have gotten a black eye but oh well, feeling good." - Courtney Haefner

"Couldnt take more than 15min of JJ! most awkward/uncomfortable show in a while. Washed my ears out with LUCERO" - Adam GD

It's amazing for me to think that after enjoying their early albums I wrote Lucero off after not being impressed with their live show at Bowery Ballroom a bunch of years ago. I can't even remember much about it at this point, but I'm really glad I gave them a second (and many more after that) chance because, as the Memphis band proved at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn last night (3/30) (and not long before that down in Austin), they know how to put on a show. And they have more than enough songs to keep it going for over 2 hours.

Complete with horn section, slide guitar, Kylesa t-shirt, and alcohol, the nine-piece band led by Ben Nichols played to a packed and sometimes-rowdy house that was not deterred by the rain, Passover or Lost (ditto, minus the rowdiness, for the packed crowd at Micachu at LPR earlier in the night) (I can't speak for jj at Knitting Factory except that everyone keeps saying she sucks live) (see above).

The setlist mixed old classics (all the hits) with new songs, rare tracks, and even a Bill Withers cover. Nights Like These, Kissed The Bottle, That Much Further West, Sixteen, The Blue and The Gray, Sweet Little Thing, Slow Dancing, Tears Don't Matter Much and the Jawbreaker cover Kiss The Bottle, to name a few.

Glossary, "a band that features Lucero's Todd Beene", opened the show but I only caught about half a song. More pictures from the show, and updated tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Lucero played Music Hall of Williamsburg (pics), now on tour (updated 2010 dates) "

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Lucero - What Else Would You Have Me Be (MP3)

Lucero's Ben Nichols on "$5 Cover"

Lucero is being featured on a new MTV show called "$5 Cover." The semi-fictional "musical drama" is set in the Memphis music scene and co-stars Lucero singer Ben Nichols, who plays himself. Craig Brewer, director of Hustle & Flow, is heading the project. Lucero has two songs on the show's soundtrack (both previously released) available as downloads through Rhapsody. "The show plays Fridays at Midnight ET starting May 1st". Soundtrack tracklist and videos from the show below.

Lucero is from Memphis, but you wouldn't really know it from how many NYC shows they play. The band visited NYC for a three-night run in January, playing two nights at Terminal 5 and one at the Mercury Lounge. Then, they visited for a pre-St. Patty's Day show with the Pogues in March. And a month later Lucero played a sold-out show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg with Titus Andronicus. Ben Nichols played a solo show here in October.

Well, they're about to be on tour again. The band will come to New Jersey club Maxwell's on Friday, June 12th. Tickets are on sale.

Nichols just released his first solo disc, The Last Pale Light in the West, in January. The band is expected to put out a follow up to 2006's Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers sometime this year on its new label, Universal Music Group.

A trailer and press release for "$5 Cover," an interview with Ben Nichols on his role, and a clip of Lucero performing "San Francisco," plus all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Lucero - more 2009 tour dates & a show about Memphis "

DOWNLOAD: Lucero - What Else Would You Have Me Be (MP3)

The Pogues have cancelled their March 12th show at Roseland Ballroom in NYC.

Due to unforeseen circumstances we regret to announce the cancellation of the New York show on the Thursday 12th March at Roseland Ballroom. All tickets bought for the Thursday show will be honoured for the Saturday 14th March show at the same venue. We are sorry for any inconvenienced caused.

Franz Nicolay of the Hold Steady (solo) is opening March 13th. Lucero is opening March 14th. Other tour openers include Tom Gabel of Against Me! on both Boston shows, and Ben Nichols from Lucero (solo) on two of the three shows in Washington DC.

The Pogues and Lucero were also scheduled to play Langerado in Florida, which was scheduled to happen this coming weekend.

After Roseland, Lucero will continue on a tour that now also includes a stop in Austin for SXSW.

Lucero @ Terminal 5 (more by Mike Lerner)

Lucero finished up their three-night run in NYC with a headlining show last night at Mercury Lounge (2/9). How was that one? The first two nights were as opener for The Black Keys.

Titus Andronicus are currently out on the road with Los Campesinos!. It's a tour that has both bands back in NYC at Bowery Ballroon for two shows that are very soon. Tickets for those are still on sale sold out.

Titus Andronicus is also playing Bowery Ballroom on March 13th with The Wrens.

And then in April Lucero and Titus will join forces for a tour that includes an April 18th show at Music Hall of Williamsburg (Titus's fourth upcoming show at either Bowery or MHOW). Tickets for that go on Am Ex presale Wednesday, and then regular sale Friday.

Ben Nichols of Lucero...

...released his highly anticipated solo debut album [in January], a "mini-LP" titled "The Last Pale Light in the West," via Liberty & Lament / The Rebel Group. Nichols layed down tracks in August 2008 with Rick Steff (Cat Power, Lucero) and Todd Beane (Glossary) for this seven track mini-LP, which features songs inspired by the Cormac McCarthy book "Blood Meridian."

"The Last Pale Light in the West" is a stripped-down piece with Nichols' gritty vocals at the forefront. Nichols added acoustic guitar to the record, alongside Steff on piano and accordion, and Beane's pedal steel guitar.

Continue reading "LUCERO played Mercury Lounge, going on tour w/ TITUS ANDRONICUS - 2009 dates "

Photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

If not obvious by the 2008 Fun Fun Fun Fest coverage so far, I was having the most fun (fun fun) over the weekend with all the punk, metal and hardcore on stages 3a and 3b (two connected stages to avoid long times between sets). Highlights and pictures from day one are HERE. Highlights of day two (9/9) were DOA, Frightened Rabbit, the ska punk, politics and crowd of Leftover Crack, Cro-Mags (jam) (John Joseph w/ one of Cro-Mags' past drummers, AJ from Leeway on guitar and Craig Setari of Sick of it All on bass), what I saw of St. Vincent and Black Angels, the vegan sausage pizza, and Bad Brains. I managed to catch a few songs of Islands who sounded great, but totally missed Spinto Band and Annuals. Also saw pieces of Kevin Seconds, Chuck Ragan, and Ben Nichols's solo-frontmen sets. Saw Black Joe Lewis and most of Trash Talk, but neither lived up to my expectations in the daytime festival setting. I went back and forth between the pre-headliner sets of Minus the Bear and Bouncing Souls, and ran over to watch one song of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah during a Bad Brains reggae segment. Despite the competition, CYHSY still pulled in a respectable sized crowd. The stages were far enough away in general, but I could also still hear Alec Ounsworth's unmistakable voice at times between Bad Brains songs depending on where I was standing (I watched Bad Brains from various areas throughout their set). Clipse were headlining on the stage farthest away from Bad Brains so I totally missed them, and Kool Keith, who played that same stage earlier. Bad Brains ended earlier than curfew which meant I got to run over and catch about 20 minutes of Tim and Eric which was a great way (laughing) to end the hectic two day fest.

One unfortunate aspect of the weekend was the dust. It was a problem at ACL this year too. Dry dirt and wind meant you were constantly breathing it in. A signifigant portion of the crowd was wearing bandanas or other gas mask-like things on their faces. I didn't, but I should have because I think it made me a little sick. More pictures from day two below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008 - (some of) day two in photos "

by Black Bubblegum (though not even close to metal)

Last month, indie rock blog Productshop NYC shuttered it's doors (RIP) to make way for Stories In High Fidelity, a place "for bands, record stores, labels and writers to share their stories, tour diaries, memories and so much more", a sort of "Huffington Post of music", if you will. To celebrate the launch, the site lined up a cocktail of noteworthy music writers like Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs, Fargo Rock City), Dan Kennedy (Rock On: An Office Power Ballad), Rob Sheffield (Love Is A Mix Tape) and Marc Spitz (We Got The Neutron Bomb) along with musical guests Rocketship Park and a full headlining set by Jaymay. The "pre-CMJ extranvaganza" will be held at Highline Ballroom on Oct 20th, tickets are on sale.

After Highline Ballroom, Jaymay will hit the road with The Hotel Cafe tour... and although she won't be in NYC when the tour rolls through town at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Thao Nguyen will, along with Rachael Yamagata, Meiko, Emily Wells, & Samantha Crain. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale. Full tour dates are below.

Compare/Contrast Hotel Cafe's lineup to the "singer/songwriter" one at the Blender tonight (10/13) with Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Ben Nichols (Lucero), Tim Barry (Avail), and Frank Turner. Tickets are still available. "Chuck Ragan The Revival Tour" will be scooting through the US through mid-November, including a date at the Fun Fun Fun Fest with a shit-ton of great bands (but no Flipper), and a string of dates with Tom Gabel of Against Me! (who recently played a solo show of his own).

Thao Nguyen recently ate books with Paul Simon, Department Of Eagles, Tunde Adebimpe, Kyp Malone, Parker Posey, Ira Glass, Bobby Cannavale and Patricia Clarkson.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Hotel Cafe vs Chuck Ragan The Revival - 2008 tour dates, Jaymay, Thao Nguyen, & Stories in High Fidelity"

Lucero’s Ben Nichols contributed the track “Dog Day Night” to the Think Syrup Records Arkansas Compilation. With a straight up infectious guitar lick, reminiscent of early Black Keys work, the track has gotten its fair share of repeated spins throughout the day.

You can listen to the track on the Thick Syrup Myspace page and then go ahead and order the record. $10 gets you 24 tracks from Arkansas musicians and bands, most of whom were completely new finds for me since checking out this record. [Muzzle of Bees]

Continue reading "Ben Nichols (Lucero) - 2008 solo Tour Dates"