by BBG

Beer & Cable at Acheron (more by BBG)

The Meatmen are going on tour in October, and it will be a full night of snotty punk in Brooklyn right after CMJ, at Europa on October 23rd. The NYC show features support from the one and only Black Fag (the absolutely fabulous tribute to Black Flag in their first NYC appearance!), Runny, and the always obnoxious Beer & Cable (thats a compliment). Tickets for the show are on sale. All daes are listed below.

Beer & Cable will also play a beer-soaked Acheron benefit show TONIGHT (9/16) for a mere $5 (or more if you want). Help keep this important metal/punk space alive.

Meatmen dates and a whole bunch of videos so attendees know what they're getting into, below...

Continue reading "The Meatmen playing shows (dates), 1 in Brooklyn w/ Beer & Cable (who play Acheron tonight)"

No Flag

No Age, who in 2009 backed Bob Mould to play Husker Du songs at ATP, covered Black Flag's "Six Pack" and The Misfits' "Hybrid Moments" at Pitchfork Festival this past weekend. Original Black Flag frontman Keith Morris, who was there with his band OFF!, didn't join No Age on the covers like he did when Superchunk covered Black Flag and The Misfits at House of Vans. However, last night at Levitt Pavilion in LA, No Age and Ceremony played a FYF-presented free show with special guest No Flag, aka No Age, Keith Morris, and fellow founding Black Flag member Chuck Dukowski! Picture taken by Lance Bangs above. Video of No Flag playing "Wasted" and videos of No Age at Pitchfork Fest below...

Continue reading "No Flag (No Age + Black Flag) played a show in LA"

Mac & Keith (photo by Andrew St. Clair)

We have a full post with pictures and review of last night's show at House of Vans coming, but meanwhile check out a video of 2/3 of Superchunk's encore, aka the part where (Off!'s) Keith Morris came out and performed Gimme Gimme Gimme (Black Flag) and Where Eagles Dare (Misfits) with Mac and band. It was pretty amazing (especially the Misfits part, no offense Keith). Video below...

Continue reading "Superchunk played Black Flag & Misfits w/ Keith Morris (video)"

by BBG

Wolvserpent at Acheron (more by BBG)

Let it be known that strength doesn't always lie in numbers. Wolserpent, the Idaho duo that absolutely floored me in their last outing at Acheron, will hit the road with A Story of Rats to play Acheron again on June 4th with a another show TBA. More details forthcoming, but if you aren't in NYC, make sure and catch this magnetic two piece on the road. They practice in ritualistic doom, and will rule that space in Bushwick that is turning 1 year old. All tour dates below.

Rosetta will team with Tidal Arms, Drummers, East of the Wall, and Don't Give a Fuck for a show at The Charleston on June 11th. The show is one of two dates on the band's calendar in the US. All dates are below.

Clouds are back in action, and will team with Disappearer to play new Brooklyn bar Saint Vitus on June 3rd. The show is one of two dates for the reactivated (?) band, with the second going down in their home base of Boston. All dates are below.

Coliseum are on tour in NYC for two shows this weekend. Enter to win a pair of tickets to either Public Assembly or Union Pool on the BrooklynVegan Facebook.

A rare and unmissable Black Flag tour documentary from 1986(!) was recently put on the Internet...

20 years ago I completed a one hour Super-8 sound film called "Reality 86'd". This film documented the last Black Flag tour in 1986, which I was a part of (I drummed and sang in Painted Willie). Greg Ginn signed us to his SST Records label and brought us on the road for six months that year, which turned out to be Black Flag's swan song. The tour and subsequent documentary also included Greg Ginn's Gone (who opened the show.) For reasons I will never really understand, SST Records owner / Black Flag guitarist and sole original member, Greg Ginn refused the film's release. Furthermore, he has held this film prisoner ever since.

So many years since I completed the documentary I continue to get messages from fans the world over asking me about the film. It's only music, and music needs to be shared, and it's for everybody. If you agree, feel free to share and pass this along.
-David Markey

Hostage no more, you can view Reality 86'd in its entirety on Vimeo. Kudos to Markey for preservation of such a crucial time capsule. A big list of upcoming NYC shows, below...

Continue reading "Evillive (Wolvserpent, Rosetta, Clouds, a 1986 Black Flag tour documentary & more)"

by BBG

The Dwarves at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by Tim Griffin)

"THE DWARVES were kicked off tour with Motorhead for sleeping with the girls the aging metalheads had hired to hang out backstage. They were banned from venerable punk dive CBGBs for breaking a table and bleeding on the floor, making the venue cleaner and improving its décor." [25 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE DWARVES]

The Dwarves are celebrating 25 years of mischief with a new collection with songs titles like "The Dwarves Are Still The Best Band Ever", "We Only Came To Get High", and "Happy Birthday Suicide"...

That's right folks, the Dwarves magnum opus is done and set to drop May 10, 2011 on vinyl and cd, both including a free dvd! 25 years in the making the Dwarves Are Born Again features heroes from throughout the Dwarves saga. Blag the Ripper, HeWhoCanNotBeNamed, Rex Everything, the Fresh Prince of Darkness and a cast of thousands including Vadge Moore and Sgt. Saltpeter from the notorious Blood, Guts and Pussy record return to crush the ears of a desperate public.

Stream it below, or with a large amount of their output at their bandcamp. As you may/may not know Dwarves member Rex Everything currently goes by his government name Nick Oliveri (ex-Queens of The Stone Age, Mondo Generator).

The Dwarves have a few dates on the way including an appearance at Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas and two NYC dates: July 15th at Knitting Factory and July 16th at The Studio at Webster Hall. Tickets for both the Knitting Factory date and the Studio date go on sale Friday at 10AM. All other Dwarves dates are below.

--
Steve Ignorant rehearsing earlier this month

In other news, after a stutter a few weeks ago, TONIGHT (4/20) marks the return of Steve Ignorant to the U.S. to play Crass songs at Europa. Dog That Bites Everyone Thulsa Doom,A.P.P.L.E., and Goldblade open the Brooklyn show... though there is a rumor that Goldblade, who are supporting on the whole tour, may not get here in time for tonight's show due to visa issues (update: rumour confirmed as true) (maybe you caught them at Southpaw in 2003). if not, they will hopefully make it soon though, and definitely in time for the sold-out Santos Party House 'Crass songs' show on 5/8. Tickets for tonight's Europa show are still available, and a full list of Steve Ignorant tour openers is below (Santos has Goldblade, Cult Of Youth and Primitive Weapons).

Also tonight (4/20), strangely, ex-Black Flag/current-Misfits-er Dez Cadena will hit Park Slope venue Union Hall with his band Dez Cadena & The Broken Down Bitches, as well as The Slants and Lunic. Tickets are still available.

Speaking Black Flag, two Black Flag vocalists (Henry Rollins & Keith Morris with his band Off!) will share one stage (Terminal 5) as part of a show/tour with Dinosaur Jr. Since that show was announced, Off! also announced even more tour dates which are listed below.

And while we're on the subject, former Misfits vocalist Glenn Danzig heads out on a tour that hits Starland Ballroom in his birth state next month. The current version of the Misfits play Festival For Humanity in Vernon, NJ on May 27th.

In more modern punk news (and other "Off" news), Off With Their Heads will team with Dead To Me for a string of US dates surrounding their appearance at Best Friends Day, including Knitting Factory on August 4th with The Holy Mess and Brian Bruner. Tickets are on sale.

And last and probably least, CJ Ramone will play The Studio at Webster Hall on July 9th, performing "an all Ramones set with Ramones producer Daniel Rey on guitar". Tickets are on sale. Joey Ramone died a little more than 10 years ago, and his birthday will again be celebrated at Irving Plaza in May.

All tour dates and that Dwarves stream is below.

Continue reading "new Dwarves LP & dates, Steve Ignorant is here, Dez Cadena too ++ CJ Ramone, updated Off! dates, Off With Their Heads"

Following J Mascis's current solo tour, Dinosaur Jr will hit the road for a select group of East Coast dates in June. These won't be your average Dinosaur Jr. shows though, because.... like they're doing for ATP in London in June, the band will perform Bug in its entirety. PLUS, Off! will open every show AND Henry Rollins will interview Dinosaur Jr. live at every show (Keith Morris and Henry Rollins both on the bill), AND at the NYC show which is happening June 23rd at Terminal 5, Fucked Up will also play an opening set.

Tickets for the four dates Off! are playing are currently on fan presale, and tickets go on regular sale on 4/8. Oh, and the short tour kicks off on June 21st at Calvin Theatre in Northampton, MA where Thurston Moore is also playing (but Off! is not). Proceeds from that first show will benefit Whole Children.

In related news, J Mascis recenly played a BV Day Party at Swan Dive followed by two NYC shows (he was also interviewed by Ted Leo), and Mike Hill of Tombs interviewed Henry Rollins for this website. Off! was just in town with Trash Talk and played Santos Party House.

All dates below...

Continue reading "Dinosaur Jr. performing 'Bug' live on tour w/ Off! & Henry Rollins (who will be speaking) (Fucked Up in NYC too!)"

Nat Baldwin, David Longstreth and Brian McOmber play Black Flag
Delicate Steve plays the Minutemen
Ted Leo plays Minor Threat
Titus Andronicus plays the Replacements
Tune-Yards plays Sonic Youth
Dan Deacon plays the Butthole Surfers
St. Vincent plays Big Black
Wye Oak plays Dinosaur Jr
Buke & Gass plays Fugazi

No, that's not a list of what happened in a weird dream last night. That is the LINEUP of a NYC show at Bowery Ballroom on May 22nd in celebration of the tenth anniversary of Michael Azerrad's "classic history of the '80s indie underground", Our Band Could Be Your Life (a book everyone reading this site should probably own!)

To quote show co-presenter Tiger Mountain Presents, "some of the best bands in contemporary indie music will play songs by each of the 13 bands in the book."

"For years, all kinds of people -- musicians, people who run labels, concert promoters, journalists, whatever -- have told me that they've been very inspired by Our Band Could Be Your Life and the bands it profiles, which is incredibly gratifying and totally unexpected," says Azerrad. "The tenth anniversary of the book was a great occasion for the current generation of bands to celebrate these pioneers."

More bands & guest hosts TBA. Tickets are $25 & go on sale Friday, 3/11 at noon.

Meanwhile the book will also be the topic of a panel discussion at SXSW that Merrill Garbus aka tUnE-yArDs (who is also playing the festival) will speak on.

Ted Leo is headed to Austin too, an appearance at the BrooklynVegan official SXSW showcase included.

Delicate Steve and Wye Oak are going to SXSW too. Wye Oak can be found at the BV/KF/Partisan day party at Swan Dive on Friday, 3/18. Wye Oak will also play Bowery Ballroom as part of a tour in April.

St. Vincent plays Big Black. I just felt like saying it again!

Continue reading "'Our Band Could Be Your Life' 10th anniversary show lineup (Big Black, Black Flag & Fugazi songs will be played)"

Henry Rollins, whose only upcoming 2010 show is a sort of live radio-but-not-radio KCRW show at the Echoplex in LA on December 9th, is turning 50 on February 13th, 2011. And to celebrate he'll be going out on spoken word tour entitled "50". All dates aren't announced yet, but they will include a special 50th birthday event in Henry's native Washington, DC on February 13, sandwiched between multiple-night runs at Joe's Pub in New York (February 8-12) and Largo in Los Angeles (February 16-19).

$35 tickets for the five NYC shows go on sale Friday, December 3rd, at noon - online and at the box office (or at 212-967-7555). "Hipster elite" beware.

In related stuff, check out part one of our interview w/ Keith Morris & Dimitri Coats. Part two is on the way.

by Michael Hill

"The guys that we were working with before just had this mental thing where we can just write whatever we want and people are gonna like it. It's like what the fuck is up with that? Are you kidding?" - Keith Morris

OFF! (photo by Dan Monick)

Keith Morris was the original front man for Black Flag and later the Circle Jerks, two bands that defined the sound, ethic and attitude of American Hardcore Punk. For that, he achieves legendary status, at least in my eyes, so when I was offered the opportunity to talk to him about his new band Off!, I was blown away to say the least. If you were basketball fan, it would be like meeting Michael Jordan, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.

The easy way out would be to label Off! a "supergroup" but that's not accurate. The reality is that the band is made up of a group of friends that happened to all have been in great bands. That's apparent when you listen to the 16 (18 minutes long!) tracks on The First Four E.P.s and see the live show. The core of the band is Morris and Dimitri Coats, the guitarist/vocalist for Burning Brides. The rhythm section consists of Steve McDonald (Redd Kross) on bass and Mario Rubalcaba (Hot Snakes, Black Heart Procession, Clikatat Ikatowi) on drums. The music is raw, to the point and vicious, it's everything you want a hardcore punk band to sound like but after talking to Morris and Coats, it was made clear to me that Off! is a band that sounds like a punk band but doesn't carry the baggage of being a punk band. You won't see any Mohawks or leather jackets, there won't be any whining about "The Scene" or any posturing going on. You just go to the show, get your mind blown then go home taking with you a true, honest experience.

I showed up to the interview [on 10/21 in NYC] about 30 minutes early, got a cup of coffee and kicked it in the lobby of the office where the whole thing was going to take place. I had questions prepared...I was trying to be a "pro" as possible but when I heard Keith Morris's unmistakable voice emanating from the other room, I became like the 16 year old fan boy that wrote the words "Damaged" on a plain white t shirt with a black sharpie and pounded 1 litre bottles of Jolt! Cola. I also learned that you don't actually interview Keith, you sort of capture his vibe and maybe steer him towards the subjects you want to talk about.

Read part one of our talk below...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Keith Morris & Dimitri Coats of OFF! (part 1)"

I can now say with 99,99% confidence that legendary drummer Chuck Biscuits is in fact alive and well! So what the hell happened yesterday? How did the rumor that he died of throat cancer start? Why did everyone believe it? Well, before the chain reaction of irresponsible blog posts and news stories (guilty), it all began with one James Greene Jr. James, according to the Boston Herald (one of the sources I read before posting myself) (and whose story credits Blabbermouth), is "a freelance music writer from Brooklyn, New York".

Though I didn't completely realize it at the time of my own hasty posting, James's Chuck Biscuits obituary was THE source of it all. Before I re-posted his words I had read about Chuck's death - in addition to at the sources mentioned above, in the BrooklynVegan comments, and was told about it via an IM, and saw that someone had updated Wikipedia with his death info (reliable, I know), and noticed via Google that Punk News had even put a "-2009" after his name and date of birth. The news was spreading fast. By the end of the day, at least 50 websites had reported that Chuck was dead.

At first glance James's blog post seemed super legit too. First of all, who would make something up about Chuck Biscuits? (Lars Ulrich maybe, but Chuck Biscuits????). It was a well thought out obituary which even sourced Chuck's family members (a "mass email" even), and (ironically) the post was tagged "Shit That Can't Be Real Yet Somehow Is"!

continued below...

Continue reading "the great Chuck Biscuits death hoax of 2009 (he's alive!)"

by Andrew Frisicano

'Michelle' Watt w/ Black Fag 1/29/09...

Mike Watt is a musician seemingly without ego. He'll share a stage with anyone, and does - his upcoming dates have the bassist in no less than half a dozen settings. As you can see above, Watt even sat in on guest vocals with SoCal's Black Fag ('An absolutely FABULOUS tribute to Black Flag'). The group writes...

For those who haven't heard, Black Fag has extended an open invitation to all former members of Black Flag to join us on stage for a song of their choice at any of our shows.

The only requirement: they must perform in drag!

Mike Watt was never an official member of Black Flag, but his musical history is so intertwined with Black Flag's that we consider him an honorary member, so when we found out he'd be on the bill that night we contacted him to see if he would want to be the first to accept our invitation.

See a video of Watt + Black Fag taking on "Police Story," below.

Mike Watt was recently in NYC for the "Double Nickels on the Dime" 25th Anniversary Party at the Bowery Poetry Club on Saturday, July 25th. At the variety-style show he played a selection of the band's songs on bass and did poetic reading (appropriate in light of the venue) of Minutemen lyrics. See videos of both below.

This Saturday, August 1st, he'll be debuting Floored By Four, his band with Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, Cibo Matto multi-instrumentalist Yuka Honda and ex-Lounge Lizard/"downtown" drummer Dougie Bowne. M. Ward headlines.

Nels is another musician who gets around quite a bit. Last night (July 30th) he was at the Stone in a trio called The BBC with Tim Berne on saxophone and Jim Black on drums (check out their initials for a clue about the name ).

"...Cline had a neat trick wherein he looped a watery guitar part through his electronic setup, and then used an octave pedal to get a distorted bass sound out of his guitar that he proceeded to play live over the loop. At other times, he went from solo line noodling to crunchy, unpredictable time-signature riffing that still kept heads bobbin'. There was flow there. Occasionally he had a scratch palette like Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, but instead of Bomb Squad-style guitar turntablism, it was spazzy like Christian Marclay. Meantime, Berne mostly kept to a subtle supporting role, coming out front most nakedly during the quiet interludes of the hour-long piece. Hopefully someone recorded this beast of a thing." [The Awl]

On August 4th, he'll be playing with NYC violinist Jenny Scheinman's Mischief and Mayhem, as a quartet with Jim Black (again) on drums and Matt Penman on bass. Tickets for that are still on sale.

The show will be your last chance to catch Cline on his current run of NYC engagements. It'll also be your last chance to catch Scheinman for a while, as she'll be taking a break to have a child (that's due a little more than a month after the gig). Best wishes to her!

Check out the above-mentioned Watt videos, all Watt/Cline tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Mike Watt w / Black Fag, Bowery Poetry, Summerstage Saturday, Nels Cline & a very pregnant Jenny Scheinman"

"...and the mighty Circle Jerks were on. The place was filled people, and Keith Morris started out with some funny anecdotes, after which the band took of.....and how! They were tight as hell, and really on top of their game. They played a lot of classics like " Wild" and " Wasted" , but ended the set with 5 Black Flag covers. Holy Shit! That's probably the closest I will ever get to seeing Black Flag live. It was fucking awesome. Crowd went nuts and climbed on the speakers dived off everywhere. Insane! Keith Morris is a hero!" [ZXZW blog]

Like Mess With Texas last year, and Fun Fun Fun Fest in November, this year's Mess With Texas (a joint production of Transmission Entertainment and F Yeah Fest) was held in Waterloo Park in Austin on Saturday (3/21). The 3rd annual, all-day, free, 2-stage festival takes place during SXSW, and the organizers know how to put together a lineup.

Not quite as big as last year's three-stage extravaganza with The Breeders and NOFX (probably due to lack of serious sponsorship), the packed park still got more than their didn't-cost-any-money's worth. Stage One had 12 bands, ending with back-to-back Thermals, Lucero, Monotonix, Circle Jerks, and Black Lips. I didn't stick around for Black Lips - partially because Circle Jerks (7:30-8:05) was the perfect ending to the long day in the sun (Black Lips should never play after Black Flag), and partially because I've seen Black Lips so many times, I figured there was more to discover back in town where the final night of official showcases were just getting underway (more on those later).

More Circle Jerks pictures, including one of the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Circle Jerks @ Mess With Texas 2009 (SXSW) - pics & setlist"

"An evening of quintessentially American opinionated editorializing and storytelling. The truth, like humor, is where you find it."-Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins going on another spoken word tour - this time with lots of cities on the agenda. He's calling the show "Provoked with Henry Rollins", and tickets go on sale Friday for two February shows at Warsaw in Brooklyn. All dates below.....

Continue reading "Henry Rollins - 2008 Spoken Word Tour Dates"