The Seaside Concert Series is expected to get the green light as Mayor Michael Bloomberg is set to sign off on legislation today that will save the Coney Island concerts.

The shows were placed on hold after nearby synagogues complained that the noise would disrupt their congregations.

The Sea Breeze Jewish Center and Temple Beth Abraham filed a lawsuit citing a 1935 city code that prohibits sound permits to be issued within 500 feet of places of worship.

Since then, the City Council approved a pilot program where decibels, and not just distance, determine whether sound permits should be granted. That would allow the concert series to go forward.

The first show is scheduled for Thursday featuring Neil Sedaka.

Critics say the city is manipulating the law. [NY 1]

Brenda Lee opens for Neil Sedaka on July 15th. All Seaside Concerts start at 7:30pm and are free.

Continue reading "Mayor To Sign Sound Permit Bill For Outdoor Concerts"

"Played the Simon & Garfunkel tribute in Central Park last night. John Roderick brought it! Ben Gibbard's psych jam ruled..." - Aimee Mann

Holmes Brothers (Sherman, Popsy and Wendell) & Mayor Bloomberg (WFUV)

Ben Gibbard & St. Vincent play "Fakin it" (WFUV)

Paul Simon & WFUV Music Director Rita Houston (WFUV)

SummerStage hosted a pricey benefit for its free programming last night (June 8) in Central Park. The show was a tribute to the songs of Simon & Garfunkel, and musicians covered the pair mostly as duos. St. Vincent and Ben Gibbard teamed up for "Fakin' It," Dean & Britta played "Homeward Bound," Alejandro Escovedo and Willie Nile played "The Boxer," Aimee Mann and John Roderick did "Only Living Boy in New York," Loudon Wainwright III and Lucy Wainwright Roche sang "Bleecker Street" and lots more. Both Simon and Garfunkel were there, but didn't perform. The full performer+set list is posted below.

How did the new speakers at Central Park sound? The SummerStage series continues through August. Celebrate Brooklyn kicks off TONIGHT (6/9).

No videos from the show at the moment, but someone posted some from the show's rehearsal that took place one night earlier at City Winery. Those with the Central Park setlist, below...

Continue reading "Simon & Garfunkel were honored at Summerstage, Ben Gibbard performed w/ St. Vincent & much more"

"Today, on Earth Day's 40th Anniversary, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Earth Day New York will be joined by environmental leaders, business leaders and local and international performers at Times Square, the Crossroads of the World.

The celebration will run from 11am - 2pm. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to make his Earth Day speech at 1:15pm. A special performance by United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and musician Salaman Ahmad and his band Junoon will close the celebration.

Featured speakers and performers include: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, speaker Christine Quinn, Earth Day Network Honorary Chair and one of the founders of the Earth Day 1960 Denis Hayes, President and Executive Director of Earth Day New York Pamela Lippe and actor and founder of Bicycle for a Day Everyday Matthew Modine.

Business leaders, environmental leaders and performers who will also take the stage include: Tim Tompkins, President of Times Square Alliance, Ajamu Brown of The Center of Development of Human Services, Kate Sinding of Natural Resources Defense Council, Alex Matthiessen of Riverkeeper, artist Maya Lin,Gail Cunningham of Keep America Beautiful (KAB), Miss America Caressa Cameron, KAB president and CEO Matt McKenna, KABchairman Barry Caldwell, Lisa Young of the Department of Interior, United Religions Initiative's Global Council Chair Yoland Trevino, and the Environmental Defense Fund's Andy Darrell.

Vice President Al Gore and Wangari Maathai will both share their Earth Day messages virtually on the screens in Times Square. Entertainment will be provided by the cast from the Broadway show Hair, Mandy Gonzalez, Elphaba from Wicked, J. Xavier,Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Blue Man Group and comedian Aisha Tyler."

Grace Potter supposedly goes on at 11:21 [update, as of 11:26, she's still not on - also the stream sucks.... 11:35 - she's on]. There's also vendors set up in honor of Earth Day in Times Square until 4pm. " The event will take place in the newly created pedestrian plazas in Times Square on Broadway between 45th and 46th streets. As part of the celebration, the public plaza between 42nd and 43rd streets will host information booths on a variety of environmental issues."

You can watch the performances at EarthCam's Times Square Cam, and maybe on TV (or in person if you hurry).

[Monday] in the Williamsburg/Greenpoint buffer zone, Mayor Bloomberg & friends gathered to break ground--or should we say threw some finely placed dirt on astroturf--on the long-awaited McCarren Park Pool renovation. He may have referred to it as McLaren Park for the first three quarters of his speech, but Bloomburg still managed to build excitement for the $50 million project to get off the ground despite a rough spot for funding public projects in the city. Originally constructed under Fiorello LaGuardia in 1936 as a WPA project, the Pool fell under disarray by 1984 and closed until being converted into the world's most fashion-forward music venue a few years back. [Curbed]

That fashion-forward music venue moved to the Williamsburg Waterfront last summer, and (it seems) will return to the new spot this summer as well.

Tickets are on presale for the U2 show coming up at Giants Stadium. Regular sale begins March 30th. Muse is opening.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Animal Collective show at Prospect Park.

Frightened Groundhog in Staten Island - Feb 2, 2009

Frightened Rabbit @ Bowery Ballroom - Jan 17, 2009 (more by Natasha Ryan)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Les Paul @ Iridium
* Lady Sovereign @ Pianos
* Ferraby Lionheart @ Pianos
* Lykke Li & Wildbirds & Peacedrums @ Webster Hall
* Frightened Rabbit (acoustic) & Gregory & the Hawk @ Le Poisson Rouge

The Tibet House benefit at Carnegie Hall is tomorrow.

Tickets are on sale for the Throbbing Gristle show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple.

Groundhog bites Bloomberg at ceremony.

Jason Trachtenburg sings "Time" on the subway. Official music video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday? (Groundhog Day)"

New York City is hoping an annex of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opening this year will boost tourism, as well as commemorate the artists and music venues that formed the city's rock history.

The annex to Cleveland-based Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is due to open in the art-and-fashion district of SoHo in November, and will feature such memorabilia as Bruce Springsteen's first car, a 1957 Chevy Convertible.

It will also house an original phone booth from the downtown music club CBGB where Patti Smith and Ramones played, and have interactive maps highlighting venues like Studio 54 and The Hotel Chelsea.[Reuters]

"MAYOR BLOOMBERG & MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ANNOUNCE THE CONCERT EVENT OF THE YEAR"

Continue reading "Bon Jovi playing free (ticketed) show in Central Park"

"We kicked off our very first American tour at CBGB's in 1978 and this summer, thirty years later, our journey will come full circle as we play our final show here in New York City," said The Police. "We are honored to partner with public television and have a deep respect for their commitment to arts and culture."

The entire press release from today's press conference below....

Continue reading "The Police will play their last-ever show in NYC to raise money for planting trees "

I know that headline doesn't sound music related, but these are the police led by Sting we're talking about.....

Attention Police Fans!
Tomorrow at 1pm EST, The Police will join Mayor Bloomberg to make a very special announcement in New York City's Times Square (44th Street & Broadway/7th Avenue). Space is limited for this special event and fans will be accomodated as best as possible. Fans should arrive no later than 12.30pm.

A press release of the announcement will be posted to http://www.nyc.gov soon after 1pm TOMORROW.

Tomorrow = today (thx Eduardo).

The Police are on tour.

Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp joined New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and a host of local farmers today (June 11) amid the Union Square Green Market to announce a Sept. 9 date for the annual Farm Aid benefit at Randall's Island. As usual, the artists will be joined by fellow Farm Aid board members Neil Young and Dave Matthews at the event.

"This will be the first Farm Aid that provides 100% homegrown food at the concert," Mellencamp said proudly. Acknowledging the organic market just a few hundred feet away, Nelson said, "This is a great example of what can be done in the big cities." [Billboard]