by Andrew Sacher

Marketa Irglova (aka 1/2 of The Swell Season) released her first solo album, Anar, this past October via ANTI-. Though she's credited as a main writer for a few of The Swell Season's songs, her personality as a songwriter comes through much stronger here than on any Swell Season album. The songs are all led by her piano which tends to suit her voice better than Glen Hansard's folk guitar. There's also a lot of early Joni Mitchell coming through and the horns on "Go Back" tread into Feist territory. The video for "Crossroads" is below and the album is available on iTunes.

She played some shows in November including one at Bowery Ballroom. She has a few upcoming dates in February including two in NYC happening on February 15 and February 22 at Joe's Pub. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.

In related news, the "Once" musical (which does not star Glen or Marketa) is running Off Broadway through January 15th. You'll have trouble getting a ticket to the remaining performances, BUT tickets are on sale now for the show's new home at the Bernard B Jacobs Theatre on Broadway. Broadway previews begin February 28th.

All Marketa dates and a video below...

Continue reading "'Once' musical moving to Broadway; Marketa Irglova schedules more live shows (dates)"

Swell Season @ Coachella 2011 (more by David Andrako)

....but not starring Glen & Marketa...

..."At the American Repertory Theater, the lead roles in "Once" were played by Steve Kazee ("110 in the Shade") and Cristin Milioti ("The Little Foxes" at New York Theater Workshop); Mr. Hart said that he hoped the two would continue with the production but that negotiations with the actors were in the hands of the Off Broadway theater.

Jim Nicola, artistic director of New York Theater Workshop, said in an interview that it was too early to discuss casting but added that he was "greatly impressed" with the work he saw in Cambridge. As for the piece itself, Mr. Nicola said that loved both the film and the musical adaptation of "Once," in part because "they are snapshots of contemporary Ireland and not a sentimentalized view of Ireland."" [NY Times]

The Swell Season also has a documentary.

by Klaus Kinski

One of the most personally heartbreaking celebrity descents occurred in the summer of 1991 when Paul Reubens aka Pee Wee Herman was arrested for lewd behavior after being caught allegedly pleasuring himself in a Sarasota Florida adult movie theater. The charges against him cast a shadow upon my all-too-recent childhood. His infamous mugshot soon replaced the childlike, lovable Pee Wee with a vile biker dude. I was 8 years old when Pee Wee's Big Adventure came out, and following that I watched his television show Pee Wee's Playhouse religiously, probably until late 1989ish. Literally religiously. As a godless heathen-child, Pee Wee was the closest thing to a deity in my life. And there were times early on where I definitely acted like this kid. Anyhow, I was heartbroken. And I know I wasn't alone.

Thanks to tedious and rabid media coverage, I wrote Reubens off as a sicko and a fraud (editor's note: Klaus!?!?). What I didn't realize at the time, or until many years later, was that Reubens was a punching bag for a media machine intent on exposing something nasty and running with it until the masses thirsted for blood. I didn't realize that he had legions of supporters who recognized that things were being blown out of proportion. Slowly but surely, Reubens started gently working his way into my consciousness by showing up in things that I really liked. Of course there was Blow in 2001, and I remember seeing him in Reno 911 and a few other things. But his highly anticipated appearance in the 2007 SF Sketchfest propelled him right back into the place in my heart he had vacated over 17 years earlier. And now, with bygones being bygones, Pee Wee is back in full force at the Stephen Sondheim Theater on Broadway with his live action show The Pee Wee Herman Show which officially opened, after previews that kicked off on October 26th, this week. It runs through January 2nd and brings viewers back in touch with the likes of Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, Chairry, Clonky, Clocky, Jambi, Mailman Mike, and all our other favorites. Tickets are on sale and can run you anywhere from $67 to $227.

For more, read these recent articles in the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, and CNN.

And we understand that times are tough, so we are giving a pair of tickets to experience The Pee Wee Herman Show! Details on how to with with some videos, below...

Continue reading "The Pee Wee Herman Show is happening (get/win tix) "

The Budos Band in Prospect Park (more by David Andrako)

The Budos Band celebrated the release of their new LP The Budos Band III at Southpaw last week (9/18), and now will wreck Bowery Ballroom on December 3rd. Tickets go on sale AmEx presale today at noon, and then general sale Friday at noon.

Its easy to tell that a heavy influence on the sound of The Budos Band is Nigerian legend and subject of a Broadway musical, Fela Kuti. In recent weeks, FELA! has taken both a big step forward and a huge step back; R&B legend Patti Labelle recenlty joined the cast of the acclaimed musical, but unfortunately the show will close during the first week in 2011. Boo.

If you haven't seen the show yet, you should. If you can't afford it, then take note: you can get a taste when members of the cast play a FREE show at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1 on October 4th. Patti won't be there, but FELA! star Sahr Ngaujah will be, alongside the FELA! house band (which includes members of Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra). The show kicks off at 6:30 P.M. More details can be found at the St. Ann's Warehouse site.

In related news, the non-profit Hip-Hop Theater Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a gala at Urban Zen Center at the Stephan Weiss Studio (711 Greenwich Street NYC) on on 9/27:

From 7-8pm VIP guests will be able to enjoy a rooftop reception before general admission. Doors will officially open at 8:30pm, followed by performances from Pulitzer finalist Eisa Davis and Tony Award winning poet Lemon Anderson. A presentation honoring playwright and poet Ntozake Shange and graffiti pioneer artist Enrique PARTONE Torres will then ensue. Sahr Ngaujah of FELA! on Broadway will host the special evening with music provided by DJ Rich Medina.

Tickets are $100 for general admission with $250 for VIP for a rooftop reception & reserved seating. For more ticket information please email info@hhtf.org or call 718.407.4282

The Budos Band recently performed live for KEXP in Seattle. Video below...

Continue reading "a free Fela! show, the Budos Band @ Bowery, Patti Labelle on Broadway (but not for much longer) "

"The band is primarily notable today for their perceived ineptitude at playing conventional rock music; the band was described in one Rolling Stone article as "...sounding like lobotomized Trapp Family singers." As the obscure LP achieved recognition among collectors, the band was praised for their raw, intuitive composition style and lyrical honesty. Philosophy of the World was lauded as a work of art brut, and was later reissued, followed by a compilation album, Shaggs' Own Thing, in 1982. The Shaggs are now seen as a groundbreaking outsider music group, receiving praise from mainstream artists such as Kurt Cobain and Frank Zappa." [Wikipedia]

A musical based on '60s girl-rock oddities the Shaggs will be coming to Playwrights Horizons on 42nd St in NYC in spring 2011. The show, written by Joy Gregory and Gunnar Madsen, premiered in LA in 2003 and played in NYC during the NY Musical Theater Festival in 2005. The new production will be co-produced by New York Theater Workshop.

More info on "The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World" at the NY Times, and videos are posted below...

Continue reading "a Shaggs musical is coming (back) to NYC"

photos by David Andrako

Fela! party @ Brooklyn Bowl

"The musical "Memphis" emerged as the early leader in the Tony Awards on Sunday night, while the film actress Scarlett Johansson won the first acting award: best featured actress in a play for her Broadway debut in the revival of Arthur Miller's "View From the Bridge."..

...Two rivals with "Memphis" for the best musical Tony, "Fela!" and "American Idiot," won two Tonys a piece before the telecast -- "Fela!" for costume and sound design, "Idiot" for lighting and scenic design. The "Idiot" winners each profusely praised the director of the show, Michael Mayer, whose lack of a nomination surprised many in the Broadway industry...

...None of the four nominees for best musical, for instance, have been hot sellers at the box office; the one that tied for the most Tony nominations, "Fela!," about the Afrobeat sensation Fela Kuti, has even struggled to cover its weekly running costs." [NY Times]

Fela! unfortunately didn't win Best Musical, but its choreographer Bill T. Jones did take home the Best Choreography award Sunday night at the Tony Awards.

On Monday (6/7), BrooklynVegan co-sponsored a free Fela! Original Cast Recording release party at Brooklyn Bowl. The event was hosted by Fela! stars Sahr Ngaujah & Kevin Mambo and featured various performances including a DJ set by Questlove (who opened for Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu at Roseland that same night).

Jay-Z was rumored to be making an appearance at Brooklyn Bowl, but unlike at the Tonys (which he went to one night after performing at Bonnaroo), he did not show up. Many others did - the free event was "sold out" by around 9pm and went all night. More pictures from that party below...

Continue reading "Fela! didn't win Best Musical, but did get best choreography - here are the pics from the album release party "

The previously mentioned BV-co-presented Fela! cast party/album release show is happening at Brooklyn Bowl on June 7th. DJ Questlove, Fela drummer Tony Allen (who also has another show coming up), OP!, Dhundee and cast members from the show will be in the house for the free event. There will even be an invocation, libation, and performance by Yoruban priest Baba Ola Jagun.

The Fela! show continues on Broadway and we have another two tickets to giveaway for that. Details below. The album is the original Broadway cast recording, and can be streamed HERE (it's officially out on June 8th via Knitting Factory Records).

The flyer for the Brooklyn Bowl event with more information and video spotlights on the show's 11 Tony nominations, the soundtrack tracklist, and the contest details, below...

Continue reading "Fela! Broadway Cast Recording release party & album stream (and a chance to win tix to the Broadway show)"

"The Pee-wee Herman Show, which played a limited engagement at Club Nokia @ L.A. LIVE this past winter, is heading to The Great White Way. Creator-writer-actor Paul Reubens will again play the bow-tied man-child -- the role that made him famous.

The production -- inspired by earlier stage incarnations and the cult-hit Saturday-morning TV series that overflowed with subversive humor, delighting kids and adults alike -- will begin a limited six-week, 48-performance engagement Oct. 26 at the newly christened Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Alex Timbers, who helmed the Los Angeles run, will again direct. The Broadway run was announced on May 20. Tickets go on sale June 1 at Telecharge.com." [Playbill]

UPDATE: Tickets are already on sale!

"The new musical Fela!, which began life Off-Broadway, and the revival of La Cage aux Folles, earned 11 nominations a piece, the most of any production of the season. Memphis, a new musical by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, earned eight nominations, including Best Musical. The other Musical nominees are American Idiot, Fela! and Million Dollar Quartet."" [Playbill]

Green Day on stage after their musical (via)

The Broadway show "American Idiot" turned into a rock concert with a supercharged encore: a surprise appearance by Green Day, the band that wrote the music.

The three-man band, and an additional guitarist, took to the stage after Thursday's show as girls in the audience screamed. The show opened Tuesday, and the producers may wish that Green Day would show up regularly.

"This is my first night on Broadway," the singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong declared, then blared out the opening power chords of "American Idiot," the show's title song. In the first verse, he sang: "Can you hear the sound of hysteria? The subliminal mind BEEP America," censoring himself. [NY Times]

That was last night. Less of a surprise will be the following shows that Green Day themselves are advertising (and as partially posted earlier today in the comments): "Friday, April 23rd - Early show! - 7:00 show Mystic Knights of the Cobras and The Foxboro Hottubs at Don Hills, NYC." and that "The Foxboro Hot Tubs will be performing live in New York on Sunday at Bowery Electric. Tickets are $20 at the door. Due to the massive amount of interest, The Bowery Electric will not allow lineups before 8pm on Sunday. Anyone arriving early will be asked to leave. Doors open at 11pm show starts at 11:30pm." Good luck getting in to those.

NOTE: one commenter says, "foxboro hot tubs is NOT the same as green day. it's the members of green day, but they are an entirely different band. they will NOT be playing green day songs at the concert; they have their own album, etc."

And as some suggested in the comments earlier, Green Day should also play some benefit shows for 924 Gilman when you get back out west.

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Fela Kuti - Water No Get Enemy (MP3)

Fela!, the musical based on the Afrobeat pioneer's songs and life, has been running on Broadway since November - this upcoming November it'll be expanding to London's National Theatre - with its two Broadway leads (who alternate nights now) splitting US and UK duties.

The show is more of a concert with a story than a typical Broadway experience. It's a worthwhile night (if a bit expensive, though you can usually find discount tickets), and it goes without saying that the music is superbly performed by the house band, comprised of mostly Antibalas members. Though it's seated, prepare to get up and dance: the strongly encouraged crowd participation is one of the show's more unique aspects (check it out in the video below).

Fela Kuti's complex and often controversial views (on politics, women, AIDS) are condensed for the purposes of the show, but the amount of drugs, sex and politics included is still considerable. And it's hard to argue with New York mag's assertion that "if you don't spend a portion of Fela! staring at the amazing asses onstage, you're just not doing your job." The show has also raised a larger debate about authenticity and representation with regard to Fela and his music. A big feature in the Voice last fall discussed some of those issues at the start of the Broadway run (the show tightened up considerably from its Off Broadway version). Another more recently written good read is Afrobeat blog's response to the claim of one Times critic that the show is culturally insensitive..

Information on discount tickets can be found here.

A big implicit part of the show is the continuing Afrobeat revival outside of it. Around NYC, Antibalas and its associated acts have been central to that. Those groups, that include Amayo's Fu-Arkist-Ra and Ocote Soul Sounds, play sporadically around town. One of them, Stuart Bogie, sax player for Fela! and Antibalas, and his band Superhuman Happiness performed last night at Union Pool, for a show with Nomo, In Tall Buildings and Natalie Bell.

Off stage, Knitting Factory Records is in the process of reissuing Fela's catalog, and it'll be releasing an original cast recording of the Broadway show on June 8th, the tracklist of which is below. Their first Fela disc was a best-of compilation, which came out last fall - a track from that is above.

There's also a Record Store Day-only 10-inch EP of Kuti's "My Lady Frustration" and "Wayo" on the A-side and "Lover" + "Eko" which you should at least be able to find at Sound Fix.

Outside of those Brooklyn-centric Fela-influenced acts, there are also two of Fela's sons, Femi (who toured North America last summer) and Seun, who lead their own bands. Femi Kuti and the Positive Force will be back in the US for a tour this July - that includes a July 12th show at New York's City Center. Ticket info TBA.

Videos of Fela! the musical and Fela the performer, cast CD tracklist, and all Femi tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Fela! still on Broadway & going to London, the soundtrack & actual Fela CDs coming soon, Femi Kuti touring this summer"

This fall, [Hedwig and the Angry Inch is] returning to New York to make her Broadway debut.

John Cameron Mitchell, who wrote the musical with composer and lyricist Stephen Trask, will reprise the role he created so memorably 12 years ago at the gloriously rundown Jane Street Theatre in the West Village.

"Hedwig is ageless," says Mitchell. "But I'm almost 47, which means I'm at the gym every day, trying to get my old body back, my paunch down and my stamina up.

"I haven't acted since I did the movie," he adds. "The role is so hard and so challenging that it made me give up acting and concentrate on writing and directing. It's like Hamlet. Except that Hamlet doesn't have to sing 15 great songs. In a dress." [NY Post]

Yes! (maybe). Either way, I just dug out my old Original Cast Recording to celebrate.

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Charlie Hunter - High Pockets and a Fanny Pack (MP3)

Charlie [Hunter] has wrapped up the recording of his next record titled 'Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid.' The lineup includes Eric Kalb (Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, John Scofield) on drums, Curtis Fowlkes (Jazz Passengers, Lounge Lizards, Bill Frisell) and Alan Ferber (Don Byron, Kenny Wheeler) on trombone, and Eric Biondo (Antibalas, TV On The Radio) on trumpet! The official street date for the new album is January 12th!

Guitarist Charlie Hunter's residency at Brooklyn's Rose Live Music starts tonight (1/5) and runs through the month of January. Tickets are on sale. The shows coincide with Hunter's new record Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid, a track from which is posted above.

Eric Biondo, who plays with Charlie, is also a member of Antibalas, who are continuing their Thursday night residency at Knitting Factory Brooklyn into 2010. They're on the schedule for January 7th (tix), 14th (tix), 21st (tix), and 28th (tix). Members of Antibalas play in the Broadway musical Fela!, which is currently selling tickets into June 2010 (we're rooting for it in light of the news that 10 Broadway shows are closing this month alone)...

...[Fela!]producer Stephen Hendel knows that developing audiences for Fela! isn't going to be easy: He needs to sell three times as many seats a week as he did off-Broadway. So he's enlisted rapper Jay-Z and superstars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith to lend their names as producers. He hopes Fela! will become a hot ticket, like it was off-Broadway.

"Suddenly, we were just sold out," he says. "Celebrities calling every day, world-famous musicians. We had no tickets. We'd squeeze them in."

Jones says he's already hearing good word of mouth when he stands at the back of the theater.

"It's a fun evening," he says. "Even with all the things that go down in that second act, I heard some people describing it as 'uplifting' the other day. Uplifting? Well, it ends with people bringing coffins into the theater, but I guess that's ... I've also heard people say, 'It made me want to go out and be an activist!' Well, that's good." [NPR]

More on Fela! here.

All Charlie Hunter tour dates and album info are below...

Continue reading "Charlie Hunter kicks off Brooklyn residency (w/ new album), Antibalas extends theirs (while Fela! continues on Broadway)"

"Producers of a Broadway revival of Terrance McNally's "Lips Together, Teeth Apart," announced that Megan Mullally and Patton Oswalt would take the leading roles when the former Off-Broadway hit from 1991 returns to New York City's bigger stages in April 2010. It's set for a limited engagement to run through June." [the comic's comic]

the Juan Maclean @ Santos Party House (more by Tim Griffin)

Like they used to do with De La Guarda, the Fuerza Bruta show in the Daryl Roth Theatre (in Union Square) sometimes hosts guest DJs. Tonight, Thursday October 30th, is The Juan Maclean. Actually it's "every Thursday this Fall". Next week is Derrick May, then David Waxman, and finally David Hollands.

These shows will feature a live DJ weaving into the action, transporting audiences with new music mixed into the show's stunning visuals. Fuerza Bruta, noted for its extraordinary aerial and aquatic feats, floods the senses in an environment of breathtaking scenes and pulsing music. DJ CONNECTION further pushes the boundaries of what a night at the theater can be.

"Discount tickets" are available HERE.

Shuler Hensley as the Monster & Roger Bart as Frederick Frankenstein

The November 16th Stephen Colbert interview is long sold out, but you still have plenty of time to get tickets to the NY Times events happening in early January. They include interviews with Julian Schnabel, Wynton Marsalis, the cast of the new Broadway musical Young Frankenstein, and even Martha Stewart. I would love to see Young Frankenstein, but there's no way I'm paying those ticket prices. Then again, the reviews aren't even that great.