DOWNLOAD: The Hood Internet - "Grown Up Has No Trigger" (MP3)

As mentioned, The Hood Internet are releasing their new album, FEAT, on October 2 and playing shows in support of it including a NYC date on August 11 at Brooklyn Bowl. That show is no longer happening, and Brooklyn Bowl calendar now lists an early show that day (8/11) with Natural Child, The Peoples Temple, and Liquor Store, and a late show with St. Lucia, Big Black Delta, and Capital CIties.

Instead, The Hood Internet will make their way to NYC for a show on September 14 at Music Hall of WIlliamsburg with Body Language, My Gold Mask, and Oscillator Bug. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (8/3) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (8/1) at noon. All Hood Internet dates are listed below.

The Hood Internet recently made a very topical mashup of Danny Brown's "Grown Up" and Dirty Projectors' "Gun Has No Trigger" called "Grown Up Has No Trigger." You can download that above or stream it below, along with a list of all dates...

Continue reading "Hood Internet replace BBowl show with MHOW (updated dates); mashed up Danny Brown & Dirty Projectors (MP3)"

If you missed the many "one night only" screenings of the LCD Soundsystem concert doc Shut Up and Play the Hits last night (7/18, did you go?), those in NYC still have a few more chances to see it. The Landmark Sunshine has 7PM and 10PM screenings on both July 25 and 26, unfortunately they're all sold out. However, Brooklyn Bowl will hold a screening on Friday, July 27 with the added bonus of LCD drummer Pat Mahoney DJing as well.

Doors are at 11:30PM with the screening starting at midnight boasting "full concert sound" which probably mean "really really loud" which is probably the optimal viewing experience. Tickets are on sale now. If you're wondering if this film is any good, here's what The AV Club had to say:

James Murphy didn't direct Shut Up And Play The Hits, the documentary about the last concert performed by his band, LCD Soundsystem, at Madison Square Garden in 2011. But the film is a product of his magpie record-collector's aesthetic. The idea to throw a big farewell bash with friends (including Arcade Fire and comedian-musician Reggie Watts) is cribbed from The Last Waltz. The film's elegiac, end-of-an-era tone comes from Woodstock. The framing device for Shut Up And Play The Hits--the ecstatic performance footage is cut with morning-after scenes of a pensive, bored-looking Murphy struggling to come to terms with what he's just done--is reminiscent of Gimme Shelter. The obvious difference is that there's a lot less at stake in Shut Up And Play The Hits: Nobody died at LCD Soundsystem's final show, apart from the group identity Murphy created a decade earlier.

Continue reading "LCD Soundsystem movie 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' screening at Brooklyn Bowl with Pat Mahoney DJ set"

As previously posted and tweeted earlier today, the BAM-sponsored, weekly free series of lunchtime live music outside downtown Brooklyn office complex Metrotech - always well curated, continues this afternoon (6/28), somewhat hilariously with a performance by ska-punk legends Fishbone (if you're close by, it's time to take your lunch break!).

The band is currently on a tour that also brings then Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal this weekend. They're back in NYC by July 8th to play two shows at Brooklyn Bowl - an early family show and a late gig with Paranoid Social Club. The late show is part of the CBGB Festival which is also hosting a screening of documentary "Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone" at Anthology Film Archives (individual tickets are on sale).

Fishbone are also on the lineups of Riot Fest Chicago and Bumbershoot this year, and have a lot of other dates scheduled too. They're all listed below...

Continue reading "Fishbone playing free show at noon, CBGB Fest, two shows at Brooklyn Bowl and other dates"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Ape School - Marijuana's on the Phone (MP3)

You may remember Ape School, the current musical project from Philadelphia resident Michael Johnson who previously spent time in Holopaw as well as a stint in Lilys. It's been three years since he dropped Ape School's eponymous debut, having spent time with Kurt Vile and The War on Drugs, but is now back with Junior Violence which is out August 7 on Hometapes. With it he's brewed a terrific pot of psychedelic pop tea, brimming with catchy melodies, bright production, and playful (just weird enough) creativity. If you wished there was a middle ground between the two MGMT albums, this might fit that bill.

You can download first single "Marijuana's on the Phone" at the top of this post, and the image above is the sleeve to the 7" (out June 26) which comes in a really cool PVC sleeve with a transparency overlay done by Freegums. Ape School also have a few live dates lined up including one at the Northside Festival, playing Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday (6/16) with Asobi Seksu, EXITMUSIC, and Field Mouse. Tickets to that show are still available, and you can get in with your Northside badge if you have one. They'll also open for Lotus Plaza at Mercury Lounge on July 18 and tickets are still available for that show. They'll also play a Junior Violence release show at Johnny Brenda's in Philly on August 17.

All dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Ape School ready 'Junior Violence' (MP3), playing shows (one w/ Lotus Plaza)"

I'm on a boat, with a dick in a box...

Dick Dale on a Rocks Off Cruise (more by Deneka Peniston)

Surf guitar legend Dick Dale will head out for some Midwest/East Coast dates in July, heading as far south as Richmond before looping back to California in the days following. NYC is doubly on his itinerary, including shows at Brooklyn Bowl on July 21 with Lyres, Twin Guns, and DJ Tony Lo-Fi (tickets) and a Rocks Off Concert Cruise on 7/22 with Manitoba and The Detroit Cobras (tickets).

For The Detroit Cobras, who just announced a whole bunch more tour dates, the show is one of TWO NYC-area shows scheduled including one at Maxwell's. Head below for a full listing of all updated tour dates and some video.

Continue reading "Dick Dale touring; more Detroit Cobras dates announced (one with Dick on a boat)"

Man Man at House of Vans (more by BBG)

Though we already knew that Man Man was heading to the NYC area for a show at Maxwell's on June 4th (tickets still on sale), the previously announced tour left out one key date which is now announced: June 5th at Brooklyn Bowl with Diamond Doves, a show that is FREE with RSVP or only $5 without.

Speaking of Brooklyn Bowl, the club which recently hosted Jonathan Toubin's return party and has an upcoming Levon Helm tribute scheduled, will be paying tribute to MCA this evening with a screening, on all HD screens with full concert sound, of "AWESOME: I F*CKIN' SHOT THAT!". There will also be a special Beastie Boys tribute AV performance by Eclectic Method. It's free, and continues to be free if you stick around to see Questlove DJ ($8 if you show up after 10pm).

Brazilian Girls, whose Tuesday, 6/19 Brooklyn Bowl show is already listed as "limited admissions at door" have added a 2nd date at the club happening one day earlier. Tickets for the 6/18 Brooklyn Bowl show go on sale at noon.

Man Man is currently working on their new record, though no status on the progress thus far. Until then, be on the look out for some new tunes at the dates below.

Continue reading "Man Man & Brazilian Girls add dates at Brooklyn Bowl (where an MCA tribute is happening tonight)"

Levon Helm lost his long battle with cancer on April 19, and his life and legacy will be celebrated at a couple of upcoming events, starting with a show by The Band tribute band The The Band Band at BB King's tonight (5/8). A portion of ticket sales will go to The American Cancer Society in honor of Levon Helm.

Brooklyn Bowl is hosting "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down": A Celebration of the Life and Music of Levon Helm on June 4. Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo (of Zeppelin tribute band Bustle in Your Hedgerow and other projects) form the core of the tribute, with special guests including Craig Finn & Tad Kubler (The Hold Steady), members of Guster, members of The Felice Brothers, Nicole Atkins, Phosphorescent, Family Band, Diamond Doves, Kelli Scarr, Yellowbirds, and Tom Hamilton of American Babies. Tickets are $20 and on sale now, and proceeds will go to benefit Helm's "The Barn" studio.

Dave Dreiwitz meanwhile can be found tonight (5/8) at City Winery backing... Michael Moore, and Wednesday (5/9) backing Aaorn Freeman aka Gene Ween at 92YTribeca.

The flyer for the Brooklyn Bowl event is below, as is video of Bruce Springsteen's recent live performance of The Band's classic "The Weight."

Continue reading "upcoming Levon Helm tributes w/ Benevento, Russo, Dreiwitz, members of the Hold Steady & many more"

Jonathan Toubin Sunday night @ Brooklyn Bowl (via nickgazin)

Welcome back Jonathan.

BADBADNOTGOOD @ Brooklyn Bowl (5/4/2012) (via @hollaPino)

As I'm sure countless musicians who happened to have shows scheduled yesterday did from stage, Coldplay (at Hollywood Bowl and like they did at All Points West), BADBADNOTGOOD (at Brooklyn Bowl), and Bomb The Music Industry! (at the NYU Strawberry Festival) paid tribute to Adam Yauch with a Beastie Boys cover worked into the set (who else did?). Watch video of the three mentioned, below...

Continue reading "Coldplay, BADBADNOTGOOD & Bomb The Music Industry! paid tribute to MCA (videos from last night)"

by Andrew Sacher

Jazz leaning instrumental hip hop trio BADBADNOTGOOD, made up of pianist Matt Tavares, bassist Chester Hansen, and drummer Alex Sowinski, released their second album, BBNG2, last month for free on their website. Their first album, live material, and singles, are also all available for free on their bandcamp.

The new album's got live instrument/jazzy takes on Odd Future (who they've collaborated with), James Blake, My Bloody Valentine, and Kanye West instrumentals, and a handful of originals as well. And if those covers just sound like a way for the group to get our attention...I can't say it isn't working. These kids (the whole band is under 21) can really play and the arrangements are tight. Also, somebody tell them to do a Death Grips track on their next record.

BADBADNOTGOOD have some dates coming up including a NYC show at TONIGHT (5/4) at Brooklyn Bowl with DJ Still Life. Tickets are available.

They recently played Coachella (but weren't part of the initial lineup announcement) and while they were there they also did some backing for Frank Ocean during his set. Check out videos of them from Coachella, along with music videos, other live videos, and a session with Tyler, the Creator below, along with all dates...

Continue reading "BADBADNOTGOOD touring (NYC tonight), cover James Blake, My Bloody Valentine & Odd Future (who they also play with)"

by Bill Pearis

Mystery Jets will release their fourth album, Radlands, on June 5 via Rough Trade. The band will play a release party for the record at Brooklyn Bowl on June 11 and tickets just went on sale for that. Mystery Jets will then open for ever-popular UK piano balladeers Keane for a string of dates including a June 15 date at Beacon Theatre. All Mystery Jets tour dates are below

This was the band's first album made after losing basist Kai Fish, who put out his first solo album Life in Monchrome last year. You might be able to tell from Radlands cover art, the London band made the album in Texas...Austin specifically. Explains main Jet Blaine Harrison:

We've always wanted to make a record in America and after touring Serotonin the time felt perfect to go and do it. Our first three albums were entirely conceived and recorded in London so going out to Austin felt like the furthest place from everything we knew. We arrived with a handful of songs, but one in particular felt like it captured the spirit of why we had come there. It was called Radlands (a fusion of the 1970s Terrence Malick film Badlands and Redlands, Keith Richard's Sussex estate), which is also what we named our studio; a big old wooden house on the banks of the Colorado river.

All we brought on the plane were the guitars on our backs, so we ended up borrowing all this amazing valve gear from an old guy called jack who ran a little studio up in the hills-which is why the songs sound the way they do. In the daytime we wrote lyrics on the porch and in the evenings a family of Deer would gather in the back yard to hear us play. Some nights we drove into town to drink and bring people back to play on the songs.

When we arrived home, it was hard to believe any of it even happened. It somehow all felt like a strange dream. But when Dan Carey heard it and invited us down to his studio we listened back to everything and it was all there, it was real. All we were missing were some gospel singers, which he found in the Streatham community ladies choir...

For a taste of the new album, the video for "Someone Purer" and a stream of "Sister Everett" are below.

Continue reading "Mystery Jets releasing 'Radlands,' playing Brooklyn Bowl"

After a freak accident put Jonathan Toubin in critical condition last year, he finally came out of the hospital this past January. Last week, we were excited to announce that he'll be part of this year's NXNE lineup, and we since found out that his official welcome back party is a free New York Night Train party at Brooklyn Bowl on May 6 with a huge lineup including Ian Svenonius (Chain and the Gang) (DJ Set), Mr Fine Wine (WFMU's Downtown Soulville) (DJ Set), Josh Styles (Smashed! Blocked!) (DJ Set), Kid Congo Powers, The K-Holes, Daddy Long Legs, Expensive Shit, Performances by Anna Copa Cabanna & Hula Hoop Harlot Melissa Anne, Visuals by B.A. Miale & Spencer Bewley. RSVP is open. The flier for this show is below.

He has other upcoming apperances too, including his weekly parties at Home Sweet Home (every Wednesday) and his monthly Soup Clap and Dance Off party at Glasslands. He'll also host a silent disco at Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park on July 7 with JD McPherson. Tickets are available. And he'll be at ATP I'll Be Your Mirror NJ.

All dates and flier below...

Continue reading "Jonathan Toubin returning with a big party & lots of dates!"

by Andrew Sacher

French house producer Fred Falke will be in NYC for a FIXED show TONIGHT (4/6) at Brooklyn Bowl with FIXED DJs JDH & Dave P. Tickets for tonight's show are available. The flier is below.

Fred Falke's been an active producer in the French house scene since the '90s, but he released his first full solo LP, Part IV, last year. The album contains some of the singles Falke has been dropping throughout his career in addition to newer ones. Tracks like "Aurora," "Look Into Your Eyes," and "Back To Stay" focus on Falke's ability to chop up vocals, whereas cuts like "Chicago" and "Wait For Love" see the use of Daft Punk-y funk basslines, and the crunchy synths of "Electricity" dive into borderline Justice territory. Check out the video for "Aurora", a full stream of "Wait For Love" long with snippets of the entire album, below.

Video, stream, show flier, remixes and more below...

Continue reading "Fred Falke in Brooklyn tonight (released 'Part IV' in December)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Polica @ Brooklyn Bowl

If Polica's quick rise wasn't apparent before, it definitely was when the Minneapolis, Gayngs-related band packed Brooklyn Bowl on Sunday (4/1), just a few nights after playing the significantly smaller Rock Shop which at some point they thought was the right-sized venue to book (the Brooklyn Bowl show was added much later). Here are some pictures from the bowling alley venue show, opener Zulu Winter included.

Polica's upcoming dates include, strangely, another trip east in May, but just to hit Philly, Pittsburgh, Rochester, and Albany (where their show is free). Polica's recent-past shows include SXSW where they played a BV party and an NPR one which is streaming online.

All future dates are listed under the rest of the pictures, below...

Continue reading "Polica played Brooklyn Bowl with Zulu Winter (pics)"

Tennis at Hotel Vegan (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Tennis were last in NYC on their tour with Hospitality for two sold out shows in March, before both making their way to Austin for SXSW where they played Hotel Vegan and the Carson Daly showcase.

Tennis will be in NYC again next week to perform on Letterman on 4/9. While they're here, they'll play a show at Brooklyn Bowl on April 10. Tickets for that show are on sale now. All dates are listed below...

Tennis were recently on other late night TV shows as well, having performed "Origins" on The Tonight Show and aired footage from SXSW on Carson Daly. Videos from both of those performances along with all dates below...

Continue reading "Tennis playing Letterman & Brooklyn Bowl (next week) --- updated 2012 Tour Dates (and Leno & Carson Daly videos)"

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. at ACL 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. announced a tour a while back which includes a NYC show happening on April 1 at Bowery Ballroom. They've since added a Brooklyn show happening one day earlier at Brooklyn Bowl (3/31). Tickets for the Brooklyn Bowl show and the Bowery Ballroom show are on sale now.

Speaking of wacky bands playing Brooklyn Bowl, all-metal tribute to the Bee Gees, Tragedy, complete their February residency at the club this Friday (2/24). A more serious Led Zeppelin tribute band (Zoso) plays there one night later.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are also playing Bonnaroo. An updated list of their dates is below...

Continue reading "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. adds Brooklyn show (updated dates); Tragedy complete residency Friday"

Continuing 6 years after Hip-Hop visionary J Dilla's death, the annual Donuts Are Forever tribute benefit is slated for this Sunday at Brooklyn Bowl (2/19). The concert includes DJ sets by TARA, Brina Payne, Ill Digitz, GETLIVE!, and returning act Parler, with producer Prince Paul and DJ Neil Armstrong headlining. Rap trio Tanya Morgan will share hosting responsibilities for the evening, following a performance Wednesday night (2/15) in iHeartDilla's "One Song" lineup at Southpaw. Tickets for the Brooklyn Bowl show are still available. Flyer below.

While "Donuts Are Forever" further solidifies itself as a tradition each year, new odes to the late maestro are still taking form. Questlove recently DJed an hour-long set for Hot 97 devised soley of J Dilla tunes, which is available for download here. The drummer also wrote an essay for XXL rhapsodizing J Dilla's singular talent, explaining his influence on Hip-Hop and his own work:

"The day after he recorded "Think Twice," for Welcome to Detroit, I look at the drum set, and I was like, "Wait, you recorded that on this?" And it was the most dingiest, dirtiest, not even second-hand. [It] looked like the Fat Albert junkyard gang drum set. Screws were missing; some of the heads were broken. Matter of fact, he didn't even use real drumsticks on "Think Twice." He used a vibraphone mallet, and he had a broken drumstick that he got some toilet paper from the bathroom, and some rubber bands. I was like, "You would rather go through this MacGuyver shit than buy new drumsticks?" He's like, "I didn't know where to get 'em this late at night; I had to make due." I was like, "Well, why did you hit the drums with the mallet?" He was like, "I didn't want the dynamic to be too aggressive. I wanted to sound muted, so I decided to play the drums with the soft cotton mallet." It looked like putting a marshmallow at the end of a toothpick [Laughs]. Next thing I know, I'm now flying to Philadelphia--I think the next week, [to work on] The Roots' Phrenology record [and] I tracked both "Quills" and "Pussy Galore" the same way. I went and got some orchestra mallets, and then I too started, just 'cause I seen how he got that sound."

In Detroit, J Dilla's mother, Maureen Yancey, organzied a "Dilla Day" concert and community celebration in the producer's hometown this past weekend (2/10-2/11). Performers for the Friday night show included Danny Brown, Busta Rhymes,, Jay Electronica, and A Tribe Called Quest's Phife Dawg (who has a NYC show coming up), while Saturday's free event included "hands-on beat-making exhibits for children" and a preview of a short-form documentary "Rebirth in Detroit," which followed J Dilla and other local musicians and is to be released later this year. Above photos of the Fillmore marquee via jmackhh.

Aside from his tribute duties, Prince Paul is reuniting with his erstwhile collaborators De La Soul for a new album. While the group's latest creative incarnation First Serve is still underway, two new videos were uploaded to their Youtube channel last weekend teasing new material. Check out "Life is Great" and "Mr. Big Mouph II" below...

Continue reading "Prince Paul & De La Soul working on LP; Questlove made a Dilla mix; 'Donuts are Forever' event is this Sunday"

Polica @ BV-CMJ (more by Amanda Hatfield)

"Last summer, Ryan Olson and Channy Casselle - whose previous collaboration, Gayngs' 2010 LP Relayted, was a mesmerizing slab of cheesed-out neo-soul that featured Bon Iver - wrote Give You The Ghost in only a month's time. Quickly, a band was assembled and sent into the studio, fully fleshing out the forlorn, ruminative R&B experiment, and Give You the Ghost was born." [Rolling Stone]

Polica are also the latest addition to the Sasquatch Festival which takes place in Washington in May. "We're happy to announce two new additions to this year's lineup: Poliça will be on the Bigfoot Stage on Friday, May 25th! And comedien Chelsea Peretti will be in the Banana Shack on Monday, May 28th."

All dates and a song below...

Continue reading "Polica released an LP, add 3rd NYC show, added to Sasquatch"

photos by Erik Erikson

Big Freedia @ Brooklyn Bowl


Big Freedia spent last night (1/25) teaching the US how to bounce at home as part of a live appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The diva performed "Excuse" and "Na Who Mad" from her recent EP, but unfortunately did not perform the new single "Booty-Whop" which was released this week via iTunes. Check out video of the New Orleans bounce phenom below, and if you're in LA then head to Bootleg Bar TONIGHT (1/26) to catch the booty-clapping in the flesh.

Big Freedia headlined Brooklyn Bowl on January 21, bringing her patented bounce to the venue along with support from Nicky Da B and Rusty Lazer. Pictures from the appearance adorn this post too. More below...

Continue reading "Big Freedia played Brooklyn Bowl and Jimmy Kimmel Live! (pics & video)"

photos by Tracy Allison

The night after Lucero played Brooklyn Bowl, Deer Tick rang in the New Year at the venue with assists from Virgin Forest (Phosphorescent's backing band, now their own band), Dead Confederate, and J. Roddy Walston and the Business. Here are some pictures from the New Year's Eve show (one of many in NYC. Ted Leo, Gogol Bordello and Patti Smith and many others played Saturday night too.).

Unfortunately we didn't get a Diamond Rugs set at Brooklyn Bowl, as promised, but that's because "Steve couldn't make it from the lobos show." Los Lobos was playing the same night at City Winery, and Steve from Los Lobos (who was supposed to cab it over to Brooklyn Bowl) also plays in Diamond Rugs who played their debut live show on 12/29 in Atlanta (two Deer Tick members and one from Dead Confederate play in it too).

That aside, Deer Tick, like Lucero the night before, played a raucous and entertaining show complete with frontman John McCauley in a New Year's Baby costume. They went on not long before midnight, meaning the countdown, which they may have been slightly late for, happened early in their set (complete with Cee-Lo in Times Square on the tv screens). Deer Tick's setlist pulled from their entire catalog and the encore-less night ended with two special guests and a stage full of people (and fallen confetti). First Craig Finn of The Hold Steady (who was also at Lucero) joined Deer Tick on stage for a cover of "Bastards of Young" by the Replacements (not the first time Craig performed that song), and then Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus came out to help them close the show with a drunken singalong of "Let's All Go To The Bar". By the end you couldn't really find Patrick though because half the audience seemed to be on stage... I think that's how it went. Details are fuzzy. Luckily we have these pictures to help jog my memory. More of them, and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Deer Tick & friends & special guests rang in the New Year @ Brooklyn Bowl (pics)"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

The mop-bucket must have been filled with suds at the end of the night at Brooklyn Bowl on 12/30. Lucero headlined the venue as part of a quick end-of-year tour with Lionize. Pictures from the pre-New Year's Eve, sold out NYC show are in this post

If you missed Lucero, you can catch them on the Women & Work tour, which kicks off in February and heads back to NYC on 4/20 at Webster Hall with J.Roddy Wallston & The Business . Tickets go on AMEX presale on 1/11 at noon and regular sale 48 hours later.

J Roddy Walston & The Business, who support Lucero on some of their upcoming dates, played Brooklyn Bowl on New Year's Eve with Deer Tick. Pictures from that show are coming shortly. Pictures from the Lucero show continue below...

Continue reading "Lucero & Lionize played a drunken show @ Brooklyn Bowl (pics)"

The Capitol Theatre (note the new URL), located in Port Chester, NY, was built in 1926 and has been the home for a number rock concerts over the years, including shows by Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and others. By the 1980s, the theatre began to book less and less concerts and more recently it has been used for events like weddings and bar mitzvahs. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Ex-Wetlands owner/current Brooklyn Bowl owner Peter Shapiro, in partnership with Bowery Presents, plans to begin booking shows there again, with a re-opening planned for mid-2012. According to a press release,

"The Capitol Theatre is a rock and roll icon and we are going to treat her as such," says Shapiro. "We are going to spoil her and give her the best of everything - the best sound, the best lights, and the best video projection technology of any theatre anywhere. Our plan is to turn the knob to 11 in every way possible."

"Since spending Thanksgiving weekend 1992 at the theatre with Phish, I've dreamed of promoting at The Cap' one day," says John Moore, partner at The Bowery Presents. "We are excited to partner with Peter on the reopening and introduce a new generation of talented performers to its legendary stage, as well as reacquaint some of the biggest names in music with the house. We look forward to creating memorable concert experiences and reestablishing Port Chester as a destination for music lovers."

The NY Times points out that there may be some competition from other local theaters:

The 500-seat Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut, which is about 30 miles from Port Chester and puts on about 100 concerts a year, insists that musicians not play within 60 miles for two months before a concert and one month after. The Paramount Center for the Arts, a 960-seat theater in Peekskill, N.Y., also about 30 miles from the Capitol, in recent years has presented shows with Gregg Allman, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, and the B-52s. It has even stricter stipulations: bands must not play within a 90-mile radius for two months before and three months after a concert.

The Paramount's demographic also differs from most Bowery Presents shows. Hopefully The Capitol will start bringing more interesting shows to Westchester, like fellow (but smaller) Westchester venue Tarrytown Music Hall has done with shows like Jeff Tweedy, Andrew Bird, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, and The Zombies (not that Tarrytown isn't also bringing in plenty of shows for baby boomers). We'll probably see a lot of similarities between The Capitol and NJ's similarly-sized and Bowery-booked Wellmont Theater which is also about the same distance from NYC in another direction. The Wellmont gets everyone from Chicago to Passion Pit to Dark Star Orchestra.

A picture of The Capitol's interior, Peter Shapiro at the Okayplayer holiday party, some old fliers and the full press release, below...

Continue reading "The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester to host live shows again (thanks to Pete Shapiro) (and Bowery Presents)"

"Big Freedia's about to go on stage
w/ The Roots. Way 2 upstage me." - Hot Sugar

"Fuck yeah performed with big freedia last night
and the roots! Best time ever!" - Heather Loop

Big Freedia at Brooklyn Bowl (more by Eric M. Townsend)

Big Freedia was one of the many special guests at The Roots' Okayplayer Holiday Jam at Brooklyn Bowl on 12/15. More pictures from that show are HERE.

She has a few upcoming shows planned for the next few months, including New Year's Eve in Austin and a NYC show back at Brooklyn Bowl on January 21. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are not on sale yet but check ticketfly for updates.

Earlier this year, she toured with Spank Rock (who just announced a show with Skrillex, which is happening on February 3 at Roseland). That tour also brought Big Freedia to Brooklyn Bowl, and to Fun Fun Fun Fest.

All Freedia dates (including Noisepop in San Francisco) and a video for "Na Who Mad" below...

Continue reading "Big Freedia playing Brooklyn Bowl again & other dates"

photos by Eric M. Townsend

Santa Questlove

Rahzel + Shaggy tearing it up, free apple cider shots for the ENTIRE club from our main man + Brooklyn Bowl owner Pete Shapiro, and Big Freedia and her "Azz Everywhere" - you know, just another legendary Okayplayer Holiday Jam with The Roots. What else was amazing? Free dranks thanks to Heineken, aerialists doing the splits above The Roots, and opening DJ sets from OKP Editor at large, Eddie "STATS" and OKA's own Chief Boima, along with LargeUp's own DJ Gravy and so much more. Warming up the stage, the Music Unites Youth Choir opened the show, followed by Black Thought co-signees The Wurx who brought fresh Philly-style raps.

Next up, godfathers The Roots took the stage for an extended jam with a laundry list of Okay family and friends. Throughout the night special guests included Gary Clark Jr. who graced the stage and flexed his guitar chops, Big Daddy Kane who spit classics alongside Black Thought, and Rahzel who showed why he's the human beat box extraordinaire. Angelique Kidjo and Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew tore it up, repping Okayafrica all the way. And LargeUp kept shit bombastic with Shaggy and Patra the Dancehall Queen, along with Mr. Eazy, Red Fox, and Rayvon. We also got some instrumental goodness thanks to Ray Angry and Robert Glasper on keys, repping for Revivalist. And after all that, DJ ?uestlove brought it home on the 1s and 2s with a Bowl Train after-party. [OkayAfrica]

Gary Clark Jr., who also guested at the show, played his own show at Mercury Lounge two days earlier (12/13). You can check out a review of that show on Bowery's website.

Questlove DJs Brooklyn Bowl again tonight (12/22). He tweeted, "Tonight at @brooklynbowl. We celebrate the 5th Anniversary of James Brown's exodus. All James All Jams. #BowlTrain." Tickets are still avilable. He also gives Manhattan some love and DJs at S.O.B.'s on January 3. Tickets are available for that too.

More pictures and a video from the Okayplayer show below...

Continue reading "Okayplayer Holiday Party pics (Roots, Big Daddy Kane, Shaggy, Big Freedia, Gary Clark Jr, Angelique Kidjo & many more)"

original Digable Planets promo photo with Ladybug vs their last promo photo

Earlier this month, news began circulating that Digable Planets had plans to reunite with their original members in 2012 for a tour and a new album, which would be the followup to 1994's Blowout Comb. However, the group's original female emcee, Ladybug Mecca, has since denied those claims, stating that, "Though a dialog has started about possible plans in the future, nothing has been contracted yet. All reports of Digable Planets, and/or Ladybug Mecca's appearance with them, are false and inaccurate."

However, the group will be playing a show in Brooklyn this Tuesday (12/20) at Brooklyn Bowl with F. Stokes and UGO Crew. Tickets are still available. Digable Planets will be backed by the band The Cosmic Funk Orchestra, like they have been at past shows.

They originally reunited in 2005, and went through a series of reunion tours in the years following, scheduling-then-cancelling-dates with Ladybug and without. In the past Ladybug's role has been filled by MC Madarocka (aka Lady Makka). We contacted the group's agent for more info. He (slightly contradicted Ladybug and) said, "Though Ladybug is not yet slated rejoin her former band mates until 2012, you never know who will show up to a Digable show - constantly reminding listeners why Digable Planets are "Cool like dat"." Hmmm.

Ish aka Butterfly (Ishmael Butler) has recently been spending his time with Shabazz Palaces, who released one of Rough Trade's favorite albums of the year.

Check out some classic Digable Planets video below.

Continue reading "Digable Planets not reunited, playing Brooklyn Bowl"