Punch Brothers @ Prospect Park in 2011 (more by David Andrako)

The Punch Brothers will be out on the road for much of February and March and then some in April and over the summer too. Many of those dates are with Jesca Hoop including April 26 at Town Hall in NYC which goes on sale at 11am today (2/3). All tour dates are listed below....

Continue reading "Punch Brothers -- 2012 Tour Dates (include Town Hall in NYC, Clearwater, Telluride, MerleFest & more)"

Bill Callahan @ MHOW in July (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook returns to the elegant Allen Room in January for its fourteenth season celebrating the diversity of American popular song. For 16 nights the series will explore the best of the golden age of musical standards through to today's most dynamic songwriting. The music of Broadway, Latin culture and hip-hop, bluegrass, rock, and pop will be presented, along with three evenings devoted to great American composers and lyricists. The 2012 season - January 11 through February 11 - will bring to the stage some of today's most gifted interpreters of song, including Tony Award winners Laura Benanti, Michael Cerveris, and LaChanze, as well as the "Queen of British Musicals," the great Elaine Paige. In keeping with American Songbook's tradition of honoring great composers and lyricists, those being celebrated this season are William Finn (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Falsettos), folk icon Woody Guthrie, and Jule Styne (Gypsy, Funny Girl). A relatively new composer on the scene, multiple Tony-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights) will open the series with a new rap composition about Alexander Hamilton. Also performing in the rap/hip- hop vein is the exciting ensemble Ozomatli.

From the rock canon will be J.D. Souther, performing songs he wrote for Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles as well as newer compositions, guitar god Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth doing an acoustic set, and the wildly expressive Merrill Garbus, known as tUnE-yArDs.

Singer/songwriters, both emerging and veteran, are part of American Songbook as well. Diva of the demi-monde Keren Ann is part of the series, as is the man whose deep voice and masculine presence has earned him the nickname "The John Wayne of Indie Rock," Bill Callahan.

The spectacular Allen Room is located in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center on Broadway at 60th Street. The Allen Room possesses one of New York's greatest settings - a stunning vista of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline that provides an evocative backdrop for the performers.

TICKETS can be purchased online beginning November 14, 2011 at Lincoln Center's website www.AmericanSongbook.org, via CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, at the Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall Box Office, or at the Frederick P. Rose Hall Box Office. Tickets for the Friends of Lincoln Center go on sale November 3, and single tickets go on sale to the public beginning November 14.

Continue reading "Lincoln Center's American Songbook 2012 Season (Thurston Moore, tUnE-yArDs, Bill Callahan, Keren Ann & more)"

photos by Jim Brueckner

Emmylou Harris

Day two (7/31) of Newport Folk Festival featured performances by The Cave Singers, Wanda Jackson, Justin Townes Earle, Middle Brother, Elvis Costello, M. Ward, Emmylou Harris and others. If you missed the fest, you can listen to archives of the sets at NPR.

Like they've done in the past, Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello performed together on one of Elvis's songs. She performed guest vocals with him and The Imposters on "Scarlet Tide."

Mountain Man also played day two of the fest. Pictures of their set are HERE. Pictures from the first day are HERE. The rest from day two, below...

Continue reading "Newport Folk Fest 2011 - belated Day 2 pics & audio (Emmylou Harris, Middle Brother, M Ward, Elvis Costello & more)"

photos by David Andrako

"justin townes earle was good,
but the punch brothers are a hard act to follow." - Peter Cauvel

"Justin townes earle is doing a replacements cover.
It is quite excellent. He is terrific." - Sara Ivry

JTE in Prospect Park

Prospect Park was taken over by country and bluegrass-leaning folkies on Thursday night (6/28) when Justin Townes Earle and The Punch Brothers played a free show at the outdoor Brooklyn venue. The Hackensaw Boys opened the show. Celebrate Brooklyn continues its 2011 season tonight (7/1) with reggae by Steel Pulse and Natural Expression Rhythm Band.

The Punch Brothers also have a show coming up at the Bell House in July and other dates too.

Justin Townes Earle (son of Steve Earle whose KEXP videos we just posted) recently made a music video for his song "Slippin' and Slidin.' Check that out along with some live video and more pictures from the Prospect Park show, and many more tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Justin Townes Earle, the Punch Brothers & the Hackensaw Boys played Celebrate Brooklyn (pics, video, more tour dates)"

Chris Thile on stage with Punch Brothers (more by Winnie Cheung)

Tickets are still available (back on sale) for tonight's Chris Thile/Michael Daves show at Rockwood Music Hall, day three of their three day stint at the venue in celebration of their debut duo record Sleep with One Eye Open. Out now via Nonesuch Records, it was "recorded live to tape over four days at Jack White's Third Man studio in Nashville, is a collection of 16 traditional tunes by bluegrass legends like The Monroe Brothers, The Louvin Brothers, Jimmy Martin, and Flatt & Scruggs." You can watch and listen to them discuss the record in one of the videos below. The others are them performing songs from it.

If you miss these shows, don't fear. Chris Thile will team with Michael Daves for another NYC show at The Bell House on July 20th. Tickets are on sale now. That's one new date added to the always-expanding intinerary of Chris Thile whose Punch Brothers project was also just announced on the lineup of this summer's free Celebrate Brooklyn concert series. They play June 30th with Justin Townes Earle and The Hackensaw Boys.

P.S. if you're going to Rockwood tonight, consider making it a double header, as Ben Sollee plays a show at the venue tonight too, his first of two nights in a row. Tickets are still available for that too.

All dates and videos below...

Continue reading "Chris Thile & Michael Daves released an LP, ending 3-night run @ Rockwood, add Brooklyn shows (dates)"

James Blake @ SXSW 2011 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

today in NYC
* Reggie Watts Radio Play
* Peter Garland @ The Stone
* Big Terrific @ Cameo Gallery
* Paul Simon @ Beacon Theatre
* Mandingo Ambassadors @ Barbes
* The Growlers, Ba Babes @ Maxwell's
* Vaz, Dead Rider, Bbigpigg @ Cake Shop
* The Steven Lugerner Septet @ Barbes
* James Blake DJ set @ Tammany Hall
* Yo La Tengo, The Baxx Sisis @ The Bell House
* James Blake, Active Child @ Bowery Ballroom
* Phosphorescent, Family Band @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Brenn, The Stationary Set @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Chris Thile, Michael Daves @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Deftones, Dillinger Escape Plan @ Starland Ballroom
* Velnias, Ruin Lust, Lonesummer, Ithi @ The Acheron
* Sleigh Bells, CSS, Mr. Dream, Seagull @ Webster Hall
* Princeton, High Highs, NewVillager, Ivana XL @ Glasslands
* Drop the Lime, Cubic Zirconia @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Malajube, Deleted Scenes, Pretty & Nice, Bozmo @ The Rock Shop
* Destruction, Heathen, Warbeast, No Remission @ Highline Ballroom
* Manchester Orchestra, Cage The Elephant, O'Brother @ Terminal 5
* New York Funk Exchange Rocks Off Concert Cruise on The Halfmoon
* Kill to Kill, Gross Relations, Raccoon Fighter, The Horehound @ Don Pedro
* D. Charles Speer & The Helix, Zachary Cale Band, Gray Goods @ Union Pool
* Robot Princess, Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, Meshach Jackson @ Pianos
* Dinosaur Feathers, The Armchairs, Ball of Flame Shoot Fire, Horses Mouth @ DBA
* Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Generationals, People Get Ready, Phil & The Osophers @ Mercury Lounge
* MATA fest w/ Corey Dargel, Angleica Negron, Dither, Cantori NY, Chris Danforth and the Danforths, Florent Ghys @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Prince Rama, Pikachu-Makoto (members of mems Acid Mothers Temple, Afrirampo), Quiet Hooves, Bubbly Mommy Gun, Mugu Guymen @ Monster Island Basement

James Blake is here.

Paul McCartney's son James McCartney is not here (or just not feeling well) (Rockwood Music Hall show cancelled).

Someone billed as "McQueen & Hall & Oates" is playing Rockwood tonight though. I'm not sure who it is, but if this tweet was meant to be a hint, than don't get your hopes up I guess. That said, I have no idea.

Oh and tickets are back on sale for the Chris Thile shows happening at Rockwood tonight and tomorrow.

We're giving away tix for the Ben Sollee shows happening at Rockwood tomorrow and the next day, via Facebook.

check out This Week in Indie

We're giving away tix on Facebook to tonight's Drop the Lime gig.

We're also giving away tix to the upcoming School of Seven Bells, Sun Airway, White Lies show at Terminal 5 on Facebook.

Floor appeared on Fox TV's Red Eye. Video below...

Steve Earle performed a song from his new album live on SiriusXM. Video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

photos by Winnie Cheung

Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers played a sold out, headlining show at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday (4/16). They're known for having fun and doing covers, and one of their choices this time was the Strokes' 'Reptilia.' Video of that, more pictures from the show and dates too, below...

Continue reading "Punch Brothers played Bowery Ballroom w/ Lake Street Dive, covered the Strokes (pics, video)"

"I was fortunate to catch The Punch Brothers at the Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night. I think I've seen them perform a good six times in the last year and a half? Honestly, I've lost count, because I've probably seen Chris Thile (who is part of the band) just as many. I consider it such a privilege to live in a city that not only breeds and encourages new talent but also offers up many an opportunity to see the music I love. I could (and have) gone on about this band before, but each concert I attend is different and amazing. The Secret Sisters opened and Karen Elson, the supermodel married to Jack White, performed with the bands as well." [Delighted & Charmed]

Punch Brothers will return to Bowery Ballroom on April 16th, this time for a revival of p-Bingo Night...

"p-Bingo Night is Punch Brothers' creative process (made slightly more entertaining, hopefully) on display at the Living Room [ on Thursday nights in 2009 and 2010]. In addition to other delights, you can expect to see the Brothers trying out new material, improving existing material, and appropriating material that they wish was theirs, i.e. Radiohead, Bach, D'Angelo, James King, etc., right in front of your very eyes... or ears, rather, though music is generally better seen than heard. Also, there will be Special Guests, the coattails of whom the Brothers will surely ride to fame and fortune! Please note: little to no bingo will be played."

Among those dates are also two solo dates for Punch Brothers mandolin master Chris Thile. The first of those dates, Feb 8th, will see him team with Michael Daves for a sold-out date at Rockwood Music Hall. The second is March 2nd at Le Poisson Rouge with Gabriel Kahane and Brad Mehldau. Tickets are still available.

Gabriel Kahane also plays a show at Merkin Concert Hall as part of the Ecstatic Music Festival three days after LPR.

Tour dates videos below.

Continue reading "more Punch Brothers & Chris Thile gigs (Gabriel Kahane too)"

Punch Brothers' Wednesday, June 23rd show set for Town Hall (as part of the CareFusion Jazz Fest) has been canceled. Instead, the bluegrass band will play the same night at Music Hall of Williamsburg. "Tickets already purchased for The Town Hall concert can be refunded at point of purchase". Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale now. Julian Lage Group opens.

The Punch Brothers' new CD, Antifogmatic, comes out June 15th on Nonesuch. You can get a song from it on their site for your email address.

The group's other shows this summer include Bonnaroo and gigs around the country, including some opening for Steve Martin & Steep Canyon Rangers. Album tracklist and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Punch Brothers show moved (sort of) from Town Hall to MHOW, new album soon, more dates (some w/ Steve Martin) "

Newport Folk Festival 2009 (more by Jim Brueckner)

Newport Folk Festival will be happening again at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 31st and August 1st. The fest will also host a Friday night show on July 30th at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at Newport Casino.

The lineup so far includes Levon Helm's Ramble on the Road, John Prine, Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket, The Swell Season, Andrew Bird, The Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile, Doc Watson & David Holt, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Calexico, Blitzen Trapper, Richie Havens, Sam Bush, The Low Anthem, Tim O'Brien, The Felice Brothers, Justin Townes Earle, Tao Seeger Band, A.A. Bondy, The Punch Brothers with Chris Thile, Dawes, Nneka, Horse Feathers, Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three, Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore, Sarah Jarosz, Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons, O'Death and Liz Longley.

Tickets are on sale.

Here are pictures from DAY ONE and DAY TWO of last year's fest. Videos from last year and the list of the artists playing this year, by day, is below...

Continue reading "Newport Folk Fest 2010 - initial lineup, dates & tickets "

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Chris Thile - The Blind Leaving the Blind - third mvt (MP3)

Punch Brothers, the alt-bluegrass group led by Chris Thile of Nickel Creek, have a slew of tour dates lined up across the country over the next four months. But the group only has one NYC show currently. They're at the Living Room this Thursday (1/7) for P-Bingo, which is a looser, more variety show like affair (opposed to their shows at, say, Carnegie Hall) with cover songs and guests. In the past, P-Bingo covers have included Elliot Smith's "Son of Sam," "Reptilia" and Bach. Tickets are on sale.

The track above is off their 2008 album, Punch, on Nonesuch Records. The other movements of "The Blind Leaving the Blind" are streaming on their MySpace. Videos from past p-Bingo nights and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Punch Brothers MP3, video, tour dates, a Living Room show"

DOWNLOAD: Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Death Cab For Cutie - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (MP3)

Michael Daves and Chris Thile are playing the Living Room tonight, December 23rd. Tickets are on sale. Chris's band Punch Brothers are also at Living Room on January 15th and January 22nd.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the $10 Matt & Kim show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Witch & Earthless show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the upcoming These Arms Are Snakes show at Music Hall Of Williamsburg.

Dengue Fever is playing Maxwell's on January 10th. Tickets are on sale.

Lissy Trullie is playing Mercury Lounge on February 11th. Tickets are on sale.

World Inferno Friendship Society's Addicted To Bad Ideas show goes down at Webster Hall on January 9th. Tickets are still on sale.

Tickets are on sale for Meshuggah's show at Irving Plaza on February 19th.

Balkan Beat Box are playing Webster Hall on April 2nd. Tickets are on sale.

The Neville Brothers and Dr. John are playing Terminal 5 on February 20th. Tickets are on sale.

Adele is playing the crazy big Roseland Ballroom on May 5th. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are on sale for Bloc Party's upcoming show at Terminal 5.

Tickets are on sale for Eugene Mirman's book release party.

Tickets are on sale for the Welcome Wagon show at Southpaw.

Tickets are still on sale for Jewltide 6 @ Southpaw.

Tickets are on sale for Okkervil River's upcoming show at the Bell House.

Tickets went on sale for Beirut's 2nd BAM show.

Check out some other tickets that recently went on sale.

If you want to go to Knitting Factory before it closes, tonight is one of your last chances.

No tickets necessary for tonight's Dan Deacon show.

photos by Eric M. Townsend

Chris Thile & Danny Clinch

On Wednesday, December 10 the Morrison Hotel Gallery [hosted] the second live show in their Bowery gallery space which once housed CBGB's Gallery. Famed photographer and musician Danny Clinch [performed] with the Clinch Mob on the opening night of his most ambitious photography exhibition ever. The show will feature 30 pieces, including 5 oversized 4-foot by 5-foot images and 3 limited edition brushed aluminum photos. The Tangiers Blues Band will also perform and Clinch will sit in on harmonica.

Chris Thile will also be the special guest during Gabriel Kahane's performance at Rockwood Music Hall tonight/Monday (12/15). More pictures from the gallery opening below...

Continue reading "Chris Thile @ Danny Clinch's Morrison Hotel Gallery opening (pics), Gabriel Kahane Monday @ Rockwood Music Hall"

the Punch Brothers @ Wintergrass 2008 (armadilo60)

Chris Thile's new band The Punch Brothers are playing a free show in Rockefeller Park in NYC this summer. Same with Otis Clay, Jill Sobule, The Avett Brothers, Steel Pulse, and a few others. Chris Thile also has three solo shows coming up at Living Room. All shows below....

Continue reading "free shows in Rockefeller Park, The Punch Brothers and Chris Thile tour dates (Living Room) "

win tickets....

The Hold Steady and The Virgins are playing Webster Hall on May 2nd. Tickets go on sale April 12th. Regina Spektor, Nick Lowe, Sondre Lerche and many others are playing the annual day show at Canal Room (April 29-May 2). This is all part of this year's Tribeca Film Festival which believe it or not includes movies too (Lou Reed's Berlin directed by Julian Schnabel included). The day shows are for festival pass holders only, but I have two pairs of tickets to give away that get you in to the Canal Room for the whole week. How to win, and full festival details/lineups, below.....

Continue reading "Tribeca Film Festival music programming - The Hold Steady, Regina Spektor, Nick Lowe, Sondre Lerche, movies & stuff"

Chris Thile & Fiona Apple make a cute couple...

Continue reading "pics from Fiona Apple & Nickel Creek @ Summerstage"

Tonight's free "Living Room" concert at the World Financial Center in NYC is full of familiar names...

Martha Wainwright, Chris Thile (from Nickel Creek), Jim Campilongo, Ari Hest and The Bees come together for this unique concert of alums from The Living Room’s venerable stage. As one of NYC’s musical landmarks, the club has become a venue for the best and brightest singer/songwriters.

Don't confuse them with the UK band with the same name who played Glastonbury this weekend, or with the actual insects, or with one of the many other bands with "bee" in their name. Their latest album "High Society" is like a soft rock (in a good way) record out of the 70's that is so pleasant, it's kind of impossible not to like. They've been compared to James Taylor, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, The Beach Boys, and Van Morrison. One of the highlights on "the album is the song "Imaginary Girl" - Music For Robots agrees. Listen at MySpace.

Check out this video of Fiona Apple, Jon Brion, and Chris Thile of Nickel Creek performing 'Fast as You Can' together....

Check out this news.....

Fiona Apple (again) & Nickel Creek are playing Central Park Summerstage in NYC on August 14th, but it gets better (or worse) than that:

The members of Nickel Creek and Apple met several years ago in Los Angeles, and began occasionally working together at the club Largo - an intimate and magnetic music club that has become legendary for stellar lineups and surprise appearances. A loose and friendly musical exchange began with Apple sitting in on Sean and Sara Waktins' ‘anything goes' "Watkins Family Hour," and with either Thile or the Watkins returning the favor whenever possible.

For the August dates, fans will be treated to an expansion of those collaborations developed at Largo. Naturally, material will be pulled from both artists' solo catalogues, but fans can also expect to hear anything from pop standards to country classics to modern rock covers. Apple's presentation will be unique in that she will rely on Nickel Creek for back up during her set.

Continue reading "Nickel Creek & Fiona Apple - 2007 collaborative & farewell Tour Dates (Summerstage)"