Gogol Bordello - Dec 2009 (more by Paul Birman)

Once again, we're approaching the new year, and as always, there are tons of ways to celebrate in NYC with a number of different New Year's Eve shows.

Gogol Bordello are returning to NYC to play Terminal 5 on December 30 and 31. Tickets for both shows are still on sale and we're also giving away a pair. Details on how to win are below.

Deer Tick will play Brooklyn Bowl on New Year's Eve. Tickets are still available and also available is a combo package that allows you entry to see the Deer Tick show and the Lucero show which happens at the same venue one night earlier (12/30).

Los Lobos, who, along with Deer Tick, have members in the new supergroup Diamond Rugs, also play NYE in NYC at City Winery. They're playing two shows at the venue and tickets for the early show and the late show are still available.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists will be in the NYC-area for NYE to play The Bell House on 12/30 (tickets) with Obits and Maxwell's on 12/31 (tickets). Comedian Kurt Braunohler opens both shows.

O'Death plays Spike Hill on New Year's Eve with The Woes. Tickets are still on sale.

A few similar electronic shows will happen on NYE, including AraabMuzik, Balam Acab, Light Asylum, Laurel Halo, and Run DMT at 285 Kent, a Laurel Halo DJ set at Zebulon and Nosaj Thing, El Topo (aka Nicolas Jaar associate Dave Harrington), and others at Glasslands. Tickets for the 285 Kent show and the Glasslands show are still on sale.

Another similar option would be the Cheryl dance party at Public Assembly (12/31) with a live set by Midnight Magic. Tickets are on sale now. The Underground Rebel Bingo Club is also throwing a sold out party in Public Assembly's back room.

There will also be DJ parties at Cameo Gallery (tickets) and Santos Party House (tickets).

Mister Saturday Night hosts a party at House of Yes.

Laidback Luke, who will set sail on the Holy Ship! cruise in the beginning of 2012, will be throwing a party at Pacha in Manhattan (warning: avoid at all costs). Another HARD-approved artist, Nero, will be at Webster Hall for an after-hours party, starting at 3:30 AM. Tickets for the party are on sale now (and is also probably somewhere you don't want to be).

Two Daptone Records affiliates will be in NYC on NYE. Charlies Bradley and The Budos Band play Music Hall of Williamsburg and Lee Fields & the Expressions with Sugar Pie Desanto will play The Bell House. Tickets for the Charles Bradley show and the Lee Fields show are still available.

For a different type of soul show, Fitz & the Tantrums are playing Gramercy Theater on NYE, but that show is now sold out.

The Stone is throwing their annual end of the year improv party with John Zorn, Thurston Moore, and others.

The Damnwells play two shows at Rockwood Music Hall.

Sandra Bernhard finishes a run of shows at Joe's Pub on New Year's Eve.

Barbes hosts Spanglish Fly.

Like he's done in the past, Chuck Berry will be playing two shows at BB King's on New Year's Eve. Tickets for the early show and the late show are on sale now.

For two shows that you definitely won't find BBG at, Phish play four MSG shows (12/28-12/31) and Matt & Kim play Hammerstein Ballroom on New Year's Eve with Super Mash Brothers and Body Language. Tickets for the Phish shows and the Matt & Kim show are still available.

In addition to Phish, another jam band option is Gov't Mule's two night run at Beacon Theater from December 30-31. Tickets for both shows are on sale now. Infected Mushroom is at Best Buy Theater.

The Fleshtones, Todd Youth All-Stars, The Waldos (featuring Walter Lure of Johnny Thunders' band), The Threads, Richard Bacchus & The Luckiest Girls, and The Dead Tricks will play Bowery Electric on 12/31 with a "surprise rockabilly legend." Tickets are on sale now. The flier for this show is above.

Patti Smith will do her usual run at Bowery Ballroom (12/29-31) but all three shows are now sold out.

In other NYC proto-punk news, New York Dolls will NOT be playing Irving Plaza on 12/30, the show has since been cancelled.

What else?

Details on how to win Gogol Bordello tickets below...

Continue reading "New Year's Eve concerts & parties in NYC --- Gogol Bordello (win tix!), AraabMuzik, Phish, Chuck Berry, Patti Smith, more"

by Benjamin Lozovsky

He forgot the words to his songs, sometimes even his own catalogue. He flashed sequins, brought all the ladies he could cajole on stage, grimaced while soloing, and flaunted his own grandeur. For a man who practically invented the genre in the early 1950s, Chuck Berry still has plenty of Rock and Roll in him.

That was evident as the legendary guitarist and songwriter performed the first of two New Years Eve shows last Thursday at B.B. Kings Blues Club in Times Square, the same venue he rang in the New Year last year as well.

Clearly aware of his heritage, Berry still tries hard to be a showman. His attempts this night seemed simultaneously forced (given his age) and effortless (given the musical tradition running through his blood). Listening to Berry's matter of fact song-speak (when he remembered the lyrics), drawn out through tales of young love and pleasant rebellion, one could imagine Lou Reed in formative musical days getting infinitely inspired.

continued, with more pictures, below...

Continue reading "Chuck Berry played BB King's on New Years Eve - pics"

by Benjamin Lozovsky

If you've still got no particular place to go on New Years Eve and are looking for a potentially spectacular musical option, you could always ring in a new decade of Rock and Roll with one of the legends that started it all. Chuck Berry is coming to town to play two NYE shows at B.B. King Blues Club and Grill, the same venue where he performed to bring in 2009 one year ago. The early show is actually a rescheduled date from November that is being offered to previous ticket holders, and both shows came after The Dan Band cancelled their scheduled appearances at the Times Square venue on that night ("rescheduled for Spring"). Tickets to both Chuck Berry performances are on sale.

The 83 year-old guitarist and pioneer still tours the world with some inspiring regularity; he has a monthly residency at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room in St Louis (he currently lives just outside the city in Ladue, Missouri), and even played several gigs in Brazil this summer. Berry last toured Europe extensively in 2008 (he also played The Virgin Mobile Festival in Baltimore that year) and had plans on a return to the UK this fall. However he ended up canceling those dates due to "a lack of lead-in time to prepare the marketing and advertising for what promises to be a great rock 'n roll tour," according to promoters. That tour was set to begin on November 21st, but has now been rolled over for March of 2010.

We have two tickets to give away to the early NYE show. Ticket giveaway info, tour dates, and a few Chuck Berry videos below:

Continue reading "Chuck Berry returning to BB King's on New Years Eve (win tickets to the early show), touring UK in 2010"

* The Rub is at Southpaw
* Prince Paul is DJing the Delancey
* Joan as Policewoman is playing the Stone
* Chuck Berry is playing B.B. King Blues Club and Grill

AND everything else. What are you doing?