photos by Lukas Hodge; words by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Loma Prieta @ Saint Vitus 4/2/2013

Cali post-hardcore gang Loma Prieta played Saint Vitus last night (4/2) as part of a string of dates with UK's Goodtime Boys, Descender (who also played the night before with Russian Circles) and Crushed. The date followed their appearance at the Paint it Black record release show in Philadelphia. More pics from Saint Vitus, including all bands except Descender, are below.

Continue reading "Loma Prieta and Goodtime Boys played Saint Vitus with Descender and Crushed (pics)"

photos & words by Caroline Harrison

Russian Circles @ Saint Vitus 4/1/2013

Russian Circles played Saint Vitus last night (April 1), supported by locals Primitive Weapons and Descender. The post-metal band played Highline Ballroom on their last headlining tour (and Radio City Music Hall recently), so it's no surprise that they sold out the Greenpoint bar long before any openers had been announced.

Descender's no-frills post-hardcore kicked off the evening. Primitive Weapons, down a guitarist, ripped through an energetic set on home turf (guitarist Arty Shepherd was actually working the bar that night). Russian Circles' lushly layered sound translates beautifully live. The band expertly weaves in samples and loops, without obscuring Dave Turncrantz's impassioned drumming or Brian Cook's distinctive bass lines (ex-Botch/These Arms Are Snakes).

Primitive Weapons play Music Hall of Williamsburg later this month (4/27) with Dillinger Escape Plan, the Faceless, and Royal Thunder. We'll be posting the RSVP info for that free show as soon as it's available. And if you missed their set last night, you can catch Descender again tonight (4/2) at Saint Vitus supporting Loma Prieta and Goodtime Boys (tickets).

More pictures and a video of the entire Russian Circles set are below.

Continue reading "Russian Circles played Saint Vitus with Primitive Weapons and Descender (pics, video)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

United Nations at Union Pool, Feb 2010 (more by Paul Birman)

United Nations, the shrouded supercrew containing vocalist Geoff Rickly at the helm, are playing shows in middle January, including one at Saint Vitus on January 18 with support from Brooklyn crews Primitive Weapons, Descender, and Black Clouds. Tickets are on sale. Look for the rest of UN to be comprised of Ben Koller (Converge), Lukas Previn (Thursday, Regents), and Jim Carroll (The Hope Conspiracy).

In related news, The Hope Conspiracy have stepped out of hiding to announce work on new material. No details on said material or when/where it will emerge yet.

Also, Descender will join Ghostlimb and Old Wounds at Precious Metal on Monday (January 7). The show will be one of the final PM events, and will feature yours truly (Fred Pessaro, BBG) on DJ duties.

More United Nations tour dates and some streams are below.

Continue reading "United Nations are back, touring East Coast (dates); Hope Conspiracy working on new material"

words by Lauren Jackson, photos by Stephanie Crumley

Texas is The Reason at St. Vitus 10/10/2012

Texas is The Reason took the stage at St. Vitus Wednesday night (10/10) to perform a semi-secret late night mini-set at the end of the Gameface/Descender/Model Home show. The appearance was in addition to their showing at a sold-out Music Hall of Williamsburg with States & Kingdoms earlier that night. Pictures from both shows are below.

Enthusiasm ran high in the lead-off sets by Descender and Model Home, which was quickly followed by the last minute addition of Long Island emo heroes On The Might of Princes. By the time OTMOP took the stage, the dim back room of St. Vitus was crackling with giddy, adolescent energy. Someone shouted, "Is anyone here NOT from Long Island?" a split second before all the lights went out. And as the stage lit up, frontman Jason Rosenthal's strident, melancholic voice pierced into the long-since-past malcontent suburban kid of yesteryear.

For their set, St. Vitus wasn't St. Vitus, but the VFW Hall in Bellmore ten years ago or the rec center in Huntington... whatever deeply personal and nostalgic place that hardcore was born for them. Out of nowhere, strangers draped arms over each other's shoulders, smiled, and sang together with total abandon because they weren't strangers, really -- they shared a collective memory of this band, and that was all that mattered.

That sense of camaraderie carried through Gameface into Texas is the Reason. Though their set was short, the die-hards stuck it out til the end and reaped the reward of an intimate performance -- much smaller than the Music Hall of Williamsburg they played earlier that same evening and the Irving Plaza last night (10/11). Texas rattled through fan favorites like "Back and to the Left" and "A Jack with One Eye," as well as the lesser known but beloved "If It's Here When We Get Back, It's Ours." Even when they finished playing, there was no usual refrain of "That's it?!" Everyone was sated --audience and band included.

Texas is The Reason went on to play Revelation 25 last night and pictures from Irving Plaza are on the way. Until then, check out pictures from Music Hall of Williamsburg, pictures of Texas is The Reason and Gameface from Saint Vitus, and video of TiTR, Gameface and OTMOP all below.

Continue reading "Texas is The Reason played Music Hall of Williamsburg and Saint Vitus with On The Might of Princes/Gameface (pics, vid)"

Confirmed! Texas is The Reason, who sold out Irving Plaza and the show they are playing at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight (10/10), will scoot on up Manhattan Avenue to play a surprise, second show as part of tonight's show at Saint Vitus with On The Might of Princes, Game Face, Descender and Model Home. Entry is FREE, 21+ only.

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Speaking of Rev25, Chain of Strength, who are scheduled to play two nights of the celebration, have added a late show THURSDAY (10/11) at Acheron (!) with Clear (ex Have Heart) and Brooklyn's own Creem. There will be very limited tickets at the door for civilians, with many of the tickets allocated to VIP wristbands for the Revelation Records attendees. Get there early! It should be nuts.

In other Revelation-extracirricular activites news, On the Might of Princes at Saint Vitus on Friday (10/12) is waaaay sold out, but luckily the band will play the venue TONIGHT (10/10) as well, part of a bill with Gameface, Descender, Model Home. The show is FREE and 21+. The show also promises "another possible special guest"... could it be Texas is the Reason (who have a sold-out show at MHoW tonight)?

Saint Vitus will also host the sold-out Into Another show on 10/13.

by BBG

Portland duo Wizard Rifle switch gears constantly on their new LP Speak Loud Say Nothing, an amalgamation of sludge, noise-rock, punk rock, and areas in between. The duo, who are self-described as a "scrap-metal monster... drawing from the sounds of Lightning Bolt, Karp, Sonic Youth, Black Sabbath and High on Fire", are currently blessing stages across the country, knee-deep in a set of North American tour dates that include a stop in Brooklyn at Acheron on April 28th. Full tour schedule and a stream of Speak Loud Say Nothing is below.

Bezoar, Iron Tides, and Descender are also on board for the Acheron show. Descender, who are also on board to play with Hawks & Doves (ex-Planes Mistaken for Stars), recently released the And So We Marched EP. Stream that and the new Wizard Rifle below...

Continue reading "Wizard Rifle released an LP, touring (dates include Acheron)"

by BBG

It's a good thing that Nate Johnson has minty fresh breath!

Much like Shrinebuilder did, The Red Chord added a NYC show (and in their case, a date at New England Metal & Hardcore Fest) in the wake of their European tour cancellation. That show took place in Brooklyn on 4/25 at Public Assembly alongside the return of the fantastic Premonitions of War (with Nick Hale who recently toured with Burnt By The Sun), as well as sets by upstart bludgeoners Tiger Flowers and the riffy punks Descender.

Pics and some video from the 1000Knives/BrooklynVegan grind-fest, as well as current tour dates, are all below.

Continue reading "The Red Chord, Premonitions of War, Tiger Flowers & Descender @ Public Assembly in Brooklyn - pics & video"

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble, BBG

East of The Wall, in full on crushing mode (by Samantha Marble)

East of The Wall and Goes Cube are finally home. The pair hit the road for SXSW shortly after their 3/5 show at Union Pool and have been skipping around the US ever since, with Goes Cube tagging The End's official showcase on 3/18 and East of The Wall playing a succession of shows including Goodbye South By at Red 7 on 3/21 (pics of both below). The bands are finally back on tri-state soil and will play a FREE in-store at Generation Records TODAY (3/30) at 6:30 with Descender.

East of The Wall's appearance at Goodbye South By on 3/21 at Red 7 was a jaw dropper. The NJ band play a smoking instrumental prog/hardcore hybrid that is technical with out feeling wanky. Think Pelican with the occaisional hardcore vocal and a little more tech, but with TONS of energy.

Flyer for the record store show, more tour dates, and SXSW pics, below...

Continue reading "Goes Cube & East of the Wall played SXSW (pics), playing free in-store @ Generation Records (today) & other dates"

by BBG

STATS at Public Assembly (more by Justina Villanueva)

The city is always brimming with great art, whether from MSG to a loft in Bushwick. Here are some more NYC shows that are definitely worth a look over the coming weekend...

Continue reading "Gospel, STATS, Vaz, Psychic Limb & other upcoming shows "

words by BBG, photos by Chloe Rice,

Iron STOMACHS?

Before any of this CMJ nonsense, Iron Age played (?) The Charleston along with Brain Killer, Naam, Dustheads, Descender, and The Banner, part of a two day stint that the Austin band was doing in NYC. Our photographer Chloe sent in the following report from the show:

"Iron Age took forever to set up, bragging about polishing off a bottle of scotch and making out with random ladies in between disappearances to a room behind a curtain. As they finally got ready to play, Iron Age realized they had not only drunkenly lost a guitar, but also guitar PLAYER. The crowd was getting more and more anxious while their tech searched for him, and once he was found, he was almost too wasted to stand, let alone play! Eventually, they started to play (borrowed Naam's guitar?) but took breaks to stumble through some bad jokes and to tell some PMS'ing broad to fuck off. The playing was shortlived; one guitar amp blew out, the second guitar player broke a string (and proceeded to restring mid-song), which left the drummer and bass player carrying the song. I think they played four songs within the hour or so that they were on."

Naam played the BrooklynVegan Day Party on 10/23 along with Ume, Goes Cube, Crystal Antlers, and Nebula. Pics from that show will be posted very soon.

Continue reading "Iron Age, Naam & friends @ The Charleston in NYC - pics "