photos by Jessica Amaya

"My Morning Jacket returned to New York's Terminal 5 after a night off to perform its ATO debut It Still Moves in its entirety (though all five members of the group performed on their night off) (at Joe's Pub and Beacon Theater). Like the previous nights of the band's Terminal 5 run, the venue was decked out with drapery and blown up images of MMJs five albums.

Elvis Perkins in Dearland opened the night and the Dearland Horns sat in with My Morning Jacket at various points throughout the night, including "One Big Holiday." Former My Morning Jacket guitarist Johnny Quaid rejoined his former band on a few songs for the third night in a row, this time flanked by former Jacket keyboardist Danny Cash (2000-2004), Sex Mob/Levon Helm Band trumpeter Steven Bernstein and Levon Helm Band saxophonist Erik Lawrence. [Two nights] earlier Perkins made a surprise appearance with members of his band when they performed as Diamond Doves at Brooklyn, NY's Rock Shop (oddly enough, on a bill with longtime MMJ associates The Barr Brothers)." [Jambands.com]

Continue reading "My Morning Jacket played 'It Still Moves', covered Lionel Richie @ Terminal 5 w/ Elvis Perkins & Dearland (pics & setlist)"

photos by Jessica Amaya

DOWNLOAD: Ravens & Chimes - Division St (MP3)

Diamond Doves

It should be no surprise that Elvis Perkins joined Diamond Doves on stage at their CMJ show at The Rock Shop on Tuesday night. As Dearland, they are his backing band. Catch them together again when Elvis Perkins and Dearland opens for My Morning Jacket at Terminal 5 tonight (10/21).

Diamond Doves played 2nd on that Brooklyn bill, after Ravens & Chimes (new song above), and before Thieving Irons (ex-Pela), and headliners the Barr Brothers (members of the Slip). More pictures, dates and a couple of videos from the show, below...

Continue reading "Elvis Perkins joined Diamond Doves @ Rock Shop -Ravens & Chimes, Thieving Irons, Barr Brothers played too (pics, video) "

one of these hands is injured...

"Unfortunately Justin's shows this coming weekend will be cancelled. He injured his hand this past weekend and has 19 stitches and there's no way he can play guitar. We apologize for any inconveniences. We're working on rescheduling the Iron Horse show for late August and hope to make an announcement on that soon."

Justin's next still-scheduled show takes place on Governors Island on August 8th with Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band and Dawn Landes & the Hounds. It's free! (and definitely still happening with Justin as of now)

John Prine plays Newport Folk Saturday, and a show on Governors Island on September 10th.

Yim Yames, who has contributed to a John Prine tribute CD, plays Newport Folk Saturday and a show in NYC tonight with Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore and Preservation Jazz Band who all play Newport Folk on Sunday.

Andrew Bird plays Newport Folk Saturday, and a show in NYC on August 5th.

The Low Anthem play Newport Folk Saturday, and a show in NYC tonight with the Swell Season who play Newport Folk on Sunday.

Speaking of the Swell Season, tickets are on sale for the Frames show at Terminal 5.

A Newport Folk promo video, and some videos of John Prine performing at Bonnaroo this year, below...

Continue reading "Newport Folk Fest this weekend, Elvis Perkins replaces Justin Townes Earle who is injured & cancelled 2 shows "

Dungen

My Morning Jacket is pleased to announce the openers for their five performances at Terminal 5.

10/18 - The Tennessee Fire - Dungen
10/19 - At Dawn - Hacienda
10/21 - It Still Moves - Elvis Perkins in Dearland
10/22 - Z - Holly Miranda
10/23 - Evil Urges - Everest

My Morning Jacket's other upcoming NYC-area date is August 24th at the Izod Center with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers who play MSG with Buddy Guy tonight.

Dungen's other upcoming NYC-area date is September 5th at Kutscher's for ATP NY. Maybe they'll add their own NYC between now and October 18th too. Meanwhile they have plenty of other North American dates scheduled during that time period.

All Dungen and MMJ dates below...

Continue reading "My Morning Jacket announces Terminal 5 openers, Dungen touring (dates) "

photos by Amanda M Hatfield

AA Bondy / Dearland

Four shows total happened in Newtown Barge Park over the weekend, all as part of the 2010 Northside Festival. We posted pictures from the ones that happened on Saturday. Here's the pictures, and some videos, from the first of two shows that happened there on Sunday....

Continue reading "Elvis Perkins in Dearland, AA Bondy & ARMS played Newtown Barge Park - pics & video"

"Saw Diamond Doves last night, Elvis Perkins' band minus him, they were really amazing. The Band to his Dylan. Somebody put out that record." - Carl Newman

As Bill reminded us this morning, Sondre Lerche plays Coco66 tonight (6/25). The show is both an 826NYC benefit and a Northside Festival gig. And as Bill wrote, "Sondre usually plays MHoW or Bowery Ballroom these days, so to see him in such a small venue will be a treat." Following that logic, seeing Sondre play Mercury Lounge on July 27th will be a treat. He's opening for his friend JBM who will be celebrating a record release at that show. Tickets are still on sale.

Also playing that Mercury Lounge show, first on that bill of three bands, is Diamond Doves who are "Dearland" when they back Elvis Perkins. Members include Little Wolf, Brigham Brough and Nick Kinsey. Diamond Doves played their first show on April 4th in Providence, RI with Deer Tick and Those Darlins and have since opened for themselves (Elvis Perkins) and Phosphorescent.

In related news, Elvis Perkins & Dearland and AA Bondy (who is touring with JBM later this year) will share a Northside Festival bill this Sunday in Newtown Barge Park.

Tickets go on sale at noon for AA Bondy's upcoming show at Bowery Ballroom.

Elvis Perkins @ MHOW in December (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

More bands have been added to the Northside Festival 2010, happening June 24-27 at venues around Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Those new additions include Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Male Bonding, Sondre Lerche, Tame Impala, A.A. Bondy, Air Waves, The Golden Filter, Slow Club, The Babies, Starring, Takka Takka, Lower Dens, Frankie & the Outs, The Fresh & Onlys and The Grates. The full list is below, and the fest's full schedule (with more new bands) is expected this week. A partial schedule is below.

Elvis Perkins in Dearland, A.A. Bondy and "special guests" will be playing a Sunday afternoon show at Newtown Barge Park - tickets are on sale. Other lineups at that park include Titus Andronicus, Male Bonding and Cults (Sat afternoon); Liars, Fucked Up and High Places (Sat night); and Les Savy Fav, Polvo and Grails (Sun night) at the park venue. Tickets are still on sale for all of them, or you can just get a badge which lets you run around to multiple shows.

BrooklynVegan will be hosting three shows during Northside, all on the same night (6/26) - Jucifer and Gloominous Doom at Union Pool, Floor, Javelina, and Hot Graves at Europa earlier that night (tickets), and Memory Tapes, Twin Sister, DOM and ZAZA at Music Hall of Williamsburg (tickets).

The festival has joined with NYC film houses BAMcinamatek, IFC Films, Indiewire, Rooftop Films and others to show movies at indieScreen, the new Williamsburg movie theater. Details on those films (which include movies by Todd Solondz and James Franco) and the video for Male Bonding's song "Year's Not Long" is posted below...

Continue reading "updated Northside Festival lineup - movies & bands (Elvis Perkins & AA Bondy on sale)"

Elvis Perkins @ MHOW in December (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Two of the three currently scheduled Elvis Perkins in Dearland shows are at Brooklyn's Bell House. Those will happen on April 23rd and 24th. The first night will be opened by Dawn Landes (who recently played Mercury Lounge and will be at Joe's Pub on Valentine's Day); opener for the second is TBA. Tickets for Apr 23rd and Apr. 24th are both on sale.

Elvis Perkins's other show is at the massive two-weekend party that is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 23rd-May 2nd). The lineup for that is sprawling and includes (to name just a few) Aretha Franklin, Pearl Jam, The Dead Weather, My Morning Jacket, Allen Toussaint, Jeff Beck, Band of Horses, Van Morrison, B.B. King, Wayne Shorter Quartet, Lionel Richie, Simon & Garfunkel, The Levon Helm Band, Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes (who are coming to New York in April), etc. etc. Tickets are on sale.

The full lineup and poster for NOLA Jazz Fest and Elvis Perkins tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Elvis Perkins playing 2 Brooklyn shows (1 w/ Dawn Landes) & New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (full lineup)"

photos by Tim Griffin

AA Bondy's 2009 tour dates wrapped up Wednesday, December 9th at Bowery Ballroom (where the pictures here are from).

After a month off for Christmas, Bondy's 2010 touring gets going January 8th in Memphis, and currently the last date on that trip is a newly annoucned Brooklyn show at Union Hall on Saturday, February 6th. Tickets are on sale.

At the Bowery Ballroom show, Bondy and band were joined by two members of Elvis Perkins' band on stage (you can spot them in the pics). Elvis, who played the same venue a week earlier, was in the audience (unfortunately he didn't also join in). Highlights included the Elvis band portion (marching drum and crazy trombone included), times when AA would rock out complete with rock moves, and "Vice Rag" during the encore (complete with audience participation foot stomping).

In addition to tracks from his latest disc, his second album When the Devil's Loose (currently on sale for $5 on Amazon.com), Bondy also covered Hank Williams's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." More pictures from the show, and a video, are below...

Continue reading "AA Bondy played Bowery Ballroom (pics), adds Brooklyn show to 2010 tour (tickets on sale) "

words & photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Himalayas / Elvis Perkins

Having played the night before with Bowerbirds and with everyone seemingly headed to the Friendly Fires/XX show at Webster Hall, the deck may have appeared stacked against Elvis Perkins on a bitterly cold Saturday night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (12/5). The night before may have been the sexier lineup and for a moment it seemed that opener Himalayas, and their marching band madness, were going to pull a Merrill Garbus and upstage the headliner. But for all their sound and 30-plus people on the stage, it was the nuance and subtleties of Perkins and his smart use of his supporting act that ultimately won out.

Probably nowhere was that more apparent than in his choice of set opener, "While You Were Sleeping", Perkins opting to counter the earlier chaos with just himself and his acoustic guitar. His band took the stage as needed and filled in as the song grew. Members of Himalayas, including band leader Kenny Wollesen (who sat in on drums for a couple songs), provided extra horns. The highlight of the intermittent collaboration coming late in the set during the acoustic Chains, Chains, Chains, as they popped up mid-song in the balcony to provide the musical bridge. Earlier on Perkins enlisted the crowd as his gospel choir as he introduced "Slow Doomsday" from his new Doomsday EP. "This next song requires a gospel choir," said Perkins, "but there's not enough room on this stage for one... so that means you." Throw in a good-natured Brooklyn vs New York competition and Perkins had his choir. "You're already winning, Brooklyn," claimed Perkins, as the crowd sang shaky but credible "ahhs" to augment the slow, brassy waltz.

More pictures from Saturday night, including one of the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Elvis Perkins & Himalayas @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - pics"

photos by Chris La Putt

DOWNLOAD: Bowerbirds - Northern Lights (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bowerbirds - Beneath Your Tree (MP3)

Bowerbirds @ Bowery Ballroom

Bowerbirds played two sold out shows in NYC this weekend. Friday night it was opening for Elvis Perkins at Dearland at Bowery Ballroom (12/4). Dave Godowsky opened. The pictures here are from that show. Elvis Perkins went on to play Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday night (pictures and review coming soon), but without the Bowerbirds who instead played a packed Union Pool in the same neighborhood (with Sharon Van Etten).

Bowerbirds have a few more shows this year, and then a whole bunch in January and February. The two MP3s above are from their 2009 album Upper Air, released by Dead Oceans in July. All dates, a video of them playing a "Tiny Desk Concert" for NPR, and more pictures from Bowery Ballroom (with their setlist) below...

Continue reading "Bowerbirds played Bowery Ballroom w/ Elvis Perkins & Dave Godowsky (pics) & Union Pool, touring more in 2010 (dates) "

Elvis Perkins @ Clearwater Fest this summer (more by Chris La Putt)

tonight in NYC
* Phish @ MSG
* The Besties @ Asbury Lanes
* Ian McCulloch @ The Studio
* Crystal Antlers @ Cameo
* Nitzer Ebb @ Gramercy Theatre
* Darmstadt @ Issue Project Room
* Mew, Bear in Heaven @ Webster Hall
* Quest For Fire, Naam & Weird Owl @ Pianos
* Espers, Azita, Doug Paisley @ Drom
* The Sights, The Figgs @ Cake Shop
* A Prairie Home Companion @ Town Hall
* Sloan, Magneta Lane @ The Bell House
* Raphael Saadiq, Anjulie @ Terminal 5
* The Wrens, Palomar @ Maxwell's (early)
* The Wrens, Bob Fields @ Maxwell's (late)
* Sebastien Schuller, Hoferlanz @ Sycamore
* Alicia Hall Moran, Gordon Voidwell @ The Kitchen
* Brendan Benson, Cory Chisel @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* The Beets @ the Degenerate Craft Fair @ Silent Barn
* Woods, Real Estate, Cloud Nothings @ Market Hotel
* Red Mass & Golden Triangle @ Live With Animals Gallery
* The Big Pink, Crystal Antlers, Von Haze @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Bowerbirds, Dave Godowsky @ Bowery Ballroom
* Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica w/ DJ Spooky & ICE @ BAM Howard Gilman Opera
* Mike Yaniro benefit w/ Sightings, Pink Reason, York Factory Complaint (w/ Genesis P-orridge), White Suns @ Death By Audio
* Pissed Jeans, Yellow Tears, Old Men @ Columbia U's Lerner Party Space

Details on the Pissed Jeans show below...

The Wrens' first set tonight will be Meadowlands in full; the second, all new songs.

Elvis Perkins is in town for two shows. Tonight at Bowery and then Saturday at Music Hall. His video for "Chains, Chains, Chains" below...

The Beets plays the Degenerate Craft Fair.

Bowerbirds open for Elvis tonight, but not tomorrow. Instead they're at Union Pool on Saturday with Sharon Van Etten.

Brendan Benson is at LPR tonight and Maxwell's on Saturday. His new video for "A Whole Lot Better" below.

Jack White recorded two new songs with the band Smoke Fairies.

Amazon's 25 days of free Christmas songs continues. They also have Diana Krall's Christmas album on sale for $2.99 and a compilation of 99 songs for $5.00, one of many albums they're selling for that price now.

Ornette Coleman tops Amazon's list of "100 Greatest Jazz Albums of All Time".

Richard Buckner plays Mercury Lounge on Saturday.

Black Sheep play Santos Party House on Saturday.

Rihanna got inappropriate with a mannequin last night at Hammerstein Ballroom. Video below...

Amanda Palmer does Tegan & Sara. Video below...

a new Lightspeed Champion video, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

photos by Tim Griffin

Yellow Bird Project presents a performance by Elvis Perkins and DJ Set by members of Ra Ra Riot in celebration of the release of their Indie Rock Coloring Book. Books and shirts will be available, cash bar. All proceeds benfit the Yellow Bird Project and its network of charities as well as Housing Works. Tickets are $15, and guarantee only standing room, as seating is limited and first-come-first-served. Beer, wine, coffee, and snacks will be available.

Continue reading "Ra Ra Riot DJ tonight (w/ Elvis Perkins) +++ unseen APW pics & more 2009 Tour Dates (w/ Princeton)"

DOWNLOAD: Black Francis - All in My Mind (Love & Rockets) (MP3)

I would like to apologize to the Breeders for saying they would not sell out. I was a jerk about it and am truly sorry. I also apologize to their fans I may have offended with my stupid insensitive comments. Hope you liked the show.-Anonymous

The Breeders @ The Paradise in Boston 8/17 (more by Bryan Bruchman)

"Come one come all-I'm work shopping new introductions bare with me-Welcome to the 18th installment of the Jay Porks Never Ending concert series. Tonight brings us to the 'Sold Out' Bowery Ballroom at 6 Delancey St. in New York City. The Bowery is a venue that's been on my radar for a while, considering that the Bowery owns(or at least sponsors) most of the venues I attend for concerts in the city. Tonight the headliner, the band I'm here to see is the one, the only, THE BREEDERS." [The Jay Porks Blog]

On the horizon, Kim & Kelley Deal will be singing as part of The Long Count at BAM this fall, and Kim will be playing with her other band the Pixies, when they play NYC on their Doolittle tour this November.

Co-Pixie Frank Black recently contributed a track to New Tales To Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets, which came out Tuesday (Aug 18th) on Justice Records. Frank's track from that, "All in My Mind", off L&R's 1986 album Express, is posted above for your downloading pleasure.

He didn't appear at the release party/show on August 18th at the Ben Sherman store in Soho, but he will be at the show for, another tribute comp, Ciao My Shining Star - The Songs of Mark Mulcahy, which happens Sunday, September 20th at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Also appearing at the concert will be Joseph Arthur, David Berkeley and more. Non-musical guests (of sorts) include the premiere of the Thom Yorke video "All For The Best" and a reading by graphic novelist Ben Katchor. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 21st at noon.

Joseph Arthur also has a series of shows coming up at City Winery.

That Mulcahy comp also has a slightly more personal story, via FrankBlack.net...

We have some sad news from a friend of our website and of FBF, Mark Mulcahy. Some of you might recognize the name as the singer/songwriter behind Miracle Legion and Polaris [of the soundtrack to Pete & Pete among other things], both of which featured Catholics David McCafferey and Scott Boutier, or perhaps you recognize the name from the liner notes of Christmass, as Mark provided backing vocals for both "Radio Lizards" and "Don't Get Me Wrong." Or maybe, like me, you saw Mark open for the Pixies in Atlantic City in 2005. Regardless, Mark's wife recently passed away, leaving him as a single dad to two small children. Some friends and admirers, including our Frank Black Francis, have recorded some of Mark's songs for a tribute record called Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy.

Radiohead has a new song out now (two actually).

The tracklist and art work for both tribute albums are posted below...

Continue reading "Breeders played Bowery, Frank Black playing Mark Mulcahy show @ MHOW (tix), on Love & Rockets tribute comp (MP3) "

DOWNLOAD: Elvis Perkins - Slow Doomsday (MP3)

Tickets are on sale for the shows Elvis Perkins is playing at Bowery Ballroom (with Bowerbirds) and Music Hall of Williamsburg in December, and updated dates were just announced along with news of a new EP...

"We call this thing The Doomsday EP for obvious reasons, and its middle name to which it also answers is The EP of the Id. Being drawn to the many faces of the American strain it seems we have more or less subconsciously produced a collection speaking to/and or from several of them at once. It's a document of impulses sleeping egos and their superiors let pass to tape. I myself didn't know what these songs sounded like in the hands of EPID until they were processed and played back. You have a song that arrived like the rest of us by boat, a selection from the Sacred Harp, a rock 'n roll heralding the eternal advent of rock 'n roll, an ode to the soul of the undead and, finally (and firstly), two takes on a single song called Doomsday, one which comes from our March release and the other which leans in the direction of its original conception as something of a gospel number. And here they all are, risen from their cribs and graves, under one moonlight while their folks and undertakers look the other way." - Elvis Perkins

The new tour dates include a September 2nd solo show at Housing Works Bookestore Cafe in NYC. Members of Ra Ra Riot will be DJing. The show is part of a series of events "to celebrate and promote Yellow Bird Project's new Indie Rock Coloring Book". "All proceeds will benefit Yellow Bird Project and its network of charities, and Housing Works, the nation's largest community-based AIDS services organization." Tickets are on sale.

All dates and the new EP tracklist, below...

Continue reading "Elvis Perkins - new MP3, EP, tix, tour dates (Housing Works)"

words by Andrew Frisicano, P4K photos by Joseph Xu

DOWNLOAD: Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Shampoo (MP3)

Elvis Perkins @ Clearwater Festival 6/21 (more by Chris La Putt)

Drift: You're playing Bonaroo this year, and you did last year. Do you enjoy playing festivals?

Elvis Perkins: Yeah. The festival atmosphere and scene is good fun. Especially when people are all sort of holed up in one place, have pilgrimaged their way to a certain spot, like what you get at Bonaroo or Sasquatch, that you don't necessarily get at Lollapalooza. That behind-the-scenes thing is fun, and just taking part in something like a modern day religious-less pilgrimage, a Mecca of sorts, if good. It lets everyone know that they're alive. The playing of the sets themselves can sometimes be challenging, but once you get thrown to the fire, you get used to the temperature. And if you can accept that it's going to be somewhat chaotic and that it's not going to sound very good, at least to you, on stage, then it can definitely be an enjoyable moment. The last time I was at Bonaroo, I certainly wasn't in the best spirits, or in the best shape rest-wise or nutrient-wise, so it was a bit of a struggle for me against the heat and the dust. But this time I'm prepared, and I know what awaits. This time I'm going to take Bonaroo before it takes me.

Bonnaroo wasn't the only festival Perkins played this summer. We recently posted pics of him at Newport Folk Festival and at the Clearwater Festival. He'll also be at Seattle's Bumbershoot in September.

Perkins's winter '09 tour made two NYC stops - one at the Bell House and one in March at the Bowery Ballroom. At the latter, Perkins ended the night by leading the packed crowd through the soapy confines of the NYC subway system for an encore. Elvis Perkins in Dearland will return to that venue for a show on Friday, December 4th with Bowerbirds. Maybe this time they'll head over the Williamsburg Bridge. Which would leave them not far from their next show, December 5th at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for the NYC shows go on AmEx presale Wednesday, August 12th at noon; general sale starts Friday at noon.

Bowerbirds are not playing the Music Hall show - opener TBA on that one. Bowerbirds are currently still on tour with Megafaun who they played Bowery Ballroom with in July 2009 which was not that long before they played the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago (more pictures from that show below). In July 2008, Bowerbirds opened for Bon Iver at Bowery Ballroom (it was part of a larger tour).

Bon Iver has a new project with a new album and tour dates too.

Videos of the above-mentioned Bonnaroo collaborations, P4k pictures, and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Elvis Perkins & Bowerbirds played festivals, returning to NYC (pictures, videos & 2009 tour dates) "

photos by Jim Brueckner

Deer Tick / Neko Case

"...And to think it almost didn't happen. When the [Newport Folk] festival's future was in question earlier this year, original executive producer George Wein took back the reins and scrambled to fill two days with an impressive lineup that appealed, in producer Jay Sweet's words, to "the musical omnivore.''...

...And this year the festival had a noticeably youthful presence; 9,200 people (fort capacity: 10,000) attended Saturday, giving the festival its highest single-day ticket sales since Bob Dylan's heralded return in 2002....

...It seemed impossible that Sunday could top this. But it nearly did with strong early sets from singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and the Campbell Brothers, who made it feel like Sunday morning in the front pew with an electric mix of gospel and soul played on steel guitars.

Making her Newport debut, [Neko Case] was in fine form, unleashing her sweeping voice to unfurl over the harbor with songs from her new album.

Mostly, though, [Sunday] was especially heavy on the legends. The Del McCoury Band, the festival's only bluegrass act, sang high-lonesome harmonies in their dapper suits, with McCoury's voice still dulcet and nimble at 70. And Arlo Guthrie was as much of a rascal as ever, remembering the stories behind tunes such as "The Motorcycle Song.''" [The Boston Globe]

Pete Seeger has had a busy 90th year. Not only did he headline both nights of Newport, he played both nights of his Clearwater Festival, MSG, Columbia University, Jazz Fest, Beacon High School, and probably something I'm forgetting.

Sunday was the day Deer Tick played Newport Folk. TONIGHT (August 7th) is the night Deer Tick plays a free show in Prospect Park with Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, and Jones Street Station (who were added as first of three on the Brooklyn bill). Deer Tick also has more shows coming up including one on a boat around Manhattan (tix).

Pictures & video from Newport Day One are HERE. The rest of Day Two, below....

Continue reading "Newport Folk Fest 50 - Day 2 pics & video (Deer Tick, Neko Case, Joan Baez, Del McCoury, Elvis Perkins, Arlo G & more)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

"CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY - The Great Hudson River Revival, Clearwater's annual two-day music and environmental festival at Croton Point Park, came to a rousing close here on Sunday evening as a rain-drenched crowd of several thousand people cheered for headliner Arlo Guthrie and a number of onstage guests, including Taj Mahal and Pete Seeger.

Exact attendance figures are not available, but Festival Director Jon Dindas said that advance ticket sales surpassed last year's totals, and that the overall number of festivalgoers for 2009 peaked near seven thousand on Sunday-a remarkable accomplishment considering the rainy weather throughout the weekend.

"The true Clearwater spirit shined forth at this year's Revival, as both audience members and nearly eight hundred festival volunteers were able to withstand the challenges of the weather and yet still celebrate music, environmental education and the willingness to work for change and to make a difference in the world," said Dindas...

...The musical offerings on Sunday were filled with highlights. A succession of acts at the Circle of Song that included Rik Palieri, Work o' the Weavers and a Hudson River Sloop Singers Reunion drew a crowd of festival veterans while the Persuasions, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and Cornmeal kept folks smiling. And then there was the inevitable full-stage hootenanny during Arlo Guthrie's festival closing set, which culminated in a rendition of "Let it Shine" with a backing band and chorus that featured Pete, Taj, Rainbow Stage performers Elvis Perkins in Dearland plus the aforementioned Jay and Molly, Tao and Mike and Ruthy.

Monday, Clearwater festival workers and volunteers are busy at Croton Point Park packing away equipment and mending the grounds. It is a Clearwater tradition to leave the park in better shape than it was before the Revival sets sail each year, and 2009 will be no different in this regard." [Clearwater]

Continue reading "2009 Clearwater Festival - day 2 in pics (Grace Potter, rain, Elvis Perkins, soy power, Taj Majal, Arlo Guthrie & more)"

MSG photos & words by Jacob Blickenstaff, Columbia photos by Jens Schott Knudsen

Pete Seeger @ Columbia in April...

"Clearwater conducts innovative environmental programs, advocacy and celebrations in order to inspire and energize the next generation of environmental leaders.

Clearwater was founded in 1969 by music legend and environmental activist Pete Seeger." [Clearwater]

This summer Pete Seeger is scheduled to play the Newport Folk Festival (August 1st and 2nd), and will perform at his own Clearwater Festival, taking place in Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY this weekend (June 20th and 21st). The Clearwater Fest lineup includes Dr. Dog, A.C. Newman, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Richie Havens, Old Crow Medicine Show, Alejandro Escovedo, Arlo Guthrie and others. Its full schedule is below. Tickets are still sale at the gate.

UPDATE: we can confirm that Pete played his scheduled Saturday morning Clearwater Fest performance "with kids" for those who braved the rain. Pete will perform again at the festival on Sunday afternoon with his grandson Tao Rodriguez-Seeger.

A review of Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday Celebration at MSG, and all above-mentioned photos, with the full Clearwater Festival lineup & schedule, below...

Continue reading "Clearwater Festival this weekend - full schedule ++ Pete Seeger pics (from his 90th birthday & Columbia University)"

Mutek banner in Montreal - May 27, 2009 (bneely)

Mutek, the electronic music festival celebrating its tenth year, is currently underway in Montreal. The five-day fest runs to Sunday, May 31st, and it's streaming online. Moderat, the Modeselektor & Apparat supergroup, performed at Mutek on Thursday, May 28th; the group plays NYC's Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday, May 30th (the show was originally planned for Webster Hall). Tickets are still on sale.

Speaking of parties up North this summer... three other biggies are Ottawa Bluesfest (July 8th-19th), Vancouver Folk Music Festival (July 17-19th) and Calgary Folk Music Festival (July 23rd-26th). Each of those suitably transcend the "blues" and "folk" labels, hosting bands like The Dead Weather and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (in Ottawa), The Weakerthans and Rock Plaza Central (in Vancouver), and The Decemberists, Apostle of Hustle, Kid Koala and Akron/Family (in Calgary). Full lineup for the Calgary Fest (Ottawa in particular is much too massive to post) and ticket info below.

And don't forget about the previously reported Breeders-headlined Sled Island Fest in Calgary on June 24th-27th, Montreal's Osheaga, NXNE, and Toronto's Olympic Island Fest on July 11th, which will host Broken Social Scene and its Arts & Crafts cohorts.

Across the pond, UK's Glastonbury Festival, which runs from June 24th to 28th, has been sold out since February even though the full lineup wasn't announced until this week. Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Blur will be joined by The Specials, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Spinal Tap, Jarvis Cocker, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Madness, Tom Jones, Animal Collective and many others.

And finally in the States, Monolith Festival, which runs from September 12th to 13th at Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado, has announced its intial lineup, Girl Talk, Passion Pit, and The Walkmen included. The whole thing is posted below.

The weekend before Monolith, Bumbershoot will take place in Seattle (September 5th-7th). That fest's lineup has been updated too. New additions include Vivian Girls, Akron/Family, and Elvis Perkins. All new additions, with previously announced acts, are below. Tickets are still on sale.

In Michigan, the Rothbury Festival over July 4th weekend will feature the only summer fest performance by The Dead, as well as sets by Bob Dylan, String Cheese Incident, Broken Social Scene and more. A few more jam-friendly acts were also just added to the bill. Full lineup below. Tickets are on sale.

Info on all the above fests, with ticket info, below...

Continue reading "Mutek underway, Monolith & Glastonbury lineups, Rothbury, Bumbershoot, Calgary Folk & other festival updates"

The 50th annual Newport Folk Festival will take place at Rhode Island's Fort Adams Park on Saturday, August 1st and Sunday, August 2nd. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, May 6th at 10am

Pete Seeger, who is a cofounder of the Festival and who just celebrated his 90th birthday with a show at MSG, will be playing both nights. On Sunday, he'll be joined by Judy Collins, who is also performing a free Folks on the Island show Sunday, July 26th on NYC's Governors Island.

Saturday acts at the Fest include Billy Bragg and Tom Morello, who just shared a stage with Iggy Pop at NYC's Nokia Theatre, and the Decemberists, who have a big summer tour that's stopping at NYC's Radio City Music Hall on June 10th, Fleet Foxes, who have tour dates including All Points West, and the Avett Brothers, who are on tour and playing NYC's Irving Plaza on June 12th and 13th. Langhorne Slim will be there too (he's also at Lollapalooza this summer). Iron & Wine are playing both this, and ATP NY.

Sunday's show is heavy on big-name folkies with Collins (mentioned above), Joan Baez and Arlo Guthrie all performing. Arlo Guthrie is also playing a free show at Castle Clinton in NYC this summer.

Neko Case, playing Sunday, just did two nights at NYC's Nokia Theater and will be at All Points West, among other festivals.

Elvis Perkins in Dearland will be there. Perkins and Co. played the Bowery in March, and their summer tour includes a May 20th show at the Bell House in Brooklyn (tickets), and the Clearwater Festival (another project founded by Seeger) on June 20th and 21st in Croton-on Hudson, NY.

Also on Sunday is Deer Tick, whose big summer includes opening for Jenny Lewis at MHoW on June 9th, headlining the Bowery on July 24th (tickets go on sale Friday, May 8th at noon), and playing a free Celebrate Brooklyn show at Prospect Park on August 7th.

Full Newport Fork Festival info below...

Continue reading "Newport Folk Festival - 2009 lineup & tickets info (Pete Seeger, Neko Case, Iron & Wine, The Decemberists & more)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Elvis Perkins in Dearland outside Bowery Ballroom (jamayaphoto)

Elvis Perkins in Dearland played the Bowery Ballroom in NYC Wednesday night (3/25, review below). The show was not long after he got back from SXSW, and he will next visit Europe before touring North America in April & May. That tour ends with a May 20th show at Brooklyn's Bell House. Tickets are still on sale.

Perkins and band are also on the just-announced bill for the annual Clearwater Festival, June 20th and 21st at Croton Point Park in Croton-on Hudson, NY. Other performers include Arlo Guthrie, Old Crow Medicine Show, Susan Tedeschi, Alejandro Escovedo, Pete Seeger, AC Newman, and Dr. Dog. Tickets are on sale now - they cost (until May 20th when prices go up) $50 for a single day, $75 for a weekend pass, and $115 for the weekend with camping included. Full lineup below.

The Festival is a fundraiser for the Hudson Valley environmental group Clearwater, who is also hosting Pete Seeger's 90th birthday concert happening at MSG on May 3rd (where I'm told, Pete will play a one-song set that "everybody knows the words to"). Tickets for that event are on AmEx presale, and go on sale to the general public on Monday, March 30th at 9am.

To get back to Elvis Perkins, the Bowery Ballroom show began with avant-street-band Himalayas descending from the venue's balcony and ended with Perkins and friends emerging from the soapy depths of the Bowery JMZ station. It all started with...

Continue reading "ELVIS PERKINS played Bowery Ballroom, playing the CLEARWATER Festival (initial line-up)"

Elvis Perkins @ SXSW (Austinist party @ the Mohawk) (by Chad Wadsworth)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* Leela James @ SOB's
* Peggy Sue @ Sidewalk Cafe
* Bloc Party, Longwave @ Terminal 5
* Camera Obscura @ Mercury Lounge
* Micachu & The Shapes, The Grates @ Pianos
* Morrissey, The Courteeners @ Webster Hall
* Elvis Perkins in Dearland @ Bowery Ballroom
* Pronto (w/ Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco), Shortstack @ Maxwell's
* Human Highway, The Magic, Cotton Jones @ (le) poisson rouge
* USAISAMONSTER, Uke of Spaces, Weirding Module, more @ Death By Audio
* Janeane Garofalo, Mike Birbiglia, Wyatt Cenac, Joe Mande & Noah Garfinkel @ UCB

I hear Mike Birbiglia will also be appearing at 92YTribeca tomorrow.

Tortoise shows coming up.

Powersolo played Santos Party House before SXSW. Video from that show below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Shampoo (MP3)

Elvis Perkins In Dearland has added a Wednesday, May 20th Brooklyn show at the Bell House. Tickets are on sale.. The band's extensive US tour also includes the previously reported, and much sooner, March 25th Bowery Ballroom show (tickets still on sale), and two official SXSW shows. All dates below.

Elvis Perkins In Dearland's new self-titled second album (pictured above) (twice) is out on XL this week, and is still on sale at Amie Street as an $8 digital download (with $2 of that going to Clearwater, a Hudson River-conservation nonprofit founded by folk singer Pete Seeger). Speaking of Clearwater, they're hosting a Jeff Tweedy solo show on March 28 in Beacon, NY as part of its annual Spring Splash fund-raiser (tix).

Perkins recently visited The Gold Room Sessions to cut videos for two of the new record's best tracks - the free-associative slow-roller "Shampoo" and celebratory dirge "Doomsday". Both of those videos, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Elvis Perkins In Dearland - updated Tour Dates (now with a Brooklyn show), new album & videos "

Crystal Castles @ MHOW - New Years Eve (more by Ryan Muir)

Al Green @ the Wellmont Theater - Nov 2008 (more by Eric M Townsend)

Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment are excited to announce the initial lineup for the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The eighth annual four-day camping and music festival will be held on June 11 - 14 on the same beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. Every year Bonnaroo seeks to make history by offering unique and exclusive performances by rock's greatest legends as well as its most significant newcomers. A full list of confirmed acts follows, and more will be announced in the coming weeks. The final Bonnaroo 2009 lineup will total over 120 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days. Tickets go on sale exclusively through www.bonnaroo.com on Saturday, February 7 at 12:00 PM Eastern.

Coachella announced their initial lineup less than a week earlier.

Metallica played Bonnaroo in 2008. Metallica played NY & NJ this past weekend.

Full (initial) 2009 Bonnaroo lineup below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo announces initial 2009 lineup (Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Beastie Boys, NIN, Wilco, Animal Collective...)"