by Bill Pearis

Bonnie Prince Billy at ATP NY 2011 (more by Dana [distortion] Yavin)

Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook returns to the Allen Room (truly one of the most amazing concert settings in NYC) in January for its fifteenth season, which celebrates "the diversity of modern American song." The 2013 season kicks of January 30 with Lea Salonga and includes Bonnie "Prince" Billy on February 7, Sondre Lerche (who isn't American but lives in Brooklyn these days) on February 13, Mavis Staples on February 14, Tom Morello performing "The Nightwatchman" on February 16, Lost in the Trees on February 28, and more.

Additionally, there will be "six special concerts in the exceptionally intimate setting of the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, perched high above the Lincoln Center campus" beginning with Lindsay Mendez & Marco Paguia on March 29 and concluding with Ben Sollee on April 20.

Tickets to the American Songbook series go on sale November 13 but Friends of Lincoln Center can purchase starting Monday, November 5.

Full American Songbook line-up/schedule and a video of Ben Sollee playing "A Few Honest Words" at the Lincoln Memorial are below.

Continue reading "Lincoln Center's American Songbook 2013 Season (Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Tom Morello, Sondre Lerche, Ben Sollee & more)"

After a hectic day of updating the constantly updating Bonnaroo lineup page, the entire thing has been announced. Gwar, Norah Jones, and the rest of the lineup below...

Continue reading "the complete 2010 Bonnaroo lineup (Stevie Wonder, The Melvins, Kings of Leon, Isis, Local Natives & many more) "

Lilith Fair, which has been dormant since 1999, will reform this year for a North American tour this summer. Exact dates and venues are forthcoming, but the ongoing list of confirmed acts is impressive (though they won't all play every city). The lineup currently includes Beth Orton, Cat Power, Emmylou Harris, Erykah Badu, the Gossip, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Heart, Indigo Girls, Janelle Monae, Ke$ha, La Roux, Lights, Loretta Lynn, Mary J. Blige, Metric, Miranda Lambert, Norah Jones, Rosie Thomas, Sarah McLachlan, Serena Ryder, Sheryl Crow, Tara MacLean, Tegan and Sara.

New York City is one of the tour's confirmed stops. The rest of those and the fest's so-far lineup are below...

Continue reading "Lilith Fair 2010 (Cat Power, Norah Jones, Tegan & Sara, Janelle Monae, Metric, Grace Potter, Gossip, Erykah Badu, Beth Orton, Sia, many more)"

Throwing Muses with Kristen Hersh, Kimya Dawson, Ingrid Michaelson, Glenn Hansard of The Frames & Swell Season, Apples in Stereo, Tommy James and the Shondells, Jolie Holland, Keren Ann, Guster, The Db's, Bob Mould, Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power, Rachel Yamagata, Calexico, Patti Smith, and others will be singing R.E.M. songs at Carnegie Hall on March 11th. "100% of net proceeds to benefit musical education programs for underprivileged youth." Regular tickets are on sale at the venue's site. VIP tickets are available at the event's own site (thx rajohn)...

Your VIP ticket includes entrance to the private artist reception taking place at City Winery featuring cuisine designed by Mario Batali. Food will be delicious and the free wine will be flowing. Join the artists and friends in New York's first full winery and amazing new event space. The party will start immediately after the concert and go to 1am. With a full stage and sound system at City Winery, we expect many musical surprises!

Mario Batali and Michael Stipe are good friends. Michael Dorf is producing this whole event. Michael Dorf owns the new City Winery which is opening on New Years Eve which is the night Michael Dorf's old club Knitting Factory is closing (which Michael pointed out himself in that NY Press article).

Patti Smith also just added a 3rd show at Bowery Ballroom. Tix are now on sale..

Tickets are still on sale for Kimya Dawson's upcoming show at Bowery Ballroom.

Vic Chetnutt & Elf Power are also touring and playing NYC together in January.

Pro-shot video of R.E.M.'s encore in Mexico City the other day, below...

Continue reading "Music of R.E.M. @ Carnegie Hall w/ Patti Smith, Kimya Dawson, Calexico, Bob Mould & others (by Michael Dorf)"

by Black Bubblegum (though not even close to metal)

Last month, indie rock blog Productshop NYC shuttered it's doors (RIP) to make way for Stories In High Fidelity, a place "for bands, record stores, labels and writers to share their stories, tour diaries, memories and so much more", a sort of "Huffington Post of music", if you will. To celebrate the launch, the site lined up a cocktail of noteworthy music writers like Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs, Fargo Rock City), Dan Kennedy (Rock On: An Office Power Ballad), Rob Sheffield (Love Is A Mix Tape) and Marc Spitz (We Got The Neutron Bomb) along with musical guests Rocketship Park and a full headlining set by Jaymay. The "pre-CMJ extranvaganza" will be held at Highline Ballroom on Oct 20th, tickets are on sale.

After Highline Ballroom, Jaymay will hit the road with The Hotel Cafe tour... and although she won't be in NYC when the tour rolls through town at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Thao Nguyen will, along with Rachael Yamagata, Meiko, Emily Wells, & Samantha Crain. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale. Full tour dates are below.

Compare/Contrast Hotel Cafe's lineup to the "singer/songwriter" one at the Blender tonight (10/13) with Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Ben Nichols (Lucero), Tim Barry (Avail), and Frank Turner. Tickets are still available. "Chuck Ragan The Revival Tour" will be scooting through the US through mid-November, including a date at the Fun Fun Fun Fest with a shit-ton of great bands (but no Flipper), and a string of dates with Tom Gabel of Against Me! (who recently played a solo show of his own).

Thao Nguyen recently ate books with Paul Simon, Department Of Eagles, Tunde Adebimpe, Kyp Malone, Parker Posey, Ira Glass, Bobby Cannavale and Patricia Clarkson.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Hotel Cafe vs Chuck Ragan The Revival - 2008 tour dates, Jaymay, Thao Nguyen, & Stories in High Fidelity"

photos by Chris Graham

The Weakerthans

Continue reading "Weakerthans, Black Keys, other Bumbershoot day two pics"

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"