photos by Greg Cristman

"still pumped from seeing KILLING JOKE at Irving Plaza last night. They played a ton of old stuff, and the new jams were just as good!" - John

"Killing Joke @ Irving Plaza. They have lost nothing over time" - Ann Wagner Hall

Invisible Oranges: The new album is called Absolute Dissent. In a world where about two percent of the population controls half of the wealth and thus the power associated with it, is real dissent even possible?

Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke: I think so, and I think it comes down to education in the end. We invariably create elites when only about one percent of the population understands the complex issues of the day. Look at the American electorate with the tea baggers and [Sarah] Palin. When it comes to foreign policy, many of these people aren't very informed. I believe in personal politics. I don't really participate in actual politics. Civil liberties are very dear to me, something we must not relinquish. That's the responsibility of every citizen, to ensure that civil liberties are maintained in a free and democratic system. Basically, what I'm trying to say is we are shaping the future. We all have to participate in finding solutions.

Killing Joke was supposed to kick off their US tour on 12/2 at The Black Cat in DC, but due to visa issues, ended up playing their first show in NYC at Irving Plaza the next night (Friday, 12/3). The now-twelve date jaunt (was thirteen) is to show off their colossal new and reccommended LP Absolute Dissent (discussed above).

Greg Cristman, who goes to a lot of shows, described this one as one of the best twenty-five he's ever seen, and definitely the best of 2010. It was insanely loud but sounded great. "Jaz went off on this rant about the condition of the world and the rip offs and pollution and shit chemical companies with his magnificently scorched vocals. It was a truly an epic moment- fucking Godhead! Coleman was in full makeup and looked insane. Like Al Pacino in Scarface possessed by vampires. The crowd was really into and most everyone was dancing wildly. The set was about an hour and a half."

The full Killing Joke setlist with more pictures from the show (Android Lust opened), below...

Continue reading "Killing Joke played Irving Plaza again (pics & setlist)"

photos by Alexander Stein

Are you in the holiday spirit yet? Last night (12/1) was the first of the 101.9 RXP "Yule Rock Holiday Concert Series" featuring Broken Bells (whose member Danger Mouse recently collaborated with Jack White) and Karen Elson (who is married to Jack White), a series that continues tommorrow night (12/3) with My Chemical Romance at the sold-out Hammerstein Ballroom (one of three upcoming NYC MY Chemical Romance shows). The show was also the start of a short stint of Broken Bells tour dates that will last through the middle of the month, hitting nine cities before closing up shop at Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, California.

Karen Elson next appears in NYC as part of her group the Citizens Band at Highline Ballroom on December 18th...

"Equal parts show-stopping performers, political activists, eclectic tastemakers and headstrong personalities, The Citizens Band has been one of the most lauded and prominent staples of New York City nightlife for the past few years - a potent combination of the city's urban smarts, diverse style and forward-thinking attitude. Performers for "The Past is a Foreign Country" include Chelsea Bacon, Mr. Blue, Ian Buchanan, Michael Cavadias, Adam Crystal, Jorjee Douglass, Karen Elson, Sarah Sophie Flicker, Rachelle Garniez, Mike Jackson, Dave Lebleu, Mark McAdam, Angela McCluskey, Amy Miles, Jon Natchez, Jeff Palmiotti, Rain Phoenix, Kelly Pratt, Matt Ray, Ronin and Leah Siegel with direction by Calla Videt."

The show "promotes the new Blue Key campaign, tackling the topic of refugees and displaced people. The Blue Key campaign, organized by USA for UNHCR draws attention to the work of the UN Refugee Agency and the global refugee crisis." Tickets are on sale.

Were you at the Irving Plaza show? Did Broken Bells mention their Grammy nomination from the stage? Maybe RXP morning host Matt Pinfield said something about it?

More pictures from the show, with both setlists, below...

Continue reading "Broken Bells & Karen Elson played Irving Plaza (pics, setlists), Citizens Band playing Highline Ballroom"

Doug playing w/ Yo La Tengo, Hanukkah 2008 (more by Natasha Ryan)

Non-classic Guided By Voices member Doug Gillard will open for the classic lineup of Guided By Voices at Irving Plaza on New Years Eve. The show is sold out.

photos by Toby Tenenbaum, words by Rachel Kowal

The members of Junip may not have celebrated Thanksgiving growing up, but the Swedish group's music was perfect for Wednesday night's lazy, pre-holiday haze.

The evening began with a set by the talented group Lost in the Trees. From watching the cheerful interactions among the musicians on stage, it may be tempting to write off the North Carolinians as a bit too precious, but chief songwriter/composer Ari Picker's dark lyrics and foreboding orchestral solos are often anything but sweet and innocent. Dead babies, dashed hopes, dirty secrets, and sick hearts were all mentioned in the band's opening song, "All Alone in an Empty House." With the lyrics in mind, all those knowing glances exchanged on stage take on the sinister tone of a conniving group of co-conspirators.

The band may not have directly serenaded the audience by unplugging their instruments and hopping off stage as is often the case at their shows, but their performance was certainly not lacking in bravado. The audience easily warmed to their satisfying set.

Following Lost in the Trees, a strange series of projected images and videos (like psychedelic shadow puppets and car-driving cats) filled the screen as a way to distract concert-goers during the set-up process. Then, the screen lifted and Junip began to play at 9:45 sharp.

Even those who are relatively new to Junip may recognize the dulcet tones of José González on vox. What may come as a surprise is that González began making music with Junip more than four years before he embarked on successful career as a solo artist. Junip retains González' understated, largely indecipherable vocals and serious guitar work while boasting peppier percussion and fuller instrumentation thanks to collaborators Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn. Now, after over a decade of sporadic activity, the group has embarked on a more serious regimen to coincide with the recent release of Fields.

In my personal experience, getting used to a bedroom musician's work with a band can be rough (Iron & Wine, anybody?), but since this project's name denotes a departure from José González, the solo artist, Junip becomes much easier to digest and enjoy.

Junip's setlist, more pictures from the show, and a Big Ass Lens profile of the band that was filmed at the show, below...

Continue reading "Junip & Lost in the Trees played Irving Plaza (pics, setlist) "

photos by Chris Doss

"Wow...New York, jaded? HELL NAW, New York was on FIRE!!!!! The best show I have ever had in the city in 14 years. Brooklyn Bowl tomorrow!!" - DJ Shadow

As you can read above, DJ Shadow had a grand 'ol time at Irving Plaza last night (11/15), as did one attendee:

This time [DJ Shadow] came with his "Shadowsphere" a giant white orb that he dj'ed inside of, fully equipped to take you to another dimension. This video [below] doesn't give justice to 3D effect it has in person, but it's pretty incredible. While DJ Shadow cranks out the beats, his nerd navigator projects multiple video sequences on the sphere and onto the main screen behind it. Some of the effects are mind blowing and will freak you out! This vid has some of my favorite tunes back-to-back with some really nice live dnb remixing. It's another must see DJ Shadow performance. -[AOK Studios]

Pigeon John opened and does again tonight at Brooklyn Bowl, which was sold out but it back on sale. More dates HERE. More pictures and some videos from Irving, below...

Continue reading "DJ Shadow played in his Shadowsphere @ Irving Plaza (pics & video) (does it again w/Pigeon John tonight @ Brooklyn Bowl)"

photos by Greg Cristman

[The Dresden Dolls have] been on hiatus for a few years, with both members working on other projects. ...It's difficult to find a crowd as receptive as the one that'll skip Halloween parties to show up for a cult act that hasn't played in a few years. This was a sold-out venue full of people who really, really wanted to be there -- most of them to see the Dolls, but also a few older rock geeks who came to see the Legendary Pink Dots, a long-running and hard-to-define act that Palmer calls her favorite.

The fans got their money's worth, too, and not just because of the big balloon drop during a cover of the viral-video "Double Rainbow" song. The band -- Palmer on electric piano and vocals, and the terrific Brian Viglione on drums (and pantomime asides) -- is built to be stagey and theatrical, and they have a looseness that's great to watch. They know each other and their set well enough that they can wind down in the middle of a song to chatter among themselves or talk back to the audience. They pepper their act with storytelling numbers. They've also collected exactly the kind of fan base that enjoys dressing up and gathering together at their feet, which is a good bet for Halloween. -[New York Magazine]

The Halloween show at Irving Plaza was the first of a short reunion tour run for The Dresden Dolls, and was one date on a separate tour for The Legendary Pink Dots who also played Le Poisson Rouge a couple of days earlier.

The show was also an anniversary of sorts for the band; it was on Halloween in 2000 that Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione first met. While the band has been on hiatus, Amanda has been busy making an even bigger name for herself. And take note: she is reportedly moving to Brooklyn in July (which is when she is also reportedly getting married to Neil Gaiman).

More Pictures from the gig (including DD's setlist and the costumed crowd), and some videos (including their cover of "War Pigs"), below...

Continue reading "the Dresden Dolls & Legendary Pink Dots played a Halloween show @ Irving Plaza (pics, video, setlist)"

Did you get your Guided by Voices New Years Eve tickets? If so, you probably got this email from Ticketmater:

Attention ticket holder!

We just learned that fans must be 21 years or older to attend this event, valid photo ID required at the gate:

Guided by Voices
Irving Plaza
Friday, December 31 with doors opening at 8PM

If you're 21 years or older no worries, your original tickets are still good. If not, we'll gladly give you a refund. We'll refund your order, including fees (except UPS and InStore Pick Up, if applicable).

Need a refund? We'll refund your order, including fees (except UPS and InStore Pick Up, if applicable). Just hit reply to this email by December 1st by 5PM, include the last four digits of the credit card used for purchase, the order number, and the name on the account, and we'll take care of it for you! We'll refund your order immediately, but please note that it can take about 7 - 10 business days to post to your account.
Questions? Just hit reply and ask us or visit Ticketmaster.com!

Guided by Voices hit Fallon, Boston, Philly and Terminal 5 in NYC this Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Video of the band on the Jon Stewart show on 1995 (the same year live bootleg "For All Good Kids" was recorded), below...

Continue reading "Guided by Voices giving NYE show refunds to those under 21 "

backstage @ the Atlanta show (seanstarwars)

I can't tell you how many times I asked people "when is Guided by Voices going to add a 2nd NYC show?" "Not going to happen" they always responded. Well, from one point of view they were right. It still didn't get added to the tour they announced almost four months ago. That's the same tour that hit Matador 21 and includes a single, sold out, November 7th NYC show at Terminal 5 (which also happens to be the final date of the tour).

However, a 2nd NYC show has been added! And it takes place almost 2 months later, December 31st, 2010 to be exact, at Irving Plaza ($72 ADV; $75 DOS, Tickets on sale Sat, Nov 6 @ 10AM).

The Roots, Sharon Jones, Patti Smith, Passion Pit, Phish, and Drive-By Truckers, and Gov't Mule are all also playing New Years Eve shows in the NYC-area.

Check out the 40 song setlist Guided by Voices played in Atlanta this past Saturday night, below...

Continue reading "Guided by Voices add 2nd NYC show... on New Years Eve!"

photos by Keith Marlowe

In his book Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science, and Bad Religion in a World Without God, Greg Graffin says, "For me, the existence or nonexistence of God is a non-issue."

He's a naturalist, the lead singer of the punk rock band Bad Religion.

The notorious punk riot at the El Portal Theater in Los Angles on December 29, 1990 made his band infamous... but Graffin wasn't involved in it.

He still tours internationally with his band, whose new album The Dissent of Man celebrates 30 years of Bad Religion.

Graffin also has a PhD in zoology from Cornell. When he is not on stage, he teaches evolution at UCLA. -[CNN]

Author Greg Graffin and his band Bad Religion are in the midst of celebrating 30 years with 3 special shows at Irving Plaza in NYC. The third and final date is tonight (10/27). Off With Their Heads and Aggrolites are the openers at all three. More dates, including the now Devo-less Fun Fun Fun Fest, HERE.

The first NYC show was on 10/20, during CMJ. At that show they explored early material. The second show was last night (10/26). Pictures from the first show adorn this post. They continue, with both setlists, below...

Continue reading "Bad Religion played 2 shows @ Irving Plaza (pics, setlists), 1 more to go (tonight) "

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

Unfortunately, I missed most of the [CMJ] day panels due to work and school - but I was able to get my badge and head over to my favourite venue, Irving Plaza, to see Jenny and Johnny...

At Irving Plaza, a more mature-sounding Jenny Lewis with fresh material awaited my presence. Jenny and Johnny do drift a bit away from Rilo Kiley by adding a mix of country and a male voice to Lewis's new sound. The country guitar twang on "Scissor Runner" was defintely more pronounced when performed live and was appreciated by everyone in attendance. Jenny also dedicated "New York Cartoon" to the people of New York City, which was something I appreciated...
Jonathan Rice has been a great addition to Jenny Lewis's repertoire. Hope there's more Jenny and Johnny in the future. -[B-Sides]

Jenny & Johnny headlined the Ground Control Touring showcase at Irving Plaza last night (10/19), their only CMJ show . The openers on the other hand are each playing other times in NYC this week. They were Wild Nothing, Times New Viking, Happy Birthday, and La Sera.

Jenny and Johnny are now on tour. More pictures, some videos and the setlist from the show (just the headliner for now), below...

Continue reading "Jenny & Johnny played Irving Plaza (pics, video, setlist) "

photos by Alexis Maindrault, words by Andrew Frisicano

As their Twitter makes clear, this tour, the Thermals are into Furbys. The blinking, ear-wiggling, talking (though not during the show) animatronic creatures took the stage, courtesy of a roadie, five minutes before the band: The Thermals will not play without their Furbys. The trio came out (Hutch, Kathy and drummer Westin, who always kind of looks like their child playing drums for mom and dad's band), and it was "Here's Your Future," the rousing first track off The Body, the Blood, the Machine (BBM, if you will) that got the blood flowing to start off the night.

"We opened for Sleater-Kinney here five years ago," Hutch said of Irving Plaza, the mildly impersonal hall (partially because of the barricade between band and crowd) that hawks its popcorn and pizza (both a bit too pricy) between bands.

Tonight they were headlining, and playing in support of new record Personal Life, an inward look from the band prone to fist-pumpable anthems (the "When We Were Alive" boast of "you shoulda seen us in our PRIME" being one prime example). Shedding some light on the LP, Hutch remarked, "It's not about my personal life [pause]...it's slightly about my personal life." Which is good news for people looking for the band to take a new direction after the sorta meandering "Now We Can See," the much lighter follow-up to the agit-punk epic BBM.

At Irving Plaza, BBM's "Returning to the Fold" elicited mock baptisms and prayerful hands aloft in rapture. For that same album's single, "Pillar of Salt," even the soundboard operator, who had previously sold me my ticket (multi-tasking!), sang along.

The group also tapped into their first two albums, collections that could be described with words like "arty," "lo-fi," "post-." Thankfully, almost 10 years later, those tracks still stand up to repeated abuse live. They continue to be among the most energetically recieved, and it's fairly easy to see why. The tempos are fast, and Westin at the edge of his seat pounds the beats into the hi-hat and snare.

Personal Life is another beast all together. The drum kit is less manic, often tapping away at the ride cymbal, while the guitar drops at times to out put the bass up front. For those songs ("There's Nothing You Can't Learn," "Never Listen To Me," "Not Like Any Other Feeling") Hutch barely goes to his guitar, instead articulating the lyrics in Craig Finn-like gestures and poses. I'm sure the crowd will be jiving along with him in future shows, but here at least, it was fun to watch.

Second opener Twin Shadow (I missed So Cow unfortunately) filled in ably for Cymbals Eat Guitars, with their laid-back synth-pop. Twin Shadow's sound is immediately appealingly, syrupy and retro (chill, even), but the smooth vocals of George Lewis Jr. make the band a sexier enterprise than other gauzy '80s-inspired bands. In their hands, the big space felt like an intimate bedroom session.

More tour dates HERE. More pictures from the show (So Cow included), and the Thermals setlist, below...

Continue reading "The Thermals, Twin Shadow & So Cow played Irving Plaza (pics & setlist) "

by BBG

Change of plans. Though all signs pointed toward a single date at Roseland for Bad Religion on 10/20, the band will now take their show downtown for a TRIO of shows at Irving Plaza: 10/20, 10/26, and 10/27. But wait! There's more:

To celebrate their 30th anniversary Bad Religion has chosen New York City's Irving Plaza to host 3 historic nights of music showcasing different albums from across the decades.

Night 1 (10/20) - From How Can Hell Be Any Worse to No Control:
On this night a selection of songs focusing on the first decade of the band will be played. A great cross section of songs that introduced the world to Bad Religion. This will also include an evening of hits and new songs.

Night 2 (10/26) - Against the Grain to No Substance:
Just like night one, this first set will focus on songs from Against the Grain, Generator, Recipe for Hate, Stranger than Fiction, The Gray Race and No Substance as well as hits and sings from the new release.

Night 3 (10/27) - The New America to The New Maps of Hell and Beyond:
Focusing on the last Decade of Bad Religion, This will include songs from The New America, Process of Belief, The Empire Strikes First, The New Maps of Hell and the new release.

All three shows will be opened by The Aggrolites & Off With Their Heads. Thinking the third night won't be too popular. Tickets go on presale Wed 8/25 at 10AM, and go on general sale Saturday (8/28) at noon for all three shows (10/20 tickets, 10/26, 10/27) or you can buy a VIP three-day pass! ("Includes ticket to all 3 nights, front of the line access, exclusive poster created for this event and a photo with the band on October 26th")

Updated tour dates, and some videos below...

Continue reading "Bad Religion playing 3 themed shows in NYC (not Roseland)"

DOWNLOAD: The Thermals - I Don't Believe You (MP3)

The Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl in April (more by Andrew Frisicano)

The Thermals will release a new album entitled "Personal Life" on September 7th via Kill Rock Stars...

"For their upcoming album Personal Life, The Thermals re-teamed with producer Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie). Walla and The Thermals have a long history together - Chris mixed the first Thermals LP (More Parts Per Million, 2003) and produced their second LP (Fuckin' A, 2004). Walla brought his signature brand of crisp, shiny pop production to Personal Life, as he has done for records by Tegan and Sara and Telekinesis, to name just a few. Personal Life was recorded to 2" tape and mixed to 1/2" tape, and vinyl enthusiasts will be happy to know the vinyl was mastered straight from tape, with no computers involved.

Sonically, Personal Life continues the Thermals tradition of high-energy punk/power/pop while also exploring darker, more introspective territory. Lyrically, Personal Life obsesses over love and lies with the same passion The Thermals have reserved for politics and death in the past.

The lead-off single from Personal Life, "I Don't Believe You" will be released as a 7" and digitally by Kill Rock Stars on August 10th, 2010."

Download that track for free above.

September is also when the Portland band will start playing shows again including a pre-tour performance at the Bumbershoot Festival, and a during-tour show at Irving Plaza in NYC on October 13th. That show, like many on the tour, is with Cymbals Eat Guitars who just played Siren Fest and Irving Plaza before that (weird for an "indie" band to play there even once these days). Tickets for the NYC show go on sale Monday at noon.

All dates below....

Continue reading "Thermals touring w/ Cymbals Eat Guitars - dates & a new MP3 "

photos by Gabi Porter

Face-melting faux guitar and a pair of furry red legwarmers led Matt "Romeo DanceCheetah" Cornelison to victory at the National Finals of the U.S. Air Guitar Championships at Irving Plaza Thursday night.

DanceCheetah, from Milwaukee, will go on to represent the United States at the World Championships in Oulu, Finland. He played Daft Punk's "Robot Rock" on his way to the title.

The champion came dressed in cheetah-print leggings, a flare-collared top and a massive belt buckle emblazoned with his initials.

"My mom helped me out with this belt," he said.

Cornelison beat out Ryan "Dreamcatcher" Laman, who played The Eagles' "Witchy Woman" in the final air-off.

The event's judges were comedian Myk Kaplan, talk-show host Rachel Maddow and her on-air contributor Kent Jones, and "Daily Show" correspondent Jason Jones. [DNA Info]

The US Air Guitar Finals took place Thursday night at Irving Plaza, one night after a related event happened at Lukcy Cheng's. More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Romeo Dance Cheetah wins Air Guitar Finals in NYC (pics) "

photos by Gabi Porter

I don't even fully understand what the "Fung Wah Metrocard Dark Horse Invitational" is, but it happened at Lucky Cheng's last night, and is somehow related to the Air Guitar National Finals happening at Irving Plaza tonight (7/22). So in honor of that, here are Gabi's pictures from it...

Continue reading "Air Guitar @ Lucky Cheng's (pics) & Irving Plaza (tonight) "

Irving Plaza - June 23, 2010 (EV Grieve)

Previously: Irving Plaza is getting its name back

photos by David Andrako

DOWNLOAD: The Morning Benders - Cold War (Wallpaper. Winter Remix) (MP3)

Broken Bells Shin James Mercer @ Irving Plaza

"Well this concert was amazing. After waiting for a good hour looking at some Mario/WWII footage combined with trippy backwards synth music on a screen, it's safe to say the audience was ready for the opening act. I'll be honest, I had no idea the Morning benders were playing, and although I have heard of them I didn't really know any of their songs. When they came on, to be honest I thought they were some local high school band, aged 14 tops. But the lead singers voice is really something- it captivated most in the audience (especially a drunk girl next to me who seemed to know all their songs - and subsequently left when they finished). Their music was tight - the bass and drum parts really fed off each other and the singers voice tied it all in. Their final song, Excuses featured them looping their voices and a huge cresendo where they all collapsed and finished. Although it was a little gimmicky, the levels were perfect and they executed it well.

Of course, the Broken Bells made us wait another hour and a bit until they were "ready". By the time they came on we had been standing for 2 and a half hours, making the opening notes of "October" sound even sweeter. Honestly I expected this concert to be meh..." [The Blue Radio]

The Morning Benders & Broken Bells tour ends this Friday, June 11th, in Athens. This past Saturday, June 5th, they stopped by Irving Plaza (yes, that's the venue's name) in NYC. That review and the pictures in this post are from that show.

The Morning Benders' next NYC show will be a free one on Governors Island with Freelance Whales and Wild Nothing. They're also back in NYC (where they live) for two shows at Summerstage with the Black Keys in July.

MB's full list of updated tour dates, the new Broken Bells video, the Broken Bells Irving setlist, and more pictures from the show, below...

Continue reading "Morning Benders played Irving Plaza w/ Broken Bells (pics & setlist), playing more shows (updated 2010 dates) "

"...the new name never caught on with fans, and now, bending to what it says has been unrelenting demand, Live Nation is restoring the old name and installing a replica of the old marquee. The first show at the new Irving Plaza will be on June 23, with Taking Back Sunday, a Long Island emo band.

"It's always going to be Irving Plaza in New Yorkers' minds," said Kevin Morrow, president of Live Nation's New York division. "That's where the mistake was made: taking a name and putting it on a building that already had a history and emotional ties with the local music scene."

The change is a rare admission of misjudgment by Live Nation, a giant worldwide promoter. But since the company merged with Ticketmaster this year, its every move has been scrutinized, and Mr. Morrow -- who began running Live Nation's operations in New York a few months after the name change -- said the restoration of the old name was part of a companywide effort to improve its image..." [NY Times]

Irving Plaza became The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza back in 2007, but we never stopped calling it just plain old "Irving Plaza" (which makes it really easy to deal with this official change back).

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

There was nothing wrong with the Bunnymen show [in Washinton DC] on Friday [April 30th]. OK, that's not exactly true. We could have done without some of those meandering medleys that seemed to exist just so Ian McCulloch could sing a verse of "Walk on the Wild Side." The band sounded fine, Will Sergeant still plays great guitar, McCulloch still earns the right to wear sunglasses (and smoke) indoors. We put up with a handful of new tunes and they played all the hits everyone came to hear: "Bring on the Dancing Horses," "Seven Seas," "Villiers Terrace," "Lips Like Sugar," "The Killing Moon," etc.

A few dudes in their 40s and 50s wearing Docksides danced and played air guitar. It was fun, but all nostalgia, as it goes for an increasing number of shows these days. At these kinds of shows expectations will often be met, but rarely exceeded. (Note: This is not a cut-and-dried rule and when you hear me claim that the Clean played show of the year on Friday night, feel free to call me out.) [Washington Post]

Echo and the Bunnymen played two nights in a row at Irving Plaza, May 1st and 2nd, a pair of shows that wrapped up their post-Coachella North American tour. The first was with Kelly Stoltz instead of Hatcahm Social and the second was opened by Apollo Heights.

All upcoming tour dates, a new Blogotheque session and more pictures from the second NYC show, below...

Continue reading "Echo & the Bunnymen played Irving Plaza (belated pics) "

"No smoking at the Buzzcocks show, apparently there's a bomb scare outside. Fuckbeans..." - Joey Outten

Irving Plaza - 5/13/2010 (pics via tonearmmgmt & domifanotherkid)

"New York City police evacuated several floors of a building and several streets were blocked off near Manhattan's Union Square after a Thursday night report of a suspicious vehicle with two gas cans found in the back seat.

The bomb squad suited up and began an investigation of the 1991 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, which was found in front of the Con Edison utility building around 10 p.m.

Chief police spokesman Paul Browne said several floors of a high-rise residential building were evacuated and some streets in the area were blocked off as a precaution. It wasn't immediately clear if the vehicle was a threat.

Union Square, located on Manhattan's East Side, is a major pedestrian and tourist thoroughfare. New York University, Greenwich Village, and the landmark Flatiron building are nearby." [AP]

Also nearby: Irving Plaza where last night's Buzzcocks show was happening at the same time as the bomb scare. Mikey reports that "they stopped mid-song (E.S.P.) to say the police want the owner of a 91 blue cutlass to move his car. Then finished the song..." and that "The announcement was made around 1130 and they continued playing untli midnight." Rob confirms that "Brilliant Buzzcocks show goes on despite bomb scare right outside. Surreal coming out into the street jammed w/bomb squad, cops, fireman." And finally, Michaela reports:

Amazing show tonight, truly did both albums and long, long encore. (Irving Plaza's crappy sound system was just an insult!) And yes to Anon 2:25, no Howard Devoto, but Diggle did a rabid Harmony in My Head. Glorious, and they too seemed to have had a great time!

The albums they played were Another Music in a Different Kitchen and Love Bites, and if you missed it, they aren't going very far. The next two stops on their 22-date North American tour are Friday night in Philly and Saturday in Farmingdale, NY! Videos from Wednesday's Baltimore show below...

Continue reading "bomb scare in Union Square & at the NYC Buzzcocks show"

"Why I didn't get Echo and the Bunnymen tickets for tonight is beyond me"
- Nicole Atkins

Echo & the Bunnymen @ Coachella (more by Rachel Carr)

"One of the few U.K. post-punk bands still kicking around, Echo and the Bunnymen launched their new tour with a performance at Coachella earlier this month and then hit stateside clubs in support of their most recent album, last year's The Fountain, a moody, atmospheric record that sounds a lot like their subdued releases from the middle of the decade.

Singer Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant are the only remaining original members. They've fleshed out the lineup with a group of capable young hired hands." [Cleveland Scene]

Luckily for Nicole, and anyone else who wants to see Echo and The Bunnymen but missed Saturday night's show at Irving Plaza, they (and opener Hatcham Social?) play the same venue again Sunday (a date that was added since the the original tour announcement). Tickets are still on sale.

by Dominick Mastrangelo

Midway through "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed", Los Campesinos! lead-singer Gareth speaks the line, "I taught myself the only way to vaguely get along in love/ is to like the other slightly less than you get in return" which seems like sound advice until the next line, "I feel like I'm being undercut!"

And so it is with the Welsh band who filled their show with those mantras and credos at Irving Plaza on Monday (4/26). It was the their first show in NYC since releasing Romance Is Boring, their second official full length. It was also their first show here with new member, Gareth's sister, Kim following the departure of Aleks last year. And though I missed seeing Aleks on stage, Kim more than held her own.

The band finally made it to New York having rescheduled the show from last Thursday due to the volcano in Iceland that disrupted many European bands with touring plans in the States. During a break, a few people in the crowd started chanting, "Fuck volcanoes! Fuck volcanoes!" And there were still some peripheral signs that all was not totally up to speed with their tour when Gareth mentioned they only had shirts to sell at the merch table. "We don't have any records for you. They're in Canada. And Canada won't let us have them."

But their set was killer. Going for just over an hour, it ended with half of the band (Gareth, Kim, Neil and touring member, Rob) in the crowd for the encore, "Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats" and its own one-liner, "I'm taking far too many chances on these less than idealistic romances." It was those cathartic and anthemic moments that the crowd devoured, shouting along with Gareth, "We need more post-coital and less post-rock!" on "Straight in at 101" or "Can we all please just calm the fuck down!" n "There is a Flag. There is no wind."

The danciest number was always going to be "You! Me! Dancing!" and the build up was fantastic with Gareth up on the riser for Ollie's drum kit banging away at his cymbals. They followed that with the title track from "We Are Beautiful" and then into the slow, devastating burn of "The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future." "She said one day to leave her /sand up to her shoulders / Waiting for the tide / To drag her to the ocean, to another sea's shore / This thing hurts like hell," Gareth sang alternating between a primal scream and painful calmness only for the crowd to join him in another cathartic line "But what did you expect?" before the song exploded with Harriet's violin and Rob's synths pulling the song's chorus along.

Cymbals Eat Guitars opened the show and is on tour with the European band now. More pictures and the setlist from Irving Plaza below...

Continue reading "Los Campesinos! and Cymbals Eat Guitars actually played Irving Plaza in NYC - pics & setlist"

Joey Ramone's annual birthday party is happening at Irving Plaza on Wednesday, May 19th. The lineup has been announced and acts in attendance include Hank III, Ronnie Spector,Batusis (NY Dolls' Sylvain Sylvain and Cheetah Chrome of Rocket From the Tombs/Dead Boys), Sic F*ucks, ex-Voidoid Ivan Julian and The Independents, Heap. Tickets are on sale (the show is a benefit for lymphoma research).

Sylvain Sylvain also has a show coming up with the Dolls in Brooklyn in May. David Johansen plays a solo one in June.

Videos of those acts, the Ramones and Adam West's original Batusi are below...

Continue reading "Joey Ramone's 2010 birthday show lineup announced"

photos by Brian Reilly

While the crowd waited for Gogol to come on stage, they were entertained by trippy videos, along with hip-hop and world music from Haiti I believe? At least that's what I thought Eugene Hutz said. Gogol Bordello came on at 9:30pm and rock Irving Plaza like they always do! Eugene came out and started to play "Illumination," slowly more members came out to play along...At some point they played "Pala Tute" which is the song they performed with Madonna at Live Earth in 2007. That song I believe, is on their new album.

After that, "Not A Crime" was played and the crowd went insane. Same goes with "Wonderlust King." I noticed throughout the concert that Pedro was more involved than the last time I saw the band, and Pamela wasn't really as involved as Elizabeth was. Pedro was playing the drum and bongos a lot more, and the girls were in the background for majority of the set. Eugene is such a unique and energetic frontman that it's hard not to keep your eyes off him. Sergey is an exciting fiddle player as well. Without a doubt, Gogol is still one of the best live acts in the world right now. [Read Junk]

The above review and the pictures here are from Gogol Bordello's March 9th show at Irving Plaza, which Jesse Malin and St. Mark's Social opened.

Gogol Bordello have tour dates in North America and Europe scheduled around the release of their new record, Trans-Continental Hustle, which comes out April 27th on American Recordings.

More pictures from the show and the full setlist are below...

Continue reading "Gogol Bordello & Jesse Malin @ Irving Plaza - pics & setlist"

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Dillinger, moving in speeds unfathomable by the naked eye

The Dillinger Escape Plan played Irving Plaza as part of an ongoing tour to promote Option: Paralysis, their new LP due out this week on Season of Mist. Joined by DC's Darkest Hour, the tech-y Animals as Leaders, and the atrocious iwrestledabearonce, the band played a set that varied across their entire career to the backdrop of flashing coordinated LEDs. Both awesome and an eyesore, it went along with the band's blitzkreig set and malfunctioning computer aesthetic (maybe they got some tips from their friend Trent Reznor)... Incredible set from these greats.

Check out the video for DEP's "Farewell Mona Lisa", as well as some pics of DEP and Darkest Hour (Samantha missed the others) below...

Continue reading "Dillinger Escape Plan & Darkest Hour @ Irving Plaza - pics"