R. Kelly is set to play his first NYC concert in six years four years at the annual Groovin' in the Park which will happen at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens on Sunday, July 1. The show will also feature Boyz II Men, Beres Hammond and Jimmy Cliff (who plays Prospect Park In June). Let's hope this goes off better than R. Kelly's recent "appearance" in Austin.

Tickets supposedly went on sale today (5/24), but the ticket page on the Groovin' in the Park website still says "coming soon." (According to the site, it's all done through PayPal too.) Check that site for updates. According to the ticket page, you can also get them at a variety of Queens locations which are listed at the bottom of this post, along with a Groovin' in the Park flyer and promo video.

In related news, R. Kelly will released his eleventh studio album, Write Me Back, on June 26. The only guest artist reported to be on the album is Young Jeezy. Check out the video for "Share My Love," along with the album art and tracklist below.

Continue reading "R. Kelly readying new LP; playing Roy Watkins Park in July"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Arctic Monkeys / Jimmy Cliff / Madness

"Jimmy Cliff made his Coachella debut yesterday with a masterful main stage set that included such classics as "The Harder They Come" and "Many Rivers To Cross." But for Cliff, hearing the crowd sing along to one of the tunes from his newest LP, Sacred Fire, was the day's highlight.

"I left the stage, and they were still singing 'One More.' I love it," Cliff told Rolling Stone backstage. It's an impressive feat for the reggae icon, considering that the Coachella crowd consists mostly of twenty-somethings born more than a decade after his Seventies heyday. "One young girl came up to me tonight with about five albums she asked me to sign," observes Cliff. "She said, 'My parents were listening to this and they brought me up on this.' They grew up on the albums. That happens a lot. You see all ages, and I love that." [Rolling Stone]

Coachella Day Two is now underway and streaming (update: Kendrick Lamar and Danny Brown joined Childish Gambino on stage during his early Saturday set).

More pictures from the first day of the fest (with even more HERE), below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2012 Day 1 pics (part 1) -- Madness, Jimmy Cliff, Arctic Monkeys, EMA, Gary Clark, David Hasselhof & more)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Bruce Springsteen @ Moody Theater/ACL Live/SXSW 2012 (via)

On Thursday night (3/15), Bruce Springsteen played Austin's Moody Theater with a packed lineup of guests. He brought out the show's opener Alejandro Escovedo, as well as Jimmy Cliff, Eric Burdon of the Animals, Tom Morello, and Régine Chassagne and Win and Will Butler from the Arcade Fire, the Low Anthem and Joe Ely. Check out a video of the set-closing cover of "This Land Is Your Land."

That show was in addition to the SXSW keynote speech, which he gave earlier in the day and which you can see below and stream at NPR.

Like the Apollo Theatre gig on March 9th, the show's capacity was quite a bit less than Bruce's usual stadium-sized tour dates, which start Sunday, March 18th.

You can see Alejandro Escovedo several more time at SXSW, including today (3/16) at the Jackalope.

Videos and set list from SXSW below...

Continue reading "Bruce Springsteen played w/ Arcade Fire & others, gave the keynote speech @ SXSW (video, setlist)"

Celebrate Brooklyn, aka the mostly-free concerts at the Prospect Park bandshell, announce:

JIMMY CLIFF TO KICK OFF 34th ANNUAL
CELEBRATE BROOKLYN! PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL
WITH FREE OPENING NIGHT CONCERT ON TUESDAY, JUNE 5

Evening Begins with Opening Night Gala Benefiting Free Summer Performing Arts Festival

Brooklyn | February 27, 2012 - BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn is pleased to announce that reggae legend Jimmy Cliff will open the 2012 Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Festival on Tuesday, June 5 in a free performance at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Throughout the past 50 years, Cliff has helped shape modern music with his influential and socially conscious work. This year marks the 40th anniversary of his landmark hits, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" and "The Harder They Come," which helped to make reggae mainstream throughout the world. He is the only living musician to hold Jamaica's Order of Merit, the highest honor granted for achievement in the arts and sciences. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence and Cliff's performance will pay tribute, not only to his origins, but to the great Jamaican population of Brooklyn.

The free concert by Cliff starts at 8:00 P.M. It will kick off the 34th season of free Celebrate Brooklyn! performances presented by BRIC in Prospect Park. Announcement of other performers at the Festival will come later this spring.

Meanwhile, those heading to Austin in March can catch Jimmy Cliff at SXSW. He's playing one of the free shows at Waterloo Records and the official Gorilla Vs Bear showcase at Hype Hotel.

He's also playing Coachellas this year.

A set of European tour dates is listed below...

Continue reading "Jimmy Cliff playing opening night @ Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park, Coachella & SXSW"

Radiohead @ Roseland Ballroom in 2011 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Coachella which is taking place over the course of two weekends this year (April 13-15 and 20-22) revealed their 2012 lineup. Last week, Azealia Banks was the first artist confirmed, and earlier today they confirmed The Weeknd (maybe he found a band?), and before that, Jimmy Cliff, Breakbot, and Housse De Racket. The reunited Pulp then announced itself. The full lineup also includes headliners The Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, not to mention, as predicted, the reunited At the Drive In and the reunited Mazzy Star (!), and Madness and Refused (!) and Jeff Mangum and many, many more that you can see below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2012 lineup announced (two weekends worth)"

Tickets are still on sale for DJ Shadow's upcoming show at Irving Plaza. And I have a couple of pairs you can win. Details below.

Tickets are still on sale for the Shearwater/Damien Jurado/Anni Rossi show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. And I have a pair you can win. Details below.

"WITNESS' 6th Annual Focus for Change Benefit Dinner & Concert" goes down on Thursday, December 2, 2010 at Roseland Ballroom in NYC. Co-Hosted by Peter Gabriel, there will be performances by Antibalas, Jimmy Cliff and Sheryl Crow. Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, will be there too. Click the link to get your $750 tickets.

Fistful of Mercy is Joseph Arthur, Ben Harper & Dhani Harrison, and you can catch them at the Apollo Theater on November 17th. Tickets are still on sale.

Tickets go on sale at noon for the upcoming Girl Talk shows at Wellmont Theatre and Terminal 5.

Tickets go on sale at noon for Gang of Four's show at Webster Hall.

Tickets go on sale at noon for the Interpol show at Radio City Music Hall.

Iron & Wine Radio City tickets are on sale now.

Tickets go on sale at noon for the Tokyo Police Club/Two Door Cinema Club show happening at Temrinal 5.

Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band play Terminal 5 on 2/12. Tickets are on sale.

Pete Yorn and Ben Kweller play Terminal 5 on 3/11. Tickets are on sale. Way before that you can catch Ben Kweller on his own solo tour which is underway now.

Bindlestiff Family Circus has been added as an opener to the New Years Eve Drive by Truckers show at Terminal 5. Tickets are still on sale.

UK band Peggy Sue are worth getting to Terminal 5 early on November 19th. They open that date for Kate Nash. Tickets are still on sale.

Randy Newman plays Town Hall on March 5th. Tickets are on sale.

Ray Davies plays the Beacon Theatre in NYC with the Dessoff Chamber Choir on Wednesday, November 24th, two days before his previously announced NJ show. Tickets are on sale.

Lia Ices, full of CMJ buzz, plays Mercury Lounge on 12/14. Tickets are on sale.

Rural Alberta Advantage play Mercury Lounge on 1/12. Tickets are on sale.

Contests below...

Continue reading "Peter Gabriel, Randy Newman, Ray Davies, Josh Ritter, DJ Shadow, Interpol, Girl Talk, Fistful of Mercy, Lia Ices & other tickets"

tonight in NYC
* Michael McDonald @ Caroline's
* Iron Maiden @ PNC Bank Arts Center
* Weed, Arches, Family Portrait @ Glasslands
* The Roots, Talib Kweli, more @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* 4th Annual Psychobilly Luau Weekender @ The Bell House
* David Dondero, Polite Sleeper, Sea of Bees @ Union Hall
* Little Gold, Pizza, Common Prayer, Cigarettes @ Death By Audio
* Failures, Raw Nerves, Vaccine, Rats in the Walls @ The Acheron
* Jimmy Cliff, Trevor Hall, Victor Démé @ Central Park SummerStage
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotono @ Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College
* Bobb Trimble's Flying Spiders, Loren Connors, Gary War, Samara Lubelski @ Can Factory Courtyard
* Xiu Xiu & Deerhoof playing Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures, Why?, Fang Island, Pictureplane @ Williamsburg Waterfront

M.I.A. is also rumored to be making a short appearance at an invite-only "/\/\/\Y/\ ALBUM JUMP UP PARTY" happening at PS1 today.

Bobb Trimble is here.

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotono, pictured above, make their North American debut tonight.

It's the first Pool Party of 2010. No World Cup there though. Xiu Xiu & Deerhoof are performing Joy Division.

Brooklyn Bowl is one of the many places you can watch the World Cup today.

A Jimmy Cliff (playing Summerstage today) video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

Gogol Bordello @ Brooklyn Bowl in April (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

Tickets for the Primus/Gogol Bordello show at Williamsburg Waterfront are now on Internet presale (password = CHEESE).

That concert happens on July 30th. The next night Primus rocks out at Bridgeport, CT's Gathering of the Vibes, where they'll headline with Jimmy Cliff, Damian Marley and Nas, and Sharon Jones. Tickets are on sale. The full lineup is here.

While Primus are gathering the vibes, Gogol Bordello will play Starland Ballroom in Sayerville, NJ on July 31st. Tickets for that are on sale Friday at noon.

Videos of last year's Gathering (music, hula hoops, "nitrous mafia," "Crazy Guy" and more) are below...

Continue reading "Gogol Bordello playing Starland, Primus playing Gathering of the Vibes (Williamsburg Waterfront on presale now)"

Central Park Summerstage (more by Chris La Putt)

The schedule for the 2010 SummerStage series, which has music not just at Central Park, is out, and there are some great looking shows to highlight.

At Central Park, the first "rock" show happens on Saturday, June 5th with Living Colour, Ebony Bones!, Pillow Theory and CX KiDTRONiK. Baaba Maal, who just played Irving Plaza, will be at Central Park too on Monday, June 14th The Tinariwen show on Saturday, June 26th also features Syrian beat & mikeman Omar Souleyman. Gil Scott-Heron plays Central Park in June and Marcus Garvey Park in August.

There's also El Guincho, Bostich and Fussible and others in Central Park on July 7th. Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff plays Central Park on Sunday, July 11th. Raphael Saadiq performs there Saturday, July 17 at 3pm. The Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba/Fool's Gold show on Sunday, July 25th will also feature "West African electronica" band Burkina Electric.

On Wednesday, July 21st, there'll be a Comedy Central's The Daily Show and Friends Central Park gig hosted by Lewis Black with John Oliver, Rob Riggle, Wyatt Cenac, Adam Lowitt and Rory Albanese.

There's also music from St. Vincent, Tune-Yards and Basia Bulat on August 1st at Central Park. The xx play with Jack Penate and Chairlift there on August 8th. At the same spot, Public Enemy play an August 15th day show to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Fear of A Black Planet, and the Specials play on August 22nd with Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears and $mall ¢hange.

The borough-wide shows kick off with Jay Electronica in Red Hook Park on June 1st. Also at that park is Dan Deacon on Tuesday, June 15th. White Rabbits play East River Park on August 12th.

There's lots of great jazz too: McCoy Tyner plays with Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding and Francisco Mela as part of the CareFusion Jazz Festival on June 23rd. He also plays in the Charlie Parker Jazz Fest, which comes at the end of the summer with an incredible lineup. McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Scott, Jason Moran and the Bandwagon and Revive da Live play during the day at Marcus Garvey on Saturday, August 28th. Then the next day, James Moody, Catherine Russell, Vijay Iyer and The JD Allen Trio play at Tompkins Square Park.

The park benefit shows include John Butler Trio and State Radio on June 15th (tickets on sale), The Flaming Lips on July 26th, The Black Keys with the Morning Benders on July 27th and 28th, Hot Chip/Hercules & Love Affair/Holy Ghost on August 4th, Govt' Mule on August 11th (tickets), and one of the four Pavement shows September 21-24. Plus there's a "songbook of Simon & Garfunkel" benefit on June 8th.

Not all "Summerstage" shows are in Central Park anymore which drives home the point even further that the name of the venue in Central Park is actually "Rumsey Playfield" which hosts non-"Summerstage" shows too. Those so far include Coheed/Torche, CAKE, Ween, and Broken Social Scene.

The full Summerstage free show schedule is below...

Continue reading "Summerstage (Central Park & elsewhere) - full 2010 lineup "

"The 2010 Lollapalooza line-up is official: Soundgarden, Green Day, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, and Phoenix will headline, joined by Social Distortion, MGMT, Jimmy Cliff, Hot Chip, and The Black Keys. With 130 bands on this year's bill, its sure to be a weekend long feast for the ears.

It's a monumental year for Lollapalooza, filled with homecomings, reunions, and first-times. Soundgarden, 1992 and 1996 Lollapalooza alumni, return to the Lollapalooza stage for their first performance since 1997. Green Day will rock Grant Park sixteen years after their first Lollapalooza appearance. While Lady Gaga will headline the festival only three short years after playing the BMI stage at Lollapalooza 2007.

Arcade Fire returns to Grant Park, having played the reincarnated Lollapalooza in 2005. This is the first Lollapalooza for The Strokes - and also their first show in four years. And making their Lollapalooza debut: Phoenix." - Lollapalooza

Continue reading "Lollapalooza actually announces 2010 lineup "

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) "