photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Dave Grohl & Madison Square Garden

Last night at NYC's Madison Square Garden, Dave Grohl and the boys not only played past midnight -- a rarity given the venue's typical 11 p.m. curfew -- but during the encore, they brought out Joan Jett and Husker Du leader Bob Mould for rip-roaring covers of "Bad Reputation" and Tom Petty's "Breakdown," respectively.

Before all that, however, the band was doing fine on its own. F-bombs were flying from Grohl's mouth, shred-heavy solos coming from his fingers, and laps through the audience kept him running (via an extended stage that spanned the distance of general admission). It was an inspiring bit of frontman badassery -- a universal truth to those in attendance at the packed arena, which has recently undergone a makeover.

The Foos' 24-song set, which was preceded by openers Social Distortion and the Joy Formidable, kicked off around 9:30, led by "Bridge Burning" and a handful of other standouts off the band's latest, "Wasting Light." Grohl's standard "it's going to be a looooong night" line was met by hearty cheers, as was his "Guitar Hero" rant, in which Grohl urged parents to buy their kids "a real one [guitar]... they might write something like this ['Monkey Wrench']."..; [Billboard]

Continue reading "Foo Fighters, Social Distortion, Joy Formidable (and Bob Mould & Joan Jett) played MSG (pics, video & setlist)"

Though no longer in Asser Levy Park (for now), Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz returns for the 33rd time with his Seaside Summer Concert Series in Coney Island in 2011. Now located at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue (next to the home of the Brooklyn Cyclones), there will be free shows every Thursday through August 18. All shows start at 7:30 PM.

The series kicks off right on July 14 with a free show by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and ends with one by Cheap Trick! Full schedule, mystery night included, and more info, below...

Continue reading "2011 Seaside Summer Concert Series lineup (free shows in Coney Island - Joan Jett & Cheap Trick included)"

photos by Chris Graham

Pavement @ Sasquatch Fest 2010

The above-pictured Pavement show took place in May 2010 (and wasn't free). In September, Pavement will play Virgin Mobile FreeFest (and it is free)....

"Breaking from traditional festivals, the Virgin Mobile FreeFest presented by Kyocera unveiled its lineup for the award-winning festival, selecting relevant, important, and eclectic headliners to represent this year's free show. This morning, Chairman of the Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson announced the lineup on Virgin Mobile Live, the company's new Internet music stream available on Virgin Mobile websites.

The lineup will include:

M.I.A., LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, PAVEMENT, T.I., LUDACRIS, JOAN JETT, THIEVERY CORPORATION, MATT & KIM, JIMMY EAT WORLD, THE TEMPER TRAP, EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS, AND YEASAYER;

DANCE FOREST: CHROMEO, SLEIGH BELLS, DIE ANTWOORD, MODESELEKTOR, AND NEON INDIAN

Not bad for a free show (and yet another Pavement show!). More details, with the full set of pictures of Pavement playing this year's Sasquatch Fest, below...

Continue reading "Virgin Mobile FreeFest lineup +++ Pavement Sasquatch pics "

DOWNLOAD: Living Things - Oxygen (MP3)

Dee Dee?? (Living Things @ Highline / more by Leia Jospe)

St. Louis garage rockers Living Things are about to appear as one of their hero bands, the Ramones in the now-filming The Runaways, the biopic about the groundbreaking 70's all-girl hard rock group led by Joan Jett. Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame plays Jett, with Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon as the band's "Svengali" Kim Fowley...Living Things have already recorded a cover of "We're A Happy Family."

In addition to having a useful resemblance in attitude to the punk progenitors, the band has a direct line into the production - singer Lillian Berlin is the husband of the film's writer and director Floria Sigismondi.

In other movie news, the The Sun UK reports that "drug-guzzling shock-rocker" Marilyn Manson will be filming a musical, "Goth-inspired" version of Cinderella with Harry Potter's Emma Watson. 500 Days of Summer, starring She of She & Him, has an indie rock soundtrack that includes Feist, The Black Lips, and She & Him. Funny People, in addition to featuring characters wearing indie rock t-shirts, also has an indie-friendly soundtrack. Oh, and Patton Oswalt is a Big Fan.

A pic from the set of The Runaways movie, with Living Things tour dates, and some trailers, below...

Continue reading "a film about The Runaways starring Living Things as The Ramones + Marilyn Manson in Cinderella & other movie news"

By Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Le Loup - "Shenandoah" (MP3) (on Amnesty comp)
DOWNLOAD: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts & guests - Silent Night (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Deer Tracks - Christmas Fire (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Twiggy Frostbite - Bells & Chimes (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Emotron - Santa Claus (I Still Believe In You) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: (Savanteous Q Malmsteen) - What Do You Get A Wookie for Christmas
DOWNLOAD: The Revelations - It's That Time Of Year (MP3)

With holiday mixes in the air, Amnesty International has released I'll Stay 'Til After Christmas, a benefit comp featuring No Kids, Blitzen Trapper, Parentheitcal Girls, Sally Shapiro, and more (full tracklist below).

Then there's the free all-Swedish Xmas mix up at Swedes Please. Among the songs posted is the new duet between The Hives and Cyndi Lauper, "A Christmas Duel," video below (or buy the song on iTunes).

Speaking of Cyndi and good causes, True Colors is auctioning off a chance to hang out with the Best Electronic/Dance Album nominee as part of its first annual online charity auction to benefit GLBT equality groups the True Colors Fund, CenterLink, and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).

The package includes "1-hour voice lesson, plus lunch, with Cyndi Lauper, in NYC. 2 roundtrip domestic coach tickets on American Airlines and a 2-night stay at Hotel on Rivington included." It's currently going for $4,000. Full list of items on auction here.

And speaking of Christmas music and female 80's icons that have toured for True Colors...

"Blackheart Records, the rock label Joan Jett started over 25 years ago, has released its holiday compilation record, and it's available at the iTunes store. The 11-song digital album features rocked-out holiday standards and originals recorded by Jett and Blackheart bands including Girl in a Coma, The Dollyrots, The Cute Lepers and more."

Also for download up there is a selection of holiday MP3's from the inbox.

Other Christmas album options this year include new ones by Sufjan's friend Rosie Thomas and Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster, and one by The Raveonettes. For a Christmas show, check out the always fun McGarrigle Christmas Hour this Wednesday night at Carnegie Hall. Guests this year include Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Emmylou Harris and Justin Bond.

Videos (including one by Glasvegas) and tracklists below...

Continue reading "more Christmas songs & comps & charities - the Hives, Joan Jett, Cyndi Lauper, Sweden, No Kids, Glasvegas & more"

last night (April 17, 2008) in NYC....

More than a few special guests (and I don't mean the protesters) showed up to the opening party/benefit inside the John Varvatos store (aka CBGB) on the Bowery last night (April 17, 2008). All photos by Randy Haecker, and there's more where they came from at his Flickr.

A lot of these guys were in town to play a different benefit show the night before.

Produced by True Colors Concerts in partnership once again with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the 24 city North American tour is presented by Logo in support of the newly created True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation. The concerts feature nearly five hours of nonstop music with exciting special guests appearing on select dates throughout the tour including Wanda Sykes, Tegan and Sara, Regina Spektor, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Joan Armatrading, Indigo Girls, Nona Hendryx, Deborah Cox and The Cliks.

This is the tour started by Cyndi Lauper that featured that last year featured Erasure, The Gossip, Dresden Dolls, Debbie Harry, and Cyndi herself. Last year's NYC-area show was at Radio City Music Hall. This year's show is at Radio City again (June 3rd w/ Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Regina Spektor, Rosie O'Donnell, Indigo Girls, The Cliks, & host Carson Kressley), but it's also at Jones Beach two days earlier (w/ the same lineup, but without Regina for some reason). That sucks that we don't get Tegan & Sara at all.

An "HRC Exclusive" presale starts March 10th. Regular tickets go on sale March 15th. All dates below....

Continue reading "'True Colors' is back - 2008 Tour Dates & lineup"

Continue reading "now Jimmy Kimmel Is f*cking Ben Affleck"

Continue reading "photos from Fashion Week, NYC (Feb 2008)"

Umbrellas were needed again....

Continue reading "Joan Jett rocked the river"

Michael J Fox will most likely not be in attendance at the free show tonight....

Continue reading "VIDEO: JOAN JETT - I Love Rock N' Roll (in color) ++++++++ FREE SHOW TONIGHT"

free shows @ Pier 54 @ 14th St, NYC, 2007
Jun 12 - Cartel in a bubble
Jun 28 - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Jul 19 - The Blind Boys of Alabama, Trombone Shorty, Sam & Ruby
Aug 09 - Yerba Buena, Los Amigos Invisibles, Jose Conde Y Ola Fresca

more info here.