Lee Ranaldo @ Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

New York Guitar Festival is returning this January and has some upcoming events scheduled at the Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center. The guitarists will be premiering original film scores for silent films by Buster Keaton. Dan Zanes plays on January 10, Lee Ranaldo (of Sonic Youth) and Kaki King on January 12, Keller Williams and special guest TBA on January 17, and Califone and special guest TBA on January 19. Tickets go on sale September 6 from Kaufman Center's website, at the Box Office, or by calling 212 501 3330.

Califone also plays the Design Harvest Festival in Chicago on October 1st.

Dan Zanes has other upcoming shows in the next few months including John Wesley Harding's Cabinet of Wonders on September 23 at City Winery and October 2 at NYU's Skirball Center. Tickets are on sale for the City Winery show and the Skirball show. All dates below.

Keller Williams has other shows coming up too including a kids matinee show on November 19 at Brooklyn Bowl where he will perform songs from his family album Kids. Tickets and Family 4 Pack tickets are on sale now.

All Dan Zanes dates below...

Continue reading "NY Guitar Fest announces 2012 shows (Califone, Kaki King, Lee Ranaldo, Dan Zanes & more)"

Bettye Lavette at Highline Ballroom (more by Jacob Blickenstaff )

A quick reminder that one of the greatest songwriters of all-time, Neil Young, will be celebrated at Carnegie Hall in two days (2/10) as part of a benefit for music & arts programs of underpriviledged youth. The bill is beyond diverse, featuring The Roots, Nada Surf, Glen Hansard, DeVotchka, J Mascis and Bettye Lavette just to name a few of the twenty+ that are on board. "100% of the net proceeds from this event" will benefit charities like Fixing Instruments for Kids in Schools, Church Street School for Music & Art, The Pinwheel Project, Music Unites, The American Symphony Orchestra and Young Audiences New York, so pick up your tickets with a clear conscious!

Meanwhile, quite a few of the Neil Young-tribute artists have recently been or will be very active. Glen Hansard recently played City Winery and the Doveman show at LPR. Patti Smith & Jesse Smith are scheduled to play the Tibet benefit at Carnegie Hall in March. When Questlove of The Roots isnt going to see Prince or spinning at Brooklyn Bowl, he can be found on Jimmy Fallon. Nada Surf recently played Mercury Lounge and Rock Shop. DeVotchKa will play Highline in March with El Mariachi Bronx. Juliana Hatfield & Evan Dando were just at Maxwell's and the Bell House. J Mascis has his upcoming tour with shows at Mercury Lounge and MHoW.

Ben Ottewell of Gomez plays the Neil Young event and an early solo show at Mercury Lounge the next day.

And last, but certainly not least, Bettye Lavette, besides paying tribute to the great rock'n roll patriarch from the North, also has quite a NYC residency in the spring when she'll set up shop at Cafe Carlyle from 5/24 - 6/3 (no shows on 5/29, 5/30). Ticketing info is forthcoming, but all tour dates, the full Neil Young Tribute lineup and some videos are below...

Continue reading "Neil Young tribute show coming, Bettye Lavette playing shows at Cafe Carlyle & elsewhere, Ben Ottewell will be at Merc"

Pete Seeger @ Clearwater Festival 2009 (more by Chris La Putt)

Clearwater Festival, the annual benefit for the Hudson River environmental group of the same name, will be happening this year at Croton-on-Hudson's Croton Point Park on June 19th & 20th. Pete Seeger, the non-profit's founder, plays every year - joining him this year will be Steve Earle, Rhett Miller, Joan Osborne, Buckwheat Zydeco, Felice Bros and more. More of the initial lineup is below. Tickets to the fest are on sale (and currently almost half the door price). Pictures from last year's day one are HERE and day two are HERE.

A bit farther Upstate in Hunter, NY, the three-day Mountain Jam will be happening June 4th-6th. The lineup for that includes Gov't Mule, Levon Helm & Friends, Drive-By Truckers, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Avett Brothers, Dr. Dog, Les Claypool, Jay Farrar (of Son Volt), These United States, Justin Townes Earle (note dad, playing above) and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger Band (the same, except grandpa). The full current lineup is below, and tickets are on sale.

Later this summer (in July), Camp Bisco will be in Mariaville, NY.

Lineups so far for both fests are below...

Continue reading "Mountain Jam (6/4-6) the Clearwater Festival (6/19-20) have announced initial 2010 NY concert lineups & tickets "

Governors Island - Water Taxi Beach on July 11, 2009 (cutzer)

This past weekend was a big one for new venues in NYC. Brooklyn Bowl had its first show in Williamsburg on Friday, and Sunday was the first Pool Party on the Williamsburg Waterfront. On Saturday, it was the opening of The Beach on Governors Island. Video from the first show (to give you some idea of what its like) below...

Continue reading "Governors Island Beach is open (videos from the 1st show) "

Punk Island @ Make Music 2008 on Governors Island (makemusicnewyork)

Make Music NY 2009 is happening around New York City on Sunday, June 21st. The free, outdoor-music event will turn street corners, sidewalks, and parks around the city into one-day music venues. One of those spots is Governors Island, where MMNY will again host a "Punk Island" lineup. Announced bands for 2009 include '80s hardcore punk band Reagan Youth (who played last year's event), Blanks '77, and "dozens more" to come.

Both bands are also scheduled to play the Underground Revolution Fest on May 22nd - 23rd at the Gramercy Theater, though no ticket info for that still.

Governors Island is also home to a new concert spot dubbed The Beach at Governors Island. The Highline Ballroom, who also three shows on the island last year, is presenting the first scheduled show at the location -- Dark Star Orchestra, Keller Williams, Pete Francis and Barefoot Truth on July 11th. Tickets are on sale.

Also planned again for Governors Island this summer is Folks on the Island, a series of folk concerts, one of which will be headlined by Judy Collins on Sunday, July 26th.

"Punk Island" videos from last year, with hours and directions for Governors Island, below...

Continue reading "Governors Island hosting more concerts in 2009 - Punk Island, Folks on the Island, Hippies on the Island, and more"

this is what it will look like later

Times Square in New York may be one of the brightest places on Earth, but on Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8:30 pm the premier concert venue, NOKIA Theatre Times Square, will be turning off its centrally located marquee from 8:30pm to 9:30pm as part of Earth Hour, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Meanwhile inside, Keller Williams, with special guest Reid Genauer, will be performing his high-energy, one-man show setting the scene for the global spirit of the evening.

NOKIA Theatre Times Square is among 28 AEG venues worldwide that will be taking part in Earth Hour, a global effort to raise awareness about the climate crisis and the power each one of us has to make a difference. More then a billion people and businesses in a 1000 cities in more then 80 countries will turn off their lights and come together to discuss these important issues on March 28.

"Nokia Theatre is proud to be participating in this worldwide event, demonstrating that each business, each person has the ability to make a global impact on the environment," says Blake Henry, Assistant General Manager Nokia Theatre Times Square. "By turning off our lights in the heart of Times Square we will be sending a visual message that we are taking action to combat climate change."

"Earth Hour seems so obvious. Hopefully this will lead to 'Earth Day' being 24 hour darkness," says Keller Williams. "There is beauty in darkness." [press release]