by Klaus Kinski

Diamondsnake @ Highline Ballroom in June (more by Gabi Porter)

Comedian and opinionated audiophile John Frusciante (editor's note: NOT the Frusciante from the Chili Peppers) hosts a revolving panel of music-loving comedians, writers and musicians for a live monthly discussion about the state of music past and present, what you should and shouldn't be listening to, and why KISS sucks so much. It is a guarantee that your favorite band will at some point be brought up, dissected, and either praised to the rafters or dismissed with the wave of a hand that knows how to properly handle vinyl.

In the world of befuddling circumstances flying out of nowhere and landing in my lap, being asked to be a panelist alongside Moby (who played the Electric Zoo Festival over Labor Day Weekend), Dave Hill, and Jake Fogelnest (who, like BrooklynVegan, can be heard on SIRIUS XMU) at the UCB Theater in NYC on Saturday, September 11th at Midnight takes the frikkin cake. The event is essentially going to be a round-table discussion about the state of music past, present, and future (see a more detailed show description above). What will I, an ambassador for BV, be bringing to the table?

• a vomit inducing fear of public speaking
• very little knowledge of music past, present, or future
• an eagerness to learn about music past, present, and future
• a dislike for most music that people nowadays think is just wonderful
• a distaste for a few bands I've never even heard before
• a vomit inducing fear of public speaking
• the sweatiest palms you've ever smelled
• an unbridled loathing of your stupid tattoos
• hopefully some articulate points that will make people think, laugh and, hell, maybe even cheer.
• a disdain for most everything, actually

Ironically, I don't think there's even going to be a table there to bring the aforementioned attributes to; rather, we'll be in chairs, un-miced. I'll have nothing to hide behind and will have to do my best Richard Burton to be sure my voice projects. Annnnywhoozle. Having Moby and Dave Hill on the same panel does make quite a bit of sense. You see, Moby and Dave Hill are in a band called Diamondsnake, a band that also features Phil Costello (frontman of now defunct Bee Gees cover band Tragedy and guitar player for the probably defunct Satanicide) and Tomato (Sound of Urchin, Moistboyz)(look closely at the Moistboyz Live Jihad video, recorded at Bowery. A drunken Klaus appears occasionally in the front row with a red hat).

Diamondsnake has 2 NYC SHOWS coming up. The first is on October 2nd at Mercury Lounge, and the following NYC show is at Brooklyn Bowl on November 4th as part of Lebowski Fest.

The UCB show is going to be tons of fun and even though I have a propensity towards negativity, I'm going in with my mind, ears, and guts wide open. Hope you can make it! Cheap beer! RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Lollapalooza 2009 (more by Paul Birman)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* Jeremy Warmsley @ Pianos
* U2, Muse @ Giants Stadium
* Pronto, Brian Bonz @ Union Hall
* Ryan Adams at Morrison Hotel Gallery
* Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Radio City Music Hall
* Snow Patrol, Plain White T's @ Beacon Theatre
* Starfucker, Deelay Ceelay @ Santos Party House
* Pink Noise, Bonnie Baxter, Fan Tan @ Zebulon
* Moby, Kelli Scarr @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Screaming Females, The Measure, Mattress @ Maxwell's
* Tony Conrad & Branden W. Joseph @ Issue Project Room
* Hedgehog, QSBS, Pink Reason & Matt Horseshit @ Silent Barn
* Extra Golden, Antimagic, Grandchildren @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* An Evening with the Minus 5, Baseball Project, Steven Wynn IV @ Bowery Ballroom
* National Parks party w/ Alison Krauss, Counting Crows & more @ Central Park East Meadow
* Ravens and Chimes, Your Nature, Pow Wow & Jump Into The Gospel @ Southpaw
* Spectacle with Elvis Costello & guests Ray Lamontagne, Lyle Lovett, John Prine @ Apollo Theatre
* Shooting Spires, Legs, Champagne Sequins, Broccoli Destroyer, Graffiti Monsters, Lord Easy @ DBA
* All That Remains, Lacuna Coil, Maylene & The Sons of Disaster, From Sword to Sunrise @ Irving Plaza

Happy 60th birthday Bruce Springsteen.

Lebowski Fest is underway. Flyer below...

The lineup for the free party/show tonight in Central Park to celebrate Ken Burns' National Parks documentary includes Alison Krauss, Counting Crows, Carole King, Eric Benet, Gavin DeGraw, Jose Feliciano, Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, and Augustana.

Ryan Adams kicks off a string of non-music appearances tonight at Morrison Hotel Gallery. Friday you can catch him at the library.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs play Radio City Music Hall in advance of their Music Hall of Williamsburg show on September 29th.

Kendrick Strauch of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs covered an entire YYYs album and is giving it away for free.

U2's 360 tour stops at Giants Stadium tonight and tomorrow. Muse opens. If you thought your ticket was expensive, look at the cost per person U2 is spending to put the tour on.

Pronto (which features Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco) plays Union Hall with Brian Bonz.

Phoenix play the Apple Store tomorrow.

Bowery Ballroom hosts 'An Evening with the Minus 5, Baseball Project and Steven Wynn IV'. Shuffling those roles will be Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck, Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon.

Elvis Costello performs and tapes his 'Spectacle' TV show with guests Ray Lamontagne, Lyle Lovett and John Prine at Apollo Theatre.

Moby plays at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Kelli Scarr (of Moonraker). On Monday he was at Irving.

Jersey's Screaming Females perform at Maxwell's with The Measure and Mattress. It's the first date of a tour.

Starfucker (soon to be "formerly known as Starfucker") play Santos Party House with Deelay Ceelay.

Issue Project Room hosts Tony Conrad & Branden W. Joseph (wuthor of Beyond the Dream Syndicate: Tony Conrad and the Arts after Cage) in a reading and discussion followed by a performance by Tony Conrad....

Tyondai Braxton talks about Central Market in a video below...

Times New Viking's new video for "No Time, No Hope" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

"After two years of development, we're happy to finally say... Brooklyn Bowl has arrived!"

Brooklyn Bowl, the highly anticipated 16-lane bowling alley, 600-capacity performance venue with food by Blue Ribbon in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, is pleased to announce it will be open for business in a soft launch capacity beginning this Tuesday, July 7, at 6:00 p.m.

Operating hours will be scaled back during the soft launch: Sunday, Tuesday - Thursday, 6:00 pm - 2:00 am, and Friday and Saturdays 6:00pm - 4:00am. During this time Brooklyn Bowl will not be open on Mondays, and are serving only to a 21+ crowd. A small snack menu will be served from July 10 through the 20th. On the 21st, an expanded "preview" menu will be presented, with the full menu by Blue Ribbon debuting on August 4th. Live music performances, advance lane reservations, and extended hours (including child-friendly weekend days) will begin in late summer. Brooklyn Bowl is located at 61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211.

The venue, that's been in the works for a while, is finally opening. The first concert at the Brooklyn Bowl will be O'Death, Justin Carter, Eamon Harkin and Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt on Friday, July 10th.

The other event currently on the Brooklyn Bowl's schedule is the Lebowski Fest New York, which will hold one of its three nights at the space on Thursday, September 24th. Bowling and non-bowling tickets are on sale.

More info on the venue, below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Bowl - open July 7"

the Homosexuals @ WNYU (more by Leia Jospe)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* DJ Bob Mould @ Southpaw
* Yeasayer & Ponytail @ NYU
* Little Joy @ The Wonder Bar
* The Forms & Javelins @ Union Hall
* Drew Daniel of Matmos @ Housing Works
* Butch Walker & Jesse Malin @ Maxwell's
* Lebowski Fest w/ Tragedy @ Irving Plaza
* Sunburned Hand of the Man @ Silent Barn
* The Homosexuals & The Octagon @ Cake Shop
* The Giraffes & Goes Cube @ Mercury Lounge
* Kaiser Chiefs & Oxford Collapse @ Webster Hall
* John Zorn Improv night @ The Stone (early & late)
* Girl Talk, The Death Set & CX Kidtronik @ Terminal 5
* Fredrik, Twi The Humble Feather & Django James @ Pianos
* Calexico, Bowerbirds, & The Acorn @ Tarrytown Music Hall
* The Calder String Quartet w/ Andrew W.K. @ Le Poisson Rouge
* AC Newman, The Oranges Band & Bird of Youth @ The Bell House

@ Housing Works: "Matmos's Drew Daniel will read from his book on Throbbing Gristle (Throbbing Gristle: Twenty Jazz Funk Greats, 33 1/3 Books), answer questions, and do a solo dance music/noise laptop performance (aka dance party)."

@ Le Poisson Rouge: The Calder Quartet featuring Andrew W.K. - Performing composed and improvised music for string quartet and chamber ensemble, as well as solo compositions to be announced, Doors at 7:00pm, show at 8:00pm

@ The Stone: 8 and 10 pm - John Zorn Improv Night I--A Stone Benefit - John Zorn (sax) Scott Johnson (guitar) Ikue Mori (electronics) Jim Staley (trombone) Eyal Maoz (guitar) Trevor Dunn (bass) Ches Smith (drums) and many special guests. Come out and support The Stone! A night of wild improvisation East Village style to benefit The Stone. TWENTY DOLLARS.

@ Irving Plaza: Lebowski Fest New York Movie Party - Music by Tragedy (metal tribute to The Bee Gees), Creedence Clearwater Revival Revival plus a re-enactment of the Landlord's dance cycle by Paul Green. Followed by a screening of The Big Lebowski!

What else?