Pioneering DJ and producer Mark Kamins, who was instrumental in facilitating the signing of Madonna to Sire Records in 1982, has died.

According to BlackBook, on Feb. 14, he suffered "a massive coronary" in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he has been teaching. A family source has confirmed Kamins' death to Billboard. Word spread on Facebook, where many friends of the Downtown New York City scenester posted remembrances. The particular poignancy of his passing is surely the marking of the chronology of those connected to the incipient development of the biggest musical star of our time -- the mortality surrounding the cultural immortal that is the Queen of Pop.....

....Kamins perhaps distinctly represented a lost New York club scene of debauchery and illicit behaviors, replaced now by bottle service, bankers and strict adherence to officialdom-imposed standards. A fixture at the legendarily uninhibited Danceteria, where he mingled with not only the soon-to-be Material Girl, but also Downtown icons Keith Haring, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys, his remixes included superstars of the time like Kajagoogoo and Ofra Haza." [Billboard]

Madonna @ MSG (more by Dana (Distortion) Yavin)

According to Billboard....

Continue reading "Top 25 Grossing Tours of 2012"

Morrissey @ Terminal 5 10/13/2012

We've already published Amanda Hatfield and Fred Pessaro // BBG's favorite photos that they took in 2012 and here's the list from BV photographer Dana [distortion] Yavin. While she's still got a month worth of shooting to do, here's her current favorite photos from this year that she herself shot, #1 being Moz at Terminal 5. (And if you're in Miami for Art Basel, you can check out her photo show.) The rest of her picks are below.

Continue reading "Dana (distortion) Yavin's 12 favorite Live Music Photos of 2012 ---------(that she took)"

The Faint at Webster Hall in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

The Faint are currently on tour celebrating the 10th anniversary of their album Danse Macabre. The party hits NYC on Friday (12/7) at Terminal 5 with Toronto's Trust and Icky Blossoms opening the show. Tickets are still available.

If you've read the site over the last week or so, you probably know we've been asking a lot of bands and artists to contribute year-end Top 10s (like Animal Collective who play Terminal 5 twice this week), and here we've got ones from both The Faint and Trust. The Faint did a collective list of favorite LPs and were only able to whittle it down to 12, including albums by Liars, Actress, Twin Shadow, Grimes (who did a list for us too) as well as both of their current tourmates. Check out the full list below.

As for Trust, main man Robert Alfons lists his 10 favorite tracks of 2012 and the top three spots all go to the same artist. Any guesses who? Don't forget that Trust will DJ late night at Glasslands on Friday (12/7) after their T5 show. Black Marble will play live and tickets are still available.

The Faint and Trust's 2012 Top 10 lists are below.

Continue reading "The Faint and Trust list their Favorite Music of 2012; on tour, playing Terminal 5 this week"

Madonna at MSG - 11/12/12 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Madonna played her second of two Madison Square Garden shows last night (11/13), and while Lady Gaga definitely didn't make an appearance, in probably more exciting news, "Gangnam Style" Psy did join her!! You can watch the video below of Psy and Madonna performing Psy's signature song during "Give It 2 Me" as Madonna's dancers take on the song's dance. At the end of the video, there's also a short clip of Psy joining Madge for her own tune, "Music."

Check out the footage and the setlist from the show below...

Continue reading "Psy joined Madonna for 'Gangnam Style' at MSG (video/setlist)"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Madonna @ MSG 11/12/2012

Luckily I'd gotten the memo that she goes on EXTRA late, so I wasn't one of the bitter concert goers who arrived when the doors opened at 7 pm, only to have to wait for Madonna to take the stage nearly FOUR hours later. Madonna hit the stage around 10:45 and finished 2 hours later at 12:45 am! I've never seen anything end that late at an arena show, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

I enjoyed the Madonna show, but not for the reasons I usually enjoy concerts. Madonna's show is less of a concert and more of a Broadway-esque spectacle where they just happen to be dancing to Madonna tunes all night. At 54 years old, you've got to respect that she's taken care of her body and she looks great. I am not entirely sure if that's a reason to strip down to your bra and panties in front of 20,000 people (and with your children present), but I digress. [According to G]

Madonna plays MSG again tonight. If you're going, do note she tends to go on late (10:45 last night, according to G). More pictures from MSG night 1 and the setlist are below.

Continue reading "Madonna played Madison Square Garden (pics, setlist), will do it again tonight"

(via)

Michael Bolton, who seems to have a good sense of humor about his crappy music, will star as himself in new sitcom Michael Bolton's Daughter Is Destroying My Life according to Deadline. Look for the new sitcom on ABC next year.

Black Sabbath (sans Bill Ward) are finally going to do that album with producer Rick Rubin.

Gothamist wonders aloud if Barclays Center might have a racist metal detector policy (via an article in the NY Post).

I swear the BrooklynVegan not-CMJ day party lineups are coming very soon, though we've already revealed that we've got METZ, Deap Vally and Murals.

The 2012 edition of Austin City Limits, which is switching to two weeks next year, went down over the weekend (sans The Weeknd). Check out our photos from Day Two and Day One. Day Three on the way.

Speaking of the trend of having your festival two weekends in a row now, Ultra Music Festival announced they're doing it too.

Jon Carmanica at the NY Times talks about dance stars evolving to pop fame.

The same issue of the NY Times profiles Ellie Goulding who is dating pop fame dance star Skrillex (who she was hanging out with at Pianos the other night).

Adele's "Someone Like You" has topped another chart: most popular songs at funerals.

The Nick Waterhouse and Allah-Las tour hit Chicago last week. We got pictures.

Speaking of pictures, in NY we recently captured the butt shaking going on at Bowery for Nicky Da B, Flying Lotus and then SBTRKT at Terminal 5, Public Image LTD at both MHOW and Hammerstein, Menomena at Bowery (MHOW on the way), Revelation Records Anniversary Night Two (three and four on the way), and Morrissey not once, not twice, but thrice.

And oh yeah, don't forget the New York Comic Con shots.

Stream Divine Fits' appearance on NPR's World Cafe from earlier today.

Xbox's iTunes-esque new music service debuts tomorrow. Surprise: you're going to have to update your firmware to use it.

Kitty Pride, who plays CMJ this week, hates fellow redhead Tori Amos. For weird reasons.

More stuff below...

Continue reading "ALSO: Michael Bolton's sitcom; Adele tops new chart; ACL, Black Sabbath, PS 22 does Tame Impala, Madonna stripped ++ more"

Madonna has added a second MSG show on November 13 with Martin Solveig. Tickets will go on presale today (9/13) at 10AM with a password of "MDNA." Tickets go on regular sale Friday (9/14). Madonna plays the same space, which is now sold-out, the day before that. Setlist from Madge's second Yankee Stadium show (9.8) is below.

Tickets to see Nas' NYE show at Radio City Music Hall go on LiveNation and local presale today at noon. Password is "NASNYE."

Tickets to the just-added The Weeknd show at Terminal 5 go on AmEx presale today at noon.

Tickets for the Silversun Pickups/Cloud Nothings show at Terminal 5 go on AmEx presale today at noon. a WRXP presale began yesterday.

Continue reading "Madonna, Nas, and The Weeknd tickets on sale"

Madonna "DJs" while son Rocco breaks it down, Yankee Stadium 9/6/2012 (via)

Nobody knows better than Madonna that size matters. So it's no surprise that her new "MDNA" tour gained some extra oomph from Thursday's blown-up stadium version at Yankee Stadium...

...Even the one time Madonna spoke to the audience at length she had a sober "message." She spoke of touring the world and "seeing people being locked up and put in jail for speaking their minds, for being gay, for not practicing the right religion."

It inspired in her a renewed patriotism. She said she "realized how lucky I am to be living in America. We're free."

...Of course, the whole show was hardly a singing-dancing representation of Madonna's angst, philosophy, and leftover anger at ex-husband Guy Ritchie. With pluck, she dolled herself up as the world's oldest drum majorette in "Express Yourself."

...Here, Madonna took a deserved jab at Lady Gaga by blending her '90s hit with one by the younger star that rips it off, "Born This Way." - [NY Daily News]

In between the hits last night, Madonna took time out to show support to both Barack and Michelle Obama and there's video of that below, along with her Yankee Stadium setlist. Meanwhile, the object of Madonna's "Express Yourself" jab (see review above), Lady Gaga, is touring soon too.

Updated Madonna dates, plus Yankee Stadium setlist and video are below.

Continue reading "Madonna played Yankee Stadium, endorsed Obama, adds 2nd MSG show to tour (setlist, video, updated dates)"

today in NYC
* Fashion's Night Out
* Sherita @ Barbes
* Teitur @ Joe's Pub
* Sarah Alden @ Barbes
* The Postelles @ MoMA
* DANCENOW @ Joe's Pub
* Questlove @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Lifted Crew @ Brooklyn Bowl
* The Yardbirds @ City Winery
* Left Handed Radio Live! @ UCB East
* Madonna, Avicii @ Yankee Stadium
* Varispeed performs Empty Words @ The Stone
* Fred Falke, Ghost Beach @ Santos Party House
* 'Hi Custodian' screening at @ Sunshine Cinema
* Anna Lunoe, Sean Glass @ Hudson Terrace Roof
* Matt Embree, Vinnie Caruana @ Mercury Lounge
* NYU "Mystery Concert 2012" @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Breton, The Big Sleep, Ambassadors @ Bowery Ballroom
* Liquor Store, Little Big League, Porches @ Shea Stadium
* Tim Fite, Foxes in Fiction, Molly Nilsson @ Littlefield
* Ecstasy Mule vs. John Cage vs. Ecstasy Mule @ The Stone
* The Fleeting Ends, Your Sister's Canary, We Run @ Cameo
* The Rapture, Midnight Magic @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Denver Hughes, ShadowBox, Color War, Big Fur @ Delinquency
* Ludwig Persik, Eastern Midwestern, Visuals @ Public Assembly
* Rapstar, Alan Watts, The Dreebs, Den Svarata Fanan @ Big Snow
* Air Waves, Future of What, Love of Everything, Earthquake Party! @ Glasslands
* The Peach Kings, Morgan O'Kane, Mia Sparrow, Chris Pureka, Aaron Short @ Union Hall
* Dinowalrus, X-Ray Eyeballs, Life Size Maps, Grand Resort, Psychobuildings @ 285 Kent
* DJ Roofeo (Death Set), Jahan Lennon, WIN WIN, The Tony Castles, Sister Crayon @ Pianos
* I'm Turning Into, Miniboone, Ball of Flame Shoots Fire, The Meaning of Life @ Cake Shop
* Alex Yac, NCM, Chris Cubeta & The Liars Club, Casey Shea, Allison Weiss @ Mercury Lounge

How appropriate! Madonna plays NYC on Fashion's Night Out, which sees multiple performances at venues, stores, and many other spaces across NYC. (And other cities.) While the Material Girl isn't part of the festivities, you can see the likes of Azealia Banks, St. Vincent, Yoko Ono, Chairlift, Icona Pop and dozens more. We have highlighted lists of the free shows HERE and HERE and HERE.

Tonight is the final evening of the three day tribute to composer John Cage at The Stone. Cage would have celebrated his 100th birthday yesterday!

The Rapture continues its three-night residency with guests Midnight Magic at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight (9/6).

Tonight is NYU's annual "Mystery Concert" which happens at Le Poisson Rouge. Previous mystery concerts have turned out to be Animal Collective, Beirut and Big Boi. Any guesses as to who is playing tonight?

Air Waves are taking a break for a while -- perhaps recording a new album? -- and tonight's show at Glasslands will be their last any time soon.

Today is the last day to check out BrooklynVegan photo show '480 Pixels' at 92YTribeca which you can visit while checking out popular live show "Mortified", "a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories and more) as shared by their original authors before total strangers."

Like movies? We're presenting a free screening of Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best at Knitting Factory on Monday (9/10). Mark your calendars and stop by.

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.

Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin's friend on Facebook and BV Chicago's friend on Facebook.

Follow BrooklynVegan on Instagram.

Army Navy have a new video, "World's End," which features Martin Starr of Freaks and Geeks and Party Down fame. You can watch it below.

Nude Beach have released a new video for "Radio". Check that out below.

Best Coast performed "Do You Love Me Like You Used To" from the new LP The Only Place last night (9/5) on Conan. Video from that performance is below.

Check out streaming audio of Marissa Nadler covering Fleetwood Mac's "Save me a Place" below.

Flying Lotus's work is featured in the new short film "Until The Quiet Comes" by Kahlil Joseph. Check that out below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday (Fashion's Night Out)?"

via @edroste

Tickets for the James Blake show at MHOW go on AmEx presale today at noon.

Tickets for the Divine Fits and Cold Cave show at Webster Hall go on AmEx presale today at noon.

Tickets for the recently added Swans shows at Bowery Ballroom and MHOW with Devendra Banhart go on AmEx presale today at noon. Tickets for their less recently announced Bowery Ballroom show with A Hawk and a Hacksaw, which happens about two weeks before the new ones, are still available.

Tickets for the Saint Etienne show at Webster Hall go on AmEx presale today at noon.

Meat Loaf is playing Beacon Theatre on November 1. Tickets for that show are on AmEx presale and Internet presale (password: "MAD") now and go on sale to the general public on Friday (9/7) at 10 AM.

David Wax Museum will be in NYC this month to play Housing Works on September 18. Tickets for that show are on sale now. They'll return to play Mercury Lounge on November 30. Tickets for that show go on AmEx presale today at noon and go on sale to the general public on Friday (9/7) at noon.

The Death Set and Ninjasonik are playing a free Barback Games-presented show with games, giveaways, and surprises at Webster Hall on September 24. Admission is free with RSVP.

Martha Wainwright is playing Littlefield on October 10 and Le Poisson Rouge on October 11. Tickets for the Littlefield show and tickets for the LPR show go on sale Friday (9/7) at noon.

The schedule for Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest was posted and single day tickets are now on sale.

Ray Lamontagne is playing Wellmont Theatre on November 19 and Carnegie Hall on November 26. Wellmont tickets go on sale Friday, September 14 at noon and Carnegie Hall tickets go on sale Friday, September 14 at 11 AM.

Tickets for the Ash 20th anniversary show at Bowery Ballroom go on AmEx presale today at noon. Tickets for their Knitting Factory show go on sale Saturday (9/8) at 10 AM.

Tickets for the Deftones show at Terminal 5 go on AmEx presale today at noon.

Tickets for the newly added Michael Kiwanuka show at MHOW, which Foy Vance and Marcus Foster are opening, go on AmEx presale today at noon.

Tickets for the Craft Spells, Ice Choir, and Ski Lodge show at Glasslands are on sale now.

Tickets for the Bleeding Rainbow, Royal Baths, SISU, and Punks on Mars show at Glasslands are on sale now.

Avicii, who has two upcoming Radio City shows, has been tapped by Madonna to open her Yankee Stadium shows, which happen this Thursday (9/6) and Saturday (9/8). Tickets for those shows are still available.

Esperanza Spalding is playing The Apollo on October 26 and 27. Tickets for the 10/26 show are on sale now and tickets for the 10/27 show are on AmEx presale now with a Ticketmaster/A List presale starting Monday (9/10) at 10 AM and a general on-sale starting Thursday, September 13 at 10 AM.

Austra are DJing Glasslands (9/19) the night of their MHOW show. Admission to that show is free with RSVP.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Many Madonna fans are wondering if the "Material Girl" owns a watch after she took the stage late in Philadelphia Tuesday evening.

Some concert-goers were so frustrated that they left the Wells Fargo Center before the show even began.

The concert was scheduled to start at 8 p.m., but Madonna did not take the stage until about 10:30 p.m. Making matters worse for fans was the fact that the opening act was simply a DJ spinning some tunes.

Madonna fan Jen Gililand told Eyewitness News she paid good money to bring her 10-year-old to the show, but she had to leave before it started because of Madonna's tardiness.

"It's 10:15 ... it's time to go," Gililand said...

...When Madonna finally did take the stage, she apparently apologized to the crowd. However, in typical Philadelphia fashion, Madonna was booed, not once, but twice. - [CBS Local]

Titus Andronicus @ Bar 96 for BV-SXSW 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

The 4/28 Bowery show is sold out, but tickets are still available for Archers of Loaf' 4/29 Music Hall of Williamsburg show which Titus Androncicus and Sun Ladders are opening

Tickets are on sale now for the Al Green/Charles Bradley show at Beacon Theater.

No tickets necessary to see Charles Bradley at the World Financial Center in July.

Tickets are on sale at 10am for the Madonna show at Madison Square Garden.

Tickets go on sale at 11am for the upcoming Drake shows.

Madonna has added a Madison Square Garden show to her tour that already included two shows at Yankee Stadium. Tickets for the November 12th show are on pre-sale now (password: Madge). General sale begins 3/30 at 10am.

In related news, Madonna was just down at Ultra Music Festival where she asked a giant crowd how many of them have "seen Molly". She has since denied it was a drug reference, though as Deadmau5 pointed out after hearing it, it obviously was (even if she didn't realize it). Watch in the first minute of the video, below...

Continue reading "Madonna adds MSG show, asks Ultra Music Fest crowd if they've seen Molly (video) "

"I was really surprised. I didn't know anything about it. I wasn't happy about it," Madonna told Seacrest of M.I.A.'s flipped bird.

"I understand it's punk rock and everything, but to me there was such a feeling of love and good energy and positivity, it seemed negative. It's such a teenager...irrelevant thing to do," she continued. "What was the point? It was just out of place."

Onsale to General Public
Start: Tue, 02/21/12 10:00 AM EST

Icon Lifetime Legacy Member Presale
Start: Tue, 02/14/12 10:00 AM EST
End: Thu, 02/16/12 05:00 PM EST

Icon Live Pass Member Presale
Start: Tue, 02/14/12 11:00 AM EST
End: Thu, 02/16/12 05:00 PM EST

Icon Live Pass Access Bundle
Start: Tue, 02/14/12 12:00 PM EST
End: Thu, 02/16/12 05:00 PM EST

Citi® Cardmember Preferred Tickets
Start: Tue, 02/21/12 10:00 AM EST
End: Thu, 08/16/12 10:00 PM EDT

Continue reading "Madonna adds 2nd Yankee Stadium show; "M.I.A." discusses middle finger on SNL (that Zooey Deschanel hosted)"

She just played Lucas Oil Stadium, and now it's been announced that, like Metallica before her, Madonna will perform at the new Yankee Stadium on Sept 6th. Yankees.com peeps will get access to a presale. The general public ticket on-sale will begin on Monday, February 13 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are on Ticketmaster.

The show is one of a zillion dates Madonna just announced. They're all listed below.

Meanwhile, as previously mentioned, tickets to see Roger Waters' 2nd show at Yankee Stadium went on AmEx presale Sunday, and are now also on "NYY Presale" (New York Yankees presale I assume). Check HERE for full ticket-on-sale schedule for this show.

Madonna tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Madonna playing Yankee Stadium (and many other tour dates); Roger Waters tix on pre-sale"

"M.I.A. will end up paying any fines imposed on NBC as a result of her finger wag during the Super Bowl halftime show ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Our sources say ... the NFL has indemnified NBC ... because the NFL is responsible for the halftime content.

But the NFL was smart, given the history of performers who wanted to do something shocking to get attention during the biggest TV event of the year. So we're told ... M.I.A. signed a contract with the NFL for the halftime performance, and in that contract M.I.A. agreed to indemnify the NFL for any money it might be forced to pay if the FCC comes down on the Peacock Network." [TMZ]

I don't understand why people still care about a finger, but EW says:

During the Super Bowl half-time show, singer M.I.A. flipped off millions of viewers during TV's most-watched telecast of the year. She made the obscene gesture during a performance of Madonna's new single, "Give Me All Your Luvin.'" M.I.A. also seemed to say an expletive ("I don't give a s***"), but it wasn't really audible.

NBC and the NFL issued dueling press statements. First, the network released an apology and called the moment a "spontaneous gesture" -- a phrase that might go down in history alongside "wardrobe malfunction." "We apologize for the inappropriate gesture that aired during halftime," the network said. "It was a spontaneous gesture that our delay system caught late."

The NFL issued a statement blaming NBC's monitoring system and condemning the incident. "There was a failure in NBC's delay system," the NFL said. "The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing, and we apologize to our fans."

Continue reading "NBC & NFL apologize for M.I.A,'s "inappropriate gesture" during the Superbowl"

cheerleader M.I.A., as seen in the new Madonna video

As M.I.A.'s Universal Records labelmate Lana Del Rey knows now too, a shitstorm of bad press and reviews can be a painful sting. M.I.A. went from much-loved to much-hated almost overnight after the release of her last album. And like L.D.R., a lot of the negativity towards M.I.A. focused on her being fake and rich. Who knew what the future would hold for the northern Sri Lankan South London rebel activist rapper.

Things have been quiet on the M.I.A. front for a year, but then came "new" song "Bad Girls" which "premiered" on Pitchfork last week along with the tag "Best New Track" (a title that was also awarded to "Video Games" in 2011), followed by a new video for the song which has already racked up over 3 million views on YouTube in less than three days. Why did I put "new" in quotes? Well, because Pitchfork actually gave the same song "Best New Track" when it first appeared on Vicki Leekx, a mixtape M.I.A. released at the end of 2010, though the 2010/2011 version was not exactly the same song. It has been reworked a bit, and is now "complete". Watch and listen below.

Meanwhile, M.I.A.' Universal Records labelmate Madonna went ahead and announced a new album called MDNA which features a couple of guest singers, or more specifically: Nicki Minaj, and yep, M.I.A. Madonna also packaged this I'll-show-Lady-Gaga-who's-boss-return with a spot as Superbowl Halftime performer which came with the news that Madonna would be bringing along some friends (yep, Niki Minaj and M.I.A) (and maybe LMFAO and Cee-Lo). We'll find out exactly what goes down with that today.

UPDATE: Cee-Lo & LMFAO were in fact there, and this happened:

M.I.A. flips the world the bird on the Superbowl

Watch the new Madonna video for "Give Me All Your Luvin'" (Feat. M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj), which has over 6 million views in three days (and has football players in it too), with the new M.I.A. video too, below...

Continue reading "the return of MIA ('new' song, video, Madonna, the Superbowl)"

today in NYC
* ASSSSCAT 3000 @ UCB
* Alon Yavnai @ Barbes
* Kama Rupa @ The Stone
* Pharmakon @ The Stone
* Nicolas Jaar ("From Scratch") @ P.S. 1
* Lacrymosa, Sea of Bees @ Joe's Pub
* Sunday Night Live: Ed Vallance @ The Ace Hotel
* Narc, Alexander Trust, Jaja, Big Ups @ Cameo Gallery
* Fred Armisen (Fred Armisen's Playlist Live!) @ Union Pool
* Stephanie Wrembel presents The Django Experiment @ Barbes
* Permanent Wave presents Allison Weiss, Traveling, Swearin', Early Riser @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge

I can't tell if Eugene Mirman will be hosting the Superbowl party at Union Hall tonight or not. I guess he is, that is if they're able to show it.

Brooklyn Bowl is probalby a great place to watch the Superbowl (if you like football and don't mind lots of people).

Madonna, Nicki Minaj, and most interestingly, M.I.A. are performing during the Superbowl's Halftime show.

Fred Armisen, who like Bon Iver, performed on Saturday Night Live last night, and like St. Vincent, appeared on a new episode of Portlandia one night before that, plays his first residency show at Union Pool tonight.

Lana Del Rey was on SNL last night too.

Papermag shows us "Downton Abbey Stars On-Screen Vs. Off-Screen." The Guardian has an article about how they got the World War I trenches. A new (for the US) episode of Downton Abbey premieres tonight on PBS. A new commercial for Downton (or is it Downtown) Abbey on Spike TV premiered on Saturday Night Live last night. Watch that commercial below.

Dominick Fernow of Cold Cave (and other projects) curated Feb 1-15 at The Stone.

Be our friend on Facebook.

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Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.

Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.

SXSW is coming. Follow @bvSXSW on twitter too.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday? (Superbowl)"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

"That's the face of rock n' roll. Learn it. Live it. Love it." -mat | April 14, 2010 1:27 PM

The Star-Ledger: Your manager said this was really a big show for you guys.
Gene: Yeah, Central Park, Simon & Garfunkel. They are going to come out and play songs with us.

Which Ween songs are they going to play?
"Spinal Meningitis"...

Is there some lineage from Sparks to Ween?
Mickey is really into Sparks, and he says Ween is the modern-day Sparks.

I think you and Sparks should play a show together just like Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park.
Sparks is going to be there, too, with Simon & Garfunkel.

That's a crowded stage.
It is, but we'll make room. Ladysmith Black Mambazo is going to be there, too.

"We spoke with SummerStage production manager Danny Owen about the chain of events that led to Madge's appearance at Ween's soundcheck and it started in the early afternoon hours when the film and concert production teams realized the area had been double booked. WE's production team approached venue staff when they started to test the PA and the SummerStage staffers agreed to keep the noise to a minimum until Ween soundchecked at 5PM. 5PM rolled around and the film's producers asked for more time, but with doors set to open at 6:30, there wasn't much wiggle room since the band needed to get comfortable with the sound at the outdoor venue.

Owen, whose main concern was making sure the band was given the time they needed, told the film's producer that the band was indeed going to start soundchecking. At this point, the members of Ween were on stage and waiting around for word to start the check. Madonna must've gotten wind of the situation as at approximately 5:15PM she entered the concert field with her security entourage and asked Owen if she could speak to the band. Danny responded, "with all due respect, no you may not" leading Madonna to ask to speak to a manager at which point Ween's manager, Greg Frey, entered the fray.

The pop icon bought a few minutes during her conversation with Frey as soundcheck was delayed until approximately 5:30, but we're glad to see that even Madonna can't keep Ween from taking care of business. Sadly, it seems Madge and her unhip team didn't even know who Ween was. Ween went on close to 7:30PM and played one fantastic, extremely long set followed by a three-song encore." [Glide Magazine]

Ween currently has two shows on the calendar, including a Halloween date in Colorado, and there's at least one solo show coming up too. All dates, Ween's Central Park setlist, and more pictures, below...

Continue reading "despite Madonna's efforts, Ween soundchecked & played Summerstage (pics & setlist)"

A second worker injured in the Marseille, France, stage collapse ahead of a weekend Madonna concert has died, a French hospital official announced on Friday.

The 32-year-old British man died from injuries suffered in Thursday's incident at the Stade Velodrome in the southern French port city.

A French worker was killed instantly on Thursday when a partially completed roof section of the complex and intricate set collapsed on top of several people. Nine others were injured and sent to local hospitals, authorities said, noting at the time that an American and a British worker were in serious condition.

Madonna was reportedly "devastated" when she learned of the incident while warming up for her concert in Udine, Italy, on Thursday" [CBC]

Continue reading "Madonna's stage collapses in France killing 2 (pic, videos)"

photos by Tim Griffin

So how was [Thursday] night's Music Hall of Williamsburg show, only the second on their tour for Entertainment, and the first of a stand that [continued Friday] at Webster Hall? Hardly rudimentary, my dear. Let's dispose first of the big news: Madonna was in attendance (hanging off of some man, Lourdes knows who).

Spooner, surely to her dismay, made Madonna's presence known -- probably mischievously, as he also asked, seemingly with mock surprise, where she'd gone to once the set was over. (Madge ducked out after a few songs.) So what new material might she have gathered for her own live show? We were too busy attempting to move in rhythmic patterns to jot down any notes, but with four dancers (in a variety of often shiny costumes), two stand-up mirrors, two flat-screens, and a large video projection, the crew created an ultraenergetic, unapologetically arty, but resolutely playful stage show. [NY Mag]

Continue reading "Fischerspooner played Webster Hall & MHOW (pics) (NSFW)"

interview by Chris Bilton, intro by Andrew Frisicano

Bassist Mike Watt has been in New York since Sunday, at work recording his fourth solo album, hyphenated-man, at a studio in Williamsburg. Watt is accompanied on that record, and on his current, nearly two-month tour, by the Missingmen -- drummer Raul Morales and guitarist Tom Watson.

NYC-area audiences finally get a chance to hear what Watt and the band have been up to when they play tonight, May 7th at Maxwell's in Hoboken. That's the first of two NYC-area shows; the second comes Friday, when Mike Watt and the Missingmen play the Mercury Lounge (openers include Lite, Kahoots and John DeVries of Agitpop). Tickets are still on sale.

The Missingmen project is just one of Watt's many efforts as a bandleader (to say nothing of his sideman gigs for the Stooges, J. Mascis and others). Another of those Watt fronted bands, the Black Gang (a project with Wilco guitarist Nels Cline), also recently cut a record. Release dates for both are TBA, but there's no lack of activity on the horizon. Cline and Watt are slated to open an August 1st show at the Central Park Summerstage, with M. Ward headlining.

EYE WEEKLY writer Chris Bilton spoke with Watt in mid-2008, where they discussed the bass player's storied history and busy future. That interview has remained on his hard drive until now...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Mike Watt (who is in town now) "

AC/DC @ The Izod Center (more by Ryan Muir)

If anyone had any doubt that touring is where the money is in the music business, a quick look at the top Moneymakers for 2008 should hammer the point home.

Regardless of genre, retail sales or radio play, each of the 20 acts on Billboard's Moneymakers list toured in 2008. (Taylor Swift mostly opened for Brad Paisley but doesn't get credit for that revenue). For almost all of them, touring generated the most revenue. And in a year when recorded-music sales declined yet again, many earned more at the box office than ever before. [Billboard]

Continue reading "the list of musicians who made the most money in 2008"