photos by Ryan Muir

"The set is a wall of white boxes with Chris Lowe's sound stage on stage left. The last time I saw the Boys was at the Tabernacle in Atlanta in 2006. Hammerstein is bigger and grander, and perfectly suited for this show. Frontman Neil Tennant and Chris finally emerge from two towers of boxes to "Heart." If the PSBs are good at anything, it's sticking to a concept! They entered wearing boxes on their head, as were their back-up singers and dancers. They quickly moved into their new material with "Did You See Me Coming," and "Pandemonium," and an oldie but goodie, "Left to My Own Devices." Once "Building a Wall" got going, the stacks of boxes collapsed and stage hands in white reconfigured the boxes into a different set, a trend that occurred throughout the show. How cost efficient, simple and so visually effective? Pet Smart Boys." [CenterOrch]

Pet Shop Boys kicked off their U.S. tour with their first of two shows at Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC last night (9/1). They do it again at the same venue tonight. More pictures and the setlist from Tuesday, below...

Continue reading "Pet Shop Boys @ Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC - pics, setlist"

Franz Ferdinand @ the Virgin Fest in Canada - Aug 29, 2009 (Chromewaves)

"Somehow, in its fourth year on Hogtown soil, the Virgin Festival has pulled off the impossible: Amalgamating endlessly changing variables into a cohesive, enjoyable affair. It pleases with just the right ratio of talent to timing and music to distractions. Packed with everything from singer-songwriters and hip-hop to indie gods and blues freaks, the 2009 edition of Virgin Festival was an endless onslaught of sensory overload. Yet despite a stream of diversions such as Thai massage, autograph tents and burlesque pole dancing, music was still the focus.

Starting off modestly, the first day was a slow burner. Not until early-evening did the ample audience show enthusiasm as Scottish outfit Franz Ferdinand revved 'em up. Garnering the most praise, no doubt due to their influencing virtually every other band on the bill, The Pixies nailed a set full of favourites...

...it was the double finale of 25-year-old electronic duo Pet Shop Boys and sinister cult hero(es) Nine Inch Nails that ensured the festival was a raucous success. With PSB boasting the only full-fledged multimedia extravaganza via video, lights, iconic '80s imagery and, er, shoulder pads, their spirited commingling of past and present was as engaging as it was fun.

As for Nine Inch Nails' reportedly final Canadian show, it was a shocking shot of stellar rage delivered with professionalism and gusto, especially when main man Trent Reznor started smashing instruments a mere three songs into the set. While Reznor shows no signs of slowing down, it was still sad to think that such a spotless gig could be the last time we catch him." [Metro Toronto]

Pet Shop Boys are now on a tour of North America that includes two NYC shows at Hammerstein Ballroom this week (Tuesday and Wednesday). Tickets for both shows are still on sale. All dates are below.

For Nine Inch Nails, the Virgin Fest was the seventh, and only Canadian, stop on this final leg of their "Wave Goodbye" tour. Peter Murphy did not join the band in Canada, but he was at both Chicago shows at Aragon Ballroom the two nights prior. After a night off, NIN will play their first LA show at the Hollywood Palladium on 9/2. The setlist for the first Chicago show is HERE. The setlists for Chicago Night Two and Virgin, are below...

Continue reading "Pixies, Pet Shop Boys (in NYC Tuesday) & Nine Inch Nails (only LA shows left) played the Virgin Festival in Toronto"

Live Nation santas outside Irving Plaza - 7/14/2009 (Jason DeCrow/AP Images)

Live Nation has been dealing with the recession, or at least their recession, by putting tickets on sale like crazy this summer. They've been continuing week after week with their No Service Fee Wednesdays (for lawn tickets at amphitheater shows). This past Tuesday they sent multiple Santa Clauses to give out tickets outside Irving Plaza here in NYC. And there are $5.00 ticket promotions running for both Citi Cardmember holders and Subway sub eaters (code = Subway$5tix). NYC show tickets you can get for $5.00 include Pinback, Bob Mould, Son Volt, Alice in Chains AND STRYPER, Suffocation (playing with Necrophagist on Sunday), Marduk, Obituary, Vader and KMFDM, Brian Wilson in Westbury, and Motorhead, Psychedelic Furs, Happy Mondays, and Islands. Supposedly Pet Shop Boys are $5.00 too, but I can't get that to work.

Alt-rock kingpins the Pixies will make their live return to the U.S. this fall!

Frontman Frank Black tells SPIN.com that the Boston-born quartet will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking release, Doolittle, by playing the album in its entirety in Oakland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, New York City, and "maybe Montreal" this fall.

"I believe we're doing the Wang Center in Boston," he says of his hometown gig at the 3,600-capacity venue.

Exact dates have yet to be confirmed. The U.S. tour is expected to follow a run of Doolittle shows in Europe scheduled for October.

The gigs will coincide with the release of the Pixies' ambitious Minotaur box set, which will arrive in October on 4AD Records (order yours now via Artist in Residence).

In the meantime there are plenty of side projects to keep us busy including two NYC-area Grand Duchy shows this week, one of which will take place in Coney Island at 5:00pm on Saturday (7/18).

It was also just announced that the Pixies will play the Ontario Virgin Festival on August 29th. The full lineup of that two day festival also includes Grizzly Bear, Sloan, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Pet Shop Boys, Plants and Animals, and one of Nine Inch Nails' final performances. All European Pixes dates below...

Continue reading "Pixies planning US/NYC Doolittle shows - current dates include Europe & Virgin Festival Ontario (full lineup)"

Pet Shop Boys will tour North America at the end of August into September. Those shows include two night at NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom on September 1st and 2nd. Presale tickets for the tour are available now.

The tour is in support of the band's latest album, Yes, which came out in the US April 21st on Astralwerks. The videos for the record's first two singles, "Love Etc." and "Did You See Me Coing," are posted below.

Earlier this year, the band received an Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the Brits. At the show they performed a medley of their songs, with guest spots by Lady Gaga and Brandon Flowers.

A video of that performance, with the above-mentioned vids and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Pet Shop Boys - 2009 North American Tour Dates (2 nights at Hammerstein Ballroom) - presale now "

Bob Mould two nights ago @ Joe's Pub (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)

Last night (4/9), while some were enjoying (or not enjoying) a Passover Seder, others caught Bob Mould at his second of two shows at Joe's Pub. Anonymous wrote,

Unfortunately it was not an ideal venue tonight.
It could have been, but the atmosphere just wasn't the way most BM solo shows usually are.
Still not bad, and the audience was with him, but people were eating dinner....that's an ideal venue for Bob Mould?? I don't think so.

We have a review and pictures from the first night, HERE. Tonight (4/10), Bob switches it up a little and plays DJ (and maybe performs live?) at Highline Ballroom for his popular gay dance night Blowoff. (Tickets are on sale.)

Paper Magazine held their "Beautiful People Party" at Hiro Ballroom last night. Past musical guests at the annual get together have included Antony and Joanna Newsom (whose music is now featured in a bra commercial). This year it was Paper cover-girl Katy Perry who was already in town playing multiple nights at Irving Plaza and humping bananas.

Speaking of humping bananas, Chris Cornell played two shows at Webster Hall this week. In the YouTube video below you can see that he.... shaved his guitar player's head on stage while they were playing at one of them.

Also featured in Paper's new "Beautiful People" issue is comedian Aziz Ansari who co-stars with Amy Poehler in the TV show Parks and Recreation which premiered last night. Did you catch it? What did you think?

Lissy Trullie was featured in last year's "Beautiful People" issue. Last night she played Union Hall with US Royalty (who play the Studio at Webster Hall tonight).

New Ditmas Park/Flatbush venue Sycamore hosted its third-ever live show last night. Check out the schedule for what they have coming up.

The Books paid a somewhat rare visit to NYC. The band, noted one showgoer, "debuted some sweet new tunes." Those'd be from the group's forthcoming record, which, according to the Columbia Spectator, is due next year. The Spectator also noted the lack of promotion for the show - which according to the Books' Twitter sold out less than a day before it happened. One student, on the minimal on-campus promotion, said, "I had no way of knowing they were playing at Columbia...I found out about the concert on a random music blog that I was casually browsing -- I don't even remember which site it was."

As NYC's summer concert lineup comes together, two shows were added to calendar yesterday - Casiokids at South Street Seaport and Shilpa Ray at Castle Clinton (as part of a Sly Stone tribute concert). Shilpa played Death by Audio last night. Look for more summer-show announcements today (in addition to Simian Mobile Disco at the Williamsburg Waterfront).

UK band Pet Shop Boys almost became Rescue Shelter Boys.

What did you do last night?

Continue reading "What did you do last night?"

Paul Weller and Adele @ the Brits

Success in the Brits - 18th Feb 2009

Evening all,

As you probably know by now, PW was successful in tonight's Brit Awards winning Best Male Solo Artist. OK so he wasn't there to collect it in person but we did get a video with Adele passing the award over.

What can you say? Well deserved for a top year.

Well done feller.

That message was posted in the news section of Paul Weller's official website. Other 2009 Brit Award winners were Duffy, Kings of Leon, Katy Perry, Iron Maiden (for best live act), Elbow, Florence and the Machine, Kanye West, and Girls Aloud. Pet Shop Boys were also honored at the event.

As previously announced, PW will be visiting the United States to play Coachella on April 19th. Add to that trip a pre-Coachella San Francisco show, and an April 24th show at Nokia Theatre in NYC. Tickets for the latter go on sale Friday at noon. All known dates below...

Continue reading "Paul Weller won a Brit Award, playing NYC after Coachella "