Feist @ Hammerstein Ballroom in 2008 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Tickets go on sale at 10am for Feist's Radio City Music Hall show (we're also giving away a pair of tickets). The NYC show is part of a tour which also now includes Sasquatch which announced its full lineup Thursday night.

Daniel Tosh of Comedy Central's Tosh.0 has announced a comedy tour. That tour hits NYC for two shows at Radio City Music Hall in NYC on April 13 (early & late). Tickets for those shows go on sale at 10am. We also have a pair of tickets you can win! Details below.

LA Comedian Rob Delaney, who is part of the just-announced Sasquatch Festival lineup, will headline Bowery Ballroom on May 11th. Tickets, on AmEx presale now, go on general sale at noon. More dates are listed below.

As previously mentioned in a post that lists othre upcoming comedy shows, Demetri Martin added a 3rd upcoming NYC show. Tickets for that new date are still on sale and we have a pair you can win. Details below!

All contest details and Tosh dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Daniel Tosh touring & playing Radio City (WIN TIX); Rob Delaney playing shows too; and Demetri Martin (WIN TIX) "

Feist at BAM in 2011 (more by Ryan Barkan)

As mentioned, Feist has an upcoming NYC show at Radio City on May 5. Tickets for that show are on AmEx presale now and go on sale to the general public on Saturday (2/4) at 10 AM. We're also giving away a pair of tickets to the show. Details on how to enter the contest are below.

It's since been announced that the show is part of an entire North American tour, which also includes Stubb's and Coachella. All dates are listed below.

Feist also has a new video for "The Bad In Each Other," off 2011's Metals. The video was directed by Martin de Thurah, who has also recently directed videos for James Blake. Watch it below.

Continue reading "Feist announced more dates & a new video; WIN TIX to the NYC show (which is on sale now)"

Radio City Music Hall last night (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Antony played Radio City Music Hall last night.

Tickets went on sale this morning for the upcoming Florence & the Machine show at Radio City Music Hall. They might be gone, but you can win a pair on the BrooklynVegan Facebook.

Tickets to the Amnesty International presented Secret Policeman's Ball with Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, Jon Stewart, Colbert & more, taking place at Radio City on 3/4, are still on AmEx presale. Regular sale begins Monday at 10am.

Tickets for Pulp's Radio City show go on sale at 10am. We're also giving away a pair.

Tickets for Death Cab's Beacon Theater show go on sale at 11am.

Feist is playing Radio City too.

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Rachel Kowal

A thick cloak of darkness draped the stage of Radio City when Antony Hegarty began to sing. My eyes trained on his white floor-length robe, the only thing that shone through the fog and shadows.

With its piano melodies and strings arrangements, the Antony and the Johnsons discography is far from sonically lacking. But after hearing the opening measures of "Rapture," the aptly named first song of the evening, it quickly became clear that Hegarty's music was destined to be bigger. And tonight it got that chance, thanks to the addition of a talented sixty-member orchestra. Under the guidance of conductor Rob Moose, Hegarty's music unfurled and exploded into a host of symphonic crescendos. And soon, the darkness on stage subsided as one-by-one, the screens that blanketed the stage began to lift to reveal a dream-like installation of hanging 3D geometric shapes. A restrained laser show only added to the mystique, at times blanketing Antony in a twinkling world of colorful light.

It was that rare kind of performance that breaks your heart only to have the pieces lovingly reassembled, down to the tiniest, most tender bloody shard. Hegarty's lyrics may reveal inner turmoil, but filtered through his sprawling multi-octave voice and unflinching poise, the painful material becomes mesmerizing, life-affirming, and wildly triumphant.

Combining songs from all four Antony and the Johnsons albums and at least one EP, the set revealed the evolution of the band's music, as well as Heggarty's emotions. He even threw in a surprisingly moving rendition of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" (slowed down and fleshed out to make it nearly unrecognizable). Hegarty powered through the majority of the set, playing some fourteen songs without speaking. But following the dramatic unveiling of the orchestra during "Her Eyes Are Underneath the Ground," Hegarty broke his spell of silence to introduce and sincerely thank everyone who helped make the MoMA-commissioned one-night event possible, including Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) on piano and Nico Muhly who - along with Maxim Moston and Rob Moose- arranged much of the music. "Well that's quite the bulk of the show," said Hegarty. "I'm so fucking glad. It was so ambitious, this production! It was really insane."

After the applause and laughter died down, Hegarty and his 60+ band mates signed off with two additional songs before the golden velvet curtain slowly made its descent, prompting the audience to collectively exhale before erupting into an elated standing ovation that resonated beautifully throughout the cavernous hall.

More pictures and the setlist from the 1/26 show, below...

Continue reading "Antony and the Johnsons & orchestra played Radio City Music Hall (pics, review, setlist) "

Feist at BAM in 2011 (more by Ryan Barkan)

Feist has a huge international tour on the way, including Australian dates this weekend and into February, followed by a number of European dates during March, some of which will be supported by M. Ward (who has his own upcoming tour). She'll work her way back to North American in April when she plays the sold out Coachellas, and has just announced another show happening on this side of the Atlantic at NYC's Radio City on May 5. It's her only other US date announced at the moment. Tickets go on sale Saturday, 2/4 at 10 AM.

In other news, she recently was interviewed by The Weekly Feed, where she talked about 2011's Metals, jamming with fellow Canadians Sloan, and her upcoming split 7" with Mastodon, which will feature each artist covering the other. She's still not sure which song she's picking but promised via twitter that "if people are expecting a cute twee cover of a metal song they have a big surprise comin." Here's what she said to The Weekly Feed about the project:

Oh my god, what a task. What an insurmountable mountain to try to cover Mastodon. We're working on it right now and I'm trying to figure out what song even. I haven't figured that out even yet. But yeah, I hugely admire them and I kind of come from that world. That's where I cut my teeth when I was 15/16 going to metal shows, and in my first band our guitar player probably would've wanted to be in Mastodon if Mastodon had existed at the time, you know? So it definitely speaks to me. When I saw them play on Jools Holland, that's how I was first introduced to them. We played that television show in England together and it just went right to my bones, and after the show we kind of had this, "oh man we should something!" you know? Which didn't seem like it was gonna happen, but now it seems like it's gonna happen, they announced it on MTV so now it's happening.

Also below is a stream of Beck's remix of Metals single, "How Come You Never Go There," which you can also purchase at iTunes.

All dates and streams below...

Continue reading "Feist playing Radio City Music Hall (and other stuff)"

Pulp @ Way Out West 2011 (more)

Tickets for Pulp's show at Radio City Music Hall go on "Internet Presale" today, 1/26, at 10am (PASSWORD: HEPULP). General sale begins Friday at 10am. We also have a pair you can win! Details below.

Continue reading "another Pulp presale & a chance to WIN TIX"

at least 1 of these 3 will be at Radio City in March

Billboard reports:

"The Secret Policeman's Ball is letting America in on the party: The British-based music and comedy festival is coming to New York in March.

Coldplay, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Mumford & Sons and Russell Brand are among the acts who have signed on for the event at Radio City Music Hall on March 4. The concert will benefit Amnesty International, as it has since it started back in 1976 with celebrities like John Cleese. Over the years, Bono, Sting and others have participated. This will mark the first time it's being held in New York City.

"For us, it's iconic and a very special thing, and has provided the opportunity to really celebrate the presence of freedom of expression and free speech, and how we can move people and how we can bring people together, and just how powerful that is," said Amnesty International spokesman Andy Hackman in an interview Tuesday. "

Coldplay also have shows coming up in NJ and other places.

Pulp @ Way Out West 2011 (more)

As noted yesterday morning, Pulp announced some more shows.

Tickets for Pulp's upcoming show at the Warfield in San Francisco go on sale Friday at 10am (California time)

Tickets for Pulp's show at Radio City Music Hall go on AmEx presale Wednesday morning at 10am.

Tickets to see fellow Coachella-reuniter Refused at Terminal 5 go on sale Wedneday at noon.

The Promise Ring aren't playing Coachella (just Bamboozle), but their Irving Plaza show goes on sale Friday at noon which is two hours after Pulp Radio City tickets go on general sale.

Florence at Creators Project in 2011 (more by Ryan Barkan)

Florence and the Machine have an extensive international tour scheduled which includes the Summer Soul Festival in Brazil this week, a number of summer festivals, and many headlining shows in between. They'll make their way over to North American in April and May surrounding their performances at Coachella. The tour hits NYC on May 8 at Radio City Music Hall with support from Blood Orange. Tickets are on AmEx presale now and go on sale to the general public on Friday (1/27) at 9 AM. While Florence is in the area, she'll also play Mohegan Sun Arena in CT (5/11) and the Borgata in Atlantic City (5/12). All dates are listed below.

Florence's most recent single from 2011's Ceremonials, "No Light, No Light" was released last week b/w remixed by Dave Sitek and Breakage. You can purchase it on iTunes or grab the limited edition on vinyl via Flotique. The video for this track is below.

Speaking of Blood Orange, you can catch him in NYC much sooner when he plays his first headlining NYC show at Glasslands on February 25 with support from D-Video and Physical Therapy (DJ). Tickets are still available.

Speaking of bands playing Coachella and Radio City, Pulp also just announced a NYC show.

All dates and video below...

Continue reading "Florence & the Machine announces tour, playing Radio City w/ Blood Orange (dates)"

Pulp @ Way Out West 2011 (more)

Pulp have upped their amount of announced US shows from two Coachellas to two Coachellas, one San Francisco show, and an April 11th gig at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. Tickets go on sale Friday, 1/27 (maybe they'll be a presale before then). All tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Pulp playing @ Radio City Music Hall before Coachella (dates)"

Rodrigo y Gabriela at Terminal 5 in 2009 (more by Paul Bachman)

Rodrigo y Gabriela are set to release their new album, Area 52, on January 24 via ATO Records. The album will mark the duo's first collaborative recording, as they've roped in 13-piece Cuban orchestra C.U.B.A.. You can download the album's single, "Juan Loco," in exchange for your email address via the widget below. Also below is the album artwork, tracklist, and a trailer video.

Rodrigo y Gabriela are going on tour in support of the album with C.U.B.A. as their backing band this spring. That tour hits NYC on April 20 at Radio City Music Hall. Tickets go on sale Friday, 1/20, and are available now for Fan Club Presale (password="RYGAREA52").

All dates, video, widget, and album info below...

Continue reading "Rodrigo y Gabriela touring with (and made an album with) C.U.B.A. (dates)"

As previously discussed, Antony & the Johnsons (and 60-piece orchestra) will play a rare and special show at Radio City Music Hall in NYC on January 26th. Tickets to the MoMA-commissioned event are still on sale and we're giving a pair away. Details below...

Continue reading "win tix to Antony & the Johnsons @ Radio City Music Hall"

The stars came to Cleveland Saturday night (Nov. 5) as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Case Western Reserve University's American Music Masters Tribute Concert to soul legend Aretha Franklin.

The 16th annual concert, which has honored classic artists such as Hank Williams, Leadbelly and Jerry Lee Lewis in past years, was inundated with performers past and present, all of whom had felt Lady Soul's influence on their lives and music.

But it was the show's finale that capped off the evening in a culmination of gospel-soul goodness. After show promoters insisted that Franklin was not scheduled to perform at the concert, Rock Hall CEO Terry Stewart announced a surprise to end the night, and the curtain rose on a grand black piano, with none other than Franklin herself at its keys.

Flanked by past performers of the evening, Aretha brought down the house with her rendition of Leon Russell's "A Song for You," a call-and-response number boosted by the croons of the Temptations' Dennis Edwards. Franklin especially dedicated the song to United States Attorney General Eric Holder, who attended the concert.

Following a standing ovation from an appreciative and animated crowd, Stewart beckoned Aretha to the podium, where she received the 2011 American Music Masters honorary award, as well as a key to the city by Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson. -[Billboard]

Aretha was supposed to play two nights at Radio City in Feb. 2011, but had to cancel due to sickness. She has since played a free show in Coney Island which was also a makeup show of sorts.

All currently known Aretha dates are below.

Continue reading "Aretha Franklin honored, announces 2 Radio City shows"

Antony w/ an orchestra in 2010 (more by Richard Termine)

This is awesome:

The Museum of Modern Art has commissioned artist/musician Antony to conceive, produce, and perform a large-scale concert and performance event, Swanlights, with Antony and the Johnsons, on Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 8:00 p.m. at Radio City Music Hall. Featuring a 60-piece orchestra, the performance piece is conceived as a new commission especially developed for the January 26 performance, and an evolution of the highly acclaimed The Crying Light, which was presented at the Manchester Opera House for the 2009 Manchester International Festival. Envisioned as a meditation on light, nature, and femininity, Swanlights includes songs from all four of Antony and the Johnsons' albums (self-titled, I am a Bird Now, The Crying Light, and Swanlights), set to symphonic arrangements by Nico Muhly, Rob Moose, and Maxim Moston. It is produced in collaboration with light artist Chris Levine, lighting designer Paul Normandale, and set designer Carl Robertshaw. Antony and the Johnsons: Swanlights is organized by Klaus Biesenbach, Chief Curator at Large of The Museum of Modern Art and Director of MoMA PS1, with the assistance of Eliza Ryan, Curatorial Assistant, MoMA PS1.

This month also sees a work-in-progress screening of TURNING, a film by Charles Atlas and Antony on November 11th at Copenhagen's Documentary Film Festival CPH:DOX.

photos by Chris Gersbeck

"TV on the Radio brilliant at Radio City last night." - Club des Cordeliers

"TV on the Radio at Radio City Music Hall, they sound awesome" - Michael Krisher

One night after a smaller home-borough show on the date of their new album and film release at Music Hall of Williamsburg, TV on the Radio took over the magnificent Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan (last night, 4/13). Light Asylum opened the show. We don't have pictures of them, but more of the headliners with their setlist, below...

Continue reading "TV on the Radio played Radio City Music Hall (pics & setlist)"

photos by Winnie Cheung, words by Klaus Kinski

DOWNLOAD Eluvium - An Accidental Memory In The Case Of Death (MP3)
DOWNLOAD Matthew Cooper - Some Days Are Better Than Others (MP3)

Explosions In The Sky

If it wasn't for BV, I never would have had my first Explosions in the Sky/Eluvium experience on September 2, 2006 at Bowery Ballroom. At that time, a friend told me that the Temporary Residence produced show was absolutely unmissable, and that I should do whatever it took to get my ass into the grotesquely sold out show. Luckily I didn't have to do much because one day a window opened on TicketWeb and BV (the man, not the site) was kind enough to give me a heads up, and I was in. From September 2, 2006 onward, I was officially a batshit crazy fan of Explosions and Eluvium.

Flash-forward to now. I'm a little fatter, a little balder, but I am still that rabid EITS and Eluvium fan that was born on September 2, 2006. When it was announced back in January that EITS would be headlining Radio City Music Hall, I was totally cranked. Best... venue... ever. Then I saw that Eluvium was added as opener, performing solo piano material, and I was beside myself. THEN it was announced that LOW was also going to open the show as well. Trifecta! I am still amazed that people pissed and moaned at the near $60 ticket cost. Three epic bands in New York City's most beautiful venue at that cost is a pittance. I mean, if you saved a dollar a day from when the show was announced, you would have had plenty of dough for a ticket and even a few of RCMH's expensive beers.

From start to finish, the show was an absolute triumph. If you balked at the price and missed the show, I instruct you to immediately be overwhelmed and water-boarded with regret. Matthew Cooper aka Eluvium sidled up to a massive grand piano a hair past 8:00pm. Lit only by two bluish spot lights and accompanied by fog that basically transformed the light beams into textured blue cones, Cooper commanded the piano to a room that was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. And, man, was I proud of the audience for that level of quiet. He relied heavily on his piano-centric 2004 release An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death, which was fine with me as it is one of the most beautiful records in my collection. His set was brief, and said not a single word, and left the stage to rousing applause. It was the perfect start to this show.

Low was up next and brought things up to another sonic tier. Playing as a four piece they unleashed a flawless set that was rife with soaring harmonies, anthemic guitar and keyboard arrangements, and a super-bassy back beat that plodded along like the heartbeat of someone at rest. This was my first experience with Low in person and found it to be a perfect complement to Eluvium's quiet, contemplative piano and EITS's bombastic and uber-loud performance. I will definitely check them out again at Bowery Ballroom on April 27. Join me, won't you? I mean not literally. Go to the show, but not with me. Why would you? Whatever.

For me, Radio City Music Hall is the perfect room for Explosions. Most people prefer to see their favorite bands in intimate rooms. But for sheer sonic projection and immersion, RCMH is the perfect room to see and hear EITS. Radio City's massive scalloped, arched ceilings and the sheer cavernous nature of the room really allows the sounds propelling from the speakers to fill up the room and breathe. Actually, I'd give my right arm to see a band like Mogwai there. Their entire set was a work of perfection, but the highlight for me was the second song in, "Birth and Death of the Day". Epic. They did play a pretty lengthy set, but I was disappointed that there was no encore; a non-core if you will. But I guess it makes sense; an EITS performance works best as a 90-minute onslaught. For them to come out to do another song or two would underwhelm and seem weird.

In other Explosions in the Sky and Eluvium News

If you happen to be in Los Angeles on April 23rd, head on over to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (but not in a casket, because that means you're dead meat and will miss everything) for an EITS art and listening event. At the event you will see all tracks from their new record Take Care, Take Care, Take Care interpreted by some artists. That album is set to drop on April 18th in the US.

Matthew Cooper aka Eluvium released the soundtrack to a film called Some Days are Better Than Others as Matthew Cooper. About the film...

The film stars James Mercer (Broken Bells, The Shins) and Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney) as strangers whose lives occasionally intersect as they navigate their way through the struggles of personal attachment and disconnection.

More pictures and the EITS setlist from Radio City, and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Explosions in the Sky played Radio City Music Hall w/ Low & Eluvium (pics, setlist & other news)"

Cold War Kids' March 24th Radio City Music Hall show has been moved to Terminal 5. "All tickets will be honored." Baths and No Age are still the openers.

If you happen to be in Austin, come see Baths play the BrooklynVegan Day Party at Swan Dive/Barbarella at noon today (3/19)

2ND SHOW ADDED ON SUNDAY, APRIL 10 @ 8PM

FOR MATURE AUDIENCES 18+ OVER

My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option Show is coming for you.

I'm going on the road. LIVE. Will there be surprises? Will there be guests? Will there be mayhem? Will you ask questions? Will you laugh? Will you scream? Will you know the truth? WILL THERE BE MORE?!?! This IS where you will hear the REAL story from the Warlock. Bring it I dare you to keep up with me.

Charlie Sheen will be donating $1.00 from each ticket for the Charlie Sheen Live: My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Tour to the Japanese Earthquake Relief Fund. For more information on how your proceeds are being used please contact the Red Cross at www.redcross.org.

vegan power...

Weird, but true.

photos by Tracy Allison, words by Erin Allison

Bright Eyes headlined Radio City Music Hall in NYC twice this week. - March 8 & 9. Conor Oberst's Merge label-mates Superchunk and Wild Flag also opened both nights. I was there on the 2nd night which is also when the pictures in this post were taken.

Wild Flag, the all-girl group from Portland, comprised of Sleater-Kinney and former Helium members took the stage at 8pm for a rocking, half-hour long, six song set. Wild Flag also played The Rock Shop twice on March 5th.

If you would have told a younger Oberst at age thirteen that Superchunk would be opening for his band he would have "kicked you in the shins." The pop-punk band, who released their 9th album this past September, were equally enthusiastic to be opening for Bright Eyes, with singer (and Merge head honcho) Mac McCaughan telling the audience that playing a venue like Radio City alongside bands like Wild Flag and Bright Eyes "makes you feel part of something bigger."

As Oberst took the stage, members of the audience could be heard shouting "Welcome back, Conor!" Bright Eyes played a perfect mix of new and old music during the twenty-song set and three-song encore. The theme for the night seemed to be sexually explicit material, with a dash of family. Two songs were dedicated "to Nancy", the Bright Eyes frontman's mother. Oberst shared the stage with only Nathaniel Wolcott for "Ladder Song," and talked about Lent, telling all of Radio City that he had given up apologizing for the next 40 days. The politically active Oberst discussed the U.S. government trying to control the whole world and encouraged people to do what they can to make a change before playing "Old Soul Song".

There was dancing, tears, squealing audience members, and screams when Oberst jumped into the audience during the encore. Fans could not have been happier to have Bright Eyes back, and as it was eloquently put, "Coberst killed it." Free Gotham said:

"The highlight of the evening? I loved "Hot Knives," "Bowl of Oranges," "Lover I Don't Have to Love" and "Ladder Song," but the epitome of Bright Eyes had to be the performance of "Shell Games." Not only is this one of the best tracks off of The People's Key, it was without a doubt the best song of the night."

Continue reading "Bright Eyes played 2 nights @ Radio City Music Hall w/ Superchunk & Wild Flag (pics, videos & setlists)"

"We should do a residency here" - David Pajo, pre-encore

Interpol sounded great Thursday night at NYC's grand Radio City Music Hall (just one stop on their current tour with School of Seven Bells). And they played a mighty fine setlist's worth of material to an enthusiastic, standing crowd full of people that weren't afraid to dance (like Daniel Kessler danced), scream out requests (like "Stella!!") and just generally have a good time (even the ones in all black). The full setlist, some videos and a couple more pictures, below...

Continue reading "Interpol played Radio City Music Hall (setlist)"

TV on The Radio at The Roots Picnic 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

TV On The Radio will celebrate their forthcoming follow-up to Dear Science, the new LP entitled Nine Types of Light (due this Spring), in a most majestic way, with a show at Radio City Music Hall on April 13th. Tickets go on sale Friday 2/18 at 11AM. The show will kick off a US tour, though no other dates have been announced yet.

Speaking of Radio City, Robyn played there on Saturday night. Check out the pictures if you haven't already.

photos by Chris La Putt

"Mazel tov to Robyn for selling out Radio City Music Hall and making 5400 people go completely bananas. What a memorable night!." - laura hess

Diamond Rings backstage @ Radio City

Robyn on stage @ Radio City

Robyn brought her tour with Diamond Rings to Radio City Music Hall in NYC on Saturday night (2/5). More pictures from the night and Robyn's setlist, below...

Continue reading "Robyn played Radio City Music Hall with Diamond Rings & Natalia Kills (pics & setlist)"

Album art for Low's C'mon

After an appearance at SXSW, Low will prep C'mon, the band's new LP due on April 12th via Sub Pop which is currently up for preorder. Low is currently offering the first MP3 to emerge from the LP, "Try To Sleep", in exchange for your email address.

In between SXSW and the release of C'mon, Low will join Explosions In The Sky when they headline Radio City Music Hall on April 6th with recent addition Eluvium on solo piano. Tickets are still available.

Low recently dropped off ther dates for the C'mon tour, and though the RCMH show is listed as their only NYC appearance, the band recently stated otherwise in a Facebook post. Look for the band to "play a headline NYC show a few weeks later", most likely either on April 24th (after Pittsburgh, before Philly) or more likely April 27 and/or 28th (between DC and Boston). We'll keep you posted.

Explosions In The Sky recently updated their tour dates as well, and you can check out those, as well as the track listing for their new LP Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (due on 4/26 via Temporary Residence Limited) below.

Continue reading "Low announce tour & a new MP3, EITS add dates & stuff too"