photos by Chris La Putt

DOM @ Pier 54

Dom, who played a free show at Pier 54 with Deer Tick earlier this month, is headlining a free show at Rockaway Beach AT PUBLIC ASSEMBLY (moved due to rain) on Sunday (today, 8/21). Sheen Bros (Cosmo Baker & 4th Pyramid plus Greg Nice) are also on the bill, and there will be DJ sets from BAIO (Vampire Weekend), Queen Majesty, Eli Escobar and Shakeyface. It's the second in a series of free RCRD LBL sponsored shows at the location. JEFF The Brotherhood played the first one. RSVP is supposedly required. The flyer, a couple more dates, and more unposted pictures from the 8/11 Pier 54 show, below...

Continue reading "Dom playing free show @ Rockaway Beach Sunday ---- dates & more Pier 54 pics"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

"The Antlers sound so good right now" - James Cross

I arrived a bit too late to see this happen, but after Dinosaur Feathers started playing their opening set on Pier 54 in Manhattan last night (7/22), a generator blew. That in turn caused much of the electricity on stage to stop working. When I got there, the opening band was playing again, but sans generator, monitors and drum machine. According to their own banter, they played 3.5 songs total (it was 2.5 songs, but then they were surprised when they were told to play one more after that). The Brooklyn band is now on tour with Lonnie Walker until August 28th when they conclude things at Littlefield (DF also have a show on September 7th at Bruar Falls).

Half way through the last song of Dinosaur Feathers' short set, a truck came blazing down the side of the peer with yellow lights flashing and a generator in tow. The crowd, aware of exactly what that was zooming by, cheered loudly. The Hudson River Park staff quickly got things up and running and The Antlers took the stage for their headlining set. It was around 9pm. That meant there was plenty of time for the band to play a full set that ran until not long past 10pm, 1-song encore included.

The wooden pier is a beautiful place, right off the West Side Highway. You're literally surrounded by the Hudson River on three sides as you're watching the band play in front of the NJ skyline (I'm not being sarcastic!). The breeze off the water, and nice night in general, made it even better.

The Antlers are one of my favorite new bands, and as usual, they didn't disappoint. Frontman Peter Silberman somehow manages to simultaneously channel so much emotion while completely playing it cool, and shredding on guitar. His backing band of Michael Lerner and Darby Cicci are completely able, and together they, well to quote James above, sound so good.

As a bonus we got two new songs, one of which was a falsetto-heavy number that they were playing for the very first time. I'm really looking forward to hearing them on record (especially the new song they played earlier in the set). The next show on Pier 54 is Deerhunter and Real Estate on August 12th. More pictures from the Antlers show, with more Antlers dates, and two videos including a video of one of the new songs (the one they played later in the set for the first time), below...

Continue reading "The Antlers, despite generator problems, played (new songs at) River Rocks on Pier 54 w/ Dinosaur Feathers (pics, video)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Pictures from Thursday evening's free Phosphorescent and Dawes show at Pier 54 in NYC, continue below...

Continue reading "Phosphorescent & Dawes played RiverRocks (pics)"

photos by Chris La Putt

"Wow - thanks to everyone who stuck it out - I was a little disombobulated, and I'm truly sorry the R4 & XtraGolden didn't play... ...but we all made the best of it, right? Thanks again for braving it with us!" - Ted Leo

Hundreds of people braved the rain to see Ted Leo & the Pharamacists play a tight set with no set list on Pier 54 in NYC (part of the RiverRocks summer series). After a slight delay and the cancellation of both openers (Radio 4 and Extra Golden), Ted and band played for about an hour and 20 minutes of relatively rain-free music. They went on around 7:50. The above picture was taken around 6:30. To quote a friend, "all in all another memorable night in the eight year saga of Ted vs the Environment. Ted and his diehard fans always win." More pictures and some video below...

Continue reading "Ted Leo & the Pharmacists @ Pier 54 in NYC in the rain - pics "

photos by Alex Reside

"Last night a whole lot of music fans packed themselves onto Pier 54 for the first concert in the Hudson River Park's RiverRocks concert series. The show featured three performances (wait, can I call a DJ set a performance? ok, fine I guess so). First up was Team Robespierre, a punk band from Brooklyn. They seemed a little off, but at least they were singing...which leads me to the next group Flosstradamus, a pair of DJs. The music was good, but it wasn't the right time or place for a DJ set. The pier was completely flat, so odds were that your experience at that point involved a dance-track backed view of the sunset. It wasn't much of a dance party where I was standing, half-way down the pier, but maybe they were appreciating the music up front. When Matt and Kim took the stage there were joined by two giant screens, which were used to project close-ups of the musicians as well as some animated patterns." [Second Doubles]

Continue reading "Matt & Kim, Flosstradamus & Team Robespierre @ Pier 54 in NYC - pics "

Yeasayer in the woods (via their recording blog)

"Three of the best established indie bands in the New York City music scene - two relatively newcomers, Matt & Kim and Yeasayer, and one perennial favorite Ted Leo & The Pharmacists -- are scheduled to headline the 11th annual RiverRocks music series of free outdoor concerts at Hudson River Park's Pier 54 this summer.

With the Hudson River and the setting sun as the backdrop of its Pier 54 stage (at 14th Street), RiverRocks kicks off its three-date series Thursday, July 9 featuring Brooklyn's Matt & Kim with the Chicago-based electronic team Flosstradamus opening the evening....

RiverRocks is Hudson River Park's signature concert series staged on the Pier 54 waterfront adjacent to New York City's Meatpacking District (at 14th Street). Gates open at 6 p.m. for all RiverRocks shows, which are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Continue reading "Hudson RiverRocks' 2009 lineup - Yeasayer, Ted Leo, Matt & Kim, Radio 4, Extra Golden (3 free NYC shows!)"

Blonde Redhead @ St. Ann's in March (more by Bao)

free shows @ Pier 54 @ W. 14th St in NYC (6pm)
July 10 - Latin Celebration w/ Yerba Buena and Si-Se
July 31 - Flogging Molly
Aug 14 - Blonde Redhead