Mission of Burma at Bowery Ballroom in January (more by PSquared Photography)

We just mentioned that Merchandise will be playing NYU's Strawberry Festival, which goes down on May 10 at LaGuardia Place from 12:30-4:30 PM, and is free, all ages, and open to the public. It's since been announced that post-punk veterans Mission of Burma will headline the festival, which is even more reason that this is going to be a good show. The bill also includes Library Time and one more TBA.

It's Mission of Burma's only North American date that we're aware of before the band heads over to Europe in June. Meanwhile, MoB member Roger Miller's old band Sproton Layer has shows coming up too, including one in NYC on July 26 at Mecury Lounge. Tickets for that show are still available.

All dates are listed, along with a video, below...

Continue reading "Mission of Burma added to NYU's Strawberry Fest (dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

Merchandise on a bridge during SXSW (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Merchandise, whose recently-expanded lineup puts on way more killer shows than when they were a three-piece, are touring like crazy this year. Their run with fellow punk-minded bands Milk Music and Destruction Unit hits NYC on June 15 at 285 Kent as part of the Northside Festival (tickets), but you'll be able to catch Merchandise in NYC even sooner and for free when they play NYU's Strawberry Festival on May 10 at LaGuardia Place between Washington Sq. and West 3rd St. Library Time is also on the lineup and more bands TBA. The show runs from 12:30 to 4:30 PM and is open to the public.

Merchandise released their new album, Totale Nite, earlier this month via Night People. It's the followup to last year's Smiths/Joy Division-indebted Children of Desire, and brings new elements to their sound like bluesy harmonicas, weird sax freakouts, and a Sabbathian interlude. I'd say it's a pretty worthy followup to Children of Desire. What did you think of it? Did you think it was the worst? If you haven't heard it yet, you can stream it via Spotify, along with an updated list of tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Merchandise playing NYU's Strawberry Fest (updated dates)"

BADBADNOTGOOD @ Brooklyn Bowl (5/4/2012) (via @hollaPino)

As I'm sure countless musicians who happened to have shows scheduled yesterday did from stage, Coldplay (at Hollywood Bowl and like they did at All Points West), BADBADNOTGOOD (at Brooklyn Bowl), and Bomb The Music Industry! (at the NYU Strawberry Festival) paid tribute to Adam Yauch with a Beastie Boys cover worked into the set (who else did?). Watch video of the three mentioned, below...

Continue reading "Coldplay, BADBADNOTGOOD & Bomb The Music Industry! paid tribute to MCA (videos from last night)"

photos and video by Jessica Amaya

Laura Stevenson & the Cans @ Knitting Factory

Laura Stevenson & the Cans, who along with Bomb The Music Industry will play the annual NYU Strawberry Fest on 5/4, played a show at Knitting Factory two Fridays ago with Lady Lamb the Beekeeper and Dangerous Ponies. Here are some pics & two videos from the Brooklyn show. Continued below...

Continue reading "Laura Stevenson & the Cans played the Knit, playing NYU Strawberry Fest (pics & video)"

photos by Lauren Monaco

Despite the sun blaring, sound levels needing to be kept low due in part to the birth of a baby red-tailed hawk, and the temporary shutting down of the show due to people climbing poles and otherwise being too violent, Lightning Bolt managed to play a headlining set at NYU's annual Strawberry Festival on Friday. And in keeping with the bird theme, they shared a bill with both Pterodactyl and Ducktails, and The So So Glos too.

The festival's mascot, a human dressed as a strawberry was in attendance and seen crowd surfing. Some video of that, and more pictures from the whole day, below...

Continue reading "Lightning Bolt, crowdsurfing strawberries & more (NYU's 2011 Strawberry Fest in pics & video)"

Lightning Bolt at 285 Kent Ave on 4/27, photo by Kathy Zikas

"Lightning Bolt pummeled the crowed at Le Poisson Rouge [Thursday] night with their standard blitzkrieg attack of sound. For over an hour the noise duo blasted away through classics from their excellent discography sending the crowd into a near frenzy. Brian Chippendale did his best impersonation of a jackhammer playing the drums and Brian Gibson stood by, ever so effortlessly, as he turned his amps up to 11 and ripped through distorted blasts of thundering bass. Despite the breaks between songs, the non stop bombardment of escalated sound sent shock waves through the crowd that more then likely split a few ear drums. The relentless assault proved that these two men are masters of their craft as they powered aware with such force and precision that kept the crowd screaming for an encore. When the band answered the call they came back to the stage and began to tear through the epic track "Ride the Skies" which nearly sent everyone over the edge after an already incredible performance of hurricane like forces of sound crushing the crowd." [omgnyc]

Lightning Bolt played Le Poisson Rouge Thursday night. It was one of two NYC dates the band played last week (they also played 285 Kent on 4/27, Wed), and the Providence duo will be back this week. NYU will host its annual Strawberry Festival (volunteer here) on Laguardia between West 3rd & 4th street on Friday May 6th with a special appearance from Lightning Bolt, as well as Pterodactyl, Ducktails, and The So So Glos. The fest goes down from 1PM until 5PM, and features food, drink, prizes, and even a DJ battle "with DJ Juan Farrakhan (BX) and DJ Jules Verne (BK, mem. FIASCO)." Unlike in years recent past, this year's event is advertised as "open to the public." More details are below.

In related news, soon after we posted about the May 5th Thermals show at Le Poisson Rouge, it was revealed that the show is actually an NYU show which would explain why advanced tickets were not easy to get. Note that "Advance tickets are only available for NYU. Non-nyu tickets available day of at doors." If you can get a ticket though, the show is a bargain: $7 for students, $10 for non-nyu, and both Twin Shadow and Tyvek were added to the very impressive Cinco de Mayo bill. Though:

IMPORTANT NOTE: those event times are NOT A MISPRINT. The doors for LPR will be open at 6, the first act goes on around 7, and this show WILL BE OVER AROUND 10. GET THERE EARLY.

NYU students can get tix at Ticket Central.

Twin Shadow meanwhile is out on tour with The Pains of Being Pure At Heart and will in fact open the May 6th show at Webster Hall. Tickets are still on sale. All TS dates are listed below.

The Thermals played Maxwell's with Dinowalrus last night (5/1), and in addition to the Le Poisson Rouge show, they're playing NYC at the Bell House in July after their tour with Matt & Kim. Tickets are still on sale.

Strawberry Festival details and Twin Shadow tour dates below...

Continue reading "The Thermals played Maxwell's, Lightning Bolt played 2 NYC shows, both bands playing public NYU shows, Twin Shadow too"

photos by Lauren Monaco

"wow. being blown away by screaming females. all nyu folks, strawberry fest is FREE and happening now." - Jason Lindy, April 30th

JEFF & strawberry

As mentioned a few times, NYU held their annual Strawberry Festival on Friday. The free concert included sets by Screaming Females, Hop Along, Little Lungs, Fiasco and JEFF the Brotherhood. JEFF are back in NYC in June as part of a tour with Quintron and Miss Pussycat. More pictures from Friday below...

Continue reading "JEFF the Brotherhood, Screaming Females, Fiasco & friends played NYU's Strawberry Festival (pics) "

by Andrew Frisicano

Cold Cave @ Market Hotel during CMJ (more by Leia Jospe)

Cold Cave and a surprise headliner will top a free concert on Saturday, April 24th at Solar One (same location as the annual CitySol, 23rd Street at East River) as part of NYU Earth Week. Also on the bill are lightly orchestral, layered pop band North Highlands and echo\y, tuneful Oberhofer. The show starts at 4pm and Andrew WK DJs between bands. The headliner will be announced the day of the show.

Columbia University is hosting a show with Of Montreal, Wiz Khalifa and Ghostface Killah the same day.

Cold Cave also playing the WBAR-B-Q the next day (4/25) and LPR on April 29th.

Also NYU-related is the annual Strawberry Festival on Friday, April 30th, noon to 4pm, outdoors on LaGuardia Place between W 3rd and 4th Sts. The show (an "NYU only event") includes music from Hop Along, Little Lungs, Fiasco, Screaming Females and Japanther.

Video from last year's Strawberry Fest and a recent gig by Japanther at Party Expo are below...

Continue reading "Cold Cave, a surprise headliner, Screaming Females, Japanther & other bands playing upcoming free NYU shows"

photos by Lauren Monaco

"Instead of having some form of a spring weekend like a lot of schools, NYU instead holds an event every year that has us celebrating... well, umm, strawberries.

Maybe us hipsters should count our blessings. My friends at Penn State got a performance from Asher Roth. Coincidentally, my friends from Penn State generally enjoy college, drinking, women, and college. On second thought, it was a perfect fit.

Anyway, for the past 25 years or so, NYU has picked out a spring day, sectioned off a block or so, closed it off from traffic, and relentlessly force-fed unsuspecting students with several tons of strawberries. It's an experience, if only to check out/devour "NYC's Largest Strawberry Shortcake."

For the first time this year, however, they decided to have a concert with it, and booked five bands to play."
[The Department of Forgotton Songs]

The bands were White Rabbits, Motel Motel, Golden Triangle, Teengirl Fantasy, and We Are The Arm. More pictures from Friday's fest below...

Continue reading "the 2009 NYU Strawberry Festival (Golden Triangle, Motel Motel, White Rabbits, etc) - pics"

White Rabbits, Motel Motel, Golden Triangle, Teengirl Fantasy, and We Are The Arm are playing a free, afternoon show on Friday, May 1st. Details below...

Continue reading "NYU's 2009 Strawberry Festival lineup (White Rabbits, more)"