photo by Dale May

You are probably familiar with Dave Hill by now. He's the brains behind the book Tasteful Nudes, which was released earlier this year, he performs locally in NYC a good deal, was one of BV's own Klaus Kinski's favorite local comedians this year, and he reviewed Morrissey's Radio City show for us. Oh yeah, and maybe you read his review of Def Leppard, Poison, and Lita Ford?

Dave just gave us his list of his top ten favorite things of 2012. It includes some shows he saw (like the Def Leppard one), a show he didn't see, and his own book. The whole thing (plus commentary) is a pretty great read, and it's below for your viewing pleasure...

Continue reading "Dave Hill's Best of 2012 list"

Tenacious D at Hammerstein Ballroom in June (more by Chris La Putt)

Jack Black and Kyle Gass' comedy metal duo Tenacious D have announced an "Old School Acoustic Style" tour, harkening back to the duo's late '90s roots, which will begin in late February and continue into March. The tour doesn't come to NYC, but it comes close when it hits Atlantic City on February 28 at Showboat Hotel & Casino: House of Blues. Tickets for that show are on fan club presale (password: "Fenix") and Ticketmaster presale now, and general on-sale begins Friday (12/14) at 10 AM.

The D released a Black Friday Record Store Day 12" last month which featured the almost 12 minute track, "Jazz." A stream of that song, and a list of all dates are below.

Continue reading "Tenacious D going on "old school style acoustic" tour (dates)"

Check out the entire list of 2013 Grammy Nominations below...

Continue reading "2013 Grammy Nominations announced (full list)"

Bloc Party at Lollapalooza 2012 (more by James Richards IV)

Tame Impala at Lollapalooza 2012 (more by James Richards IV)

Yo La Tengo at Maxwell's on Hanukah 2011 (more by Bryan Bruchman)

today in NYC
* Diego Garcia @ Joe's Pub
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* John Mulaney @ Comedyjuice
* Talib Kweli @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Wouter Kellerman @ Joe's Pub
* Grand Band @ Le Poisson Rouge
* White Gallery, BZARYN @ Cake Shop
* Carol Lipnik & Spookarama @ Barbes
* Cyro Baptista & Friends @ The Stone
* Alt-J, Mon Khmer, Softspot @ Glasslands
* Sixpence None The Richer @ Mercury Lounge
* Howie Day, Charlotte Sometimes @ City Winery
* Lucinda Williams, Amy Cook @ Bowery Ballroom
* M. Ward, Yo La Tengo @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* Bloc Party, The Drums, Them Jeans @ Terminal 5
* Pinegrove, Blind Benny, Small Axe @ Cameo Gallery
* Tame Impala, Young Magic @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* George Thorogood & The Destroyers @ BB King Blues Club
* Prostitution, Vex, Last Legion, Bloodseeker @ Saint Vitus
* Britches, Show Me the Body, Radio Rock, Eleven Swords @ XPO 929
* Psychobuildings, Swanifant, Jerry Paper @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge
* Diego's Umbrella, Karikatura, Tashaki Miyaki, Anya Skidan @ Pianos
* Ryan Montbleau Band(Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival @ City Winery
* The Netherlands, Peewonder-z, Ryo Inoue, Drums & Red & Tuba @ Death By Audio
* Broncho, Bad Weather California, The Denzels, Crazy & The Brains @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Comedy Bang! Bang! Live! w/ Scott Aukerman, Tim Heidecker, James Adomian, Kurt Braunohler @ Highline Ballroom

Bloc Party start their three-night run with The Drums at Terminal 5 tonight. If you can't make it, they'll be streaming Wednesday's show (8/8) live. The shows were all sold out but tickets for all three appear to be back on sale.

It's supposed to be a lovely evening tonight, perfect for a laid-back M. Ward / Yo La Tengo show at Prospect Park. It's not free but tickets are still available.

Scott Aukerman's Comedy Bang! Bang! comes to Highline Ballroom for two shows tonight with guests Tim Heidecker, James Adomian, Kurt Braunohler. Tenacious D recently stopped by the TV version of Comedy Bang! Bang! and you can check out videos of that (featuring Reggie Watts and a Weird Al cameo) below too.

Talib Kweli, who plays Brooklyn Bowl tonight, will play Highline Ballroom later this month (8/20) for a show with his Idle Warship project. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

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LA rapper Nipsey Hussle, who has collaborated with Drake, Snoop Dogg, Chamillionaire, Childish Gambino and others, and was one of XXL's 10 Freshmen of 2010, will be in NYC for a free show at Santos tonight. Doors are at 7 PM. 21+. Nipsey's most recent release is the free EP/mixtape, The Marathon Continues: X-Tra Laps, which you can download HERE.

Redd Kross' first album in 15 years, Researching the Blues, is out today. Check out their video for album track "Stay Away from Downtown" below.

Sacred Bones just reissued the soundtrack to David Lynch's seminal cult classic Eraserhead. Stream a cut from that below.

You can also watch a new video from Zambri as well.

There's a new "Electrical Transmission" teaser for Neurosis' new album. That is below to watch too.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

Tenacious D fans in NYC (more by Chris La Putt)

Las Vegas police confirmed Sunday night that at least one suspect was arrested in connection with a stabbing at a concert at the House of Blues that left at least one man injured.

Police spokesman Jose Hernandez said there were conflicting reports, but it appeared two suspects were arrested Saturday night at the Tenacious D show inside the Mandalay Bay music venue.

Hernandez said one or two injured concertgoers were transported to University Medical Center with injuries not considered life threatening. He did not know the identity of the suspects nor what charge or charges they could face.

Hernandez said the concertgoers fought prior to the bloodshed.

"There was some sort of altercation that led up to the stabbing," he said.

An eyewitness said there was a violent incident about halfway through the Tenacious D show.

The show, scheduled for 90 minutes, was cut short by a half-hour, and concertgoers were told not to leave until the area was secured.
[Las Vegas Journal] (via)

Video of Jack Black explaining to the Las Vegas crowd that the show is ending early before playing their last song, below...

Continue reading "Tenacious D concert ends early due to stabbing"

photos by Chris La Putt

Tenacious D at Hammerstein Ballroom - 6/28/12

Tenacious D (aka Jack Black & Kyle Gass) brought their comedic hard rock to NYC for a show at Hammerstein Ballroom last night (6/28) as part of their a tour with The Sights. Taking the stage in front of the especially phallic "Fenix" which graces their new album cover, they split the set pretty evenly between their three full lengths, including the recently released Rize of the Fenix, which hit shelves last month, and did a medley of The Who covers. Tenacious D and The Sights will do it again at Hammerstein tonight (6/29). Tickets for tonight's show are still available.

Unfortunately we don't have the full setlist from last night's show, but the whole tour has been pretty consistent, so you can check out some setlists of previous dates along with more pics and a video of Tenacious D from last night's show (and two videos from last night's Daily Show appearance) below...

Continue reading "Tenacious D played the Daily Show & Hammerstein Ballroom (pics/video/setlist), play NYC again tonight"

photos by Chris Graham and Rae Graham

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/Feist

Before the release of their 2011 album, "Hysterical," Clap Your Hands Say Yeah had been inactive for three years, but they were as lively as ever on Monday afternoon. Blowing through tracks from all three of their albums, Alec Ounsworth and company charged through a set full of guitar-based indie rock that catered heavily towards their fans. But judging by the crowd's response, even those who were unfamiliar with the band were enticed. After playing Sasquatch! 2006 on a much smaller stage, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's triumphant set had the crowd, well, clapping their hands and saying "yeah!"

Mogwai (who have upcoming shows with Balam Acab) were supposed to play that day but they cancelled last minute and were replaced by Deer Tick who came on to play a set of covers.

Pictures of Day 1 are HERE, Day 2 are HERE and HERE, Day 3 are HERE, and more from Day 4 below...

Continue reading "Sasquatch 2012 in pics - Day 4 (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Feist, Beck, Spiritualized, SBTRKT, Shabazz Palaces & more)"

Tenacious D have added a 2nd NYC show, and other dates, to their upcoming tour in support of "Rize of the Fenix." The old NYC date is June 28 at Hammerstein Ballroom. The new NYC date is June 29 at Hammerstein Ballroom and it goes on sale Friday, May 4, at 10am. We also have another pair of tickets you can win (to the new show). Details and an updated set of tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Tenacious D add 2nd NYC show (updated dates & a contest) "

Andrew WK in Norway recently (more by BBG)

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* stuff @ Barbes
* Friends @ le baron
* The Ventures @ BB King's
* Hot Tub @ Littlefield
* The English Beat @ Maxwell's
* Ben Howard, Willy Mason @ Bowery Ballroom
* Rusty Lazer, Nicky Da B @ Work in Progress
* Reverend Vince Anderson & His Love Choir @ Union Pool
* Tonstartssbandht, John K, Haussman, Jerry Paper @ Shea Stadium
* Keep Shelly in Athens, Jonquil, New Moods, Behavior @ Glasslands
* Color War, Freak Week, Gregory Stovetop, Morpho @ Vaudeville Park
* Andrew W.K. , MATH The Band, Aleister X @ Webster Hall
* State Champion, Street Gnar, Mail The Horse, Dead Beat @ Death By Audio
* SBTRKT (DJ) Jim-E Stack, Sepalcure @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Andrew W.K. (DJ), Math the Band, Aleister X, Cherie Lily @ Santos Party House
* Jonny Corndawg, Shovels and Rope, Robert Ellis, Colin L. Orchestra @ Mercury Lounge
* Black Box Revelation, Romans, Dirty Fences, Bridget and the Squares @ Knitting Factory
* Dan Neustadt plays Clap You Hands Say Yeah (Self-titled) @ Knitting Factory
* A Celebration of Paul Newman's Dream to Benefit The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps @ Lincoln Center

Elvis Costello, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Josh Groban, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Simon, Natasha Yvette Williams, and Trisha Yearwood perform at the Paul Newman benefit show at Lincoln Center.

Keep Shelly in Athens & Jonquil kick off a tour at Glasslands tonight.

SBTRKT arrives in town. Tonight's gig is just a DJ set with special guests though.

Andrew W.K. rages on with his "I Get Wet" 10th Anniversary Tour,playing the full-length LP at Webster Hall tonight. The show is sold out. Afterparty is at Santos.

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Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.

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Tenacious D, who recently announced a tour and new album released a new video last week. Watch below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

photos by Julie Schabel

Odd Future @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 3/20/2012

As you may have noticed when Bowery Presents announced an Odd Future show at Hammerstein Ballroom, the big NYC venue is no longer exclusive to Live Nation. The room also received a technology uprade. Venues today reports...

One of New York's iconic theaters is being retooled into a HD broadcast-capable concert facility, equipped to stream or broadcast any event live in beautiful 1080p.

The iconic Hammerstein Ballroom, built in 1906 and once a popular stop for vaudeville acts, is now home to a new revolution in performing arts -- the complete integration of a state-of-the-art broadcast and recording studio. Since 1997, the Hammerstein has been the anchor of the Manhattan Center, a television and music studio used to record musical performances for television, special concert events and other programming.

In December, the Manhattan Center made two large changes to open the space up to new clients. First, they ended Live Nation's exclusive booking contract for the facility, opening up the 3,500-capacity standing room concert hall to independent promoters and anyone interested in booking the building.

The Manhattan Center management team also completed the installation of TV1, a new fully HD recording studio that allows any content performed at the space to be streamed in HD, or digitally delivered for future distribution. The upgrades come on top of some physical improvements to the building including renovated dressing rooms and a new marquee.

A few more pictures from the Bowery-presented Odd Future show, below...

Continue reading "Hammerstein Ballroom upgraded & can now be booked by anyone (Odd Future played there, Tenacious D on sale)"

Tenacious D @ SXSW 2012 (cicatriz83)

Jack Black & Kyle Gass aka Tenacious D, who just stopped in Austin make their live return at SXSW, will release a new album of (hopefully) funny and rockin' songs called Rize Of The Fenix on May 15. They said:

"We recorded down and dirty in a friend's garage with a shoestring budget of 600 dollars, much like Nirvana's first album "Bleach"-or the Beatles first album "Help". Rough and yet a masterpiece."

It has now been reported that the duo will be heading out on a summer tour that brings them back to NYC to rock our socks off at Hammerstein Ballroom on June 28th! Tickets ($55) for the NYC show go on sale Friday, 3/30, at 10am. We also have a pair you can WIN. Contest details, the new album art, with all currently known tour dates, and some videos from SXSW, below...

Continue reading "Tenacious D new album & tour coming, Hammerstein Ballroom included (WIN TIX!) ---- 2012 dates & SXSW videos"

"Following last year's 10th anniversary, which crushed previous attendance records and set a new mark for the speed with which tickets sold out, the Sasquatch! Music Festival unveils its 2012 lineup which once again features 4 days of music. The festival, hailed as "a model of well-paced programming...in a four-day schedule as efficient and natural feeling as an expertly built algorithm" by NPR Music while Wired notes, "leave the landscape out of it and Sasquatch! has a lineup to kill for," runs May 25-28 (Memorial Day Weekend) at The Gorge, the internationally acclaimed concert venue carved in the basalt cliffs high above the Columbia River Gorge in Quincy, WA."

Continue reading "Sasquatch! 2012 lineup announced (Bon Iver, Jack White, Beck, Tenacious D, Shins, Portlandia, Spiritualized & more) "

by Klaus Kinski

Demetri

There are some big time comedy events upon us that require your immediate attention. First off, the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival kicks off TONIGHT (9/16) at The Bell House with An Evening of Comedy From 1986 featuring Emo Philips, Tony V., Larry Murphy, Ron Lynch and Jon Glaser, and Eugene Mirman. I am baffled that tickets are still on sale, but they are, so GET EM! The Fest continues through Sunday with some of the best line-ups this city has seen in ages. Participating venues include The Bell House, Union Hall, and The Rock Shop. See the full schedule below.

If you're a Manhattanite, just plain too lazy to make the trek out to Gowanus, or both, Tenacious D's less annoying half Kyle Gass will be tearing The Mercury Lounge a new one tonight with his band Trainwreck. This late show has doors at 9:30pm and tickets are still up for grabs. If you're a Brooklynite, just plain too lazy to make the trek out to Manhattan, or busy tonight, or all three, Trainwreck's tour also takes them to Brooklyn Bowl on September 21st. Tickets available for that too. All dates below.

Wait, are you telling me that neither of these shows are floating your boat? WTF? Well, howsabout a very titillating plan C? Longtime friend of BV Aziz Ansari headlines the massive Town Hall tonight. Looks like tickets for the show are gonzo, but check in with the box office later (or Craigslist) (or outside the venue) as they may have a few kicking around. You can alternatively go see him at the Beacon Theatre in November. Tickets are still available to that show that is part of this year's New York Comedy Festival.

And while we're on the subject of comedy happening at Town Hall, Demetri Martin has a whopping TWO SHOWS happening there on Friday September 24th and Saturday September 25th. Tickets to both shows are currently still on sale. I realize that in these tough times, it might be difficult to buy tickets for such a show. Luckily for you I have a pair of FRONT ROW TICKETS to give away to one, super lucky winner (for the Saturday show). Follow the procedure below and maybe, just maybe, you'll get all Charlie Bucket and whatnot. All dates and stuff down there too....

Continue reading "Mirman Fest kicking off, Demetri Martin playing shows (WIN FRONT ROW TIX), Trainwreck on tour (NY shows, other dates) "

After a hectic day of updating the constantly updating Bonnaroo lineup page, the entire thing has been announced. Gwar, Norah Jones, and the rest of the lineup below...

Continue reading "the complete 2010 Bonnaroo lineup (Stevie Wonder, The Melvins, Kings of Leon, Isis, Local Natives & many more) "

photos by Chris Graham

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

For what was the worst day weather-wise for San Francisco's Outide Lands Festival, its last day (Sunday, August 30th) may have been the best musically. Cold fog and wind took the place of cloudless, sunny skies, but those who attended witnessed sets by Modest Mouse, the Dead Weather, the Avett Brothers, Band of Horses, Calexico, Matt & Kim , and soul legends Robert Randolph and Betty Layvette, and MIA, who complained via Twitter about the fest's substitution of Tenacious D for the Beastie Boys, then covered two Beasties songs, "Intergalactic" and "Sabatage, in her set.

Scrambling to find replacement headliners for the Beastie Boys was a common theme for festivals in summer '09, after the group was forced to cancel all dates when Adam Yauch was dianosed with cancer (he's since had sugery, and reports say that part of his health regiment is a vegan/organic diet). Beastie Boys' slot was filled by Jay-Z at All Points West and Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Lollapalooza

More pictures from Day Three below...

Continue reading "Outside Lands 2009 - Day 3 pics (Tenacious D, MIA, Ween, Modest Mouse, Band of Horses, Dead Weather, more)"

"CANT BELIEVE THEY REPLACED BEASTIES WITH TENACIOUS D ??????????????????????AND IF I PULL OUT THEY SUE! SO REALLY? TENACIOUS D AFTER ME? P.S I ORIGINALLY BOOKED ON SHOWS COZ BEASTIES WERE HEADLINERS , BUT NOW THEY AINT DOING IT AND I JUS WANNA SAY , WE HAVE TO GO HARD!!!" - M.I.A.

When Tenacious D was asked - eventually - to step in as the closing act for the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival next Sunday after the Beastie Boys were forced to drop out at the last minute, the guys didn't hesitate. In their mind, the substitution seemed like a natural fit.

"I think there are more similarities than differences, really, when you put us together," announced Jack Black, who formed the folk-metal duo with his friend Kyle Gass long before he became a big-time Hollywood star. The band may not have been up to much since starring in the feature film "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" three years ago, but when we spoke to them last week they promised, "The D will be in fine form."

SF GATE: Who got the call when the Beastie Boys had to drop out?

Jack Black: I assume they just called our manager. We actually have the same manager as the Beastie Boys.

Neither M.I.A. nor Tenacious D will be viewable on the stream, but Built to Spill and The Dead Weather will be. Full lineup below...

Continue reading "Outside Lands Fest in SF this weekend, streaming on YouTube -- Tenacious D playing, M.I.A. not happy"

Beastie Boys m- Get out the Vote Tour - Milwaukee, WI (eytonz)

When the song ended and both audience and artists caught their breath, Mixmaster Mike donned a cheesy Uncle Sam Hat and the "Get Out And Vote" logo flashed on the video screens. An energetic (and skinny) Mike D. shed his green button-down sweater and addressed the fans, thanking them for coming out and encouraging them to vote this Tuesday.

"We're doing big things on this stage," he said with conviction and to applause, adding that the tour's been fun -- unlike the last 8 years of politics. "I voted absentee at home and personally, I voted for Barack Obama." Then they asked the audience to throw their hands up in the shape of 'O' for Obama, kicking off a set of tracks from Ill Communication with "Flute Loop," "Alright Hear This" and an amazing live version of "Sure Shot," Ad Rock's robust energy carrying the set. [Minneapolis City Pages]

Flight of the Conchords @ Gramercy Theatre, NYC - June 13, 2007 (CRED)

by Klaus Kinski

It has been a very very very long time since I last saw Flight of the Conchords perform live. I actually even sort of forgot about them for a while. But all of a sudden they've exploded back onto the scene with a vengeance and now seem to be everywhere. Of their two "sold out" * shows at Blender Theater at Gramercy I was able to catch second show on 6/14. I had high hopes because my pal Matt went the first night (6/13), and told me this:

The show was great. Really hilarious. Eugene Mirman came out around 8:40 and did a solid 45 minutes (or so), then instead of an intermission, he brought the Conchords right out and they performed till around 10:45. They did all the big songs (Business Time, Think about It, Jenny), and encored with ‘Bowie’s in Space’, which is probably the most brilliant Bowie homage ever.

Continue reading "Flight of the Conchords @ Gramercy Theatre, NYC"