photos by Chris Graham

Human Giant vs Jesse Thorn

Don't shoot video clips of bands on your phone to post on YouTube. They are always shaky and sound like crap. No one cares that you saw Beck from 300 yards away. It won't make you cool and you might piss Beck off.

Leave the devil sticks, hula hoops, and glow balls at home. It's too crowded for dumb displays of your "individualism." And why give people a reason to make fun of you as they walk by? You know they do that, right? Because we do. All of us.
[from Human Giant's guide to Bumbershoot]

There was comedy all three days of the Bumbershoot in Seattle this past weekend. Some more Sunday (day two) pics below...

Continue reading "The Sound of Young America Live! & other comedy live @ Bumbershoot - pics (Human Giant, Rhett Miller included)"

by Klaus Kinski

SketchFest NYC 08 is fast approaching and this year's 28 act line-up (spread out over three nights) is absolutely nuts. The producers have really outdone themselves with the best of the best, culled from all corners of North Americawesome....

Twenty-eight different groups from around North America will converge on the UCB Theatre on June 12th, June 13th, and June 14th. Each night, New York audiences will experience the absolute best sketch comedy from Canada, Portland, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York City itself.

Highlights of the schedule include appearances by Kurt & Kristen, The Harvard Sailing Team, Elephant Larry, Rue Brutalia, God's Pottery, The Onion News Network LIVE, as well as Rock n' ROFL sponsor The Sound of Young America LIVE with special musical guest Dawn Landes. And one absolutely cannot miss the Closing Night Craptacular hosted by Rob Lathan (seen at the bottom of this post) and Adira Amram.

I'm definitely more of a stand-up guy when it comes to what makes me laugh. Good sketch isn't easy to pull off. Often times I have to see several sketch performances before one comes along that will crack me up. However, the line-up of this year's SketchFest is definitely going to deliver laughs from the first act to the closing ceremony. I really wish they could shoe-horn Brett Gelman's 1000 Cats performance into the schedule though. Anyhow, TICKETS: $10, Individual Tickets; $40, Nightly Passes; $100, Full Festival Passes; available at ucbtheatre.com, 212-366-9176, or at the door. Full schedule below....

Continue reading "Sketchfest NYC 2008 (June 12-14 @ UCB Theater)"

DOWNLOAD: John Vanderslice - Exodus Damage (alias Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Sound of Young America podcast w/ JV (MP3) (info)
DOWNLOAD: St Vincent - Now, Now (MP3)

John Vanderslice & St Vincent @ Union Hall, April 22, 2007 (Elizabeth Weinberg)

Now that the Mercury Lounge show is over, we are free to announce the Monday night final Rock 'n' ROFL lineup (March 31) (TONIGHT!)....

BrooklynVegan & Klaus Kinski present
The unofficial & unauthorized "Enjoyed" release party (aka Rock 'n' ROFL II)
@ Pianos in NYC
on Monday March 31, 2008 (did I mention that was tonight?)

7pm: DJ David Bruno AND all the free Newcastle you can drink

8pm: comedy by Will Franken, Larry Murphy, Kumail Nanjiani, Sean O' Connor and Reggie Watts

9pm: music by Bell

10pm: music by Takka Takka

11pm: music by John Vanderslice
(w/ special guest Annie Clark aka St. Vincent)

also: $3.00 Svedka lemon drops all night AND a 2nd hour of free Newcastle (at either 10, 11 & 12) (that's 2 hours of open bar). All that for just $10. Tickets are on sale (and will most likely be available at the door).

DOWNLOAD: Bell - Echinacea (live on Fair Game) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bell - Brown Bear (live on Fair Game) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bell - Suerte Loca (live on Fair Game) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bell - Videotape/Eraser (Thom Yorke/Radiohead) (MP3)

NOTE: This is not a St. Vincent show, but Annie will be reuniting with John on stage to sing some songs.... for this one night only....PREVIOUSLY:

* St. Vincent interviews John Vanderslice (on the road)
* John Vanderslice interviews St. Vincent (on the road)
* Vanderslice & Vincent played Mercury
* On the Road w/ John Vanderslice part 2 + a Brooklyn show

And yes, John is also playing Bowery Ballroom earlier in the night.