John Zorn

On October 10, Le Poisson Rouge is hosting 'Save The Village: A Benefit Concert,' which will feature performances from avant-garde saxist John Zorn, Thurston Moore (who plays with his band Chelsea Light Moving at 285 Kent tonight [9/12]), guitarist Jesse Harris, TriBeCaStan, Flutterbox, and performance artist John Kelly. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

The benefit goes to support NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan:

NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan is a group of over 400 of NYU's own faculty members who are working together to fight NYU's outrageous multi-billion-dollar expansion in Greenwich Village. The Sexton Plan, we believe, is financially reckless (and will certainly result in rising tuition at a school where the students are the most heavily indebted in nation), disregards faculty input and governance, will further erode the rich cultural history of the Village, and will bring more than 10,000 more people in foot traffic per day to an already over-developed area with little green space, amongst other harmful effects. We want NYU's administration to focus on education, not real estate.

John Zorn's next performance at The Stone (the venue that he founded and performs at regularly) happens this Saturday (9/15) with Ikue Mori (of DNA and many other things) and Sylvie Courvoisier, who has collaborated with both John and Ikue in the past.

Another upcoming show at The Stone this month is Marc Ribot (who we just mentioned will be one of the guests at the upcoming Medeski Martin & Wood residency) and Roy Nathanson on September 19. In October, The Stone is being curated by Secret Chiefs 3 member Timba Harris, and shows include Kayo Dot plays Toby Driver's "In The L..L..Library Loft" on October 6, Secret Chiefs 3 plays "Masada" on October 11 and a lot of other Secret Chiefs 3 related shows, notably frontman Trey Spruance playing the following day (10/12), Harvester (aka Nate Wooley, C. Spencer Yeh, and Ryan Sawyer) on October 14, BloodMist (whose lineup includes Toby Driver) on October 16, John Zorn's annual Halloween Improv NIght (10/31), and many others.

A video of John Zorn's Naked City playing a full concert in NYC from 1992 is below.

Continue reading "John Zorn, Thurston Moore & others playing "Save the Village" ++ upcoming shows at The Stone (Timba Harris curates in Oct)"

Liturgy at Webster Hall in February (more by Amanda Hatfield)

If you've noticed a handful of interesting shows at The Stone happening next week, like the acoustic Vaura show (4/20) or the Amen Dunes and Guardian Alien show (4/17), they're part of Chippy Fest, which goes down at John Zorn's non-profit venue from April 17-22, and was curated by John Zorn's exclusive designer Heung-Heung Chin (aka Chippy)

On April 21, the night after Vaura plays, Toby Driver (who is a member of Vaura and also fronts Kayo Dot/maudlin of the Well) will present the world premiere of his new trio, Ichneumonidae, which includes violinist Timba Harris (of Secret Cheifs 3) and Michelle Morinaga. That same night, Toby also plays as a member of Stern with Chuck Stern, Keith Abrams, and Tim Byrnes.

As mentioned, Kayo Dot, Vaura, and Dysrhythmia share a bill at DBA on 4/28.

Other 'Chippy Fest' shows include Mick Barr (of Krallice), Hunter Hunt-Hendrix (of Liturgy), and Nymph on Wednesday (4/18) and Miho Hatori (with Ahmed Gallab of Yeasayer), Timo Ellis, and Unstoppable Death Machines on Thursday (4/19). The Stone's full calendar is here.

Speaking of Mick Barr, his music and William Brittelle's music will be performed by ACME: American Contemporary Music Ensemble on May 11 at 12 at The Kitchen. ACME players for this concert are Caleb Burhans (violin, banjo, and voice), Clarice Jensen (cello), Eric Lamb (flute), Megan Levin (harp), Caroline Shaw (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola) and Chris Thompson (percussion). Tickets are on sale now.

Speaking of Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, he kicks off a residency at Issue Project Room on Saturday (4/14) with Liturgy bandmate Bernhard Gann. The show is free but "sold out". Other dates in the "3-month residency" have not been announced yet but presumably will be soon.

Meanwhile, Hunter's ex-bandmate Greg Fox's Guardian Alien project (who also plays The Stone next week) plays Death by Audio TONIGHT (4/13) with Black Pus (of Lightning Bolt), Mounds, Buck Gooter, and Alien Whale. Guardian Alein will return to DBA on 5/11 with DJ Dog Dick and 2 Ton Bug.

photos by Mariah Karson, words by BBG

Anatomy of Habit

Chicago's Anatomy of Habit are celebrating a new record and played a rare show at Brooklyn's Saint Vitus on 11/5 with Vaura (mems Religious to Damn, Gorguts, Dysrhythmia, Kayo Dot), and Rosenkopf. As discussed, the BrooklynVegan/Wierd event was the only recent AoH show scheduled outside of their homebase of Chicago and a rare performance from Vaura (who are all busy with their own other projects). Pictures from the NYC show are in this post.

Toby Driver (of Vaura) has a pair of shows scheduled this week on his own, including Thursday (11/10) at Rock Shop as part of the Toby Driver/Jeremiah Cymerman/Mario Diaz de Leon trio supporting Les Rhinocéros and Kef (tickets) and Saturday night (11/12) at Lulu's as a member of Hazel-Rah (the solo effort of Tim Byrnes of Kayo Dot) with Lost Coves, The DRX, and Bangladeafy.

More pictures from Saint Vitus on Saturday are below...

Continue reading "Anatomy of Habit, Vaura and Rosenkopf played Saint Vitus (pics)"

Toby Driver with Vaura (more by BBG)

Kayo Dot has some upcoming appearances scheduled including opening for Secret Chiefs 3 on two of their upcoming dates. One of those dates is in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge on September 13. Tickets are still on sale.

Toby Driver and co also have another local date scheduled, and its an interesting one...

We have a very special concert lined up on October 5, 2011 at Littlefield in Brooklyn, NY. At this concert, we're going to play a full set of all-new material and record the whole thing. Afterward, we're going to take these recordings home and do a million overdubs. This will be our next album. We hope that as many of you as possible can come to this show, especially because there will be some audience participation, which will be crucial to the sound of the record! That's at Littlefield, Brooklyn NY, October 5, 2011, 7PM, openers TBA.

Kayo Dot's last release, the Stained Glass EP, is out now on vinyl via Antithetic Records. The label will also release a box set of Maudlin of The Well (another Toby Driver project) records that will include both Bath and Leaving Your Body Map, "The Secret Song" 7", "as well as some other goodies". Look for it over the winter.

Meanwhile, Driver's other project Tartar Lamb II, has released their new and crowd-sourced LP Polyimage of Known Exits. Order a copy, and stream it beow alongside all tour dates and more Kayo Dot material.

Continue reading "Kayo Dot recording new album at a special Brooklyn show, opening for Secret Chiefs 3 (and other stuff)"

words and photos by BBG, additional photos by Greg Cristman

Monarch at Union Pool

They just can't get enough! French doom greats Monarch have added a third and final NYC show. It happens WEDNESDAY (11/17) at Death By Audio in Brooklyn. The BrooklynVegan-presented show will also feature performances from Vaura (a new project featuring Kevin Hufnagel of Gorguts/Dysrhythmia & Toby Driver of Kayo Dot/Maudlin Of The Well) and Brian Chase & Seth Misterka (Brian of Yeah Yeah Yeahs playing free-jazz with saxophonist Seth Misterka). The show kicks off at 8PM and costs $8!

We already posted pictures from the Monarch/Bloody Panda show at Cake Shop (which happened 11/12 with nutjobs Tinsel Teeth), but until now, haven't posted the shots from the show that happened at Union Pool the following night (11/13). Evoken opened that party with roar (and to similar audience applause), with Bloody Panda following and Monarch batting clean-up. Again, another great showing from both Bloody Panda and Monarch, who sounded incredible on the PA at Union Pool.

More pictures and video of all bands from Union Pool, including video of Monarch's full set, below...

Continue reading "Monarch played Union Pool w/ Bloody Panda & Evoken (pics, video), add Death by Audio show w/ Brian Chase, Vaura, more"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Fielded - "Another Time" (MP3)

Kayo Dot at The Stone (more by Paul Birman)

Kayo Dot just celebrated Coyote, and will now show off their new baby Stained Glass (due this fall via Hydra Head) at a show at Bowery Electric TUESDAY (8/24) with Cleric and Bad Girlfriend (who will also play Union Pool with Hallux). The avant garde team will play a pair of sets at Bowery Electric, the second being "an exposé on the bass guitar sound used in Coyote".

For Kayo Dot honcho Toby Driver, the show means two in three days as he played Zebulon last night with as part of Tartar Lamb alongside Seaven Teares (Charlie Looker's new project), and mezzo-soprano Amirtha Kidambi/percussionist Cory Bracken (who performed works by John Cage, Larry Polansky, Morton Feldman and many others). Tartar Lamb recently kickstarted their campaign to record a follow-up to 2006's 60 Metonymies.

Meanwhile, last night at Bruar Falls, Kevin Hufnagel (Gorguts, Dysrhythmia) played a solo show with Religious To Damn (mem A Storm of Light), Fielded, and Psychic Steel. Both Fielded (the solo project of Lindsay Powell of Ga'an/Festival) and Psychic Steel are currently on the road and will loop through Death By Audio TONIGHT to team up with Lichens and Driphouse. Fielded will release Terrageist, the new LP due on September 7th via Catholic Tapes. Dig on "Another Time" above and check out the video/stream some more material below.

Lichens recently supported Hallogallo at Maxwell's, will support Sleep in Chicago (with Ga'an) and is also scheduled to play the now sold-out Sleep show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on 9/8. Tickets are still available though, for a SECOND (actually first) NYC show for Sleep on 9/6, this time with support from Doomriders and Unearthly Trance (no Lichens).

Dates and videos below...

Continue reading "Kayo Dot, Lichens, Fielded & Psychic Steel shows & stuff "

Tombs @ the Studio in 2009 (more by Jason Jamal Nakleh)

today in NYC
* H2O on a boat
* Robert Black @ The Stone
* Ute Lemper @ Joe's Pub (early & late)
* Leon Russell @ Mexicali Live (NJ)
* Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio @ Jazz Standard
* Forest Fire, Oh Land, Normandy @ Glasslands
* Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog, Springs @ The Rock Shop
* Diddy, Rick Ross, Ciara & more @ Governors Island
* Hannibal Buress, King Sickabilly @ Knitting Factory
* Miya Masaoka, Mary Halvorson, Okkyung Lee @ The Stone
* Reid Paley Trio, Sam Chanse, Sugar Life @ Knitting Factory
* Nullsleep, Bit Shifter, Glomag, NO CARRIER @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Tombs, Radiation, Planks, Gods & Queens, Dawn @ Death By Audio
* Chromeo, The Suzan, Telephoned, Kid Sister @ Williamsburg Waterfront
* Metal Rouge, Sam Hamilton, Jane Austen, Greg Fox, Diablo @ Silent Barn
* Seaven Tears (Charlie Looker), Tartar Lamb (Toby Driver), Music of the American Avante-Garde (Bracken/Kidambi) @ Zebulon
* Religious To Damn, Fielded, Psychic Steel, Kevin Hufnagel @ Bruar Falls
* The Big Sleep, Fan-Tan, Sensual Harassment, Replicas, Michna (DJ Set) @ Cameo
* Mia Riddle, Pearl & The Beard, Madison Square Gardeners (Farm To Folk Fest) @ Union Pool (see below)
* New York Night Train's Ya Ya Yacht w/ DJ Mr. Jonathan Toubin & DJ Ian Svenonius
* Saviours, Priestess, Ramming Speed, Antidote [NYHC 1983], Rorschach DJ's, Hamsoken, Gatekeeper, Cult of Youth, Naam, Titan, Natur, Snake Sustaine, Primitive Weapons, Cleen Teeth @ Santos Party House
* K Holes, Electric Tickle Machine, My Teenage Stride, Food Stamps, Weekends, Weed Hounds, Shark?, Lost Boy, The Runaway Suns, The Caterpillers (and much more) @ Don Pedro (see below)

A lot to do today for a rainy Sunday at the end of a slow week.

Individual tickets are on sale today for the 2010-2011 NY Philharmonic concert season.

To make sure they don't get shut down, tonight's sold out H2O show happening on a Rocks Off boat is going to be dry ("Our First Ever NO BOOZE CRUISE - Straight Edge on the Hudson!"), which is ironic since those that step outside will probably not be dry at all thanks to the H2O coming down from the sky.

Good thing there's going to be a Pool Party on August 29th. Otherwise they would have went out on a rainy note. If it doesn't get cancelled, Chromeo, The Suzan, Telephoned, and previously-known-as "Special Guest" Kid Sister play the free show at the Williamsburg Waterfront today.

Today is the day The Specials were supposed to play in the rain at Central Park Summerstage.

Though there are still free events, there are no more free concerts on Governors Island this summer, which means tonight's potentially-soggy Diddy fans paid for their tickets. Same situation for the Jonas Brothers fans at Jones Beach.

Two indoor options today include "Farm to Folk Fest" at Union Pool (3-8pm) and "My Endless Summer" at Don Pedro from 4pm to 4am. Flyers and more information for both below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

words by BBG, photos by Paul Birman

Toby Driver kicked off the first Saturday (2/6) of his month as curator at The Stone by inviting his own band, Kayo Dot, to play a pair of sets, both full album shows. The 8PM sett featured Choirs Of The Eye while the later show was their new baby, Coyote. Greg Massi (Baliset) was part of the band and reports:

I am choosing to talk about this because it had a profound effect on me. It was inpsiring to say the least. I got to hear the new KD album in full performed live and during the performance I had visions of creativity and sparks flying into my brain to help me write for the next Baliset album.

And it also was weird because i felt alot like Captain Jack Harkness at the end of Doctor Who season 3. You are teased into believing that he might rejoin the Doctor for adventures but in the end he tells the Doctor that he has his own team now and they need him and that summed up my feelings on Baliset. They are my team now and I feel more comfortable musically with them than anyone else I have ever played with and while it was fun living the fantasy life of being in Kayo Dot complete with a sold out crowd and exhuberant fans shaking your hand and making you feel larger than life, I missed my team.

I am happy with the success we have built for ourselves and if i took one thing away from this whole experience, it is that it gave me a focus point in my head for the next album.

But Toby and the rest of KD know they can call on me for help at any time and as a friend I will help them with whatever they need but as I return to my life of anonymity once again, I do get excited for working on where Baliset my new team is going.

The Thrones date at The Stone happens one day after a newly announced show with Thrones and Carla Bozulich at Ash's Place (on 2/18 at N4th and Wythe).

More pics from the The Stone are below...

Continue reading "Kayo Dot performed 2 albums @ The Stone (pics) "

by BBG

* Toby Driver photo by Gemma Fleming

Toby Driver is an "other". Not like Benjamin Linus or one of the Dharma Initiative, but in that his artistic endeavors Kayo Dot and Maudlin of The Well exist in the in-between, and outside. Driver's current project, Kayo Dot, is prepping to release their fourth album Coyote via Hydra Head on April 6th. On Coyote, elements of goth, avant-jazz, prog, ambient, and the kitchen sink meld with the avant-garde, making for an intensely fascinating and eclectic listen.

Driver was recently asked to curate the month of February at The Stone, John Zorn's non-profit club in the East Village. We sat down to ask Driver about some of the bands he chose which include solo sets from members of Krallice, Dysrhythmia, Extra Life, and Bloody Panda in addition to Baby Dee, Oxbow, Gnaw, and a full performance by his own band doing Coyote from start to finish, and the recent resurrection of Maudlin of The Well.

Full interview and Stone schedule, below....

Continue reading "Toby Driver curated Feb @ The Stone - interview & schedule"