Phantogram WITH guitar @ "Rocked" (more by Chris La Putt)

Two stories, both related to the launch of Rocked: An Exclusive Photography Exhibition by Mick Rock... First, Karen O told US Magazine at that party that she "recently wed longtime love Barnaby Clay"...

"I'm a married woman!" the rocker (real name: Karen Lee Orzolek) told Us at Wednesday's launch bash for Rocked: An Exclusive Photography Exhibition by Mick Rock at the W Hotel Downtown in NYC.
The "Maps" singer, 33, sweetly thanked Clay in the program notes for Stop the Virgens, a rock opera she co-created that was performed earlier this fall at St. Ann's Warehouse in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Clay directed his future wife in the 2009 video for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs single "Zero."

In more horrible news, Phantogram, who played the party (where all of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were in attendance), were robbed. Yesterday the band wrote on Facebook: "Some scum bag stole Josh's guitars last night. If anyone has any information, please contact us. Love, phantogram." Bummer. Keep an eye out!

photos by Chris La Putt

Phantogram / Yeah Yeah Yeahs

It was ugly and rainy outside, but that didn't stop the pretty people from heading to the W NY Downtown hotel last night (12/8) to attend a party in honor of the Mick Rock picture exhibition that will be up at the hotel between now and 12/28. Mick Rock was of course in attendance, and there was a "Symmetry Live Performance" (the name of the hotel's performance series) by Phantogram (live) and Mark Ronson (DJ). DJ Cash also provided some tunes while we were there.

We left before Mark Ronson took over, but you can see more pictures of Phantogram (who played a bunch of songs from their new album), their setlist, Mick Rock, members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Zuccotti Park (it's right there), and more, below...

Continue reading "Phantogram played the Mick Rock party @ W Hotel (pics)"

photo by Mick Rock

Mick Rock will have photos on display at the W New York Downtown from December 8-28. On December 7th, they'll have a party with a performance by Phantogram and music by DJ Mark Ronson, as you can see on the flyer below... (flyer removed due to capacity issues, sorry!)

photos by Tim Griffin, words by Andrew Frisicano

Peter Bjorn and John had some problems at their Wednesday SXSW debut, as reported by the Associated Press and a few others:

The start was delayed and, when they finally started playing, equipment problems caused long interruptions and ruined the set. The unsympathetic crowd heckled and booed.

"It was an awful show," said Peter Moren, the band's lead singer, able to smile painfully about it in an interview Friday. "But it's also good that stuff like that happens occasionally. Otherwise you become bigheaded.

To be fair, that was just one of the band's three official SXSW shows - and they had no such problems at their planned-to-a-T W Hotel gig in New York on Tuesday (3/17), which served to show off material from the group's new record Living Thing (out March 31st on Almost Gold Recordings/StarTime International).

The night started out with free pink martinis and wine, as media and industry folk (many running around with cameras) hobnobbed with VIPs and guests at the formal event, part of the W NY Hotel's Wanderlust luxury music event series. The crowd settled into place just in time for the angelic, mid-paced opening song "Just the Past," which announced the atmosphere-heavy mood of the band's new album.

Probably my favorite tune of the night came with "It Don't Move Me," a Faint-esque electro mash-up with claves, snapping synth drums, and locomotive bass. Its lyrics seemed to highlight the band's departure from melody-driven "Young Folks"-style songs with lines like "History is done...I can run much faster when nothing weighs me down." In that uptempo vein, the band suceeded - the propulsive dance chorus of "Lay It Down," for example ("Hey, shut the fuck up, boy," it goes) worked even in the cold, cavernous room.

The creepy children's-voice sample of single "Nothing to Worry About," however, didn't do anything to breach the gap created by the echo-heavy vocals and already distant atmosphere of the event (though the massive, resounding PA sounded great soaking into the sound-proofed walls).

But the band works best on crowd-centered energy, built upon songs like "Young Folks," the night's of-course encore. The guys jumped through the hit accompanied by Heather D'Angelo from Au Revoir Simone and someone named Chris, who furiously pounded out the song's usually subdued bongo part.

It was the energy of that track that broke through the mingling suits and clanking martini glasses, reaffirming the power of the single - a reaction I'm sure the band hopes to recreate with new-album songs at its many scheduled dates this summer.

Coming up, Peter Bjorn and John return to Europe, then set out on a US tour with Chairlift, visiting NYC for two basically-sold-out NYC shows at the end of April (MHOW and Webster Hall).

Afterward, PB & J travel with Depeche Mode, playing two NYC gigs at Madison Square Garden. Tickets are on sale for the August 3rd and the recently added August 4th shows.

More pics from the W New York hotel show, below...

Continue reading "Peter Bjorn and John played the NYC W Hotel (pics) & SXSW "