Hollis J. Mason (1916 - October 31, 1985) is a character in the comic book limited series Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. He is called Nite Owl and is a modified version of the various Blue Beetle characters created for Fox Feature Syndicate and later sold to Charlton Comics. [Watchmen Wiki]

According to Geekanard, last night's Bushwick Book Club (the Watchmen themed one) at Goodbye Blue Monday, "saw a full hour and a half of music, and while as with any open-mic night there will be varying degrees of quality, it was definitely a good time. There was also at least one truly great song that got right to the heart and soul of one of Watchmen's most endearing characters."

That great song was performed by Franz Nicolay (of Hold Steady fame). Check out the video below...

Continue reading "Franz Nicolay was Hollis Wadsworth Mason Junior @ Bushwick Book Club last night (video) "

Rumor has it that LES spot Rockwood Music Hall (196 Allen Street, NY, NY) will be expanding its current, limited-capacity venue. Have you heard that?

The intimate venue, is known for being a great place to see a live show and for hosting surprise/secret performances by well-known artists like Ryan Adams and Norah Jones (under the guise of side-bands like The Sloppy Joannes and Puss n Boots). In fact, Puss n Boots ("P n B") is scheduled to perform at Rockwood on Saturday, May 9th. They played Mercury Lounge earlier this year.

The next night, Sunday, May 10th, the venue's Second Sundays series will host its "closing concert" from 6-8pm with special guests. The series organizer Danielle writes that the event is transitioning "from a monthly event to special event format. For now, let's just say...it's less, 'all good things come to an end' and more, 'good things come to those who wait.'" Performers for the event include Jonathan Spottiswoode, Elizabeth Ziman, Paul Brill, Jamie Leonhart, Casey Shea, Sasha Dobson (who is 1/3 of Puss n Boots) and Becky and Nathan Bliss of Barnaby Bright.

At Rockwood later the same night will be singer/accordianist/keyboardist Corn Mo (who opened for Dead Milkmen at the Warsaw in April), and a mysterious "Bushranger." (any clue?)

Casey Shea, in addition to playing Sunday the 10th, is also playing Rockwood tonight (5/6). He goes on long after Jeremiah Lockwood of The Sway Machinery, and right before a mysterious "Archibald Hext" (Ari Hest?). Check Rockwood's site for their latest full schedule.

Last night (May 5th), Corn Mo played the Bushwick Book Club (not at Rockwood), a first Tuesdays event in Brooklyn where songwriters compose and perform original tunes inspired a selected book. This month's subject was Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Other performers included event organizer Susan Hwang, Natti Vogel, Josh Deeter, Lady Blanche, Anna Leuchtenberger, Duck and Swallow, Joe Crow Ryan, Sara Lautman, Andrea Larose, Dan Costello, and Rachel Devlin. Franz Nicolay of the Hold Steady performed at the series' March edition, which focused on the novella Flatland. He's on the schedule again for June 2nd, when the collective inspiration will come from Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

Flyers, videos & Corn Mo clips, below...

Continue reading "Rockwood Music Hall expanding? - upcoming shows include Corn Mo, Puss n Boots, 'Archibald Hext' & 'Bushranger'"

by Andrew Frisicano

Jeffrey Lewis @ Kidrockers - 2/8/09 (Maryanne Ventrice)

New York's Jeffrey Lewis has been busy in the last year. (To see exactly how busy, check out Jeff's "A Year in Love and Music" entry on the NYT's Measure for Measure blog, to which he's been contributing.)

Jeff's four-date tour with Dufus finishes this Saturday, March 14th in Brooklyn at Pete's Candy Store with a CD release show for Dufus's new record, In Monstrous Attitude (samples at link). In May/April, Dufus will head out on a European tour (dates below). The Dufus album features comic art by Jeffrey Lewis, who is releasing his own new album (as full-band Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard) 'Em Are I on April 20th (UK/Europe) and May 19th (US), both on Rough Trade Records.

Jeffrey recently put his drawing talents to use (as he does in his comics and elsewhere) in a new video for the song "To Be Objectified" (which appears on the upcoming album). The video was created with Jack Ferry and $99 Music Videos - a site that challenges musicians to make a video for that sum with a set of bare-bones criteria. Watch it, and the making of it, below.

Jeff will tour Europe March-May with a solo/full-band tour that eventually reaches New York's Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday, May 20th (tix on sale now) - a venue featured prominently in Lewis's "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror," video below.

Next Thursday (3/19), Jeff will give a lecture on Watchmen (the topic of his college thesis) at midtown comic spot Jim Hanley's Universe. "It should be stressed that it's for people who have read the book, not for people interested in it looking for some kind of introduction... he'll be revealing too many spoilers!." Jeff gave a similar lecture in Portland, OR, and London earlier this year.

All tour dates, Jeff's "A Quick Biography of Barack Obama," and the above-mentioned videos, below...

Continue reading "JEFFREY LEWIS tour dates, DUFUS, comics, WATCHMEN (lecture), a new video & Rough Trade album"

DOWNLOAD: Sonic Youth - The Eternal (montage) (MP3)

Marissa Nadler @ the Lutheran Church (more by Nathan Miller)

today in NYC
* Young Galaxy @ Pianos
* Bjorkestra @ Jazz Standard
* Marissa Nadler @ Joe's Pub
* Holy Hail & Paper @ Cake Shop
* Van Morrison at the Beacon Theatre
* Thursday & Cancer Bats @ Nokia Theatre
* Anathallo & Sam Amidon @ Mercury Lounge
* Twi the Humble Feather @ Glasslands Gallery
* Early Man & Red Fang @ the Studio @ Webster Hall
* Rufus Wainwright (blackoutsabbath) @ City Winery
* Maps & Atlases, Pattern is Movement & So Many Dynamos @ Maxwell's

Tonight's show at Issue Project Room is cancelled.

Marissa Nadler's new album is streaming at AOL.

I saw a screening of Watchmen last night. I always meant to read the graphic novel, but never did, so even the story was pretty much completely new to me and I didn't judge how it was adapted from the original comic to the screen. That said, I loved it. Could have done without the My Chemical Romance cover of Bob Dylan though. Smashing Pumpkins-soundtracked trailer below.

Coney Island's future collides with current realities at hearing.

U2 play Letterman for the third night in a row tonight.

Tea Lounge opening in Brooklyn Heights.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah play a new song on Jimmy Fallon tonight.

The Alternative Side has pictures of people preparing for U2's show at Fordham.

The MP3 on top of this post is a preview of the new Sonic Youth album.

Video of Real Estate playing at Glasslands below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"