The holiday season is upon us and addition to Yo La Tengo's eight-night run of annual Hanukkah shows at Hoboken, NJ venue Maxwell's (12/8 - 12/15), there are a number of other Hanukkah celebrations, parties, and shows happening in the NYC area this December.

The eighth annual Sephardic Music Festival is going down in NYC from December 8 - 15 across multiple venues. Shows announced so far include Copal, Pharaoh's Daughter, Animal Machine, and Sway Machinery at Knitting Factory (12/8) (tickets); Sephardic Story Slam at Lolita Bar (12/9); the Sephardic Scholar Series at CUNY Grad Center (12/10) (365 5th Ave); Vanessa Paloma and Lev-Yulzari Duo and friends at The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue (2 W 70 St); Zion 80, Mika Karny, and Hasidic New Wave with Yakar Rhythms at Le Poisson Rouge (12/12) (tickets); and more TBA.

Klezmer punk band Golem play a Hannukah show at Cameo Gallery on December 8 with Smoota and The Schlep Sisters. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

The Schlep Sisters are also teaming up with Thirsty Girl Productions to present the sixth annual Menorah Horah! at Highline Ballroom on December 9. The Hannukah burlesque show will be hosted by Sherry Vine and tickets are on sale now.

92YTribeca is hosting a 'Beer + Latkes Hanukkah Celebration' on December 13. Tickets for that are on sale now.

On December 23 at BB King's, Ray Ellin is presenting "A Jewish Christmas Extraganza" with "standup comedy from four and a half Jews," Lenny Marcus (Letterman Show), Brian Scott McFadden (Letterman show, Craig Ferguson Show), Dan Naturman (Letterman Show, Conan O'Brien, Tonight Show), and Gregg Rogell (Louie, Comedy Central special, Tonight Show). Tickets for that one are on sale now.

BB King's will also host a Hanukkah celebration on December 25 (aka Christmas) with The Maccabeats, like they did last year. Tickets for that are on sale now.

City Winery will also have a Hanukkah-celebration-on-Christmas night with JEWMONGOUS's (aka Sean Altman of Rockapella) 'Xmas Night Comedy Songfest. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

In more Hanukkah news, The Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation recently released 'Twas The Night Before Hanukkah: The Musical Battle Between Christmas and the Festival of Lights, a double disc compilation album with Hanukkah music on disc 1 and Christmas music recorded (or in some cases, written) by Jews. The album features tracks by Woody Guthrie, The Klezmatics, and more on the Hanukkah disc and Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Ramones, Sammy Davis Jr. and more on the Christmas side. That's the cover art above and the tracklist is below. You can order the album HERE.

In more related news, Matisyahu released a new song called "Happy Hanukkah," which you can stream below. As mentioned, he brings his "Festival of Light" tour to NYC on December 15 at Terminal 5. Tickets for that show are still available.

Continue reading "Hanukkah shows in NYC: Golem, Sephardic Music Festival, Menorah Horah! & more"

DOWNLOAD: Macaroons - Hurry Up And Light The Candle (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phofo - Light That Menorah (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DJ BC vs. Adam Sandler - Chaukah Song (Goy Mix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Doc Mo Shé - Hanukkah Homeboy (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Chutzpah - Chanukkah's Da Bomb (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Smooth-E - Hanukkah Hey Ya! (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Woody Guthrie - Hanukkah Dance [Alternate Take] (1:24)
DOWNLOAD: Songs in the key of Hanukkah - Dreidel (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DJ BALAGAN - "Chalutzei Ketzev" (Israeli 70s Beat Mix) (MP3)

Hanukkah started Friday night, but due to the sabbath, Matisyahu (and his non-Jewish openers) kicked off his annual eight-night run on Thursday night (12/10). He continues tonight (12/12):

12/10 @ Webster Hall (w/ Glitch Mob)
12/12 @ Webster Hall (w/ John Brown's Body)
12/13 @ Webster Hall (w/ Cage)
12/14 @ Webster Hall (w/ Brothers Past)
12/16 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (w/ Rana)
12/17 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (w/ Kid Koala)
12/19 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (w/ Travis McCoy)
12/20 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (w/ Kevin Divine)

Tickets for all shows are on sale.

Yo La Tengo often plays eight Hanukkah shows too, but unfortunately not this year. Grab a shirt from their 2008 shows HERE.

City Winery is celbrating "Hanukkah Three Ways" with three separate shows in a row on Sunday (12/13).

12/13 {12pm} $5/$10/$25 GA
The Macaroons
Special family show

12/13 {3:30pm} $20 - GA
Yehonatan Geffen
The writer/lyricist/playwright performs his works

12/13 {9pm} $15 GA
Keren Ann
Join the chanteuse for a rare New York show.

The Keren Ann show may be sort of rare, but it's actually just one of two she has scheduled in NYC during Hanukkah. Grab a Macaroons MP3 above.

Union Hall hosts some holiday-themed burlesque on Thursday, December 17th ("Hanukkah Hotness, Solstice Sexiness, Xmas Exploits, Yuletide Yumminess, and New Year Nudity, courtesy of your host GiGi La Femme with Anita Cookie, Jonny Porkpie, Nasty Canasta, Sizzle Dizzle, and Doc Wasabassco!"). Flyer below.

Speaking of Hanukkah Hotness, "Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad" is running at the Bleecker Street Theatre.

-"Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad" is a night of comedy, music and burlesque, told by the gals who learned to smoke at Hebrew School, got drunk at their Bat-Mitzvahs and would rather have more schtuppa than the chupah. These badass chosen chicks boldly dare to deconstruct years of tradition, expectations and guilt in a fast-paced vaudeville extravaganza.

Southpaw in Brooklyn also gets in on the action with the Menorah Horah feat. Golem & burlesque by The Schlep Sisters. Tickets and more info HERE.

Also tonight/Saturday (12/12), but at the new Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, it's the Major League Dreidel 2009 Tournament. Gods of Fire will be performing songs from their new album, Hanukkah Gone Metal.

Also at Southpaw, but not until Christmas Eve (12/24), BrooklynVegan is proud to be a sponsor of Jewltide 7, brought to you by JDub and Jewcy with "Boogaloo, Funk, Soul, Menorah Lighting, Soul Clap, Brooklyn Rhythms, Donuts". Dan Saks (aka DeLeon) will be performing with a DJ set by Jonathan Toubin. Tickets are on sale. Heebonism goes down the same night at Fontana's.

And as previously noted, you can also catch DeLeon Wednesday night (12/16) at Knitting Factory. Pharaoh's Daughter is also on the bill, and it's part of the The 5th Annual Sephardic Music Festival which runs from December 12th through the 19th with events at 92YTribeca, Union Hall, Joe's Pub and other places. Full schedule below...

What else?

Continue reading "your guide to Hanukkah events in NYC (2009 shows include Sephardic Music Fest, DeLeon, Jewltide, burlesque & more) "

Golem

caUSE co-MOTION! @ Market Hotel (more by Ryan Muir)

today in NYC
* Fashion Week
* Skeletons & Zs @ Zebulon
* Gil Scott Heron @ SOB's
* The So So Glos @ Crash Mansion
* Diane Cluck & Dufus @ Union Pool
* Action Painters, Mussels, Aa & Fiasco @ Southpaw
* Lambchop & Twi the Humble Feather @ Bowery Ballroom
* Golem & the Sway Machinery @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* The Cinematic Orchestra playing a movie score @ World Financial Center
* Woodhands, Love Like Deloreans, Ava Luna, & Blip Blip Bleep @ Death By Audio
* Mr. Falcon, Right on Dynamite, caUSE co-MOTION!, Rooftop Vigilantes & Beachniks @ Cake Shop

BAM's Sounds Like Brooklyn festival is this weekend. Most of the shows tonight, Friday and Saturday at BAM, Monkey Town, The Bell House, Union Hall, Goodbyle Blue Monday, Southpaw, Zebulon, Sputnik, Le Grand Dakar, Chief Bodega, Solomon's Porch, and Pete's Candy Store fall under that umbrella.

The So So Glos are also playing The Castle in Hell on Friday.

Rufus, Fat Mike and Darla on Pancake Mountain, in the video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Pentagram show happening at Webster Hall.

The Whigs are opening for Kings of Leon at MSG on January 29th. Then they're headlining their own show at Bowery Ballroom on March 7th. Tickets are on sale (@ noon).

Golem are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on February 12th. Tickets are on sale (@ noon).

Tickets are on sale for the Haunted/Nachtmystium/Kylesa/Intronaut show at BB King's.

Tickets recently went on sale for Cat Power's upcoming shows at the Apollo.

Tickets are on sale for three upcoming Final Fantasy shows.

A whole bunch of other tickets recently went on sale too.

DOWNLOAD: Woody Guthrie - Hanukkah Dance [Alternate Take] (1:24)
DOWNLOAD: Yo La Tengo - I Feel Like Going Home (live on KCMP) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: One on One with Jackie Hoffman (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Songs in the key of Hanukkah - Dreidel (MP3) (info)
DOWNLOAD: DJ BALAGAN - "Chalutzei Ketzev" (Israeli 70s Beat Mix) (MP3)

Hanukkah runs from sunset, December 21 to sunset, December 29, 2008. The first Day of Hanukkah is December 22. If you haven't figured it it out by now, that means Christmas happens during Hannukah this year.

Over the course of the eight days (and before and after), many candles will be lit and many Hanukkah-themed events will be happening in and around New York City. Many will involve music. Here are a few...

Yo La Tengo will be repeating their tradition of playing all eight nights of Hanukkah at Maxwell's in Hoboken. Not surpringly, advanced tickets are all already sold out at Ticketweb, but to quote the band, "Tickets may still be available in person at Tunes in Hoboken and/or Other Music in NYC". Stay tuned for opener information as it's announced. Yo La Tengo are also playing a show in New Jersey on New Years Eve.

Also playing eights nights (except not all of them are on Hanukkah because he's taking the Sabbath off): Matisyahu. Tickets are still on sale for these shows that take place at Webster Hall in Manhattan and Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Openers include The LeeVees, Asher Roth and Little Jackie.

Southpaw in Park Slope is hosting Jewltide 6 featuring DeLeon on Christmas Eve. "DeLeon plays 15th Century Spanish indie rock infused with the deeply mysterious and entrancing cadences of the ancient Sephardic tradition." Tickets are on sale. This show is also part of a larger DeLeon/JDub national Hanukkah tour. All dates at the very bottom of this post.

NYC event listings continued below...

Continue reading "a guide to NYC HANNUKAH shows & concerts, MP3's & stuff "

Golem

Les Breastfeeders @ Magnetic Field (more)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* FREE STUFF
* Sic Alps @ Union Pool
* Meth Teeth @ Don Pedro's
* Les Breastfeeders @ Europa
* Peasant @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Santogold, Diplo & A-Trak @ Summerstage
* Celebration @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (free)
* Liars, Fuck Buttons & Team Robespierre @ McCarren Pool
* Cavalera Conspiracy & Dilinger Escape Plan @ Irving Plaza
* Golem, The Sway Machinery, Michael Showalter, DeLeon & Soulico @ Prospect Park

Siren Festival and other weekend show coverage coming soon.

What else?

Thursday, July 20 at 6pm

Celebrate Brooklyn & JDub Records present

GOLEM / SWAY MACHINERY / MICHAEL SHOWALTER / DELEON / SOULICO / & Special Guests

...that and the rest is now officially posted.