Big Takeover celebrating 30 years @ The Bell House (lineup)
by Bill Pearis
One of NYC most esteemed musical institutions, fanzine-gone-legit The Big Takeover turns 30 this year, and is having a two-day birthday party in Brooklyn at the Bell House on July 30-31. Founder and editor Jack Rabid has put together quite a line-up for this 30th Anniversary Festival, including rare NYC performances from Visqueen, For Against (!), a reformed Flower, Chameleons singer Mark Burgess, onetime Mutton Birds frontman Don McGlashan, Libertines U.S. and Jack's own band Springhouse.
Tickets are $25 for individual days (Friday 7/30 and Saturday 7/31) or you can buy a 2-day pass for $40. Here's the full rundown:
FRIDAY, JULY 30
THE AVENGERS: reformed S.F. '70s punk legends, with original members, singer Penelope Houston and guitar Greg Ingraham
CHANNEL 3: early '80s L.A. punks!
VISQUEEN: female-led Seattle post-punk rockers' first east coast shows in 5 years
SPRINGHOUSE: first show with original lineup in 8 years, doing normal set
LIBERTINES U.S.: reformed Cincinnati's '80s greats first ever NYC show
FLOWER: New York postpunk band's reunion gig, first show in 16 years! Later split into two bands, Versus and French!
...plus special guests EDP (New York's hard-hitting, Jam-like, mod revival band).
SATURDAY, JULY 31
MARK BURGESS: England's Chameleons star, backed by Boston's The Curtain Society
FOR AGAINST: Lincoln, NE post-punk legends' first east coast show in 15 years
SPRINGHOUSE : playing second LP Postcards From the Arctic start-to-finish for the first time ever; first shows with original lineup in 8 years
SLEEPOVER DISASTER: Fresno's shoegaze wonders' first ever east coast appearances
DON MCGLASHAN: New Zealand's ex-Mutton Birds leader, in his only U.S. appearance
JON AUER: Seattle's Posies star and Big Star member
...plus very special guests:
ASTRID WILLIAMSON (England singer-songwriter extraordinaire)
THE SHARP THINGS (New York's orchestral poppers!)
PAUL COLLINS (of The Nerves of "Hanging on the Telephone" fame pre-Blondie's cover, and of Paul Collins' Beat)
THE CURTAIN SOCIETY (veteran Boston shoegazers, also backing Burgess for part of his set).