Bill's 2010 Northside Festival picks (Saturday) (and Sunday)
by Bill Pearis
Zaza @ South Street Seaport in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)
Saturday! Let’s just get this out of the way, there are three Brooklyn Vegan shows happening tonight. At Music Hall of Williamsburg there’s Memory Tapes, Twin Sister, DOM and Zaza. Tonight will be my first time seeing Memory Tapes whose songs I do enjoy. Looking forward to hearing Twin Sister‘s sultry, ethereal grooves with MHoW’s killer soundsystem. Saw DOM play for the first time Thursday night, they were fun: part ’80s nostalgia pop, part old-school surf rock. They scored extra points by covering the Pete & Pete theme, though they got the lyric wrong: it’s “dontcha talk back” not “does you’re dog bite.” It’s ok, DOM, everyone thinks it’s that.
And please, please, please come early for Zaza who have really been firing on all dark and beautiful cylinders recently. Tickets are still available if you don’t have a pass.
There’s also two Black Bubblegum BV shows, full to the rim with heavy dynamite. At Europa in Greenpoint there’s FLOOR, Unearthly Trance, Javelina and Hot Graves. Then at Union Pool, there’s a late show with Gloominous Doom and Jucifer. BBG can tell you more about those.
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Saturday is another “just go anywhere and you’ll be fine” type day. I feel like I’m just reprinting Northside’s schedule here. Anyway…
Some day shows today. The L Magazine will present all of its “8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear” over two afternoons at Spike Hill. Today it’s Ava Luna, North Highlands (who’ll play my This Week In Indie show on Sunday), Ball of Flame Shoot Fire and Miniboone. It’s free, no badges necessary, bands start after 2PM.
There’s also a day show at Bruar Falls that will give NYC their last chance to see the two bands Jenny Logan is in in one place, before she moves to Portland, OR next month. Ribbons, which she fronts, play at 5PM. You should definitely pick up their new EP, Love is Mysterious, while you’re there. Jenny also plays bass in World Atlas who sound more than a little exactly like Belle & Sebastian. Sandwiched in between are Forrest Fire. The $5 cover includes free grub courtesy Bruar’s back patio grill.
Today is the first day of the Metro PCS outdoor stage. In the afternoon there’s Cults (1:30), Male Bonding (2:30) and current L Magazine (nice print redesign, btw) cover stars Titus Andronicus (3:30); at night, the hard-to-pass-up trio of High Places (6:30), Fucked Up (7:30), and Liars (8:30).
And a whole bunch of awesome night shows.
Lotta good bands at Knitting Factory tonight, one of the newest, nicest places to enjoy a show in the neighborhood. Violens, who are finally, for reals, about to drop their debut album, are on at 9PM. (Check out their new single, “Acid Reign,” downloadable at their website.) Slinky synthpop of Class Actress is at 11PM. And late night at Knitting Factory there’s Philadelphia’s great Reading Rainbow at 12:30 and the Beets are on at 1AM. And in between bands your DJ is Jed of My Teenage Stride whose taste in ’60s R&B is enviable. There will be dancing.
Over at Death By Audio, Impose Magazine has a great bunch of bands playing: If nothing else I’m going to try and make it there for Lower Dens (1AM oh boy) whose album Twin Hand Movements (out July 20) has been in constant rotation on my stereo recently. Also playing: Frankie Rose & the Outs (or if you’re the Northside poster, The Oats), Coasting, Minneapolis’ Dark Dark Dark, Matteah Baim and Total Slacker (whose Impose-released 7″ has been slightly delayed, for those counting the days till its release).
Bar Matchless has a fun roster curated by Nora at I Rock I Roll, with personal faves Dream Diary, plus Shark? (who I caught last night at Spike Hill, they were good), Akudama and Beloved Rogue.
Slow Club are the “very special guests” playing Cameo tonight. If you’ve never seen the cute UK, clear a little time in your schedule to get charmed. They’re on at 11PM.
And out at Shea Stadium (the DIY venue, not the stadium…that would be the Way Northside Festival), Chocolate Bobka’s got Ducktails with Big Troubles as his backing band, plus a set from Big Troubles (if you love ’90s shoegaze, don’t miss they’re awesome), as well as WOOM and a bunch of other bands I’ve never heard of but are probably laid back and chill.
Like I said, you aren’t hurting for Northside options. There’s lots more going on, check out the Northside Saturday schedule for more.
There’ll likely not be a Sunday Picks post — I’m running around like crazy as it is — but I’ll say that if you’re not coming to theBV This Week in Indie show at Coco 66, it better be because you’re going to see The Wave Pictures at Public Assembly.
