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Timothy S. Griffin

What's going on Saturday?

Paul McCartney @ Austin’s Erwin Center last month (more by Tim Griffin)
Paul McCartney

Japandroids @ MHOW, June 2012 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)
Japandroids

Check out our new NYC shows calendar.

Governors Ball continues today on Randall’s Island with sets from Japandroids, Kendrick Lamar, Alt-J, Fucked Up, Animal Collective, and more. One of the biggest conflicts of the night is Guns N’ Roses vs Nas, who both play at 9:30, but depending on how late GNR end up being, maybe you can catch both. The weather is also looking a lot better today, but  bring rubber boots for that giant mud swamp that will not be drying up anytime soon.

The other big show tonight is Paul McCartney, who will be making his Barclays Center debut tonight (his first of two shows), in the middle of a very solid month of music at The House That Jay-Z Built. (The National and Youth Lagoon played on Wednesday and The Postal Service will play two nights at the venue later this month). Unlike The National, Paul McCartney is not expected to play any intimate or secret shows while in town, but we would love to hear a six-hour version of any of his Beatles songs (okay, maybe “Band On The Run” wouldn’t be so bad either).

The weather, apart from a chance of storms early in the afternoon, but if you’re looking for Summer Thunder of a more pleasing kind, that’s also the name of the free afternoon parties Union Pool will be throwing every Saturday during June, July and August. Today its being presented by BrooklynVegan (hey that’s us!) and features Heavy Blanket, the instrumental “psychedelic blues jam” band featuring Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis. Also playing are long-running indie rockers Love as Laughter. The fun starts at 2 PM with Love as Laughter on at 3:30 PM and Heavy Blanket at 5 PM.

If you’re in Williamsburg for Summer Thunder, do stop by the annual Crest Hardware Art Show that kicks off today with Crest Fest ’13 that has bands playing too. It’s just a couple blocks from Union Pool and is free, all-ages and open to the public. 1 PM – 8 PM.

Elsewhere in the neighborhood, Brisk Bodega, an all day hip-hop showcase last seen at SXSW, will be making its NYC debut today with an all-day event in Williamsburg at 50 N. 3rd St. (at Wythe) starting at 2pm, with a slightly more electronic twist than its previous variations, featuring Just BlazeBrenmar, DJ Slink, RoofeeoHD of The Good Kids and more.

Crocodiles at 4Knots 2013 (more by Chris La Putt)
Crocodiles

Later tonight at Union Pool it’s Crocodiles who you might have seen last night opening for Japandroids at the Governors Ball afterparty at Music Hall of Williamsburg. The band’s new album, Crimes of Passion, is out in August and is their poppiest and most musically diverse yet. And maybe their best. Opening is drag review Chez Deep which will probably confuse a few people. Tickets are still available.

Haim, who recently won BBC’s “Sound of 2013,” are be in town for Governor’s Ball this weekend. If you want to check them out but don’t feel like walking through the mud or paying $100, they will be playing a Governor’s Ball afterparty at the dry and indoors Brooklyn Bowl tonight for only $15, with Swedish electropop collective Kate Boy. Advance tickets are sold out but there’s “limited admission at the door” so get there early if you wanna go. The show is also one-tenth the price of Guns N’ Roses’ show at the same venue  Thursday, but features the same chance of a Slash guest appearance.

If you ware looking to stay away from the arena show/major festival scene today, there are also some great smaller shows, most notably Radical Dads (who played Grand Victory last night and are about to go on a Japanese Tour) and poppier buddies The Hairs and Hippy over at Cake Shop tonight.

Or you could check out electro duo ADULT. who are back with their first new album in six years, and they’ll be taking their tour in support of it to NYC for a show at 285 Kent tonight (tickets). Support is pretty great too, coming from Black Marble, You, and Eraas, the latter two of who will soon open for Martin Rev of Suicide.

Avant-garde saxist/artist director of Manhattan venue The Stone John Zorn is playing one of his many upcoming Le Poisson Rouge shows tonight. For tonight’s show he’ll be performing as a trio with Bill Laswell and Milford Graves.

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For a full list of what’s going on today, check out our new NYC shows calendar.

What else?