What's going on Friday? (Polica, The Cult, UMO, Loved Ones, Hall & Oates, Seu Jorge, Timmy's Organism, Bayonne, more)
photo: Polica at Radio City in 2013 (more by Amanda Hatfield)
You can browse our full NYC show calendar for all of tonight’s shows, but here are some highlights…
Polica, JM Airis @ Rough Trade
Polica’s new album isn’t out until next week, but ahead of its release they’ll support it with this intimate sold-out show. They return in April for a larger show at Warsaw.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Lower Dens @ Irving Plaza
UMO got decidedly more funky on their last year’s album, Multi-Love, which could make tonight’s show quite the party. Lower Dens are loosening up, too. This is their first of two nights at Irving.
Hall and Oates, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Mayer Hawthorne @ Madison Square Garden
With a long, long list well-known tunes — including Number One smashes “Rich Girl”, “Kiss on My List”, “Private Eyes”, “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”, “Maneater”, and “Out of Touch” — it should be a danceable hit parade all night long. Making tonight not just a nostalgia-fest:
The Cult @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Having dabbled in goth, AC/DC-style riff rock and tribal mysticism, The Cult remain centered around Billy Duffy’s muscular guitarwork and Ian Astbury’s powerful pipes.
Seu Jorge @ Blue Note
Best known here in America for acting in City of God and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (which he scored using only acoustic, Portuguese David Bowie covers), but Brazilian artist Seu Jorge has been making music since the ’90s. This is part of his 10-night run at the Blue Note.
Timmy’s Organism, Video, and Regression 696 @ Cake Shop
Detroit heavy garage rockers Timmy’s Organism and angular Austin punks Video (members of Radioactivity and Bad Sports) both released new records last year on Third Man Records. Now both bands are on the road for the Third Man-sponsored “Audio Social Dissent Tour.” With this label behind the tour, that also means there will be some limited edition, tour-only vinyl at the merch table, specifically a 12″ three-way split live record of Timmy’s Organism, Video and Wolf Eyes performing at Devil’s Night 2015.
Rhett Miller, Salim Nourallah @ Bell House
The Old 97’s frontman just wrapped up a run with Guster and is now doing solo acoustic shows. Rhett is quite the raconteur and is entertainng when singing or talking, plugged in or not.
The Loved Ones, Cayetana, Friendship Commanders @ Bowery Ballroom
Philly punks The Loved Ones were inactive for quite a while, but now they’re back to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their beloved 2006 debut, Keep Your Heart. It’s also very worth catching younger Philly band Cayetana, who always put on a good sow.
Little Big League, Ovlov, Painted Zeros, Real Life, Buildings @ Shea Stadium
Philly indie-punks Little Big League haven’t played live since 2014, but that will change tonight. That’s good news — their two albums These Are Good People (Tiny Engines) and Tropical Jinx (Run For Cover) still sound great.
Emperor X, Mister Lies, gobbinjr @ Silent Barn
Emperor X has been putting out albums since the late ’90s of lo-fi, semi-electronic, semi-folky songwriting, and more recently he’s been associating with the much younger musicians who are keeping that sound alive.
Rivers of Nihil, Dark Sermon, Black Fast, Alustrium @ Saint Vitus
Pennsylvania death metal band Rivers of Nihil returned last year with their very solid album Monarchy, and they’re back on the road in support of it.
Magrudergrind, Incendiary, Triac, Mutilation Rites @ Acheron
Brooklyn-via-DC grinders Magrudergrind just released their first full length since 2009, II, on Relapse. It’s a crisp, powerful record, but it’s really the kind of thing you want to see live.
Buster Pointdexter @ City Winery
New York Dolls singer David Johansen puts back on the tux and his party-friendly Buster Poindexter persona for a night of saucy cabaret at this fancypants supper club.
Mike Birbiglia @ The Lynn Redgrave Theater
Comedian Mike Birbiglia has been doing his show “Thank God for the Jokes” for nearly two years. He’s finally putting it to bed, but not before this six-week run.
Bayonne, Eddi Front @ Baby’s All Right
You may remember Austin electronic musician Roger Sellers who released the dreamy and danceable Primitives back in 2014. He performs under the name Bayonne these days and just reissued Primitives via Mom + Pop. This is a make-up date from the show that got canceled due to winter storm Jonas.
Chaka Khan, Vivian Green @ Kings Theatre
Both as singer for Rufus (“Ain’t Nobody”) and her very successful solo career (“I Feel for You”), Chaka Khan is the Queen of Funk and will prove it tonight.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo @ Town Hall
Best known for singing on Paul Simon’s hit 1986 album Graceland (“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” and “You Can Call Me Al”), this South African male choral group has been going, in one form or another, for over 50 years.
Brian Chippendale @ Desert Island Comics
Lightning Bolt/Black Pus’ Brian Chippendale isn’t just a great, gonzo drummer, he’s an accomplished visual artist as well. Among his works is comic Puke Force which looks like what his drumming sounds like: crazed. A collection of Puke Force has just been published and he’s signing copies at the Williamsburg shop tonight 7 PM.
The Dictators NYC, The Battery Electric @ House of Independents
NYC punk legend Handsome Dick Manitoba is still going strong with his current version of The Dictators, and tonight they head to Asbury Park for a show at new-ish performance arts space House of Independents.
For all of tonight’s shows, and tomorrow’s, check out our NYC concert calendar.
For laughs, check out the NYC Comedy calendar too.
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