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What's going on Saturday?

The Damned
The Damned

You can browse our full NYC show calendar for all of tonight’s shows, but here are some highlights…

It’s Halloween Weekend and there are tons of parties, including lots of covers shows. Check out our Halloween Guide for lots of options.

The Damned @ Gramercy Theatre
They were the first UK punk band to release an album and to tour America, and The Damned (with Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible) are still going strong 40 years later. They’re celebrating four decades with two sold-out shows at Gramercy Theatre, promising three-hour sets (and an 8 PM sharp start).

GWAR, Darkest Hour, Mutoid Man @ House of Vans
This is a crazy-good show all around, headlined by GWAR who are sadly without late frontman Dave Brockie but whose shows are still very fun. There’s also 2000s-era metalcore staples Darkest Hour and bluesy Cave In/Converge spinoff Mutoid Man. It’s free, but you had to RSVP. Entry is first come, first served.

Japandroids, Greys @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
Japandroids haven’t released an album since 2012’s still-awesome Celebration Rock, and they hadn’t toured in three years. Now they’re finally back on the road, playing new songs, and saying an album is on the way. Exciting! This is their second of two sold-out NYC shows with fellow Canadians Greys.

Yonatan Gat, Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk, Bambara, Turnip King, Stuyedeyed @ Aviv
In-you-face experimental musician Yonatan Gat headlines this all-around excellent bill that is one of DIY spot Aviv’s final shows.

Purling Hiss, Honey Radar, Hothead @ Baby’s All Right
Philadelphia’s very loud indie rockers Purling Hiss released High Bias earlier this month and main man Mike Polizze knows the power of a catchy melody is just as important as turning your amps all the way up

Baio (of Vampire Weekend), Violet Sands @ Baby’s All Right
Vampire Weekend apparently have new stuff in the works (despite Rostam’s departure), but they’re being pretty quiet at the moment. Member Chris Baio is staying very active with his solo project Baio though, and his own stuff isn’t too far removed from VW’s.

 

Margaret Glaspy, Half Waif @ Mercury Lounge
Indie rock singer/songwriter Margaret Glaspy has been having a pretty great year thanks to the strength of debut album on ATO Records. Her next NYC show is at Bowery Ballroom, so tonight’s sold-out gig at Mercury Lounge may be the smallest show she plays here for a while. If you’re going, don’t miss openers Half Waif (who share members with Pinegrove).

Black Kids, Mass Gothic @ Rough Trade
Florida band Black Kids were the poster children for the dangers of overhype, getting praise for songs on Myspace, but when a rushed album came out via Sony less than a year later, everything screamed “too soon.” Eight years later, Black Kids are still together and finally set to release a second album.

Uniform, Statiqbloom, Wetware, Cienfuegos @ Saint Vitus Bar
Uniform, the industrial duo of Ben Greenberg (ex-The Men, Hubble) and Michael Berdan (ex-Drunkdriver), celebrate the release of their new 12″ tonight.

The Dickies, Metalleg, Surfbort @ The Bowery Electric
Campy punk vets The Dickies — still with original singer Leonard Graves Phillips and guitarist Stan Lee — have been going strong since the late ’70s. They haven’t put out new music in a while, but the classics still sound great.

Phil Lesh @ The Capitol Theatre
It’s been a pretty amazing year to be a Grateful Dead fan. This weekend, Phil Lesh & Friends do three shows at the Cap. This is the second, and it has alt-country singer Nicki Bluhm playing in Phil’s band, which is pretty exciting. There’s also Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, who play together as a duo and also both play in Hot Tuna frequently.

Xeno & Oaklander, Bootblacks, Liste Noire, Vasillus, Dead Leaf Echo (DJ Set), Lauren Flax, Katie Rex @ The Gateway
If your idea of Halloween party music is ’80s-style goth, this show — headlined minimal wave duo Xeno & Oaklander — is probably for you.

B-52s @ Webster Hall
Eccentric new wave vets The B-52s still tour every year and their shows always look fun. It’s a real treat that they’re still so active.

Steely Dan @ Beacon Theatre
It’s the final night of Steely Dan’s 10-show run at Beacon Theatre and they wrap things up with a performance of “Greatest Hits.”

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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