Category: Pics

What an opportunity to see The Stars play at the Studio. A venue that could easily fit multiple times inside Webster Hall where they played the night before. The night was very intimate, playing to maybe 50 people. The band still put on their theatrical big show playing intensely and throwing roses to the crowd. Although I wasn’t thrilled with the new album when I heard it for the first time, after repeat listens it has subsequently become my favorite album of 2010. It’s a moody and melodic album with some very catchy songs sprinkled throughout. The band has been promoting the album heavily with many live shows showing their confidence and praise for the record. The band gave a lot of love to the crowd and New York specifically, which has always welcomed the band with open arms. In a matter of 5 days I’ve seen 3 great bands in really intimate venues. What a great week for music.

Pictures from the show

To celebrate 10 years of musical energy, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs played a super small show for about a hundred lucky crazed fans at Secret Project Mighty Robot. It was hot & sweaty even before it started and as soon as the band hit the stage, everyone went completely nuts. Karen Oh appeared with an intense religious costume that slowly got removed as the show progressed to reveal a darker ensemble. The setting of a run down art gallery with trippy video projections was a perfect setting for the show. For a band of such caliber, it was a nice treat for the band to celebrate in such an intimate setting. There was so much energy in the air as they played their hits as well as some really old ones. This ranks as one of the best shows I’ve been too almost eclipsing the time I saw them at Maxwell’s. My ear drums are still hurting from the one. It’s hard to put the show into words, but if you’ve witnessed the band play live before, you know the intensity this band brings. Capturing that explosion in such a tight space was overwhelming. It’s nights like this that make me love the little and big things about New York. Thanks to Gordon for waiting in line for hours for the exclusive tickets.

Pictures from the show.
Videos from the show.
Decent hummus write up here.

The Damnwells is a local band that has been on one hell of a ride. Despite being signed and then dropped from a major label, the band has persevered. Their tumultuous journey is documented in the film “Golden Days”, details found on their website. I’ve been trying to see this extremely talented band for years now but their intense fan base quickly grabs all the tickets. Tonight was no different with 2 sold out shows. However with some determination, I got into the Rockwood Music Hall, a really nice new venue in the LES. They played a beautiful set of old and new songs conjuring up sentiments of Whiskeytown and Rhett Miller. We also got lucky to have Ari Heist sing a few songs with the band.

Pictures from the show.

http://www.thedamnwells.com/

Absolut hosted a free show with free Brooklyn Vodka all night. Tanlines started things off with their danceable music combining electronics and guitars. This duo reminds me of Professor Murder but with more of an indie angle. They drew a large crowd which left when Memory Tapes took the stage. The other duo from Brooklyn played their dark but energetic electronic soundscapes. This is a band you gotta see live, and with trippy visuals, preferably under the influence of something.

Pictures from the show.

A last minute show at the Bell House resulted in a killer rock billing. East Of The Wall started things off for The Giraffes who always put on a good show. The crowd was not that especially rowdy this night but that didn’t stop the band from punching back. Goes Cube came on for the farewell set since Dave is moving out of the city. New York will be losing a one of the hardest rocking bands we got. 🙁

The Giraffes has a new Live CD/DVD from a recent show at Union Pool.
Pictures from my camera before being destroyed from all the Jameson poured over me.

I’m at SXSW this year. I finally did it. Very excited. Too many bands to see. I’ll be twittering the tweets during the musical chaos. Check it out, if you are into that sorta thing. http://twitter.com/doublehalo

UPDATED:  PICTURES from the festival