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Regina Spektor @ Radio City Music Hall

Although I’m not that crazy about Regina‘s new album Far, there are a few beautiful gems that warrant a listen. I am both happy and a bit surprised that Regina sold out RCMH. It’s pretty incredible how big she has gotten. She was very happy to be playing New York and was clearly humbled by the experience of playing such a grand venue. She started off with many of her news songs with several of her older songs placed throughout. From start to finish, it was a perfect show. She sang beautifully and played the piano, electronic keys and guitar flawlessly. She really surprised me with what may be the best show of the year.

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Owen @ Union Hall

I’ve haven’t had a good live experience with Owen for awhile. After a brief avoidance I hoped for a good set from the Chicago native. Luckily he was in a decent mood at the small venue and brought out a decent crowd. He played a great set of old and new songs. I’ve always loved his simple heartfelt songs so hearing them live without him throwing a tantrum or dealing with a crappy sound was a treat.

Owen site.

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Goes Cube | The Giraffes @ The Studio

Finally get to see a full set of Goes Cube live and they did not disappoint, Definitely one of the better devil horn saluting bands based in New York. The songs had great guitar intricacies, attacking drums, and backed by an incredible bass sound. I was extremely impressed how easily they fused elements of metal, punk, and rock into their songs.  There is so much energy contained in their songs and they  let it explode onstage.

The Giraffes will always guarantee you a great evening of hard rocking and debaucherous antics. Continuing to perform from their latest release Prime Motivator, the set is filled with face kicking songs. See them live to better understand..

Some pictures from the show.
http://www.goescube.com/
http://www.thegiraffes.com/

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Tim Easton | Death Vessel @ Union Hall

Mixing up blues, rock, folk and a bit country, Tim Easton delivered a really great set. His songs were catchy and at times reminded me of a more rocking Ryan Adams when he was good. Supporting his new and fifth album Porcupine, I was impressed enough to check it out. Unfortunately the songs don’t hold up as well as the live show.

I keep getting more and more into Death Vessel’s newest album (although quite old now). I always grab the chance to see him live when backed by a full band. Tonight he had a new violin player supporting him and played a similar set from the Bell House show. I’m hoping for some new stuff soon.

some pictures.
http://deathvessel.com/
http://www.timeaston.com/

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NIN @ Terminal 5

There are plenty of lengthy reviews of the NIN farewell tour that happened here in NY. What I can say is that Trent is still awesome and puts on a killer show. He played a total of 33 songs spanning his entire catalog. The smoke and light show was awesome and the crowd were all intense fans. Although I felt the overall show was a little “slow,” the encore more than made up for it. Peter Murphy entered the stage hanging from his feet to sing “Reptile” and then sang “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”. Terminal 5 totally sucks and I don’t recommend any shows there but it was NIN. The place was overcrowded, terrible sight lines, and so hot that Trent complained and the walls and ceiling were dripping. I’ll be anxious to see what Mr. Reznor will manifest into next.

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Mugison @ NYC 5 Borough tour

Mugison put out one of my favorite albums in 2008 with Mugiboogie that unfortunately went under the radar for most people. When I found out that he was not only playing 1 show but FIVE shows in one day in NY I was elated, He decided to play in each of the 5 boroughs for FREE to draw attention to Amnesty International. Starting in Staten Island at noon and ending in Brooklyn at 11 PM, it was an ambitious event. This time he played solo with a few duets with some girl. Although the Manhattan venue City Winery was awkward for his music (and any music for that matter) he played several of my favorite songs before heading out to the final show at Pete’s Candy Store in a torrential rain storm. The incredibly small place was filled with probably every Icelandic person living in NY. Luckily this crowd was boisterous and sang along to many of his songs helping the very tired and very drunk Mugison. He forgot the verse of the opening song Pathetc Anthem, which he blamed on the alcohol. He commemorated Les Paul who had just died and played a very bluesy number in his honor. The night felt more like a party than a concert and I felt very lucky to have been invited.

Crappy cell phone pics

http://www.mugison.com/