Recent Articles in Live Reviews
The Horrors at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 4.10.12
I remember when the Horrors first descended upon NYC just before Halloween 2006 for a MisShapes and wwwhatsup party, playing the tiny toy stage of Don Hill’s and bringing us a cover of Screaming Lord Sutch’s “Jack the Ripper” and hit “Sheena Is a Parasite”, along with their big hair, slim black magic wardrobe and fire and brimstone performance.
Pulp at Radio City, with Jeffrey Lewis, 4.11.12
Jeffrey Lewis was the man, opening the evening at 8pm sharp with his bad ass, stickered acoustic guitar and face hidden from the stage lights under a baseball cap. I’m glad the powers-that-be at Radio City were cool with screening his comic book stills, since his final song, “Creeping Brain”, just wouldn’t be the same
Skeletonkids and Silent Drape Runners Played Legion Easter Night
Easter Sunday eve is a strange one to venture out on for those of us raised with that holiday once defined by its food and festivities: peeps, chocolate baskets, big hams, sprawling family gatherings and a few days of church. However, sometimes it’s good to leave those childhood notions in the dust and pretend it’s just another Sunday.
Delta Spirit at Webster Hall, NYC, 3.29.12
Delta Spirit played within NY city limits for the second time in just over a month, having done a Brooklyn pub crawl and a short private set at Public Assembly in February to gear fans up for their new album release. Tonight’s show, obviously at a more majestic venue, was bolder and more polished, though lead singer Matt Vasquez did inexplicably drop his guitar towards the end of the set.
The Aussie BBQ 2012 Comes Down to Brooklyn’s The Bell House 3.25.12
Despite the fact that all of the acts had just spent 10 hours on a bus (they made a BBQ pit stop in Toronto prior to NYC), and that immigration issues kept one of the bands from performing, the Aussie BBQ 2012 at the Bell House provided an energetic and diverse lineup from Oz, as always. It also provided some tasty barbecued pork and chicken; Vegetarians were out of luck but we omnivores snacked away.
Delta Spirit Pub Crawl and ‘Lottery Show’ at Public Assembly, 2.25.12
The word on the street is that the guys from Delta Spirit have recently relocated from California to Brooklyn, so what better way to launch their new album, Empty House, out on March 13th, than by having a Brooklyn pub crawl across Greenpoint and Williamsburg. All three bars they descended upon (Manhattan Inn, DBA, and Loving Cup) were packed.
Amen Dunes at 285 Kent, Brooklyn, 2.23.12
Damon McMahon’s current band, Amen Dunes, has a name that perfectly encapsulates the odd, secretive majesty of their music. I must admit, I hadn’t seen Damon perform since before he moved to China three years ago and his latest project, an intense trio, is even more all-encompassing than the last…
Howler Blasts Death By Audio to Smithereens, They Wish: 1.19.12
America Give Up, indeed. Since the Strokes and the long-lost Libertines have lost their relevancy, perhaps we do need a new bunch of 19-year-olds to shake up the basics of rock and roll for the younger set, proving that there’s still plenty to be said for rollicking choruses, simple guitar chords and comedic banter. Howler is clearly cocky frontman Jordan Gatesmith’s project, though his band mates Ian Nygaard (guitar), France Camp (bass), Max Petrek (keyboards) and Brent Mayes (drums) are the perfect backdrop, filling out Howler’s sound and making the set come alive like a boys’ bratty party on stage.
Anna Calvi, Eleanor Friedberger, New Moods at BV Holiday Party 12.13.11
Needless to say, the blinding sea of frail Brooklyn whiteness—on and off stage—could not make proper kinesthetic sense of Friedberger’s off-tempo art-rock. On stage, she seamlessly coupled the warmth of Patti Smith with the outlandish glamour of Kate Bush, while playing songs that she must have discovered somewhere in Bowie’s k-hole
The Weakerthans at Bowery Ballroom, NYC, 12.07.11
On the first night of the three Weakerthans’ shows in NYC, the standout song “Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist”, from …Read the Rest
