The Bonnaroo festival has announced it's initial artist line-up for this year's festival and so far so good. Artisits include: The Police, Tool, Widespread Panic, The White Stripes, The Flaming Lips, Wilco, Ben Harper, and many many more. This year's festival will take place on June 14-17 in Manchester Tennessee. Festival organizers bought the farm so one should expect amazing improvements to an already amazing site. (Source)

Al Gore is teaming up with Live-8 organizers and putting together an event he calls Live Earth. The event will take place on 7/7/07 and will feature musical artists playing on all seven continents. The event is designed to raise awareness to what is happening in the environment. While the musical line-up doesn't look too great the idea is a good one and hopefully the message will come across.

Chris Cornell has announced that he has quit the supergroup Audioslave due to "musical differences." He is releasing his solo album later this year. Hopefully this means that the other three members of the group can spend more time rehearsing with Rage Against the Machine and launch a tour after Coachella. Cornell wishes the best of luck to his former band mates. (Source)

Indie-rock superstars Arcade Fire are in the midst of a five day residency in New York City. The band has and will be playing five shows at Judson Memorial Church right on the south side of Washington Square Park. Tickets for theses shows went onsale earlier in the year and sold-out in fifteen minutes. However after hearing that approximately sixty tickets were sold at the door the first night on a first-come first-served basis I figured I would try my luck. On Valentine's Day I made my way to the church at around 7:00 and braved the snow and cold weather as I waited in line to try out my luck. At 8:00 I was informed by security that I was too far back in line and there would be no room for me inside the venue. I decided to wait anyway just incase somehow I might get inside. After about ten minutes a woman came up to the line and asked if anyone was alone. I said yes and she informed me that she had anextra ticket and wondered if I would like to go with her. Of course I said yes and we made our way up to the door and she got us in, FOR FREE. Thank you Melanie for the best Valentine's Day gift ever. So after scoring the hardest ticket to get in the city I waited for about an hour before the band took the stage. They were great, mostly played songs from Neon Bible which sounds so good live. They officially brought the house down with "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" into "Rebellion (Lies)." If you ever get the chance to see this band live I highly reccommend it, although tickets will be nearly impossible to get. In attendance for the show was Drew Barrymore, Andy Samberg (the badn will play SNL on 2/24), and Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture. (Review)

Neon Bible (out March 6)

Keep it scene in the city!

Yesterday we all learned the news that former model and tv star Anna Nicole Smith passed away at the age of 39. It is a great loss to Hollywood. Smith was found dead in her Florida hotel room and was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Smith was in the news a lot recently after her son passed away and the birth of her daughter. She will be missed.

2007 seems to be the year of reunions. So far we've heard plans of Rage Against the Machine, the Police, Dispatch, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Iggy and the Stooges. Now we can add one more to the list. Van Halen has announced plans to tour this summer with original lead singer David Lee Roth. The band will embark on a 40 date tour some time this summer. (Source)

Gwen Stefani relased a statement the other day that said this will be her last tour before she will head back into the studio with her band No Doubt to record their next album. About damn time! (Source)

Justin Timberlake pleased New York City earlier in the week by adding a special song to his current set list. SNL star Andy Samberg joined JT onstage to do their rendition of "Dick in A Box."

• Is apple taking over the world?
• Could be a bad day for ipods in New York City.
• SXSW announce artist line-up.

Last night I went and saw Factory Girl. It was ok, not terrible but not great either. The actor playing Andy Warhol did a fantastic job and the rest of the cast was alright. Hayden Christensen as Bob Dylan though might have been one of the worst casting jobs I've seen in a long time. Tonight I'm heading down to the Knitting Factory with some friends to see a friend of a friend perform.

Keep it scene in the city!

Back to New York everyone and it feels good. Here is some news:

The Police reunion is official. For months there have been reports that the Police would be reuniting for a tour to coincide with the 30th anniversary of their first single. Well now the rumors are true as the Police have been announced as the opening act to this year's Grammy Awards. The trio will play together for the first time in over 20 years and will announce dates for an 80 gig tour that will take place later this year. (Source)

While this news is not really new anymore it is new to the blog since the announcement happened while I was away. The official line-up for this year's Coachella festival has been announced. The festival will take place over the course of three days this year for the first time since the festival's inception. The highlights for this year's festival include headliners Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a reunited Rage Against The Machine. (Source)

Last night some friends and I had a night on the town after the first week of classes. After what stated out as a little disappointing we trecked for over a mile around the the city before winding up at the Bulgarian Bar. This little hole in the wall on the Lower East Side was a great find. Amazing eastern European dancing music and the D.J. was none another than the lead singer of the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello. So being back in New York City is pretty exciting. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Keep it scene in the city.

Happy 2007 everyone.

I'm not back in NYC yet so these events aren't pertaining to the city, just pop culture in general.

First, I am not a fan of Fall Out Boy but it is pretty cool that Pete Wentz sticks up for his friends. Bummer for the guy who has to say he got beat up by Pete Wentz.
I'>http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1702344890">I Got My Ass Kicked By Someone In Fall Out Boy...

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Second, today was a big day for nerds. Apple continues to shock the world. I leave you with the iPhone.

On Friday night I did something that I have been waiting to do since freshmen year of high school. I saw Brand New in concert. Ashli and I headed to Madison Square Garden on Friday night for Brand New and Dashboard Confessional. While I guess I am a Dashboard fan, we were primarily there to see Brand New.
When the band went on at 7:30 we were pretty much the happiest people in the world. The set started with old favorites from their first two albums, followed by four new songs and one final oldie. In short the band had so much energy and looked as if they were having the times of their lives on that stage. Something I haven't seen in live shows in quite some time. The set however was pretty short and our seats were too far away to feel anything from the band. I guess in all we were a little disappointed that we did not get to hear our favorites, but the show was still excellent and I have no regrets in going. Dashboard came on a little while after and I must say I have never felt so old at a show. The people around us were 15 and talked about high school in between the sets. They were really excited that they did not get carded when they bought cigarettes and had a fake I.D. so they could buy beer... and then drink it through a straw. Basically I will no longer give Nick Serpe crap about the time in 7th grade when he saw Dashboard. This crowd was mainly 18,000 teenage girls all dressed head to toe in Abercrombie and Hollister. I just couldn't take it seriously. Things really have changed, especially since Chris Carrabba spent most of the night just singing and running around the stage occasionally stopping to actually play guitar. It was just a weird experience. We found out that the show was actually being taped for a P.B.S. concert so I guess I felt that Chris was putting on a front for the camera. Oh well the night was still fun.
However I will give a shout out to Scott who saw the show the following night in Lowell, MA. Scott actually got to meet Brand New afterwards and he says they are pretty nice guys, which is always nice to hear. Oh and they are doing a headlining tour in March.
If anyone is interested Rolling Stone did a review of the NYC show and you can read it here.
I'm leaving New York for winter break in a week so I'm not sure what is going to happen between now and then since I have finals in all. So if this is my last update until I return to school at the end of January; Happy Holidays to everyone and have an awesome New Year.

Keep it scene in the city!

Yes this blog is still active. I have just been really busy with school and being at home for Thanksgiving that I have not had a chance to do much worth writing about. Anyway...

On Sunday night I ventured down to the Bowery Ballroom for Straylight Run. I went alone since the people I had planned on going with had some sudden things come up and were unable to attend. The venue was a pretty nice place, lots of open room and a balcony upstairs. The opening acts were pretty good even though I did not know any of them. Streets To Nowhere were first and they were a young pop-punk band from San Francisco. They were ok. Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band went next. This was the first time on the tour that Kevin played with a whole band so it was pretty cool to see them. He was actually really good. Matt Pond PA went third and I really liked them. I know most people have heard them before but I have never really gotten into them, not for any particular reason, so I was really excited to see that they were really good. Straylight Run closed the show and I thought they were amazing. Their set was longer then when I saw them with Scott at the Knitting Factory so I got to hear even more songs this time. The new stuff sounded better a second time around so I actually have some hope for the next record. I got super close again and I even met the "confetti girls" who once again pleasured the crowed with the addition of confetti during "Existensialism on Prom Night." The band did really great acoustic versions of "Dignity and Money" as well as "Your Name Here (Sunrise Highway)." After the show ended I stuck around for a while downstaris and got to see all the guys from Matt Pond hanging out in the lounge afterwards. Then as I was leaving I walked back upstairs to find Straylight in a group talking to some people. I knew I couldn't pass this up so I went over and talked to Michelle Nolan and Shaun Cooper for a few minutes. Holy Shit this made my night. I told them what a big fan I am of their music and that I've been listening to them for years, John and Shaun for even longer especially. Shaun started laughing at this point. So yeah it was a great show and the band was super nice, so I thank them for sticking around and talking to me after. It really meant a lot.

Matt Pond PA upclose and personal.

They're what made Taking Back Sunday so great.

I tried to take a picture of the band with confetti, but it did not really come out.

Since youtube is being a bitch and won't let me embed this.

That's all for now. Brand New concert on Friday, more to come from that.

Keep it scene in the city!

First things first, i know that I usually keep this blog to inform everyone of the happenings in my life in NYC, but every now and then pop culture makes its way in here. Today is one of those days.

BRITNEY SPEARS AND KEVIN FEDERLINE ARE DUNZO!!!

I for one think this is a good thing for her. K-Fed is trash and has been living off of her for too long. Brit Brit has been looking good recently when she has been spotted out and about and I think her comeback is soon and it's going to be a good one.

Ok, so back to my life. Halloween was last week and it was a good time. A bunch of us went to the Village for the parade and it was pretty cool. So many people all in costumes and all having fun. It was like all of New York was at one big costume party. I would definately recommend it to everyone for next year.

Friday afternoon the Decemberists played a free show at the Apple store in SoHo. A few of us went and it was pretty cool. We waited in line for about an hour outside the store, which was kinda lame, but once we were let in it was cool. We had seats in the last row (which was the 5th) and enjoyed an half hour set. The band was good and I suggest you check out some of their stuff.


On Friday night Scott came to town for the weekend. We headed to UCB, which is always a good time, and hung out with a bunch of people. Saturday we went to the Knitting Factory for one of the final shows of the CMJ music marathon. Dan Andriano (of Alkaline Trio), Chris Conley (of Saves the Day), and Straylight Run were all on hand for an amazing show. Dan played mostly solo stuff, which I enjoyed. Then Chris took us back to middle school with an amazing acoustic show of STD classics. He sat onstage, just him and his guitar, and took requests all night. It reminded me of the old days at the Parish. Everyone standing around and singing a long to Saves the Day as loud as they could. Straylight Run took the stage and rocked the house. Scott and I got as close as we could and sang along to every word. The new stuff was ok, but the old tunes sounded so good live. During "Existensialism on Prom Night" confetti was launched into the air and during "For the Best" John Nolan got right into the crowd, about 2 feet from us, and sang to the crowd. It was pretty fucking awesome considering his lyrics have been playing through my life for the past 6 years. Here are some pics for you:

So all in all a good weekend. Quality time with people from Westford, and we finally got our hands on some Cocaine. Man does it work, and it tastes way better than Red Bull.

Keep it scene in the city.

Things have been real busy lately so I haven't had much too say. Here's a brief recap of what I've been up to, aside from school and midterms.

On Tuesday of last week I spoke with playwright Joe Pintauro on the phone. We were supposed to go to dinner, but he had to cancel at the last minute due to an emergency back at his home. However, he did say that next time he is in the city he will let me know and we will get together. He also mailed me a signed copy of Metropolitan Operas, a collection of his short plays. For anyone involved in Raft of the Medusa you know how exciting this is and I will keep you all updated.

This weekend New York City got in the Halloween spirit. A bunch of us went to the village on Saturday afternoon in search of costumes for a party we were attending in Queens. After waiting in line for about ten minutes we got in the store. A bunch of people cut me off from the group, but once the people passed I stood there starring at Ice-T. He and his wife Coco were apparently in the same set of mind as everyone else. We all bought our various costumes and accessories and made our way to Queens for an awesome time and a great way to kick off the Halloween season. Tomorrow we all plan to head down to the village for the 33rd annual parade. It is supposed to be pretty crazy, so I'm excited.

Last night I went to a book discussion at the 92nd Street Y. It was a discussion by a group of people who had contributed essays about collaboration in the theater. The group discussed the book and their experiences for about an hour before they opened up for questions from the audience. Oh and the people in the discussion included: Kathleen Chalfant, the original Hannah Pitt in Angels in America, Terrence McNally, Harold Prince, winner of more Tony awards (21) than any other person in history and the director of Phantom of the Opera, and Edward Albee, three time Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? among many others. This discussion was perhaps one of the most interesting conversations I have ever witnessed and one of the coolest experiences. Afterward, I spoke with Kathleen Chalfant about our experiences with Angels and it was interesting to hear that she had felt such similar feelings about the play. Finally I got my copy of Virginia Woolf signed by Mr. Albee, but I was unable to speak to him (hey I'll take what I can get).

This week is the CMJ Music Marathon here in New York. Tons and tons of shows by some of the biggest names in indie rock. Friday I plan on attending the free Decemberists show at The Apple Store in SoHo (For all those who might be interested in this, the show is at 1:00 pm and I suggest you get there early as seating is very limited). Then Scott is coming down for the Straylight Run/Saves the Day/Alkaline Trio show on Saturday. I'm pumped.

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Keep it scene in the city.

Well I can't believe that October is pretty much half over. This month is going by so fast. Not too much to report on recently. Went back to Westford for Coulumbus Day weekend and it was totally worth it. Living in the city made me really appreciate fall and everything that comes with it. Oh and the whole seeing my friends thing... that was excellent too.

I'm not sure whether everyone has heard by now, but Wednesday was a little scary here in NYC. A small plane, piloted by Yankee's pitcher Cory Lidle, crashed into a building on 72nd and York. At the time I was in class on 71st, which is about three blocks away. People were going pretty crazy in the streets when I got out of class. Tons of police, medical people, sirens, and helicopters. When I was walking back to the dorm I could even see the smoke from the building. Pretty crazy but everything is cool. Thanks to all those who called to see if I was ok.

Kim was in town this weekend so we did so much stuff. We walked all over the East Village, Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park, Union Square, SoHo, 5th Ave, Central Park, and made it up to Columbia to visit Nick. It was fun because this was the first time I've really had the chance to show someone around the city. Thursday was Mary's birthday so we decided to go to a Broadway show, our first since arriving in the city. We settled on The Wedding Singer because we could get student rush tickets for $25. It was a fun show, nothing spectacular, but worth $25 not full price. Stephen Lynch was excellent, however once he leaves I can't see the show sticking around much longer.

Oh and on the way to the show we happened to run into ROSARIO DAWSON. That woman is simply gorgeous and looked even better in person. She was just on her cell phone in front of some building that we walked by and the four of us were in shock.

Last night we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge into Brooklyn and got some delicious cheesecake from the world famous Junior's. The view from the bridge was amazing. Today Tex, Kim and I went to the MET. I really like going there and will definately do it more often since I'm a member.

Lastly... for all of you energy drink fans, I have great news for you. The newest drink to hit the market is only available in Manhattan. Oh and it's called Cocaine. I have yet to get my hands on this but I'll let you know when I do. I'm also taking orders starting with Scott. Who needs a fix???

Keep it scene in the city.

Happy October everyone. Fall is officially here and you could feel it this weekend in the city. It was a gorgeous weekend and to celebrate there was a little Westford reunion here in the Big Apple. On Saturday afternoon my friend Kenny came down to join Nick and I in our journey to Town Hall for Sufjan Stevens. It was a great guys night out and the first one I've had since I've been here. Although our seats were not fabulous, we still had an amazing time. Sufjan was excellent. Probs the best audio quality of any show I've ever seen. Soof and his ensemble were decked out in butterfly attire for the performance and it was quite entertaining to see all of these wings bouncing around on stage. There were some tech issues during "Predatory Wasp", but Soof made up for it with an excellent sense of humor. "That is the sound of the wasp" he told us after a lound humming noise became to over powering for the song to continue. It was clever. I must say that "Chicago" was surprisingly not my favorite of the night. While I think it is perhaps my fav song of his, "Jacksonville" was unbelieveable. And i almost forgot... Soof played one of his xmas songs off his box set that is coming out at the end of the year and just for fun he threw inflatable Santas into the crown (Nick caught one) and during "Man of Steel" he threw Supermen (I caught one of those). All in all a good night. For pics and a video clip of a new song visit stereogum.

Now this week was realll busy for me and the weekend as well, my dad was in town too, so I did not have a lot of free time to fill with various events to write about so intead I'm giving you some other news:

• Screech makes a sex tape.
• The iphone is coming...
• Microsoft announces the release of the Zune.

Have a good week everyone!!!

Keep it scene in the city.