I had a very busy past week here in New York. It started Tuesday night when Jen and I saw A Moon For the Misbegotten. The show was amazing. Kevin Spacey was excellent as was Colm Meany. However Eve Best stole the show. The set and lighting was excellent as well and if you have the chance to see it before it closes I highly suggest you go see it. It closes sometime in June and is something you should not miss. Eugene O'Neil is one of the greatest American playwrites and the script alone is worth reading. However, this all-star cast brings the show to life and really is outstanding.

On Wednesday Margot and I went to the first show in the Highline Festival, Arcade Fire at Radio City Music Hall. Now I saw this band back in February when they took up a residency at the Judson Memorial Church and I think they may have been even better this past week. Now that Neon Bible has officially been released the band plays the album to perfection live. The songs were just unreal and they had so much energy. If you don't have this album you better get it becuase it is one of the best of the year. The band just exploded during the performance and they were not able to hold back from running into the crowd to join in on all the fun. This band is going to be the next big thing and they deserve it more than anyone. Win Butler yelled to the crowd at one point "there are about 4 security guards in this place everyone run down front to dance. what are they going to do?" Well turns out they'll kick you out. Security had a hard time controlling some of the rowdy hipsters and had to escort them out. While Neon Bible sounds amazing live the old songs really get the crowd going. "Power Out" into "Rebellion (Lies)" was just electrifying and rocked the building. During the final song, "Walke Up," the upper balcony began to shake and I had to hold on because I couldn't stand without falling over. Truely an amazing show. Read reviews here and here.

On Friday I went to Brooklyn to see The Mountain Goats re-open the SoundFix cafe. The place was pretty small and absolutely packed. The room was unbelievably warm and impossible to move through, but it was a free show so I couldn't say no. The set was comprised of mostly old and rare songs so I didn't know too much, but it was a good time none the less. Some of the songs he played were played live for the first time so that was really cool and afterwards whhile he was making his way through the crowd I told him "good show" and he repied with "really? did you enjoy it? good!" So that's always a good thing when artists get back to their fans.

Hot Tracks:

1. Arctic Monkeys - "This House Is A Circus." These guys are back with a great new album just as loud as their first. They keep the enrgy high and people on the dance floor.
2. The National - "Start A War." They just put out an excellent new album and opened for Arcade Fire this past week. The singer sounds a little like Morrissey and the violinist can really tear it up onstage.

Keep it scene in the city.

Following some of the worst rain New York City has ever seen, this past week has been absolutely gorgeous. The past weekend was amazing , it was sunny and temperatures reached the 80s. It seemed like everyone was in the park this weekend, not that I can blame them, and it seems like spring is finally here.

I saw Les Miserables last Saturday and I don't think I can say enough about this show. It is by far the best thing I have ever seen and now I've seen it on Broadway. The cast was fantastic, Lea Solanga blew me away, and everyone should go see it while it is back in New York. I believe it is closing in August so hurry and see it while you can.

On Monday night, Jen, Mary, Margot, and I went to the MET for the college night opening of the new Greek and Roman exhibit. It was a huge toga party with college kids from all over the city. It was a really cool idea for the MET as it was free and there was dancing, tours, food, and drinks. All though I think we had more fun walking through the city in our togas than we did at the actual event.

Tuesday night Jen, Margot, and I went to see Patti Smith for the last of her three shows in the "Bowery Sessions." It was the release of her new CD "Twelve" so everyone got a free copy with their admission. It might have been the best show I've been to all year and I think everyone should go see Patti if they ever have the chance. The woman was amazing, especially since it was her third show of the night, even though she was a little intoxicated. She kept rambling on and on in between songs, which was just as entertaining as seeing her sing. The set was all covers off her new album so it was a unique feel. She wooed the crowed from the moment the show began and it was non-stop until the closing chords of "Gloria."




In other news... festival time is upon us again. Coachella kicks off tomorrow with what appears to be one of their most promising line-ups ever. Tickets sold out long ago so if you're going have an amazing time and take pictures for all of us unable to attend. Lollapalooza announced thier line-up a few weeks ago and it's not a surprise that it looks like this festival is going to be amazing as well. Performers include: Pearl Jam, Daft Punk, Ben Harper, Patti Smith, Kings of Leon, Regina Spektor, Interpol, Modest Mouse, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On the Radio, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and many many more. This could be one of the most promising line-ups out there right now. Bonnaroo is also coming up in less than 50 days and they will also be delivery quite the performers. If you can make it out to any of these festival I highly reccommend it.

• The Tribeca Film Festival started here in New York City yesterday.
• A whole week of spiderman?

Hot Tracks:

1. Bright Eyes - All of Cassadaga. This album is amazing and I can't pick one song off of it so listen to the whole thing.
2. Patti Smith - "Smells Like Teen Spirit". An interesting and refreshing take on a song that started a revolution and changed the course of music.
3. The White Stripes - "Icky Thump". The first single off the new album of the same name makes me want to hear the whole thing right now.

Keep it scene in the city!

In a time when the music industry is not what it once was there are some questions that need to be raised. What is the fate of the way in which people obtain their music? I think the age of the CD might officially be over. How many people honestly go to their local record store on a regular basis to pick up the latest cd from their favorite band? People download music, legally or illegaly it is something that happens and won't go away. So clearly there is less music to be made from record sales. However performances are where artists make their money. A few years back Bruce Springsteen played numerous consecutive sold out shows at Giants Stadium and made more money from those shows than he ever did due to record sales. Now here is my question: clearly people are doing pretty well with ticket sales if this is happening, but how much should someone charge for a concert ticket?
When I go to a show I have a very difficult time paying over $30. There are some cases in which I make an exception (Festivals, a reunion, Radiohead, a living Beatle), but it has to be pretty great for me to pay a lot of money. I recently broke my own rule when I shelled out about $45 to see Arcade Fire headline David Bowie's festival in New York (I'm hoping Bowie will make an appearance as he loves these guys). I've reasoned the fact that I didn't pay for their albums and the last time I saw them I didn't pay, so I can handle paying that much for these guys. Now after that, I'm having a difficult time finding shows that I am willing to pay the asked ticket price. Tonight I passed up an oppurtunity to see Iggy and the Stooges because I refused to pay $70. Isn't rock and roll supposed to be about the music and sticking it to the man not paying a shit load of money to see a fucking punk band in a venue way the hell uptown where I'd be confined to a seat? Where are the $10 shows where the bands actually need to have a sold out show to make money to keep the tour going? In a few weeks I'm going to see Piebald and MC Chris play the Knitting Factory for $10. This I can handle. Two great acts actually playing the same show and pouring their hearts into the performance because they love their music. They actually get along and aren't playing songs they wrote 30 years and charging $400+ for seats, coughthepolicecough.
Basically when will the point come when I need to raise my price so I can actually go see shows?

Hot Tracks:

1. Bloc Party - "I Still Remember". The next single off their sophomore album which hasn't gotten the praise the first album recieved. This song sounds like a reworked Cure b-side. The album isn't as aggresive as the first, but definately a solid album.
2. The Fratellis - "Flat Head". You've probably heard this song without realizing it. It's on the ipod commercial and and should be on your ipod in general.
3. Peter Bjorn & John - "Amsterdam". Steady song from a steady band that might be the epitome of a head bobber.

A few weeks back I went to the Apple store in SoHo and caught a show by The Good, The Bad, and the Queen. Such an all-star line-up in that group. Now their music is not what you would expect from the previous bands they have been a part of, however their music is something original and totally worth checking out. They did not seem too excited about their performance, which was a little disappointing. Especially since the band arrived over an hour late. Still, Paul Simonon might be the coolest bass player around. Holding his bass like a machine gun as he plucked away simple and effective bass lines, he is probably the only person who can have "punk" carved into his bass and still be punk (If Sid Vicious were alive I'd say he could pull it off too).

Ashli and I went to Brooklyn and saw Thursday at Warsaw the week before break. I had not seen these guys since the summer before my freshman year of high school so I was really excited. The first bands were Paulson and The Number 12 Look Like You and while they were entertaining we were only there for Thursday. They took the stage and put on an amazing show. One of the best hardcore shows I've been to in a long time. They had energy that never let up. While they played stuff off the new album which I'm not too familiar with their tore through old songs with such passion and the crowd felt every second of it. The set ended with "This Song Brought To You By a Falling Bomb" in which Geoff had so much intensity he did not even use a mic and the whole place still heard him. This was immeadiately followed by "Cross Out the Eyes" which brought the building to it's knees. The encore was also excellent and afterwards Geoff made sure to say thank you to as many fans as he could. Definately an awesome experience.

Now I'm starting something new. Every up-date will now feature the Hot Tracks section in which I'll suggest some of my favorite songs that you guys should all download.

1. The Blow - Parentheses. Excellent electonica/dance song that will get stuck in your head so fast. Key Line: "When you're holding me, we make a pair of parentheses."
2. Mickey Avalon - Jane Fonda. One of my new favorite dance songs.
3. Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running. This band is blowing up even more now that their newest album is officially out. This is who everyone should be listening to, enough with the goddamn Killers.

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!