CMJ Music and Film Festival - 10/21/08 - 10/25/08

Thanks to a friend in the industry, I was given the opportunity to take part in the CMJ ‘08 Music Marathon and Film Festival which took place in NYC from October 21-October 25th.

The CMJ Network works to connect music fans and industry professionals with new bands. Through all forms of media, including live events and print information, CMJ strives to open participants to new resources, talent, and music. The CMJ Music Marathon is the largest and longest running industry event of its kind and it has only flourished in the last few years. The marathon includes films, panel discussions, seminars, and music performances of all shapes and sizes.

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Ra Ra Riot Rocks the Music Hall of Williamsburg - 10/17/08

Last Friday I saw Ra Ra Riot at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. It is a very cool venue, equipped with a large downstairs area, couches, and a big bar. Upstairs is the performance space, and it is about as intimate as they come. Besides the dance floor there is a second level a few more feet up, allowing a view that is close to the band but over the heads of those on the floor. Up a bit more is the third level which has tables and chairs. The doors opened at eight and the first band went on at nine. And The Moneynotes played to an enthusiastic but small crowd, entertaining us with their music as well as their quirky and upbeat stage presence. Read more

Beck with MGMT - United Palace Theater - 10/9/2008

I am a tremendous fan of Beck and I have been for quite a while. I saw him perform at Bonaroo in 2006, at which time he wowed the crowd with tunes off of his album The Information. He accompanied his playing with a group of puppets, each designed to look like a member of the band. Not only was his set clever and entertaining, but his voice sounded pretty damn amazing.

His newest album Modern Guilt was even better than I had expected it to be, and so it was no surprise that I jumped at the chance to see him perform again. This time the venue was indoors and way uptown at the United Palace Theater. Read more

Hop Chip at Terminal 5 - NYC 10/4/08

I saw Hot Chip for the first time this past summer at Coachella. They were one of the few performers that had managed to fill an entire tent to capacity; there was so much audience overflow that we wound up watching them from the grass near the bathrooms. I wasn’t familiar with the British electropop group and so I hadn’t known what to expect from the five nerdy-looking guys that took the stage. But we were blown away once they started singing, and the whole audience began jumping and dancing in a way that is usually only induced by DJs.

My friends and I decided that we would have to see them again when they came to New York. Luck was on our side, and this past Saturday we caught up with them at Terminal 5. Read more

Tegan and Sara at the Worcester Palladium - 10/4/08

WORCESTER, MA — OCTOBER 4, 2008 Although the Palladium was filled with a crowd that consisted of mostly underage teens (all of whom were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Tegan and Sara), I have to say, when opening acts, Girl in a Coma and City and Colour took the stage, the audience was surprisingly accepting and enthusiastic. A lot of times those young crowds tend to get a bit impatient with opening acts while waiting for the headliner to take the stage, but I was both pleased with the positive response. Read more

My Bloody Valentine Performs at Roseland, NYC - 9/22/08

Chapter One: Blown a Wish

I have resigned myself to my fate: I am a rock nerd born ten years too late. I had just started high school when Pavement broke up, I missed the best Built to Spill records by five years, the day of the fanzine had come and gone by the time I was old enough to care, blah blah blah. My greatest regret, though, is that I totally missed My Bloody Valentine. Loveless is one of my favorite albums of all time (which means I have a pulse) and their live show is one of the great legends of rock nerd-dom. [Author's note: I won't waste your time by trying to write about this record; instead, I'll refer you to Mike McGonigal's excellent 33 1/3 volume on the subject.] Read more

Weezer Performs at Madison Square Garden – NYC - 9/24/08

The crowd was buzzing last night as the last song fizzled out from the speakers of Angels and Airwaves and the vertical light stands made you feel you were in the Millennium Falcon, traveling through hyperspace. Afterwards, as the stagehands worked on adjusting the sound systems and tuning up the instruments, Weezer fans trickled in and out of the stands. Most of the fan regalia sported a red t-shirt that read “weezer” in white lettering, advertising their newest record. The fans were mostly in their early twenties, enjoying the cool fall air in NYC. Read more

The Mars Volta at the Hammerstein Ballroom - 9/17/08

The front men and masterminds of The Mars Volta, Cedric Bixler Zavala and Omar Rodriguez took the stage looking like a pair of leathery shamans. Immediately, they slammed into Goliath with an unadulterated, shameless groove, and I was refreshed. Read more

My Bloody Valentine – Roseland, NYC - 9/22/08

“Earplugs?” seem to be the recurrent idea connected with My Bloody Valentine’s return to the U.S. in close to two decades. The band came full circle last night, at the first of two All Tomorrow’s Parties shows at Roseland in NYC, extending a 40 second noise interlude from the extremely rare 1988 title track EP, You Made Me Realise into a 15 minute sea of aural complexity; a complexity that has driven some people from show venues in an early nineties past. Read more

Bill Idol Rocks Out in Atlantic City

August 23, 2008 – House of Blues – Atlantic City, NJ

It was a varied crowd Saturday night at Billy Idol’s show at the House of Blues. The quintessential eighties big hair female fans, the younger punk kids who appreciates good music, and the always present casino guests (that were there solely for free tickets) filled the sold out club to its capacity. I was a little perplexed at how the cornucopia crowd would react when a rock legend hit the stage, but to my surprise, the entire place surged with energy as the 53 year old English rocker opened the show with his hit single, “Dancing With Myself”. Idol had stopped in Atlantic City to promote his newest greatest hits compilation, “Idolize Yourself”. Read more

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