Month: September 2009

Things To Do Tonight in New York

Hey everyone!

You have two great options tonight in terms of shows you can go to.

Option 1 is Alyson Greenfield at Banjo Jim’s on the corner of 9th Street and Avenue C, which is free. Alyson is awesome and everyone should experience her at least once. (Trust me, after you meet her once won’t be enough). Her set is at 7, which would make you only slightly late for…

Option 2, which is Stephanie Carlin, Kari Spieler , Nick Howard and Emily Hope Price at 303 Grand in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This show is brought to you be TM Promotions so I will be working doors and taking pictures for the evening. Stop by and say hi. Only $5 cover plus free PBR. What more could you ask for?

Whatever you end up doing tonight remember to have fun and stay safe. have a good weekend everyone!

your friendly neighborhood blogger : )

Happy Arthur Guinness Day

For those of you who may not know, today is the 250th birthday of Arthur Guinness, the Irish brewer who delivered Guinness beer unto us. In celebration of this historic day grab some friends and buy yourselves a round of Guinness. And while you’re at it go ahead and chat about the history of Guinness, which has been linked to above. Maybe even go on the website and download a Guinness screen saver. Anything to show the world your love for Guinness beer.

The Lightning Strike

Lightning struck Beacon Theater last night when Snow Patrol electrified the stage with their energetic performance. They gave quite a show, using every element imaginable as part of their act. For starters, there was a projector that wrote out a list of cities on the tour, ending with New York and a huge red heart, showing their love for this city.

Another impressive part of their setup, their equipment included two drum kits and four keyboards. On several songs a band member would switch between two different instruments (drum and keys, keys and guitar). Their use of lighting was also exquisite, adding an extra element to their show instead of just being noise that had no real purpose. It really seemed to match the music as it progressed.

The best part of their show was their stage presence though, especially the lead singer. He really engaged the crowd and even had them participate during “Shut You Eyes”. There was laughter and excitement throughout the night which was due in large part to him.

The band played approximately 1.5 hours with a 3-song encore. Set list was as follows:

If There’s A Rocket tie Me To It
Chocolate
Hands Open
How To Be Dead
The Golden Floor
The Finish Line
Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking
Make This Go On Forever
Run
Shut Your Eyes
Chasing Cars
Crack The Shutters
Take Back The City
Open Your Eyes

Encore:
The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?)
Run
You’re All I Have

Happy Birthday H.G. Wells

Anyone notice the space invasion that has been taking over Google? For those of you wondering what that was about, they are celebrating H.G. Wells’ birthday which is today. He would have been 143 years old. Wells may be one of the most influential science fiction authors of all time. His greatest work, War of the Worlds, brought UFOs to earth (Which Orson Welles really did with his radio broadcast based on the story) and grabbed the attention of the world. Other notable works include The Invisible Man and The Time Machine among others. This is definitely an author who deserves some recognition. Kudos to Google for making it happen.

Picking the Right Single: The Fray

While the rest of the album is good, The Fray definitely made the right choice with “You Found Me as the single for their latest album. It’s one of those songs that makes you stop and notice every time it comes on the radio. Stylistically all of the songs are classic “The Fray” style, but this is the most memorable track the record has to offer. Plus it is highly marketable with the relationship theme everyone can relate to and energetic music to go with it that really grabs the listener’s attention. Definitely go pick up this album (if you haven’t already).

Muse Is Our Resistance

The word for today is “energy” and Muse’s new album The Resistance certainly delivers. With the epic opening of the first track “Uprising” the listener knows they are in for quite a ride. The Resistance has many of the same elements of previous albums (especially Absolution) and yet something different has been infused into the mix. There is more energy here than ever before. Everything seems more upbeat, but it is done in a way that doesn’t make it feel Poppy. Even the classic slower song midway through the album (United States of Eurasia) is more energetic than before.Of course they save the best for last with the three-part masterpiece “Exogenesis: Symphony”, which essentially has all of the elements that make Muse great but amplified. It is the punctuation to a fantastic album. In conclusion, The Resistance brings us the same great Muse but with a twist. This will keep old fans happy (this fan was certainly more than satisfied) while possibly attracting a new crowd to the fold. Hopefully this will mean more popularity for them in the U.S. I hope so because this is one band that definitely is underrated as of yet.

Snow Patrol Announce New Album

Snow Patrol have announced they will release an album of fan favorites November 9th. The album includes not only their most loved songs but also three new tracks for fans to enjoy. They also have started their U.S. Tour and will be in New York Sept 22 & 23 at Beacon Theater. This blogger was lucky enough to get tickets for the Sept 22 date. Look for a review of their performance next week.

Avenue Q

The hit Broadway muppet-fest Avenue Q may have left Main St, but you can still catch it off Broadway. This is the first time a show has ever moved from the main stage to an off Broadway theater. We always knew Avenue Q was one of a kind, but this just makes it even more original. If you haven’t seen it then go, and if you have then see it again. This is one show you will definitely get your money’s worth.

Save the Music

RXP posted a letter on their site in regards to a tax that would force them to make cutbacks in their music selection and staff. I know times are tough, but this is not the solution to any of our problems. This station has been giving me a reason to listen to the radio for the past year now. Please follow the title link and help keep the music alive.

VMA: Vote Muse, America

While everyone else may be talking about Kanye’s comments or Beyonce’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, I want to take a moment to put the spotlight on Muse. Their performance during the show was the highlight of the night for me. The awards itself didn’t interest me much (except the much deserved win by Green Day for their 21 Guns video). The only time I really got excited was when I heard Matthew Bellamy’s enchanting voice sing its first notes on American television. Yes, this was Muse’s first appearance on American TV. This band from the UK has always been more popular overseas than here. They are currently on tour as support for U2 and have sold out two dates at Giants Stadium later this month, but that was more because of who they are touring with than their own popularity here. My hope is that they are finally starting to breakout in the US and that we will consequently get to see more of them here.