Mostly music news + reviews, but we also cover film, tv, and anything else that catches our fancy
The Pandemics backed Pete Porker on a bunch of tunes back in January and in the final stages of me playing catch up, I finally uploaded all the videos to YouTube. Here they all are for easy consumption:
And here are photos from the show:
Your next chance to see The Pandemics will be playing with The Fad and a bunch of other cool bands at Hollis Woods Community Church this Saturday, March 28th. Details of that can be found on Facebook (of course).
Alright, time to buckle in folks, because I helped TJO Presents run not one but two monster shows as my CMJ finale. There are lots of pictures to share and a final message at the end to wrap everything up in a nice little bow. Also as a side note, I might not have loved everyone who played, but I at least enjoyed everyone I saw to some extent and don’t have anything bad to say about them, so unless there’s a story to share I’ll probably just post names and photos instead of repeating myself a lot. Without further ado, however, let’s go on with the show…
Our story starts at Rock Shop for a day show with 8 (!!!) different bands. First up was Brian Bonz, who I remember seeing several times before paired up with one of my favorite local artist, Kevin Devine. You know it’s going to be a good day when you can boast something like that.
I got to speak with Brian after the show and found him to be quite enjoyable to talk to. I look forward to seeing him again in the future.
Next up was Charles Ellsworth:
Next Bree and the Whatevers. One critique I have here is that Bree has always struck me more as a performer than just a singer. There’s always a lot of energy on stage and a feeling that she loves every minute of her time there. I love that about her and think it’s what makes this band more enjoyable than average.
These guys were a fun mix of a lot of different things, but the hint of Arcade Fire was what I think really sold it for me.
Next up, End of Love, which included members of a little band called “Wilco”…
Next act was Andre Obin, who offered an odd transition from the previous band but I enjoyed nonetheless.
Last band for the night was The Netherlands, but unfortunately we had to run to get two evening shows up and running. One of them was at Bar Matchless, but I was only really there for a few minutes to make sure things were running smoothly. The show I mainly was interested in was at Muchmores. Before I delve into all the bands who played that evening, I have to say at the end of the night I got a chance to chat with the owner and he is incredibly nice and bright and overall a great dude. I would love a chance to work with him in the future. Honestly the concept he has going for him now is one I’ve had for awhile and the fact he makes it work so well gives me hope that there’s still a chance I can too one day. In the meantime I wish Andy Muchmore great success. You will definitely see me hanging out in those parts again.
With that little bit of sidetracking done I will now continue to give you lots of pictures and stories from Saturday night.
First up were some very good friends, Out of System Transfer. This band always brings the fun in, so if you ever get the chance I definitely suggest checking them out.
These guys were followed by another good friend, Brook Pridemore. You might know him from the band Brook Pridemore. You might also know him as the guy who does that song about building a death ray. However you know him, be glad that you do, because your musical library probably thanks you.
Moving right along, we have Manic Pixi. This female fronted band had a ton of energy. I really dug their lead singer, and had a fun chat with her later in the night. I have to say I usually hate the color pink, but this girl had matching dress and boots that somehow was awesome and not infuriating to me. Props to you on that one.
Up next we have Fancy Balloons. For a bit of trivia I’ll tell you that this band shares a member with one of the bands from the day show, Bree and the Whatevers. While I might be partial to Bree, I still found Fancy Balloons enjoyable.
At this point I was dealing with a dying camera and a room that was starting to get packed, both signs we were having too much fun and total first world problems, but it did make it harder to keep getting good shots throughout the night. In quick succession let’s break down the next few bands.
Grundle Thunder (made up of a bunch of friends from my local bar AND voted one of the best band names this CMJ):
And finally, Great Caesar:
I didn’t know anything about this last band going in, but it was a nice surprise hearing some horns to close out my night. Also was glad I got a final burst of energy both from myself and my camera to enjoy their set.
Thus concludes a very successful CMJ Music Marathon. Shout out to the man in charge of TJO Presents, TJ Olsen. He’s a very good friend, and I was beyond proud of how well his marathon Saturday turned out. Much success to you in the future, good sir. Anyone wishing to follow all the great shows this guy is doing can check out Facebook and Twitter. And if you come out to a show perhaps I will see you there.
Hey folks, just a quick post about some of my CMJ adventures yesterday. I only got pictures of two of the bands I saw yesterday and honestly bounced around so much it’s hard to remember everyone we caught. I made a comment to a friend while standing in the upstairs part of Pianos that CMJ is terrible for people with ADD because there’s simply too much to take in all around you that it’s easy to get distracted and want to keep moving from one show to the next. Having said that, a couple bands/artists did stand out to me, as well as a fun event we attended before I called it a night and my comrades moved on to Williamsburg (but not The Gutter because that show had been called due to Ebola).
First up (and the thing that convinced me to get out of the house) was Wakey Wakey at Rockwood Music Hall. Of course it turned out to be a bit deceiving, as it wasn’t the band but one member who was doing a solo set. It was still good but way more chill than I was expecting.
The other band I was able to snap some pictures of was Fictionist at Arlene’s Grocery. I have to say that was my first time visiting that particular venue and I was pretty impressed. Sure it was loud, but you could still understand everything being said. I also really dug the band, whom I had never heard of before but went on the recommendation of a friend.
The one other thing I feel worth reporting was the unofficial pre-party for Slothrust and The Kills at Bowery Ballroom. The event took place next door at One Mile House and featured Savoir Adore as DJs as well as free food and drink specials. I met some cool people and of course enjoyed the free food, which was mostly passed appetizers including these real tasty chicken sliders and some flatbread pizzas. It was a great way to end my night. Today I’m taking it easy but I’ll be back on the scene tomorrow all day and night.
It’s that time of year again, when all us music nerds run around NYC trying to catch as much good and/or new music as possible. This year I’m working a night job every night of the week, so most of the shows I will be attending are during the day. I did manage to catch one good act last night though, in addition to being introduced to two new bands during the day.
First up I went to Pianos to catch this band from Berlin called Mighty Oaks, who absolutely blew me away. After their set I asked about buying their CD and they said I could do so online.
Next up I moved over to Cake Shop to catch a noise pop band from Dublin by the name of September Girls. They didn’t exactly wow me like the first band did, but they definitely had their moments. I think a large part of my problem was they like a lot of reverb and it made it hard to understand all of the vocals. Still enjoyed their set and of course grabbed some pictures.
Unfortunately after this I had to take a break to go to my real job, but I did manage to make it over to Bowery Electric to catch one of the bands I was most excited about seeing this year: Butcher Knives. They have one of the best live shows of any band I’ve seen. The amount of energy they put into each performance is incredible, as were the photos I managed to snap during their set. (hashtag: humble brag)
It was definitely a wild and crazy night, and a great start to this year’s CMJ. Hopefully you had as much fun as the crowd did at Bowery Electric, and you keep on rocking all week.
Editors note: This post should’ve come sooner but I didn’t have internet for most of the weekend.
Friday night The Pandemics had a big show opening for Inspector 7 & Mephiskapheles at Revolution Bar & Grill in Amityville, NY. Everyone played a great set. Unfortunately my camera has been having some focusing issues, and by the end of the night I had mostly given up on getting anything publishable. That is why Mephiskapheles gets half the photos the other two bands have. Sorry guys, but I promise I liked you and had fun. Also, thanks for saving “Bumblebee Tuna” for last because it’s one of the most fun songs by any band ever; AND shout out to the lovely couple who got engaged right before the song started. Here’s to a good long musical life together.
I first discovered Fooling April when I was in college, through Myspace of all places. Yes, back when Myspace was still a thing I found this band from Philly and saw they conveniently had a show scheduled in NYC on my birthday. I sent them a message telling them how excited I was about my accidental birthday show, which was at The Bitter End before they started getting super strict about their 21+ status.
After the band finished their set, I jumped on stage to introduce myself. They were pleased to see me and said if they had realized I had made the show they would’ve sung me happy birthday! To a shy girl from NJ who wasn’t used to being in the Big City, this made me very happy.
Fast forward years later to the present, and Fooling April still have some spark left in them. This past Saturday they played Bowery Electric, and yours truly was there to take pictures. Hopefully you enjoy them, and hopefully I get another chance to see this band again in a few months rather than a few years.
As I mentioned in my most recent post, I plan on adding a lot more content to this site. I also mentioned a certain band I’m associated with called “The Pandemics,” and that I would be writing about a recent trip to Philly they took. The show itself was nothing special, but it was still a worthwhile trip. For one thing it was their first show since November, so it was good practice for a bigger show they have coming up later this month with Mephiskapheles and Inspector 7. For another, it was the first time the band had gotten together for 2 or 3 weeks, since holidays got in the way of their rehearsing schedule. So, even though they were competing against the Eagles game and didn’t have many people in attendance, it was still a great trip out for everyone. That’s an important lesson for touring bands to learn. When you first get out on the road, you don’t always make money on tour. In fact, your first couple times out you should expect to lose (or at best break even). But it’s still great for you to get your name out there and also get some bonding time with your bandmates. If you play your cards right, eventually the money will follow.
Thanks for waiting patiently while we dust ourselves off from a rough year. Here’s some picks from the road to hold you over until next time:
PS – If you’re interested in the Meph/Inspector 7 show I mentioned, it’s Jan 24th at Revolution Bar & Music Hall in Amytville, NY. Message me on the Facebook page and I’ll tell you how to get reduced price tickets from the band. Support your local ska scene!
Matt Koziol played a solo acoustic show at Googies last night. I thought it went very well, but since I’m friends with Matt, I don’t think it’s fair to do a review here on his shows. I want to at least share a few photos from the evening though.
