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CMJ 2014 – Day 3

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.

CMJ 2014 – Day 1

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.

CMJ Day 4 – feat Brooklyn Vegan & Force Field showcses

Yesterday included a bit of borough hopping between Brooklyn and Manhattan. First up was the Brooklyn Vegan showcase at Public Assembly. This included two rooms of free music and free alcohol (if you like Blue Moon or Firefly). There was also a table selling BV shirts, proceeds of which go towards “Music Has Power” (The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function). Good music + a good cause = good party by the Vegan. There’s another one today that has a sick line-up. Gonna head there first thing today.

One other thing worth noting about that BV party is one of the bands: Shrag. This band was from the UK, which got me thinking about how many bands travel from all over the world (especially places like the UK and New Zealand) just to come to CMJ. I think it’s really cool how this festival gives people a chance to experience music from not just all over the country, but from different parts of the world as well. Because let’s face it, how many of us are going to be visiting New Zealand any time soon?

Next stop was the Impose showcase to catch the band Dark Dark Dark. They were really fun, and had lots of different instruments (including accordion, trumpet, and clarinet). I really enjoyed this band and would definitely want to check them out again.

Final stop for the evening was the Force Field showcase at Pianos. The line-up included Lord Huron, La Sera, Violens, Woven Bones, Wild Nothing, and The So So Glos. I really went to see Violens and So So Glos, but all the bands did a pretty good job (although I definitely enjoyed some more than others). Wild Nothing are playing that Brooklyn Vegan showcase today, in case anyone is interested in checking them out. If you’re looking for a recommendation, consider this it.

One more thought before I bring this one to a close.

You all know how much I enjoy talking about my favorite band, Jukebox the Ghost. Well, I found a great conversations starter for this topic has been the tote bag I bought from their Music Hall show last month. It was because of this bag that I met someone from The Wild Honey Pie and got a great conversation about blogging and the band and music in general. Later that same night I got another comment from someone who knows the guitarist’s sister. So there are two lessons we can take from this: 1) a band’s merch makes for really good promotion and conversation starters, and 2) it is a small little world that Jukebox the Ghost is slowly taking over.

Speaking of promotion – let me take this final opportunity to invite you to Bar Matchless tonight for the TJO Presents showcase, featuring Matt Koziol, Sydney Wayser, F. Stokes, Stuedabakerbrow, Incadeo, Like Trains & Taxis, Alyson Greenfield, and Hank & Cupcakes. It’s going to be a great night, and it’s FREE. Two reasons you should come out and party with us.