Photos/Review: The Walkmen @ Bowery Ballroom

The Walkmen @ Bowery Ballroom – June 6, 2012
Photos/Review: Chris

Let’s get this one fact out of the way: Hamilton Leithauser has the best pipes in indie rock. Hands down. No question. The man can wail. And with such distinction, that in the decades to come people will still be attempting to imitate his gruff holler to only mediocre results. It helps that the other members of The Walkmen, who performed for over two hours last night at New York City’s best venue (with just a short set break), are all extremely talented and grounded musicians.

Following the release of Bow + Arrows in 2004, which tossed the band into the proverbial spotlight, the Walkmen could have gone in a vastly different direction. The whole garage-revival boom of the early ‘00s spawned an overwhelming host of bands, and some of them put out excellent debut and even sophomore albums. But once the dust settled, a small majority of those bands have persevered the trend. Simply put: in a bizarre hellish nightmare, The Walkmen could have become Kings of Leon, and the indie rock scene would be in a much sadder place as a result.

Luckily, The Walkmen are not Kings of Leon, and their new album Heaven is not Come Around Sundown (I had to Google that one because I stopped caring about five years ago). In fact, Heaven just might be their best yet, and yet in a weird way I’m a little shocked at the amount of sudden attention it’s getting. Really just because anyone who has been paying attention to their output in the past decade should have known that they were bound to release something as great as Heaven sooner or later.

And so last night, the band played almost the entire new album, along with selections from the rest of their discography, over the span of two hour-long sets. Newer songs such as “Love Is Luck,” “The Love You Love,” and “Heaven” crackled with the same energy and fierceness of older songs such as “The New Year,” “Hang On, Siobhan” and of course, “The Rat.” It’s quite admirable of a band to expand upon their roots while maintaining the edginess of their youth. And credit must go to the horn section they brought along (featuring Hamilton’s wife), who intermittently came onstage to perform with the band.

When the second set ended just after 11pm, the house lights came on and music played on the PA, but it became clear no one was leaving the venue without an encore. I looked around me and saw a completely packed Bowery Ballroom applauding the band, who are arguably at their peak, in what Hamilton called their “old stomping grounds.” And eventually they did return , horn section intact, to play “Canadian Girl” off of 2008’s You & Me. It was satisfying of course, but I’m certain the crowd easily would have endured a third set.

Did you stream the show on Spotify? How did that turn out? Check out some more photos I took with my point-and-shoot, plus the setlist below…

The Walkmen released Heaven, playing Bowery Ballroom tonight (stream it live!)

The Walkmen at Brooklyn Academy of Music last month

If you haven't picked up a copy of The Walkmen's latest album Heaven (their seventh full length), then you've been missing out on one solid listen. In the twelve years since forming, the band has proven to be one of the most enduring and consistently great New York City-based bands around, outshining many of their similarly-influenced peers. Listen to the title track, and album highlight, "Heaven" below...



In support of Heaven, the band will embark on a tour at the end of June (all tour dates below), but first the band will play a very intimate hometown show at Bowery Ballroom tonight which will be streamed live via Spotify! You can tune in here to watch the performance beginning at 9pm EST. The next NYC-area Walkmen show will be at Terminal 5 on October 18. Tickets for that show will go on presale today at their website. Pay attention to Twitter for the exact time they go on sale.

While you're at it, stream Heaven via Spotify below...

Sebadoh is playing Bowery Ballroom 8/22, and releasing a new EP

Sebadoh @ Music Hall of Williamsburg last November

When we heard news that quintessential indie trio Sebadoh were heading back into the studio to record their first batch of new songs in TWELVE YEARS, we sort of went crazy and told off our bosses and spent all of our savings and stopped going to the gym and ended up moving back into our parents' houses. It was a downward spiral that was bound to take place sooner or later. But I digress.

Though it's looking like a new Sebadoh LP won't be finished until early 2013, our good friend The Backstage Rider tells us that a batch of songs--separate from the LP--will be released as an EP before an east coast tour that begins August 7! That tour will hit Bowery Ballroom on August 22, and you can find all tour dates below. Tickets for the 8/22 show will go on sale Thursday at 12pm. In addition to Sebadoh headlining, the openers are Lou Barlow solo and Circle of Buzzards (aka Jason Loewenstein and Bob D'amico of Sebadoh). It's a full on Sebanight.

And because it's always awesome to watch, find a video of Elliott Smith interviewing Lou Barlow, and the still awesome video for "Flame" below...

Sebadoh 2012 Tour Dates
August 7 – Philadelphia, Union Transfer
August 8 – Boston, Middle East
August 9 – Northampton, Pearl St.
August 10 – Washington, DC, Black Cat
August 11 – Carrboro, NC, Cats Cradle
August 12 – Atlanta, GA, The Earl
August 14 – Nashville, TN, Mercy Lounge
August 15 – St Louis, MO, Off Broadway
August 16 – Chicago, IL, Schubas
August 17 – Cleveland, OH, Grog Shop
August 18 – Hamilton, ON, Casbah
August 20 – Toronto, ON, Horseshoe Tavern
August 21 – Montreal, QUE, La Sala Rossa
August 22 – New York, NY, Bowery Ballroom

Photos/Review: Chavez @ Bowery Ballroom

Chavez @ Bowery Ballroom - May 18, 2012
Photos: Chris / Review: Damien

Let me start this off with the only complaint of the night, one I vary rarely have about any show I see in NYC: it was waaaaaaaaay too easy to get in to see Chavez on Friday night.

I personally picked my ticket up the night before, having remembered that these post-hardcore / math rock badasses were resurfacing to rock an inevitably great hometown set. My FN friends who had seen them last year at ATP NJ, in turn, were able to snag theirs easily the day of the show.

A concert featuring Chavez - masters of titanic rock since 1993 who have until recently been as easy to see live as a unicorn wearing a leprechaun mask - should have sold out WEEKS ago. But as you can tell, I was damn happy to get in.

Afghan Whigs playing Bowery Ballroom 5/23

If you were hoping for a better venue to see the recently reunited Afghan Whigs in, your prayers have been answered (in particular, our writer/photographer James M. Graham). The band will headline their very first show in 13 years at Bowery Ballroom on May 23rd(!!!). Tickets go on sale this Friday at noon. Good luck!

All tour dates below…

Photos: Pete & Pete Reunion @ Bowery Ballroom (early show)

An Evening with the Cast & Crew of The Adventures of Pete & Pete
Bowery Ballroom - February 24, 2012
Photos: Chloe Lee

On Friday night, the cast & crew of one of my favorite shows growing up reunited at the Bowery Ballroom for two sold out performances. We generally don't cover TV stuff on this blog, but does it really get any more fucking nostalgic than this? I unfortunately couldn't make it because I was at the Sharon Van Etten show (more on that in a bit), but Chloe was there to take photos for us during the early show, and her gallery can be seen below. Here is what the Village Voice had to say about the show:

"Pete and Pete was one of those rare kids' shows that prided itself on defying convention. What started out as a handful of minute-long shorts evolved into a full-fledged series in 1993, celebrating childhood in all its fanciful (and often, bizarre) splendor. It was defined by a particular nonchalant presentation of surreal story lines and oddball characters; childhood trivialities blown-up to enormous significance; adventures far above and beyond the beaten path and, of course, that fantastic indie soundtrack. 

"It was one of the few times in life I was anxious to seeing a script," admitted Hardy Rawls at the event. Rawls is known simply as "Dad" to a generation Pete fans who grew up watching the antics of the two brother Petes -- a red-headed duo of contrasting personalities played by Mike Maronna and Danny Tamberelli. 

After a thorough highlight reel hurled the audience down memory lane, Tambarelli (Little Pete) emerged with rock band The Blowholes in tow, featuring guitarist Marshall Crenshaw (who once appeared a cameo on the show as a musically inclined meter man) and Syd Straw (Ms. Fingerwood, algebra teacher) on bass. The rest of the night was a heartwarming display of camaraderie between the former cast members as they sat on stage to answer questions, reminisce on the show's heyday and disclose some riveting anecdotes that cast new light on old episodes." -- Samantha Shokin

 Check out a full set of photos of the night, as well as some YouTube videos below...

Shearwater & Sharon Van Etten in New York City tonight and tomorrow (Stream Shearwater's Animal Joy)

Sharon Van Etten @ Mercury Lounge in March (more here)

If you've been paying any attention to the new music we've been drooling over in 2012 so far, then you're probably well aware of the excellence of Shearwater's Animal Joy and Sharon Van Etten's Tramp. Two records that beg to be given consideration to as album of the year despite the fact that it's not even March yet.

Which is why you'd be smart to find some way into the sold out shows both acts are playing together--tonight at Music Hall of Williamsburg and tomorrow at Bowery Ballroom. Sharon Van Etten plays an additional show on Sunday at Bowery with Carter Tanton and Glass Ghost (also sold out). Check StubHub though, because there actually are reasonably priced tickets available on there right now.

In the meantime, you can stream Shearwater's Animal Joy in its entirety below...

Review: Mark Lanegan Band @ Bowery Ballroom

Mark Lanegan Band @ Bowery Ballroom - February 7, 2012

Review: James M. Graham, Photo: Debbie Chou

Mark Lanegan and his band performed Tuesday night at Bowery Ballroom for the first show on the Blues Funeral tour, and easily his first solo show in NYC in at least ten years. The only other US date for the tour is Los Angeles, so the tickets for the Bowery show went fast.

Lanegan has been notorious for canceling shows and his unmoving hands-on-the-mic stage fright as a front man, but he seemed to get a second wind playing sideman to Queens of the Stone Age, The Soulsavers, Isobel Campbell, Greg Dulli's The Twilight Singers and the Dulli/Lanegan project The Gutter Twins. His last solo release was 2004's Bubblegum, a masterpiece that has let fans wondering for seven years if he would ever record solo again and if his new release would live up to his last one.

When I first heard that the name of the record was going to be Blues Funeral, I was relieved and when I first heard it streaming on MOJO last week, I was ecstatic. The song cycle is much more languid and plodding and less frenetic than Bubblegum, but in typical Lanegan style, the songs set a mood - dark, sinister and elegiac - and once the listeners allow Lanegan to take them by the hand, the only way out is to wait for the end credits.

When the band took the stage on Tuesday, the lights were lowered to a barely visible (and unphotographable) candlelight orange, Lanegan and band dressed entirely in black to thunderous applause. Without any acknowledgment, they immediately launched into Bubblegum's "Can't Come Down" belting the opening line "Don't give a damn for money..." in his trademark baritone. Consider the mood locked and loaded.

Lanegan performed eight out of twelve songs from Blues Funeral for the first time ever without a glitch or a hitch. The band was extremely tight and effective, impressive since this was their first show ever. The rest of the set-list hit Bubblegum hard, with songs from Field Songs, I'll Take Care of You and the EP Here Comes That Weird Chill, which were basically B-sides.

Personal highlights included "Wedding Dress," "Creeping Coastline of Lights" (a Leaving Trains cover!!!) and "When Your Number isn't Up."

The band ended with a wonderful rendition of "One Way Street" and after the applause and screaming died down, Lanegan said, "Thank you very much, good night," which is as much as I've ever heard him say in the myriad other times I've seen him - except this time, and I swear to god - he smiled.

Unpredictably, Lanegan planted himself down at the merch table and greeted a long line of fans for pictures and autographs. He seemed genuinely elated. How could he not?

---

Check out some videos from the show in addition to the full setlist below...

WHOA: Chavez Is Playing Bowery Ballroom In May

Chavez @ ATP NJ 2011

Well holy shit. After pummeling our faces with their ferocious twin guitar attacks at ATP last year, O.G. math rock titans Chavez are rocking a hometown show this May for Round 2. They'll hit the acclaimed-by-us-and-everyone-else Bowery Ballroom on May 18 - tickets are on sale this Friday (February 10) at noon ET for a mere $20, so get the hell on that and we'll see you there.

As a quick reminder of why you should be psyched for this, check out the clip of Chavez rocking through "Laugh Track" from that time they swung by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon this past October (via Audio Perv). Yeah man. Yeah.

Photos/Video: Cass McCombs @ Bowery Ballroom

Cass McCombs @ Bowery Ballroom - January 25, 2012

Photos & Video: Chloe Lee

On Wednesday night, the enigmatic Cass McCombs performed a headlining show at Bowery Ballroom, as the singer continues his tour behind last year's two LPs, Wit's End and Humor Risk. Our photographer Chloe Lee was there for us and her photos adorn this post. Here is what L Magazine had to say about the performance:

"But even more than familiar/unfamiliar songwriting, the lure of Cass McCombs’ music is still that slightly dusty, slightly bittersweet, super world-weary croon. His voice was very high in the sound mix. We never saw his face, but his presence in the room was overpowering. And on something as pretty as “County Line,” extended forever, draped over that elegant bass part, it seemed like he could keep cycling through its heartbreaking melody for days. On the right song, you might not even mind if he did." - Jeff Klingman

Cass will continue on with his tour with Frank Fairfield through the beginning of February, and will play a few dates in England in March. Check out the remainder of his tour dates, a set of photos from the night, as well as an exclusive video of Cass McCombs shot by Chloe below...

Future Nostalgia: Cass McCombs playing Bowery Ballroom 1/25

Since 2002, when Cass McCombs released his debut EP Not The Way on Monitor Records, the American singer-songwriter has toured and recorded endlessly, releasing five LPs and performing with the likes of Thurston Moore, The Walkmen, Deerhoof and The Arcade Fire. In 2011, McCombs released two critically acclaimed albums, Wit’s End and Humor Risk on Domino Records, the former being an album I listened to on repeat for short bursts of time throughout the year. It’s a record with production that could easily pass as being recorded in 1972, but the songwriting featured throughout is truly unique to McCombs, while also harkening back to artists such as Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and John Vanderslice.

Next Wednesday (1/25), Cass McCombs will be making his way to New York City to perform at Bowery Ballroom, for which tickets are still available. Check out his recent video for “The Same Thing,” the single that was released for Humor Risk last year, and also find the remainder of Cass’s tour dates below…


Cass McComb Winter 2012 Tour Dates

01/19 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
01/20 – Saxaphaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom *
01/21 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *
01/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie *
01/25 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
01/26 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore *
01/27 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison *
01/28 – Detroit, MI @ Pike Room *
01/29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
01/30 – Madison, WI @ High Noon *
02/01 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
02/02 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room *
02/03 – Denver, CO @ Hi@Dive *
02/04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
03/05 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
03/07 – Liverpool, UK @ Leaf Cafe Bold St.
03/09 – London, UK @ Union Chapel

^ = w/ White Magic
* = w/ Frank Fairfield

Future Nostalgia: Atlas Sound Playing Annual Winter Shows At The Bell House & Bowery Ballroom

Future Nostalgia shines a spotlight on newer bands who, in our eyes, are on the cusp of achieving legendary status. These are acts we normally wouldn't feature, but feel so strongly about we just couldn't resist.

As we've hopefully made crystal clear by now, we're huge fans of Deerhunter frontman and Atlas Sound mastermind Bradford Cox. Which is why we're psyched to share that, even though Deerhunter as a whole won't be back in NYC anytime soon, Cox will be back on December 17 and 18 for his annual winter shows in NYC to play songs from his new (and excellent) Atlas Sound album Parallax.

The shows will take place at The Bell House and Bowery Ballroom, and tickets are on sale for the Bell House show right now; you'll have to wait until Friday (11/25) for Bowery tickets. Definitely make it happen, folks - and in case you haven't heard Parallax yet, Spotify has you covered. (Cheers to BV for the tip.)

Holy Shit: Patti Smith To Play New Year's Residency At The Bowery Ballroom

Check out our review of Patti Smith's extremely excellent Webster Hall set!

Seriously, emphasis on the Holy Shit.

The Original Punk Goddess, Poet, and Pioneer Patti Smith completely blew our minds when she and her band rocked Webster Hall back in September, and Bowery Presents has announced that she'll be back next month to play not one, not two, but THREE shows at NYC's Bowery Ballroom.

We'll wait a moment whilst you put your eyes back in your sockets.

Yes, this trilogy of shows comprise a New Year's residency that begins on December 29 and ends on the 31st. Tickets will go on sale this Friday (11/18) at noon ET, and before you even think of whining about the $45 price, remember that it will be going toward seeing one of the greatest musicians in the world in one of New York's coolest venues.

Get a taste of what you're in for below, and we'll see you there.

Review: Sloan @ Bowery Ballroom

Sloan @ Bowery Ballrom - June 29th, 2011
Photo & Review by Francesca McCaffery

Boy, these guys in Sloan sure play fair. Each member of the twenty-year old Toronto-based quartet play, sing and compose their songs in equal parts--and switch duties and instruments onstage accordingly. Chris Murphy also appears to be one of the happiest, sanest guys in recent rock history. Wednesday night at Bowery Ballroom hundreds of diehard fans streamed in to clap, sing and hum along to the clean yet still scruffy band’s bouncy, kicky and sometimes (sort of!)  sexy pop songs, and put on a very decent show filled with old favorites and a few newer ones. The line-up is still astonishingly the same: Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland, Andrew Scott, and Jay Ferguson, with (I believe), Gregory Macdonald on keyboards (tucked away, behind the amps.)

Taking a tiny while to warm the crowd, they soon heated up with “Who Taught You To Live Like That?,” “Used To It,” “Crossing the Line,” and “She’s Slowing Down Again.”  “Plain To See,” with Murphy back again on vocals, really cooked. But the ultimate crowd-pleaser, judging by the audience’s worshipful reaction, was definitely “One Situation Or Another.” The boys, ever dutiful, came back onstage for two full encores, and the crowd left soaked in happy memories and warm beer, traipsing out into the humid NYC evening.

The blisteringly sizzling grit-rock duo Hot Kid opened up for Sloan, and boy, were they great. The aptly named singer Shiloh Harrison looks like the sexy baby sister of Juliette Lewis, and the drummer, Robbie Butcher III- well, with a name like that, you just know he’s going to tear it up on drums, need I say more. Check them out fast. You won’t be sorry you did.

Below, check out some videos of Sloan's performance from the Bowery Ballroom, as well as their performance the next night at the Knitting Factory...

Technically Nostalgic: Bush Is Playing The Bowery Ballroom On 7/28 (Yup)

Yes, this is a photo of Bush taken in 2011. Via Facebook

In news that we're going to go ahead and assume no one who reads Fucking Nostalgic was expecting, The Bowery Presents has announced on their site that not-really-celebrated-but-still-remembered '90s "grunge" band Bush is not only back, but will be playing the Bowery Ballroom on July 28th. Tickets are on sale beginning at noon ET tomorrow, if you're one of the five remaining die-hard fans of the band or just have fond memories of blasting "Machinehead" in your high-school Acura as you drove to the mall.

Bush will likely be playing new tracks from their first new studio album in 10 years, The Sea of Memories, that will be arriving this September. They've also teamed up with EA to celebrate the unveiling of the NHL 12© cover athlete by releasing a new track, "All My Life," for free at EA.com. Yep. Feel free to pick it up and let us know how it is.

...Right, so here's the video for "Glycerine."

Photos: Our Band Could Be Your Life Tribute Show @ Bowery Ballroom (Preview)

Author Michael Azerrad made an appearance towards the end of the show last night.

Our Band Could Be Your Life (Tribute) @ Bowery Ballroom - May 23, 2011

Last night's show at the Bowery Ballrom, a 10th anniversary celebration of the Michael Azerrad book Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991, was so long, so crazy and so great, I'm starting to think it was some sort of fantasy I made up in my head to pass the time at work. There's a strong possibility that I'm right about that, but just to prove myself wrong, I quickly edited some photos of the show as a preview of the full set I'll post as soon as possible. Enjoy!

Photos: Low @ Bowery Ballroom

Low @ Bowery Ballroom, April 27th, 2011
Photos: Chris; Review: Kid Kaboodle

As Low took the stage at Bowery Ballroom, each member dressed all in black, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. After all, these gents and lady are the purported progenitors of “slowcore,” a style of rock music which is presumably played very slowly. Two of the founding members are Mormon. I had also heard that Low fans were known for sitting down on the floor at shows. Then there’s the name of the band. Low. Were they going to play quietly as well? I mean, listening to an intimate album in the privacy of one’s own home is one thing but when you’re in the midst of a ballroom’s worth of people, it can be a little awkward. Or worse, boring.

I needn’t have worried. From the moment Low plunged into the opening tune, “Point of Disgust,” with spare piano notes plucking glassy, campfire shimmers from the air, the stage was set and the spell was cast. The effect on the crowd was nothing short of mass hypnosis. Or maybe that was just me. These guys were the real deal. The first thing that struck me was the uncanny vocal synergy between singer/guitarist Alan Sparhawk and singer/drummer Mimi Parker (which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the two are married and have been bandmates for 17 years). But more than a surprise, it was a revelation. It was physically impossible for these two to produce a harmony that wasn’t a joy for the ears. And this despite the fact that they are both very different kinds of singers. Where Mimi is imperious and perfect, Alan is gravelly and wounded. It seemed like every note he sang was a labor of love and it suddenly became clear to me why a band might build an entire repertoire of songs on the idea of restraint. When you have two vocalists in a band who are capable of this kind of magic, it’s almost blasphemous to complicate things.

And yes, the music was “low.” In a really apocalyptic kind of way. As the band launched into “Try To Sleep” from their latest release, C’mon, the campfire-at-the-end-of-the-world mood was palpable. “You try to sleep, but then you never wake up.”

The set was heavy on tunes from the new album, which in this case, wasn’t a bad thing at all (the album is excellent). Country-fried ballads “You See Everything” and “Done” revealed a debt to (and mastery of) the CSNY school of vocal harmony, while simmering torch-rockers like “Nothing But Heart” and “When I Go Deaf,” from 2005’s The Great Destroyer, showcased Sparhawks’ majestically flawed lead guitar work. Longtime fans got a treat at the beginning of the (first) encore, when Low broke into “Sunflower” from their critically acclaimed 2001 release, Things We Lost In The Fire. At the end of the second encore, Sparhawk thanked the band and audience and blew a kiss before leaving the stage for good.

While listening to Low, it’s easy to forget that they aren’t the newest flavor of the month band from Brooklyn. Well, at least for a couple of seconds at a time. For while their sound is still as fresh as anything out there, they have a couple of things that are lacking in many of the newer bands who have borrowed the most obvious aspects of their style. Like great, simple melodies bereft of trickery, a real grasp of tension and dynamics which extends beyond the usual quiet/loud dichotomy into realms of infinite variation and most importantly, heart. There wasn’t a second of last night’s performance that I didn’t believe was coming from somewhere real. And for roughly an hour and a half, the starry net of dreams that Low cast over the Bowery Ballroom was the only reality that mattered.

Full set of photos, including the band’s setlist are below…