Photos: The English Beat & Squeeze @ Roseland Ballroom

Dave Wakeling of The English Beat

Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze

The English Beat & Squeeze @ Roseland Ballroom - April 28, 2012

Photos: Al & Carmela Gersbeck / Review: Carmela Gersbeck

While I admit that I went to Roseland to see Squeeze and didn't have a clue who The English Beat were, I have to say that they blew me away.  From their opening rendition of "Tears of a Clown," they made it clear that they were there to party and expected everyone in the audience to do so -- and party they did! The English Beat played with enthusiastic energy and the sold out crowd danced and sang for their entire performance. (We downloaded their greatest hits soon after.)

After a short intermission, Squeeze joined the stage and proceeded to play non-stop hits for 90 minutes.  Glenn Tilbrook was in fine form, sporting a beard and suit, and the band seemed to enjoy the response of an already warmed up crowd. There was an entertaining graphics display that changed with each song and what I enjoyed most was that they avoided turning their show into an audience sing-along of every hit. The only song in which they encouraged audience participation in towards the end was when they played "Tempted," and the audience enthusiastically sang the chorus.

All in all, a fine performance and excellent show.

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The Roseland show was the last date on Squeeze's tour, and the only shows on the horizon are The Hampton Court Palace Festival in June and Cropredy Festival (both in England). The English Beat on the other hand have dates booked through the end of August. Check all tour dates below, along with a full set of photos shot by Al & Camela... 

This Week's Nostalgia (4/23-4/29)

Ceremony @ Le Poisson Rouge

by Trista Hou (Bingshu Hou)

[editor's note: Trista is on the west coast for the second weekend of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, but she did send on her list of shows to check out this week in New York City... enjoy!]

Monday, April 23

The Vaccines @ Bowery Ballroom

The Vaccines @ Webster Hall

The Big Pink @ Bowery Ballroom
Washed Out+Memoryhouse @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Ceremony @ The Mercury Lounge (late show)

Ceremony+Refused @ Terminal 5
Raleigh Moncrief+Jonas Reinhardt @ The Glasslands Gallery

Tuesday, April 24

Miike Snow

Miike Snow @Terminal 5
Nite Jewel @ Bowery Ballroom
Gauntlet Hair+Field Mouse @ The Glasslands Gallery

Wednesday, April 25

Nick Lowe

Nick Lowe @ Town Hall
Good Old War @ Bowery Ballroom
Lissy Trullie @The Mercury Lounge

Miike Snow @Terminal 5

We Are Scientists+1,2,3 @ Brooklyn Bowl

The Weeknd @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Thursday, April 26

Archers of Loaf @ Webster Hall

Archers of Loaf @ Bowery Ballroom
Twin Shadow @ The Glasslands Gallery
The Wombats @ Webster Hall

Miike Snow @Terminal 5

WU LYF @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

The Hives @ The Studio at Webster Hall

Friday, April 27

Ben Browning w/ Cut Copy @ Terminal 5

Ben Browning (of Cut Copy) @ The Glasslands Gallery

Death Cab for Cutie+Youth Lagoon @ Beacon Theatre

WU LYF @ Bowery Ballroom

Yan Tiersen @ Irving Plaza

The Feelies @ The Bell House

Jack White @ Webster Hall

Saturday, April 28

The English Beat @ Irving Plaza

'Mr. Saturday Night w/ Jacques Greene @ House of Yes
'Hi-Fi Cartel' w/ Addison Groove+Doc Daneeka+Jubilee @ The Glasslands Gallery
Squeeze+The English Beat @ Roseland Ballroom

Hanni El Khatib @ The Mercury Lounge

Death Cab for Cutie+Youth Lagoon @ Beacon Theatre

The Weeknd @ Bowery Ballroom

Sunday, April 29

Titus Andronicus @ Brooklyn Night Bazaar

Quintron and Miss Pussycat+The K-Holes @ The Mercury Lounge
La Dispute @ Bowery Ballroom

Archers of Loaf+Titus Andronicus @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Death Cab for Cutie+Youth Lagoon @ Beacon Theatre

The Shins @ Terminal 5

Melvins @ Webster Hall

Photos: The English Beat @ Irving Plaza

The English Beat @ Irving Plaza - November 19, 2011
Photos: Chloe Lee

On Saturday, Two-Tone ska legends The English Beat played New York City for the third time this year (and their second appearance at Irving Plaza), fronted by sole original member Dave Wakeling. If it seems like the band have been touring endlessly lately, it's because they have--The English Beat have been on the road pretty much all of 2011. And in a recent interview, Wakeling has revealed that there are about twenty new Beat songs in the works, which is exactly the kind of news we like to hear around here.

Photographer Chloe Lee documented the show for us on Saturday, which began with an opening set by instrumental dub act Top Shotta Band. Check out photos of both bands, as well as the remainder of the Beat's tour dates below...

Top Shotta Band

The English Beat

The English Beat 2011 Tour Dates
Nov 22 Wilmington, PA - World Cafe Live at The Queen
Nov 23 Baltimore, MD - Bourbon Street
Dec 2 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues - Anaheim
Dec 3 Los Angeles, CA - The Malibu Inn
Dec 23 San Luis Obispo, CA - SLO Brew (All Ages)
Dec 23 San Luis Obispo, CA - Downtown Brewing Company
Dec 30 Hermosa Beach, CA - Saint Rocke
Dec 31 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
Jan 6, 2012 Sebastopol, CA - HopMonk Tavern
Jan 7, 2012 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
Jan 20, 2012 West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
Jan 21, 2012 Laguna Beach, CA - Mozambique
Feb 18, 2012 Riverside, CA Romano's Concert Lounge

This Week's Nostalgia (11/14-11/20)

The holidays are rapidly approaching, the temperature is dropping, and I finally got over a cold that plagued my sinuses for nearly two weeks. What does that mean for you? Not much. So without further ado, here are some shows going on this week in the realm of nostalgia that you should definitely check out:

Interview: Dave Wakeling (The English Beat, General Public)

by Anjelica LaFurno

While prepping for my interview with Dave Wakeling, I visited his website to read that, according to his biography, “Dave Wakeling is a hell of a nice guy!” I happily found this to be true. He really is a nice guy, simple as that. The King of Ska continues to woo crowds with the sounds of The English Beat and is very willing to explain the content and story behind this great band’s origins and work. We discussed that music today is no longer dissected and analyzed like it once was. Nowadays digital downloads remove the warmth experienced by vinyl and also the informative nature of a cover sleeve. The modern music listener rarely knows the history of their favorite musical act or the story behind that song they like so much. It was a certainly a pleasure to be nostalgic for a short time with a man whose guitar glows in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, yet admittedly has never once downloaded a song digitally.

Anjelica LaFurno: You’ve certainly used your music as a platform for both social commentary and activism. This was especially the case for your work/involvement with Greenpeace. What is it about music that you find to be an ideal outlet for a socially conscious individual like yourself? And do you feel it is your duty as a musician to not only entertain, but also shine a spotlight on relevant issues and causes?

Dave Wakeling: Well I think the key word is ideal. I think a lot of people who get to be songwriters are idealists, originally, you know. And long before I was ever in a group I was spouting off my political and social comments, as a lot of young people do. I remember at the age of twelve watching the black and white television news with my dad and thinking how happy I would be that all this rubbish would be over. That they’d have stopped killing each other’s children by the time that I was a grown up because it was disgusting. And of course they didn’t, did they? And so you feel outraged by things like that and then you start playing the guitar. And then you start singing songs. And I think it’s a natural thing if you feel that way, and you’ve got opinions. And that sort of stuff comes out in your songs.

I do think an artist has some responsibility to sing about the environment that they live in with their fans. And so, I thought, that it’d be wonderful to be in a dance band and to be able to sing about the social issues that were of concern to me. And that if I got people happy and dancing, their minds would be more open like mine was when I was dancing. And so they’d be more susceptible to suggestion…but I don’t want them to hold my opinion. I really don’t. My shoes don’t fit them. However, I ought to let them know what my views are.

Photos/Review: The English Beat @ Irving Plaza

The English Beat @ Irving Plaza - July 2nd, 2011

Photos & Review by Anjelica LaFurno

My first ever English Beat concert experience began like this: I look up from the photo pit to the right-hand side of the stage where I spot a quick wave and smile from Dave Wakeling and The English Beat’s lovely tour manager Candy. In that wonderful nanosecond I excitedly realized that not only was I being acknowledged by the legendary King of Ska, but also that the next two hours would be as genuine and charismatic as said music royalty. The night was completely devoid of the artificial that often accompanies the concert experience. No barrier of snobbery and supposed superiority existed between the crowd and band. This feeling of mutuality was pointed out by The English Beat’s toaster Antonee First Class (Yes, his name is Antonee. Not Ranking Roger. I repeat Antonee and not Ranking Roger!) who declared as we all danced: “We are one!"

Wakeling picked up his signature teardrop vox guitar, walked up to the mic, and cooed to the audience,  “How about some ‘Rough Rider’?” Shouts of approval ensued as the sounds from the stage immediately began to take control of the crowd's motor skills. Dancing was abundant amongst the spectators of older devoted fans and younger newer fans, many escaping the monotony of Irving Plaza’s neighboring NYU dormitories and campus. And then this sea of collective dancers intensified making waltzing waves when the next song, “Tears of a Clown”, was played. After the first four songs Wakeling related to the crowd his distaste for New York City’s current humid weather and he likened it to the depressing weather of his hometown Birmingham, which he finds is also able to push one to contemplate suicide. This observation and opinion were certainly an appropriate introduction to the song “Click Click”, or as Wakeling referred to it “Click Fucking Click.” When the band played “Save it for Later” (my personal favorite) they played Pearl Jam’s “Better Man” in the medley. This was a sort of reciprocal homage to Pearl Jam who often play “Save it for Later” in their own medley of “Better Man.”

I’ve noticed at many shows I’ve attended over the years that there’s a mutual understanding amongst artists to force a change of pace. It’s almost an unspoken rule that there has to be some sort of cadence if it all started out very energetic or there must be some climatic rise at the end if the beginning was considerably mellow, yet this was not the case with The English Beat. The tempo remained upbeat throughout the show’s entire two-hour duration. It was as if they would never stop. At one point Wakeling suggested that all couples dance and for single people to grind against a stranger as they played “Whine and Grine,” which was reinforced by the song’s seductive sax solo. Other highlights during the show was Wakeling’s Tweety Bird like whistling and the performance of two General Public songs: “I’ll Take You There” and of course “Tenderness.” Not to mention the continued unity amongst the crowd and band as every one sang, “Mirror in the Bathroom” leading into the last song of the night “Jackpot.”

Earlier before the show I had the pleasure of interviewing Dave Wakeling and shortly before our time came to an end he asked me what I look for when I attend a concert. I explained that I personally look for experiencing a mutual happening free of any worries, allowing myself for a moment to be completely lost. And I successfully found just that this past Saturday while swaying to the best of ska.

--

Read Anjelica's interview with Dave Wakeling over here. For now, check out videos of the English Beat's performance at Irving Plaza, as well as some photos Anjelica shot...

This Week's Nostalgia (6/27-7/3)

Ah, what a crazy week. To recap: we announced that Mission of Burma will be playing a free show at the new Beekman Beer Garden on August 7th, the Descendents are playing Roseland Ballroom on September 23rd, Radiohead released a new song and played a surprise set at Glastonbury, Nirvana announced a 20th anniversary reissue of Nevermind, Thurston Moore and Bob Mould stopped by Jimmy Fallon, and Dinosaur Jr. played an amazing show at Terminal 5. Shit.

We're checking out the Archers of Loaf show at Webster Hall tonight and will have a review and full set of photos up tomorrow. Moving on, let's take a look at what's in store for us this week:

Matt & Kim @ Terminal 5
Wednesday, June 29th

I first saw Matt & Kim at the Lollapalooza festival in 2007, playing to a pretty full crowd at like 1pm. Since then, they've become one of the bigger "indie" acts out there, who are about to go on tour with Blink-182 (wow, really?). If you're into two really smiley people playing silly synth-driven dance-punk, then they should be right up your alley. Tickets are so very sold out, but I'm sure you can pickup a pair on craigslist from some guy who was just dumped by the girl he was going to take as his date. Punk band the Thermals open.

Sloan @ Bowery Ballroom / Knitting Factory
Wednesday, June 29th / Thursday, June 30th

Sloan, the Canadian band whose lineup has not changed since forming in 1991, have long struggled to become as big in the US as they have in their home country. Pitchfork recently gave their latest album, The Double Cross, an 8.1--a feat most bands this day and age only dream of. You have two chances to catch the band, on Wednesday at Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan, and Thursday at the Knitting Factory in Williamsburg. Tickets are still on sale for both.

The Feelies @ Maxwell's
Friday, July 1st / Saturday, July 2nd / Sunday, July 3rd

When I think of Hoboken music venue Maxwell's, I think of two things: Yo La Tengo, and the Feelies. The latter will be playing my favorite venue outside of New York City three nights in a row, still celebrating the release of their first album since reuniting in 2008, Here Before, which came out in March 2011. As usual with the Feelies (and shows at Maxwell's), you can expect special guests and surprises, and there's still tickets for Sunday's show (Friday & Saturday are both sold out). Definitely a great way to spend your Fourth of July weekend, so don't miss out on your chance to see this classic underground band.

The (English) Beat @ Irving Plaza
Saturday, July 2nd

I've written before about my waning interest in ska, but if there's one band whose records still stand the test of time, it's the English Beat. Dave Wakeling, who has recently dubbed himself "the King of Ska," still tours regularly with his band and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Last time I caught the Beat was around 1999 or so, and even back then it seemed pretty amazing to still see them live. Saturday's show at Irving Plaza should be no exception. Tickets are still available. Make sure to say hi to Dave, as from everything I've heard, he's one of the nicest guys out there.

Fucking Nostalgic Presents: A Fucking Nostalgic Saturday Night Out! @ Motor City
Saturday, July 2nd

We here at Fucking Nostalgic are very proud to present our first party in the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Motor City Bar (which will be the first of many events). If you're into drinking on Saturday nights in dive bars and hearing great music blasting on the sound system, than this is the party for you. I will be spinning vinyl along with DJ Boozy Jo and Fucking Nostalgic contributor Dana Distortion, who made the event happen. Expect loads of old school punk, garage rock, psychedelia, new wave, no wave, noise rock, indie, and everything awesome. We'll also have some free stuff to take home with you, so be sure to come down this Fourth of July weekend to party your face off. Motor City is located at 127 Ludlow Street and admission is 100% free. Can't wait to see you there.

Notable mentions: Radiohead will be performing their latest album the King of Limbs on Friday, July 1st on Palladia here in the US, though according to Radiohead fan site At Ease, no air time has been confirmed. We'll be sure to keep you updated on that one. And if it tickles your fancy the same night, my band the Barrens will be celebrating the release of our self-titled debut album at Cameo Bar in Williamsburg.

If there are any shows you feel we failed to mention, please let us know about it in the comments section below. Until next week...