Young@Heart @St. Ann's Warehouse, Apr. 22nd

The other day, Bestest Boy received a call from Karen Violista with some great news: thanks to the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull and its travel-impeding eruption, she was asked to sub in this week for the trapped-in-Europe violinist in the band that accompanies the Young at Heart Chorus at St. Ann's Warehouse in nearby Dumbo, and as a perk, she could hook us up with some comps. Although I see more concerts than the average person, I cannot express how excited I was to see this particular gig, and rightly so.

(More words and a pic after the jump.)

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The Thermals @Brooklyn Bowl, Apr. 20th

Last night, Julie and I checked out Williamburg's Brooklyn Bowl as a concert venue for the first time. Verdict? I highly doubt we'll be returning to see a show there any time soon.

We got there midway through the opening set, this all girrrl band called The Coathangers (great name, btw). We were able to venture easily to the front of the floor and immediately noticed an imbalance in the sound mix. The keyboard's notes pierced through our ears, so we moved back and over a bit and found it marginally better. I first dismissed The Coathangers with their screechy vocals, but after a while found them somewhat charming, full of strut and attitude, and the music itself was not bad with its raw vibe.

(More words and pics after the jump.)

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Atoms For Peace @Roseland Ballroom, Apr. 5th

No, it wasn't a Radiohead concert per se, yet it was still monumental. In 2006, lead singer Thom Yorke released a solo album called The Eraser, and fans had been salivating for a gig ever since. He decided to assemble a band (including bassist Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich) late last year and dubbed it Atoms For Peace. Last night at Roseland Ballroom, they put on a muscled, tight set that had the crowd bouncing along with excitement for a solid 75 minutes. (And surprisingly, the sound did not suck.)

(More words and pics including a setlist, and a video after the jump.)

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Wilco @The Wellmont Theatre, Apr. 3rd

Saturday night started off with a bump when halfway to meeting Wawa, I realized I left our tickets sitting on my coffee table back at home. What a rookie mistake -- shows you how out of sorts I am with going to concerts with this crazy early work schedule that usually puts me in bed by 10pm most nights. Oy. But we still managed to walk into the doors and find Artie on the floor just before the lights dimmed. As annoying a shlep it might have been to get out to Montclair, and as much as this show furthered my sleep-deprivation, tonight's Wilco show was so worth it.

(More words and pics after the jump.)

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