R.I.P. Paul Newman

Muppets Take Brooklyn Heights! Sept. 8th

Muppets! In Brooklyn Heights! No, it has nothing to do with music, though Kermit did have to mouth (lip sync? Do frogs have lips?) the intro to a song numerous times in this upcoming Xmas special being filmed. Even Hizzoner showed up for a cameo. Way cooler than running into yet another episode of Law & Order...

Way hotter than Brangelina!
Mike Bloomberg and his co-stars
That's Dave Goelz, who has performed Gonzo forever. <3

Wilco @McCarren Pool, Aug. 13th

It had been a year and a day since the last time I came to McCarren Pool for a gig. I'm not the biggest fan of this venue -- oftentimes, I feel the sound can get muddled between the acoustics of the concrete and the din of the hipsters. However, for tonight's show, Wilco ought to pay their sound guys beaucoup bucks because they sounded great. Just like the green jacket that lead singer Jeff Tweedy sported, the band was sharp and played like the professionals that they are, albeit kind of a safe set, if you ask me.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I LOVE Wilco, especially after winning a contest to see them in Chicago six months ago. And prior to that, I saw them up close and personal the last time they played Brooklyn, at the intimate Warsaw. So, perhaps my slight feeling of ennui had to do with my socks being knocked off by the rarities dropped on us at those two prior gigs, and not much to drool at tonight. Or maybe a symptom of having now seen them 4 times in the last year promoting Sky Blue Sky. Or maybe choosing to stand on the side of the stage away from the guitar hero blazes of Nels Cline (although Pat Sansone's antics were pretty damn amusing). Today I even got McCarren Pool early and managed to secure a spot right up front on the rail. But despite such a great position, somehow the performance, while fun and exciting as usual, felt like it was missing something and merely ranked a solid from me. Mind you, a Wilco solid does blow most other bands out of the water, however...

Perhaps I just prefer the rumpled, denim jacket look -- when the boys seemed looser and freer while rocking out. That green jacket, while a fine garment, I'm sure, seemed to lend an element of formality that I've never really encountered before with Wilco. They usually have such a carefree sense to them that translates into their playing. Part of me even missed Nels' red pants.

Anyway, I look forward to the next time they come to town, with new songs in hand.

Here are the guys playing "Pieholden Sweet" from Summerteeth:

My Flickr set here.

Aimee Mann @Music Hall of Williamsburg, Aug. 1st

Last Friday, I met up with Ste & Lora, Julie1 and Wawa (man, it had been a long time since I last saw him) for an evening featuring the ever-so-droll Aimee Mann at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Much like my prior visit to the venue, we preceded the concert with some drinks and greasy 'cue from Fette Sau, which may have somewhat dulled our abilities to pay attention. This was my third time seeing Ms. Mann (first at St. Ann's Warehouse and then at Town Hall), and it was the closest I had ever been to the blonde sliver of cool, but despite our proximity to the stage and the intimacy of the venue, I was more distracted by the people surrounding me than ever before.

I am by no means an ardent fan of Ms. Mann, but I have always appreciated the plaintive quality of her songs dealing with regret, heartbreak, relationships, and so forth. Her music may not be the most stirring but it is consistent in its lyricism and cleverness. I have a few of her albums and find that even when I'm not up to date with her catalogue, her shows are quite enjoyable for her casual banter (although how many times must we hear her bash on Phil Collins winning the Oscar over her for his Tarzan song over "Save Me?") and skilled musicianship. She does not overindulge and seems to connect with her audience quite well. Even though at first I found the group of large men behind me singing along every word kinda off key a nuisance, by the end of the show, Ms. Mann found a way to bring them into the fold, when she stumbled on the words for an audience request, and the men helped her out, to which she responded with something like, "Who knew my music could be like a German drinking chorus?"


Here is a good chunk of her probably most well-known solo song "Save Me" (before security tapped me on the shoulder to stop recording):

Bon Iver @Bowery Ballroom, July 29th

A last minute call by Shana allowed me to tag along for the wonderfully exciting Bon Iver show at the Bowery Ballroom. We got there nice and early to be front center. Unlike my last visit to the Bowery Ballroom, this show reminded me why I love this venue -- Bon Iver capitalized on the Bowery's generally great sound and intimate setting and made me an overnight fan. They, led by Justin Vernon and his beautiful soaring falsetto, were an accomplished group, taking us through melodically complex songs with layer upon layer of harmony. The songs at times reminded me of the first time I caught Grizzly Bear, but perhaps with more oomph to their beats. I really dug the mostly mellow vibe with the occasional rock out on the guitar thrown in. The songs really engaged the audience with building crescendos. At times, Vernon's falsetto reminded me of Coldplay's Chris Martin, but perhaps with the profundity that Coldplay's music often lacks.


Here's a gorgeous solo by Vernon called "Re: Stacks":

The opener, Bowerbirds, were a perfect complement to Bon Iver. This quiet trio also sang beautiful songs that might not reach headliner status but still managed to hold the attention of the crowd. Rather straightfoward folksy sounding tunes full of harmony and without gimmick.

I videoed a nice tune by them called "Teeth of Life."

For the encore, Bon Iver called Bowerbirds back onto the stage and performed a cover by Nashville singer Sarah Siskind called "Lovin's for Fools":


All in all, a gorgeous night for music!

Deerhoof @Prospect Park, July 18th

(Bad cell phone pic!)
After catching the amazing Dark Knight earlier in the day (man, Heath Ledger was good!), I brought Bestest Boy to Prospect Park for the $3 Deerhoof concert, where we met up with Shana, her Michael and Julie1 and sat in the row behind the pit. The only other time I have caught these guys was opening for Radiohead when I went out to Berkeley a few years ago, so I was very excited to see them again as headliner, and from a better vantage point. I dig their music -- experimental, punk or whatever you want to call it, and also I dig their lack of pretension. They're clearly all in a row, up front, ready to rock. They, like the time I saw The Thermals, just play the kind of music that makes you bounce your head hard without being too goddamned angry. And man, that drummer sure can tear up his four piece drum kit! It was definitely weird sitting for most of the show, but then again, my legs were probably thankful. At any rate I was happy to be bopping along to the nonsensical lyrics sung by Satomi Matsuzaki, sitting next to my sweetie.

PS -- Shana's Michael spotted part of Blonde Redhead sitting in front of us.

The dude -- which twin brother it was, who knows for sure -- got up before Deerhoof's set to twiddle with the drum kit, so we were hoping for a guest appearance, but no such luck!

Bastille Day Weekend @The Catskills, July 12th-14th

Not a gig, per se, but a great weekend out in the country. Last weekend, Bestest Boy took me to his pal Eddie C.'s annual Bastille Day Weekend Celebration in the Catskills. Before heading out of the city, we loaded up the car with some gravalax, pastrami salmon and sturgeon from Barney Greengrass; bagels and bialys from H&H; and pâté, fois gras, croissants, beaucoup de fromages et cornichons de Zabar's! Also, many, many bottles of wine.

Once up at the farm, we mainly relied on Rich, professional tapas chef and guitarist/keyboardist extraordinaire to direct the evening meals. And there was tons of grilling.

Those are dried plums (aka prunes) which were soaked in Merlot for a few hours, then stuffed with fois gras, wrapped in prosciutto, grilled, then finished off with a thyme-infused simple syrup. Heavenly!

In addition to being exquisite gourmands, many of our friends are also fantastic musicians, keeping the rest of us drunkards entertained well into the night. Oh it's amazing what a fearless singer 8 oz. of Knob Creek will make me!