Thank goodness it’s Friday, and tonight is a pretty fantastic way to round out the week. Quite the act to follow, Black Wing Halo will quake your eardrums at Bowery Electric with tunes from their 2012 debut record, Welcome to the Showthat looks as awesome as it sounds. Come get rowdy at 9pm sharp! 21+ and $10 buckaroos.
Not far down the road, VIVA MAYDAY will keep the high quality rock party going. Their summer release, Consuela, will be the soundtrack to their bassist’s birthday gig this evening at Arlene’s Grocery. Get there for their 10:30 headlining set to celebrate! 21+, diez dolares.
Awesome Aussie, Scott Mellis will be serenading Silverlake tonight at The Bootleg Theater. There are still some tickets at the door, so get there promptly at 10pm! 21+
Outernational is partway through their summer/fall tour, welcoming their new EP, Future Rock. Tonight the band is back in Los Angeles, rocking The Satellite in Silverlake with support by Las Cafeteras and Los Hollywood for their official EP release party. Check out Outernational’s website to listen and download Future Rock, or even better, stop by a show to pick up a copy! Doors tonight at 8pm, 21+, $10.
This past weekend, I made the trek to Bangor, Maine (not without a little help from my friends, of course) for the KahBang Festival Arriving on Friday, August 11th, I arrived at the Bangor Waterfront to a scene unlike other festival I had been to. Rainy and cloudy (but humid…it’s still summer on the east coast), the crowd was sparse, but what was a unpromising first impression turned into a great day. A line up with several key highlights started with some of my favorite rockers out of Long Island, Lights Resolve, who boosted my energy for the weekend. A lot of milling around resulted in catching bits and pieces of sets by indie bluegrass/rock outfit, Darlingside, funk-infused hip-hop act, Bad Rabbits, and rapper, Wale, before the big moment we had all been waiting for finally happened: Deftones. I had maneuvered my way up to the front and with each surge in the music, the audience did the same. Suffice to say, with all the body crushing and shouting along to a lot my personal favorite, the audience bonded pretty quickly, and it was an incredibly fun show that made the downpour mid-set worthwhile.
The following day maintained both the gloomy weather and excited mood, as I got back in the KahBang game with synth-pop trio, The Bynars, Brooklyn’s quirky Pearl and the Beard, Bangor’s bluesy rock duo, When Particles Collide, and back to back dancable and standout Brooklynites, My Pet Dragon, Black Taxi, and The Gay Blades. As dusk fell upon the festival, Minneapolis rapper (he looked more like a Guess jeans model) Astronautalis took most of his set up raving about headliner, Bassnectar. The music progressively became less instrumental and more gadget-based, as DJ, Paper Diamond, and electro-pop group,Penguin Prison, primed the stage for Dubstep’s hitmaker, Bassnectar, who put the sound and light systems to the test.
Finishing off the night in New York spirit, Black Taxi offered the crowded Sea Dog Brewing Company a Saturday night set alright for dancing to, and kept the energy high until it was time to say our farewells to “Vacationland.”
Another feather in each band’s hat, the superb show at Bowery Ballroom drove the point home that Black Taxi and Bright Light Social Hour are the kings of their dance rock domain. Not one still body, the crowd shimmied, jumped, rocked, rolled, crowd surfed, and shouted for a good 2+hours.
Here’s to reminiscing…
It’s a bit early to think, but I know I’m beyond excited for this weekend’s Kahbang Festival in Bangor, Maine. Some NY notables, Lights Resolve, Black Taxi, My Pet Dragon, and The Aviation Orange will be hitting the stages alongside…wait for it…Deftones and Bassnectar today and tomorrow. Reporting live from the I-95! Rock n roll!
It’s another one of those epic nights at Bowery Ballroom, and I’m just as excited as I was for the first. NYC and ATX counterparts join together to bring the ultimate dance party to one stage and 500+ moneymakers. Black Taxi hits first, but there won’t be a moment to let you pulse slow down, as The Bright Light Social Hour immediately follows. Don’t miss this great night of music! Tickets are $15 at the door, but get there early to see if there are any left! Doors at 8pm. Check out the Rocker Stalker interview with TBLSH !
Tonight at the refurbished Bowery Electric, Brooklyn-based, progressive/fusion rock trio, The Gypsy West, will be debuting a new member and new material. The new tunes are to be released in the form of their third EP, the final installment of their series of Accomplices . Not just a great musical listening experience, the albums tell a story that ” focuses on personal liberation through public rebellion ” (thegypsywest.com), and one can check out Accomplices I and II to get a feel for the developing plot and well-crafted music to boot. The Gypsy West will be accompanied to fellow NY’r’s tonight, including Walnuts and Infantree! Doors at 7pm, music at 8pm; $10, 21+!
Rocker Stalker 