NYC Live Music Reviews

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts live!

2006-07-13T09:54:47-04:00

Joan Jett is a name synonymous with rock. A musical legend, she topped charts with such hits as, Bad Reputation, Do You Want to Touch Me, and her cover of Crimson and Clover to just name a few. Not knowing what to expect, I headed out to NorthSix, a small venue that ended a mini-tour (Bowery, CBGB, Southpaw) before she embarked to go on Warped Tour. The crowd was sold out and anxiously awaiting Joan. She came out to a large applause in black leather pants and a black leather top, showing she still has the body to go with the voice of rock. With a mischievous grin and giant smiling eyes, Jett said hello to the crowd. It seemed that after playing to enormous crowds her whole career, this little audience was in the palm of her hands. Mixing in songs from her new album SINNER, Jett showed her concern with the war in Iraq in her song, Riddles, even sampling Donald Rumsfeld, who she reportedly gave a piece of her mind to when sitting next to him at a dinner function. With other songs like A.C.D.C. and Fetish, SINNER is an album that throws sexuality back in the face of society and shows that Joan Jett is still relevant in this music world that puts out female dancers and lip synching pop stars instead of the rockers of yesteryears. Jett was happy to play her most famous hit to the crowd, and took her time, starting to put the dime in the jukebox, stopping to tune the guitar, changing her guitar, tuning again, amplifying the energy in the room before giving the people what they were calling for. Covering Sly and the Family Stone's 'Everyday People' for the encore, Jett brought the crowd back to the New York City roots that made her a star. Check out Joan Jett on the Warped Tour this summer

Tags: Joan Jett and the blackhearts, Northsix

The Taj Mahal Trio live!

2006-06-12T13:34:18-04:00

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is located in Agra, India and is a complex structure. Taj Mahal is also a famous roots blues musician, borrn Henry St. Claire Fredericks in Harlem circa 1942. He grew up in Massachusetts and later changed his name to Taj Mahal, a thought that came to him in a dream when he was attending Amherst College. Playing his mix of blues and world music, he finally won a Grammy in 1997 and again in 2000. He came to New York, now touring with The Taj Mahal Trio, playing guitar, piano and banjo himself, Bill Rich on bass, and Kester Smith on drum. The show was at The Blue Note, down in the West Village. The place is kind of cheesy with mirrors over the walls, it might be in need of a modern renovations. Taj came out to a large applause and opened up with “Annie Mae.” He told the audience at one point he traveled to East Africa and fell in love with the style of music that had influences pouring in from all directions. He was playing an instrumental and didn’t have a name for the piece until he arrived in and named the song after Zanzibar. Another amazing song was “Luvin’ in My Babies Eyes,” one that he recalled playing in Austria after much to his surprise, a visiting class from the University of Mississippi showed up and requested the song. An amazing show, Taj is coming back to play Lincoln center with a mixture of Jazz greats and African drum masters. Check him out!

Tags: the blue note, the taj mahal trio

Katya Grineva

2006-06-06T10:16:57-04:00

It was a stormy night; the rain was about to fall hard on the streets of New York City, I was late to Carnegie Hall and the electricity was in the air. I was drawn uptown by the live performance of Katya Grineva on NPR. She was playing the compositions of the Viennese composer Marcel Tyberg, whose music was safe kept after he died at the hands of Nazi Germany. Touched but the story and the depth of the piano, I called up Carnegie Hall the next day to inquire about covering Grineva’s upcoming performance. They gave me her people’s contact number, or so I thought. To my surprise, Katya picked up the other end of the receiver (tsk tsk Carnegie Hall) and we had a nice conversation about Tyberg and her piano playing. She agreed to leave me tickets and that puts me back in the cab, the rain pouring down. It was a fitting mood to start the evening. With the humidity high, the air conditioning pouring out into the backseat, the cab had enough and sputtered to a stop. Luckily, another cab pulled up right up beside and I switched instant chariots and continued my journey. My friend Laura was waiting under the marquee and we slipped into the Hall right before Grineva started a piece of Rachmaninoff’s. Sitting in the back row, we slowly played musical chairs from the turmoil of Rachmaninoff to the depths of Tchaikovsky, from the floating of Liszt to the mourning of Tyberg. Grineva was intense in her performance; at one point the white rose in her hair flying onto the floor, as she pressed hard against the white and black keys. As an encore she played some Chopin, to give the people what they want. A wonderful journey through the Romantics, Katya Grineva will be back next year to again grace Carnegie Hall. I know I’ll be there, will you?

Film School live!

2006-06-06T10:15:24-04:00

Film School traveled across this great country and made it all the way to the East Village to perform at The Mercury Lounge. Right down the road from me, I crutched my way over to meet my bro and see what kind of rock is coming out of the west coast. Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos played before, boasting two drummers, one who also acted as the hype by playing the tambourine and dancing to incite the crowd. The lead singer singing songs of girls doing coke in bathrooms and lost love, while the Rhodes keyboard was delicately guided by the cute redhead, I assume Margot. Film School came out with the singer stage right, setting the tone that the night was not about the ego of the individuals, but about the sound they produce. On tour to promote their new self-titled album, not even having all their equipment stolen could stop the momentum of Film School. The band used reverb and sweet bass lines to engulf the crowd in the west coast noise that’s propelled the band across the country. Check them out.

Tags: film school, margot and the nuclear so and sos, the mercury lounge

The Concretes live!

2006-05-22T13:48:16-04:00

So I've been a bit hobbled recently with a fractured fibula, aka broken leg, and am often faced with the cripple's conundrum, how do I get to shows? The answer is slowly. I made it out to see The Concretes, a sweet pop band who made the trip all the way from Sweden, (that relaxing country in northern Europe) to the Bowery Ballroom. I figured that they had flown across the Atlantic, the least I could do was hop five or six blocks. The security was nice enough to let me in the back way, avoiding those dastardly steps around nyc has been a new pastime of mine. The band filled with the stage with their eight members, and sang simple songs in English about unrequited love, mountains, and the sky. They even played a waltz in their encore and asked the audience to grab a partner and dance. I looked around for cripple girl to dance with but didn't find one. During my peformance of the difficult three-legged waltz I noticed an old Swedish friend and after the show asked for her thought. She said she enjoyed the show but the lead singer, who often seemed childlike, nervous, confused, and spacey was putting on act for the Americans, and that when playing in Sweden, has a totally different stage presence. My friend seemed offended by it. I enjoyed when the horns would chirp and they reminded me of a lighter poppy Belle and Sebastian. My cool waiter Danny, at the local organic eat spot described them as soft, precious harps. Check out the Concretes if you feel like floating for a while, I know I do.

Tags: bowery ballroom, the concretes

The Cunt Rock Revolution!

2006-05-08T16:30:55-04:00

Siberia. It’s cold, very cold. In Russia you get sent there and most likely, you’ll never return. Once in the LES, this unbelievable (I won’t event try to describe) creature from Siberia stopped me and asked where Washington Square Park was located. The only time I’ve ever gone there is the Siberia Bar situated on 40th St around Port Authority (look for the red light above the door with no sign). It’s a great bar with a have fun atmosphere and a solid juke. I was there recently to see the Countess, a vocal rocker, perform with her band The Cunt Rock Revolution. I walked down the stairs to a dimly lit basement and saw the woman in white starting to warm the cold crowd. She showed her versatility with dance numbers that would fit in at the Copacabana (and warm those prisoners in the cold) and love songs that could be written on small napkins. Often engaging, every bit a Lady, check out the Countess as she serenades the dear prisoners at her Monday night residency this month…in Siberia.

Tags: cunt rock revolution, siberia bar

Robbers on Hight Street

2006-05-08T09:56:14-04:00

The Robbers on High Street were stealing the stage at the Mercury Lounge for a night so I went to listen in to the sounds of their strumming. The place was packed with your regular college indie-rock fans and I made my way to the front. I started talking to this Asian chick next to me about the band, (she said she was a friend of the guitarist) and she said if I tasted her drink and guessed it she would get me one. I took a sip and knew it was grapefruit vodka and yes, she honored her bet, although she gave me the cash and made me go get the drink myself. I really thought the band’s rhythm and bass section held down the show for them, the lead singer reminded me a bit of Britt Daniels from Spoon and their songs generally had the same feel to them. Another night on the town, another free drink, I said goodbye to my generous friend and headed out.

Tags: robbers on high street

The Kin

2006-04-24T13:47:57-04:00

As I walked in the Mercury Lounge I knew I was going to see a family show just from the name alone, The Kin. Led by two Australian brothers, Isaac and Thorry Koren, the place was packed and the stage was set for an intimate evening. One brother on the keys and the other on the guitar, they took turns singing some songs and combined on beautiful harmonies for others. The sound took me back to old Jersey shore days, think Duran Duran, and by the end of the performance there were lighters in the air. Isaac would often give a background story to a song, to give some insight into the inspiration. The usual brotherly banter was there, pushing each other to perform with more emotion. If you love power ballads and sweet soulful voices check out The Kin as they continue their touring to support their new album Red.

Tags: mercury lounge, the kin

Silver Jews

2006-03-27T14:59:54-04:00

The Silver Jews are surprisingly new to the traveling game, despite their wandering roots. Led by David Berman on the guitar and vocals and his wife Cassie on the bass, the band played two sold out nights at Webster Hall. So how does a group that has never toured garnish so much fanfare? The answer is love. Berman, Bob Nastanovich and Stephen Malkmus started the Silver Jews while they all were at college in Virginia and over the years their albums have made their homes in the hearts of the fans, wondering if they would ever hear them live. Malkmus eventually went on to be an indie rock legend with his band Pavement. Berman continued to keep a low profile after his friends success, considering himself more of a writer than a performer. He continued to put out albums and came out with a book of poetry, “Open Air.” A relationship with drugs and life took a bad turn recently and Berman decided to overdose in the same Nashville Presidential Suite that Al Gore took refuge in during the confusion of the 2000 elections. Luckily his wife followed the trail and after Berman was revived in the hospital, he decided it was time to tour. The concert was energetic and the crowd was just grateful for the opportunity to hear one of their favorite songwriters. At one point Berman announced that he knew some were dragged to the concert and dedicated a song to them dragged. Cassie took the microphone and sang a beautiful tune while her husband marveled behind her. They played such favorites as, “Random Rules,” “How Can I Love You If You Won’t Lie Down” and “Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed.” The crowd roared for an encore and the band obliged. Check out the Silver Jews as they continue their first tour. (I think they’re going to the British Isles soon.)

Tags: silver jews, webster hall

The New York Dolls

2006-03-10T12:02:49-05:00

The New York Dolls are the original boys of punk. “What’s Punk?” you say. It is the sound of unrest, the music of political anger, the screams of joy and frenetic moving of the body. It is the pain of doing something cool and the realization not to care. The New York Dolls echoed their voices across the Atlantic Ocean to answer the call of The Clash coming from England. Influenced by the blues but glammed to the max, they dressed in absurd platforms and had crazy long hair and wore more glitter than your average eleven-year-old girl. While most glam and big hair bands went to seven-minute monster ballads in the eighties, the Dolls were the masters of the two to three minute electric punk song. They record companies didn’t know what to do with them, glam/queer junkies that put on the best show around, a combination of sound and flair that could not be ignored. The scene and music that they created influenced the likes of The Ramones, Kiss, Motley Crue and gave way to the CBGB that would see the likes of Blondie and Televesion make their starts. The Smiths’ Morrisey, once the president of the Dolls fan club, convinced to the surviving members David Johansen, Syl Sylvain, and Arthur Kane to reform to play the Meltdown Festival in 2003. I managed to see them play at Randall’s Island right after Kane passed away from Leukemia in 2005. A great show, playing among other greats, Iggy Pop, Bo Didley, (whose song “Pills” was covered by the Dolls on their first album) along with The Strokes and Big Star. This time they were playing the Motherfucker party at Avalon. Johansen, glistening in his studded shirt played a mixture of old songs, even cover “Piece of My Heart,” that Janis Joplin made famous. The two surviving members are said to be putting together a new album to for 2006. It was a night to give respect to the musical history of this city gritty; one can only imagine what it must have been like to have been in the Punk scene in the early ‘70’s.

Tags: avalon, new york dolls, punk, randalls island