Live Review: Billy Idol – Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, NY 12.09.2023
The resurgence of all things Gen X reached a high point last year with “Running Up That Hill” becoming ubiquitous 37 years after its release. It also served as a reminder that the MTV generation wasn’t entirely one-hit, fluorescent wonders and there is a lot of music worth revisiting. This was also a golden age …
Live Review: The Alarm “The Gathering USA” – Gramercy Theater, New York, NY 24.06.2023
Even as an avid concert goer, this was the first time I had attended a musical event quite like this. The Alarm coming to NYC this past weekend was not just a sold-out concert, it was a four-day event with fans coming together from multiple countries in celebration of Mike Peters & The Alarm. To …
Live Review: Aimee Mann/Jonathan Coulton – Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY 21.06.2023
Sometimes, you lose track of how many times you’ve seen certain artists. My memories of Aimee Mann shows span decades and venues across New York from Joe’s Pub (with Michael Penn), Music Hall of Williamsburg (with Ted Leo), Town Hall, Webster Hall, City Winery, Tarrytown Music Hall and others. Then, the numerous Christmas shows with …
Live Review: The New Pornographers/Wild Pink – Wall Street Theater, Norwalk, CT 14.05.2023
Sunday night’s performance marked 20 years “and a few days” since the release of The New Pornographers’ second album Electric Version. A gentle reminder that it’s been over two decades since this indie supergroup led by Carl (AC) Newman first came into being and still continues to evolve. I recently listened to a Sirius XMU interview …
Live Review: Muna/Nova Twins – The Met, Philadelphia, PA 5.5.2023
After a false start with a major label, indie goddess Phoebe Bridgers swept up Muna for the roster of her Saddest Factory Records. The band has embraced an upward trajectory with the help of some friends (Harry Styles, Lorde, The 1975 – just to name a few) and a loyal, adoring fan base. They are currently …
Live Review: Kurt Vile & The Violators/Julia Shapiro – Phantom Power, Millersville, PA 14.10.2022
It was worth the journey from New York to Pennsylvania to catch Kurt Vile on close-to-home turf at a club known as Phantom Power. This unassuming venue with a small beer garden and microbrewery, sits off the main road in the rural college town of Millersville. A rare opportunity to experience a casual, intimate Friday …
Live Review: The Afghan Whigs – Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, NY 15.09.2022
For avid concert-goers, there are shows that are enjoyable but unremarkable, those that are remembered for the wrong reasons and others that will stick with you forever. When a band puts on a show that’s forever burned into your memory, you see them every chance you get. Since the early ’90s, The Afghan Whigs have …
Live Review: Twenty One Pilots – UBS Arena, Elmont, NY 24.08.2022
A self-starter indie band reaching global stardom at an accelerated rate can be both a blessing and a curse. Several years in, Twenty One Pilots are still putting on an exceptional large-scale show to a broad, dedicated fan base. The BBC Radio 1 tent at Reading Festival 2016 was my first exposure to Twenty One …
Live Review: Death Cab for Cutie/Illuminati Hotties – MJN Center, Poughkeepsie, NY 16.07.2022
Not so long ago, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard was coming to us solely on video from his home studio. Remember the days when we were trying to keep each other sane from a distance? Gibbard spent over a year online, posting numerous solo performances and like many artists, provided us with some solace …
Bob Mould – Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock, NY 20.05.2022
Bob Mould will forever embody the energy of a three-piece punk band. All that’s needed is a Fender Stratocaster and an amp. He’s one of those rare performers who can command a space with no backing band. “Is this amp loud enough for ya?,” he asked. “ I have to ask, because it never seems …