Lady Gaga Brings the Monster Ball to Newark

Lady Gaga descending from scaffolding at the beginning of her Prudential Center show.

Native New Yorker Lady Gaga crossed the river Friday night to bring her Monster Ball tour to the Prudential Center, and brought all the glitz, spectacle, and energy for which is has become famous. There was no popping out of an egg this time (as at the Grammys), but the show included plenty of other Gaga staples: a nonstop set of hits, a variety of creative set designs, ridiculously fit dancers, and numerous costume changes, including outfits with ultra-padded shoulders, exotic capes, and bikini bottoms (Gaga seems allergic to wearing pants).

The crowd featured a lot of girls and young women who knew the words to every song, but also some middle-aged folks (not all of whom were chaperones for their teen or tween daughters, though there were plenty of those).

Transclucent dress... fortunately I didn't see any fans wearing this.

Although I like many of Gaga's catchy pop tunes well enough, I was most interested in seeing the whole spectacle of one of her shows, and the Prudential show didn't disappoint. The sets and dancing were interesting and well done (if not always completely original), and the energy of the show really didn't flag at all during the one hour and 45-minute concert (just about the only subdued part of the show was when Gaga sang a slowed-down version of "Born This Way," with only her piano playing as accompaniment).

The old fireworks-shooting-from-boobs-and-crotch trick... don't try this at home.

And yes, the Monster Ball did feature a large, tentacled monster (below), as well as Gaga's outfit that shoots fireworks from the boobs (above).

Any tour that calls itself "The Monster Ball" has to have a monster...

Tonight at Maxwell's: Rebecca Gates of The Spinanes

Above: Video for "Lines and Lines" from The Spinanes' second album, "Strand."

Maxwell's in Hoboken has had some great shows in recent weeks and is continuing the string in the spring and summer (more on that in future posts). Tonight it's Rebecca Gates and the Consortium, supported by Tall Firs and Blue Cranes.

Gates is best known as half of the much-loved 1990s duo The Spinanes (along with Scott Plouf, who went on to become the drummer for Built to Spill). She hasn't been playing live much lately (she does art in addition to music), but she's been working on a new album, release date to be determined (Gates has a spare online presence, so it hasn't been easy to find out exactly what she's been up to).

Tonight's Rebecca Gates and the Consortium show starts at 8:30, and tickets are still available as of 2 p.m. I'm planning to head over to Maxwell's to see them. This is a great chance to see her live, though I'm sure she'll be playing out more when her new record comes out.

Rebecca Gates and the Consortium will also play at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn on Thursday.

NJ Natives Done Good Playing Tonight: Pete Yorn, Nicole Atkins, Anthony D'Amato

Jersey Shore native Nicole Atkins plays Maxwell's in Hoboken tonight. She's seen here playing South by Southwest last year. Photo: Flickr user Kirk Stauffer.

Some musicians from the Garden State who've made a big splash are playing shows in the New York/New Jersey area tonight. Montville native Pete Yorn returns for a long-awaited concert at NYC's Terminal 5, his first gig in the area since one at Bowery Ballroom a few months ago that sold out in minutes.

Opening for Yorn is Ben Kweller and Anthony D'Amato, a 23-year-old singer-songwriter who got help writing lyrics from poet Paul Muldoon while attending Princeton University. I first heard of D'Amato when the New York Times did an article about him and his work with Muldoon a couple of months ago.

Nicole Atkins has made a big splash since coming out of Neptune, NJ a few years back, and returns to the state for a show tonight at Maxwell's in Hoboken (which sold out a day or so ago; you may be able to find someone selling extra tickets outside the club). She and her newly named band The Black Sea are supporting their new album "Mondo Amore." (Note: Atkins is playing an early show scheduled to start at 7:30; The Blasters play a late show at the club scheduled for 10 p.m.)

After tonight's Maxwell's gig, Atkins will play a number of set at South by Southwest in Austin next week.

Titus Andronicus Makes a NJ Road Trip to Shoot a Video Sunday - and You're Invited

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Titus Andronicus announced yesterday that it's shooting its latest video in several places in New Jersey on Sunday, Feb. 20th—and it's inviting fans to come out and be part of the fun.

The Garden State band, which often mentions NJ in its songs, will be appearing at three different locations Sunday for the Tom Scharpling-directed video to its song, "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future." Among Scharpling's previous videos are "Moves" by the New Pornographes and "Bottled in Cork" by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

From the band's statement on XL Recordings:
"The concept of the video is quite simply a one-day tour of the great state of New Jersey, a place that Titus Andronicus is often wont to sing about, and somewhere much beloved by Tom Scharpling to boot. We will run around the state in our van, hop out to rock out, and then on to the next. Get it? Our fondest dream is that when we get to our various locations, you will be there, chomping at the bit to jump up and down in some approximation of punk-ish enthusiasm. Chances are, once we get there and see that you are really nice, we'll probably play a couple other songs for real, just because we live to entertain you. Is that okay? Will you be there?"

Below are the shoot times. You can RSVP if you're coming at the video shoot's Facebook page.
11 a.m.
11 Pinewood Drive
Little Egg Harbor, NJ

3 p.m.
Asbury Park Boardwalk Casino
1150 Boardwalk
Asbury Park, NJ

8:30 p.m.
Roof Of The Iron Monkey
97 Greene Street
Jersey City, NJ

Allman Brothers Add 5 Final Beacon Shows; Tickets On Sale Saturday

The Allman Brothers Band (shown here at the United Palace Theater last year) return to the Beacon for 13 shows in March.

If you missed out on getting tickets to see the Allman Brothers Band during its March run at the Beacon Theatre, you've got a second chance: the group has added five more shows.

Allman Brothers tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 8th for these additional shows: March 21st, 22nd, 24th, 25th, and 26th. This brings the total number of the band's 2011 Beacon shows to 13. Tickets for all the Allman Brothers Beacon shows are available here; you may be able to still find some tickets for some of the previously announced dates as well.

As usual, you can expect some special guest to join the band onstage.

While the Allman Brothers haven't had a new album in some time, leader Gregg Allman is coming out with a new effort, "Low Country Blues," on Jan. 18th. His website has a number of "Low Country Blues" pre-sale offers, including vinyl and some offers that feature an immediate download of extra tracks.

Gregg Allman will appear on the David Letterman show on Jan. 14th, and he has a number of tour dates scheduled. In the New York area, he'll be in Kingston, New York on Jan. 8th; Red Bank, NJ on Jan. 11th; and NYC's Bowery Ballroom on Jan. 18th (that last one is sold out, but I wouldn't be surprised if another show is added). See all the Gregg Allman tour dates here.

Prince to Perform First NYC Shows in Six Years - Tickets on Sale Sat.

Prince has been making catchy pop tunes for several decades now, but he doesn't tour very often. And I've heard that he hasn't toured on the East Coast since 2004.

But Prince is rectifying that in December with five shows in the New York area, two at Madison Square Garden and three at the Izod Center, across the river in East Rutherford, NJ (where the Nets and Devils used to play).

Prince is calling this his "Welcome 2 America" tour, which is to support his latest album "20Ten," which came out over the summer. Tickets for all five New York area Prince shows go on sales Saturday, October 30th at 10 a.m.

On Saturday you can buy Prince tickets for the New York area concerts:

* IZOD Center, Dec. 14
* IZOD Center, Dec. 15
* IZOD Center, Dec. 17
* Madison Square Garden, Dec. 18
* Madison Square Garden, Dec. 29

Japandroids End Their Long Tour with a Rousing Maxwell's Show

Brian King (left) and David Prowse of Japandroids at Maxwell's Wednesday night.

During Wednesday night's show at Maxwell's in Hoboken, Brian King of Japandroids announced that this was their first ever show in New Jersey. As it turns out, he and bandmate Dave Prowse couldn't have chosen a more appropriate place for their first concert in the Garden State, which also happened to be the last date on their lengthy tour.

After more than a year and around 250 gigs, Japandroids wrapped things up with sore voices but energy to spare at the club that for more than 30 years has hosted a who's who of up-and-coming artists. R.E.M. played there in 1981 (back when Michael Stipe still had hair), and since then the Maxwell's stage has hosted performers ranging from Beck to The Fall to Throwing Muses, The Donnas, and Sleater-Kinney.

I had heard lots of good things about Japandroids over the last year and a half, but had never seen them live until last night, having missed three previous shows for a variety of reason. The show had all the sound and fury I expected, and though Japandroids have gotten enough acclaim and great press to have developed swelled heads, Brian King sounded remarkably modest onstage, several times thanking the crowd for coming out for a mid-week show.

By the time Japandroids tour again, their popularity may preclude them playing a venue as small as Maxwell's (which holds about 200); they've already played much larger venues in New York. But it was great to see them in such an intimate space.

Pete Yorn Rocks Out on Frank Black Produced New Album

Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn is back with a new album, and fans of his more rocking side (like me) will be quite pleased. The new self-titled album from the Montville, New Jersey native, which came out Sept. 28th, marks a return to the electric, more raw sound often heard on his first few albums. (His last effort, 2009's "Back and Fourth," had a more mellow, acoustic sound.)

It's no accident that "Pete Yorn" is more of a rocker: this new recording was produced by none other than Frank Black (a.k.a. Black Francis) of The Pixies. Black introduced a more edgy feel that is less produced and polished than what Yorn had been doing recently. (Read a brief interview with Pete Yorn, and download or listen to his new single "Precious Stone," at a Magnet Magazine article, in which he talks about working with Frank Black.) You can also download "Precious Stone" free here, and download another song, "Velcro Shoes," free as well.

Spinner.com is streaming the entire "Pete Yorn" album here.

Yorn has been quite busy lately: beside this new album and last year's "Back and Fourth," he also recorded an album of duets last year with actress/singer Scarlett Johansson, called "Break Up."

Pete Yorn is slowly adding dates to his tour to promote the new album. A New York City show sold out in less than 15 minutes, strangely enough, so here's hoping he'll add another one. (How did that sell out so fast? Did Scarlett Johansson fans discover him from "Break Up" and snap up all the tickets?)

You can check out Pete Yorn tour dates here, and keep up with him via his website, MySpace page, and Twitter account.

FREE NJ Music Fest Has Spoon, OK Go, Train, Soul Asylum, & More

How did I miss this before? The Union County Music Fest in Northern New Jersey, which has a great lineup of free music, is going on this week, and has been taking place for several years. The event, which also includes amusement park rides, circus sideshows, plenty of food, and a 5K race, actually started on Wednesday, but the main musical event is this weekend, and features quite a roster of talent old and new.

Here's who'll be appearing this weekend:

Saturday, Sept. 11:
8:30 p.m. - Train
7:00 - OK Go
5:30 - The Bravery
4:00 - Jesse Malin & the St. Marks Social
2:30 - Soul Asylum
1:00 - Mike Peters & Friends
12:00 - Willie Nile
11:00 a.m. - 61 North

Sunday, Sept. 12:
7:30 p.m. - Spoon
6:00 - Robert Randolph & the Family Band
4:30 - The Zombies
3:00 - Suzanne Vega
1:00 - Nils Lofgren acoustic duo
12:00 - Nicole Atkins & the Sea

You can learn more about the Union County Music Fest at its website or their Facebook page. Oak Ridge Park in the town of Clark. You can get there by mass transit by taking a NJ Transit train to the Rahway station and taking a shuttle bus to the Music Fest.

The weather sounds great for Saturday and maybe a bit rainy Sunday, but I'll try to make it both days. Looking forward to chomping down some funnel cakes and those mozzarella-and-corn cake things.

Tour News: Pavement Reunion Dates, Yo La Tengo Tour, Extra U2 NJ Tickets On Sale

Random details on some notable tours for which tickets are now on sale:

The much-discussed possible Pavement reunion is a reality, but you'll have to wait a year to see them. So far they have scheduled four dates, all for next September 21st-24th at New York's Central Park Summerstage. The first three dates are already sold out; the fourth is set to go on sale on Sept. 25th (though the earlier ones were, too, but apparently sold out during the presale period). No presale tickets were available for the fourth show, but the show was not listed at sold out You can check the Pavement Summerstage tickets Web page to see if any further details (or shows) are added.

Hoboken's own Yo La Tengo is on an extensive Fall tour. Only one New York date so far (Sept. 25th at Roseland), but since their next scheduled gig isn't until Oct. 2nd in Montreal, additional NYC shows will likely be added. The Roseland show, which is all ages, features a great line up of special guests: The Black Lips, Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co., and The Joshua White and Gary Panter’s Light Show. See all the Yo La Tengo tour dates here.

U2 is coming to Giants Stadium in the NJ Meadowlands Sept. 23rd and 24th, and some additional tickets have been released. I got an email from the Meadowlands with news of this, and while there were no seats in the $55 range, there were $250 tickets available in Section 109, on the side of the stage. You can buy U2 concert tickets for Giants Stadium (and other venues) here.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs on Saturday Night Live

New York's Yeah Yeah Yeahs appeared on the pre-Easter edition of Saturday Night Live, and Karen O. and the band were in good form. Naturally they were promoting their brand-new album It's Blitz!, which just came out March 31st. (Video of "Zero" from SNL below.)



I've liked the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for a few years but haven't yet caught them live. But they'll appearing at this year's All Points West Festival, a good local gig for them, and I'm hoping to see them there.
They'll be performing at the festival in Jersey City's Liberty State Park July 31st, in between European gigs. Check their Web site for Yeah Yeah Yeahs tour dates.

All Points West Festival Returns for 2009 - Lineup Below

The All Points West Festival in Liberty State Park is back for a second year, and the lineup was announced today. The 2009 edition of All Points West will be held July 31st, August 1st, and August 2nd. Although there was lots of grumbling about last year's APW regarding site access, beer availability, and what many saw as a less-than-stellar lineup, I had a great time, though the transportation could have been better (the promised shuttle bus to the park didn't exist, which meant a one-mile-plus walk to the festival).

In any case, the three-day festival called "Coachella East" (it has the same organizers) is back, and here's a partial listing of who'll be there (you can find the full 2009 All Points West lineup here):

FRIDAY, JULY 31st
Beastie Boys / Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Vampire Weekend
Also: the National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Ra Ra Riot, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, and more

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1st
Tool / My Bloody Valentine / Gogol Bordello
Also: Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, the Ting Tings, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, and more

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2nd
Coldplay / Echo & The Bunnymen / MGMT
Also: the Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, and more

Each day will also feature a College Humor Live tent with folks such as Michael Showalter, Todd Barry, and Janeane Garofalo.

Advance purchase tickets for All Points West 2009 are available only from Ticketmaster. An article on Stereogum says that tickets go on sale Friday morning, April 3rd. Tickets are $89 for each day, or $199 for all three days (for a limited time only). And APW is this year offering a recession special "layaway option" (no details yet).

2009 Black Maria Film Festival is Underway

The quirky, independent touring film festival, the Black Maria, kicked off its 28th edition the other day at its home base, Jersey City State University. I caught its show last night at a screening sponsored by the Hoboken Historical Museum, and as usual it offered an extremely diverse range of short films. There was a one-and-a-half-minute film of a filmmaker dressed as a monk in a crucifixion pose beside a highway; an amazing film noir story that combined live action and cut-out images; and a look at a matzo-ball-eating contest in New York, to name just a few.

I've written before about the history and origins of the Black Maria Film Festival, which pays homage to the Thomas Edison's film studio of the same name, which was the first movie studio in the world. The Festival tours the Northeast extensively and also ventures out to other areas of the country, altering the lineup of films to mesh with local interests and filmmakers. Check the Web site above for dates, times, and locations. The screening I attended was only $5, and some are even free (such as one I went to last year at a branch of the New York Public Library).

If the Black Maria is coming near you, skip whatever's playing at the local multiplex and check out this Festival's innovative short films instead.

All Points West Wrapup: Looks Like a Winner

The sets went off on time, the weather mostly cooperated, and the inaugural All Points West Festival has attracted good notices.

There was some griping, of course, mainly about the long walk to mass transit (the promised shuttle buses were nowhere in sight) and about the restrictive drinking policy (attendees had to line up to get wristbands to drink, then were limited to five beers a day, which had to be consumed in fenced-in pens). Other reviewers noted that for the price ($89 per day), the festival should have have more big-name artists, which I can agree with to a point. But seeing festival-length sets from a number of groups I'd been interested in, plus what was pretty much a full Radiohead concert, seemed like a fair bargain to me.

For a first-year festival with dozens of acts spread over three days, I thought the session I attended (Friday) was very well run. Entertainment Weekly offered a review of Friday's All Points West show, while reviews of Saturday's proceedings were available from sources ranging from The New York Times, Yahoo, and The Gothamist, which summed up Saturday's show as "more Radiohead, more crowded."

Friday's show did seem sparsely attended (walk-up tickets were available at least as late as 2:30 p.m.); I guess not enough people have summer hours on Fridays.

New Jersey's Star Ledger offered a hometown review of the festival, noting that the organizer of All Points West (and Coachella) is a Jersey native.

I'll have more later on the specific sets I enjoyed most.

Crazy Rhythms: The Feelies Return to Maxwell's

The Feelies were one of the bands that helped cement the reputation of Hoboken's Maxwell's as a rock mecca in the early '80s. Their first album, "Crazy Rhythms," was named #49 in Rolling Stone's "Top 50 Albums of the 1980s," and it received acclaim from other critics as well. Someone hearing The Feelies today would remark that they sound a lot like early R.E.M., but R.E.M. has reported said that it was influenced by The Feelies, which makes sense since they were around earlier.

In any case, the band that originally arose from Haledon, New Jersey (that's HALE-dunn) is back and performed two shows at their old home away from home, Maxwell's. These two shows were billed on the band's Web site as a "warm-up" for their spotlight as the opening act for Sonic Youth in the big Fourth of July free concert in lower Manhattan, they were in fine form in the show that I saw, Tuesday night's gig at Maxwell's.

The Feelies made several more albums after "Crazy Rhythms" and then broke up for good in the early 1990s, though various members were reunited in a range of other bands, including Speed the Plough and The Trypes. (You can find more about Feelies history and spin-offs at their MySpace page.)

Last night's show revealed that they still had the chops and intensity that made them so acclaimed back in the day. And playing two 45-minute sets, they clearly have the stamina.

They played plenty of old favorites from their albums, of course, along with a few cover tunes and, surprising to me, a couple of songs that bassist Brenda Sauter referred to as new tunes. Is there a new Feelies album in the works, I wonder?

Rockin' in Weehawken: NJ's Smithereens Play the Waterfront

Jim Babjak, Pat DiNizio, and Derek "Toledo Tornado" Anderson of The Smithereens in Weekhawken

After 28 years, The Smithereens are still rocking, and sounding good, and were in fine form Wednesday night at a concert in their home state of New Jersey. Playing in a park just steps from the Hudson River, and in the shadow of the Lincoln Tunnel, Pat DiNizio and company played a solid hour and a half set that was spirited and very much appreciated by the audience.

The Smithereens got serious airplay on the old progressive rock station WNEW-FM, which bit the dust long ago. DiNizio remarked at one point that while WNEW is long gone, his band is now played on the "classic rock" stations.

The band played many of its hits from its various albums, from "Blood and Roses" to "Only a Memory" and "House We Used to Live In," as well as a number of Beatles covers that the band did on their album "Meet the Smithereens." Being a weeknight concert, the audience thinned out a bit as the clock approached 9 p.m., but the majority of the crowd that stayed was rewarded by a lengthy encore set by the band.

Bruce Springsteen isn't the only Jersey rocker from the '80s that's still out there rocking hard.

All Points West Festival - Tickets on Sale

The first annual All Points West Festival featuring Radiohead will be held this August in Liberty State Park, and tickets are on sale now! Here is the link to the line-up for all three days, August 8, 9, and 10 (that's Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).

Liberty State Park is a beautiful park in Jersey City, New Jersey, not a place normally associated with natural beauty, but it's a big park area right near Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I've watched Fourth of July fireworks there several times.

Radiohead is the lead act on Friday and Saturday, while Jack Johnson is the Sunday headliner. Single-day tickets are $89 at Ticketmaster (plus the usual service charges, handling fees, etc. etc.)

Also on the bill are The New Pornographers, Sia, The Black Angels, Metric, and Mates of State, and Cat Power.

2008 Black Maria Film Festival

The first movie studio in the world was not in Hollywood, but in New Jersey. Thomas Edison was a pioneer in the developing motion picture technology, and started the first movie studio, nicknamed Black Maria, at his West Orange laboratory.

Since 1981 the Black Maria Film Festival, based in New Jersey, has honored Edison's legacy by showcasing the best in short films. But you don't have to go to New Jersey to see the winning films in the juried festival. The Black Maria Film Festival is unique in being a touring festival, traveling to a number of different states.

The 2008 Black Maria Film Festival had its premiere Feb. 1st at New Jersey City University (the home base of the Festival), and continues showings in various venues until the end of June. I attended the fourth screening of the Festival at the Hoboken Historical Museum and it was an enjoyable and diverse menu of shorts, from a stark animation of a Vietnam War vet's memories to a folksy profile of a Brooklyn rooftop beekeeper.

The films screened at Black Maria differ from location to location, so if you're a fan of short films I'd recommend going to several screenings if you can, so you can see a variety of different films.

Visit the Web site of the Black Maria Film Festival to find out locations, dates, and times of the screenings.

WFMU and Upsala College Profiled in the New York Times

Sunday's New York Times did a good profile of free-form radio station WFMU, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The article makes a bit too much of the fact that WFMU has been around as long as Fidel Castro has been in power, but otherwise it does a decent job of looking at this unique New Jersey institution: a college radio station that has outlived the college.

Upsala College, a Lutheran college founded more than 100 years ago, was a respected North Jersey institution for many decades in East Orange, but ran into financial problems in the '80s and '90s. It laid off staff and cut back on programs, and finally ceased to exist in 1995. Fortunately funds were raised to keep WFMU in existence, and "the free-form station of the nation" (as it calls itself) continues to thrive in Jersey City.

Of course WFMU is celebrating its 50th birthday and is having a fundraiser for the occasion so it can continue on; you can learn more at its Web site above.

As for Upsala College, although it hasn't been around for more than a decade it of course has a Web site, www.upsala.org (an unofficial one, maintained by one of its alums).

NJ's Own Bon Jovi Opens New Prudential Center in Newark

New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi opened the Prudential Center in Newark with the first of the band's 10 shows in the brand-new arena last night.

Tomorrow night, the NHL's New Jersey Devils will play their first game in their new permanent home. "The Rock," as the new arena is being called, will also be the home arena for the Seton Hall University basketball team (from nearby South Orange), and a team in the Major Indoor Soccer League.

For the Prudential Center, the first major sports arena built in the tri-state area in a quarter century, the Bon Jovi shows are giving a jump-start to the opening of the new center. The Prudential Center has a number of high-profile rock and pop concerts scheduled for its opening weeks, including Mary J. Blige, R.Kelly, the raised-from-the-dead Spice Girls, and two shows featuring the hottest concert ticket in the country, Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus.

The 10-night opening stand by Bon Jovi reminds me of a similar inauguration by a Jersey artist more than a quarter-century ago, when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played multiple nights to open the new Meadowlands Arena (now to be called Izod Arena, formerly Continental Airlines Arena, formerly Brendan Byrne Arena).

Is this the long-awaited revival of downtown Newark? It may just be, with the slate of sporting events and concerts bringing a diverse crowd to the City. The Performing Arts Center, which features mostly classical music brings in a specific type of audience, as does the Newark Bears minor-league baseball team.