2014 CBGB Festival - Schedule, Ticket Info, and More

CBGB the club is just a memory, but its namesake music festival in New York is back for a third year. The 2014 incarnation, which runs from Wednesday, Oct. 9th from Sunday the 12th, once again features live music, film, panel discussions and workshops, and more. (You can find the full CBGB festival schedule here, and a similar version at Brooklyn Vegan.) The events take place at various venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

It's baaaack! See details on this year's CBGB Festival below.

Billy Idol gives the keynote address (along with an acoustic performance) at Center 548 (548 W. 22nd St.) on Thursday, well timed for his new album and autobiography. (Listen to Idol talking about his book on WNYC's Soundcheck.)

Among some of the other highlights of this year's CBGB Music & Film Festival: a free show at Bowery Electric on Thursday, and The Muffs at the Bell House and Macy Gray at City Winery, both on Friday. (See the full club show schedule here.)

And again, CBGB Fest will feature a free concert in Times Square: this year's (on Sunday) features Jane's Addiction, Robert DeLong, Devo, Surfer Blood and We Are Scientists. The show kicks off at 11 a.m., with Surfer Blood scheduled for 1:15 p.m., Devo at 4:30, Robert Delong at 5:25, and Jane's Addiction at 6:25 (all taking place at the Times Square South stage).

Film events include the world premiere of "Hardcore Devo Live;" "The Winding Stream," a film on the amazing musical legacy of the Carter and Cash families; and a 30th-anniversary screening of "This is Spinal Tap."

Each club show, film screening, and panel is individually ticketed; there are no all-festival passes. See specific links for music tickets, film tickets, and tickets to talks, panels, and other special events.

For more takes on what to see at this year's CBGB Festival, check out articles from the New York Post and Rolling Stone (all written a few weeks ago, before final schedules were issued). And follow CBGB on Twitter for updates.

Arcade Fire Announces "Reflektor" Tour (Two Brooklyn Dates); Metric Adds Small-Venue Show

Ever since Arcade Fire announced its new album "Reflektor," fans have been wondering when they would tour to support the new work. We got the answer today, when the band announced its "Reflektor" tour on Twitter.

Arcade Fire is hitting the road to support is new album, "Reflektor."

The band kicks things off with a show in Louisville, Kentucky on March 6th, and the tour comes to Brooklyn in the summer for two nights at the Barclays Center, August 22nd and 23rd. Tickets for all dates go on sale next Friday, Nov. 22nd.

Another Canadian band, Metric, is currently on tour, and is playing a rare small-venue gig next Tuesday (the 19th) at Bowery Ballroom. The gig is listed on their tour schedule, but clicking on the Buy Tickets link takes you to an information page, not a Ticketmaster link.

We'd guess the link to buy will go live tomorrow (the tickets are supposed to go on sale at noon Friday the 15th, according to Brooklyn Vegan). Also, the page for this show notes, "All tickets are for WILL CALL ONLY and will be available exclusively for pick up at the venue on the evening of the show with valid ID. Tickets are non-transferable."

UPDATE: I couldn't find the Metric ticket link searching on Ticketmaster, but Brooklyn Vegan found it: Metric Bowery Ballroom tickets.

Until tickets go on sale tomorrow, you can watch Metric perform on the Letterman show tonight.

Concert Notes: Titus Andronicus Ends Tour in NYC; Nick Cave, Fleetwood Mac Announce Tours; Another Sandy Benefit; More

Some concert notes from the (near) past and the future:


* New Jersey's Titus Andronicus rocked Webster Hall Sunday night to wrap up its Fall tour. It was tough to get good photos, with the band members in constant motion (especially frontman Patrick Stickles). And fans were stage-diving throughout the show; a few times, there were four fans on stage at the same time. This is only my second time seeing the band, and as before, they delivered a great, high-energy show. They played a good mix of songs from their three albums, as well as a couple of fun covers: the Dave Clark Five's "Do You Love Me" and the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar."

Hardcore band Ceremony played before Titus and revved the crowd up (and Stickles wore the band's t-shirt during the Titus Andronicus set). See photos below and at the bottom of the page.

Titus Andronicus at Webster Hall Sunday night.

* Tickets are still available for Wednesday's WFUV Holiday Cheer benefit concert at the Beacon, featuring Lucinda Williams, Shelby Lynne, Shawn Colvin, special guest Steve Earle, and Lake Street Dive.

* Pitchfork is presenting a Hurricane Sandy benefit Dec. 14th featuring The Men, Widowspeak, Lust for Youth, and Waxahatchee. More guests will be announced later. The show will take place at St. Vitus in Brooklyn; tickets are $12.

* Fleetwood Mac will tour next year, playing 35 dates beginning in April (including Madison Square Garden on April 8th). Some sources say a new album is in the works, too. (via Pitchfork)

* Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are headed out on tour, too, and will do two nights at the Beacon March 28th and 29th to support their upcoming album, "Push The Sky Away." Sharon van Etten will open on the U.S. dates. A presale will be held Dec. 5th from 12 Noon to 10 p.m. (promo code: CAVE) before the general public sale on Dec. 6th at 10 a.m. (via CMJ and MSG)

* Arcade Fire tried out some new songs in a Montreal club show over the weekend, performing under a pseudonym. Expect a new album from them late in 2013. (via Spin)

More Titus Andronics photos:

Schedule for (the Remaining) "Today" and "Good Morning America" Free Summer 2011 Concerts

Florence and the Machine (featuring Florence Welch, above) play the GMA Concert Series on June 24. Photo: Rosario López

For music fans in NYC who don't mind rising really early for the chance to see some big-name pop acts for free, the Today show and Good Morning America summer concerts are a welcome rite of the season. If you don't like waking up quite so early, you can watch the performances on TV. But you'll only see a few songs (maybe a couple), whereas if you're there in person you'll see a longer set and possibly a couple of takes of some songs as the bands warm up.

In a perfect world I would have posted these lists before the series actually started (instead of several weeks in), but there are plenty of shows to come, so better late than never.

All shows for both series take place on Friday mornings.

NBC Today Show Free Summer Concert Series, Rockefeller Plaza
Listed show time: 7 a.m.
June 10 - The Script
June 17 – Kenny Chesney
June 24 – Bruno Mars
July 1 – Pitbull featuring T-Pain and Ne-Yo
July 8 – Blake Shelton
July 15 – Chris Brown
July 22 – Cee Lo Green
July 29 – Journey
August 5 – Maroon 5
August 12 – Zac Brown Band
August 19 – Enrique Iglesias
August 26 – Train
Sept. 2 – Lenny Kravitz

ABC Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, Rumsey Playfield (Central Park):
Listed show time: between 7 and 9 a.m. (the TV show's air time)
June 10 – Jennifer Hudson
June 17 – Selena Gomez
June 24 – Florence & the Machine
July 1 – Beyonce
July 8 – Miranda Lambert
July 15 – Brad Paisley
July 22 – Goo Goo Dolls
July 29 – Debbie Gibson and Tiffany
August 5 – Nicki Minaj
August 12 – American Idol Top 11
August 19 – Taio Cruz
August 26 – TBD
September 2 – Mary J Blige

Lady Gaga Launches "Born This Way" Album with 99-Cent Deal on Amazon.com Today; Will Appear at Union Square Tonight (Watch Live Stream)

Lady Gaga is staging an all-out blitz for her new album "Born This Way," which drops today, and her hometown of New York is figuring in the launch. She performed on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, and is doing an in-store appearance at the Best Buy store at Union Square tonight. The audience is limited to 450 and wristbands were handed out at the store this morning, but you can watch a live stream of Gaga's Best Buy appearance here at 9 p.m. (You had to line up early to get the wristbands; around 1 a.m. Lady Gaga tweeted a photo of fans on line outside Best Buy.

What's more, Amazon.com is selling "Born This Way" with a digital bookletfor only 99 cents on May 23rd only. (It announced the deal at midnight Eastern time today, but had hinted at it for several days, saying that Gaga fans might want to check back at midnight Monday). As you'd expect, lots of people are jumping on this deal, and Amazon sent out a tweet earlier this morning saying, "We're currently experiencing very high volume. If you order today, you will get the full @ladygaga album for $.99. Thanks for your patience."

Lady Gaga fans will want to pounce on this chance to get "Born This Way" for 99 cents,and people who are interested in checking her out won't be out much cash with the deal.

Update: the Los Angeles Times had an article today about the Gaga-for-99-cents deal and how the value of the album has steadily been going down with deals like this. Seems like we may see more such deals in the future, since Amazon is looking to promote its Cloud Player and Apple is expected to launch its own similar player soon.

Free Summer 2011 Concerts: SummerStage, Central Park & Beyond

SummerStage has long been the grandaddy of free concert series in NYC, and this year is no exception. As with last year, SummerStage 2011 is expanding far beyond its Central Park base to offer free, live performances of music, dance, spoken word, and more throughout the five boroughs.

Below is a (very abbreviated) look at some of the shows I'm looking forward to. To see all the shows, head for the SummerStage music home page and select Main Stage (Central Park), Manhattan, or the other boroughs. Or see a chronological list of all the SummerStage and City Parks Foundation shows (and other free events) throughout the city.

SummerStage has fewer rock concerts this year, which has been a trend for several years. Maybe they've decided to spend more money on having concerts throughout the City than booking big-name rock acts for the Central Park Main Stage.

Unfortunately, the SummerStage website doesn't seem to allow an easy way to link to specific shows. The best way to find out more information about a show or artist is to head to the SummerStage website, scroll through the calendar on the left to the appropriate month, and click on the day for the show you're interested in.

Tues., June 7th, 6:30 p.m.: "Night at the Caravanserai: Tales of Wonder" featuring Yo-Yo Ma / The Silk Road Ensemble / The Silk Road Connect Students and Friends
Central Park/Mainstage

Tues., June 7, 7:00 p.m.: "Salute to Hip-Hop" featuring EPMD / Funkmaster Flex
Betsy Head Memorial Playground

Thurs., June 9, 7:00 p.m.: B.T. Express / Rhythm Revue with Felix Hernandez
Betsy Head Memorial Playground

Fri. and Sat., June 17 and 18, 8:00 p.m.: "Indomitable: James Brown" featuring Burnt Sugar / The Arkestra Chamber / Brandon Victor Dixon
Herbert Von King Park

Wed., June 22, 7:00 p.m.: Ozomatli
Red Hook Park

Thurs., June 23, 7:00 p.m.: We Are Scientists / Milagres
Red Hook Park

Sat., June 25, 4:00 p.m.: Lee Fields & The Expressions / Fitz & The Tantrums / Andreya Triana / Rich Medina
Central Park/Mainstage

Wed., June 29, 8:00 p.m. "Comedy Central Park" starring Jim Gaffigan with special guest John Pinette
Central Park/Mainstage

Mon, July 11, 8:00 p.m.: The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series (other dates scheduled in other parks)
Central Park/Mainstage

Sun., July 17, 7:00 p.m.: Pink Martini
Central Park/Mainstage

Sun., July 17, 7:00 p.m.: The Manhattans / Rhythm Revue with Felix Hernandez
Crotona Park

Wed., July 20, 7:00 p.m.: Harold Melvin's Blue Notes / Rhythm Revue with Felix Hernandez
Queensbridge Park

Wed., July 27, 7:00 p.m.: Wanda Jackson / Imelda May
Central Park/Mainstage

Sun., Aug. 7, 3:00 p.m.: Friendly Fires / The Naked and Famous / Cults
Central Park/Mainstage

Thurs., Aug. 25, 7:00 p.m.: Wavves
East River Park

Sat., Aug 27, 3:00 p.m.: The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival featuring Toots Thielmans / James Carter / Tia Fuller / Cecile McLorin Salvant
Marcus Garvey Park

In posts to come I'll look at some of the other free summer concert series coming up in New York and nearby areas.

Tonight in NYC: Diane Birch, Rachael Yamagata, Tift Merritt, Marshall Crenshaw, Nicole Atkins, & More in Japan Benefit

Last week I wrote about a series of benefit concerts to aid the Japan relief effort, and recently found out that City Winery is hosting one at 8 p.m. tonight called Bridge to Japan with a lot of great talent on it. I know it's short notice, but if you'll be in the City tonight you'll see an impressive roster of talent (many of whom aren't as famous as they should be):

Rachael Yamagata, Tift Merritt, Diane Birch, Marshall Crenshaw, Dar Williams, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Nicole Atkins, Ben Sollee, classic pianist Taka Kigawa, the New York based big band Morning Musuko, Syd Straw, "12-year-old phenom Cecilia Gault," and more, including Jesse Smith (daughter of Patti, with Lenny Kaye and Tony Shanahan of the Patti Smith band).

As of 4 p.m. today, tickets for Bridge to Japan are still available at several price levels, starting at $25 for standing room (limited number available). Check the website or call 212-608-0555 ext 714 for information. All proceeds will go to Japan relief, the website says.

This is quite a lineup of talent, and I'd guess it's one of those chances to see different combinations of musicians playing together, probably playing tunes you wouldn't normally hear. It should be a great show.

Big Names Playing Concerts to Aid Japan Disaster Relief

In addition to the concerts below, this limited-edition screen print is being sold to benefit Japan relief.

In addition to the concerts below, this limited-edition screen print is being sold to benefit Japan relief. 

It's no surprise that someone decided to hold a benefit concert to aid the relief efforts after the Japan earthquake/tsunami/nuke incident. But New York will be host to not one but five benefit concerts over the next few weeks, featuring some big-name performers playing in modest-sized venues.

According to Oh My Rockness, the shows are:

• Sun., March 27th (8 p.m.): Sonic Youth, Yoko Ono, Mike Patton, Sean Lennon, Cibo Matto, Mephista, Marc Ribot, Uri Caine, Aleph Trio — Miller Theatre ($25)
  
• Tues., March 29th (10 p.m.): Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band, Patti Smith, Tony Shanahan, Cibo Matto — Le Poisson Rouge ($100)
  
• Fri., April 8th (6:30 p.m.): Thurston Moore, Matthew Shipp, Gyan Riley, Masada String Trio, Ned Rothenberg, Alhambra Trio with Rob Burger, Erik Friedlander, and more — Abrons Arts Center ($35)
• Fri., April 8th (9:30 p.m.): Norah Jones, Jesse Harris, Vinicius Cantuaria, Buke and Gass JG Thirlwell's Manorexia, Elysian Fields, Sex Mob — Abrons Arts Center ($35)
• Sat., April 9th (11 a.m.): Philip Glass, Hal Willner, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, John Zorn, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Bill Laswell — Japan Society ($5)

As often happens, these benefit concerts offer a unique chance to see a range of performers who may not normally play together on a single bill—and in small venues, to boot.

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.

Allman Brothers Band Returns to the Beacon for Eight Shows

The Allman Brothers Band playing at the Beacon Theatre in March 2009.

Many Allman Brothers fans such as myself had an extra reason to feel thankful last week, because it was announced that the long-running band would be returning to the Beacon Theatre in March 2011 for its usual long run of shows.

Here are the specifics, from an e-mail I got from the Allman Brothers Band mailing list:

"In just a little over 3 months, the Allman Brothers Band will be back where they belong, at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. The specific dates are March 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19. That’s what we call March Gladness!! Whoo hoo!

Tickets for all 8 shows go on sale tomorrow, December 4, at 11:00 A.M. via TicketMaster."

Allman Brothers Band tickets at the Beacon Theatre always sell fast, even with this many shows, so be ready to go online at 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

Like many other fans, I was scratching my head last Spring when the Allmans were bumped from the Beacon, where they have done a number of shows each March for many years, to make room for a Cirque de Soleil show called "Banana Schpeel." The Allmans were moved way uptown to the United Palace Theatre, but the sound and ambience weren't the same.

So it's great to hear that the Brothers will be heading back to their home in New York, the Beacon.

Live Tonight: Bob Mould & Lenny Kaye at City Winery

If you're in New York tonight and want some rock & roll to shake off the rainy weather, you might want to check out former Husker Du member Bob Mould at City Winery. also on the bill is Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith band member and much more) at City Winery. Tickets are still available, according to the website, and range from $30 to $40.

As I noted a couple of weeks ago, Bob Mould is at City Winery again tomorrow night, with Marshall Crenshaw (seems like that show is sold out or close to it).

City Winery is a nice, intimate venue that recalls bygone spaces like The Bottom Line. And as its name suggests, they make and serve a wide range of wines.

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

Kim Richey Touring to Support New Album, "Wreck Your Wheels"

You may not have heard of Kim Richey, but there's a good chance you've heard some of her songs. Her songs have been covered by artists from Trisha Yearwood to Brooks & Dunn to Maura O'Connell, so her tunes have sold a lot of copies and gotten plenty of radio airplay.

And her songs have appeared in movies and TV shows including "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer," "Dawson's Creek," and "Angel."

But the Ohio native has put out only six albums of her own since 1995, so it's always a treat when a new one comes out - and when she goes on tour to play her songs, new and old. Richey is on tour now to support her new album, "Wreck Your Wheels," and she'll be playing at Joe's Pub in New York on Monday, Oct. 11th. Here's the video of the title song.

For John Lennon's 70th Birthday, Concerts, Album Releases, and More

Watch the full episode. See more American Masters.

Above: A free screening of the film "LENNONYC" will be held in Central Park this Saturday, which would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday.

John Lennon would have turned 70 years old on Oct. 9th, and there's no shortage of events coming up to celebrate his birthday (some of which have already taken place). Among them:

* Yoko Ono and her "We Are Plastic Ono Band" held two Lennon tribute concerts in Los Angeles this past weekend. Spin magazine said, "the 77-year-old nodded to her own history, engaged in ear-splitting excursions into the avant-garde and brought the house down with duets with Iggy Pop (the first night) and Lady Gaga (the second)." You'll find more about the concerts, and photos, in their article (link above).

* Remastered versions of Lennon's solo albums were released Oct. 5th, as was a "Signature Box," an 11-CD set that includes all of his solo albums plus two CDs of rarities and a commemorative book.

* The film "LENNONYC," which looks at the musician's years in New York, in the 1970s, will be screened at Central Park Summerstage on Saturday at 7 p.m. (doors open 6 p.m.) PBS will air the movie on Nov. 22nd.

* Another movie, "Nowhere Boy," focusing on Lennon's early life in Liverpool, will be released on Oct. 8th.

* The 30th annual John Lennon Tribute concert will be held Friday, Nov. 12th at the Beacon Theatre. This year's lineup features heavy hitters such as Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper, Aimee Mann, Keb' Mo', Joan Osborne, Martin Sexton, Shelby Lynne, Taj Mahal, Meshell Ndegeocello, Alejandro Escovedo, The Kennedys, Rich Pagano of the Fab Faux, and more.

* If you've got the money to shell out for a good cause, City Winery is having a John Lennon 70th birthday party on Saturday, Oct. 9th featuring Kimya Dawson, Anais Mitchell Freedy Johnston, Jesse Malin, The Chapin Sisters, Lisa Bouchelle, The Kennedys, and Tony Scherr. Tickets are $95 and benefit two charities that provide food for the poor.

And what will Yoko Ono be doing on Lennon's birthday? Reportedly she'll be in Iceland, where she will light what's called the Imagine Peace Tower memorial situated on an island near Reykjavik.

WNYC's "Gig Alert": Free Daily Downloads from Selected Musicians in Town

WNYC has been expanding its coverage of popular music, and part of that is its "Gig Alert" feature that spotlights a live show in the NYC area and gives you a free MP3 download of a song from the act. Gig Alert is featured every weekday, and has a link to buy tickets to the show if you want to see the group's live show.

It's an eclectic mix of music genres and styles. Recent Gig Alerts have featured indie rockers such as Deerhunter, Pavement, The Posies, and Oberhofer; singer-songwriters including Basia Bulat; the "Tango electronica" of Gotan Project; longtime bluesman Charlie Musselwhite; and jazz acts such as The Jazz Passengers.

You can download the tunes, stream them one at a time, or do what I do: click the "Add" button to each song I want to hear, which puts them on a playlist so I can listen to one interrupted music stream.

Check the Gig Alert page for descriptions and downloads of recent songs and artists featured. If you're interested in getting music news and features as well as the Gig Alerts, visit the WNYC music page, part of the station's (relatively) new arts and culture website, culture.wnyc.org.

Sunday in NYC: Women Rocking for Women Rockers

I'm a big fan of female rockers and singers, and I'll be seeing plenty of them tomorrow, Sept. 26th (and there are more I won't be able to see).

The main event is the inaugural Tinderbox Festival of established and up-and-coming female artists, which I heard about from Eliot of the Now I've Heard Everything blog. Starting at 3:30 and running til around midnight at Southpaw in Brooklyn, Tinderbox doesn't just showcase female musicians, it supports them by benefiting causes to help young women (including the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls).

You can find the Tinderbox Festival lineup here; tickets are only $20 at the door. Jenny Owen Youngs is the only performer there that I'm familiar with, so I'll be seeing a lot of new artists, which is always fun.

I won't be able to stay too late at the Tinderbox Festival because I'm seeing Sheryl Crow and Brandi Carlile at Radio City (tickets available here). Crow is one of those performers I see every time they come to town not only because I love their music, but because they always put on a good show. I've liked the various Carlile songs I've heard over the years, so am looking forward to catching her live.

The Canadian band Stars (featuring singer Amy Millan) is one I've enjoyed seeing live before, and after playing Terminal 5 the other night word came that they are playing a last-minute show at Littlefield in Brooklyn, which holds about 400 people max from what I've read.

Doors for Stars at Littlefield are 8 p.m., with showtime listed as 10 p.m. I probably won't be able to catch that show after Radio City, but if you're looking for a good pop-rock show to finish your weekend (and for only $10), catch Stars at Littlefield (check link to see if tickets are still available).

The Boxer Rebellion: Now Playing On Screen, & On Tour (including Brooklyn Tomorrow)

Above: The Boxer Rebellion play tunes they wrote for the new movie "Going the Distance" last month in Bryant Park.

British band The Boxer Rebellion just embarked on a U.S. tour, but you've been able to hear them on the big screen for a few weeks now. They wrote music for and appear in the new movie "Going the Distance," starring Justin Long and Drew Barrymore, which opened Sept. 3rd. The British rockers play an unsigned band that the lead characters go to see on a date.

I'd heard of The Boxer Rebellionin the past and liked the few songs of theirs I'd caught, but I unexpected got a free live preview of the songs they wrote for "Going the Distance" when I happened upon a show they were performing in Bryant Park one night last month (the show was preceded by a screening of the movie for a select audience).

It was one of those incredibly humid, sweaty nights we've had so many of this summer in New York, but that didn't slow down The Boxer Rebellionfrom banging out a set of catchy tunes. The band played Bowery Ballroom last night and have a show in Brooklyn at The Bell House.

You can see all the Boxer Rebellion tour dates here. And you can find out more about the band on MySpace, Twitter, and YouTube. Besides their songs for "Going the Distance" the band has two albums of its own out, Unionand Exits.

Broken Social Scene Rocks Central Park

The sprawling Toronto music collective Broken Social Scene took over Central Park's Rumsey Playfield last night for a sold-out show that featured many new tunes (and a few new members) but maintained the band's characteristic sound, with a horn section, flute, and plenty of electric guitars.

Kevin Drew announced at the outset that the band was going to just play for two hours, and he was true to his words. Aside from occasional pauses to introduce songs or various band members (and to send several of them crowd-surfing into the audience), the group went through one song after another.

As expected, there was an emphasis on its latest album, "Forgiveness Rock Record" (which came out in Spring), with the band performing songs including "Texico Bitches," "Forced to Love," "Art House Director," and "Water in Hell." But BSS played many of its older favorites as well, including "7/4 (Shoreline)," "Fire Eyed Boy," "Superconnected," "Looks Just Like the Sun," and "Lover's Spit."

Above: Andrew Whiteman (left), who also performs as The Apostle of Hustle, performs lead vocal on a song.

As always, the band included its founders Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, along with longtime BSS  core members Andrew Whiteman and Charles Spearin. Lisa Lobsinger is now the lone woman, singing the female vocals that were performed in the past by Leslie Feist, Amy Millan (of Stars), or Emily Haines (of Metric).

Drew remarked that the band had been together for 10 years, and several times thanked the audience for being fans and for coming out to see them over the years. He also thanked the crowd for coming out to the night's show, saying that they knew that there were many concert options in New York City.

Above: Several members of Broken Social Scene crowd-surfed into the New York night.


Broken Social Scene's tour continues through mid-December with dates in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Mexico. 

The Watson Twins & Laura Veirs at NYC's Bowery Ballroom, Sept. 14th (PHOTOS)

Above: Leigh (left) and Chandra Watson at Bowery Ballroom.

Here are some belated photos from Tuesday's Bowery Ballroom show featuring The Watson Twins and Laura Veirs. Although Veirs was the headliner and the better-known act, I was at the show to see the Watsons, who I've been fans of since I heard of them in 2006. That was the year that Leigh and Chandra, identical twins from Louisville, Kentucky, made the "Rabbit Fur Coat" album with Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, which was one of my favorite albums of that year (an opinion shared by many music critics).

That same year the Watsons, who now reside in Los Angeles, came out with their debut recording, the excellent EP "Southern Manners." The sisters have since come out with two full-length albums, most recently the soul-inflected "Talking to You, Talking to Me," which came out earlier this year.

The Watsons are currently on tour with Veirs as a three-piece outfit (the sisters plus a keyboardist). Their voices are lovely, and as you can imagine their harmonies are gorgeous, reflecting a lifetime of singing together. (Check out the video below.)

Below, the Watson Twins and band perform "The Devil in You" (from their latest album) live in the studios of KCRW Radio.

I've heard various tunes from Laura Veirs (below) over the last few years, but only at Tuesday's show did the range of her music become apparent to me. Her songs can be simple, stripped-down acoustic Americana with Veirs on banjo, or folk-influenced indie pop.

Free Concerts in NYC: Public Enemy, Deerhunter, Dr. Dog, Neon Indian, The Wedding Present, More

The summer concert season in New York is starting to wind down, but there are still a number of good shows coming up in the next few weeks. Here are a few highlights from this week (check websites for details on capacity, etc,; some venues have limited space):

Thursday, August 12
* Deerhunter with Real Estate, Hudson River Park's RiverRocks, Pier 54, Hudson River (entrance at 14th St.), 8 p.m. (doors open at 6)

* White Rabbits with Hospitality - "Dual drummers and a honky tonk calypso rhythm section bang out jarring sonics"- SummerStage, East River Park, 7 p.m.

Friday, August 13
* The Wedding Present, legendary U.K. band, with Brooklyn's Savoir Adore, Seaport Music Festival, Pier 17, South Street Seaport, 6 p.m.

Saturday, August 14
* Neon Indian with Prefuse 73, DOM and Nite Jewel - the Beach at Governors Island, 8 p.m. (doors open at 6)

* Chief, Frankie & The Outs, MINKS, Total Slacker - Jelly Presents at Rock Yard, 2 p.m.

* Bachata Fest (Latin American music): Andy Andy, Luis Miguel de la Amargue, Kiko Rodriguez, and Alexandra - SummerStage, Central Park, 3 p.m.

Sunday, August 15
* Public Enemy, Blitz The Ambassador, & DJ Kool Herc - SummerStage, Central Park, 3 p.m.

* Dr. Dog with Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves and Chief - the Beach at Governors Island - 8 p.m. (doors open at 6)

* !!! (chik chik chik), Lee Fields, Strange Boys, Future Islands - Jelly Pool Parties, East River State Park, doors open 2 p.m.