Spotify Launches in the U.S.; Joan Jett, Patti Smith Play Free Shows Tonight

The wait is over: Spotify is available to American music lovers as of July 14.

Spotify U.S. launches: After many false starts, the Spotify music streaming service arrived stateside today, July 14th. If you want to use the free service, you'll need to enter your e-mail address to get an invite (I have no idea how long it might take to get one). Spotify also has two options for paid service, at $4.99 and $9.99 a month, that you can sign up for now, without an invite.

If you use the website Klout, you may be able to get a free Spotify account right away through their "perks" program, depending on your "klout" level. (That's how I got my Spotify account today, although my klout score is not that high.)

So far I've been able to listen to a few albums in their entirety (the new Foo Fighters and Taking Back Sunday), so haven't had time to really explore the service too much. It works and sounds good so far, and the ads weren't too intrusive, in my opinion. I'll post more of my impressions of Spotify once I kick the tires a little more.

There was one disturbing note in using Spotify: when I opened the application with my iPod plugged in and iTunes open, Spotify was encouraging me to erase the music, movies, and similar content on my iPod. Huh? Needless to say, I didn't click on that option, and ejected my iPod so there was not even a possibility that its contents could be wiped out.

So what can Spotify do, in its free and paid versions? Spotify's blog introduces the services and explains the options. And Electronista has a quick hands-on guide to the premium Spotify features, with screen shots.

Free NYC shows tonight: Tonight is a good night for free gigs in the City. Here are some of the options:

* Joan Jett and Girl in a Coma, Seaside Summer Concerts, Coney Island, 7:30 p.m.
* Patti Smith and her band, River to River Festival, Castle Clinton, 7 p.m. (free tickets available at 5 p.m. at the site; first come, first served)
* Tune-Yards with Austra, RiverRocks, Hudson River Park (Pier 54), doors: 6 p.m. (show time not listed)

Free Summer 2011 Concerts: Joan Jett Kicks Off Coney Island Series

Joan Jett kicks off Coney Island's Seaside Summer Concert Series this Thursday.

The Seaside Summer Concert Series had to leave its old location, but that's not stopping the music. The popular series near the boardwalk in Coney Island, which had to leave Asser Park because of complaints from the neighbors, is now taking place a few blocks down the road, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be kicking off the series this Thursday, July 14th.

Girl in a Coma, which is on Jett's own Blackheart Records, will open the show. I don't think the neighbors in the old location would have liked the racket these ladies can crank out.

The new location for the Seaside Summer Concert Series, says its website, is at West 21st St. and Surf Avenue, next to the Brooklyn Cyclones' ballpark. Concerts take place on Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. You'll find directions to the Seaside concert location here. By subway, you can take the D, F, N, or Q trains to the last stop, Coney Island/Stillwell Ave. Turn right at the corner of Stillwell and Surf Avenues (where Nathan's is), and walk along Surf Avenue to West 21st St.

Also on the 2011 Seaside schedule:

• July 21 - An Evening with The Monkees and special guest MC Jay Black
  
• July 28 - Mary Wilson (of the Supremes) and The Spinners
  
• Aug. 4 - "Mystery Night" (artist to be announced a week before the show)
  
• Aug. 11 - Annual Latino Music by the Sea concert (artist to be announced; Maria Torres Dancers)
  
• Aug. 18 - Cheap Trick and The Rattlers 

The old location featured a number of row of folding chairs surrounded by a lawn area where people would lay out blankets, etc. I have no idea what the new concert venue is like, but the website says it has folding chair for rent. I'm hoping it's a grassy area like the previous site, as opposed to being basically a large paved area. I'll post any additional information I find out about the location.

What good shows are people seeing this week?

Free on Saturday: Ted Leo and The Screaming Females at the Seaport

Ted Leo and the Screaming Females play the Seaport Saturday, a week before the big 4 Knots Festival.

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists play a free show tomorrow at South Street Seaport's Pier 17 that's billed as a kickoff show for next Saturday's all-day 4 Knots Festival, also at Pier 17. New Brunswick, NJ's Screaming Females are also on the bill with Ted Leo. The show starts at 6 p.m. (See the Village Voice's story on the 4 Knots kickoff show.)

You can get to Pier 17 by taking the 2, 3, 4, 5, J, Z, or M trains to Fulton Street or the A or C to Broadway-Nassau. (See map and directions.)

The 4 Knots Festival is the free shindig that's replacing the Siren Festival, which was held on Coney Island for the last 10 years. Like the Siren Festival, 4 Knots is presented by the Voice, as well as the Seaport Music Festival.

Speaking of 10 years, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists have been around for a decade (and have played many free shows in that time, including the Siren Festival), and for their appearance Saturday they'll be playing their first album, "The Tyranny of Distance," in its entirety. The Voice looks back at some of Ted Leo's 10 years of free NYC shows, with videos. (Below is an amateur video of Leo doing "Little Daw" from the 2010 Siren show, which I attended.)



The 4 Knots Festival takes place from 1 to 8 p.m. and features The Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Davila 666, Oberhofer, Eleanor Friedberger (of Fiery Furnaces), and Mr. Dream. While the Siren Festival featured two stages, I'm not sure if that will be the case with 4 Knots. Which may be just as well, since you won't have to choose between two acts you really want to see that are playing at the same time.

Tonight: Gary U.S. Bonds FREE Show (Photos) in Weehawken to Open Series

Gary U.S. Bonds kicks off Weehawken's free summer concerts tonight.

I know this is late notice, but if you're in the Weehawken/Hoboken area tonight, you might want to check out the free concert by the legendary Gary U.S. Bonds at 7 p.m. on the Hudson River waterfront. (The band Finish This opens the show at 6 p.m.) (UPDATE: See photos from the Gary U.S. Bonds show below.)

This is the first show of the annual Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center series, with most shows held on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. The shows are held in Lincoln Harbor Park (directions), which is just a few blocks from the Lincoln Tunnel. (If you look east you'll see the stage, and the Hudson; look to the west and you'll see the underside of the Lincoln Tunnel helix.)

I'm definitely heading out to this show.

The rest of the HRPAC summer concert series in Weehawken:

• Wed., July 20, 7 p.m.: Paquito and Friends (Latin jazz great Paquito D'Rivera)
  
• Wed., Aug. 10, 7 p.m.: Fusion Tango (musicians and dancers from Argentina)
  
• Mon., Aug. 29, 7 p.m.: Broadway on the Hudson (performing the hits of the golden age of Broadway)
  
• Sun., Sept. 18, 2 p.m.: Hudson River West Folk Festival (established and emerging singer-songwriters)

There are fewer shows this summer than I recall from past years, but considering how the economy has pummeled government budgets, it's good to see this series is still happening.

Photos from the Gary U.S. Bonds Weehawken show:

Gary U.S. Bonds with guitarist Mark Leimbach.

All in the family: Bonds with (most of) his band, including the backup singers Laurie Anderson (his daughter) and Laurie Anderson (his wife).

Bonds and Leimbach, assisted by a couple of young fans.

Free Summer 2011 Concerts: Hudson Sq. Music & Wine Fest (Tuesdays)

City Winery presents a series of free Tuesday night after-work shows.

City Winery is sponsoring its free Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival for the third year in a row, and tonight's show features those ageless wonders of blues and soul, the Holmes Brothers.

The festival, which features shows early on Tuesday nights (5:30 to 7:30), is held in the courtyard behind City Winery, which is at 155 Varick Street, between Spring and Vandam (see directions here).

Previous shows have featured Mike Doughty and Emily Wells and the New York Gypsy All Stars. Upcoming shows in the Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival:

• 7/5 - The Holmes Brothers
  
• 7/12 - Vernon Reid (of Living Color)
  
• 7/19 - Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra (salsa versions of songs from indie bands such as Spoon, Arcade Fire, etc.)
  
• 7/26 - Forro in the Dark (native Brazilians playing world music that blends country, folk, jazz, and more)
  
• 8/2 - CCB Reggae All-Stars
  
• 8/09 - Nicole Atkins
  
• 8/16 - The Wood Brothers (with Chris Wood from Medeski Martin & Wood)

If you live or work in the downtown area and get out of work early, this is a great way to see live music in the evening without getting home late. Even though I have a flexible schedule and staying out late isn't a problem for me, I will still sometimes skip a show after realizing that a 7:30 or 8 start time means the headliner won't come on till 9 or so. So the Hudson Square series is a nice option.

Canada Day 2011 in NYC: The Great Canadian Songbook Concert At Joe's Pub

Joe's Pub will be full of Canadian song tonight for its annual Canada Day shows.

Today is Canada Day, that nation's independence day, and in New York City that means it's the day of the annual "Great Canadian Songbook" concert at Joe's Pub. This show features a number of Canadian singers from different genres performing songs written by many of the famous Canuck songwriters of the last few decades.

There are two shows tonight, at 6:30 pm and 9:00 pm. You can find more information and buy tickets here).

Canada does indeed have a long and deep pool of excellent musicians and songwriters, and it goes well beyond Rush, the Guess Who, and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. At the Great Canadian Songbook concert you might hear songs from such greats as Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, and many more... including Nelly Furtado, Gino Vanelli, Lighthouse, and Bryan Adams. And yes, probably some Burton Cummings, Guess Who, or BTO tunes.

The performers for tonight's show, from the Joe's Pub website:

Tyley Ross (East Village Opera Company, The Who's "Tommy"), Greg Naughton (The Sweet Remains), singer-songwriters Jamie Leonhart, Joe Hurley, Anthony da Costa, and Kate Schutt, cabaret spitfire Shelley McPherson, Tony Salvatore (BETTY, Pleasuredog), Shannon Connolly (Lez Zeppelin), and chanteuses Lezlie Harrison, Melissa Stylianou, and Victoria Cave (Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata, Cabaret, Steely Dan), all backed by the all-star "Workin' for the Weekend House Band" led by Music Director Peter Kiesewalter (Brooklyn Roadfunk Orkestrata, East Village Opera Company).

If you're in New York and want a fun musical way to celebrate Canada Day, check out the Great Canadian Songbook concert at Joe's Pub.

(Unfortunately, the NYC City Parks' SummerStage series no longer holds a Canada Day concert; this was a tradition for a while but there hasn't been one for several years.)

And as always, I want to thank CBC Radio 3, and especially Grant Lawrence's podcast, for keeping us all up to date on the latest in Canadian indie music.