Set listed. 

3 tags

May 24th

2 tags

Kelly Rowland and Solange

I fell a bit behind with my recaps, but I have to dedicate a post to these amazing ladies. I could not have seen them at more different events and I’m not attempting to compare the two. My procrastination is the sole link (well, that and some former member of Destiny’s Child.) I recruited my friend Stephanie to see Ms. Rowland at a corporate event for Courvoisier. Free booze and a...

May 11th

2 tags

Apr 27th

4 notes

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Apr 7th

3 notes

2 tags

Joe Fletcher - March 22 at Rockwood Music Hall

A quick note on this quick set: If Joe Fletcher is ever stopping off in NYC to play an hour or so at Rockwood, it’s worth going. For starters, it’s free. Also, it’s Joe Fletcher. Grab a beer, sing along and enjoy. (Side note: when Joe asks you to sing with him, everyone automatically adopts his accent, which cracks me up. Listen for it next time. We all turn into Fletcher-esque...

Mar 28th

2 tags

Mar 15th

2 tags

London Philharmonic - March 11 at Avery Fisher...

So this is a slightly different post from me! Not the usual concert, but an interesting evening nonetheless. It’s been years since I’ve seen a live orchestra perform, and I was really glad I accepted an invitation to go with some co-workers. The London Philharmonic performed two pieces: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 (with Helene Grimaud on piano) and Mahler’s Symphony...

Mar 15th

2 tags

Mar 9th

2 tags

Watch

The NPR concert in its entirety: “Evil Eye” “A Certain Light” “Wolves” “New Lover” “The Right Time” “The Temptation of Adam” “The Appleblossom Rag” “Folk Bloodbath” “Hopeful” “Harrisburg” “Nightmares” “In Your Arms Again” “Joy to You Baby”...

Mar 7th

9 notes

2 tags

Josh Ritter - March 4 at Le Poisson Rouge

My friend Graham invited me to tag along to Josh Ritter’s album release show at LPR, which was being filmed by NPR for a live broacast. Graham is a huge fan of Ritter, but this was my first introduction to his music. I had given the new album a listen already (also thanks to NPR), and it was striking in its honesty, sadness, and optimism. It sprang from his experience with a divorce (hence...

Mar 7th

2 tags

Mar 2nd

1 note

2 tags

PigPen Theatre Co. - February 26 at Mercury Lounge

The world is enamored with bands like Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers and The Lumineers right now. So it makes sense that PigPen Theatre Co. ended up tied with their contemporaries at #10 on a “Best Albums of 2012” list. But PigPen Theatre Co. can’t just be thrown into the same category as the others. They happen to be a lot more. In addition to being a seven-piece band...

Mar 2nd

2 tags

Mar 2nd

6 notes

7 tags

Tibet House Benefit Concert - February 21 at...

An incredible opportunity landed in my inbox: Would you like to see the Tibet House Benefit Concert tonight? With a line-up including Jim James, Ariel Pink, tUnE-yArDs, Rahzel, Ira Glass, and Patti Smith, I was absolutely going. The benefit was emceed by Philip Glass and included a number of traditional Tibetan artists. When I heard Ira Glass was on the bill, I was hoping he would include the...

Mar 2nd

3 tags

Feb 14th

2 notes

3 tags

Mumford & Sons - February 12 at Barclays Center

Two years ago at Bonnaroo, I dragged some friends to hear a band called Mumford & Sons. “Who?” I told them to just trust me. Post-set (which was capped with an insane collaboration of M&S, Old Crow Medicine Show, Alison Kraus and Union Station, and Jerry Douglas), I was surrounded by five new fans. Two days ago, the Barclays Center was packed with Mumford fans, the second of...

Feb 14th

1 note

2 tags

Feb 13th

1 note

2 tags

Feb 4th

2 notes

2 tags

Shovels and Rope - January 31 at Bowery Ballroom

Shovels and Rope put on a hell of a show. I had a front-row spot for their recent concert at the Bowery Ballroom, and I was not disappointed in the least. Opening act Andrew Combs played a nice, acoustic 40-minute set with pedal steel player Spencer Cullum Jr. His voice is light and sweet, but man does he play a sad song. A whole set of sad songs to be precise. He’s talented, but an upbeat...

Feb 4th

2 notes

2 tags

Feb 3rd

1 note

2 tags

Jan 19th

6 notes

2 tags

Jake Bugg - January 14 at Bowery Ballroom

I first heard Jake Bugg by tuning into a Black Keys concert a year ago on BBC Radio1. Before the live broadcast started, my ears perked up to a song called “Trouble Town” and a voice that was vaguely reminiscent of Bob Dylan. I looked to see who was playing, looked him up online to get more info, and was floored to find the owner of the weary, weathered voice was a 17 year old. Now,...

Jan 19th

3 notes

2 tags

Jan 15th

3 notes

2 tags

Preservation Hall Jazz Band - January 6 at the...

I think I found my favorite new tradition: seeing the Preservation Hall Jazz Band tear up the McKittrick Hotel in the first week of the new year. Last year, they played the tiny stage in the hotel lobby (part of the set of the mega-hit, mega-immursive show Sleep No More) and I had a blast. This year they’ve moved up to the sixth floor, perma-restaurant space and sound just as great. I love...

Jan 12th

5 tags

The Best Concerts of 2012

“What was your favorite show this year?” My good concert-going friend asked me this a while ago, and it took me a while to think of an honest answer. There were a lot of really great live shows this year and I was lucky to see some amazing, intimate concerts. I came up with a top five. I know. The last thing the world needs is another top anything list, but I couldn’t choose just...

Dec 30th

1 note

1 tag

Dec 17th

1 note

1 tag

Dec 17th

1 tag

Dec 17th

2 tags

12-12-12 Concert - December 12 at Madison Square...

The Ticketmaster gods were on my side and I was rewarded with a single ticket to the starriest line-up I’ve ever seen: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Bon Jovi, Roger Waters, The Who, Eddie Vedder, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Chris Martin, Dave Grohl and Sir Paul McCartney. Needless to say, this show was beyond amazing. I mean, when...

Dec 17th

2 tags

Dec 13th

1 tag

Dec 12th

2 tags

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - December 7 at Bowery...

I have Spotify to thank for introducing me to Jason Isbell when “Live from Alabama” ended up on the front page. A nice blend of southern rock with a splash of country, Jason and his band the 400 Unit took to the Bowery Ballroom and played a cozy, comfortable show to appreciative fans. Communist Daughter, a band from Minneapolis, opened. They had a nice sound, but could use a little...

Dec 12th

2 tags

Dec 10th

1 note

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Nov 13th

1 note

2 tags

Gary Clark Jr. - November 4 at Bowery Ballroom

Gary Clark Jr. is a badass. There’s no getting around it. I’ve been a fan for about two years now, and he was one of the major reasons I went to Newport Folk Festival. You HAVE to see this guy live. He has soul for miles and oozes the kind of cool you wish you had. His mastery of guitar-playing is unparalleled and seeing him playing in the tiny Bowery Ballroom space was something I...

Nov 13th

2 tags

Nov 5th

3 tags

Watch

“Girl on Fire” from Alicia Keys’ VH1 Storytellers taping. Airs November 12!

Oct 9th

2 notes

2 tags

Oct 2nd

7 notes

8 tags

Global Citizen Festival - September 29 in Central...

On September 29, some 60,000 people converged on the Great Lawn in Central Park to rock for a cause and to come together as Global Citizens. Fashioned as a way to raise awareness about global issues and extreme poverty, the festival hosted bands, celebrities, models, economists, and heavy hitters in the philanthropic world took the stage between sets to support Rotary International, Earth...

Oct 2nd

2 notes

2 tags

Oct 2nd

18 notes

4 tags

Oct 1st

13 notes

3 tags

Sep 27th

6 notes

3 tags

Sep 27th

9 notes

4 tags

Frank Ocean and Bon Iver - September 24 at...

Thanks to a tweet from Tyler the Creator, I snagged an RSVP list confirmation to the finale of Fader and Vitamin Water’s uncapped concert series. I’ll be honest: I would have never sought out either of these performers in concert. Frank Ocean, while talented, wasn’t someone I would go out of my way to see, and Bon Iver, to my knowledge, usually just makes people sleepy. So what a...

Sep 26th

3 notes

3 tags

Sep 26th

100 notes

1 tag

Sep 24th

1 note

4 tags

Delta Spirit and Dr. Dog - September 20 in Central...

Frontman Matt Vasquez is one crazy motherf*cker. When he’s not on a guitar rampage, he’s pulling incredible faces at the crowd. And I love it. Delta Spirit is one of my favorite bands this year, and they’re self-titled third album has gotten a lot of play from me. They recently played a late summer SummerStage show with Dr. Dog, another great underappreciated rock band with a...

Sep 24th

5 notes

2 tags

Sep 21st

2 tags

Watch

Full Livestream from ZZ Ward’s concert at Joe’s Pub

Sep 20th

4 notes

2 tags

ZZ Ward - September 19 at Joe's Pub

Found out about this concert the day before and snapped up two SRO tickets immediately. I stumbled upon ZZ Ward after an old high school friend posted a video of hers on Facebook and was taken by her unique style and sound. Zach Heckendorf opened for ZZ with a few songs, and he and his band were really enjoyable. They looked really young and a bit out of place for the slightly upscale Joe’s...

Sep 20th