Results tagged “bytruckers”

We here at the Gothamist Arts & Entertainment World Headquarters may disagree on what to think about Patrick Wolf, but there is a solidifying consensus that his performance at Hiro last night (his first NYC appearance in 4 years) was not too great. Our growing frustration with Hiro Ballroom is only magnified by how impressive their booking has been of late. For the first three quarters of the short set, the sound was grating. Nothing mixed together, vocals either came in too strong or not at all, and the intricate instrumentation on stage was impossible to decipher. It wasn't until the final song of the set, The Magic Position, where everything came together correctly, but by then the damage has been done. One of the saddest side effects of the closings of the many different downtown rock clubs is that the acts that should normally be playing in them are now getting gobbled up by larger, non-music venues where the concert attendee is considered an afterthought. Every time we have to suffer through a set at a place like Hiro, Annex or R&R, our anticipated longing for places like Sin-e and Tonic grows more and more.

A few times a week, Gothamist publishes music reviews by our contributor Jeff Baum. The opinions below belong entirely to the author.

This week requires you to make some very important decisions. It all starts on Wednesday with the question, "will it be SPIN or Summerstage?" SPIN is celebrating their 20th anniversary at Webster Hall with an incredible lineup that includes Public Enemy, Death Cab for Cutie, LCD Soundsystem, Drive-By Truckers, Lady Sovereign, Diplo, and Afrika Bambaataa. All that can be yours for only $10 more than it'll cost you to see just Death Cab in a venue twice the size a few weeks later. BUT WAIT, Summerstage had to go ahead and mess everything up by planning a Katrina-related benefit show on the very same day. Strangely, this benefit featuring Lou Reed of the Velvet Underground and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. is free, though we doubt you'll be able to live with yourself if you enter the premises without paying at least the $25 "suggested donation." Can't decide which show? You can try to hit both. That's what the Drive By Truckers are doing. They're listed on both bills (and they're at Warsaw in Brooklyn the next day).

Still haven't ironed out your New Years Eve plans yet? It's okay, we think that holiday is over-rated anyway. We suggest you gather some good friends, resolve in '05 to buy tickets before they sell out and get over to one or more of the following shows:

The Thrills have a great new album, Let's Bottle Bohemia (I hear a bit more pop and less California country), and are stopping by Irving Plaza tonight. The much-buzzed-about and Mercury Prize-nominated band The Zutons are opening the show. If your wallet is a little light these days, don't fret. The Thrills are playing at Tower Records at 4th and Broadway tonight at 6pm.