Photo of the Brooklyn Philharmonic at the Naumburg Bandshell by David Velez. As mentioned earlier this week, last night an unplanned Battle of the Bands took place between the Brooklyn and New York Philharmonics, both playing Central Park with just 30 minutes between their starting times. Who won? The above photo of the Brooklyn Philharmonic was taken at 8:10 p.m., about 40 minutes after they went on. The below photo of the New York......

In 1965 The Beatles performed at Shea Stadium (video), beginning a tradition of rock on the ball field. Sadly, they won't be around to bookend the life of the stadium, which opened its doors on April 17th, 1964 and gets torn down after the 2008 season. Helping them close up shop are Billy Joel and his piano. On July 16th Joel will make "The Last Play at Shea," and later in the year The Mets......

Debbie Harry's internationally known as the smart, cool and sexy front woman for pop/punk sensation Blondie, but when it comes to her solo career she prefers to be thought of as Deborah. The slight but significant name change might imply a conservative shift in tone, but her latest album - the first in fourteen years - finds her as vibrant and upbeat as ever. (Website, myspace) There's something inspiring about seeing Harry, whose storied career......

Last night, recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Patti Smith played an intimate show at the new Star Lounge in (her old residence) the Hotel Chelsea. The low-ceilinged bar was packed, hot and filled with old fans, friends and major label folk. Patti Smith got up on a small stage with her old band members and her son to play a few songs from her new release 12. The album is a......

Air Guitar Nation (directed by Alexandra Lipsitz): Sure, you can jam like Jimi Hendrix returned from the dead alone in your bedroom, but can you wail with your invisible guitar on stage in front of thousands of people? The quest for the lofty title "world air guitar champion" is the story of the documentary, Air Guitar Nation, which begins a theatrical run in New York this weekend at the Angelika. Inspired by a Wall Street......

Coming to an off Broadway stage near you this March: Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison in "27 Heaven". About, you guessed it, the most prominent members of The 27 Club. No word yet on where the show will run, the press release states that it's "the featured act at this year’s prestigious National Arts Club annual benefit on March 16 in New York...27 Heaven begins an extended run in New York’s......

There was a lot up on the auction block this week at Christie's. Yesterday was their Rock & Pop Memorabilia auction. Beatles lyrics penned by Paul McCartney (that's Sir Paul McCartney, to you) went for $197,000. The song? An early version of Maxwell's Silver Hammer from 1968. Jimi Hendrix's 1968 Fender Stratocaster (modified to accommodate his left-handed use) sold for $168,000. Meanwhile, a page of Britney Spears's homework went for $240 (less than an iPod!).......

LAist is flashing a sad peace out to their editor Carolyn Kellogg with one hand and bumping knuckles with their new head typist L.A. blogger king Tony Pierce with the other. Where do ist editors go when they hang up the 'editorial we'? They take on MySpace, apparently. At least Ben Brown does. Austinist reminds of the just rewards of less savory careers this week and then they witness the Arctic Monkeys and We Are......

Wolfmother...

In a city where there’s as much theater as there is here, we’re never too surprised when shows open that have a lot in common, but it’s always fun to note and wonder what was happening in the creative Zeitgeist to generate technically unrelated but similar works. This week, for instance, Rachel Shukert’s Bloody Mary opens, bringing the life of the notoriously unbalanced daughter of Henry VIII to the stage in suitably off-the-wall fashion (Mary......

Bring back the Tompkins Square Park band shell! That's what the lead article in this weeks Villager argues, and we've got to say we wholeheartedly agree. Forty years after the original band shell was put up and nearly fifteen years after it was taken down in response to the Tompkins Square riots, there is a growing desire to see a designated performance space return to the park. And why not? The original band shell......

The Crooners, Old-Timey Musicians...

Why does "Bronx" have to be prefaced with "The?" Why not "A Bronx" or, most reasonably, just plain old "Bronx?" Thanks, Blaney The Vatican. The Hague. The Netherlands. The O.C. The Bronx. Unless you are a cartoon character, you can probably name on one hand the number of locations worldwide that are prefaced with the definite article "the." How the Bronx found itself in such esteemed company as the Holy See and the only......