It's been over three years since Live Nation made the decision to rename Irving Plaza: the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. And it's been over three years that no one has called it that. The NY Times now reports that the old name, and with it the old marquee, will be coming back to the legendary venue by the end of the month. But why now? more ›

Since February 2009 Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been trying to get their bear paws on each other and today they finally got the OK. I know what you're thinking—now that the two monster entities have joined forces, ticket prices and surcharges will go from just exorbitant to totally obscene. Well actually, by suggesting a merger the two companies brought the heat: artists, anti-trust agencies and competitors protested, and the Dept of Justice investigated. Now they'll be allowed to go through with the deal, but with all the requirements being imposed, AP reported they may actually bring ticket prices down. more ›

There was lots of excitement surrounding Conan O'Brian's final New York show before shipping out to LA, with weeks of clips and memories from the show's 16 year run. The final episode featured one of Conan's favorite band, The White Stripes, performing for the first time together in a couple years. The duo seemed a bit rusty, performing the acoustic "We're Going to be Friends," but created a memorable moment, despite not always hitting the right chords. In a way, the performance fit with the aesthetic Conan has always maintained on Late Night, slightly sloppy and not taking itself too seriously, but personable and real. Whatever Conan has in store for his new LA show and timeslot, it will hopefully maintain the always impressive musical booking schedules, giving both major and up and coming bands a bit of TV time. For the video from the performance, check here. more ›

Unless Ashton Kutcher is punking the media again, it appears Jay-Z and Beyoncé may be getting married after all. more ›

With brick and mortar sales declining, and the future of the music industry uncertain - at least live shows are always dependable. Sure, there are a lot of venues closing, but how about the ones thriving? The NY Times reports on some of the big players in the New York venue scene. more ›

On the night Lily Allen played her first post-bloghype show in New York, the ad wizards at Live Nation decided to officially rename the place The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza and drop some fake pseudo-hippie nostalgia to an already otherwise storied venue. It's an embarrassing and senseless stunt thought up by past their prime marketers in an attempt to make a consistent nationwide brand under the Live Nation umbrella. Irving Plaza is, and has been for a while, often the first step for a band that has grown out of its grassroots support and has begun its assault on the mainstream. So while the name change is really just that, it's another clear-cut sign that the homogenization of the New York rock scene in full effect. Any band playing at this new Fillmore now holds an even greater disconnect from the local scene that likely helped get them where they are in the first place. We hope the larger VIP section is worth it. more ›

Van Halen is back, and will rock the city. At least, those are the rumors that accompany news the band is hitting the road for the first time in 20 years with original lead singer David Lee Roth. We suppose if Mick Jagger is still at it - Roth can probably still "jump" at the age of 53 (though we hope he leaves the assless chaps at home). more ›

This isn't the first track, listen: Love Song No. 7.mp3 more ›

We interviewed co-owner of Luna Lounge Rob Sacher in 2004, and he told a little story about Elliott Smith (who wrote his album XO at the bar at Luna). The story starts out, "Before I knew who Elliott Smith was, I knew him as this very quiet guy that had discovered the bar (at Luna) and would stay there till closing or near closing most nights, writing constantly in a journal with some kind of dark whiskey drink on the rocks or straight-up in front of him; he always had some kind of bourbon or something like that in front of him. Week after week after week." more ›

With 2006 coming to a close, there's a lot to look forward to in the new year. Some expected highlights: more ›

During CMJ, everything becomes a venue - from a living room to an abandoned storefront. During the rest of the year, Todd P keeps that sort of thing going on. And in the more "legit" world of venues, new ones are popping up everywhere. more ›

We honestly didn’t expect to love internet sitcom The Burg as much as we do. “Making fun of hipsters…so original,” we thought. But you know what, it’s a really good show, and it “works” somehow. With music by local bands playing in the background, the show is a great snapshot of Brooklyn (even if it’s a small, hilarious, thumbnail photo). more ›

Yesterday was one of the first shows of the summer at McCarren Park Pool. We headed over there to check out the venue, and of course the show. We'll have a review up of Les Savy Fav later on, for now we wanted to give you a look at what the venue is like incase you didn't get over there. more ›