The City Parks Foundation has officially announced the 2012 season of SummerStage, but one thing really stood out amongst the 54-page PDF press release we received: over in the Bronx they'll be doing a re-imagined version of Hamlet set to the music of Pearl Jam. Say what? According to the release, the theatrical concert event, called A King of Infinite Space, will take place on July 13th and 14th in Crotona Park. more ›

Generation Grunge is growing up, or rather, getting old. Recently it was announced that Nirvana's Nevermind is turning 20 this September, and now Pearl Jam is celebrating the big 2-0 with a Cameron Crowe documentary called Pearl Jam Twenty (they're actually turning 21—their first show, under the band name Mookie Blaylock, was October 22nd, 1990 at the Off Ramp Club in Seattle). It will be released in December, and here's what to expect on your journey back in time: more ›

Last Sunday marked the first of many epic Sundays this summer at McCarren Pool. Despite some crazy weather all afternoon, with beautiful sunny stretches interrupted by apocalyptic monsoons, the skies stayed clear for the Hold Steady's headlining set. While there are persistent rumors about an eventual pool renovation, which would relocate these free parties, this summer will go off as planned. Upcoming shows include sets from The Breeders, MGMT, Liars, Deerhunter and a whole bunch more to look forward to. more ›

You've gotta hand it to the Pearl Jam fans. They are REAL, and likely one of the most hardcore and dedicated fan bases in America. To many, Pearl Jam is merely the "other" Grunge band, but they're one of the most successful and influential bands of the last two decades. And despite their mopey reputation, Vedder and crew really seem quite content these days. They were really into it on stage at MSG earlier this week, feeding off the mutual satisfaction and intensity of the crowd. They're older, and they've traded in their flannel for more conservative dress, but the songs have held up remarkably well. They keep up with an energy that most bands at this stage in their career have lost, and put on (aside from maybe Bruce Springsteen) the best no-frills arena rock show in the business. They may not have released a classic record in nearly a decade, but they're still at it on the road, playing varied sets from their deep back catalogue, and are showing no signs of slowing down. more ›

The Lion's Den, which has hosted everyone from Ben Folds to jamband fan-faves Disco Biscuits since they opened in 1990 -- will be shutting their doors at the end of the year. And come January 2nd, they'll reopen...as a 345 capacity venue called Sullivan Hall. (Fear not explorers, the secret passageway to The Sullivan Room will most likely still be intact.) Why change the name? Maybe they want to leave their dank past behind,... more ›

Texas is thawing, the Northeast is freezing, and a sort of natural order seems almost restored to the Ist-A-Verse. Almost. more ›

- Bank executive from JP Morgan Chase strips down and accosts a female police officer in NJ; sentence: 364 days in jail more ›

LAist has so much fun this week! They go to E3, where they overhear the timeless remark "Man, this is where nerdy girls get laid." Is that a promise? They also give us this week's best CDs and make us realize that LA is the best place to use Zillow. more ›

- The award for best shot of Tom Cruise from his MI3 tour of NYC goes to Joe S. more ›

Torontoist throws down the gauntlet and challenges all comers: pillow fight, bitch. They also stand up for a fellow blogger taking heat from the TTC and welcome city-wide WiFi. more ›

The WSJWE has landed. People have been rumbling about it for months now. Dow Jones employees have been upset about the extra hours and extra employees it requires. The New York Times has been reorganizing itself to make way for its arrival (can't you hear the Grey Lady thinking "hmmm, why don't I move Maureen to Saturday, then they'll buy us too. And Times Select, let's do that the same weekend, that'll steal their thunder."). And now today it's here. The Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition has its first edition this weekend and it is, on first inspection... eh. To be fair though, we're not generally Journal readers and there are a few interesting pieces in the paper (the Pearl Jam chef who has been helping tsunami victims, the companies who outsource their company sports leagues) but still. The big new section, "Pursuits," seems like any other lifestyle section to us (which might be nice for other people, but we're just sick to death of lifestyle sections). Further, we'll be curious to see how many of the advertisers bulking up this first edition will still be around in two weeks (our guess, about half). But again, we're just not Journal people. What about you, did you pick up the weekend edition? What did you think of it? more ›

Sara Dobbs, Actress/Singing Waitress more ›

Morning Theft, fresh off the bus from Boston in 2003, have been desribed as Pearl Jam meets Travis, Nirvana meets the Cure, the Pixies meets Radiohead...you get the point. But these guys have their own sound. And it sounds good. They're the band who has been (not so) silently brooding in the corner of the indie rock scene. They're loud. They're catchy. They're pensive mood rock. Gothamist (and pretty much everyone below 14th St) loves Morning Theft, you should too. Go check them out for free at Luna Lounge tomorrow night. More details after the interview... more ›

Once upon a time, in a college town in the Pacific Northwest, four young men formed a band. They chose a name (the title of a Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band song that appeared in the Beatles' compilation. more ›