Click on the images for more about this Week in Rock; this week features Kanye at Webster Hallt, Spank Rock at Siren and on the Williamsburg Bridge, and a Gothamist House (at CMJ) announcement! more ›

EVENT: It's another First Friday at The Bronx Museum, where there will be free beer, music and of course art. Tonight's a "New York City rock and roll extravaganza; a musical exploration of up and coming urban rock and roll superstars with The Bangers and Dragons of Zynth." more ›

Want to just watch it on TV? Too bad -- unless you're willing to haul ass over to a college campus that gets mtvU. Ummmm, if you want to know about live performances from Rilo Kiley, Lupe Fiasco, Tokyo Police Club, The Academy Is… and Spank Rock, you're going to have to come crawling to our MAD EXCLUSIVE livebloggery! 9:55pm: Damn, kids are punctual these days! Show's over!?!?! What happened to being late for... more ›

Pitchfork-approved blog darlings Tokyo Police Club have spent the last year and change transitioning from flavor of the month boy band to reputable musicians with an enviable knack for short, hook-happy hits. On Thursday night these clever Canucks will have the chance to further extend their fan base when they perform at the “Woodie” Awards; they’re nominated for a “Breaking Woodie”. Broadcast on the 24-hour college network mtvU, the award show will feature performances by... more ›

MUSIC: You know summer is just around the corner when the Seaport Music Festival has their first show of the season. Tonight Animal Collective, Danielson and XXXChange (Spank Rock) will all be on Pier 17 for a FREE show! Come, drink, listen. more ›

READINGS: Russell Simmons has written a self-help book and will be at Border's today promoting it (okay, now all of this recent noise he's making makes more sense)! It's called "Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success." None of the laws include any of these three words. more ›

THEATER: Less than a week post-Fringe, another festival is upon us: the Brick's new Clown Theater Festival, which starts tonight with a subway parade and "free-for-all pie-fight." Some of the participating local and international performers wear big red noses but these aren't the sort of clowns that kids get scared of at birthday parties, but rather the promoters of and participants in a vibrant physical format that's re-energizing theater; there are performances like Chiche Capon's Cabaret out of France and Fools Mass by NYC's own Theatre Group Dzieci, plus workshops for aspiring clowns. Even if the Fringe has you tuckered out, these will be different and delightful enough to get you going again. - Mallory Jensen more ›

Tonight San Francisco rockers with the middle class rasp, Two Gallants, come to Bowery Ballroom. We interviewed them last week, and you should really check them out while they're in town. For serious. Opening up for them are Sam Champion (the actual NY weatherman still comes up first in a Google search) and Cold War Kids. Elsewhere in the city, Pela is playing with Project Jenny/Project Jan (at the Delancey). more ›