After spotting a struggling future tourist on Yelp, who was receiving very bad information on what to do when they visited New York City, we were compelled to help. After all, those tourist dollars are precious to our economy. So, we reached out to some of our favorite locals—like, ones with Verified Twitter accounts—for their more knowledgeable recommendations. Behold, future tourists, your new tour guides: more ›

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of music journalist Michael Azerrad's history of indie rock, Our Band Could Be Your Life, indie musicians of all persuasions gathered at the Bowery Ballroom last night to perform the material of the 13 bands featured in the book. More than just a bunch of de facto cover tunes, the concert was an opportunity for a reinterpretation of enduringly influential music by contemporary ears. more ›

Click on the images for more about this Week in Rock; this week features Dirty Projectors at the Williamsburg Waterfront, Andrew Bird at Green-Wood Cemetery, and Ted Leo at Pier 54. more ›

It's been a long 10 years since the show first debuted, and this weekend, the last drops of actual music will finally be sucked out of MTV. The daily countdown show, which (like it or not) was a gateway for most successful acts over the last decade, will celebrate the end of its run this Sunday night at 8 p.m. The show will feature original host Carson Daly, along with his eventual replacement Damien Fahey steering the ship, and an actually impressive lineup of guests and performers, whose careers might not exist was it not for this show. From Limp Bizkit and the Backstreet Boys to Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy, this show guided an entire generation towards their pop idols, for better or worse. So while the reactions of many may be may be a hearty good riddance, nobody can deny the influence this show once had. Certainly worth tuning in, if only to see off the end of an era. more ›

Brendan Canty is the drummer for Fugazi, the rightly revered D.C. post-punk band whose page on the Dischord Records website still states "1987 - present." The group hasn’t played together or released an album since their phenomenal seventh LP, The Argument; in 2002 they embarked on what is looking increasingly like a permanent hiatus. Like his bandmates, Canty has been consumed by various other creative projects: he’s produced albums for Ted Leo and The Thermals, among others; recorded and toured with Bob Mould; composed soundtracks for film and television; directed Sunken Treasure, Jeff Tweedy's live concert documentary; and helmed an eccentric rock DVD series called Burn to Shine. Started in D.C. in 2004, each DVD is shot on a single day with a lineup of bands who each get two takes on one song in a house slated for demolition. Canty will be at The Kitchen Wednesday night to perform live soundtracks to Brent Green’s distinctive stop motion animation films; other musicians on the bill include Jim Becker (Califone) and Fred Lonberg-Holm (Wilco, Freakwater). The 8pm show is sold out; tickets for the 10pm show are still available. more ›

Naked Guy at Ted Leo Concert It's a tad early for year end awards, but this story is making a strong, late push for the greatest live moment of 2007. At the Ted Leo show at The Music Hall of Williamsburg Wednesday night, some dude from Jersey took off his shirt and threw it on the stage. Not satisfied with merely being topless in a crowd on that snowy night, he eventually followed the shirt... more ›

THEATER: As Steve On Broadway notes, Chicago’s stellar Steppenwolf Theater Company, which launched the careers of Gary Sinise and Little Johnny Malkapee, is back on Broadway for the first time since 2001, when their production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won the Tony for Best Revival. This time they’ve delivered playwright Tracy Letts’s August: Osage County, and after reading today’s rave reviews, you can count on more Tonys flying back to the Windy... more ›

FESTIVITIES: Forget about that big shiny show-off in Rockefeller Center. Tonight the menorah and Christmas tree in Washington Square Park will be illuminated for all. Come bask in the glow of holiday, people. 6pm // Washington Square Park [W 4th St to Waverly Pl between MacDougal and University] // Free FILM: In a week-long tribute to Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini (pictured), tonight The Film Society of Lincoln Center will be screening Notes for an... more ›

THEATER: The annual Soho Think Tank Ice Factory, arguably New York’s most impeccably curated theater festival, has been hosting an exhilarating array of new shows every weekend since July 4th . Starting tonight you can sink your teeth into Vampire University, in which “a struggling vampire family descends on an evangelical college in the Midwest, the dad’s mid-life crisis of immortality triggers a desire to come back to life and the gulf between first and second generations vampires has never seemed greater.” Scored to live Theremin! John Del Signore more ›

Thousands of people line McCarren Pool on Sundays, standing in place of where water used to be. This summer JellyNYC's Sunday Pool Parties are continuing, in what has become an instant summer tradition. more ›

It seems that every time The White Stripes fade away for a year or two, people seem to forget exactly how amazing they can be live. Perhaps it takes a show like the one at Irving Plaza last Tuesday...filled with hardcore, line-waiting fans and eager and excited members of the media to really drive home just how good a show Jack White puts on, and exactly how impressive Meg is to keep up with him (though not everyone agrees). Those in attendance were in for a treat, as any time an arena band brings it down for a club show, it's always a spectacle. We were floored at Keyspan Park two years ago, and are excited to see them bring it to another level at the Garden next month. Read the reviews at Productshop, The Modern Age, and Stereogum, to (name a few in attendance.) (Pic Via DanFun) more ›

Yes, yes...Last week was Volume 18. We had some counting...issues. Apologies. more ›

We've never handed our tickets to the door guy at a show before and been asked if we wanted to get a table and buy a bottle. But this, I suppose, is what you get when you go see a show on 16th street and 10th ave. Our experience at the new High Line Ballroom felt as if we were living the opening scene of a Law and Order episode, where at any second some over-tanned I-banker would come stumbling out of the bathroom covered in blood as everybody runs towards the exit. The thumping music, the blinding lights and this lingering sense of false superiority reeked of a disaster, but the ambiance aside, both Spankrock and Ghostface put on one hell of a show. Each act managed to cram as many people as possible on the stage, all rocking and flopping about to the music. Even fellow Wu-Tanger RZA came up briefly at the mic for a brief cameo. Live hip-hop shows are often a mixed bag for us, but while this one started out a bit sketch, it ended with a huge bang. (pic via Gaelenh's Flickr) more ›

THEATER: A revival of Patrick Hamilton’s thriller Gaslight has just begun at Irish Rep; some may remember the award-winning 1944 film version starring Ingrid Bergman and Angela Lansbury. The chilling study in domestic domination to the max concerns a diabolical husband who, not satisfied in exploiting his wife’s savings to buy their house, plots her murder. But while he’s out the police inspector comes in to warn the poor bride that her husband is suspected of another “black-hearted murder” committed fifteen years ago... in the very same house! - John Del Signore more ›

THEATER: A one-of-a-kind theatrical event is happening this weekend only in a clothing store and barbershop on the edge of Chinatown. Called American Standard, this solo, seven character ‘sideshow’ is the work of Canadian-American troupe bluemouth,inc., which has been building a reputation for staging innovative theater in bizarre locales. (Other productions have taken place in hotel rooms and the basement of an office building.) In their latest foray, “a preacher, a tourist, a politician, an entertainer, an immigrant, a poet and a terrorist inhabit a storefront installation, spilling onto the street and lurking within the basement.” Martin Denton praises the show as “dense, artful, absorbing, and fun. The penultimate scene is so thrillingly unexpected that to say anything about it risks spoiling American Standard's neatest surprise; suffice to say that you've almost certainly never witnessed anything like it in any theatre of any description.” more ›

First there were kids in bands, then baby disco...now The New York Times covers the rock music for babies phenomena... more ›

THEATER: The end of the Fringe Festival draws near, and the dilemma sharpens: what should you not miss? Of the shows that are still on, a good bet is Chris Harcum's http://www.chrisharcum.com/ Some Kind of Pink Breakfast, a solo comedy (but multi-character) with music by Debby Schwartz that melds '80's songs and movies with events from his own experiences, making for a hilarious yet poignant retro performance that should be a perfect way to end this year's festival. - Mallory Jensen more ›

Tonight marks the five year anniversary of Ted Leo and the Seaport Music Festival (they really are such a cute couple). The relationship is quite literally a stormy one, however. Legend has it if you hold your ear up to a seashell on the day of a Ted Leo performance at the Seaport, you will hear the sound of the SMF's Stephen Dima weeping. Nearly every year something crazy happens on this night, and tonight is no exception. more ›

So we've been racking our brains as to what excuse Gothamist had at a music festival in Chicago, but we were there nonetheless and had an absolute blast. Compared to the mess that was Mccarren Pool on Saturday night, the Pitchfork Music Festival went off without a hitch. There was plenty of cheap beer, water and food for all. We spent a lot of time hanging out near the Fuze beverage tent, which provided shaded couches, free juice and a mist tent for all, which was all more than welcome in the 100+ degree heat. more ›

We caught the "free outdoor music bug" this past weekend, thanks to Siren, and we're determined to go to as many of these shows as possible. Even if it's 18,000 degrees outside and our face is melting. more ›

Looking for a list of free summer shows in the city this summer? Check out Prefixmag's guide to free concerts. There's a lot to take in, here's what we'll be heading to: more ›

Stephen Dima, Seaport Music more ›

So get your dancin' flip flops on, avoid anyone with a video camera and mark these shows on your calender: more ›

We love music videos that show pieces of the city. Lucky for us, with all of the bands in this city - many have produced NY-centric videos. more ›

Day 1 was long, but we managed to get a few hours of sleep and gear up for the rest of week. Last Thursday we started off our day at the South By Stereogum party. Brisket on white bread was served, Fat Tire beers were distributed and Aziz Ansari was hosting the show, which had a solid lineup: Aloha, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Thunderbirds Are Now!, Rogue Wave and Ted Leo. more ›

Tis the season for hibernating and canceling plans 'cause it's too cold to go out. Here's what could, possibly, maybe get us out from under the covers this week: more ›

CONTEST ALERT: We're part of a joint blog contest thing that we don't completely understand, but here's what you need to know: FREE iPod Nano! Filled up with the soundtrack from Elizabethtown. You can enter here, and you should. Seriously. Do it. more ›