Here's the question for the day: Should Gothamist even mention sold out shows? There are a few of them this week. Mentioning sold out shows creates an environment where the "haves" are the winners and the "have nots" are the loser--unless the "have nots" turn in sexual favors with exes who thought ahead and bought two tickets. Is it right to pit the winners against the losers? Is it right to pour salt on the losers' ticketless wounds? Oh, whatever. The world is filled with winners and losers. Why tiptoe around the obvious?
Local heroes Interpol (pictured) have killed most Strokes crushes and are now the hottest band in NYC. So hot, in fact, that both shows at the Hammerstein are sold out. The Secret Machines and On!Air!Library! are opening, but what does that matter to the losers without the tickets?
The other sold out show is the Arcade Fire's gig at the Bowery Ballroom on Thurday (with The Hidden Cameras and Dirty On Purpose). The Arcade Fire used the CMJ festival as a super-springboard to becoming an Internet buzzword and a subject of major media coverage. Is there one single twenty-something in horn-rimmed glasses anywhere on the planet who does not adore this band? To the horn-rimmed winners, enjoy the show. The horn-rimmed losers are green with envy.
More on Thursday. Other Passengers will play their dark, absorbing and frankly very loud music to Sin-E. Also on the bill is Menomena, who have a fantastic album called I Am the Fun Blame Monster (which got a glowing review at Pitchfork). Don't think of this as an Arcade Fire consolation prize. This is gonna be a good show.
This sounds like fun. On Friday the Chelsea Center for the Arts is hosting "Surfeit: An Excercise in Moderate Excess." Over 30 local artists will participate as well as local bands such as The Occasion (who are also playing tonight at the Mercury), The Redcoats Are Coming, Mike Wexler, Happy Ending and The Perfect Strangers. Tickets are $6
