The Pool Parties have Begun!
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.
Jay-Z dominates Glastonbury
His headlining set turned out to be quite controversial at the (mostly) annual rock fest across the pond. Noel Gallagher, among many others, complained, stating that the tradition of the festival was to feature guitar-driven rock, rather than sample-based hip hop. So what did the Brooklyn boy do? Never one to shy away from a challenge, Jigga came out to a cover of Wonderwall, with one of the largest main stage audiences the festival has ever seen singing along in unison. He then tore into a greatest hits set, despite his naysayers, to cap off the return of the festival after its year off. From the sound of things, he might have won over a few new fans in the process.
Pearl Jam plays Beacon
After two epic shows at MSG last week, Pearl Jam toned it down to play a smaller set for charity at The Beacon Theater. The tickets sold for upwards of $2,500, with all proceeds to benefit Robin Hood. For once, a band took advantage of their hardcore fan base for good, raising a whopping $3 million for one night of work. There are not many bands who can squeeze that much money out of 2,000 theater seats, but Pearl Jam put a bit of substance behind their often politically charged words. It'd be nice, going forward, to see some other big acts follow suit.
Also this week:
Bon Jovi Ticket Rush
Jay-Z's 40/40 sued
Citysol Defeats own Purpose
An interview with Sarah from JellyNYC
An interview with Michael from Oxford Collapse
