Week in Rock: Bitte Byrne Edition - Photo Gallery

<strong>And the Heat Goes on Where the Hand Has Been</strong><p>In some circles, Lou Reed is regarded as New York's quintessential rock and roll old-timer, but at this point the petulant old fart doesn't have anything on <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/03/14/david_byrne_mus.php">David Byrne</a>. True, Byrne is a decade younger, but at 57 the intellectually and socially engaged artist still radiates vitality like white heat. His exhilarating, two hour performance to kick off <a href="http://www.briconline.org/celebrate/">another season of free concerts</a> in Brooklyn's Prospect Park was a tour de force of musical and theatrical inspiration, complete with an ace back-up band clad all in white, an ensemble of loopy interpretive dancers, a costume change involving tutus, and three encores.</p><p></p>Wow, what a concert. Thunderstorms had been predicted all day, but come show time the skies were clear over a <em>packed</em> Prospect Park. <a href="http://www.davidbyrne.com/">Byrne</a>, who told everyone he rode his bike to the gig, started off having a new Jamis bike wheeled on stage and announcing that one lucky cyclist who used the valet bike parking would be chosen to win the new wheels. Then it was blast off, into a spellbinding set featuring a heady mix of new and old collaborations between Byrne and Brian Eno. That meant new gems like the set-opener Strange Overtones were informed by Talking Heads classics from the back catalog like Crosseyed and Painless, Once in a Lifetime, Life During Wartime, and—if you missed it; this is probably starting to sting—Born Under Punches, Take Me to the River, and Heaven. (<a href="http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/06/david_byrne_pla_4.html">Brooklyn Vegan has more photos</a> and the full set list.)<p></p>For many in attendance, this blogger included, this was the first time hearing such essential Heads songs live and in person, and the experience was immensely satisfying. After just a few songs, even the swells in the orchestra section, who had paid dearly for their seats as part of a <a href="http://www.briconline.org/celebrate/">Celebrate Brooklyn</a> fundraiser, were up and dancing. And Byrne and company seemed visibly taken aback by the massive crowd's collective euphoria. It was just one of those magical nights which prove that New York City's <em>still got it</em>. (You just have to go to Brooklyn to get <em>it </em>most nights.)<em>—John Del Signore</em><p></p>

<strong>The Most Important Album of Our Time is Here*</strong><p>Brooklyn band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/dirtyprojectors">Dirty Projectors</a> (<a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/05/11/bjork_and_dirty_projectors_housing.php">Friends of Björk</a>) have released a new album, called <em>Bitte Orca</em>, and as of this past Tuesday <em>it has been available for purchase</em>. So consider this a PSA: <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bitte-Orca-Dirty-Projectors/dp/B0026T4RTI">buy it</a></strong> (<a href="http://stereogum.com/archives/wait-is-bitte-orca-the-best-album-of-2009_073711.html">Stereogum</a> has even posted a widget thing so you can listen beforehand, as if that were even necessary). </p><p></p>Okay <a href="http://stereogum.com/archives/premature-evaluation/premature-evaluation-dirty-projectors-bitte-orca_063902.html">so why is it good</a>... well, you know how it seems like music has sort of sucked for a while now? Sure, we have our Arcade Fires and our Animal Collectives, but what about our parents and grandparents who got to experience entire new genres of music being created...what about Lisztomania (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisztomania">this one</a>), what about the riots during Rite of Spring, what about Beatlemania? If music hasn't made you want to jump off a building or scream lately, then it hasn't been done right. We don't want to be jealous of our grandparent's musical era do we? Doomed to be nostalgic of a time we weren't even there to experience? Well good news: though there are plenty of nods to Led Zeppelin in this new Dirty Projectors album, this is it. A new era is upon us. The bar has been risen. The game has been changed. It's a music revolution. Listen to this one in a padded room and scream their name, banshees! <p></p><p></p>

<strong>Northside Festival Has Begun</strong><p>The first inaugural <a href="http://www.northsidefestival.com/">Northside Festival</a> is upon us (starting last night)! There's a lot more to do than just our and Brooklyn Based's <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/06/05/week_in_rock_1.php?gallery0Pic=3#gallery">show and afterparty</a> tomorrow (<em>though we highly recommend attending</em>), and luckily some local music bloggers have made it easy to navigate the rest of the fest. First off: <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;msa=0&amp;msid=115785675823102992921.00046c04caad128769d64&amp;ll=40.723714,-73.945198&amp;spn=0.030442,0.06772&amp;z=14">here's a map</a> of all the venues involved—they're all within walking/biking distance of each other (it's made especially easy tomorrow when Bedford Avenue is shut down for Williamsburg Walks). </p><p></p>Tonight we recommend checking out Brooklyn Vegan's showcase, which is happening in conjunction with the site's <a href="http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/06/announcing_the.html">first photography show</a>. It's all going down at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and features Dave Deporis, Olof Arnalds, The Tallest Man on Earth and John Vanderslice (<a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/08/17/video_of_the_da_100.php">friend of Gothamist</a>). We also recommend trying to make it over to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=82981548203&amp;ref=mf">FreeWilliamsburg's showcase</a>, especially for the headliner: These Are Powers. And if you make it out to any of the festival's offerings, be sure to tag your photos with "Gothamist" on flickr!