Category: NYC Metro

Interview: Boxed Wine talk about Shows, Syncs and Cheap Fun

Friday, June 20th. My friend buys us tickets to see Dresses play The Studio at Webster Hall. I like the duo but feel as if my street cred is in question walking into a venue after a gaggle of fourteen year olds making some kind of remark about wearing dresses to a Dresses show. I try putting off going in for the openers, but between the scalper trying to sell me tickets to a show I already have tickets for, and the homeless guy on 11th street making me bear predictable Charlie Sheen jokes against my will, I realize it’d be easier to follow my friend inside.

Surprisingly enough, we walk into a beach-party kind of vibe. A band called Boxed Wine is on and I initially can’t tell if there are four or five members in the band—a guy in a ponytail and blue Boxed Wine shirt (apparently this guy never got the memo that this is bad luck) keeps bouncing on and off stage to sing gang vocals. Within minutes, the band has the crowd dancing. There’s a palpable sense of familiarity in the air—not in the sense that you recognize them from one of the OC mixes but in a way you know you’ve heard the songs before. When “Summer Wine” comes on, I find that I’m no longer thinking about rent, or my shitty coffee shop hours the next day. Instead, I ricochet into that two week long Halloween freshman year (Syracuse will stretch out any holiday where it’s socially acceptable to wear seasonally challenged outfits and spend the night adjacent to the toilet) when my friends drove up to my dorm, corrugated fiberboard boxes in hand, and we stayed in and got wrecked off of cheap red wine together. That’s the exact sentiment Boxed Wine captures in their music.

With the lead singer of Silver Conor on their side, a song in an Adam Sandler movie, and tragicomic DIY music videos, this New Jersey band is out to show you that sometimes cheap really is more fun. In this interview, lead singer Chris Nova talks more about the band that we’ve all seen from the corner of our eyes.

Gauraa Shekhar: According to your website, you guys love Johnny Walker Red, Magic Hat and Craft Beer. How did you end up with the name Boxed Wine?

Chris Nova: Well it happened after we wrote the first EP drinking Franzia Sangria every night (re: the cause of Summer Wine’s poor vocal takes, haha). We settled on ‘wine’ as part of the name, but argued between naming the band Fine Fine Wine or Winetown. Someone said why not just name it Boxed Wine, but we all assumed it was taken. When we looked it up and saw it was open, we were shocked and made the Facebook page that night!

GS: What brought you guys together?

CN: Ralph and I lived together for most of college at Rutgers, and met Mike halfway through mutual friends. Ralph played in a band called Jackie Treehorn with Mike (who’s also the best singer in Boxed Wine) and the precursor band to Boxed Wine, Le Le Low, but they both imploded and we all did nothing for a bit. Then Ralph and I started writing different songs when we were both depressed about how awful the ‘real world’ was. The songs were just an escape that grew gradually over time into a full band with other members. Eventually we settled on the current lineup, adding Mike and his friend Steve. Now we’re practicing with our new member Andrea who’s gonna be playing keyboard since that our sound is changing up a bit.

GS: Your songs are always in commercials, playing before Banks shows at Irving Plaza, etc. Do you guys have a say in the syncs at all or do you just randomly turn on the TV and go, “man, our song’s in a washing machine ad”?

CN: We played before Banks’ show?! That’s so cool! (Laughs) We must have a fan in NYC! We have say on some songs and not on others. The sync market is crazy competitive so they often need a yes immediately. We trust our friends in the licensing world to look out for us, but they did soundtrack an Adam Sandler movie commercial with “Waste Your Time” so we might need to reevaluate those friendships…

We never see the commercials first, our fans and friends usually text us and ruin the surprise. We don’t have cable though so it’s actually pretty helpful.

GS: On that note, what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever heard your music play?

CN: We got a small random check for being in a Norwegian airlines in-company video, so though we’ll never see it we hope it made us a fan or two! Go Norway!

GS: These days artists have started giving music videos an importance again. Bands like Cable and Babes have quite the narrative play going on in their videos but you guys are definitely onto something new. What was the thought process behind the music video for “Spies”?

CN: Well Spies isn’t a music video we made, but we’re glad you enjoyed the guinea pigs! We don’t have enough money to make videos for all our songs, so we ended up stealing a bunch of footage from YouTube to give something entertaining to watch during the non-single tracks!

You should check out Arnold in the “Tearing It Up” video, or Nickelback in the “Into the Nite” one…

We love music videos though, but have kinda screwed up every one so far, especially Cannibal. That turned out to be oddly misogynistic instead of as ridiculous as originally planned. We might remake it with naked dudes and dogs, but the original idea was pretty much done in an MGMT video we hadn’t seen. They probably do more drugs than us, which is why their music video was better. Unfortunately it had a different and much worse effect on their last album…

GS: NJ has a very tightly kit music community. I just learned that Bruce Springsteen helped Nicole Atkins set up her new record label after they met at an Ashbury Park show once. Have you met anyone from NJ who has served as your rock and roll guardian angel?

CN: Our bassist’s dad is Joe Cerisano of the 80s rockers Silver Condor. He also sang the ‘Be All You Can Be’ Army theme, which is awesome. He’s been super helpful with general career advice, which is great. Unfortunately half the people he knows in the music business are dead from an overdose of Rock and/or Roll.

Fun fact: he also sang the best version of “When a Man Loves a Woman” with Clarence Clemons on sexy sax duties. It is jaw dropping.

GS: How do you guys deal with situations where fans in Boxed Wine T-shirts insist on coming up on stage three times per show to sing gang vocals?

CN: We have an officially licensed Homer Simpson ‘Reachin’ Stick’ that we use to push them off stage.

Haha just kidding! We love our fans and honestly wish our shows were crazier, kinda like a Black Lips show. I have never been drunker or happier jumping off the stage while they played through ‘Bad Kids’ and that’s a memory to cherish. We want our crowd to have those memories too.

GS: Which show has been your favorite thus far? Why?

CN: We’ve played some seriously great basement shows in New Brunswick, but the best in our memory was April 20, 2013. It was insane and we had a whole basement soaked and exhausted at the end. That was a memory indeed.

GS: What would you say is the difference between performing in NY and NJ?

CN: There’s no venues in New Jersey, so there’s the answer. Haha kidding again. There are a few, but our best shows have been in basements, hands down. The Court Tavern finally noticed us recently and we had a good show there so we’ve set up another for August 30th.

Unfortunately there are more scammy venues in NJ than NY. There’s a difference between a draw requirement and “here’s 50 $20 tickets to sell or you don’t play an have to pay us back.” NJ has more of the latter and it’s absolutely awful. We’ve always said no to that garbage, and they’ve only tricked us once, causing us to purposefully invite no one and cancel the day before, ha.

GS: People in NY are slightly…well, insane. They tend to say a lot of ridiculous things (paging guy down the street from me who sings dirty versions of nursery rhymes and claims to be a pirate)–what’s the most bizarre thing someone’s said to you at a show?

CN: The exchange went as such:
Homeless man: “you look like a Beatle, can I have a dollar?”
Chris: “what?”
HM: “you look like John Lennon, give me a dollar!!!”
Chris: “thanks but sorry I don’t have any cash”
HM: “FUCK YOU JOHN LENNON GIMME A DOLLAR!!!!”

He then chased us. Very slowly…

GS: I know you guys look up to bands like Bear Hands. In an ideal world, which artists/bands would you like to tour with?

CN: All we want to do is tour and hang out with Tokyo Police Club, that’d be like a dream come true. I’d say Spoon would be a close second. I met Britt and he was so appreciative of his fans; just an all around nice dude. My dream, though, would be to play with the Strokes, but I imagine the second coming of Bowie would happen first.

GS: What are you all listening to right now?

CN: Ralph is listening to a bunch of synth pop bands like Magic Man and Betty Who, so now he never shuts up about Charli XCX. He keeps playing the new Blondfire record on repeat as well.

I’m currently obsessed with Mounties (because Steve Bays is a musical god) and have listened to their debut album like 40 times this month. I’m also crazy about JJAMZ because Alex from Phantom Planet is in it. Unfortunately JJAMZ has been quiet since 2010.

Mike never stops listening to Gaslight Anthem, and it’s clearly influencing the awesome solo songs he’s been writing. Frank Turner and the Fratellis are other passions of his, as well as the Naked and Famous.

Steve listens to way heavier stuff and loves Crosses and the Deftones when he’s not listening to Rush. That’s why he’s the greatest drummer in indie pop, haha.

GS: What’s your favorite Boxed Wine song?

CN: My favorite is currently our next single “Innocent.” but I also really like “Young Lovers”. Ralph’s is probably our new single ‘Quiver.’ Mike is a rockist and likes “Bones” and Steve likes another b-side that’s our heaviest track. It’s untitled currently but will be out pretty soon, we hope.

GS: What led you to make your new album available for free download on Bandcamp?

CN: We’re just realists. Everyone steals music, including us, so we felt this was a way to give back. People have the option to give us a few bucks and they often do, which shows us the true good in humanity. We line our pockets with humanity! Really though, we’d rather people buy a tangible T-shirt and come see us instead of spend the money on the digital songs themselves. We just try not to be jerks, and expect the same from any fans.

Unfortunately we’re forced to charge on the bigger sites, but if you’re not smart enough to figure out how to get it free then unfortunately you must pay handsomely, ha.

GS: Why should our readers pick up “Cheap, Fun?”

CN: It’s FREE, why wouldn’t you take it?! In all seriousness, it will hopefully make your day brighter, guide you in times of trouble, and bring you closer to His Holiness (sic.) David Bowie. All we want to do is help people forget that the world is a cold, dark, cruel place with no rhyme or reason to anything other than the fact that we should all be dancing way more often. And eating pizza. And taking naps. That’s it.
___

Download Boxed Wine’s latest album Cheap, Fun here.

June 29, 2014
The Disco Biscuits Throw Down (and Back) at Irving Plaza

The Disco Biscuits recently completed a brief three night run through New York City at a Irving Plaza, a venue that didn’t seem to befit these monsters of the jam scene. Ditching their usual spacious confines of Best Buy Theatre in Times Square, the group instead opted for a throwback of sorts with the location moving downtown to the approximate 1,000 person capacity Irving Plaza. This was a curious move for a band that could easily sell out venues twice the size of this, but it did make for a highly spirited and energetic performance that surely reminded the musicians and certain audience members of a time when rooms like this were the norm.

The Philly based rockers wasted no time in getting down to business with a blistering ‘Save the Robots’ intro that settled nicely into a slow, extended jam before the next composed section that gave everyone a chance to get their bearings or attempt to carve out space on the cramped floor. Another lengthy jam then followed, anchored by stellar drum and bass play by Allen Aucoin and Marc Brownstein, respectively. Despite a ‘Crickets’-like buildup, the frenzied jam soon came to a boil and the band shifted directions into one of their oldest and most iconic songs, ‘Aceetobee’. This old school Bisco classic saw a composed section that was stretched out, played to perfection and then followed by a fascinating psychedelic jam that had elements ranging from ambient to funk rock. Eventually, the music “normalized” to a degree as keyboardist Aron Magner took control of things and led the way through a seamless segue to yet another Biscuits classic, ‘Mr. Don’. This segue and the driving, pulsating jam that followed was truly some of the best music in this set with the light rig now in full gear and taking advantage of the close walls and light fixtures. The entire run at Irving Plaza had been highlighted by four song first sets and The Disco Biscuits showed tonight would be no different by ending things with one more transition into the ending of yet another classic original number, ‘Magellan’. With a first set that could’ve been plucked right from the pages of a late 90’s setlist (as the previous night’s was) now in the books, setbreak gave everyone a change to get hydrated, refuel and set the bar high for hopes of what was to come.

The second set opened, appropriately enough, with ‘The Overture’, a song based on classical music structure that has the group’s signature style of electronica thrown on the end of it. The mesmerizing, laser light filled jam that followed seemed to delight both audience and band members as the music reached deep levels of electronic improvisation. Jon Gutwillig’s signature guitar lick signaling the beginning of ‘Gangster’ soon rang through the already saturated room that unleashed a new intensity to both the music and light show. Right on cue, the band then steered things right into one of their most renowned and associated covers, Pink Floyd’s ‘Run Like Hell’. Gutwillig continued to take the lead on the outtro jam that featured some truly impressive soloing on his part.

After yet another ‘Crickets’ jam fakeout, the Biscuits continued to honor the old school vibe and then launched into perhaps one of their oldest songs, ‘Pat and Dex’, which brought a noticeable roar from knowledgeable veteran fans. The completion of ‘Pat and Dex’ marked the first time the band finished a song and stopped playing without transitioning into something else, an impressive feat. Perhaps due to the increasingly humid temperature in the room, the band seemed to lose just a little bit of steam in finishing the second set with an unfinished ‘Shem-Rah-Boo’ that meandered for a little while before a noticeable ‘Life During Wartime’ jam took over.

This gave to way to another older song in the form of an inverted ‘Bernstein & Chasnoff’ that was well-played and then capped with a ‘Run Like Hell’ ending. This offered one last impressive display of music and light symmetry that seemed to put a bow on an impressive night of music that saw the band play a number of older and classic songs with all the electronic fury and technical prowess they have at their disposal today.

June 25, 2014
Governors Ball 2014: I Want To Be A Part Of It, New York, New York
Over 40,000 music lovers from all over the country converged on Randall’s Island in NYC on each of the three days of Governors Ball over June 6-8, 2014. A perfect weekend of sun and clear skies catered to 68 bands across four stages of non-stop music running from shortly after noon until 11pm . This year marked the fourth for Governors Ball but only the second year as a three day festival and the first as a three day rain-free festival following last year’s washout.

The midday kickoff on Friday saw a slow arrival of festival goers at first but many seemed to have convinced their bosses at work to let them out early as the crowd picked up toward the middle of the afternoon. Excitement pulsed through the flow of people making the twenty minute parade from the 4/5/6 subway station with the sight of the main stage peeking up through the trees adjacent to Icahn Stadium. The mood of the weekend had been set.

Just about everything at the festival was about New York City. An impressive display of artwork by NY artists or with NYC themes was on hand throughout the grounds giving many photo ops (and yes, #govballnyc was a trending topic on Twitter and Instagram throughout the weekend with all of those photos). Foodies had a real treat with numerous local food and beverage vendors on hand showing off their grub. For the most part it was pretty easy to find a short food line at the right time, but a few popular joints maintained lines stretching across the lawn.

A rather noticeable facet about the weekend was the staff – festival attendants, security, medical and everyone else involved in making Governors Ball run smoothly. The staff were knowledgeable and beyond friendly. Security and attendants got into the fun of things giving out random high-fives as people came and went and guards sometimes got into the mood of the music by encouraging fans to clap along with whatever act was on the stage behind them (not to mention a great job done of keeping everyone safe).

Now the critical element – the music. As we just mentioned Governors Ball was all about NYC. This carried on often in the weekend’s lineup with a number of bands based out of the five boroughs ranging from just recently signed bands like Drowners and SKATERS to the well established headliners like Interpol and Vampire Weekend, just to name a few on each end of the spectrum. Of note for the festival was the variety, with something for almost everyone. While there were no heavy metal or jam band acts there was an array of rock, indie pop, punk, EDM and hip hop. An excellent and unique opportunity was created by Governors Ball for people to tune their ears to something new or something they may have assumed they would dislike until seeing live. Metalheads were able to wet their whistle briefly with a lot of Metallica and hair metal played over the PA during set changes at the Gotham Tent.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the musical highlights for each day as seen by :

Friday – Day 1

The festival kicked off with some hometown acts: Brooklyn-based Haerts opening the main stage followed by NYC natives Drowners taking to the Big Apple Stage on the opposite end of the grounds. Drowners drew a younger crowd (granted, it was only 1 p.m. while many festival goers may have been leaving work). Frontman Matt Hitt resonated vibes of a 60’s pop performance in a 21^st century light, creating along with the band an indie pop sound that was done just right. Jason Isbell (Drive-By Truckers alumnus) gave the first country sounds of the weekend on the main stage in a singer-songwriter fashion backed by a full band. Lo-fi indie rocker Kurt Vile of Kurt Vile and the Violators could be seen often hunched over his guitar attentively focused on the notes as he played to an intently listening crowd at the Big Apple Stage.

The standout act of Friday afternoon was Janelle Monáe, and perhaps a standout for the whole weekend. Her band was clad all in white playing against a black and white candy swirl backdrop and the waves of energy bouncing between the stage and crowd was almost instant with people grooving along with the very animated and enthusiastic Monáe. Aesthetically a retro throwback and musically a rebirth of new wave soul and R&B (along the lines of Prince), her songs seemed to connect to all ages within earshot of the main stage. Be sure to check out Janelle’s footwork on stage next time you see her perform.

A surprise performance by the High and Mighty Brass Band from NOLA/NYC caught the attention of people making their way to the main stage for Phoenix. With Nadav Nirenberg on trombone (also of Streetlight Manifesto) they turned the main food vendor area into a Bourbon Street festival on Randall’s for fifteen minutes or so. Other notable acts on the first day included Julian Casablancas+The Voids (who are releasing a debut album this year), Neko Case, and from across the pond Bastille and Phoenix. Phoenix, by the way, is no stranger to big festivals and they proved that to Governors Ball. Playing to one of the largest crowds of the day so far, the band looked thrilled and even ecstatic to be on stage and off, when singer Thomas Mars got close and personal to the audience, crowd surfing with mic in hand near the end of the set.

Closing out the first day was a highly anticipated set by Outkast, who are storming the festival circuit with their first shows in 10 years. Their set brought a majority of the crowd over to the main stage as they played a perfect set mixing hits and deep cuts that had the crowd eating out of their hands the whole time. Opposite them was Damon Albarn, who played songs from his new solo album, Gorillaz, Blur, and The Good, The Bad, & The Queen. Although the crowd in front of his stage may have been much smaller, Damon played as if he were on the main stage, giving every moment of his set all the energy he could and added extra flavor to the set bringing on guest backing performers.

Saturday – Day 2

The first act of Saturday that caught a lot of attention was Diarrhea Planet. Based on their name alone you may not want to take them seriously but you surely would after seeing their set. Every person walked away from their set with a smile and grin on their face. Delivering a sometimes heavier punk sound somewhat akin to The Gaslight Anthem, there was no shortage of energy from the crowd surfing to the circle pits to the guitar players climbing the stage scaffolding and even one of them crowd surfing himself with guitar in hand. Not to mention that they teased the crowd with a reprise of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” to close out their set. Immediately following those guys at the opposite Honda Stage was RJD2. Those seeing his DJ set for the first time noticed right away that he made his live mixes using real vinyl records, a real attention grabber for first-timers. Brooklyn’s own Lucius supported their 2013 debut album Wildewoman with a charming indie pop performance on the main stage at the peak of the afternoon followed by Broken Bells who were also supporting their 2013 release After the Disco.

Despite the blazing sun, Los Angeles neo-soul/funk band Fitz and the Tantrums put on a very energetic set to an almost main stage sized gathering, establishing themselves as one of the afternoon anchors of the festival. The audience interaction, their cover of The Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams,” and James King’s bari sax licks (with a tease of Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty” on “Moneygrabber”) ripping through the air like laser beams were just a few of the things setting this act apart from the others. Some other strong performances before the headliners came from The Naked and Famous, The Glitch Mob, Spoon (who debuted some new songs including “Rainy Taxi”) and Brooklyn-based Sleigh Bells, who rocked the Gotham Tent with a loud noise rock set. Julian Casablancas returned for a second night in a row, this time joining his main band and NYC natives The Strokes playing to an eager crowd chanting “we want The Strokes!” before the set kicked off a few minutes on the late side. Fans really got into their set, even lifting a few crowdsurfers into the air. Closing out the Honda Stage opposite Jack White was a set by Skrillex, supporting his recent March 2014 release of Recess.

Finally, there was Jack White. There is a lot to be said about his set which happened to be three days before his second solo album Lazaretto was released. White, a connoisseur for guitar riffs and refined attention to the smaller details of his performance, commanded and conquered the main stage to take as his own territory. Set to the backdrop of a red waxing Gibbous moon, White’s set included a range of material from his time with The White Stripes and as a solo act. While we didn’t see any surprise appearances on stage, White did perform “The Rose with the Broken Neck,” a track written in collaboration with Danger Mouse (bassist of Broken Bells who did a set earlier in the day). Though billed as Jack White, each band member was just about as prominent in the performance as White himself. Chanting the riff of “Seven Nation Army” during the encore break, the crowd got what they asked for. White’s performance on “Seven Nation Army” was nothing short of spectacular. It seemed as though fans didn’t get enough of it when “Seven Nation Army” turned into the chant of choice as the queue of people leaving the grounds over the RFK Bridge was building up after the festival closed.

Sunday – Day 3

Not quite ready for the sunburn rehab clinic, people made a point to catch as much of the final day as possible, arriving in numbers shortly after the gates opened. The Gotham Tent was pleasantly warmed up with a short set by southern roots rock singer/songwriter Ben Cameron, originally from Connecticut but bringing his songs from his current musical home of Nashville. Another reward of arriving early was a set from Cayucas immediately following Ben Cameron with their indie surf rock themes from California. Early afternoon sets from two NYC bands BLEACHERS and SKATERS coincided, leading to a fairly even distribution of people between each set. SKATERS brought back the sounds of post punk and old school garage rock, even paying tribute to one of their influences by covering the Ramones later in their set. Those at BLEACHERS’ set were treated to a cover of Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More.”

When it came time to relax in the afternoon heat, Chicago-based Wild Belle dished out some slower rock grooves with pleasant reggae beats easy to either dance along to or enjoy sitting on the lawn. On the hip hop/EDM side of the record both rapper Tyler, the Creator and English duo AlunaGeorge packed their respective stages with dance heavy crowds. Tyler, the Creator filled his set with silly rapping received by a rather raucous audience.

Prior to the headliners, the dinner hour was entertained by The Head and the Heart and British rockers The Kills. The Head and the Heart are familiar with festivals, remarking “It’s nice to be at a festival on the east coast for once,” and thanked the audience for their attendance at a music festival for music lovers. While something can be said about the chemistry on stage for most of the performers at Governors Ball, there was no short display of it by The Head and the Heart. Another festival master, Foster the People played to a growing audience, perhaps getting themselves in place for Vampire Weekend. There wasn’t too much in the way of special live elements to the show, such as an EDM interlude in “Pumped Up Kicks” but they did add a few extended intros/outros and brought a friend, Spencer Ludwig from Capital Cities, to play trumpet on two songs including “Houdini.” Frontman Mark Foster played to the NY crowd with anecdotes about the naming of nearby Icahn Stadium in the downtime banter between songs.

By now you have probably noticed the focus on NYC based acts, and this was topped off with a weekend headlining set by Columbia University bred Vampire Weekend. With anticipation building for VW’s set, fans were craning their necks to scope out the baroque style setting of the stage and once the set began attempted to push themselves a little closer to the stage. Their upbeat, fast paced singles “Cousins” and “Holiday,” among others, were met with raised arms jumping around throughout the crowd. Their set was closed with an old favorite, “Walcott,” performed a little faster than the studio version. Vampire Weekend was confident and energetic on stage, though they seemed just as comfortable at Governors Ball as at a smaller NYC venue like Terminal 5. Either way, they were a perfect choice to headline and close the festival main stage. On the way out from Vampire Weekend’s set, people caught the sounds of the final few minutes of Swedish EDM duo Axwell Λ Ingrosso’s set, complete with fireworks.

With four stages and 68 bands, it would be very difficult to see every act long enough to appreciate their sets. However, here is our pick of ten of the best performances from Governors Ball 2014, in no particular order:
- Jack White
- Phoenix
- Daman Albarn
- Janelle Monáe
- Vampire Weekend
- Diarrhea Planet
- Fitz and the Tantrums
- Drowners
- The Strokes
- Interpol
Governors Ball did a decent job of planning the stages such that there wouldn’t be much coin tossing on who to see. For example, there were some clear favorites like Outkast over Daman Albarn on the first night. However, more even splits in attendance between the stages could be seen at times, most likely due to tough decisions. Jack White and Skrillex played sets at the same and debates could be heard between friends on which set to attend.

Governors Ball has evolved into a powerhouse amongst the big festivals, spotlighting both major and up-and-coming local NYC talent mixed with acts from around the country. The biggest take away from this year’s Governors Ball is that it was truly designed as a festival experience for the music lovers and connoisseurs. It’s not all about going for the sake of the scene; it’s about experiencing the music. Governors Ball, you’ve shown us how it’s done.

Catch ’s backstage interviews with Drowners, Ben Cameron, and SKATERS coming soon to .com.
June 17, 2014
Photo Gallery: Ghost B.C and King Dude at Best Buy Theater NYC

New York welcomed back the Swedish rockers known as Ghost B.C on May 14. This time accompanied by very dark folks King Dude, they delivered a powerful performance to a packed Best Buy Theater. With a nice touch of neo-folk, the lesser known King Dude opened the ceremony with a beautiful set of Luciferian music. The mystery that surrounds Ghost, their enigmatic, mysterious personnel known as The Nameless Ghouls, and their leader Papa Emeritus II will forever draw in a mass of faithful followers that gather around to celebrate a black mass of 70’s style rock. The electricity and emotion were in the air as their devotees chanted along all night with passion and faith to some of their biggest hits.

Setlist: Infestissumam, Per Aspera ad Inferi, Ritual, Prime Mover, Jigolo Har Megiddo, Con Clavi Con Dio, Elizabeth, Body and Blood, Death Knell, Here Comes the Sun, Depth of Satan’s Eyes, Stand by Him, Genesis, Year Zero, If You Have Ghosts, Ghuleh/Zombie Queen, Monstrance Clock

June 12, 2014
Interview: Erik Danielsson, Watain and the Brooklyn Ritual

After an unprecedented and unexpected announcement that Watain will return to the US for the last time this year, we caught up with front man Erik Danielsson for an exclusive insight of what can be expected of this ritual on Sunday June 15 at the Brooklyn Bazaar.Tickets for the show can be found by clicking here

Kassandra Carmon: Hey E! Its’ been a while since our last interview. How are you finding yourself?

Erik Danielsson: I’m good, it’s been a very eventful year so far. It’s been very hard here, in both good and bad ways. We had gone through a lot of difficult things and good things and we came out before the summer starts.. I feel about a 100 years older since we last spoke, but that can mean something beautiful I suppose.

KC: So you’re playing a very unexpected show in Brooklyn in about a week at the Brooklyn Baazar, this show pretty much came out of the blue, how did this come about?

ED: Pretty much like this: some guy from Brooklyn got in touch with us and pretty much said “Hey we heard you guys have never been able to do your whole show with pyro in the states, how about you play a show in Brooklyn on the 15th of June, because we have a venue here where you can do it. ” We were like “fuck, how is this going to work?” but we actually made it work, we and a lot of good people around us made it work. We actually owe a lot to our Watain Disciples, because they’ve been extremely supportive and helpful we everything we need, since all of this was very short notice booking. We have been getting a lot of help from them and other devious people who have really been able to help out, with it actually looking very promising. Basically, we were bound for Europe and we were going to do a festival, so it was very out of the blue for us, like you said, but we took the chance because it’s a good opportunity to do something we have been wanting to do for a long time mainly, bringing a whole Watain show across the sea .

KC: This show promises to give the New York fans the full Watain experience, of course there is a lot of talk about the use of fire and blood, what can your fans expect?

ED: I don’t know, I don’t want to sell like ‘come to the show, we are going to do this and that’, that’s not how it works, but I will say this much working in the states means working with a lot of uptight people, it means working with right wing Christian fucking uptight cunts everywhere, unfortunately. But it always comes to playing shows… but this time around we don’t have to do that, that means that we can, what can i say, it’s going to be a little bit more, or a lot more perhaps that American fans are used to to see at a Watain stage. And what that is and how exactly that’s going to happen its for those who come to the show to experience, but all along it’s going to be something else.

KC: It’s kinda like a treat for us, we never get the fire and all of those things.

ED: Yeah I suppose, for us it seems good because we have never done it in the us, but for us is like doing a show like we do back at home, but you know I’m exited as well because of the fact that people haven’t been able to see all that, so for us a another adventure.

KC: It was also mentioned that this would be the last show in the summer in the USA, are there any other plans to tour the United States in the future?

ED: There are but they are pretty far ahead of time, as it looks now this is going to be the only US show for the year and it’s because of a lot of reasons, first and foremost doing a show like this now, with the full stage we don’t see another reason to come back doing anything less. We want to find someone we can actually work with to bring the full show in a public scenario… not settling for less. I mean all the U.S. tours we have done have been very special in a way, we really never compromised in the nature of the show, just the different ingredients, but just for the reason that we are not legally allowed to do certain things and we are kid fed up with that kind of limitations some point we were going say fuck it we are not going to tour if we cant do what we want to do, and this Brooklyn show is a good start.

KC: It will definitely set up the standard for future tour, you won’t settle for less

ED: I mean its not all about what you have on the stage or whether you can use pyro, that’s not what Watains concept is all about, but its of course were you draw a line

KC: Well I am very exited for the show as well, as a photographer, I’ve never worked with fire and pyro so I should be able to get some good shoots throughout the night

ED: There should be some good opportunities for that

KC: But as you know I am more of a local photographer, and I know of other press who is coming outside of the NYC area, as well as other fans making the journey, what do you have to say to those fans who are coming from far away to the Brooklyn show?

ED: It’s going be worth every inch of the trip, because it’s something that we have with our fans and our followers, we always meet a lot of people who make these trips and for them our concerts become, or are a pilgrimage something very important. And I like that idea, the idea traveling a long way to arrive that will eventually explode with fire and chaos. I think there is something very important and beautiful in there that I fully support and that people are making these trips means a lot because that’s a lot of the energy in the actual concert, knowing that those people are there…

KC: Well, it’s nice to know I will be seeing you guys soon and we wish you the best of luck with the last minute preparations and details.

June 11, 2014
Peakin’ (And Leavin’) at the Beacon for The Allman Brothers

The Allman Brothers Band has called it quits – in their Monday statement to announce the makeup shows the band had canceled at the Beacon Theatre in New York City when Gregg Allman fell ill in March, the band stated the October dates will be their last. Though Gregg had previously denied reports of a break-up, this statement appears to all but confirm the end is near.

Since forming in 1969, The Allman Brothers Band has split twice, first after 1976 (then reunited in 1978), and again in 1982 (to be reunited in 1989). Over the 45-year span, the boys out of Macon, Georgia have earned a legendary status in the music world. After its induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, the band earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2012), as well as a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for “Jessica” in 1996. Rolling Stone Magazine named the Allman Brothers on several “All Time” lists since the start of the new millennium, including Greatest Artists (No. 52), and Greatest Albums (No. 49 – for At Fillmore East) . In 2003, the magazine composed a list of 100 Greatest Guitarists: Derek Trucks (No. 81), Dickey Betts (No. 58), Warren Haynes (No. 23) and Duane Allman (No. 2) were all named. (Curiously, when the magazine composed a similar list in 2011 only three were named, with Trucks moving up from No. 61 to No. 18, and Haynes dropping off the list entirely.)

The group announced the makeup shows would be at New York City’s Beacon Theatre on Oct. 21st, 22nd, 24th and 25th. Those with tickets for the four canceled shows (from March 25, 26, 28 and 29) can use them on the corresponding dates, or can obtain refunds, before Aug. 1. Additional shows for Oct. 27th and 28th will be their last shows.

The Allman Brothers Band are scheduled to appear at Mountain Jam, June 8th, at Hunter Mountain, followed by Scranton, PA’s Peach Fest for August 14th-17th.

The band has had a long-standing residency at the Beacon, spanning several years. It had celebrated its 40th anniversary there in 2009.

June 3, 2014
Preview: Sold-Out 2014 Governors Ball To Deliver Strongest Lineup Yet

Governors Ball, relatively new to the festival scene, is hitting Randall’s Island in New York City with force this coming weekend, June 6-8 2014. Growing from humble beginnings in 2011 as a one day festival with a dozen or so smaller acts, the 2014 festival is bigger than ever, having sold out while there were still just over two weeks to go before the show and is headlined by the likes of Jack White, Outkast, and the Strokes, among many other well known acts. Even in its beginning, Governor’s Ball has attracted more people than even Dave Matthews’ Caravan tour stop at Randall’s Island.

Several bands who have made or will be making other big festival appearances such as Coachella and Lollapalooza will be headlining each of the days, mixed in with smaller bands you may or may not be familiar with but promise to deliver a strong performance set against the Manhattan skyline. The four stages will have something for everybody, from indie/alternative rock to hip hop and electronica. With 68 bands scheduled at this time – and who knows what last minute surprises there may be – there were be plenty to choose from. has a few acts of note to see, both on the headliner and supporting band side.

Day 1 Headliners: Outkast, Phoenix, TV On The Radio

Outkast reunited this year after a seven year hiatus, taking the opportunity to celebrate their 20^th anniversary (which passed in 2012 while on break). While they don’t have any new material since 2007 there is a bit of hype about their return. Try to be cool with Phoenix. The alt-rockers from France are still riding the wave of their chart-peaking 2013 release Bankrupt!

Don’t miss: Damian Marley, Bastille, Neko Case, Little Comets, Julian Casablancas & The Voidz

Day 2 Headliners: Jack White, The Strokes, Skrillex

The lineup for Day 2 is jam packed with festival goodness. Jack White and Skrillex both have sets going on simultaneously. Lazaretto, Jack White’s second solo album, will be officially released June 10, just a few days after the festival. What better way to get the ultimate live preview of some new tracks than in the company of thousands of others? Likewise, dubstep artist Skrillex released his latest album, Recess, in March.

Don’t Miss: Spoon, Broken Bells, Fitz and the Tantrums, The Naked & Famous, Sleigh Bells

Day 3 Headliners: Vampire Weekend, Interpol, AXWELL Λ INGROSSO

Governor’s Ball wraps up with the hometown talent of Vampire Weekend and Interpol along with Swedan-based house duo Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso. Vampire Weekend released their chart-topping Modern Vampires of the City about a year ago.

Don’t Miss: Head and the Heart, Cayucas, Wild Belle

With Governor’s Ball’s strongest lineup yet this year, festival organizers have done a decent job with scheduling the four stages such that festival-goers can catch most of what they’d like to see. Since it is difficult to be in two places at once, there are a few overlapping sets where you may have a tough choice to make between stages (i.e., Jack White vs. Skrillex). We suggest looking at the full schedule posted at lineup.governorsballmusicfestival.com and making an itinerary in advance. The website makes this easy, featuring an interactive tool that allows you to make your own festival schedule and share with friends on Facebook and Twitter. There’s even an iOS and Android app to help guide you through the lineup.

The music doesn’t stop at 11pm. Well, Randall’s Island will hush to the chatter of the crowd at 11 but there are a number of after shows going on starting anywhere between 9pm and 11:30pm at venues in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Output Club, Brooklyn Bowl, Irving Plaza, Knitting Factory, and Grasslands Gallery will host several of the supporting bands along with others. Some after shows are sold out already, but the rest still have tickets available, and you can enter to win tickets to all of them here. The Strokes only recently announced a warmup show at the Capitol Theatre on May 31^st, but tickets sold out rather quickly.

Governor’s Ball, 2013

Location/Lodging: Nestled on the East River between Queens and Manhattan (approximately parallel with the northern end of Central Park/115^th Street), there is certainly plenty to do on the off hours of the festival for those who would to spend the earlier part of their afternoon off of Randall’s Island, especially since there is no lodging on the grounds. Randall’s Island is easily accessible by subway, bus, Manhattan Ferry, the Brooklyn Shuttle, bike, and even car/taxi. Governor’s Ball has partnered with Hotels For Hope to provide brokerage services to help attendees find a room, and for every room booked through this service $2 is donated to Answer the Call, a charity benefiting the widows and children of fallen FDNY and NYPD service members. So, check out this hotel search tool before going direct to the hotel to help a great cause.

Governor’s Ball offers a wide array of activities suited for the whole family (and yes, the festival is quite family friendly). Art installations will be on display – “surprises are in store” according to the festival. A photo booth will be set up, taking both stills and motion GIFs set against a logo backdrop. Lawn games will be set up in a tailgate help-yourself setting, so grab some friends and meet new folks over some corn hole and bocce. A face & body painting station will be on hand to add to your festival flair. There will even be a silent disco – a dance party with a live DJ performance pumped through wireless headphones.

Hungry? So are we thinking about what’s on the menu. Hint: it isn’t your typical nacho and cheese concessions. Foodies will be in for a treat with over 54 NYC-area vendors – food trucks, caterers, restaurants – showcasing their grub. From specialty sandwiches to Lebanese and Asian goodies to coffees and Italian ice, just to name a few, the festival experience will be well rounded with this spread. Not to mention gluten free and vegetarian offerings.

Couldn’t get your ticket in time? General admission is sold out but there are a very limited amount of VIP and Cabana tickets available, but at a price.

Still not able to make it? Be sure to follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for live updates from Governor’s Ball throughout the weekend!

Check out the Governor’s Ball Official Spotify Playlist to preview this year’s performers here or rdio lineup mix here.

June 2, 2014
King Crimson Reunion Starting in Albany

King Crimson is one of the most legendary bands in the prog-rock scene to ever take the stage and, they will have a reunion for a full tour for the first time since 2009.

Albany, New York’s own The Egg has the privilege to be the first stop on the tour on September 9th and 10th. The tour will roll south to New York City’s Best Buy Theater on September 18th, 19th and 20th for a special three-night run.

This has been a highly sought after show ever since Robert Fripp, the founding and only consistent member of the band, announced last September that the band would be getting back together. The line up is expected to include Fripp, Gavin Harrison, Bill Rieflin, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Mel Collins and Jakko Jakszy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAAqAnCBNKQ

The shows in Albany go on sale on June 6th at 11AM, and at noon for each New York City show.

June 2, 2014
Misfits Benefit Concert for Nyack Skate Park

Spring of last year the Nyack Village Trustees voted in favor of putting together a multifunctional skate park at Nyack’s Memorial Park. To help build the park, The Misfits one of punk’s biggest bands will play at the Nyack Center on May 31.

The band will put on an all ages and family friendly show at 2 p.m.; which will cost $10 and Mario the Magician and Mustache Cash Stash will be performing at the show. Later that night at 7:30 p.m., The Misfits will perform a full show; tickets will cost $30 and Regret the Hour, Heart of the Matter and Tournament will also perform. All money from the show will be donated to the skate park project.

The Misfits were formed in Lodi, New Jersey in 1977 by Glenn Danzig. The band’s name was taken from the 1961 Marilyn Monroe film of the same name.

The Misfits created a monstrous impact in the punk scene by creating their own genre, horror punk. They kept the classic hardcore punk but added their own horror movie theme to shows.

In 1984 the band broke up and it was not until 11 years later that The Misfits reunited sans Danzig. Original member Jerry Only has since taken over the role as frontman and bassist.

The night of the show, tickets will cost $35 dollars at the door. Fans can also buy a VIP ticket for the event which costs $45. It includes admission to the show and a limited addition Misfits t-shirt. All packages will be available online if they are not sold out.

The project is in the design phase and the Village of Nyack has said that Action Sports Design (ASD) will come up with a design. The design will appeal to skaters and appropriate for anyone in Memorial Park. The skating area will also include sitting area for people who would just like to spectate the skating parking. Nyack Needs A Skatepark Committee are also accepting donations.

May 30, 2014
The Nikon At Jones Beach: Beer Here!

The Nikon at Jones Beach Theater is one of Long Island’s premiere music venues. A killer stage, a capacity of 2,800 seats, and a beautiful view of the ocean side beach. Everyone needs to experience a show there at least once in their life.

Last Friday, Live Nation unleashed the news that there is a new designated area for drinking called the Backstage Oasis at Jones Beach. Unfortunately, you can’t bring the alcohol you purchases to your seat; however, there are giant monitors, sofas, and additional food truck venders to prevent you from feeling inconvenienced. Better than nothing at all, right?

After years of high demand for the Parks Department at Jones Beach to change their strict alcohol policy at the Nikon, Live Nation formed a committee at the end of 2012 to bring it to an end. As you can see, it seems both parties agreed to a compromise. Nevertheless, The Nikon at Jones Beach Theater finally serves alcohol. Party goers and music lovers rejoice.

May 30, 2014