Tag: Bowery Ballroom

Post Punk Hits The Bowery Ballroom with Preoccupations, METZ, and FACS
A stellar post punk triple bill hit the Lower East Side’s Bowery Ballroom on Friday, December 10th featuring Preoccupations, METZ and FACS. The tour is actually a co-headline with Metz and Preoccupations switching each night with FACS providing the support. The tour hit Bushwick’s Elsewhere on Thursday night with METZ as the headliner, and Preoccupations took the late slot on Friday at Bowery.

FACS at Bowery Ballroom, 12/10/2021. Photo by Buscar Photo

Support for the shows on the tour came from the Chicago based band FACS. The band boasts a robust rhythm section with the driving drums and bass being front and center and psychedelic and dark guitar tones filling the void. FACS have three LPs under their belts since making their debut in 2018. Void Moments was released during the pandemic in 2020 and their third record, Present Tense was released earlier this year; both of which are seeing their live debut on this tour.
FACS at Bowery Ballroom, 12/10/2021. Photo by Buscar Photo
Canadian punk vets METZ took the stage next, in full support of their excellent 2020 LP Atlas Vending. Vocalist Alex Edkins spoke to the crowd between songs, explaining how weird it felt to finally be able to play the record live more than a year after it’s original release. The band played the first 5 tracks of the new album to start their set, with a couple more towards the end. Atlas Vending is METZ at their peak, and fans at Bower Ballroom on Friday were thrilled to finally experience it live.
METZ at Bowery Ballroom, 12/10/2021. Photo by Buscar Photo
Closing out the show on Friday was fellow Canadian band Preoccupations who are still touring strong behind their 2018 LP New Material. Preoccupations have been playing this record live for a while now, but this time around tracks such as “Antidote” were given a whole new live arrangement. A couple of new, unfamiliar songs were played during the set, indicating a new record may be on the way soon although nothing has been announced just yet.
Preoccupations at Bowery Ballroom, 12/10/2021. Photo by Buscar Photo
The tour continues this week with shows in Columbus and Chicago, before two hometown shows at Lee’s Palace in Toronto. Preoccupations, METZ, and FACS complimented each other so well at Bowery Ballroom and all have exciting new material either just out or on the horizon. It is certainly a show not to be missed.
December 14, 2021
Wavves Crashes Into Bowery Ballroom for One Wild Night

Wavves played a killer set for hardcore fans last week (Sunday October 24, 2021) at Bowery Ballroom with support from 95 Bulls and Harmless. A crowded venue moshed, screamed, and raged as each band increased the frenetic energy in the room.

Wavves at Bowery Ballroom, Photographed by David Reichmann

95 Bulls opened up the show with a selection of hard-hitting rock/metal bangers. Having formed during summer 2020 in lockdown, you would never have known the band was so new. The five band members all come from their own bands (Ashjesus, The Mystery Lights, Smock, Bipolar, and Jelly Kelly), so it’s no wonder that they were able to perform with such obvious chemisty. Their debut album is scheduled for release later this year. You can listen to their catalog here.

95 Bulls at Bowery Ballroom, Photographed by David Reichmann

Next up, Harmless brought a more soulful and mellow atmosphere to their performance. Between songs, the lead singer Nacho Cano helped return a few lost phones back to their owners, each time to big applause and laughter. The drummer drenched himself with his water bottle onstage to the pleased cheers of the crowd. Their latest single “Nacho’s” is available on streaming services now.

Harmless at Bowery Ballroom, Photographed by David Reichmann

Wavves took the stage to an already-wild audience, practically chomping at the bit to hear them begin their set. They wasted no time at all playing hit after hit from their catalog, including a few tracks from their newest album, “Hideaway.” In the middle of their set, lead singer Nathan Williams invited the crowd to open the center of the dance floor briefly to allow for a mosh pit. By the end of the night everyone including the band was wearing a thick sheen of sweat and a wide smile. You can listen to Wavves’ latest record here and follow their continuing North American tour here.

November 2, 2021
TORRES Gives an Intimate Performance at Bowery Ballroom
Georgia native TORRES returned to her current city of residence, New York City, on Thursday, October 21st for one of the last stops on the North American leg of her tour. Making an appearance at Bowery Ballroom, TORRES played several songs off her most recent LP Thirstier, in addition to several fan-favorites from her previous projects.

TORRES at Bowery Ballroom, 10/21/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger

With Thirstier having been released back in July of this year, the songs from it were very fresh in the crowd’s minds. They enthusiastically sang along to songs like “Don’t Go Puttin’ Wishes in My Head” and the title track “Thirstier.” The crowd energy was infectious and it was impossible not to move a little bit and lose yourself in the great instrumentation of it all.

TORRES at Bowery Ballroom, 10/21/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger

As it has been a common thread amongst many performers I have watched recently, TORRES was visibly emotional performing for a sold-out crowd in NYC for the first time in so long, due to COVID-19. She said multiple times that she was close to tears and was just astonished by how good it felt to play in her city again. TORRES interacted extensively with the crowd and it was obvious that this was a very devoted fanbase.

TORRES at Bowery Ballroom, 10/21/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger

TORRES’s tour has one more stop in Brooklyn at Baby’s All Right on Thursday, October 28th before hopping overseas to Europe. You can see the rest of the tour dates here. Be sure to check out the full photo gallery below!
October 26, 2021
Yo La Tengo Closes Out Central Park’s 2021 Summerstage Free Concert Series, Announce Hanukkah Celebration at Bowery Ballroom
Yo La Tengo helped bring Central Park’s 2021 Summerstage Free Concert Series to a close on Friday October 1st. Despite having to reschedule this performance from one month prior due to sever weather, fans were treated to perfect weather this time around. Fans enjoyed the first night of Autumn with plenty of fleece sweaters and a great lineup of performances.

The show opened up with three short films as a part of Rooftop Films’ Summer 2021 Summer Series. Next up, Amanda Nazario played a brief but energetic DJ set just as the sun began to set over Manhattan. And then Mountain Movers pumped up the crowd with their unique blend of drone and noise rock.

As Yo La Tengo took the stage, applause and cheers became screams when they opened with a cover of Velvet Underground’s “Who Loves the Sun.”

Their 90 minute set included several fan favorites such as “Autumn Sweater” (a natural inclusion) and “I’ll Be Around,” which they dedicated to Yoko Ono. Frontman Ira Kaplan brought his mother onstage to close out the concert with their cover of Anita Bryant’s “My Little Corner of the World.” The crowd ate it up, and the show ended on a high note.

Ira also announced at Summerstage that Yo La Tengo would once again be playing a series of eight Hanukkah shows at Bowery Ballroom from November 28 through December 5, coinciding with the eight nights of Hanukkah, which starts on November 28 and runs through the evening of December 6. Tickets will be available October 8th. You can find out more on Yo La Tengo’s website.

Ira Kaplan shared this note with fans on the Yo La Tengo Facebook page:

Shammash-ing Time!
Hi everybody, here to tell you that Hanukkah is just around the corner. (No kidding–it’s early this year!) And that we are going to return to the Bowery Ballroom and play all eight nights, just like we did before life got in the way. Comics, opening acts, whatever other nonsense we can cobble together, and the money will be given away. I’d consider writing more, but it still feels a little unreal to be contemplating this. And yet here we are.
Hanukkah starts on Sunday, November 28 and continues through Sunday, December 5. You must be fully vaccinated to enter the Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are $50 each and will go on sale on Friday, October 8 at 12 pm (noon) EDT. OK, gotta start practicing!
October 6, 2021
Dead Sara Electrifies Bowery Ballroom
After a three-year touring hiatus, LA-based rock band Dead Sara finally returned to NYC on Friday, October 1st.

The excitement for Dead Sara’s return was palpable at Bowery Ballroom. As the stage got set up, fans watched the process attentively. Their eyes stayed glued to the stage even as the crew performed mundane tasks like taping the setlist down. The moment they saw the crew give a thumbs-up signal to the sound staff, cheers erupted.
Frontwoman Emily Armstrong captivated her audience with her powerful vocals and hypnotizing stage presence. The audience reacted positively, shouting out their approval after each song.

The band performed “Heroes,” “Hypnotic,” and “Good Times” amongst other tracks off of their first full-length album since 2015, Ain’t It Tragic.

What truly made the night memorable was when Armstrong spotted an American flag in the crowd. She began singing the National Anthem as a joke — much to her surprise, the crowd immediately joined in and belted the entirety of the anthem back to Armstrong. She flipped the bird and nailed a massive stage jump as she transitioned back into Dead Sara discography, cementing her as a modern rockstar.
October 4, 2021
Caveman Announces Tour Dates In Buffalo & NYC This Fall

Caveman has announced nine brand new tour dates in September. The tour will be kicking off in Buffalo at The 9th Ward at Babeville on Sept 9.

Caveman previously shared “River,” alongside a visualizer, the latest single off their upcoming LP, Smash, out Aug 13 via Fortune Tellers. On the track, Matt Iwanusa of Caveman says “’River’ is mostly about how you survive when you have suffered a big loss; how to look at yourself and your actions moving forward.

This song is about my cousin Ashley “smash” who we lost about 4 years ago. She was one of my best friends and sidekick in trouble-making all around NYC. She was one of the only people in the world who never judged me. Since she was my youngest cousin I felt like I had to protect her, but in the end, we protected each other. I miss her every day and this song coming out makes me think about the process it’s been to continue life without her and have the good memories continue to help me when I get down.
Matt Iwanusa, Caveman

Smash is the first new Caveman record since 2016’s “Otero War.” Much of it was composed just after the passing of Iwanusa’s cousin – her nickname Smash becoming the album title and much of the music inspired by her.

On a whim early last year, they connected with old friend Peter Matthew Bauer of the Walkmen and his label Fortune Tellers to quickly release “New Sides” a series of recordings they had freed up the rights to while waiting for what would become “Smash” to return to their control. Basically dropping the EP five days after it was mastered, it was an early step to just get out into the world again a little with the song “You Got A Feeling” getting picked up on several major playlists and radio stations. “It was just great for people to hear something from us,” said Iwanusa. “It feels like it’s been forever and now we’re sitting on so much new music that’s finally able to get out into the world.”

Since Caveman began in 2010, they’ve released 3 full length records, toured endlessly (sharing stages with The War on Drugs, Jeff Tweedy, and Weezer, and playing festivals including Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits), and received accolades from everyone from Pitchfork to the New York Times.

Nowadays, they’ve grown from young punk kids into statesmen of sorts for New York indie music. Jimmy’s Brooklyn shop The Guitar Shop NYC is a city institution as well as a clubhouse for the band. Practicing and working out of Williamsburg nightclub Baby’s Alright during its down hours, the band is just beginning to recreate the momentum of their early career after a period of false starts, legal issues, and frustrating delays that slowed the release of their new record for several years.

For more information visit Caveman’s website and stay up to date by following the band’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Listen to tracks on Soundcloud, YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. Tickets for Caveman’s US Fall Tour are available now.

July 17, 2021
Des Rocs Announce Headline Tour, Making a Stop at Bowery Ballroom

New York City native Des Rocs has announced his first headline tour, Des Rocs Alive, consisting of more than 20 shows and kicking off on September 23 at Firefly Music Festival. The tour concludes on November 4 with a hometown show at the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan.

Graphic from “This is our Life” Music Video

The tour will make stops at iconic venues around the country like Los Angeles’ The Troubadour, Minneapolis’ The Turf Club and Austin, TX’s Antone’s Nightclub. Des Rocs will also make stops at the Firefly Festival and the sold-out Aftershock Fest.

Des Rocs is a fourth-generation New Yorker as well as a rock-and-roll musician. He’s shared stages with The Rolling Stones, Muse, K Flay, Fall Out Boy, Weezer and Grandson.

“I feel like I was put on this earth to play shows,” Des Rocs said. “Since I was 13, I’ve played my guitar in basements and dive bars to anyone who’d listen.”

Des Rocs has released three EPs to date, including Let the Vultures In, Martyr Parade, and This Is Our Life, released in December 2020. The album’s title track hit top 20 at Active Rock radio and top 40 at Alternative radio. Fans can expect new music to be released later this year.

Des Rocs’ song “POS” from his album This is Our Life

“This tour is a lifetime in the making,” Des Rocs said. “I can’t wait to finally put all these songs on a stage after dreaming about it for a year in isolation.”

Tickets go on sale May 21, and can be purchased on Des Rocs’ website.

Des Rocs 2021 Tour Dates:

September 23-26 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival

September 28 – Detroit, MI @ El Club

September 30 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement

October 1 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen

October 2 – St. Paul, MI @ Turf Club

October 5 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge

October 8 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival

October 10 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern

October 11 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios

October 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

October 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour

October 16 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar

October 19 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s

October 20 – Dallas, TX @ Three Links

October 21 – Houston, TX @ The Secret Group

October 23 – Nashville, TN @ The End

October 25 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Backroom

October 26 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Elevation 27

October 27 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd

November 2 – Boston, MA @ The Middle East (upstairs)

November 4 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

May 23, 2021