Category: Manhattan

Bowery Ballroom hosts Space Bacon, Escaper and Microcave on Feb. 5

On Saturday, two of New York City’s hottest rising bands, Space Bacon and Escaper, will take the stage at Bowery Ballroom along with Microcave, for one of the hottest shows of this frigid winter snap that has engulfed the Northeast.

Space Bacon’s relationship with New York City has been well documented over the years. The city sunk its claws into their sound many moons ago. The energy of the Big Apple carved itself into the bedrock of their foundation. Their personality reflects their humble beginnings in beer- stained basements and all that’s taken place since that fateful night in The Bronx. As they travel across the country and gain new fans in new cities, they’ll always carry the palpable tenacity and unwavering hustle of the city that never sleeps.

It’s been two years since they sold out The Mercury Lounge and now, they make their long-awaited return to NYC. It’s finally happening. Although 2021 presented some unavoidable issues for the live music world, Space Bacon was able to rally and finish the year strong with big shows in Denver, Philly, and Chicago.

Their sound has continued to evolve, and they’re excited to bring it back home to the core of their fanbase. Whether you’ve been following them from the beginning, or you just hopped the turnstile and sprinted onto the train, this will undoubtedly be a monumental night for Bacon and their fans as Space Bacon takes over the Bowery.

Escaper is another well-known band in NYC and the northeast festival circuit. Known for thoughtful songwriting and danceable psychedelic jams. Signed to Ropeadope Records, they have released three studio albums which have been met with critical acclaim.

Escaper will be featuring Luke Bemand (lespecial) as a special guest bassist and will also have Johnny Butler (Beyonce, Sister Sparrow) joining them on sax. Escaper has welcomed past guests from members of The Disco Biscuits, Thievery Corporation, Turkuaz, Cabinet, Rubblebucket, and have shared bills with the likes of Karl Denson, Jon Fishman and many others.

Space Bacon and Escaper will be joind by Microcave, a four-piece improvisational electronica powerhouse based out of the NYC area. The band excels in blending electronic music with a wide array of genres including rock, funk, classical, and more, and features members of Tractorbear: A Tribute To The Disco Biscuits, and Horizon Wireless.

Don’t miss Space Bacon, Escaper and Microcave at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, February 5th. Get tickets here.

January 31, 2022
Katy Perry Shows She’s Never Really Over On SNL

Katy Perry has returned to Studio 8H. Joined by host Willem Dafoe, this is her fourth time as a musical guest on SNL and her first since 2017.

Katy Perry performing “When I’m Gone” on Saturday Night Live.

A lot has happened since Perry’s last SNL appearance five years ago: motherhood, a new album, a judging spot on American Idol, and most recently, a residency in Las Vegas. Titled Play, the show began at the tail end of 2021 and will run through the end of summer 2022. While Perry hasn’t seen as much chart success lately, she seems more confident and self-assured in a post-Witness world.

The episode began with a cold open, featuring James Austin Johnson as President Biden dealing with the Russia-Ukraine situation. Pete Davidson appeared as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who refuses to get vaccinated for COVID.

Rodgers wasn’t the only NFL player to appear tonight. Peyton Manning made a surprise appearance during Weekend Update, where he gushed about Emily in Paris whenever Colin Jost asked him about football news.

Katy Perry’s first song of the night was “When I’m Gone,” her new collaboration with Swedish DJ Alesso. With set pieces ripped straight from Super Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom, it’s clear that she hasn’t lost her signature camp. The song’s lyrics are about a previous romance, but they could easily be about Perry’s relationship with fame and stardom. Around the time of her last SNL appearance, everything from her music to her blonde pixie cut was criticized after a seemingly unstoppable run throughout the 2010s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCUzL7iHV7E

Perry closed out the night with an acoustic rendition of “Never Really Over,” her 2019 comeback single. Originally an upbeat dance-pop song, the new version has more in common with her ballads like “Thinking of You.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksMzWT40U24

SNL takes a break during the Winter Olympics, then returns on February 26 with host John Mulaney and musical guest LCD Soundsystem.

January 30, 2022
Emo Conquers COVID: Thursday and Cursive At Irving Plaza
In light of the fact that COVID-19 and its variants are going to be with us for the foreseeable future, bands and concert venues are trying to adapt in order to keep the curtains raised. One particular challenge was on clear display Wednesday night for the Thursday and Cursive show at Irving Plaza, when positive COVID tests amongst three of the four bands on the bill threatened to cancel the show. Instead of making the easier (yet painful) decision to cancel dates on the tour for a second time, the bands came together to put on a truly memorable night at Irving Plaza for the veteran emo bands.

Thursday at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

The tour was originally announced back in November 2021 and was set to feature Thursday as the headliner with Cursive, Jeremy Enigk and The Appleseed Cast providing the support. Cursive have toured with Thursday on and off since the 00’s; the two bands’ stage presence complement each other quite well and one could find an equal number of Cursive and Thursday T-ees throughout Irving. The first show was scheduled for 1/6 in Virginia but the Omicron surge late in 2021 forced the postponement of the first couple weeks of shows, leading to an opening night on 1/19 in Detroit. As a result, Jeremy Enigk was forced to drop off the bill but was replaced by Nate Bergman (solo) from Lionize.

Tim Kasher of Cursive. Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

Cursive was the only band to be spared from any positive COVID tests and were thus the only band to play a full set with all their members. Bergman performed solo and The Appleseed cast was whittled down to mostly a solo set from frontman Chris Crisci. Chris admitted on one song that he roughly recorded a backing drum track right before the show and was later joined by Bergman on guitar and Cursive frontman Tim Kasher on drums for a noisy jam to end the set. At this point in the show, even though it was clear all aspects were being put together on the fly, the two opening acts had done it so successfully that had you been unfamiliar with the music you would have never known.

Cursive took the stage to an enormously warm welcome from the Irving Plaza crowd. Not many bands from the emo/hardcore heyday of the 2000s are still touring (let’s call the upcoming When We Were Young festival an outlier for the time being) but Cursive have released two solid LPs in recent years and still garner support from fans all over the world. Their blend of horns and strings with emo and hardcore was unique back in the 2000s and remains to be so today. Featuring an electric cello, brass horns, keys, and Tim Kasher’s eclectic vocal delivery all blend together to create an infectious “baroque-emo-core.” Cursive played a career-spanning set featuring Ugly Organ tracks “Art is Hard” and “Gentleman Caller” as well as personal favorite “The Martyr” from 2003’s Domestica.
Cursive at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photos by Buscar Photo
Right before Thursday kicked off their set, frontman Geoff Rickly came out on stage to let the crowd know what was going on. He explained that guitarist Norman Brannon had tested positive and that instead of cancelling the show they decided to “play a basement hardcore show at Irving Plaza.” Several of the touring guitar techs were tasked with learning as many of the guitar tracks as they could and they filled in throughout the show, including on the opener with War All The Time’s “For The Workforce, Drowning.” Thursday made their name in the NJ/NYC DIY hardcore scene so the band was channeling their roots to come through for the fans who came out.

Thursday at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

Thursday closed the main set at Irving Plaza with their emo anthem “Understanding In A Car Crash” and while a very recognizable guitar track was missing, the void was filled by a guest vocal appearance from Wax Idols singer, Heather Fortune. This show had every reason and excuse to be cancelled, but the will to make it work created one of the more memorable shows NYSM has seen in quite some time. Nate Bergman showed off his vocal prowess, Chris Crisci stripped down The Appleseed cast to its bare songwriting genius and jammed out with Tim Kasher, Cursive held down the fort with a perfect dose of nostalgia, and Thursday sounded as heavy and emotional as ever even if our ears were tingling with missing guitar notes. The crowd provided all the energy needed to overcome COVID in a very typical 2000’s way.

Thursday at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

The tour is continuing on as planned with a couple shows in New England before the bands return to New York for a show at The Paramount in Huntington. A big hometown show for Thursday is planned at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ for 2/27. Nate Bergman will continue to open the shows until Jeremy Enigk rejoins the bill in February. Find the full itinerary HERE and check out our full photo gallery below.
Cursive at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photos by Buscar Photo
Thursday at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photos by Buscar Photo
January 29, 2022
Isaac Mizrahi Returns to Cafe Carlyle With New Show, ‘In Person’

Isaac Mizrahi will return to Cafe Carlyle in NYC for his annual residency, running March 1-12. The classic jazz restaurant has previously hosted a number of notable performers including legends like Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch and Debbie Harry.

Photo Credits – Gregg Richards

Mizrahi’s new show, In-Person, will run for two weeks and features an array of covers, ranging from Billie Eilish to Stephen Sondheim. There will also be social commentary about everything going on in the modern world, from social media to pandemic headlines.

His previous residencies have racked up a myriad of critical acclaim, with the New York Times saying, “He qualifies as a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.”

Mizrahi has directed theatre productions in St. Louis, as well as directed and narrated his production of Peter and The Wolf at The Guggenheim Museum. The multi talented performer has also been the subject and co-creator of Unzipped, which focuses on the making of his award winning Fall ‘94 collection.

Photo Credit – David Andrako

Adding to his long list of accomplished work, Mizrahi has created his own production company, Isaac Mizrahi Entertainment, which he uses to produce several projects.

Tickets are available for purchase here and additional information can be found here.

January 29, 2022
Grace Park to make her debut recital at Carnegie Hall

Violinist Grace Park and Composer Jonathan Cziner will be featured at legendary Carnegie Hall on Sunday, March 13th. They are set to perform with the New York Youth Symphony (NYSS).

Training violin since five years old, Grace Park is performing her debut recital as a part of the Roy and Shirley Durst Debut Artist Series. The San Francisco Chronicle praised Park for being “fresh, different, and exhilarating.” She will be joining the New York Youth Symphony, recognized as one of the nation’s most prestigious orchestral programs, and is set to perform Barber’s Violin Concerto, Op. 14.

Grace Park

Furthermore, Jonathan Cziner’s new work, Rauch (And Other Delights), is set to premiere during the event. Cziner’s dichotomous composition tiptoes the line between colorful and dark, which sets him apart from his contemporaries. For this reason, he is regarded as a new-age visionary, and his accolades support this claim. His orchestral work, Resonant Bells, received two accolades for its outstanding excellence. Furthermore, Cziner’s works have been performed throughout the United States.

Jonathan Cziner

Music Director Michael Repper will be leading the concert. Tickets from $30 are available at carnegiehall.org.

January 28, 2022
The Wombats Fix Themselves at Terminal 5 Before Stop In Albany
Liverpool born indie rock veterans The Wombats made their way to Terminal 5 on Tuesday, January 25th, in support of their fifth studio LP Fix Yourself, Not The World. The record, released just two weeks ago, is the band’s first effort on AWAL Records after four straight releases on 14th Floor Records. Check out the video for the single “If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You” and our photos from the show at Terminal 5 below.

The Wombats at Terminal 5, 1/25/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

Fix Yourself, Not The World as a sentiment could not be any more true today. The Wombats took several opportunities at Terminal 5 to talk about what it has meant to finally be on the road supporting the new record and to be engaging with fans again. We have no real control over existential events in the world, but those events give us the opportunity to better ourselves and make the most of the situation. This theme is omnipresent on the record and also in the atmosphere at concerts across New York.

The Wombats “If You Ever Lave, I’m Coming With You” via YouTube

The Wombats next show on the tour is this Friday, January 28th, at Empire Live in Albany. After that the band will travel across the Midwest and West Coast before a lengthy leg of shows in Europe. Find the full run of dates on the band’s website.
January 27, 2022
Wale Performs Under A Blue Moon At Webster Hall
Multi-platinum rap star Wale stopped at Webster Hall on Monday, January 24th for the second show of his ‘Under A Blue Moon Tour.’ The tour comes in support of his eponymous 2021 LP Folarin II released last October on Warner Records. Support for the night came from up and coming rappers Cam Wallace followed by Guapdad 4000. See our full photo gallery below.

Wale at Wesbter Hall, 1/24/2022. Photo by Buscar Photo

Coming as a sequel to Wale’s pivotal EP Folarin, Folarin II is soaked in nostalgia while looking ambitiously towards the future. Living through two years of a global pandemic has forced all of us to examine our past while forging new paths into the future. Such is the case for Wale and the lyrics on the new LP, mixing anecdotal stories with anthemic and hard hitting bars about our place in the world today. Wale played an extensive set late into Monday night, performing many tracks off the new records alongside a career spanning set of fan favorites.

Wale at Wesbter Hall, 1/24/2022. Photo by Buscar Photo

Wale’s show at Webster Hall was the first stop in NYC in two years since playing Brooklyn Steel back in January of 2019, prior to the pandemic. Wale followed up the Webster Hall date with a show in Boston on Tuesday, and the tour moves on to the Midwest starting this Friday. Find the full run of tour dates HERE and catch Wale on the big screen this April with an appearance in the new Michael Bay film Ambulance.

“Fluctuate” by Wale, via YouTube
January 27, 2022
Buffalo Native Willie Nile Heads To The Linda in February, 4 more stops in NYS this summer and Fall

Buffalo native Willie Nile will be coming to Albany to play at The Linda on February 18 and will be performing his new album The Day The Earth Stood Still.

The Day The Earth Stood Still album cover.

Nile used lockdown as a basis for his album. After seeing the boarded-up streets of Manhattan, he grew inspired. Speaking of the inspiration Nile said this:

I have a storage space near the Holland Tunnel, and normally on a Friday night at rush hour, it can take an hour to move five blocks. But one Friday night last June…I realized that there wasn’t a car in sight, and that I could have laid down in the middle of the street without anyone noticing. The title The Day the Earth Stood Still hit me, and I carried it around in my head for awhile, and eventually it sparked this set of songs.

Nile grew up in Buffalo, and in the early ‘70s, he moved down to NYC, where his music career started to take off. He earned national status with a series of albums, and his independent indie work added to his fame.

Willie Nile, photo by Cristina Arrigoni.

Nile has racked up many famous fans, including Bruce Springsteen and Pete Townshend, both of whom he has toured with on different occasions.

After all these years I’m still feeling the passion and the power and the pull of rock ’n’ roll as a way out, as a vehicle that can offer salvation and redemption and joy in this crazy-ass world. Here’s to more music and magic on the road ahead!
Willie Nile

The Day The Earth Stood Still combines all the elements of rock and punk, mixed with the passion of going through a pandemic. Produced by Stewart Lerman, who worked with Elvis Costello and Mumford and Sons, the album is described as “magical.”

Willie Nile and Steve Earle, photo by Cristina Arrigoni.

Willie Nile will be coming to The Linda in Albany on February 18 to play his new album live, as well as other fan favorites with some rarities mixed in. Tickets can be found here.

Willie Nile 2022 Tour Dates

Fri., June 25  STANHOPE, NJ Stanhope House.

Fri., July 2  BOSTON, MA City Winery

Sat., July 10  RED BANK, NJ  The Vogel at Count Basie Theater for the Arts. Two shows: 4 & 8 p.m. 4 p.m.—40th Anniversary Show for Willie’s second album, Golden Down, featuring the whole album played top to bottom plus several fan favorites. 8 p.m.—Willie’s eponymous first release played in its entirety (41st Anniversary) followed by different fan favorites.

Sat., July 17  PIERMONT, NY  Turning Point (solo; two shows)

Thurs., July 22   RIDGEFIELD, MA  (outdoor show)

Sat., July 24  AVIS, PA  WQBR Radio gig; outdoor show

Fri., Aug. 13  EGREMONT, MA  The Barn. (duo show)

Sat., Aug. 21 TARRYTOWN, NY  Tarrytown Theater,

Sun., Aug. 22  NEW YORK, NY  City Winery (new album release show)

Sat., Aug. 28  WASHINGTON DC The Hamilton

Wed., Sept. 1  WOODBRIDGE, NJ   Woodbridge HS Fields. 1 Samuel Lupo Place. Free show

Sat., Oct. 2  BEACON, NY  Towne Crier

Sat., Oct. 16  THREE OAKS, MI Acorn Theater.

Sun., Oct. 17  EVANSTON / CHICAGO, IL  SPACE

Mon., Oct. 18  ANN ARBOR, MI  The Ark

Fri., Nov. 19  HOLYOKE, MA  Gateway Theater

January 25, 2022
Keanu Reeves, Trey Anastasio, Gogol Bordello and more to perform for 35th Annual Tibet House US Benefit concert

On March 3rd, The Tibet House US Benefit Concert will make its annual return with a jam packed line up. This event will be a virtual celebration of artistic director and composer Philip Glass’ 85th birthday.

This year’s benefit will showcase Glass’ expert curation of artists, while also having special greetings from punk rock legend Iggy Pop and Joy Division founder, Bernard Sumner. The diverse line up includes performances from Keanu Reeves, Trey Anatasio, Gogol Bordello, Laurie Anderson, Margo Price, Patti Smith, Laurie Anderson, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Angélique Kidjo, Punch Brothers, The Fiery Furnaces, Tenzin Choegyal, Rubin Kodheli, The Scorchio Quartet as well as special greetings by Iggy Pop, and Bernard Sumner.

New additions to the lineup as of February 9 include Queens’ own Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Stephen Colbert, Jesse Paris Smith and Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra. Additional artists will continue to be announced.

The Tibet House is a non profit educational institution and cultural embassy that was formed at the request of the Dalai Lama in 1987. It strives to share and preserve Tibetan culture through educational programs and events for the general public.

Over the years, the Tibet House US Benefit concerts have been a massive success, with previous concerts having artists like David Bowie, FKA Twigs and Phoebe Bridgers. The biggest and brightest names in the music industry continue to lend their voices to the institution to help with their cause.

The virtual event will be live streamed on Mandolin at 8 PM EST and tickets, along with additional information, can be found on their website. All proceeds raised will go towards supporting the work of Tibet House US.

January 24, 2022
Will Forte Returns to Saturday Night Live with Måneskin as Musical Guest

Saturday Night Live stirred up one of their own mighty veterans as Will Forte, complemented with music guest and recent rockstar Måneskin for the January 22 episode. Forte used the monologue to announce the upcoming second season of MacGruber after its official beginnings on SNL back when he was still a cast member.

Reminiscing on his olden days, Will Forte opened up about his misfortunes waiting for his special moment to host after watching his colleagues Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Fred Armisten, and Jason Sudeikis already do so. Finally, after 12 years, we get to see Will’s face, of course that was too soon joined by an appearance from Kristen Wiig and upcoming host Willem DeFoe, who Will was mistaken for after Lorne Michael’s phone had autocorrected “Willem.”

The show started with a cold open Fox News update from Kate McKinnon interviewing Aidy Bryant’s Senator Ted Cruz and Pete Davidson as Novak Djokovic, an unvaccinated tennis player. Senator Ted Cruz urged us to book our Cancún vacations today, escaping this horrid New York winter.

MacGruber came back tonight alongside his longtime friend Kristen Wiig. Except this sketch had been modified to our current climate and Will Forte sported a cut open mask to then detonate his iconic bomb.

Mark Zazz (Will Forte) hosted Kid Klash, a show where Aidy Bryant had to find the flag at the bottom of the whipped cream pie, cross the slippery monkey bars above nacho cheese sauce to her shrimp parents.

On hiatus from their international nomination for Best Song of the Year for the 2022 Brit Awards, Måneskin rocked “Beggin” in a patterned white head-to-toe suit. Full faced, featuring a signature silver smokey eye, Damiano David showed us how he won our hearts winning Eurovision and later at the American Music Awards last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8CKvsKbrK0

‘Cinema Classics’ was welcomed by Keenan Thompson and gaslit by Will Forte. Kate Mckinnon played his wife who was gaslighted around gaslights.

Måneskin came back for more with “I Wanna Be Your Slave.” A new flowered covered dazzling suit brought him to his knees whining beneath his guitarist Thomas Raggi just before luring the audience back in. Prancing about the stage with bassist Victoria De Angelis, he had us dancing until the end of the night. His performance on MTV UK sported a similar look this past November.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59MJbfNTUXs

Earlier in the night Pete Davidson had stole some hearts on weekend update gloating with Weekend Update’s Colin Jost after purchasing a Staten Island Ferry soon to remodel as a nightclub.

SNL returns with William DeFoe, alongside Katy Perry next Friday, January 29th.

January 23, 2022