Category: NYC Metro

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
Interpol Announce Tour With Two Dates At Kings Theatre

Interpol has just finished working on their seventh album, and in addition to teasing new music, has announced a new spring tour, with two dates at Kings Theatre in NYC.

Interpol

The band began playing in 1997 in New York, when guitarist Daniel Kessler recruited the bassist Carlos Dengler and the singer Paul Banks. The band signed to Matador Records in 2002 and released Turn On The Bright Lights which made it to the 10th position on NME’s list of 2002’s top releases.

Over the years, they have acquired multiple high charting records on the Billboard Top 200, earned reviews in Rolling Stone and Time Magazines, performed on many late-night TV specials, and played festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury.

Interpol will be heading on tour in the spring and will make two tour stops at Kings Theatre in NYC, and tickets for those shows can be found here.

Interpol Tour Dates

04-25 Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum *!
04-26 Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater *!
04-28 Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre *!
04-29 San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre *!
04-30 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre *!
05-02 Salt Lake City, UT – The Union *!
05-03 Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom !
05-05 St. Paul, MN – Palace Theatre *!
05-06 Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom *!
05-07 Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit *!
05-08 Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre *!
05-10 Washington, D.C. – The Anthem *!
05-11 Boston, MA – Roadrunner *!
05-13 Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia *!
05-14 Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre *!
05-15 Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre *!
05-21 Los Angeles, CA – Rose Bowl, Pasadena (Just Like Heaven)
05-28 Mexico City, Mexico – Palacio De Los Deportes &
06-08 Barcelona, Spain – Sala Apolo
06-09 Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound
06-11 Porto, Portugal – NOS Primavera Sound
06-12 Berlin, Germany – Templehof Sounds Festival
06-14 London, England – The Roundhouse
06-15 London, England – The Roundhouse
06-16 Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
06-18 Paris, France – Salle Pleyel
06-19 Landgraaf, Netherlands – Pinkpop Festival

* with Tycho
! with Matthew Dear
& with Dry Cleaning

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
Brooklyn’s Evolfo Rocks the World with the Announcement of “Site Out Of Mind” Tour w/shows in Troy, Canton, Rochester

Evolfo, Brooklyn’s very own psych rockers, have released the tour dates for their most recent album, Site Out Of Mind. The tour is set to take place between this upcoming March and April for a total of 12 days, across the Midwest and Northeast.

In 2021, Evolfo’s Site Out Of Mind, showed their fans a different side of what they’re capable of, expressing their uniqueness. In regards to their sophomore album, the group’s vocalist and guitarist Matt Gibbs shared, there is a mixture of “tripped out, weirdo, psych improv with our more arranged and melodic tunes.”

Along with Gibbs is Rafferty Swink on keys and vocals, Ben Adams on guitar, Kai Sorensen singing harmonies and playing trumpet, Jared Yee on saxophones, Ronnie Lanzilotta on bass, and Dave Palazola on drums. In Gibbs’ at home recording studio, all seven members shared their ideas and aided in the writing process.

Concepts derived from sci-fiction and one group psychedelic trip, led to the creation of something visionary and beyond the ordinary perspective of a psych rock album. Site Out Of Mind, takes their listeners on a journey into the depths of the spiritual mind and the afterlife.

In 2017, the rockers released their revolutionary debut album, Last of the Acid Cowboys, which totaled to over 6 million streams. However, through the use of thoughtful planning, improvisation and an extensive variety within their fresh new sounds, there’s no doubt that Site Out of Mind will be a success; some may even call it a rocker’s dream.

If the protagonist of that album died at the end of Last of the Acid Cowboys, then this was the protagonist’s internal journey, flipping the landscape, and going through the mountain of their mind in that moment of mortality; perhaps a blurring of brain activity between dying and death, between life and the afterlife.
Matt Gibbs

Tickets are currently available for sale on Evolfo. Additionally, Site Out Of Mind is available on these streaming platforms Listen / Share.

January 29, 2022
Brooklynite Nathan Leigh’s Life Experiences Shape Genre Blending Album “All Myths Are Remixes”

An album full of alternative, rock, punk, indie and jazz vibes are what constitute Brooklyn musician, Nathan Leigh’s latest work of art. As of today, Leigh’s All Myths Are Remixes, is added to his never ending music portfolio. He released his lead single No Poetry (feat. Noie) [Timelapse Mix] [Timelapse Mix] – Single — Nathan Leigh, this past January 14th, providing listeners an idea of what to expect from his latest album.

Nathan Leigh portrays powerful messages throughout the duration of All Myths Are Remixes. It relays a creative vision on how to overcome the anxieties of our deepest thoughts, whereas other songs provide a more easy going and relaxing tone that listeners can vibe to.

“Pirkei Avot,” shares a message of perseverance, especially when all hope is lost. Meanwhile, “Thx::Spkr” opens with a woman discussing the protests taking place in today’s society, as well as the impact of revolutions that are necessary to establish change. Subsequently, “For When You Feel Like Giving Up” eases the mind with a slow jam without words, but is full of jazz melodies featuring saxophonist Anthony Cekay.

I started working on the album in the first days of the pandemic as a project to keep my mind off the existential dread. I thought of each song as a miniature world I could construct to escape into. The recording sessions for ‘Myths, Conspiracy Theories & Other Stuff I Made Up To Sound Interesting’ yielded so much great material that landed on the cutting room floor, and part of my goal with it was to highlight the contributions of my collaborators that didn’t make the album. So each song is constructed around showcasing one collaborator’s work. Working with their tracks has been my way of playing with them and existing in a room together at a time when it’s still not safe to gather such a large group to rehearse.
Nathan Leigh

As a composer, writer, animator, and activist , Leigh is well versed in the artistry of America’s society as we know it. His previous EP dropped on November 19, 2021, House On Stilts, which was accompanied by a stop-motion film.

Additionally, he has worked in the theater industry, sharing his talents for over 300 plays across the U.S. Specifically, he has designed sound and composed music for plays located at the American Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop and more. Leigh was presented with his most recent award “Broadway World Berkshires” in 2020 for Sound Design of the Decade for Godspell. Therefore, there is no doubt that All Myths Are Remixes will significantly impact his music career.

To discover more of Leigh’s work visit nathanleigh.net.

January 28, 2022
Jake Scott Performs at MHOW for First New York Headline Show
On January 25th, 2022, Jake Scott performed his first headline New York show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and he did not disappoint. Opener Josie Dunne, was accompanied by Will Honaker. Born and raised near Chicago, Josie always gravitated towards music, starting with YouTube videos and eventually signing with Atlantic Records while just in high school. Now 23 years old, her energy is contagious and she knows how to own a stage.

Singing, playing the keyboard, and even the trumpet, she got the audience jumping up and down. Her one goal of the night? For the audience to remember her name. After almost every song, she would ask the audience, “what’s my name?” and the audience screamed it right back, “JOSIE DUNNE.” She interacted with the audience on both ends of the stage and put on a great show. Her voice was absolutely beautiful as well.
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
After another 30 minutes, Jake Scott took the stage, opening up with one his most popular songs, “Like No One Does.” Song after song, the audience sang loudly with him. Josie Dunne even came back to join Jake in singing “CWJBHN.”

photo by Ambika Verma

After about an hour and 15 minutes on stage, Jake left the stage and then came back for an encore with two final songs, “Tuesday” and “Favorite T-Shirt.” It was a great headline show and many fans eagerly waiting for Jake to return next.

Josie Dunn Setlist: Theme, Love, Sorry, Ugly, Dancing Queen/Same, Santa Cruz, Dumb, Strangers, Sunday Morning, Cooped Up

Jake Scott Setlist: Like No One Does, Overthinking, We Haven’t Looked at Our Phones, I Don’t Miss You, Otherwise, I Don’t Want to Be Friends, Lie, Working for You, Yours, Goldenboy, CWJBHN, Like This, Anymore, Meet my Shadow, Off, She,

Encore: Tuesdays, Favorite T-Shirt
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
- photo by Ambika Verma
January 28, 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
Laurel Canyon release debut EP “Victim”

Laurel Canyon released their debut EP, Victim, on January 14, featuring two brand new singles “Shove” and “Sade.” The album was produced by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Hello Mary) at Trout Recording in Brooklyn. Along with this, the artist Savage Pencil, who has worked with Big Black and Sonic Youth, created the artwork for the EP.

Cover artwork by Savage Pencil (Big Black, Sonic Youth).

Laurel Canyon is a grunge band originally from Pennsylvania, however, they record their music and perform in Brooklyn. Nicholas Gillespie and Serg Cereja are the creators of this iconic band. To sum up, they met two years ago through a mutual friend in their hometown of Allentown. After that, through shared interests and collaboration, the two began writing and recording songs. Above all, creating the punk-rock band known today as Laurel Canyon.

Photo by @pielmelosa on Instagram

Victim embodies the sounds of original 90s grunge/pun music. Likewise, along with its melodic vocals, the album creates a unique tone. In songs like “Daddy’s Honey,” the two yell repeatedly “off her broken plates” together. Similarly, the song’s lyrics are said to be inspired by the band’s “real-life experiences in a troubled home” (Thomas Gallo).

Photo by Alex Hall

There’s no denying that this album has gained popularity online for its 90s-sound, with “Eczema” and “Daddy’s Honey” are featured in the Spotify playlists “All New Rock” and “Smells Like Stream Spirit.”

In October of 2020, Nick and Serg shared the song, “Two Times Emptiness,” released on May 1st, 2021. Both artists said they contributed equally to the music and the lyrics, thus creating a song neither could have written alone.

Photo by Nikola Burnett

The band quickly found themselves with a lot of material to work with and established a relationship with producer, Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Hello Mary). With the help of bassist Dylan Loccarini and Chip Williams, in July and November of 2021 the group recorded the 5-track EP Victim.

Victim can be found on Spotify and Bandcamp.

https://open.spotify.com/track/6ciEiH4RBAUYDRQkPS4GBR?si=f0048ac2d65f4345 https://linktr.ee/Laurel_Canyon

January 27, 2022