Friendly Fires/White Lies @ Bowery Ballroom

We showed up to Bowery Ballroom with no tickets in hand to the sold out show. Lucky for us they released some extras at the door. I'm going to start right off the bat by saying this was a great show all around. It has been a long time since I have had that much fun at a show. The White Lies and the Friendly Fires both play upbeat music which can make it very easy to get caught up in a dancing frenzy, which is exactly what I did.

The White Lies are usually thrown in the group with Interpol, Editors and The Bravery for their type of sound and it makes sense because that is who they sound like. I do personally feel they have a little Joy Division in them as well, but that's me. The crowd was really in to them. A lot of bouncing around, singing along and the occasional fist pump which I enjoy. Lets me know the people are there for all the right reasons. The band sounded pretty solid despite complaints about his throat from the lead singer (Harry McVeigh). They also provided an entertaining light show.

I'm a pretty big Friendly Fires fan which is why I wanted to make sure to catch the Thursday night show at Bowery since they were headlining unlike the Friday night show. They were exactly what I expected. Non-stop energy from song to song. The band looked to be having a great time on stage especially the lead singer (Ed Macfarlane) who had some pretty funky and highly entertaining dance moves. The entire crowd seemed to be having a really good time...Then things got confusing, for me at least. They finished up the set and went off stage. Still on a high from the great set everyone started clapping and cheering in anticipation of an encore. After about a minute the house music came on but very low. The crowd cheered again. After another few minutes pass the house music is full blast and the lights come on. I mean what the F? I stood there dumb founded. This was the worst ending to a really great show. The crowd never missed a beat. We were all singing a long and dancing with every song and this is how we get rewarded. I don't understand what happened but it was an ending I wouldn't have predicted.

Gossip Girls Filming

I took a walk to grab some lunch on this beautiful day and ran in to the Gossip Girls. Who are filming on Berry between S. 1st and S. 2nd.

Hillsborough Disaster Awareness

Photo:

April 15th will be the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. For Liverpool supporters it is a time to remember the victims of this unfortunate tragedy and to send out awareness in order to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

A new music video has been recorded for the anniversary. It features ex-Reds, local bands and members of the Hillsborough Family Support Group. Take the time to watch the video and show your support.

"This record, the memorial service at Anfield and all the other Hillsborough remembrance events are a symbol of the fact that we will never forget the 96 young and old Liverpool fans who died."

Sizzle Sizzle Pop Pop

During the last year there have been more and more eating related events popping up in the area and so far I haven't dragged myself out for a single event. There were mulitple chili things and this past sunday was the Greenpoint Mac Off, but that one I was in VT so I think its OK. This one stands out because I love BACON!!! This sunday in Williamsburg there will be a bacon showdown.

Check it out here

Micachu & The Shapes @ Death By Audio

I am a bit embarrassed to admit that i finally made my first trip to Death By Audio. Embarrassed because I live extremely close and it took me this long to get over there but after all of the SXSW hype of Micachu & The Shapes it seemed like a perfect opportunity.

Glad we got there as early as we did (Around 10ish) because we were able to catch all three advertised bands.

Miracles of Modern Science started everything off with some upbeat pop music. I enjoyed the sound of all the string instruments and the interaction of all the band members. Even if you don't like the music they were wearing the 'Hole in the Wall' TV show costumes which automatically equals a thumbs up in my book.

Once the stage was stripped bare I sat there waiting for them to set up some new instruments or really do anything, but they didn't. After a while Anni Rossi walked out with just herself and her viola. She sounded really good and played the viola in a number of different ways to create a full and interesting sound. I kept thinking of Regina Spektor while she was playing because of the similar vocals.

Micachu & The Shapes walked in bundled up with their jackets and scarfs on. I assume they were a bit late and looked like they had run to the venue. I only heard a little bit of their music leading up to the show so i wasn't sure what to expect. Once the baby guitars were set up and the macbook was duct taped to the stand they got right in to it. I liked everything about it. From the obscurity of the instruments and sound that came out of them to the oddly coordinated t-shirts. The music was simple and some times chaotic but it all made sense. The guitar, keyboard, drums and vocals all complimented eachother to create a fun sound that had me smiling and bending my knees all night.

Tokyo Police Club/Born Ruffians/Harlem Shakes @ Webster Hall

I was very excited about this entire line up. I tried to get their in time to catch everyone, but then felt, that would be way too much time inside Webster Hall. This forced me to make a tough decision and missing out on the Harlem Shakes performance was it.

On the other hand arriving to see the Born Ruffians was a must for me. I was looking forward to their performance since I have missed the opportunity several times to catch them at smaller venues and as headliners. Immediately walking in to the main space I was caught off guard by the amount of people that were already inside. Born Ruffians had already taken the stage so I rushed to grab a drink then set up shop. Pretty sure I didn't catch the entire set because I only heard four songs. As for those four songs they sounded very good and I was highly intrigued. Not expecting to get a full vibe of what their live show is like, since they were the opener and at Webster Hall, but I do know that the next time they come to town as a headliner I will be there.

This being my third time seeing Tokyo Police Club I obviously like their live show. I saw them a couple of years ago at Bowery Ballroom then again when they opened for Bloc Party. Both shows were great, especially the Bowery show. Great energy from the band and even better energy from the crowd. As for this show on this night at Webster Hall I'd have to say I was highly disappointed. The reasoning not being necessarily the band, but the crowd. No one was really in to the music (given I wasn't as close to the stage as I would have like to have been). They did play some new tunes, but even on the older favorites I felt as if people were standing around and trying to figure out how much longer this was going to go on for. To throw a little credit back at the crowd I don't feel they were 100 percent to blame either. Webster Hall might be a little too large for Tokyo Police Club right now. The show did sell out but I hold the solid line up of all three bands more responsible for that rather than Tokyo Police Club on their own. Either way I thought the band sounded average and I hope they learn something from this show and do NYC right next time.