Prospect Park Photos

Not much to say about this show except that it was amazing. The Prospect Park bandshell shows are really enjoyable. The weather was luckily beautiful with a slight cool breeze. Con: I forgot how expensive beer is in NYC ($6 for a 16 oz. Bud), and since I refuse to drink Bud, it was $6 for a 12 oz. Red Hook instead. Pro: seating! I haven't been to a concert with seats since I used to go see Dave Matthews Band at the Tweeter Center in Camden, NJ (before it was Susquehanna Bank Center) - and I know, I never live that down. Although I got antsy when the bands played my favorite songs and went to stand up front with the other fans, it was nice to be able to sit and relax at first with a drink & friends until the sun went down.

Compelling sets by each band, including Bear Hands, even though one song had a slight stutter. This was a first time for me seeing Ghostland Observatory and, man, who knew pigtail braids and unbuttoned, traditionally-stitched shirts paired with some super slick dance moves and sunglasses would equal sexy as hell? Sure caught me off guard...

BEAR HANDS - listen

Ted on guitar - "Slides are for cool kids"

"Long & lean, G-d save the Queen!"

Val on bass guitar, energetic at center stage

THE JEALOUS GIRLFRIENDS - listen

I was so glad they played Organs in the Kitchen (my favorite)

Holly gets down, literally

GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY - listen

Aaron, i.e. McDreamy

Euphoria in NYC

Ra Ra Riot @ Siren Music Festival, 7/19/08

I've already expressed my extreme love of the city compared to my hatred of suburbia, so I would simply like to expand on the prior...

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Village Voice's Siren Music Festival on Coney Island. Due to G train issues and having to take a stupid shuttle bus half the way, we arrived later than I wanted to, missing Annuals and JUST making it for Ra Ra Riot. They were fabulous as always, playing a bunch of new songs from their yet unreleased album, The Rhumb Line. The new album will be out August 19th courtesy of their new family, Barsuk Records. They've made the newest version of Dying Is Fine available for free online! How nice!

Ra Ra Riot - Dying Is Fine
(from new album, The Rhumb Line, to be released Aug 19 on Barsuk Records)
Preorder album here

Apparently, a new drummer has joined the Ra Ra lineup. Gabriel Duquette, formerly of Sam Buck Rosen, started up with the group about a month ago. His playing is more than sufficient, holding the backbone of the band in place despite a lot of uncertainty in the last year. I was unaware of the drumspot switch-up prior to seeing the band on stage that day, but it cleared up a lot of confusion from the shuttle bus ride I mentioned previously. On this ride, I just happened to sit down right next to a fellow named Aaron who mentioned that the new drummer for Ra Ra Riot used to play in the band he plays for now. Upon asking which band this was and he mentioned Sam Rosen, I immediately made the connection since Ra Ra has played with Sam before...but I didn't think Cameron (the old drummer of Ra Ra) had played for Sam...so I was confused. Hence, the clarification upon seeing Gabe on stage once I arrived at Siren. I hope that wasn't too confusing.

The last word about the subject: I haven't been the first, and I'm sure I won't be the last to mention the eerie physical resemblance between Gabe and John [Pike]. I was a little disturbed, honestly. A lovely little video tidbit of Ra Ra Riot performing Too Too Too Fast is below. It's one of the more fun tracks that will be on the new album. I especially love Allie's keys and backup vocals.

Ra Ra Riot - Too Too Too Fast, Siren Music Festival 7/19/08

After indulging in the shade and free drinks of the VIP tent (hay hay), we mosied over to see Broken Social Scene. It has been five years I have been waiting to see this Toronto collective from the Canadian label that can do no wrong, Arts & Crafts, perform full-out and altogether in eurphoric unison. And that's exactly what it was: spiritual and perfect. I was mildly disappointed that they didn't play any of my 3 favorite songs (Looks Like the Sun, Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl and Windsurfing Nation), but they did manage to play Cause=Time and a few others that were just as great. Kevin Drew was spotless, the horn section was superfun and the girl (does anyone know her name?) that they picked up off the street, Kevin said, an hour before the performance delivered well...although no one can compared to Amy [Millan, of Stars], Emily [Haines, of Metric] or Feist.

Broken Social Scene @ Siren Music Festival, 7/19/08

All in all, it was a heavenly concert day brought to us by the gods of concert-going. I didn't think it could get better, but I think next weekend has real possibility to rival.

I already had plans to go see my friend, Bear Hands (Brooklyn, NY), play with Ghostland Observatory for free in Prospect Park next Saturday (July 26), but upon checking my email tonight, I was overjoyed to find out that another one of my favorite NYC bands, The Jealous Girlfriends, will be performing as well! I'll be dying and going to concert heaven on Saturday, See ya! The show starts early (6:30pm), so be there or be very very square. This is one of those concert bills that, in my eyes, only comes around once in a blue moon.

I also saw NYC's The Bloodsugars at Pianos the Friday night when I was up. They were fun and fabulous as always.

We have some great Village Green shows this week:

Tomorrow night 7/23: Bound Stems with Dark Room & Sunfold (Members of Annuals)
8pm @ M Room, 21+, $8
Thursday night 7/24: Gang Gang Dance with Prowler & The Popo
9pm @ M Room, 21+, $12
Details, tickets & full roster of shows are at the site: VillageGreenProductions.net