Archive for the ‘Union Pool’ Category

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Sunny Day Real Estate! Sunny Day Real Estate!! Sunny Day Real Estate!!! Sunny Day Real Estate!!!

July 1, 2009

The Show is the Rainbow

Summer shows are a double edged sword aren’t they? The heat makes us acutely aware of the sticky auras enveloping ourselves and everyone around us. Forced to mingle, we herd ourselves into the small venue or cram ourselves as close as possible against the outdoor stage, sacrificing our personal space like the legions of L Train morning commuters riding in from northern Brooklyn. But the shows, they are amazing and they are aplenty. This summer looks to be very promising indeed.

Of course for me it has gotten off to a piss poor start. I intended to write a feature about a Norwegian band called Pirate Love. It would not only review their tiny EP, but talk about their live show as well. I was fortunate enough to be guest-listed for last Thursday’s performance at Pianos. A few companions and I had arrived early for a little pre-show drinking. I bullshitted with the bar-back, discovering that he is from Nebraska and that we know a few of the same folks—an altogether enjoyable experience.

Then it turns out that my name slipped through the cracks and was omitted from the guest-list. What to do? I had money for beer or the show, and seeing as one of the expenses was unforeseen, like any normal human being I chose the beer. A few other friends arrived at Pianos later that night. They relayed to me the following day that Pirate Love played a great show. From what I gather it would be a big mistake to miss these guys next time they are in town.

Brroklyn Sky

The following night a few friends and I were off to Prospect Park to catch Blonde Redhead. The weather, we can all remember, had been shitty the past couple of days, and it wasn’t looking good for our Friday plans. Again we arrived a bit early and stopped at a pub to drink some pints of Bass and tequila shots. After drinks we began walking toward the park as it began to sprinkle and spit. The line into the venue was very long, but clearly the fans were willing to suffer the rain—for a while. When it came time to open the gates, the park workers kept the doors closed. What was at first a slow drizzle turned into a down pour and no umbrella could really do the job. So, defeated, we walked back the F Train and headed on home. When we finally arrived in Bushwick the rain had passed and the sun broke through. Mother fucker, two shows in two days blown—and we actually made it to the venues. We did the best we could to make up for the lost time. We bought and ate some baguette, stinky cheese, and pastis while watching the sun go down on our converted factory roof.

What will come of the rest of summer is anyone’s guess but I certainly look forward to actually getting inside venues. As always, there is a standing invitation for suggestions on venues and bands. Let us know what should be seen and where. Next week, we go to Wilco opened by Yo La Tengo at Coney Island’s ill-named Keyspan Park. I haven’t seen these guys in a while, although I was able to get a copy of their newest effort months ago. A review is certainly pending.

Sunny Day Real Estate

But listen people…the best news of the week is that Sunny Day Real Estate will be reuniting for a 20 date tour (see dates below), supporting the rerelease of their first two records Diary and LP2. My fucking God this is amazing! Jeremy Enigk is without a doubt a major hero of mine. I feel slightly ashamed that the last time I got the chance to talk with him was 2003 and I was quite drunk. My brother and I drank dirty gin martinis until he puked and was booted from the venue. It was his 21st birthday. I felt like such a dick. My brother’s inebriation didn’t stop from seeing what was then a Fire Theft show at a joint called Knickerbockers. I asked Enigk something to the effect of “Jesus or Buddha?” He snarked back at me and said “Both.”

Luckily he wasn’t too offended about my mocking allusion to his past exploits in Christianity. He went on to disclose that his favorite band is The Who. After the show I got to sit in the booth with Nate Mendel and William Goldsmith. I am not sure how I pulled it off, but it was one of the greatest moments I’ve had. We’ll see what we can do this time. Although they play at Terminal 5, a shitty venue with what seems like a million people, half of whom will be complete assholes because they hate the music. Their friends dragged them there. Enigk had an amazing showing at the Bowery Ballroom supporting his 2006 solo record World Waits. This is easily the most anticipated reunion of the decade. I wonder what else, if anything, could top it.

Here are the calendars for a few of the better NYC venues:

Union Pool
Trash Bar
Mercury Lounge
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Bowery Ballroom
The Bellhouse
Death by Audio
Cake Shop
Pete’s Candy Store
Fontana’s
Piano’s

Sunny Day Real Estate Tour Schedule
September 17 Vancouver, BC/Commodore Ballroom
September 18 Portland/Crystal Ballroom (Musicfest NW)
September 20 Salt Lake City/Murray Theater
September 21 Denver/Ogden Theater
September 23 Minneapolis/First Avenue
September 24 Chicago/Metro
September 25 Detroit/St Andrews Hall
September 27 New York/Terminal 5
September 28 Boston/House of Blues
September 30 Washington DC/930 Club
October 1 Philadelphia/Trocadero
October 3 Atlanta/CW Center Stage
October 5 Dallas/Granada Theater
October 6 Houston/Warehouse Live
October 7 Austin/La Zona Rosa
October 9 Tempe/Marquee Theatre
October 10 Anaheim/House of Blues
October 11 Los Angeles/Henry Fonda Theater
October 13 San Francisco/Fillmore
October 15 Spokane/Knitting Factory
October 16 Seattle/Paramount Theatre

Posted in 2009, Alcohol, Arlene's Grocery, Artists, Bands, Collectives, and Artists, Blonde Readhead, Brooklyn, Bushwick, Fontana's, Frederick Foxtrott, Indie Media, Jeremy Enigk, Knickerbockers, Manhattan, Miscellaneous, Music, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Music Review, Nebraska, New York City, Omaha, Pete’s Candy Store, Pianos, Pirate Love, Places, Show Review, The Bowery Ballroom, The Mercury Lounge, Tour, Union Pool, Venues, Williamsburg | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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Whiskey Go Go’s- Whiskey Rain

March 13, 2009

Whiskey Gos Gos

Whiskey Go Go’s
Whiskey Rain
Unreleased
Unsigned

In recent memory there has not been a band that has so succinctly captured the deep meaning and purpose of voyaging toward something unknown as the Whiskey Go Go’s. This is not only represented in their music, but also in their recent movement through New York City and LA. As the industrial malaise suffocates the broad sea of creativity and talent, some have made it their mission to ensure that their extraordinary presence in independent music is still felt. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Hutchinson and drummer Michael Noonan have exhibited their affinity for Brooklyn, playing multiple venues over the past two months. After their stints at The Trash Bar, the Whiskey Go Go’s played a set at Union Pool with Parlor Grand whose MySpace quote says it all, “There are some Indians, There are some Whites.” Parlor Grand had a Crazy Horse aesthetic and a joy for performance that made their set entirely worth showing up for. Of course Union Pool’s delicious outdoor Taquito stand and wood burning fire pit didn’t hurt.

The audience at Union Pool was markedly different from that of The Trash Bar. I am not sure if this resulted from the particular type of punter each venue attracts, or from the high volume of random sophisticates and eager girls that decided to attend Union Pool that night. In any case, Union Pool’s show was somewhat more subdued. This is not to say the show as any less impressive; Hutchinson still had that same dramatic intensity. His eyes began tightly shut and his hands spoke with subtle movements. As the show continued he became ravenously wide-eyed and his hands seemed to reach out and extend past the crowd. He abused the whammy bar and scrapped the strings of his guitar along everything he could find, from the microphone mesh to the cymbal’s edge.

Mr. Noonan also played exquisitely. He is a disciplined drummer with excellent chops, which is important being that there are limited permanent members touring the U.S. There would be no room on this tour for an impressive front stage presence hampered by the dulling baggage of mediocrity. It was a privilege to get to see a second showcase of their new project Whiskey Rain, which is the title of their yet-to-be-released record. While unmastered, I have had the opportunity to listen to the new record. Though the record is largely influenced by various strains of Americana, it contains an authentic voice of its own. That voice contemplates love, loss, and ways to pacify the clutter of an unkempt mind…namely drinking…a lot.

The record is assembled with precision. The opening track, titled Whiskey Rain, is a collage of barely comprehendible exhortations, a wish list of affection set over amazing pop guitar. It is easily one of the most well written songs released this year. The following track, Wooden Hearts, is a bass driven, distorted soliloquy, narrating events with descriptions of natural elements and of violence, erupting into the refrain:

“You are the lady that I love…You are women that I adore”

This marks a defining feature of the Whiskey Go Go’s work. Hutchinson has written phrases that when heard are nearly impossible to suppress from being repeated over and over again in your head. Bang Shot is another incredibly well written track that begins with a simple and soft guitar melody joined by a perfect hum from the band. The song builds as Noonan’s snare pop makes the song onomatopoeic. The crescendo has all instruments at fever pitch as Hutchinson croons a new take on the old adage that it takes two…

“I held the gun, but she pulled the trigger.”

As a whole, the record succeeds almost immaculately, with only a few subjective missteps occurring. Every track is creative—undeniably a product of a band that benefits from the momentum of charisma and determination. Songs like Devil’s Banquet and Love Song round out the record, ensuring that it has balance and weight. Even White Angel and Yours Sincerely, the record’s most problematic tracks, have moments of stunning beauty and imperfect charm. The Whiskey Go Go’s have made a nice addendum to 2007’s Proud Tale to Them of Us, which itself boasted plenty of great songs like Rodeo and True Love. Hutchinson’s hollering madness and rustic sophistication is impressive. It is only a matter of time before they receive wider recognition. We are glad to have seen them when we did.

8/9

-FF

http://www.myspace.com/whiskeygogos
Read Review of the Show at the The Trash Bar

Other Records
Proud Tales to Them of Us- 2007

Tour
March 15th 2009- The Echo, LA
March 26th 2009- The Bell House, Brooklyn
March 29th 2009- Death by Audio

Posted in 2009, 8 Points, Alcohol, Americana, Australia, Bands, Collectives, and Artists, Brooklyn, Frederick Foxtrott, Genre, Indie, Indie Media, Labels, Miscellaneous, New York City, Places, Show Alert, Show Review, The Trash Bar, The Whiskey Go Go's, Tour, Union Pool, Unsigned, Venues, Williamsburg | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

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Whiskey Courage on a Starry Night

March 3, 2009

Whiskey Go Gos

Walking along Grand Ave in Williamsburg, I spotted a street lamp absolutely covered with advertisements. There, among a what looked like thousands of posts for everything from 4 Men and a Truck to Spanish speaking attorneys, was a paper-bag-brown flyer with a bare bottomed vixen dressed in nothing but boots sitting over the words The Whiskey Go Go’s.

whiskey-promo

It was an ad for a show at an unknown location with Canadian band Inward Eye on February 18th. I suppose the only reason that I noticed the flyer at all was that I happened to see the Whiskey Go Go’s last week at The Trash Bar. They topped a list of bands that began with the beautiful and extraordinarily talented Cabiria, as well as the remarkably out of place Astronaut Down. The Whiskey Go Go’s are from Melbourne, Australia where they were signed to a major record label before they were dropped to fend for themselves in the most tumultuous of industry climates. This brought them to tour New York City where they are generating interest in their yet to be released record Whiskey Rain. They have fought a number of hardships in their endeavor. The importation of Americana to America from an Australian band is at once suspect; I cannot approve of the term southern-rock to describe this band. Certainly some unknowing person might believe them to be natives of Louisiana, but that only speaks to the worldly prism through which their take on American music is made. For Australian listeners, the love of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, himself a Canadian, cannot be supplanted by the intonations of a couple of upstarts struggling to combat poverty, free agency, and a sound that some have alleged is not their own.

I have resisted the temptation to call out other reviews that parallel Matt Hutchinson’s voice with another band, one that has so utterly disintegrated and removed themselves from the realm of good taste that they are not worth mentioning. To make my own comparison, I would have to say that the Whiskey Go Go’s love David Bowie’s Hunky Dory. While to some, this comparison may be as every bit as insulting as the one I just denounced, let’s be clear, there is no plagiarism at work here folks. Simply said, “Give these guys a fucking record deal!”

While I’ll have plenty of time to review both their debut, Proud Tales to Them of Us, and Whiskey Rain, it would be best at this point to tell all of New York to go see their show. Tonight the Whiskey Go Go’s play again at The Trash Bar and tomorrow, Wednesday March 4th,  at Union Pool, also in Williamsburg. The band, particularly Mr. Hutchinson, have an extraordinarily unpolished performance style. His eyes are wide and terrifying, exerting every ounce of his presence toward the audience. The show is full of charming imperfections that belie the uniqueness of this act. I have much more to write in the coming days, meanwhile may I suggest attending their show either today or tomorrow…

8/9

-FF

Whiskey Go Go’s- Whiskey Rain Review

http://www.myspace.com/whiskeygogos
http://www.whiskeygogos.com/

Shows
March 3rd- The Trash Bar, Brooklyn
March 4th- Union Pool, Brooklyn
March 15th- The Echo, LA
March 26th- The Bell House- Brooklyn

Posted in 2009, Americana, Bands, Collectives, and Artists, Brooklyn, Format, Frederick Foxtrott, Genre, Indie, Indie Media, Labels, Listen to This!, Los Angeles, LP, Music, Music Review, New York City, The Trash Bar, The Whiskey Go Go's, Union Pool, Unsigned, Williamsburg | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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