New York magazine's NYC news, culture, and events site covering the New York City neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, East Village, Lower East Side, LES
The Exponential Festival Now through February 2 at various venues, various times: $20
The Exponential Festival is a little different from the many theater festivals setting up shop in venues across the city this month. It’s exclusively based in Brooklyn, the material it champions is a little weirder and genre-expansive than what you might typically think of as “theater,” and it runs longer, which means both more shows (a dizzying array, really) and more chances to see them. Some highlights include a new short play by Athena playwright Gracie Gardner, a double bill of comedy from Justin Linville and David Perez, a play based on the Talmud and Kung-Fu films, a dystopian psychosexual musical with a disco soundtrack, an intimate show involving one audience member and one performer, and A Doll’s House, Part 3.
L to R: Nick Zinner, James Murphy, Rob Sheffield, and Lizzy Goodman. (Photo courtesy of Strand Book Store)
Last night at Strand Book Store, Lizzy Goodman said she considered her new oral history, Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011, a “dirty high school reunion.” Which was weird, because I don’t remember going to high school with Aziz Ansari and Seth Meyers, who were in the audience.
Several Halloweens ago, the folks at Nightclubbing gave us what was most definitely a treat: vintage footage of The Cramps doing “The Way I Walk” at Irving Plaza. Today, Emily Armstrong and Pat Ivers have dusted off another clip, posting footage of Lux Interior et al doing “Pretty Baby What You Do To Me.” Check it out above, and then watch “The Mac Daddy” as well– it’ll make for the perfect pre-partying music tonight as you get ready to head over to the annual Halloween tribute to The Cramps at Bowery Electric.
IZZY MAN (right) performs on stage with his band, THE PLAN, at the Bowery Electric. (Photo Credit: Sam Gillette)
“Can you say love?” IZZY MAN asked the crowd during a recent performance at Bowery Electric. Behind him, four backup singers, two guitar players and a drummer melded pop and rap over an electronic beat.
By some estimations, Kid Congo’s been a part of at least 420 bands over his three decades-long career, including legendary acts like The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and this writer’s personal favorite, The Gun Club, of which Powers was a founding member. He’s maintained the same trademark style throughout, but what’s truly impressive is his ability to consistently churn out a fresh take on what’s become a recognizable sound: garage rock that has kidnapped classic rock n’ roll and splattered a spooky, punk attitude all over its high drama, all while injecting a heady dose of grit into the glamorous excess.
If we had to pick one emoticon to describe Kid Congo Powers’ attitude about his own three decades-long career, we’d go with the shruggy guy (i.e.¯\_(ツ)_/¯). He’s surprisingly humble and when he speaks about the past, it’s with what we imagine was the same wide-eyed amazement he had way back when The Cramps asked him to come on board. By some estimations, Kid Congo’s been a part of at least 420 bands over his three decades-long career, including legendary acts like The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and this writer’s personal favorite, The Gun Club, of which Powers was a founding member.
Oh hi, did you forget SXSW was happening this week? Of course you did. It’s not like you actually would have wanted to go anyway. Austin is, like sooooo over anyway you say? Uh huh, yup. Cool your jets, kids, we’ve seen this act before. It’s OK, you’ve just got a wicked case of the FOMOs. But don’t prepare your death mask just yet– there is hope. A cure comes in the form of a bunch of great shows happening this week and beyond. Sure, some of these bands are picking up and heading south to Slackerville as soon as they wrap up their shows here, but you know what’s cool about that? You get to tell your holidaying friends in Texas (aka the jerks that freaking left you behind to wallow in loserdom) that you already saw most of the bands they’re going to see and that you’re just positive they’ll be worn out by the time they hit Austin. Then you can do that little kissy emoji or maybe even the hairflip one if you’re feeling extra, extra sassy.
Jesse Malin talks about the East Village like a wayward old friend, something he’s definitely earned having seen the neighborhood shift and transform since the early ’80s when, as a 12-year-old kid, he fronted a hardcore band called Heart Attack. And you better believe what was maybe, probably the youngest band playing shows in the city at the time recorded a song titled “Toxic Lullaby.” Malin grew up in Queens, but would steal away from the burbs whenever he could to hang out at CBGB and other Lower East Side haunts. Though he tours regularly, and like most city veterans, laments the sterilization of his former haunts and the neighborhood as a whole, he still very much identifies downtown as home.
Time again for Good Shows, our weekly roundup of what’s good in live music. Bad Rabbits are a Boston-based rock/R&B outfit who’ve been around since ’07. The five-piece band serves up infectious, funky beats and driving vocal harmonies that manage to remain nimble. It’s impossible not to hop when Bad Rabbits play. Brooklyn Night Bazaar, Greenpoint, Friday, August 8 at 8 p.m., tickets free
Back when The Times triggered laments of “RIP LES” by reporting that Clayton Patterson was leaving the neighborhood for the Austrian Alps, we knew we wouldn’t be seeing the last of the legendary documentarian — and he told us as much. So it’s no surprise to hear that Patterson is teaming up with DAMEHT — the band that put on his farewell exhibit, “The $16 Dollar Burger Show” — for a show at Pyramid Club this Friday. Keep Reading »
Caveman playing at R Bar last night, courtesy of Bedford + Bowery’s Instagram
What’s with Caveman and surprise shows on the Bowery? Last time we caught them it was at a “super secret” gig at R Bar, and now Bowery Electric tweets us to say: “TONIGHT: @CavemanBand surprise performance @boweryelectric, Starts at 7:30, $10 tickets at the door only!” Keep Reading »
