not that social

The Von Bondies/The Fever show at the Bowery was a good one. The Fever always play great shows thanks to their feisty energy and their incredibly catchy songs. They played a bunch of new material that will be on their debut album out in may.
As for the Von Bondies, they're just nitty-gritty rock'n'roll at its purest, and though invigorating in many ways, after a while everything started to sound like one big guitar riff. The good parts: the great stage presence of all four stylish members, and Jason's "am i singing or am i crying?" soaring vocals. There's also no denying that C'mon, C'mon screams HIT from all angle, and that the old school tune It came from Japan really does it for me, as i felt compelled to just burst out and sing the great "we all hail hail from rock'n'roll!" line.

Big weekend ahead, in chronological order of happenings:

Tonight, The Blondes, Inc. play a benefit show at CBGBs.

Saturday night, Dennis Cahlo plays the Living Room at 11pm, FREE! A free show is good. A free show by someone who writes dazzling acoustic songs and sings them beautifully is better. Plus the living room is the best venue for enjoying music while sipping on red wine. Check out Dennis' new mp3s/song versions here.

Then later that night, don't miss the second edition of Misshapes at Luke & Leroy's. Apparently some guy named Boy George is guest DJing... ok, well i know i'm a bit scared too, but i heard he's actually a good DJ and i'm dying to see his makeup in person. The night, hosted/DJed by Geo, Greg and Leigh, should be more than entertaining and a lot of fun to say the least.

Sunday, Jasper and i are throwing another DAY AFTER party at Pianos. This one will be extra special, Gina +1 and Nina Bella will be DJing along with some more special guests. We'll be playing HEATHERS on the big screen in the background. Later on Benzos will grace us with a short acoustic performance. As always, food and drinks and a fantastic time will be available to anyone who walks in the door.
The Day After @ Pianos :: 4-8pm :: FREE.

cherry orchard

And the birthdays continue: happy birthday to Eric (yesterday!) and Greg!

A few of us got to celebrate Greg's birthday at Pianos last night, as i made a last minute guest DJ appearance for Greg and Leigh's new night there. Greg is a great DJ, he spun such a variety of things and people were dancing like monkeys (literally). Since i was first to go, i started with a more mellow set and built up to more rocky/dancy stuff. Besides a couple of technical difficulties, i had a great time. Some dude who was there just having a drink, ended up doing an interpretive dance to The Cure's Lovecats, it was awesome! He totally made my night.

Misshapes on saturday night was phenomenal! All the DJs surpassed themselves, and the space was perfect for the kind of party. I discovered that you can dance to The Walkmen, who would have known? If you ever are in the city and don't know what to do on a saturday night, come down to Misshapes, you're guaranteed a good time.

Another huge night last week was VICIOUS. I knew the party would be special, but it turned out to be one of our best Vicious in terms of crowd, reaction and music. All bands were very different but all worked well together. It started with the duo The Somnanbulants, who looked like they were out of Breathless, but sounded more like Devo meets The Cure. Then Boyskout took over and showed that four girls onstage can rock and have fun like it's no one's business, ending their set with a great cover of Joy Division's Transmission.
Now when Bling Kong took the stage, all hell broke lose. To say that no one else sounds or looks like Bling Kong is an understatement. Sure, it's all very gimmicky, but when you have about 10 people onstage, half of which are pseudo-cheerleaders singing and dancing to some wacko-power-rock, you need to stop, watch, and wonder: who the hell would come up with such an idea? After a while, you don't even wonder anymore and just enjoy the insanity of it all.
The night ended with a headliner who is starting to win over the ears of many. Their music may be indescribable (or so says their PR profile), but Inouk undeniably possesses something that is bond to draw you into their challenging, yet captivating, sound. At times, dancy in a Gang of Four-ish way, other times dark and melancholic, with bizarre and intricate song structures, Inouk is a more-than-welcome breath of fresh air amidst the musical landscape. This is a band that, perhaps, will make you wonder whether they are your cup of tea or not (much like you may have felt about The Coral or British Sea Power), but after a while, i guarantee they will leave you thirsty for more. Look out for their debut EP, Searches for the Bees.