Pop.1280 at Death By Audio

As good as their booking and sound may be, Death By Audio is not one of my favorite places to take photos. The reason of course is the lighting, which is not only weak but pointed at everything but the band. Bands end up playing in the shadows. That's not the right look for a lot of them.

Lyrically at least, Pop.1280 are about the most nihilistic band in Brooklyn. They're well suited to the shadows. Hell, one of them was wearing dark glasses for a while there. Dark, yeah, it's their thing.

Posted: 8/4/2013 at 1:48pm     Tags: Death By Audio  Pop.1280 

Willy Gantrim at The Knitting Factory

I'm used to seeing Willy Gantrim at either small venues or big outdoor festivals. Catching him at a mid-sized concert hall is a weird thing. I mean, he is just one guy who sits there and plays his songs. While he was accompanied by a drummer on most of his songs, there sure was a lot of open space on that stage!

Posted: 8/2/2013 at 6:15pm     Tags: The Knitting Factory  Willy Gantrim 

Chain And The Gang at Bowery Electric

So who wants their rock with a side of philosophy? Or perhaps it's the other way around?

Lead singer Ian Svenonius sings about the big issues. He also talks about them before, after and during the songs. He's half punk singer, half beat poet, backed by a five-piece band with two drummers.

It is hard not to call Chain And The Gang "punk", and at times they sure sound like a punk band, but most of the time their sound is closer to jazz and funk. I assume they're adapting their sound to the needs of the message. They are explicitly trying to be thought-provoking, so it's safe to assume that the message comes first.

Posted: 7/31/2013 at 3:33pm     Tags: Bowery Electric  Chain And The Gang 

Dick Dale at Brooklyn Bowl

Not only does Dick Dale sound incredible and work that guitar like a master, but it appears that the King of the Surf Guitar has picked up some drumming skills as well. Possibly some kung-fu moves too by the looks of it.

Posted: 7/28/2013 at 3:35pm     Tags: Brooklyn Bowl  Dick Dale 

Great White Caps at Brooklyn Bowl

I hadn't heard of Great White Caps but dang, they are really something. I guess the problem is that they're from Bethlehem, PA, which presents many problems if you're into surfing. They need to come to NYC more often. We have beaches, they have surf rock we want to hear. That's a fair trade, right?

Posted: 7/28/2013 at 1:21pm     Tags: Brooklyn Bowl  Great White Caps