(the first) 5 Questions for... Peter Bjorn & John!

by Tina Corinteli

Sweden and music go hand in hand- example:  Peter Bjorn and John. The indie-pop trio, who released the album Living Thing earlier this year, is getting ready to embark on their 10th Anniversary US Tour Bash with fellow Swedes El Perro Del Mar.

I would tell you more about the band, but John (the drummer) manages to explain everything so much better than I ever could:

You guys have been together for about ten years now, but you didn’t really reach out to an international fan base until the success of your album Writer’s Block. What was it like to progress from playing local shows to larger and unfamiliar audiences?

Well, sometimes it’s a bit hard to play in front of your mom, brother, and friends because they know you so well; you want to deliver in front of them. In more ways, it’s more relaxing to play in front of strangers. I must say, we’re never as nervous as when we play in Stockholm because we know everyone there. But, as for the transition to go out and tour- the hardest part was to learn how to deal with staying together in a small van, because in the beginning it was a small van. I mean, if you spend 19 hours cramped up in small car for 2 weeks, you can go crazy! That was the first thing we had to learn. We learned, and now we have a much bigger bus.

Peter Bjorn and John has played big festivals like Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Virgin Fest, as well as smaller venues and clubs- even some bar shows. Do feel any notable differences between the two? Do you have a preference?

Everything is fun; it all depends on small parts of fate- like when the gig is perfect. I must say, we recently played some really, really small clubs in New York, like The Cake Shop, as well as some small venues in France. I think they were among the best gigs we’ve ever done. If I could choose, we would play smaller venues. On the other hand, if you do that, you may not make as much money as when you’re on tour. That being said, I think we’re open for everything. When we did the Depeche Mode tour over the summer, we realized that we could have a really, really good time performing in a big arena as well. It all depends on what you have for breakfast.

Speaking of Depeche Mode , you made a stop in DC during that tour. Actually, your upcoming tour will mark your third time in the US & DC over the past 6 months. How are you able to handle so much touring?

It’s not that hard! I mean, I think it’s much harder to work as a Kindergarten teacher, or at a bee farm, or as a ski jumper. We like to play in front of people who come to see us. During next tour, when we come to DC, we’re going to try to do something special. Maybe have some secret guests or some special light effects. I think we might even Twitter on stage- I don’t know, we’ll see!

Alright, let’s talk about your fans: have you ever had a weird or strange experience with a fan when you were on stage?

Well, not too many on stage, but off stage, we definitely have. In Germany, about 3 years ago, we came off stage and we were supposed to sign some autographs. A girl fainted when she saw us. We thought she was so happy to see us, for us, it like a “we are The Beatles” moment. A little bit later some people at the venue were able to wake her up and give her some water- it turned out that she had eaten some bad Indian food and had gotten food poisoning. We felt bad for her, but also for ourselves.

Through touring around the world, you’ve been exposed to dozens of cultures and customs. Do you feel that there are differences between the audiences depending on location?

Well, not particularly. You could say that in Amsterdam, there’s a different smell. In Holland you might smell something, maybe a smoke smell. In France, you might smell cheese. In the US you smell really good, actually the US is one of the best smelling audiences. I have to say that the audiences smell different.

This is the first part of our two part interview with Peter Bjorn and John.  Check back soon for the second half! In the mean time, check out some PB&J on the Hype Machine and track them on Bandsintown to find out when they’ll be in your town.

Live! The Used, The Almost Make Boston Quake W/ Rock

By Mattew DiGirolamo

The House of Blues in Boston is known to host a myriad of different artists of all styles and genres, and you can usually tell who’s playing by taking a quick look at the fans in line waiting eagerly to gain entrance to the venue and rush to the front of the mosh pit. However, The Used and The Almost show this past Friday was a noted exception; no rock stereotypes were seen in droves, and all different types of people came together to bang their hands and give the devil horns to their favorite tunes.

The first sound you heard when walking in to the show that night was the blaring, angry anarchist punk rock of opener Drive A, a four-piece from Los Angeles, CA that has songs related to telling people to… go away, in many not nice words. The enthusiasm of the band and their similarity to acts like Green Day made them a hit with many of those at the show who might not have heard them before. They were obviously gracious to be on the tour, and gave a hearty shout out to The Used’s Bert McCracken at the end of their set.

The Almost, headed up by Underoath drummer Aaron Gillespie, came on next to loud fans. They started up with the title song to their first album “Southern Weather,” which got the crowd excited for the rest of the set. Gillespie’s candor brought many non-fans into the world of the band, and many will certainly check out their new album that was under heavy promotion for the rest of the set. The album “Monster Monster” is due out on November 3^rd and the band played the title track, as well as a song titled “Monster.” Good thing those two similarly named songs sounded so different, otherwise you would have a hard time telling them apart.

When The Almost finished their set, it felt like an eternity before The Used took the stage. At 10pm, a projector began to display a montage of video clips from the history of the band, including everything from music videos, to home movies, to tour and performance footage. As the music in the background came to a head, the white sheet at the back of the stage fell to show the bands name a huge syringe pointing down to drummer Dan Whiteside’s head. Bert, Quinn and Jeph joined Dan on stage and began to bring the noise with “Blood On My Hands,” the first single from their newest album “Artwork.” The rest of their set included favorites from all of their albums, from oldies “I Caught Fire” and “Blue and Yellow” to newer jams including “Come Undone” and the smashing final song, “Pretty Handsome Awkward.” The Used has totally mastered their performance skills by masterfully integrating and mashing their songs together to give the audience a seamless transition from one hit to another. Another great aspect of the show came from Bert’s interaction with the audience; his crazy and energetic composure made the audience laugh and want to rock along with him. Maybe if you are lucky you’ll get asked to join Bert’s new gang, “The Usedsters,” whose secret handshake can only be learned if you go to one of the shows on the tour.

Additional Links: For more information on The Used, The Almost, and Drive A,  head to their respective Myspace pages. Also, start tracking The Used on Bandsintown to find out when they will be in your city!

Who's in Town? Not to Miss Shows in... Boston!

by Trish Fontanilla

While fall is my favorite season, (I could go Bubba on you and list my fave types of pumpkin goodies), it is indeed a sign that summer has left the building. From here on in, the sun will be more like the guest star instead of the lead actor. But fear not, Bostonians, there’s a solution to those seasonal blues! Music, besides being incredibly kick ass and awe inspiring, can improve mood. Seriously. Go look it up. So when the sun goes down a little earlier this November, there’s no need to hole up in your apartment and make a perma-tuckus-indentation in the couch. For a pick-me-up, get out and see some live music!

Like…

11/2 Girl Talk @ House of Blues

Because you have “jumping on stage” as one of your New Year’s resolutions.

11/2 Benefit for GLAD’s Marriage Equality Campaign @ Club Passim

Because what’s life without celebrating love (and having another reason to eat cake).

11/4 Dragonette @ Great Scott

Because you’ve perfected a hair toss that doesn’t make you dizzy.

11/4 Ray LaMontagne @ Wang Center for the Performing Arts

Because he’s the vocal equivalent of a fleece blanket.

11/4 Harper Simon @ Café 939’s Red Room

Because this isn’t your parents music (or his) and you’re curious.

11/6 The Swell Season

Because even though they’re famous now, you’re still cheering them on.

11/6 Cassavettes @ Middle East Downstairs

Because it’s their CD release and they’ll be rockin’ alongside You Can Be a Wesley Oh yeah, we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away. Follow @BandsinBoston for details!

11/7 Wolfmother, Heartless Bastards @ House Of Blues

Because you want people at the office to think you’re a badass.

11/8 Eat Your Heart Out Boston featuring Deer Tick

Because you support nom-rock (concerts put on by music-loving foodies).

11/12 Blind Pilot @ Paradise Rock Club

Because you loved Annie’s blog review from last month.

11/12 Mute Math @ House of Blues

Because this is the kind of math that you can get down with.

11/16 Peaches @ Paradise Rock Club

Because you want to be them (or the subject of one of their songs).

11/17 Elan Trotman @ Scullers

Because you know that jazz should be heard live.

11/19 Evangelicals @ Great Scott

Because Jane suggested them and she’s boss.

11/19 Christopher Williams @ Club Passim

Because you dig a guy who can play harmonica, guitar, and tambourine at the same time.. while talking about the Red Sox.

11/21 The Local Natives (opening for Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros) @ Pearl Street Downstairs

Because Alexis (Bandsintown’s Marketing Director) is obsessed.

11/23 Echo & the Bunnymen @ House of Blues

Because their last show (@ Great Scott) sold out with a quickness.

11/25 F*ck Buttons @ Great Scott

Because you’re wondering if their outfits will be strictly zippers.

Now if only they’d start doing some live concerts on the T… that’d make the commute more enjoyable. Did I miss one of your favorite bands? Track them on our site or tweet us what concerts you plan to go to this month! Word.

(photo courtesy of Phunkster)

Bandsintown intern Alex Mason has been hard at work with his crew at WFIT (the radio broadcast organization at the Fashion Institute of Technology) creating the largest live music event at FIT to date: The Sound Off.

The event will be held on November 6th, and will feature talents of London based art rock band, CIAM, Action Item, Patent Pending, and Island Def Jam’s own Reckless Sons.

Live! Say Hi at the Black Cat, Washington DC

Review by Tina Corinteli

As I stood outside of the Black Cat on one of the coldest nights DC has had in months, I couldn’t help but wonder which version of Say Hi I would see perform: Eric Elbogen with his trusty “robots” or Eric Elbogen accompanied by living & breathing band mates. That question was answered thirty minutes later when a trio of musicians took the stage, followed by a quick introduction of “Hi, we’re Say Hi from Seattle, Washington.”

Within a few seconds, I found myself in the middle of a growing audience, just in time to hear the beginning chords of the band’s opening song “Pop Music of the Future.” A quick “Hi,” from Elbogen, and the band got straight into the second song of the night “These Fangs” off of the album Impeccable Blahs. I took a quick glance at the audience; it was obvious it didn’t take long for the mellow-intensity of Eric’s voice to captivate the crowd. By the next song, “Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh,” bodies were swaying in every direction.

There was some sort of adrenaline-like feel going through the crowd. The kid next to me whipped out a lighter and started swinging it over his head; people were shouting out requests. I was interested to see how Eric would react to this, since the only words out of his mouth up to that point had basically been “hi” and “thanks”. His response?  A witty “No requests; we will not be taking any requests at this time,” followed by a little grin, which led us into the next song (one of my favorites) off the new album Oohs & Aahs, “November Was White, December Was Grey”.

A few songs later, the music stopped and I came to the realization that Mr. Eric Elgoben & his band were funny guys- really funny guys. “Want to hear a joke?” he said, “Why can’t white people tell jokes timing?” (If the joke doesn’t make sense to you, try reading it aloud). Eric admitted to us that his guitar needed some tuning and turned things over to Alex, the bassist, whose hilarious and obscene jokes turned the audience’s chuckles into full-blown laughter. Tuned and ready, Eric proceeded to tell us that “this band gets progressively dirtier every night,” and introduced his song “Blah Blah Blah”, “a song about vampires which inspired Twilight.”

Say Hi finished off their set with the fan favorite “Northwestern Girls” while the audience crooned along during the chorus “It must be in the air, here.” A sincere “thank you” and the band made their way off stage while several members of the crowd chanted, “One more song! One more song!”. I must admit, I was surprised by the band’s choice not to include “Let’s Talk about Spaceships”, which is undoubtedly one of Say Hi’s most popular songs, on the set list. Encore or not, Say Hi ensured that it was a great night for music in DC.

Say Hi are currently touring with Dave Bazan, track them on Bandsintown for upcoming tour dates and similar show recommendations.

5 Questions For... The Grownup Noise!

By Trish Fontanilla

Once upon a time, if you asked me what The Grownup Noise was, I probably would have said, “You mean the sound the adults make on Charlie Brown?” Now enlightened and a better person for it, I now know that The Grownup Noise is a Boston based band that’s played with people like Kay Hanley from Letters to Cleo and whose music has appeared on MTV’s Real World (I was told, not as background music of a bar fight).

Paul Hansen (vocals/guitar), Adam Sankowski (bass), Katie Franich (cello), and Kyle Crane (drums) make what Paul describes as “off-kilter pop music; catchy but earthy and sincere.”  Having seen them more this year than some of my blood relatives, I can tell you that their chemistry on stage leaves you walking out of their concerts with a perma-smile.  Added bonus— not only are they a talented band, they’re eco-friendly too! For the past 2 summers they’ve toured around in a converted van that runs on veggie oil (which you can totally read about on The Organic Mechanic Blog).

I recently had a chance to ask Paul a few questions and he filled me in on how the group got their name and, oh yeah, why they were accidently hiding from the police this past summer (also has nothing to do with a bar fight).

I feel like I’ve searched high and low.. and by searched I mean on Google.. but I can’t figure it out. Where does your band name come from? And were there any other names you guys threw around before settling on The Grownup Noise?

Our name is the result of a free association game, with some alcohol involved. When I saw the three words scribbled on a piece of paper, it made sense. For me, it means all the things that bog you down as you grow up; bills, aging, death and taxes, random depression and useless competition. So it’s about fighting against ‘the grownup noise’.

Other people have a totally different interpretation, which is great. Before that, we were nameless for awhile, but not called ‘Nameless’.

Who writes the songs in the group?

Me (Paul) actually, the tall goofy guy. I give birth to our babies and then we all raise them up together, hopefully to be productive members of society. If they don’t, we lock them up in our basement and never speak of them again.

Following your Twitter account this summer, it seemed like your veggie van had some issues. Any crazy tour/van stories?

For an afternoon we were fugitives from the law! We weren’t aware that our tank had a crack in it and our van leaked used veggie oil all over a Taco Bell parking lot. And umm…we kinda fled the scene. But we made good and came back and cleaned it all up.

You toured all over the US this summer (20+ dates in just a little over a month), where were your favorite places to play?

Minneapolis, MN and Tucson, AZ were surprise hits. And of course L.A.’s ‘Spaceland’ was exciting to play.

Name three musicians that we should be listening to but probably aren’t. Guided by Voices, Brakes, Brakes, Brakes, and Boston’s own ‘Mission of Burma’

Diggin’ The Grownup Noise? They’ll be playing at TT the Bear’s this Saturday (10/24) as part of the RSL Music Blog’s 3rd Anniversary Party.  Not in Boston? They’ve got 3 new tunes (and some old ones too) on their MySpace and of course you can track them on our site to get info on their latest tour dates as soon as they’re announced.

Not Sure Where to Begin at CMJ? Check Out These Bands

by Willie Avendano

It’s late October in New York City, and that only means one thing, CMJ. Today marks the start the annual music manic marathon known to artists and fans alike as CMJ Music Marathon. From October 20 – 24, musicians come from everywhere to flood the Village, the Lower Eastside, and Brooklyn with amazing shows all times of day, and become almost holiday-weekend for ANY music lover, for little to no nominal fee. But with so much music, what to do?

Here are the bands I totally recommend you seeing this week.

• Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Stars (At Blue Note, every night): Who doesn’t like jazz, especially from this cover band playing beautiful music as a break from intense shows
• The Antlers (Music Hall of Williamsburg, Oct 20, 10:45pm)
• Souls of Mischief + Tanya Morgan (Southpaw, Oct. 22, 9pm)
• X-Ecutioners + A-Trak + Sadat X (BB King’s, Oct. 22, 11pm)
• The Foreign Exchange (BB Kings, Oct 23, 11:30pm)
• Surf City (Cake Shop, Oct. 20, 11:10pm)
• Eric Roberson (S.O.B’s, Oct. 21, 7:00pm)
• Pac Div (DROM, Oct. 21, 8:35pm)
• The XX (Webster Hall, Oct. 23, 9:00pm)
• Fool’s Gold (Bowery Poetry Club, Oct. 22, 12:00am)
• Midnight Juggernauts (Bowery Ballroom, Oct. 22, 12:00am)
• Jokers of the Scene + LA Riots (N8, Oct. 22, 10pm)
• YACHT + Holy Ghost! (Brooklyn Bowl, Oct 22, 8pm)
• Camp Lo (S.O.B’s, Oct. 22, 9:20pm)
• The Dap Kings + Menahan Street Band (Knitting Factory BK, Oct. 23, 6pm)
• Cymbals Eat Guitars (Public Assembly, Oct. 22)
• Crystal Antlers (Cake Shop, Oct. 23, 11:30pm)
• OKAY AFRICA (Knitting Factory BK, Oct. 24, 11pm)

This is just a start! Check out the complete CMJ coverage of some of our favorite blogs, including Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, NYCTaper, BrooklynVegan and Stereogum.  If you have show recommendations, make sure to hit us up on twitter and we’ll send ‘em out far and wide.

Thrilled to be a sponsor of the Pop Tarts Suck Toasted CMJ Kick-off Party (FREE whether you have a badge or not!)

Huge thanks to Patrick for inviting us to join him, details on all of the awesome bands playing can be found here.

5 Questions for... Like the Stars

Interview by Alex Mason

Out of Point Pleasant NJ, an ambitious powerpop band was formed.  Like The Stars began in January 2008 when founding member, vocalist and lyricist AJ Hoenings called on friends to help create original material “from the heart”.  Bassist Nick VanderMaas and guitarist  Nick Kaelblein were the first to join the band.  Joey Trala on drums and Connor Appleton on guitar were the last members to help round out the aspiring 5 piece band.  With the exception of Nick V, all played in prior bands and knew what they were looking for musically.

While the band was hard at work playing shows locally & regionally, they had also been focused on writing and recording.  After a year and a half, their long awaited LP was released on May 22, 2009. “Don’t Tell Secrets, I Won’t Tell Lies” received high appraisal from both old and new fans alike.

Their influences vary greatly but bands such as All Time Low and Mayday Parade help bring forth their passion for music while creating a sound all their own.

Q: New Jersey is a haven for influential bands to sprout from. With more modern acts such as Thursday and Midtown to more classic acts such as Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, what has it been like trying to make a name for yourself in a music scene that has seen so much?

A: New Jersey is a great place to be a starting musician because of all the super influential artists and song writers that have come from here. It also gives you a lot to live up to. We really could not ask for a better place to be based out of.

Q: Pop Punk is becoming, if it already isn’t, one of the bigger genres out right now. With that comes the positives and negatives.  Many people complain of pop punk bands all being the same and being unoriginal. What are you guys doing to separate yourself from the pack? Why should people listen to Like The Stars over other similar artists?

A: Our biggest thing is trying to put on as much of an entertaining live show as possible. You see so many bands who walk on stage with a very apathetic attitude. We’re really against that, we all have an extreme passion for music in general and it shows in our live show.

Q: I was fortunate enough to see a few songs from your set at The Bamboozle festival this past May. What was it like being able to play such a big event like Bamboozle? Were there any opportunities you were able to gain through playing Bamboozle?

A: Bamboozle was a dream come true for us. It was really an experience likeno other.  We were able to be a part of something that all of our biggest influences were a part of as well. So that was really cool. As far as opportunities go we’ve been offered a bunch of shows due to Bamboozle, which has been really awesome as well.

Q: Was there a point during your band’s life that made you just go, “Wow, this is why I make music” ? If not, or even if so, what is something you think you can change or aspire for to get to that point?

A: I think we all agree that being on stage for Bamboozle was huge for us, either then or going on our first tour. We really took a step back and said, “Wow”.

Q: Recording could be a tedious yet fun process that may cause some of the members to become delusional, are there any fun stories you have from the studio? What about past tours?

A: There’s a lot of stories! We were on our first tour with our friends in Arizona Lives! (check them out, awesome dudes!) But they managed to break into our van, un-hinge all of our seats, put them on top of the van, and then proceeded to cover our van in a bunch of stuff. Anything from flour to mayo to duct tape.  All kinds of stuff.  It was really bad.

New Feature: Add a show!

As many of you know we are pretty much obsessed with having the biggest, baddest, most comprehensive, and complete database of concert tickets and information in the world so that fans of live music can find tickets to shows no matter how small the venue or obscure the artist.

To create our database, we aggregate tickets and information from over 60 ticketing companies in 140 countries, and that number is growing all the time.  While incredibly effective, we recognize this method is not 100% complete because not all shows are ticketed.

We hear from artists all the time about shows at warehouses, coffee shops, house parties, and even churches.  Some of the best performances we’ve ever seen have been at these non-traditional venues— most of which may have a cover at the door, but are not not formally ticketed.

Coinciding with our participation in the “New Musicians Toolbox” panel at the Future of Music Policy summit this week, we launched the newest feature to our site: an add a show page that enables artists, managers, labels, and venue owners to submit shows to Bandsintown, thus ensuring that artist pages reflect all shows, regardless of size, location, or ticketing status.

This is just one of several tools and capabilities we are working on to make it even easier for artists to keep fans in the know about upcoming tour info, stay tuned for more announcements in the near future.

Future Of Music Policy Summit

We are honored to be panelists at the Future of Music Policy Summit taking place through October 6th in Washington DC.

The summit is intended to examine the impact of policy and technological innovation on everyone in the music ecosystem, through panels, discussions, events, workshops and keynotes.  The speakers so far have included Senator Al Franken, FCC Chairman (and LaunchBox Digital founder) Julius Genachowski, Mike Mills of REM, Ariel Hyatt of Cyber PR and so many others! Tomorrow’s line up includes Daniel Ek of Spotify, Seth Hurowitz of IMP, Ian McKaye of Fugazi, Eliot Van Buskirk of Wired, and many others.

We will be presenting as part of the “New Musicians Toolbox” panel at 2pm, which FMC describes as:

Despite the obvious disruptions, the digital revolution has been empowering for many musicians. Yet navigating this rapidly evolving landscape can be daunting. Representatives from some of the coolest new ideas in funding, promotion, asset management and data tracking will join us to demo their wares and talk about how musicians can effectively use new tools.

Duncan Freeman Founder, Band Metrics
George Howard Manager, Carly Simon (moderator)
Charlie McEnerney Host + Producer, Well-Rounded Radio; Instigator, Musicians for Music 2.0

We are particularly excited about being on this panel because connecting bands and fans is a HUGE motivating factor for us (we literally wake up every morning thinking about how we can do it even more effectively). We’ve been working on a great set of tools for artists to use our API to their full advantage, and we are looking very forward to talking about some of them tomorrow, and unveiling them over the coming weeks and months.

There are several ways to check out the summit, even if you can’t attend in person:

• • Watch live streaming of the event
  • Check out FMC’s live blog
  • Search #fmc09 on twitter (great quality and insight so far!)

If you are attending in person, please come say hi!

Who's in town? Not to miss shows in Boston!

by Trish Fontanilla

I’m starting off with a shout out. Yeah, I said it. A shout out.

I’d like to tip my hat to the music and entertainment blog, Ryan’s Smashing Life. They’re celebrating their 3rd anniversary with a concert at TT the Bear’s on Saturday, October 24th.

The show will feature Blizzard of 78, Tik Tok, Bridges and Powerlines, and The Grownup Noise.  I also heard that this evening will be extra special because it’s the last big show before The Grownup Noise head back into the studio to record their new album.

Anyway, I digress.

So here’s to the folks at Ryan’s Smashing Life. May they have another
totally kick ass, musically full, interesting interviews to the infinity power type of year (or something like that - I’m not good at math).

As for the rest of October, well, there’s an eclectic boatload of awesome
live music sailing through these parts. I don’t know about you but I like:

10/07 Mars Volta @ House of Blues
Because I like to (air) play along to their songs.

10/9 R. Kelly @ Wang Theatre
Because that’s more than a coincidence.

10/10 The Everyday Visuals @ Paradise Rock Club
Because they were voted Best New Band in 2009 (The Phoenix).

10/11 Township @ Church
Because I feel like putting on a stache and skinny jeans.

10/13 Airborne Toxic Event @ House of Blues
Because I need a revelation.

10/13 Eric Hutchinson @ Agganis Arena
Because I love to see a dude do a Whitney Houston remix.

10/15 Ari Hest @ Johnny D’s
Because I wonder what Bruce would sound like if he was from New York (and
I’d rather picture Ari singing me).

10/15 Al Green @ House of Blues
Because the Rev still got it.

10/16 Sarah Blacker @ Hard Rock Cafe
Because it’s her CD release and a portion of the ticket sales that night
go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

10/17 Tim Blane @ Johnny D’s
Because I need some motivation to play guitar.

10/23 Boys II Men @ Twin River Event Center (Lincoln, RI actually)
Because I’m reminiscing about mix tapes.

10/24 Ryan’s Smashing Life 3rd Anniversary Party @ TT the Bear’s
Because I just wrote a whole paragraph up top!

10/26 Gregory Douglass @ Club Passim
Because Syd said so in my last blog

10/26 Thievery Corporation @ House of Blues
Because YOU won tickets. **hint hint about the next contest, follow
@BandsinBoston to be in the know**

10/31 Gwar @ the Palladium
Because.. is there a better night to see Gwar?

They really need to get on that teleportation thing because I don’t want
to miss out on any good shows!

Don’t see any of your fave bands in here? @ us on our Twitter feed
(@BandsInBoston) or start tracking them on our website. Happy rockin’!

Who's in town!? Not to miss shows in NYC

(Crookers, image via Panormx)

by Willie Avendano

Fall has already begun, the temperature is already starting to drop, but live music in October is hot. CMJ is this month, and artists will be crawling through the city during the festival.  We’ll be cosponsoring a show on October 20th with Poptartssucktoasted (more on that later!), but in the mean time, here are five non-CMJ not to miss picks for this month:

Justice (Webster Hall, October 29)

In promotion for their upcoming album, Justice, everyone’s favorite French DJs not named Daft Punk, is DJing a huge party at Webster Hall, as they return back to the States. This giant dance party, at one of my favorite venues for electronic and dance music, is a recipe for an endless night of lights, movement, remixes galore. This show is everyone’s early treat for Halloween weekend.

HARD NYC (Crookers/Major Lazer) (Terminal 5, October 10)

Another huge dance party headlined by the genius producers behind the amazing Kid Cudi hit, “Day N Nite.” These Italian DJs have plentiful libraries of remix and every one of them is an incredible dance hit. The second headliner, Major Lazer is the collaboration of DJ/producers Diplo and Switch who have made brilliant dancehall & techno and are currently promoting their record, “Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do.” If anyone heard their hype this summer, the innumerable remixes of the hit, “Hold the Line,” or their BBC Radio1 Essential Mix, will know that this show will be crazy.

Sufjan Stevens (Music Hall of Williamsburg, October 6)

I grew up loving Sufjan, and the reason I pick this show compared to the two before it at Bowery Ballroom, for its intimacy while still being able to have a crowd ambiance. MHOW is actually one of my favorite venues in town for location and its appeal to everyone, and with Sufjan and his amazing stage presence, this is definitely a can’t-miss show.

The Roots & Common: Hennessy Artistry Tour (Terminal 5, October 5)

Anyone who has seen The Roots play live can attest that they are one of the best live acts out now, so any chance to see them live is a must. And as New Yorkers, we get really lucky because with their Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, they get a regular residency at the Highline Ballroom. But I pick this show over the Roots Jams at HighLine because this is more of them playing, than just having a fun jam session with friends in town. Plus with Common, I expect a sick show, even though I know a fair share of guests will appear regardless.

Boys Noize (Santos Party Haus, October 31)

What are you doing on Halloween? Maybe you will be at the Parade in the Village? maybe trick or treating? or how about the sickest party of the night at the craziest party of the night? Santos Party Haus, the best music venue for dance party [though nothing on Webster Hall] is hosting a ridiculous Halloween Bash featuring Boys Noize on the turntables, giving everyone the best in techno (enough to make even the scariest monsters bust a couple of dance moves)

Live! Crunk-Rock Group Family Force 5 Keeps the Party Alive at The Middle East

Review and Photos by special guest contributor Ashley Maceli

Standing outside of Cambridge’s very own Middle East restaurant and venue last Tuesday night, one would never know about the epic dance party taking place below.  Family Force 5, the energetic, Southern quintet in matching blue and white stripped polo rugby shirts with a large white “5” embroidered on it and black shin-guards, walked onto the stage ready to turn the Middle East raucous.

Starting off the Dance RAWR Dance 3 tour with their newest single “Dance or Die”, FF5 blasted out their crunk-rock with the bass pounding and their heads banging. The dirty Southern boys then brought back an old favorite, “Kountry Gentlemen”, from their first album Business Up Front/Party in the Back.

After sticking with some first album songs such as “Drama Queen” and “Put Ur Hands Up”, the band introduced a couple of new songs which will be released to iTunes on October 6th.  Catchy and poptastic, “Keep the Party Alive”, amped up the already enthusiastic crowd, while “Ghostride the Whip” seemed to slow things down. Even though they sound extremely similar to the everyday rap songs on the radio, hopes are that FF5 will stay with their crunk-rock, screamo pop songs, rather than the bump-and-grind club music of these songs.

Lead singer, Soul Glow Activatur, brought out his trademark Hulk hands, now an upgraded version with shiny disco mirrors on it, to add to his champion wrestling belt he always wears, as the band cranked up the rock to one of their most famous songs, “Love Addict”. Drummer Crouton went nuts as “Earthquake” came on and lead guitarist Chap Stique continued to make funny faces at the crowd, thoroughly enjoying their spunk. Nadaddy rocked his key-tar and tambourine as Phatty skillfully played his bass while getting into some screaming vocals. FF5 got back into their newest album Dance or Die, and played “Get Your Back Off the Wall”, “Party Foul”, as well as one of their singles “Radiator”.

For their last song the band pumped up the volume as they completely let loose in “Supersonic”. The pure crunk-rock dance number radiated with vigor while the boys seemed to give everything they could into this song. The band then played an encore of “Fever”, ending the set on a powerful note.

Dance RAWR Dance 3’s blend of 80’s synth, moderate metal riffs, crunk-rock power ballads, and the mix of electronic and rock, made for the most epic dance show, making a good comeback after Family Force 5’s Dance RAWR Dance 2 tour. A lot of the fun came from the power-pop rock music, but more so from the enthusiasm of the band members, which made the show an all around good time. Good music may make a band likable, but the attitude and enthusiasm from Family Force 5 is what made their show utterly enjoyable.

Track Family Force 5 and find out when they’ll be playing in your city here.

Live! Edward Sharpe & the Electric Zeros – Bringing the Hippie-Hipsters Straight to San Francisco

By Annie Wright

The part hipster - part hippie band, that is Edward Sharpe and the Electric Zeros, left nothing to be desired at their sold-out Tuesday night show at the San Francisco Independent.  Standing on stage 11 strong, somewhat reminiscent of a commune still intact from the 60’s, the Electric Zeros spent their entire set making sure that every person in that venue was rocking their socks off. The band is fronted by a long haired, shirtless and shoeless Alex Ebert,  under the name his childhood alter-ego Edward Sharpe.

In a move fitting for a band that feels like they are having their own party just by showing up, they started the show by emerging on stage and passing out cold Modelos to those fans standing near the stage. Ebert,  possessed both by his music and the stage (or a powerful combination of the two) was as charismatic and playing to the crowd throughout the show;  never leaving his audience without wondering “what is he going to do next??” At one point he shouted “You guys are acting like children!” Then quickly followed with “Thank God!” confirming that Edward Sharpe and the Electric Zeros were on a Magic Mystery tour all of their own.

While the energy that they band evokes is unique in itself, you cannot ignore the memorizing deep and droll voice of Ebert. And while he is the obvious lead of the band, his second in command  is the beautiful Jade Castrinos. The undeniable chemistry between the two was just another fun part of the show to watch and enjoy…. particularly throughout one of their most well known songs “Home”.  From the first whistle of this love song, a  playful duet, to lyrics like “I’ll follow you into the park, Through the jungle through the dark, Girl I never loved one like you”, it made you wonder if you were watching the indie version of  Johnny and June Cash… as if they had no idea you were there.

Edward Sharpe and the Electric Zeros are ending their 2 month tour in San Francisco at the Treasure Island Music Festival October 17th and 18th.