The Naked and Famous Review

 A great night overall.

I have been a huge fan of this band for quite some time, so  I was ecstatic to get tickets to their sold out show at Terminal 5 in NYC. For more information about the The Naked and Famous check out my earlier post about them. 

Supporting the Naked and Famous were Now, Now and Vacationer. Due to prior commitments I only arrived in time to see the last few tracks from Vacationer's set. I cannot deny, however good I felt this band was live, they did remind me too much of Vampire Weekend.

As hard as the support acts tried, the crowd were definitely only there to see one act; the headline. The eruption of cheers from the crowd as The Naked and Famous appeared on stage from a haze of smoke only confirmed this. By starting their set with the first track (All of This) from their debut album "Passive Me, Aggressive You," the crowd immediately leapt into an excited frenzy.

Particularly great performances from the night were "Girls Like You" and "Punching Dream." The atmosphere in the sell out venue was one of euphoria, with the entire crowd singing and dancing along to all their songs.

Although this band said very few words during the night, the crowd seemed not to care at all. Their enthusiastic and incredibly upbeat performances with intense strobe lighting proved to be the perfect combination for the crowd to 'rave.' 

The Naked and Famous performed 14 tracks during their show and ended with the popular single "Young Blood." This gig was a lot of fun and I would certainly recommend you go and check them out.

For upcoming tour dates check out: http://www.tourtracker.com/artist/the-naked-and-famous/848193/

Guest blogger: Erix Infante - Arctic Monkeys & The Black Keys Review

 Recently I saw The Black Keys in concert accompanied by the Arctic Monkeys. Both
bands are a personal favorite of mine, but I was unaware as to what kind of show both
bands would put on. Since their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm
Not the Arctic Monkeys have held priority on my itunes library. Prior to a couple of years
ago I couldn’t have told you much about The Black Keys and what they brought to the
table. Luckily with their incredibly popular Brothers album, I was able to dive head first
into their soulfully dirty Midwest rock! Entering the arena I was positively clueless as to
what I would be expecting. But as soon as the Arctic Monkeys took the stage it was
evident that I about to hear some real rock and roll! Alex Turner and his band mates
brought everything but the kitchen sink to the stage, and worked the crowd perfectly.
Fans were screaming for an encore before they even left the stage. The British rock
instantly took a hold of everyone, which created a rather rowdy concert experience, and it
was amazing! For anyone who is on the fence with this band I highly recommend
purchasing a ticket because the amount of pure excitement is worth every penny.

 

When The Black Keys took the stage here in Columbus, the Ohio natives made any last
fans jump to their feet. Since the band is only made up of Dan Auerbach (guitar and
vocals), and Patrick Carney (drums and vocals) I was interested to see if they could
produce the same great sound they do on their albums, but live. The only way I can
describe the way they played that night is to imagine yourself drinking a 5th of whiskey,
don’t shower for a couple of days, and then pick up a guitar and play until your fingers
bleed. The crowd was ecstatic from the first chord to the last. While most songs were
from their newest album El Camino, they were able to mix in a great handful of their
older bluesy songs. Both bands had me fully involved from their first song to their last.
Their stage performance was bar none, and made everyone feel as if they were playing
just from them. I highly recommend everyone go see either of these bands in concert,
because they both remind you of what real rock and roll should be and sound like! So go
to your nearest liquor store, grab a bottle of Jack, and play that music loud!

The Black Keys Tour Dates
28th July. Catalpa Festival - NY
24th August. Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK
26th August. Reading Festival - Reading, UK

For more information regarding tour dates and tickets check out: http://www.theblackkeys.com/shows

Ben Howard Review

An unbelievable performance. Ben Howard certainly lived up to expectation.

The support was Willy Mason (see link for review).

The sold out gig was held at Bowery Ballroom (NYC) which is a great venue in terms of intimacy and atmosphere. The crowd, unsurprisingly, pretty young - made up of mostly twenty/ thirty year olds - were all there to see one guy, the folk singer from Devon.

There is no doubt that Ben Howard's popularity has soared after the release of his singles "The Wolves" and "Keep Your Head Up." With the release of his album"Every Kingdom" in the US yesterday there is no doubt his fan base will continue to grow.

As soon as Howard stepped onto the stage he was an instant hit. His obvious charm and genuine shock and excitement to play in front of a sell out crowd in "The Big Apple" was clear and endearing to see. Not only were his vocals flawless but he was hilarious and had the whole crowd begging to hear more.

The highlight of the night for me was when he played "The Wolves." From the level of cheers he received when he began singing this song, it was apparent it was the crowds fav too! His ability to interact with the crowd particularly stood out during this song when he had the entire room singing back to him "love, love, love."

A definate must see. You would be mad to skip this gig. Get tickets now - its a must!!!

For tour dates check out my previous post: http://musicgigsnfestivals.blogspot.com/2011/12/ben-howard.html

Willie Nelson

 

This American singer and song writer is one of the most recognized artists in country music. 

Although I am not a huge fan of country music, I am a huge fan of Willie Nelson. Anyone who can cover Coldplays single "The Scientist" as well as he does, deserves a chance in my eyes! 

Willie Nelson has proved to have had a very long and successful career. To date, Nelson has released over 60 studio albums and been regarded as influencing the "new country, and alternative coutnry movments of the 1980s and 90s."  His first album,"And Then I Wrote" was released in 1962 and featured the songs "Touch  Me," "The Part Where I  Cry," and "Three Days." 

Despite being 78, Willie Nelson can still put on a great show. There is no question that this country singer - usually seen rocking the long braids, bandanna, and cowboy hat -  knows what he is doing. With his endless list of great tracks and incredibly strong but unique vocals, you can be sure of having a fun night. I will add though, his gigs usually sell out, so if you want to buy tickets I would do so soon. 

Tour dates:

May 13th. UPAC - Kingston, NY

May 16th. The Wellmont Theatre - Montclair, NJ

May 17th. The Wellmont Theatre - Montclar, NJ

For more details about his N. America tour, and tickets check out: http://www.tourtracker.com/artist/willie-nelson/1001454

The View

 I absolutely love this band.

The View are an indie band from Scotland who incorporates pop, folk, punk, acoustic and rock into all their songs. The View has yet to disappoint me when it comes to releasing great songs. On 6th March The View released "Grace," the first song from their third and recently released album "Bread and Circuses."

If you are into bands like The Holloways, The Courteeners, The Enemy and The Pigeon Detectives, than this band is for you. Their gigs would certainly be lively due to their incredibly upbeat tunes and catchy lyrics. I hope to see this band live in the future and would push for you to do the same.

Songs to definitely check out by this band are Wasteland, Same Jeans, and Superstar Tradesman.

  

Tour dates: 

23rd June. O2 Academy - Oxford
25th June. Wedgewood Rooms - Portsmouth

28th June. The Junction - Cambridge

For more information about tickets visit: http://www.ents24.com/web/artist/39119/The_View.html

The Shins

 

This band is awesome. 

The Shins are an indie rock band from America, who got their first major break from the release of their single "New Slang." To date this band have released three albums, "Oh, Inverted World," "Chutes Too Narrow," and "Wincing the Night Away," and are due to release "Port of Morrow" on 20th March.

The Shins have some great reviews for their live performances. With three albums under their belt, this band is certainly not short of great songs to play. Lead singer, James Mercer is a great performer who is not only hugely talented but able to get the entire crowd buzzing.

Be warned though tickets often sell out, so if you want to buy them move fast. I will be trying to get a ticket - I urge you to do the same.

Tour dates:

29th April. Terminal 5 - NYC 

30th April. Terminal 5 - NYC 

1st May. Terminal 5 - NYC 

 

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: http://www.ticketmaster.com

The Drums Music Review

One of my fiends offered me a spare ticket which she had to The Drums in NYC- of course I couldn't say no; so I would just like to say a huge thank you for giving me a ticket to their sold out show.

The Drums support was Mathew Dear and all I will say is: Dreadful!!

Despite the awful support act, The Drums were able to save the night with their great performance. The Drums are a four piece indie rock band from Brooklyn, NY. In June 2010, The Drums released their debut album "The Drums" which includes the songs Lets go Surfing, Forever and Ever Amen, Down By The Water, and Best Friend. Their long awaited second album is due to be released in June of this year.

I had never been to last nights venue (the Knitting Factory) but I really liked it. I enjoy intimate gigs, although the venue was a bit of a mission to get to, it was a great place to see the band up close. The main room is small, with a bar on one side and a merchandise table on the other side. What I like most about small venues is the small amount of  hustle and bustle you have to go through to get a good view of the stage.

Surprisingly last nights crowd was very diverse, there were young children, older people, rockers, businessmen, people on their own, couples and families. Despite the various ages and styles of the crowd, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and danced and sang along to the music.  

To say The Drums are enthusiastic/energetic performers would be an understatement. The lead singer, Johnathon Pierce certainly gets taken over by the music as he waves his arms and dances flamboyantly around the stage. The Drums look every inch a true indie band with their vintage sweaters and shirts, denim jackets and skinny jeans, so combine this with their great song and you have the perfect mix for a great show.

Tour dates:
22nd April. Webster Hall - NYC
3rd June. Dot To Dot Festival 2012 - Nottingham, UK
8-10th June. Rockness 2012 - Inverness, UK

For more information about tickets and other tour dates visit: http://www.songkick.com/artists/162568-drums/calendar

Lead singer, Johnathon Pierce

The Drums live @Knitting Factory