Posted by The G on July 15, 2011 under G Reviews | 
Photos by G.
Nikka Costa
I’m just going to say it – I think Nikka Costa is one of the best live performers around. Since her 2001 album “Everybody Got Their Something” was released, I’ve seen Nikka live at least 10 times in multiple cities and every time, she is amazing! It was no different when she kicked New York’s ass on July 14, 2011 at the Highline Ballroom. If you’ve never heard her music, you must remedy that immediately! She packs the funk of James Brown and has the soul of Janis Joplin. Nikka hit the stage around 9:15 PM and delivered the goods for nearly 2 hours. She played an even mix of tracks off her latest 3 albums and also included songs from her new EP “Pro*Whoa!”
Nikka Costa
You’ll be seeing a video of “Push and Pull,” coming soon, so stay tuned – you won’t want to miss it. Seeing that song performed is akin to a musical religious experience for me. She hits the notes and I think the song is one of the most beautiful tracks of the new millennium. For most bands, a song of that magnitude would be the closing number, but not for Nikka Costa. She sandwiched it in a powerful run of songs that included the new song “Pro*Whoa!,” “Like A Feather” (which had everyone in the crowd clapping along during the chorus), the new song “Nylons in a Rip,” and “Can’tneverdidnothing.” Nikka played percussion for a little bit, engaged the audience (which included Adam Lambert in attendance) with sing-a-longs and even got down on her knees to plead on the funk!
Nikka Costa
You do not want to miss Nikka Costa when she comes to your town! She’s got funk that’ll kick your butt and have you begging for more. Her new EP “Pro*Whoa!” is available online and for the Youtubers out there, she’s launched a channel called “Nikka’s Box,” where she uploads exclusive performances that sometimes feature special guests. After the show was over, Nikka signed copies of “Pro*Whoa!” and I think it’s safe to say, everyone in attendance danced away into the night with a smile on their face.
See the set list after the jump.
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Tags: 2011, Adam Lambert, Highline Ballroom, July 14, Live, New York, Nikka Costa, Photo, Pro*Whoa!, Review, Setlist
Posted by The G on February 6, 2011 under G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Armand Aviram of Future Relative
Electro-pop gods Future Relative brought their irresistible dance grooves to New York’s Highline Ballroom on February 5, 2011 and what a show! In a matter of months, the New York trio has gone from playing intimate venues to playing the Highline Ballroom, a venue that has been home to giants such as Amy Winehouse, La Roux and Recoil (featuring Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode). The band has a great stage presence and cool lighting, which includes their trademarked lit up and glowing microphone stand. Their 45 minute set featured tracks from their EP “Fantasies” as well as a cover of IAMX’s “Nightlife.” It was great to see the crowd dancing and getting sweaty in the dead of winter!
Nic Cooledge of Future Relative
I’ve been in love with their EP “Fantasies” for months and it was nice to be able to pick up the actual CD at the merch table after the show was over. You can hear great songs such as “X-Ray Vision” and “Monday Morning” on the band’s MySpace page. I think you’ll agree that the future of electro music is Future Relative!
Lex Sadler of Future Relative
See the set list after the jump.
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Tags: 2011, Armand Aviram, February 5, Future Relative, Highline Ballroom, Lex Sadler, New York, Nic Cooledge, Photos, Review, Set List
Posted by The G on November 5, 2010 under Encounters with G |
Photo by G.
Rhys Fulber and G
On November 1, 2010, I met electronic god Rhys Fulber. You might know his face, but as a member of Front Line Assembly, Delerium and Conjure One, his music is unforgettable. Conjure One performed prior to Recoil (featuring Depeche Mode’s Alan Wilder) at the Highline Ballroom in New York and I met Rhys after his set. He was super cool as you can see from the above picture. Making this picture extra special to me is the fact that my friend is really big in the industrial music scene and meeting Rhys Fulber is the intersection where our two worlds collide. I didn’t get a chance to tell Rhys how much I love the song “Center of the Sun,” featuring vocals from singer Poe, so if you are out there Rhys, please re-read this sentence! And thanks again for being so cool and making such awesome music!
Posted by The G on November 3, 2010 under Encounters with G |
Photo by Tres.
G and Alan Wilder!
Long time readers of this site know that Depeche Mode is one of my all time favorite bands. Needless to say when I found out Alan Wilder’s band Recoil was doing a rare New York show and I was already committed to seeing Florence and the Machine across town, I was not entirely happy about it. I decided the only way to have a perfect evening was to attend both events! Because I am super bad ass like that, I was able to. Florence was awesome, Recoil was awesome. Added surprise bonus of the evening was Depeche Mode’s lead singer Dave Gahan was in attendance at the Recoil show, marking possibly the second public appearance of Alan Wilder and Dave Gahan in the same room in over 15 years! Dave was sitting in the upstairs VIP section (almost in darkness) so it was hard to get photos, but I found another one I’ll share with you (after the jump). But back to Alan Wilder! As another surprise bonus, Alan Wilder did a meet and greet after the show! Alan was super cool and he autographed 5 Depeche Mode cd Booklets for me (Music For The Masses, People Are People, Some Great Reward, Catching Up With Depeche Mode and the CD Single to Enjoy The Silence) and he took a photo with me as well. My friend had an even better experience as he also got a photo but he had Alan sign 19 things for him. Pretty slick, according2g. I asked Alan if Depeche Mode had a lot of unreleased songs in the vault and he only said “not really.” We can all keep our fingers crossed that he meant to say “tons, and they’ll all be released soon!” Thanks again Alan for great music past and present and for being so cool!
And now for another spy picture of Dave Gahan…
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Tags: 2010, Alan Wilder, Dave Gahan, Depeche Mode, Highline Ballroom, Image, Meet and Greet, New York, November 1, Photo, Recoil
Posted by The G on November 2, 2010 under G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Recoil (featuring Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode on the right)
What could be better than having your mind blown by seeing Florence and the Machine in concert for the first time? I know! How about rushing to the opposite side of town to see a member of one of your all time favorite bands (Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode) performing live with his musical project Recoil. As an added (and extra amazing) bonus, Depeche Mode’s lead singer Dave Gahan was in attendance watching the show! I unfortunately missed seeing the opening acts, but I got to the Highline Ballroom at 10:30 pm just as Recoil hit the stage. They performed for a little over an hour in a megamix format that featured banging beats and trippy visuals. Unfortunately, Dave Gahan did not perform with Recoil, but a dark industrial instrumental of Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” was played during the set. I met Alan Wilder after the show and he was really cool. A photo of that encounter is coming soon, so stay tuned. After the jump, see my secret spy picture of Dave Gahan that I took.
Recoil
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Tags: 2010, Alan Wilder, Attending Alan Wilder's Show, Dave Gahan, Depeche Mode, Highline Ballroom, Image, New York, November 1, Photo, Picture, Recoil
