Posted by The G on August 7, 2012 under G Reviews | 
Photos by G.
Joe Newman and Gwil Sainsbury of Alt-J
If the sound of the crowd is a predictor of future success, British indie-rock quartet Alt-J are going to be HUGE! Performing a very sold out show at New York’s Mercury Lounge on August 7, 2012, you would have thought you were in an arena instead of a venue with a 250 person capacity. Alt-J’s debut album “An Awesome Wave” is not even out in the US yet (it’ll be out in September), but that didn’t stop nearly all 250 people from singing along to every song.
Thom Green and Gus Unger-Hamilton of Alt-J
The proper spelling of the band is the Greek letter ∆; however the band pronounce their name “Alt-J.” Their music has a little bit of rock, a little bit of folk and a little bit of dub step! Put that combo together and that’s a winning formula. Alt-J made their debut New York performance earlier this year as a support act and last night was their first (of what I am sure will be many) headlining show. Lead singer Joe Newman professed his love for the crowd and mentioned several times how excited the band was to be playing such a special show. They’ll be back playing the much bigger Bowery Ballroom on September 12, 2012 and it will surely sell out, so make sure you get your tickets!
See the set list after the jump.
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Tags: 2012, Alt-J, August 7, Band Members, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Gwil Sainsbury, Joe Newman, Mercury Lounge, New York, Photo, Set List, Thom Green
Posted by The G on June 15, 2012 under G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Brent Knopf of Ramona Falls
I’ve been lucking out recently seeing double bills of groups that rock and June 14, 2012 was more of the same! On June 14, 2012, New York’s Mercury Lounge hosted Canadian indie rock band The Darcys and Portland’s Ramona Falls.
The Darcys
At times, The Darcys music sounded like unreleased Radiohead songs, which is always a good thing, according2g. By the end of the first song, the audience was rockin’ out and following the beats with their bodies. If you’re looking for some music to take you on a trip, I recommend this band! Also, for classic rock lovers, The Darcys have done something extremely cool. They have recorded a cover version of the entire Steely Dan album “Aja.” Wow! Extra good news, you can download the record for free on The Darcys’ website. (link is above).
Ramona Falls
Though it was a tough act to follow, Ramona Falls continued a night of great music as the indie-rock (with folk influences) band out of Portland performed an hour long set. They had trippy projections being cast throughout the show, which added to the ambiance. One of the funniest moments was when the drummer stepped out from behind the drum kit in between songs and in a very dead-pan voice asked the audience if we were having a good time, but posed the question in survey form (“do you agree, somewhat agree, disagree, or strongly disagree?”) Lead singer Brent Knopf, formerly of Menomena, appeared to be in a trance as you could see his eyes rolling back in his head during the set and it was contagious. By the time the show ended, my pop/rock itch had been scratched. Ramona Falls is offering a free download on their website as well, so hook yourself up with some new music this weekend!
Thanks Ramona Falls and The Darcys for a great night of music!
You can see the Ramona Falls set list after the jump.
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Tags: 2012, Band, Brent Knopf, Images, June 14, Mercury Lounge, New York, Photos, Ramona Falls, Review, Set List, The Darcys
Posted by The G on May 19, 2012 under G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Har Mar Superstar (with Father John Misty on Drums)
May 18, 2012 was a night of fun, funk, folk and partial nudity as Har Mar Superstar and Father John Misty performed a sold out show at New York’s Mercury Lounge. Har Mar Superstar (born Sean Tillman) is a singer/songwriter who knows the funk and who knows how to get down! Before his hour long set was over, he removed many layers of clothing (including a shirt from the Purple Rain tour!) and got down in his underwear! It was quite a site! He noticed me taking photos in the front row and told me to keep shooting pics! I did! 
One of the highlights was an impromptu song called “Bring us 4 shots of Jagermeister” whose lyrics consisted of that line repeated over and over again. It worked and moments after the song, 4 shots were delivered to the stage. Playing drums for Har Mar Superstar was the headliner, Father John Misty.
Har Mar Superstar
Father John Misty's CD "Fear Fun" featuring cover art by Dima Drjuchin
Full disclosure: I initially got tickets to see this show based on the fact that Dima (click here to read an interview with Dima in a new window) designed the gorgeous artwork for Father John Misty’s cd without hearing a note of his music. I was not disappointed. Father John Misty (born Josh Tillman) rocked! His music has an Americana/folk/rock element to it and in between songs, Father John Misty was hilarious! He made jokes, told funny stories and reenacted the voices of random characters, presumably created on the tour bus in between cities.
Father John Misty
I was highly amused by Father John Misty’s lyrics that had mentions of Jesus Christ, Joseph Campbell and the Rolling Stones and not in the ways that you might think. Hear for yourself tonight as Father John Misty and Har Mar Superstar play Brookyln’s Knitting Factory on May 19, 2012.
Tags: 2012, Band, Dima Drjuchin, Father John Misty, Fear Fun, Har Mar Superstar, Josh Tillman, May 18, Mercury Lounge, New York, Photo, Photos, Real Name, Review, Sean Tillman
Posted by The G on April 30, 2012 under G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Hanni El Khatib
There’s no other way to say it – Hanni El Khatib rocks! He packed the house at New York’s Mercury Lounge on April 28, 2012 for a night of rock, punk, soul and doo-wop! Yes, doo-wop! Hanni’s music seamlessly blends all these styles of music together and I make sure to see him every time he tours because I think he is a great performer. I talked to him before the show and pleaded with him to release a live album, because I don’t think studio recordings can capture the raw intensity of his sound.
Hanni El Khatib
Speaking of the studio, he mentioned that he’ll be hitting the studio very soon with an A-List producer. I won’t mention any names, but let’s just say this band recently sold out two nights at Madison Square Garden. Stay tuned! Hanni El Khatib added another member to his band (guitars, keyboards), so their live sound is even fuller now. Hanni played songs such as “Dead Wrong,” “Come Alive,” “Build. Destroy. Rebuild.,” “Garbage City” and “I Got A Thing” during his hour long set. The show ended at 1 am, but time stands still when you are rockin’! Thanks for another great show Hanni!
PS. I am loving Hanni El Khatib’s new logo!
Hanni El Khatib logo
Posted by The G on April 27, 2012 under Encounters with G, G Reviews |
Photos by G.
Richie Follin of Guards
On April 26, 2012, New York (via California)’s Guards packed the house at Manhattan’s Mercury Lounge. Lead singer Richie Follin is from a very talented family. His sister is Cults lead singer Madeline Follin, but sonically their music is a completely different sound. Self-described as “pop-wave-doom,” their hour long set was a lot more rock than it was doom! At times, their songs blended into another which was great as it felt like watching a concept album being performed.
Guards
I enjoyed what I heard and while the band did not have albums for sale, there is good news – for a limited time, you can download Guards’ EP for FREE from their Bandcamp page. Link will open in a new window. Highly recommended, according2g and I’ve been continuing the groove all morning. Good luck to Guards and I am excited for their next show! On a side note, I am putting it out there that I think it would be really cool if Cults and Guards toured together. Fingers crossed!
I also must post a photo of Guards’ band logo as you know I love all “G Things” and this is a good one!
Guards band Logo
See the set list after the jump.
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Tags: 2012, April 26, Band, Guards, Lead Singer, Mercury Lounge, New York, Photo, Review, Richie Follin, Set List
