Ed Sheeran is having quite a week. In his native UK, he has done the impossible – his album “+” has outsold Coldplay and has knocked reigning #1 album queen Adele from the top spot this week! He performed a pair of extremely sold out shows this week at New York’s Mercury Lounge and as you are about to see/hear, Sheeran is worth all the hype. His show was highly entertaining as he interacted with the crowd all night, telling great stories and engaging us to participate in sing alongs. He even revealed his new tattoo for the crowd! Press play and enjoy!
On January 23, 2012, UK Singer Rod Thomas, better known by his stage name Bright Light Bright Light performed at New York’s Cake Shop. If you’re not familiar with Bright Lightx2′s music, Rod Thomas’ voice is extremely soulful over great electronic beats. New York was in for many treats last night as Bright Light Bright Light changed things up in the best possible way. Rather than perform electronically, the entire show was a solo piano performance, which Rod Thomas admitted was a fun challenge as he performed his upcoming new album in full. Many of the songs, he said, were being played for the first time. Also making the night extra special was a rare guest vocal appearance from his album collaborator, Del Marquis, from Scissor Sisters who sang on “Cry at Films.” The video is below. The venue is fairly dark for extra vibe, so please keep that in mind as you groove to Bright Lightx2 and Del Marquis! Bright Light Bright Light‘s album will be available in the Spring, but while you wait for that day, his singles “Love Part II” and “Disco Moment” are available now for legal download.
See the set list as well as a photo of my encounter with Rod Thomas after the jump.
Humpty Hump (aka Shock G aka Greg Jacobs) of Digital Underground
I’ve loved rap group Digital Underground for 20 years! They played a concert at New York’s BB King’s on January 22, 2012 and I was there to catch all the action. Original members Shock G (aka Humpty Hump) and Money B brought the funk! Flowing as great today as they did back in the day, Digital Underground opened the show with “Packet Man” from their amazing debut “Sex Packets.” Early on in the show, huge singles from DU including “The Humpty Dance,” “Kiss You Back” and “Same Song” were played. For the late 2Pac’s verse on “Same Song,” an audience member rocked the mic. Shock G started off the show dressed as Humpty Hump with fake nose and goofy voice.
Money B of Digital Underground
After a few songs, he introduced his alter ego – Shock G and continued rapping to songs such as “Freaks of The Industry,” “Sex Packets,” “Underwater Rhymes,” and even threw in the verse that Digital Underground raps in the 90s charity single “We’re All In The Same Gang.” “I Get Around” by 2Pac was also played as a tribute to the late rapper who got his start as a member of Digital Underground. “I Got 5 On It” by Luniz was also played as a tribute to the absent rapper and Shock G mentioned that he’s got 2 and a half more years of a jail term to serve before he’s released. The song “Doowutchyalike” was not played, which was a big hit for the group, but it mattered not because after the show was over, Shock G bought a round of tequila shots for those of us that hung around after the concert to get our buzz on how we like!
On January 21, 2012, British electronic band Fujiya and Miyagi played a sold out show at New York’s Mercury Lounge. If you are unfamiliar with the music of Fujiya and Miyagi, here’s a brief primer: the band gets their name from a brand of record player as well as a character in the film “The Karate Kid.” They’ve been around since the early 2000s and their music features playful lyrics over delicious electronic grooves. Their songs are all mid- to up-tempo and they’ve mastered the art of moving on to the next song before the groove has a chance to get boring. What you will find in Fujiya and Miyagi’s music are carefully constructed 3 to 4 minute tracks with a bass line and a beat that will definitely get you in the dancing mood. Taking that formula to the live stage made for a great night as the audience got a chance to dethaw from the first New York snow storm of 2012 in an all out dance party. Fujiya and Miyagi played a generous helping of tracks from their 2011 album “Ventrilloquizzing” with songs such as “Cat Got Your Tongue,” “YoYo,” “16 Shades of Black and Blue” and “Minestrone.” Fan favorites such as “Uh” and “Knickerbocker” were also played as well as “Ankle Injuries” which features the band shouting out “Fujiya and Miyagi” at the end of the song. What a fun night! Thanks to F&M!
On January 20, 2012, Alaska’s Portugal. The Man played a sold out show at the Brooklyn Bowl in New York. The show was a warm up gig for Portugal. The Man’s upcoming European tour and it rocked! If you are unfamiliar with their music, it’s psychedelic pop/rock (think MGMT meets Of Montreal – with less meandering). Trippy lighting accompanied the music and early into the set, covers of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” and Bowie’s “All The Young Dudes” were played. The band also played the majority of songs from their 2011 album “In The Mountain In The Cloud.” Many of the songs were crowd sing-a-longs and it was fun watching everyone sing with lead singer John Gourley on tracks such as “So American” and “Sleep Forever.”
Portugal. The Man
Their career has been a slow build, but I think the world is finally starting to recognize the talents of Portugal. The Man and I expect to continue hearing bigger and better things from the Alaskan quartet. See the setlist after the jump.
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