What's Good? 2/6

What's Good? Report, NYC
Edition 1
2/5/2010



Hey all;

--
I first want to take this opportunity to express my deep sympathy and sincere condolences to Doug, Ethan, and the entire Smestad family.  I believe that I can speak for the entire Calhoun family when I wish you strength and peace in the days ahead.
--


In this edition:
-Ra Ra Riot Wrap
-Mike Posner Updates
-Last Chance for Pop-Con
-New Show Announced
-What Else is Good?
-Updated Ticket Listings



Ra Ra Riot Wrap

Ra Ra Riot played to a sold-out BAM Friday, as part of the "Sounds Like Brooklyn Festival" with opener The Antlers.  Although exhaustion from a long week almost overcame me, Ra Ra Riot played a fantastic set, hitting up every song from The Rhumb Line and the EP except "Everest."  "Dying is Fine" was full of energy, unsurprisingly, as well as "Each Year."  Ra Ra Riot's electric violin and cello were joined by their more traditional wooden counterparts and horns from yMusic for much of the night, lending relentless power to the string section and bringing out the best in the band's complex arrangements.  Ra Ra Riot also played brand new tracks from their upcoming LP, to be released this summer, a truly special treat for the audience.

If you want to see pure energy and emotion with some music thrown in, don't miss The Antlers.  Ra Ra Riot's fellow Brooklynites opened, played some tracks off their concept album "Hospice," and finished off their set with a captivating, intense rendition of "Epilogue."  While the sound board op had the main cranked up way too high to hear the intricacies of their music, the Antlers were really special on stage.  The play next at Terminal 5, opening for Britband The Editors on Friday, 2/19.  The show is not yet sold out, and I might pick up some tickets.  Contact me if you are interested or stay tuned.

BAM's Howard Gilman Opera House was a really interesting venue to catch a concert.  Set up much like a Broadway theatre, three majestic levels grace the historic building, seating over 2,000 comfortably.  The acoustics were tremendous, making this an ideal place to catch a more baroque-esque band such as Ra Ra Riot.  However, I think that acoustics were sacrificed in this case for the energy of the crowd.  Perhaps the more upscale setting attracted a more refined mix of people than most NYC Shows or influenced people to comport themselves better, but whatever the case, the crowd seemed distant and out-of sync until the encore.  Perhaps the best thing about the venue is that it is not really out of the way.  Only one block away from the MTA's underground sprawl of the Atlantic Ave/Flatbush Ave complex, BAM is easily accessible by LIRR and a whopping 10 subway lines.  Overall, although BAM doesn't book too many shows, I would definitely recommend everyone try to get there at least once to experience the uniqueness of the theater.

Ra Ra Riot doesn't have any dates scheduled right now, but as I said, they do have a new album being released this summer.  It is almost certain that they will tour in support, which will definitely include hometown stops, likely at the beginning or end.  I'll definitely grab some tickets to see Ra Ra Riot again, so stay tuned.

Pictures from the concert can be found on the Facebook group, at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=photos&gid=305264199282



Mike Posner Update

Want to extend your February break by a day?  Come catch the Mike Posner show at Gramercy Monday, 2/22.  Tickets are going almost shockingly fast, so make sure to grab them while you still can.

Check out his free mixtape at
http://web.duke.edu/~mrp16/MikePosnerOneFootOutTheDoor.zip

and read up on him at
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1625959/20091110/story.jhtml



Last Chance for Pop-Con

So you don't really want to see Justin Bieber?  I hear you.  Trust me.  But a lot of our younger siblings do.  Birthday coming up?  Didn't get them a Christmas present?  Do something nice for your family member with a far less cultured taste in music.

I still have 2 sets of 2 tickets for Pop Con featuring Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez at Nassau Coliseum Saturday, 2/20.  Contact for deets.



NEW SHOW ANNOUNCED!

JET, the Aussies responsible for giving to the world "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" "Look What You've Done" and "Cold Hard Bitch" will be touring stateside in a few months, playing only ONE NYC-area show, Sunday 3/7 at the Starland Ballroom in Joisey.

Tickets are CHEEP at 30 per.  Don't miss out.



What Else is Good?

While I have a lot what's good, I realize the the musical goodness in NYC extends beyond the boundaries of what I can offer.  Thus, each week I would like to bring you a little bit of what else is good.

-Passion Pit is playing the 7000 person Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn Tuesday, 6/29.  The show just sold out, but secondary market ticket prices are pretty low right now, and should stay at about these levels for about a month to six weeks.  If you know you want to go, sooner is better for picking up tickets.  Contact me if you want a strategy for buying tickets at the best price on the secondary market.  I also have a connection that I might be able to get you tickets through, so contact me if interested.

-Bowling for Soup is going on tour, bringing their decade-despising popiness to the Starland Ballroom, Gramercy Theatre, and LI's very own Crazy Donkey in March.  Tickets are still available for all shows, so pick those up at ticketmaster or livenation.



Updated Ticket Listings

Ticket Listings were updated yesterday, and can be found at
http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/eli-kozin/tickets-25/290877273188



As always, contact for deets,
wgrncy@gmail.com
ektixx@gmail.com

Till next week,
EK