I'm officially coming out of hibernation in March!
So… the problem with really successful bands like Atmosphere (who consistently sells out shows at First Avenue) is that they're not quite a Papa Bear-sized stadium band (Xcel or Target Center which can house about 10,000+). They've certainly outgrown mid-sized venues like First Avenue (1,500) or the Baby Bear (7th Street Entry of 250 capacity).
Your alternative might be the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, which I have to confess is just too massive because of its stadium-esque seating arrangement on top and a dance floor. Its capacity is around 4,000, and even well-known bands have had a hard time coming close to selling out.
Enter The Brick, a bigger-sized venue of 2,000+, for the "just perfect" Bear sized. The venue hasn't officially opened, but I'm glad to be one of the first to see a live show there, this March 19th for Jane's Addiction and Black Box Revelation.
You should already know BBR from
my previous articles and, unless you've been living under a rock, you should also know Jane's Addiction. For youngsters who aren't familiar with Paul McCarthy, you should youtube "Been Caught Stealing", everyone will be singing along to this classic.
From The Brick's
press release, here are some upcoming bands:
• JANE’S ADDICTION: Monday, March 19 (18 & over show)
• BRIT FLOYD: Wednesday, March 28 (18 & over show)
• FEED ME: Friday, March 30 (18 & over show)
• BEATS ANTIQUE: Saturday, April 14 (16 & over show)
• HUNTER HAYES: Thursday, April 19 (All ages show)
• INCUBUS: Wednesday, May 9 (18 & over show)
• SLASH: Monday, May 14 (18 & over show)
• THE SHINS: Friday, June 1 (18 & over show)
**Additional shows will be announced in the coming weeks.
I will report back on how the Brick "stacks" up to its other competitors like the Epic and First Avenue when I see Jane's Addiction and BBR.
If the weather keeps up,
here are my March shows:
MARCH 1: Young Prisms at 7th Street Entry
facebook.com/Youngprisms
I've already
written about Young Prisms, since then I've gotten the chance to listen to their album,
In Between. It's good if you enjoy shoegazey-ish music, which I happen to like. I can't wait to see them.
Feb 22 - Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA $
Feb 24 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
Feb 25 - Comet Tavern - Seattle, WA ^
Feb 26 - The Shakedown - Bellingham, WA^
Feb 29 - The Aquarium - Dempsey’s - Fargo, ND#
Mar 1 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN #
Mar 2 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
Mar 3 - Cafe Bourbon Street - Columbus, OH #
Mar 4 - DC9 - Washington, DC #
Mar 5 - Glasslands - Brooklyn, NY #
Mar 6 - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA#
Mar 7 - Great Scott - Allston, MA #
Mar 8 - The Red Door - Portsmouth, NH #
Mar 9 - Le Cagibi - Montreal, QC #
Mar 10 - Drake Hotel - Toronto, ON #
Mar 11 - Paperhouse - Detroit. MI #
Mar 21 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA *
$ w/ Melted Toys
^ w/ Grave Babies
# w/ Boy Friend
* w/ The Black Ryder
MARCH 3: Twilight Sad at 7th Street Entry
thetwilightsad.com
Scotland's Twilight Sad was recently in the news because they had to cancel a few shows due to Visa complications. They are indeed "sad" at this, even issuing a press release regretting the cancellation of the Washington D.C. and Philadelphia tour dates.
The tour is to promote
No One Can Ever Know, available now (February 7th) via Fat Cat Records… but I'm sure the real reason for them to be here is to watch
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2.
The rest of their tour dates will still go on as scheduled:
Feb 25 Brooklyn NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
Feb 26 Allston MA – Brighton Music Hall
Feb 28 Montreal QC – Il Motore
Feb 29 Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
Mar 01 Grand Rapids MI – Pyramid Scheme
Mar 02 Chicago IL – Empty Bottle
Mar 03 Minneapolis MN – 7th Street Entry
Mar 05 San Diego CA – Casbah
Mar 06 Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Mar 07 San Jose CA – The Blank Club
Mar 08 San Francisco CA – The Independent
Mar 10 Seattle WA – Tractor Tavern
Mar 11 Portland OR – Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 14 – Mar 18 Austin TX – SXSW
MARCH 7: IAMDYNAMITE at 7th Street Entry
iamdynamite.com
The space and lowercase hater band IAMDYNAMITE will be releasing their debut LP called SUPERMEGAFANTASTIC in June. You can preview and download their free track, "Stereo" at
Soundcloud.
If you want to see them live, here are their tour dates:
Mar 1 - Pianos - New York, NY - Early show @ 7:30pm
Mar 3 - Thunderbird Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA
Mar 7 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
Mar 8 - Elbo Room - Chicago, IL
Mar 9 - Blueberry Hill - St Louis, MO
Mar 10 - Woodruff's - Ypsilanti, MI
Apr 5 - The Viper Room - Los Angeles, CA
MARCH 10: The New Amsterdams at Triple Rock Social Club
newams.net
I read that The New Amsterdams are set to play their first performance in over four years; their last album,
At the Foot of My Rival was released in 2007. What you should know about this band is that it is Get Up Kids' Matt Pryor's solo project. Since we saw the 'Kids getting
back together last year, I suppose the music-bug have bitten more than normal.
Pryor has just released his sophomore solo album,
May Day: "
I've been wanting to do a New Ams gig with Old Canes for ages. I've been so busy with The Get Up Kids and solo stuff that we haven't had time to do it. Since it was Crici (Old Canes) and my birthdays right around there we decided to do it now. So, in a sense it's actually our birthday parties."
2/27 - New York, NY @ The Studio at Webster Hall *
2/28 - New Haven, CT @ Lily's Pad *
2/29 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott *
3/1 - Montreal, QC @ Club Lambi *
3/2 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel *
3/3 - Rochester, NY @ The Bug Jar *
3/4 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Smiling Moose
3/6 - Akron, OH @ Musica
3/7 - Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
3/8 - Howell, MI @ The Pike Room
3/9 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
3/10 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
* w/ The Front Bottoms
MARCH 18: Vishtèn at Cedar Cultural Center
vishten.net
Vishtèn is described sound like "Acadian, Quebecois, Irish, Scottish, and US American roots music". I have previously mentioned that any bands playing at the Cedar, I would definitely like to attend. I like the venue, although I wish the parking situation could be better around the Cedar area.
03/16/2012, Fri in Springfield, OH
03/17/2012, Sat in Ann Arbor, MI
03/18/2012, Sun in Minneapolis, MN
03/21/2012, Wed in Winona, MN
03/22/2012, Thu in Wisconsin Rapids, WI
03/23/2012, Fri in Milwaukee, WI
03/24/2012, Sat in Chicago, IL
03/27/2012, Tue in Oklahoma City, OK
MARCH 23: Cursive at 400 Bar
cursivearmy.com
I was surprised to see this band playing at such a small venue, at the 400 Bar. But perhaps it's not a shock, since according to legend and lore, the 400 Bar supported and gave Bright Eyes his chance to shine. Conor Oberst owns Saddle Creek Records (which Cursive is currently signed to), and you can see why he would book at the 400.
Cursive is currently on tour to promote their seventh album,
I Am Gemini, which came out NOW via
Saddle Creek Records. Below are all their 2012 tour dates. Seeing as they've been selling out their California shows, I would recommend buying your tickets in advance.
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02/22/12 San Francisco, CA Noise Pop Festival+
02/23/12 Los Angeles, CA Amoeba – Free Show!
02/24/12 LOS ANGELES, CA TROUBADOUR+
02/25/12 Pomona, CA Glass House+
02/26/12 San Diego, CA Casbah+
02/27/12 TEMPE, AZ CRESCENT BALLROOM+
02/28/12 ALBUQUERQUE, NM LAUNCHPAD+
03/01/12 Wichita, KS Abode+
03/02/12 Kansas City, MO The Record Bar+
03/03/12 Omaha, NE Slowdown+
03/22/12 Iowa City, IA The Mill*
03/23/12 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar*
03/24/12 Madison, WI High Noon*
03/25/12 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
03/26/12 Champaign, IL High Dive*
03/27/12 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig*
03/28/12 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls*
03/29/12 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop*
03/30/12 Buffalo, NY Mohawk*
03/31/12 Toronto, ONT Horseshoe Tavern*
04/02/12 Boston, MA Middle East*
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04/03/12 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom*
04/04/12 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom*
04/05/12 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer*
04/06/12 Washington, DC Black Cat*
04/07/12 Raleigh, NC Kings Barcade*
04/08/12 Atlanta, GA The Earl*
04/09/12 St. Augustine, FL Cafe Eleven*
04/10/12 Orlando, FL The Social*
04/11/12 Tallahassee, FL Club Downunder*
04/13/12 Houston, TX Fitzgeralds*
04/14/12 Austin, TX Mohawk*
04/15/12 Dallas, TX Trees*
04/16/12 Little Rock, AR Revolution Music*
04/17/12 Memphis, TN Hi Tone *
04/18/12 Lexington, KY Cosmic Charlies*
04/19/12 Covington, KY Bangarangs*
04/20/12 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway*
04/21/12 Columbia, MO Mojos
+ with UME and Virgin Islands
* with Cymbals Eat Guitars and Conduits
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MARCH 24: Chastity Brown at Cedar Cultural Center
chastitybrownmusic.com
Chastity Brown is to release
Back-Road Highways on the Nashville-based C & D Music Network, the CD release party will be held on Saturday, March 24th at the Cedar. Playing with her will be Romantica and Black Audience
MARCH 28: The Wedding Present at 400 Bar
scopitones.co.uk
Apparently, the Wedding Present are on tour for the 21st Anniversary of
Seamonsters. Has it really been that long? Throughout 2012, the band will be playing their third album,
in its entirety…. "plus 40 minutes of other music."
One thing I should mention, since I saw them
in 2010, their strongest track on that show was from
Seamonsters: "Corduroy".
March – April : North America20/03 : Washington, DC, USA – Rock And Roll Hotel with The Jet Age
21/03 : Brooklyn, NY, USA – Bell House with The Jet Age
22/03 : New York, NY, USA – Le Poisson Rouge with The Jet Age
23/03 : Allston, MA, USA – Brighton Music Hall with The Jet Age
25/03 : Toronto, ON, Canada – Horseshoe Tavern with The Jet Age
26/03 : Pontiac, MI, USA – Crofoot with The Jet Age
27/03 : Chicago, IL, USA – Double Door with The Jet Age
28/03 : Minneapolis, MN, USA – 400 Bar with The Jet Age
30/03 : San Diego, CA, USA – Casbah
31/03 : Los Angeles, CA, USA – Troubadour
01/04 : San Francisco, CA, USA – Independent
05/04 : Vancouver, BC, Canada – Biltmore Cabaret
06/04 : Seattle, WA, USA – Crocodile
07/04 : Portland, OR, USA – Mississippi Studios
MARCH 31: Fanfarlo at The Varsity Theater
fanfarlo.com
We've written about Fanfarlo's
a couple of times. Kate G wrote about their show in New York: "
they had a man suspended upside down from the rafters and escape from a straitjacket," which sounds pretty amazing.
Well, their new record is called
Rooms Filled With Light, available on February 28th, but you can stream it right now at
NPR.
NPR is smitten by the album, asking "
Is "charming" a genre?"
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03/05 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
03/06 Webster Hall New York, NY
03/07 U Street Music Hall Washington, DC
03/09 Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC
03/10 Vinyl Atlanta, GA
03/13 Fitzgerald's Houston, TX
03/14 The Loft Dallas, TX
03/19 Blueberry Hill's Duck Room St. Louis, MO
03/20 Mercy Lounge Nashville, TN
03/22 Zanzabar Louisville, KY
03/23 Blind Pig Ann Arbor, MI
03/24 Mod Club Toronto, ON
03/25 Mr. Small's Theater Pittsburgh, PA
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03/27 Skully's Music Diner Colmbus, OH
03/28 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
03/29 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
03/31 The Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
04/01 Record Bar Kansas City, MO
04/03 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
04/05 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
04/06 Neurolux Boise, ID
04/07 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR
04/09 The Biltmore Vancouver, BC
04/10 The Crocodile Seattle, WA
04/15 Coachella Indio, CA
04/17 Slim's San Francisco, CA
04/22 Coachella Indio, CA
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Did I miss any bands? Are you playing in town? Let me know!
)
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