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Miki Berenyi Trio at Webster Hall, New York (08 June 2024)

06/08 Miki Berenyi Trio at Webster Hall Miki Berenyi Trio Setlist (06/08)  setlist courtesy of brooklynvegan Stray* Leaves Me Cold* Hurricane Vertigo Covert* V.O. (Piroshka song) Love at First Sight (The Gist cover) Gango Kiss Chase* 8th Deadly Sin Kinch Light From a Dead Star* Ubique For Love* Everlastingly Yours (Piroshka song) Big I Am Ladykillers* Suzanne (Moose cover) Baby Talk* with Budgie and Lol Tolhurst on drums * Lush song Tour Dates Aug 10 Margate, UK - Elsewhere Aug 10 Brighton, UK - At The Edge of The Sea Festival Sep 07 Birmingham, UK - The Hare & Hounds Read More Lush Miki Berenyi, one of the founding members of the seminal ‘90s shoegaze band Lush, loves to say “f**k.” As in, “I’ve played you a couple of Lush songs, so don’t go f**k off to the bar now.” …

In response to Miki Berenyi Trio at Great American Music Hall, San Francisco (01 Jun 2024), Sean King writes:

Great review. I first saw Lush in 1991, saw Piroshka in 2019 and saw Miki Berenyi Trio two weeks ago at NYC's Webster Hall. I thought MB3 sounded great. I didn't check any set lists beforehand but did watch/listen a few times to their professionally-recorded September 2023 Paris Popfest performance on YouTube, so I knew most of the new MB3 songs.

I like all Lush, although I'd say “Ladykillers” is my least favorite song from my least favorite album of theirs. I never expected them to play it but really enjoyed how they delivered it this time - in a more “classic Lush” manner.

By the way, opening act drummers Lol (The Cure) and Budgie (Siouxsie & The Banshees) came on to play on our show's finale at Webster Hall, “Baby Talk” (early Lush song).

Miki says this mini-U.S. tour did well enough that they play to return in 2025 (hopefully, WITH Moose!) and will also release an MB3 album next year.

Photos: That’s me and bassist Muck Conroy outside the venue beforehand. Usual bassist Ollie was filling in for Moose on guitar who’s afraid to fly. So, Piroshka veteran Mick (a founding member of Modern English) was drafted in on bass for this tour. As you may recall, he first played with Miki on the last-ever 2016 Lush reunion show. It was his idea to hold up five fingers here, as it’d been five years since we posed for that 2019 Berlin photo with Moose. He didn’t remember me per se but he remembered that Berlin show. Nice guy.

Lush (1991)

Piroshka 2019 Tour

Piroshka Setlist (27 Apr 2019)

Miki Berenyi Trio (08 June 2024)

Piroshka (27 Apr 2019)

Muck Conroy (08 June 2024)

Piroshka at Privatclub, Berlin (27 Apr 2019)

Miki Berenyi Trio (with Lol and Budgie on drums) at Webster Hall, New York (08 June 2024)

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Photos / Recap: 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Concert - Barclays Center, Brooklyn NY

2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Read More Starkey Hearing Foundation Once again, on a Sunday July afternoon, St. Paul became Tinseltown if only for an evening as the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s So The World May Hear 18th Annual Gala, in support ...

Happy 2024 from W♥M!

We’re humbled and thankful for another year out on the worldwide web (since 2007!) and were proud to have brought you coverage just over 250 shows and events! That total approaches some of our pre-pandemic years like in 2015 when we covered an average of almost one per day and 2024 is already shaping up to be a very busy year as well.

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One of the events we managed to attend was this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, a true end-of-year music highlight.

The ceremony (which rotates locations between Brooklyn, Cleveland, and Los Angeles) was as noteworthy for the inductee absences (Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine) as much as for those who did show, and the ceremony was one of the shorter ones in history (with no end jam), perhaps because it was streaming live on Disney+ for the first time.

An abbreviated version will be broadcast on January 1 on ABC at 8pm/7pm Central, streaming next day on Hulu, with the original 4 ½ hour broadcast still archived on Disney+ for their subscribers.

The evening opened strong with Sheryl Crow dueting with Olivia Rodrigo and Stevie Nicks with Laura Dern doing the induction duties before Peter Frampton joined onstage.

The godfather of hip-hop, DJ Kool Herc was visibly moved by his induction, following a passionate speech from LL Cool J.

Chaka Khan was also excited and in fine voice, singing alongside Common, H.E.R., and a still-big wigged Sia, before bringing up her Rufus band mate, to acknowledge the band’s essential contribution to her fifty-year career.

Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley appeared to posthumously induct George Michael, with musical tributes from Miguel feat Jake Clemons, a trench coat-clad Adam Levine, and Country’s Carrie Underwood, an unexpectedly diehard fan of Michael.

A breathlessly exciting in-step tribute from New Edition helped induct The Spinners and Soul Train creator Don Cornelius.

Longtime super fan Big Boi from Outkast inducted no-show Kate Bush, who was paid tribute by St. Vincent, who sang a note-perfect version of “Running Up That Hill”, a thirty-five-year-old hit which found new life on Netflix series, “Stranger Things” (which undoubtedly helped with her voting totals).

90-year-old legend Willie Nelson was given proper royal treatment, singing alongside Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, and Sheryl Crow, who all stuck around with Elton John and Brittany Howard to pay tribute to the departed Robbie Robertson with a Band classic song.

Guitarist Jimmy Page was perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening, first appearing on-screen paying homage to innovator Link Wray, before the screen rose to reveal Page himself.

Elton John was present to induct his longtime lyrical collaborator Bernie Taupin, who spoke of diversity and change in his speech, with Elton then playing just one of their many classics.

The ever-political Rage Against the Machine also decided not to appear, except for guitarist Tom Morello, who realized how to use the platform to enunciate the band’s message after their induction by Ice-T, with the most soulful and call-to-action speech of the evening, but the band went without any musical tribute (even though side group Prophets of Rage members were present and rappers like Denzel Curry and Machine Gun Kelly have done worthy cover versions).

If the scale of the stage performance was any barometer of how grateful an artist was to be inducted, Missy Elliott would win that, hands down, with a massive medley performance featuring countless dancers, special effects and routines. Elliott herself was emotionally overcome as Queen Latifah inducted the first female hip-hop artist into the Hall.

(click on any image to see in full / pictures shot without any provided media access)

BARCLAYS CENTER	SHERYL CROW w OLIVIA RODRIGO	SHERYL CROW w STEVIE NICKS
LAURA DERN INDUCTS SHERYL CROW	CROW, NICKS w PETER FRAMPTON	SHERYL CROW SPEECH
LL COOL J INDUCTS DJ KOOL HERC	DJ KOOL HERC	CHAKA KHAN w COMMON
CHAKA KHAN w H.E.R.	CHAKA KHAN w SIA	ANDREW RIDGELEY
MIGUEL w JAKE CLEMONS	ADAM LEVINE	CARRIE UNDERWOOD
NEW EDITION	SOUL TRAIN TRIBUTE	BIG BOI INDUCTS KATE BUSH
ST. VINCENT	DAVE MATTHEWS- WILLIE TRIBUTE	WILLIE, DAVE, CHRIS STAPLETON
CHRIS, WILLIE, SHERYL, DAVE	JAMES PATRICK PAGE	ELTON JOHN INDUCTS BERNIE TAUPIN
BERNIE TAUPIN	ELTON JOHN	ICE-T INDUCTS RATM- TOM MORELLO
QUEEN LATIFAH INDUCTS MISSY	MISSY ELLIOTT	MISSY ELLIOTT SPEECH

JohnC ♥ johnc@weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com

Flashback: Weezer at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York (31 Oct 2009)

Setlist Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes cover) (Instrumental) Hash Pipe Undone - The Sweater Song Troublemaker Surf Wax America I'm Your Daddy Perfect Situation Dope Nose (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To with Leighton Meester Say It Ain't So War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover) Why Bother? Tired of Sex My Name Is Jonas Can't Stop Partying (Rivers Cuomo song) Pork and Beans -- Encore -- Island in the Sun Beverly Hills -- Encore 2 -- Kids / Poker Face Buddy Holly Read More Weezer Weezer's singer Rivers Cuomo brought out his dad, Frank Cuomo, and they play "Back to the Shack". One of the most touching things I have witness in my many years of watching Weezer shows. …

Everybody knows that Rocktober ends on Halloween… and usually those Halloween shows are special. In the case of Weezer in New York, we had a special Gossip Girl appearance. Audience came dressed up, so watching the crowd is as fun as watching the band on stage.

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To fully grasp the emotional scope of this review, you should know three things:

1. My first kiss took place at a seventh grade Halloween party with some dude named Eugene. “El Scorcho” was playing in the background.

2. My first non-paste-eating boyfriend was my ninth grade algebra tutor, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Green Album-era Rivers, minus the braces.

3. In high school I was co-president of a dedicated Weezer fanclub called The Cuomosexuals. We mostly dissected Pinkerton lyrics, line by line.

Needless to say, this show (on Halloween, of all days) carried quite a bit of sentimental weight for me. Like most seasoned fans, I’ve pretty much abandoned all hope of Weezer ever releasing anything remotely listenable, yet I’m still willing to brave Ticketmaster fees just to hear “Tired of Sex” – even if that means sitting through gems like “We Are All on Drugs” and “Can’t Stop Partying.” In terms of band-fanbase relationships, Rivers is Sid Vicious, and we old-school fans are doped up, masochistic Nancy.

Matt & Kim photo by Konstantin Sergeyev

The show was at the sprawling Hammerstein Ballroom, an odd place to see the opening act: Matt & Kim. (Unnecessary Personal Fact #4: My friends and I saw Matt & Kim right after our senior prom. This night truly was high school redux.) I’ve seen them play in the backroom of a Texan bar and the bowels of a Brooklyn brewery, but this venue was by far the strangest. Despite this, they were as hyper as ever, dressed up as Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick and hurling candy and condoms into the audience. They won the crowd over by using “The Final Countdown” to segue into “Daylight.” Yes, they had t-shirt guns and giant inflatable spiders, and they were playing in a 1200-capacity ballroom – but there was no denying that this was the same band I saw after my senior prom.

Alas, if that was only the same case for Weezer. I should go ahead and say that I had a fucking amazing time. I was front row at a Weezer show, mere inches away from Rivers. This was the epitome of my high school fantasies. But something was amiss. This may have had something to do with the fact that they came out dressed like insects.

Yes, when Weezer took the stage, Brian was as a beetle, Pat was a praying mantis, Scott was something vague and sparkly, and Rivers –ever the Kiss fan—was a big, fuzzy purple spider. It was cheesy and nerdy, two of Weezer’s hallmarks, but what really brought it home was when Rivers stormed onto the stage, one of his many furry appendages got tangled in a microphone stand, causing him to stumble. All of this happened within the first few seconds of “Hash Pipe,” by the way.

Leighton Meester photo by Rachel Esterday

The theatrics were obviously a priority that night. Some of the stranger items of interest: Rivers brought out a ukulele with the sole intention of kicking its ass, Leighton Meester (a.k.a. Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girl fame) made a cameo to help sing some song off of Raditude, Rivers proved to be quite adept with a trampoline, Pat played Rivers’ guitar parts for most of the show, Scott sang “My Name Is Jonas” (blasphemy!), and they ended the first set with their infamous MGMT/Lady Gaga medley. Oh, and Rivers rapped Lil Wayne’s part on “Can’t Stop Partying.” Vanilla Ice would be proud.

As both an insufferable snob and helpless Weezer fan, I was torn. I went beavershit crazy during any song from the first two albums, but during anything post-2001, I’d turn to my friend and shrug, mouthing, Do you know this song? (Yeah, we’re assholes.) Soon I noticed that we were pretty much the only ones not creaming ourselves over a song like “Pork and Beans.” Weezer plays stadiums and ballrooms for a reason – and it’s because of this new breed of diehard fans who unconditionally love Rivers, regardless of his questionable facial hair and fondness for Snuggies. These are the people who close their eyes and sway to “Beverly Hills,” while restlessly checking their Blackberries during “Surf Wax America.” In short, these are Weezer’s true fans, whereas I represent their bitter ex who is stuck in the past with the emotional stretch marks to prove it.

They ended the show with “Buddy Holly,” which was good enough for me. My inner-seventh grader was dying to hear “El Scorcho,” but it went unplayed that night. I’m sure it was for the best, as it wouldn’t have been the same without Eugene.

Weezer at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York (31 Oct 2009) photo by Jason Neely

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Flashback: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart at Webster Hall, New York (03 Oct 2009)

Read More Pains of Being Pure at Heart Opening up for the show is one of our favorite bands, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. We've been loving this band since 2007. … Depreciation Guild Anyway, The Depreciation Guild played for about an hour and each song seems to build on the last song. Lots of guitars, and their second guitarist …

Once again, Kate G is going to shows to see her favorite bands in New York. We’ve been writing about The Pains of Being Pure at Heart since 2007, and we’re happy to see how far they’ve come – playing with The New Pornographers in Nov 2014



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The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Depreciation Guild at Webster Hall, New York (10/3/09)

Before the show, my astute friend was telling me about an evolved species of “bro” that is quickly infiltrating many concerts. Much like their forefathers, these bros are loud, obnoxious, and harbor a strong fondness for Keystone Light, but these neo-bros diverge from the pack by maintaining a level of enthusiasm for the music that is so fervent – you could even call it “pure.”

With that said, you can imagine the mixed bag that constituted the audience that night at Webster Hall. Opening band, The Depreciation Guild, played to a crowded, eager room even though it was only seven o’clock. Having seen them before, I knew that ear plugs would be handy since their brand of upbeat shoegaze is beautiful – but slightly deafening. Fronted by the Pains’ drummer, Kurt Feldman, the band had most of the audience swaying to their melodic songs, which all melded into one long, pleasantly loud medley. They played in front of a giant set of television screens that flickered technicolored squares the whole time, making their entire set feel like a dreamy music video, circa 1989. Somehow, I think that’s what they were going for.

My ears were still buzzing by the time the Pains took the stage. Fame (or at least, blog fame) has yet to change them, as they seem to have maintained all the buoyant liveliness and low-key charm from their early Cakeshop days. Lead singer Kip Berman and keyboardist Peggy Wang repeatedly thanked the audience in an almost stunned tone, and this awed disbelief of all their success was an endearing theme for most of the night.

Despite the size of the venue, it was a typical Pains show in every way: frenzied dancing, unbridled enthusiasm, and even some lame/awesome jokes (“Why can’t wizards have babies?” “Why?” “They have crystal balls!”) Opening with album favorites “This Love Is Fucking Right” and “Young Adult Friction,” the band had the audience singing along to every word – which is quite an achievement, considering how often indecipherable (in an adorable way!) Kip’s mumble tends to be. They played a few songs from their new EP, with tracks like “Higher Than the Stars” and “103” immediately winning fans over, and they even ended the night with the song that gave the band their infamously wordy name.

Having just finished an extensive tour, the band had all these songs –especially the LP ones—down flat, but at the same time, there was no denying their palpable energy, which easily translated to the crowd. As predicted, the neo-bros were in full force that night, but they were easily tolerated. I mean, it’s hard to hate someone who barks out the entire breakdown of “Young Adult Friction,” even if he does reek of Axe Body Spray.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: creating a world where neo-bros and pop kids can peacefully coexist, one infectious chorus at a time.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart at Webster Hall, New York (03 Oct 2009) photo courtesy of greenshoelace

vu ([email protected]) ♥weheartmusic.com♥ facebook.com♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Flashback: Kings of Convenience at Bowery Ballroom, New York (10 Sep 2009)

Setlist Me in You 24-25 Peacetime Resistance Rule My World Second to Numb Mrs. Cold Boat Behind Freedom and Its Owner Homesick Cayman Islands Misread Little Kids It's My Party (Lesley Gore cover) -- Encore -- The Build Up Know How with Feist Read More Kings of Convenience At their first show in New York since 2005, Kings of Convenience’s Erlend Øye joked, “This next song will sound like an old one, and you’ll probably cheer. But it’s not.” …

In their first U.S. show in four years, Kings of Convenience returned to America, playing the Bowery Ballroom in New York on September 10, 2009. This was a special night, as singer Feist helped closed out the show.

>>>
Save for their breakout single, “I’d Rather Dance With You,” Kings of Convenience’s music is typically the kind of fare that lulls you into a dreamy sleep or provides an ideal soundtrack to a rainy afternoon. I thought their live show would be just as low key, but coupled with their humor and warmth, Erlend Øye and Eirik Bøe had plenty of surprises (including a special, Mac-compatible friend) to keep anyone from drifting off.

As there was no opening band, there was a palpable sense of excitement within the crowd as Erlend and Eirik finally took the stage. For one thing, their music is quite subdued and most of their songs require silence from the audience to be fully appreciated. For most of the show, the audience adopted sort of a hushed awe as they played, making it one of the most reverent shows I have attended at Bowery Ballroom. As the boys often reminded us, this was their first show in New York in four-and-a-half years, so the audience seemed hellbent on making it special for them. At one point, someone in the audience yelled, “Play some old stuff!” and she was immediately booed into submission. The crowd that night was oddly defensive of the boys, wanting them to feel as welcome and loved as possible. It was sweet, but also somewhat off-putting. This is how cults form, right?

The band made it easy to incite such passion, as they were charming and hilarious all through the set. As a contrast to their lyrical and delicate songs, they told several quirky, amusing anecdotes (including a particularly endearing one about spilling espresso on Eirik’s pants) and Erlend made everyone swoon with his haphazard, quasi-robotic dancing. They even managed to complain about loud photography graciously, posing like pouting male models for two minutes to provide ample material for the cameras. With their offbeat banter and obvious camaraderie, they came off as sort of a melodic, quieter version of Flight of the Conchords – but with tons more street cred, of course.

Oh, and there was music too. The first half of the set was devoted to the upcoming album, Declaration of Dependence. The new songs weren’t a huge departure from their previous material, but they prove that they are masters at crafting perfect, intricate melodies with seamless vocals. They debuted songs like “24-25” and “Mrs. Cold,” and the audience swayed in appreciation. My personal favorite, “Boat Behind,” features jaunty acoustic guitars and a simple “oh-oh-oh” chorus in their signature blend of flawless harmonies.

The second half of the show was all old favorites, including “Misread” and “Little Kids.” They stayed away from their more popular songs, but once again, the audience didn’t seem to mind. Their final song before the encore was a completely unexpected but perfect cover of Leslie Gore’s “It’s My Party.” They sang about Judy and Johnny with such goofy sincerity that they left the audience completely smitten, practically heartbroken for an encore.

Feist photo: Jessica Amaya

They obliged and returned with “The Build-Up,” a duet from their previous album, Riot on an Empty Street. Someone behind me said, “I wonder who’s going to sing the Feist part,” and lo and behold, a voice beckoned from the balcony above us – Feist! The audience let out a collective gasp, Erlend and Eirik grinned like little boys, the photographers elbowed people in the nose for a good shot, and I was filled with the sudden urge to buy an iPod nano. It was a lovely surprise, and she eventually joined them on stage, prompting everyone to go completely ape-shit and inciting a tidal wave of frenzied Tweeting.

But despite this, I left the show in a quiet and happy mood. It was exactly the kind of feelings a good Kings of Convenience song conjures up: a sense of calm that lingers for a while, making you both wistful and hopeful at the same time.

Declaration of Dependence is out October 20, 2009 on Virgin Records.

Kings of Convenience at Bowery Ballroom, New York (10 Sep 2009) photo courtesy of Robyn Lee

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Flashback: The Hive Dwellers at 92YTribeca, New York City (17 April 2009)

Read More Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson is many things: founder of K Records, twee patron saint, notorious baritone… and spastic dance machine? Yes, Calvin Johnson’s dance moves were front and center at 92YTribeca, where he unveiled his latest project, The Hive Dwellers. Fusing the stark ... Saturday Looks Good To Me Okay, I'll just get it out of the way, I like Saturday Looks Good To Me. Anyone that likes Belle & Sebastian and Saves the Day will probably like them by association. Saturday Looks Good To Me is back. Their new album, One Kiss Ends It All, just came out last Tuesday ...

New York’s Kate G (not to be confused with our Kate & Lara) went to see Calvin Johnson (of famed K Records) in his then-new projected called The Hive Dwellers.

We’re actually big fans of K Recs, so this was a great opportunity to talk about the label and its founder.

>>>
Calvin Johnson is many things: founder of K Records, twee patron saint, notorious baritone… and spastic dance machine?

Yes, Calvin Johnson’s dance moves were front and center at 92YTribeca, where he unveiled his latest project, The Hive Dwellers. Fusing the stark catchiness of his influential band, Beat Happening, and the rock sensibility of his other influential band, The Halo Benders, The Hive Dwellers put on a hypnotizing set Friday night before a crowd of K Recs disciples and cardigan-clad pop fans. (Of which I admit to being both, but I refused to wear a cardigan to this gig. Too easy.)

Fred Thomas, of Saturday Looked Good to Me, opened as City Center: a one-man outfit with a microphone and a synthesizer. The mostly instrumental set was largely ignored by the audience, who seemed to be more concerned with the impending presence of Calvin and the tiny hope that he might play “Indian Summer,” the twee-equivalent to “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” (He did not.)

Half an hour later, Calvin appeared, wearing his familiar uniform of a too-tight, too-small shirt. As this was the Hive Dwellers debut performance, none of the songs had titles yet, but this was of little concern to audience, who were too enthralled by Calvin’s erratic dancing to notice.

Compared to Calvin’s past work, The Hive Dwellers are much more fleshed out, with a bass player, synthesizer/keyboard, guitars, and City Center Fred on drums. Not to mention the mouth organ, acoustic guitar, and maracas Calvin occasionally whipped out between dance moves. As always, Calvin’s deep baritone was impossible to ignore as he rhapsodized about sitting alone in movie theaters and building pinewood coffins – typical subject matter in his case. He continued to charm the audience with his sardonic stage banter, in which he compared Manhattan to the Vatican and extolled the virtues of midriff-bearing t-shirts.

The Hive Dwellers ended on an exceptionally high note, finally plugging in the electric guitar that had been sitting in the corner throughout the whole show. (Too bad it also drowned out most of the vocals.) Though Calvin’s lyrics were unintelligible, his enthusiasm was evident –of course—through his frantic dancing.

Surprisingly, they were not the last act of the night. That honor went to Ian Svenonius’ latest project, Chain and the Gang. Unfortunately I had a midnight birthday party to attend and had to opt out of seeing them. Despite this, I left happy. I had just witnessed Calvin Johnson do suggestive things to a pair of maracas. What more could I want?

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Blur at Madison Square Garden, New York (23 October 2015)

Setlist Go Out There's No Other Way Lonesome Street Badhead End of a Century Ghost Ship Coffee & TV Out of Time Country Sad Ballad Man Beetlebum Thought I Was a Spaceman Trimm Trabb Tender Parklife Song 2 To the End This Is a Low -- Encore -- Stereotypes Girls & Boys For Tomorrow The Universal Read More Blur After the release of The Magic Whip (first album since Think Tank was released in 2003), this world tour sees Blur play Australia (including the Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay) …

It seems Damon Albarn of Blur has felt the years-long sting of not quite being able to translate the band's massive popularity in their native England into the same success in the more elusive U.S.

Damon Albarn in Los Angeles

Playing only two dates in North America at ambitiously large venues -- the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Madison Square Garden in New York -- Albarn seemed to be making a statement: we were meant to be legends here, too. Neither show sold out, despite impressive turnouts of diehards from Britpop's '90s heyday to younger late converts and just fans of the pub-by hit "Song 2" (the one where you scream "Woo-hoo!" after your team wins).

Since I'm one of those diehard fans, I'll just say the show was bittersweet. Albarn plans to spend next year working on the band that did break the States, Gorillaz, and he has enough side projects to distract him from the band he first started out in. This may be their last concert in the country they couldn't break.

This may be their last concert...

The band stuck mostly to their set list from L.A., with the addition of the beautiful, swelling pop ballad "End of a Century" and the random, fuzzed-out buzz of "Country Sad Ballad Man," with a blistering, trancelike solo from guitarist Graham Coxon. Fans all around the Garden flashed their cellphone lights in tribute to "Tender," a touching moment likely for fans and band alike. With no Fred Armisen as in L.A., Albarn announced that comedian Mike Myers was also approached but unable to stand in for Phil Daniels on "Parklife." Instead, a small group of fans came onstage, with one lucky young woman giving her all for the first verse while Damon filled in the rest. From "There's No Other Way" to "Go Out," the rest of the setlist was mostly a survey of singles from their catalogue (though sadly missing that charming, silly love song, "Ong Ong" from their most recent The Magic Whip.)

They can jump and thrash in fits, but this is a band that's mellowed with age, in song and in spirit. It's definitely nothing to be ashamed of -- nor, Damon, is your inability to "break America" with Blur. These are a fan's notes, and my heart soared, I sang along, and I was grateful.

robin ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Allen Stone at Terminal 5, New York (09 Oct 2014)

Read More Allen Stone Perhaps falling under the affectionately (maybe?), silly (definitely) sub-genre known as PBR&B, Seattle-based musician Allen Stone has the soulful voice with a hippie touch.…

Seattle-based hippy R&B artist Allen Stone brought on a raucously entertaining set to NYC’s Terminal 5 Thursday, October 9.

Allen Stone

Stone had with him on stage several bandmates, including two brass players, two back-up singers, two keyboardists, a bassist and a drummer, creating a very strong presence. Midway through his Fall tour, Stone and his band seem to be well adjusted to their set, nonetheless their level of enthusiasm for the crowd was the same as if they were kicking off the first day of tour. Stone repeatedly spoke about the energy given by the audience from “the space between your rib cage and your spine” and that he was feeding off of the positivity, living up to the hippie persona. Having been at the front and the back of the crowd, I can certainly relay that people were fully invested in the show, dancing and singing along with much excitement.

Stone played mainly from his 2011 self-titled album, opening up with playful, more upbeat songs like “Say So” and “Celebrate Tonight,” slowing the pace down with others like “Unaware” in the middle then picking it right back up again. It was as if Stone was the conductor leading the crowd, his orchestra, through the music smoothly. In true hippie fashion, Stone spread his good vibes into the crowd, where just about everyone in the almost-filled, 3,000-person capacity venue seem to let go of mental restrictions and stress and danced, and the dancing ranged from the simple head bob to violently singing/dancing along. (Yes, violently. I was hit a few times in their enthusiasm.)

Throughout Stone’s set, he had much advice to give and anecdotes like officiating his bassist, Brent Rusinow, and his wife’s wedding. Halfway through his set, Stone announced that he was now an ordained minister, which “only took me ten minutes online” to do, and had been asked by a Rusinow to officiate his marriage. (Perhaps, dear fan, this means Stone can not only sing at your wedding, but also legally marry you and your significant other, or even do both at the same time!)

See Allen Stone at the remaining upcoming shows and get yourself literally hit on (but you’re having fun so it doesn’t matter!) by a stranger.

Date 10/14/14 10/16/14 10/17/14 10/18/14 10/19/14 10/21/14 10/22/14 10/24/14 10/25/14 10/26/14

Venue Phoenix Concert Theatre Vic Theatre The Vogue The Ready Room Fine Line Music Café Wheeler Opera House Gothic Theatre Knitting Factory Concert House Roseland Theatre Vogue Theatre

Location Toronto, Canada Chicago, IL Indianapolis, IN St. Louis, MO Minneapolis, MN Aspen, CO Englewood, CO Spokane, WA Portland, OR Vancouver, Canada

Allen Stone at Terminal 5, New York (09 Oct 2014)

justina ♥ weheartmusic.com

Sondre Lerche at Bowery Ballroom, New York (23 Sep 2014)

Setlist After the Excorcism Bad Law Crickets You Know So Well Go Right Ahead No One’s Gonna Come My Hands are Shaking Sleep on Needles At a Loss for Words Sentimentalist Lucifer Private Caller Two Way Monologue Legends -- Encore -- Lucky Guy Modern Nature Read More Sondre Lerche Sondre Lerche is a Norwegian singer/songwriter who is always experimenting with his sound, in particular his Heartbeat Radio album … TEEN Brooklyn-based TEEN followed Jenkins. The indie rock band formed in 2012 is composed of lead Kristina "Teeny" Lieberson, her two sisters Lizzy and Katherine, and friend Jane …

Sondre Lerche kicked off his tour Tuesday night at the Bowery Ballroom promoting his new album, Please, released the same day. Playing to a full house of devoted fans, Lerche “was feeling it, friends,” according to a Facebook post the next day.

TEEN

Opening for Lerche was Brooklyn-based band, TEEN. With their electronic, alternative rock music, the harmonies from all four members blended in smoothly and strongly. Their semi-repetitious sequences in each song give off a slight trance-like vibe. Though it seemed like most of the audience came to see Lerche, TEEN definitely was able to hold the majority of the crowd’s attention.

Sondre Lerche

The last time I saw Sondre Lerche was in 2009 and he was solo. This tour, he is joined by drummer David Heilman and bassist Chris Holm, though occasionally going solo for songs like “My Hands Are Shaking.” Joining for a few songs were members of TEEN and violinist Tim Fain, or as Lerche calls him, “T-Fain,” better than T-Pain.

The crowd seemed to be quite enthusiastic, which Lerche most definitely fed off of and gave the audience several opportunities to sing along. Combining both older songs like “Sleep on Needles,” and “Two Way Monologue” with new songs from the just-released album like “Bad Law” (music video) and “Legends” (music video), the crowd got to revel in the oldies and enjoy the experiencing the new material live.

Aside from the great musicianship, Lerche’s banter on stage kept the crowd entertained. After telling the audience how great they were, he side noted with “I’m not trying to seduce you,” but later on, somehow managed to unbutton his shirt (though quickly rebuttoned it). His genuine excitement for his new album and to be on tour again was palpable and contagious.

Catch him on tour in the US, Europe, and/or Asia.

USA Dates
Sep 30 House of Blues Cleveland, OH
Oct 01 Newport Music Hall Columbus, OH
Oct 03 Backstage Bar Las Vegas, NV
Oct 04 Musical Instrument Museum Phoenix, AZ
Oct 05 5th Avenue Side Stage San Diego, CA
Oct 08 Troubadour Los Angeles, CA
Oct 09 The Independent San Francisco, CA
Oct 11 Doug Fir Portland, OR
Oct 12 Nectar Lounge Seattle, WA
Oct 15 Bluebird Theatre Denver, CO
Oct 16 Vega Lincoln, NE
Oct 17 Turf Club St Paul, MN
Oct 18 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
Oct 19 Magic Stick Detroit Lakes, MN
Oct 20 Altar Bar Pittsburgh, PA

Sondre Lerche at Bowery Ballroom, New York (23 Sep 2014)

justina ♥ weheartmusic.com

CMJ 2014: October 21-25, 2014

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October's just around the corner, and you know what that means: CMJ Music Marathon! Again, if you're not familiar with this by now, it stands for College Music Journal. CMJ is generally known for showcasing many of the smaller, unknown bands on the rise.

Here is a recap from last year:

• CMJ: Magic Man @ Milk Studios (10/19/13)
• CMJ: Le Trouble at the Crash Avenue Showcase @ the Delancey, New York (10/18/13)
• CMJ: Here We Go Magic at Heath @ McKittrick Hotel, New York (10/17/13)
• NZ @ CMJ 2013
• CMJ Showcases (2013)
• CMJ 2013 Preview

CMJ 2014 will be taking place in New York City on October 21-25, 2014.

Here is just a brief list of musicians on this year's lineup:

The Kills, Slowdive, Bombay Bicycle Club, Gerard Way, Cold War Kids, Courtney Barnett, RAC, San Fermin, The Horrors, Dusky, Matthew Dear, Moon Duo, Twin Peaks, Reigning Sound, Pro Era, White Fence, Sam Roberts Band, D.D Dumbo, Luluc, Protomartyr, MONEY, Tom Vek, Kate Boy, Cathedrals, The Wytches, Bear's Den

For the latest details and updates (and complete band listing), head over to cmj.com .

Below are some artists you may or may not know, who are playing CMJ 2014: