Nico Vega Turns A Cold NY Night, Blistering Hot

Nico Vega: December 11 @ The Studio at Webster Hall, New York, NY

Aja, Rich and Dan, the trio better known as California rock band Nico Vega, paid another visit to New York. The band took the stage at Webster Hall playing to a sold out crowd.

I fell in lust with Nico Vega when I saw them earlier this year as part of the Hell On Heels tour. These cats are crazy talented. I missed them the last time they rolled through town but I made it a point to catch this show.

They kicked things off with "Taxi Cab" which got an already excited audience in the groove. Now, I went in wanting to hear three songs. I wanted to hear "Fe Fi Fo Fum," "Beast" and their cover of "Maggot Brain." As far as I was concerned, everything else would be icing!

Can we just call drummer Dan Epand a beast? He was back there tearing it up. Epand's playing makes you feel like you should be falling to the floor doing some sort of spiritual hippy dance ... you know, the writhing, jerky, arms flailing Woodstock kind of dancing. The dude's heavy.

Y'all know I'm a guitar fan, right? If you didn't, you know now. Well, good gosh guitarist Rich Koehler rocks, rolls and sizzles. One moment his playing is all sweet and seductive, flirty and teasing. The next moment he gives you the equivalent of throwing you against the wall and having his way with you, dizzying and mind fogging. Then he's all sweet and gentle again before taking you over the edge leaving you a hot, sweaty, smiling mess. The man made me dizzy from start to feedback finish. My oh my, I just sounded like a dirty old lady talking about guitar playing!

Vocalist Aja Volkman is primal and a treat to watch perform. Sadly, I couldn't hear most of her vocals. At times it seemed as if her mic wasn't on. I'd say about half the time I couldn't hear her vocals and when things got really heavy, guitar wise, both the vocals and music sounded distorted. But, during the moments when I could hear Volkman, the lady burned.

They ended the night with "Beast" which is a big crowd pleaser. I love that song and it's something you need to see live. Hell, the whole show is something you need to see live. They played a mind-blowing, high energy set. The only disappointment was not being able to hear Volkman well enough. It may have been cold outside, but Nico Vega was hot. I had a great time and look forward to seeing them again.

"Fe Fi Fo Fum"

Photos

www.myspace.com/nicovega
nicovega.com

Photos: Inward Eye @ Webster Hall

Inward Eye: December 11 @ The Studio at Webster Hall, New York, NY

Canadian band Inward Eye were the second act to take the stage at Webster Hall Friday Night. They had a bit of misfortune. Some sticky fingered folks in Philly decided to liberate the band of all of it's equipment so they played their set on gear borrowed from their fellow tour mates. Anyway, I wasn't familiar with the band but I enjoyed them all the same ... they were fun, punky and funky. They also put on one of the most energetic sets I've seen in a while.

www.myspace.com/inwardeye
www.inwardeye.com

Photos: Neon Trees @ Webster Hall

Neon Trees: December 11 @ The Studio at Webster Hall, New York, NY

www.myspace.com/neontrees

Young Filmmaker Nora Hogan Brings Smiles To New Yorkers

Do a random act of kindness. It's a simple concept, right? It's a concept that talented young filmmaker Nora Hogan put into practice. Hogan even came up with a fun way to randomly show her kindness. She and her friends took to the streets of NY and handed out balloons to people. The result, lots of smiles! Children and adults alike had their day brightened by the simple act of being given a balloon.

Hogan put together this video accompanied by the song "You Make Me Happy" by the equally talented Elle Bass. Just like the balloons, the video encourages smiles.

Corinne Bailey Rae Charms NYC

Corinne Bailey Rae: December 7 @ Hiro Ballroom, New York, NY

Songstress Corinne Bailey Rae paid a visit to New York's Hiro Ballroom Monday night. Bailey Rae is on this side of the pond for a series of shows to preview material from her upcoming record, The Sea, which is scheduled for release on January 26, 2010 here in the States.

It was my first visit to Hiro Ballroom and my first time seeing Bailey Rae live. Hiro is a nice, warm space with Japanese themed decor. I wasn't sure what to expect from Bailey Rae live. Okay, do you say Bailey Rae or simply just Rae when writing names such as hers? Blast my senile mind for not remembering that rule of writing! But, I digress ... happens from time to time.

Now, back to what I was saying. I wasn't sure what to expect. To be honest, having only heard her on record, I thought she would have a voice that was more on the wispy side live. But, I was wrong! So, needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how strong her voice was. Bailey Rae is a charming performer and as a lady near me in the audience exclaimed, "she's adorable" and she is. She has that nice girl next door vibe going on.

Bailey Rae played before a sold out crowd of very happy fans. She and her band performed a fourteen song set (fifteen if you count the do over) informing the audience at some point that with the song she was about to play, it would mean that she had played us all the songs from the upcoming record. The performance was being filmed for the PBS program Artists Den. No word on when it will be aired though it'll probably be sometime next month, around the time her record comes out. Keep an eye on your local listings folks! As a result of the show being filmed, she re-did "Paris Nights/New York Mornings" after her encores of "Put Your Records On" and "Till It Happens To You" because of some mess up. That being one of the song highlights of the night for me, I had no complaints about hearing it again and neither did anyone else in the audience. As a matter of fact, everyone wanted her to do more songs. The other highlight of the night for me was, "Paper Dolls." The set, which also included her cover of "Little Wing," was strong and had a good flow.

It was a fun show and I had a good time. The rest of the audience, the band and Bailey Rae herself all seemed to feel the same way I did. And, after hearing the tunes live, I look forward to visiting The Sea.

Minute Teaser: "Paper Doll"

Set List

• Are You Here
• Paris Nights/New York Mornings
  
• Love's On Its Way
• Closer
• Paper Dolls
• I'd Do It All Again
• Like A Star
• Blackest Lily
• Little Wing
• Diving For Hearts
• I Would Like To Call It Beauty
• The Sea
• Put Your Records On
• Till It Happens To You
• Paris Nights/New York Mornings
  

www.corinnebaileyrae.net
twitter.com/CorinneBRae

Video: Audio Fiction - "Way Out"

New York rockers Audio Fiction have released their first ever video! It's for the song "Way Out" from their self-titled album. It was directed by the bands very own Mark O'Toole. Check it out below and read about the making of the video HERE.

Also, hear tell the band is working on some new songs! So, there should be plenty for fans to look forward to in the new year. Fellow New Yorkers, you can catch Audio Fiction on January 28 at Pianos on the LES.

www.audiofictionband.com
www.myspace.com/audiofictionband

Around New York ... December 7 - December 13, 2009

Upcoming shows in the New York area ...

December 9 -- Fink / Vandaveer at Union Hall
www.unionhallny.com
December 9 -- Gray Goods / The Naked Hearts / Darlings / She Keeps Bees at Cake Shop
cake-shop.com
December 9 -- Ed Vallance / Sons of Sons / The Can't Tells at Pianos
pianosnyc.com
December 11 -- Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast (pictured) at Mercury Lounge
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
December 11 -- Nico Vega at Webster Hall
www.websterhall.com
December 11 -- Rooney / Tally Hall / Crash Kings at Webster Hall
www.websterhall.com
December 11 -- The Gaslight Anthem at Wellmont Theatre
www.wellmonttheatre.com
December 11 -- The Phenomenal Handclap Band at Bowery Ballroom
www.boweryballroom.com
December 12 -- Kaki King at Music Hall of Williamsburg
www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
December 10, 12 - 13 -- Matisyahu at Webster Hall
www.websterhall.com
December 13 -- Darlene Love at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
www.bbkingblues.com

Photos: Dr. Glory's Youth Theatre Presents Shad, Mesch and Abed

Dr. Glory's Youth Theatre: December 6 @ The Riverside Theatre, New York, NY

Langhorne Slim Visits Baebel Music Studios + MP3

Langhorne Slim, fresh off the heels of touring to support his recent release, Be Set Free, he paid a visit to the Baebel Music studios in NYC recently. Slim along with some friends performed a few songs in the intimate setting as well as did an interview. Check things out in the video below.

Watch the full concert at baeblemusic.com

MP3 Grab: "Say Yes"

www.langhorneslim.com
www.myspace.com/langhorneslim
www.facebook.com/langhorneslim
www.twitter.com/langhorneslim

McCartney Says Good Evening To New York City

A couple of weeks ago, Paul McCartney released a multi-disc live set titled Good Evening New York City. About a week ago I got a copy of the record. I have since indulged myself in more than one Macca listening marathon. I was officially put into a "comfort food stupor" listening to Good Evening New York City. What exactly is that you ask? That my friends is when you eat a bunch of sinfully bad for you, but extremely good, food and end up in your big comfy chair afterward with a big goofy grin on your face, usually unwilling to move for several hours. Think along the lines of going to Grandma's house on the holidays and stuffing yourself silly with all of the stuff you normally refrain from eating. I know, you're thinking I'm having one of my questionable comparison moments or something. But, music is food too, just a different kind. It's food for your soul and doesn't damage your waistline. Did I digress? Anyway, so McCartney isn't sinfully bad for you but he's extremely good at doing what he does, which is well, being Paul McCartney!

So, now that I've come out of my Macca induced comfort food stupor, I had to review. For the record, to eliminate any confusion, I'm reviewing the deluxe package. The first thing you notice is the packaging. Well, I did at any rate. In sticking with the whole I'm doing a show on a baseball field thing, all of the discs look like baseballs and there's even a Paul McCartney baseball card which could have used a little sleeve or holder of some sort of its own to keep it in place in the package. You also get thirty-nine pages of photos and liner notes, all of it encased in a compact little book, nice, spiffy and cute. Y'all know I like cute!

One of the things I like about this CD/DVD combo is all 33 songs are accounted for on both the CD's and DVD film. Thank you Sir Paul for that! I get annoyed by packages that have songs on the CD portion but not on the DVD portion and vice versa. I started with the audio portion of the package first. Things kick off with "Drive My Car" one of many songs in the set from that little known band he was in way back when ... believe they were called The Beatles or something. McCartney touches on the highlights of his career including a couple of songs from The Fireman album Electric Arguments, "Highway" and "Sing The Changes" respectively. Right off the bat I found myself singing along. How could you not sing along? The man has written and co-written some of the most memorable songs in rock history and as an entertainer he's infectious.

McCartney has done a number of live recordings over the years. On Good Evening New York City, his vocals show the normal wear and tear of a long career. But, I think this is one of the best live productions, vocally, he has done in a good while. He sounds more rested and relaxed. There seems to be less vocal strain on some of the higher notes compared to some previous live efforts. I admit there are a few spots that I wonder if they were "fixed" but that's a standard thing with live recordings.

Macca is joined on "I Saw Her Standing There" by Billy Joel. That has significance because Joel headlined the last rock concert at Shea Stadium, the site where The Beatles played a now legendary 34-minute set in 1965. He invited McCartney to sing that song and "Let It Be." So, we hear and see Joel a year later helping McCartney christen Citi Field, the former site of Shea.

While the audio portion is fun to listen to, it's the video portion that fully captures McCartney. As I mentioned earlier, he's an infectious entertainer and that infectiousness smacks you upside the head watching him perform. He's the puppy eyed charmer, the storyteller, the joker; he's the friend and widower paying tribute to those no longer with us. He's also still quite a sex symbol if the "marry me Paul" signs are any indication. He's full of energy and looks to be having as much fun as ever.

I'm not a big fan of close up shots of random audience members. I could have done with less of that. But there are visual highlights. The nostalgic visual stuff plays throughout the show on the giant video screens in the background but, during "I'm Down," the only song in the set that The Beatles played at Shea in '65, a nice bit of editing is done. Footage of The Beatles ripping through the song full of energy and smiles is mixed in. Throughout the song, the video bounces between modern day Paul and The Fab Four. Seeing that old footage of The Beatles having a blast momentarily makes you wonder how some four years later they ended up sour faced guys on a rooftop.

Helter Skelter live, need I say more? I'm going by memory, but I believe this is the first time McCartney has included it on a live effort. I'm too lazy to flip through my collection to verify that though. What? I never claimed to be all proper and by the rules professional, just quirky! Sure it doesn't have that down and dirty edginess that it did all those years ago when it was originally recorded but, it's still fun to hear. It all ends with "The End" which I suppose is fitting albeit a bit corny ... it's Macca, he's allowed to be corny if he wants. He's earned it.

The bonus DVD gives McCartney's full performance atop The Ed Sullivan Theater marquee, the theater where The Beatles made their U.S. television debut. You also get an audience documentary culled from footage shot on Flip cameras that were put in the hands of some fans to help document the three shows. To be honest, that bit didn't do much for me though I'm sure the fans involved had a great time with the cameras. I just didn't need a whole segment of it. The digital fan footage is also mixed in with professional footage that makes up the concert film. The disc ends with the full performance version of "I'm Down."

Overall, Good Evening New York City is a good package. For longtime fans of The Beatles, you get lots of sentimentally significant Beatles moments. If you're a McCartney fan, you'll add this to your collection. That being said, casual fans shouldn't dismiss this. Yes, it's a bit nostalgia heavy. But, McCartney as a performer out classes a good number of today's performers and he's armed with a song catalog that few can match. If you're like me and have a Sir Paul soft spot, you'll find yourself in a Macca induced stupor with a grin on your face after nearly three hours of sing-a-long with Paul.

Track Listing
(Live Album / Concert Film)

• Drive My Car
• Jet
• Only Mama Knows
• Flaming Pie
• Got To Get You Into My Life
• Let Me Roll It
• Highway
• The Long And Winding Road
• My Love
• Blackbird
• Here Today
• Dance Tonight
• Calico Skies
• Mrs Vandebilt
• Eleanor Rigby
• Sing The Changes
• Band On The Run
• Back In The USSR
• I’m Down
• Something
• I’ve Got A Feeling
• Paperback Writer
• A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance
• Let It Be
• Live And Let Die
• Hey Jude
• Day Tripper
• Lady Madonna
• I Saw Her Standing There
• Yesterday
• Helter Skelter
• Get Back
• Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End

Bonus DVD
(Live on the Late Show with David Letterman)

• Get Back
• Sing The Changes
• Coming Up
• Band On The Run
• Let Me Roll It
• Helter Skelter
• Back In The USSR

• Good Evening People (Audience Documentary Film)
• I’m Down (Full Performance)

www.paulmccartney.com
www.myspace.com/paulmccartney