Regal Degal, Dustin Wong, (The) Tony Castles and Nightlands Played Glasslands Gallery Jan. 20

Hidden on a desolate stretch of warehouses near the waterfront in Williamsburg, a muffled bass was the only indication that I had reached Glasslands Gallery last week for the Tony Castles show.

Inside, I chuckled at the DIY interiors – paper clouds, woodsy wallpaper, etc. that decorated the place. The crowd was small and convivial, full of extended musical families giving hugs and backslaps while we waited for Dustin Wong to take the stage.  Regal Degal had already played, probably the “coolest” dudes in a lineup that included guitar virtuosos and former band nerds. I said “hey” to Regal Degal’s baby-faced vocalist and planted myself in front of the stage. I did not get a drink. Was thinking about maneuvering the deserted streets alone later that night and thought I should keep my wits about me.

Dustin Wong took a seat and began tuning his guitar, playing a few riffs, fiddling with the spaghetti of wires and space shuttle buttons at his feet. But wait, that was the show. That was his performance. Oh. 


Guitar playing = 10. Performance = 2.  I might have just as easily been in his basement on a cold Saturday night. Maybe it's just me, but I like a little bit of the magic. This was technical beauty but not a performance.

Finally, my raison d’etre – (The) Tony Castles - began setting up. They had promised new songs on Twitter earlier that day and I was pumped. Tony plays lo-fi pop that isn’t as lo-fi-y or poppy as a lot of stuff out there. Think Women or The Young Friends. It’s got a little more longing, a little more R&B soul and a dab more motorcycle grease. I think the latter comes largely from guitarist and keyboardist Willie Miesmer, who blew an amp just as they were about to go into their new tune. He seems like a tinkerer. New song was cool, too.

After their set, I waited to get a peak at Nightlands. The five of them set up and then left the stage to wunderkind Dave Hartley. He IS Nightlands and the rest there to execute his vision. (Take a note here, Dustin Wong.) Hartley looked like a fatigued long-haul trucker. So I really wasn’t expecting the next thing that happened: Angels flew out of his mouth when he sang.

I figured that was a sign to wrap it up. Also a 20-something tweeking on X was petting the fur-lined hood of my coat and telling me she wanted to wiggle.

I slung my camera over my shoulder and headed out into the quiet of the street. A fuzzy moon followed me to the subway.

Photos by Shanda Boyett. Copyright 2011.


Dustin Wong

The Tony Castles

Dave Hartley of Nightlands

Here We Go Magic and Broken Social Scene Played Terminal 5 January 18

The Here We Go Magic/Broken Social Scene show at Terminal 5 turned out to be one of those surprisingly intimate musical moments that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, where you just know you’ve seen something unique and are grateful to have been there for it. And this despite a crowd that was fairly lackluster.

I have a hypothesis: there is a direct correlation between ticket prices and crowd energy.  The higher the prices, the lamer the crowd. Case in point: Tickets for this show were $40. Two twenty-somethings near me debated the merits of getting or not getting a tattoo. They decided that if you HAD to get one, better to get it in a place no one could see at a job interview. Understand the logic, but this was a rock concert people! Try to be interesting.

Anywayyy, Brooklyn locals Here We Go Magic did their best to pump up the anemic crowd with their psychadelic pop sounds. But not even bassist Jen Turner, who slithered around her instrument like a limber grassnake, could evoke more than a mid-level enthusiasm. And no one seemed to notice that keyboardist and vocalist Kristina Lieberson appeared to have on a red snuggie at the start of the show. Epic coolness. Their last song of the just over half-hour set, “Tunnelvision” from their first album, was a completely off the hook jam.

The crowd perked up when Broken Social Scene hit the stage. (Maybe it was the YouTube cameras?) The Toronto-based collective put on a mesmerizing and intimate performance that was captured via live YouTube broadcast. Core members Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning led the giant cast in a set that lasted more than two hours and thankfully featured more off-album jams than their NYC show at Central Park this summer.  It was probably one of the Top 10 shows I’ve seen ever.

They kicked things off with “World Sick”, with Drew preparing the crowd for a lengthy run, saying, “One down, 20 to go.” In fact, the band ticked off more than 20, with time to spare. A grateful showman, Drew kept a new-agey, self-help dialogue going with the audience “You came to see us and we came to see you,” he said. “We are a self-help band. Let us take all your troubles,” he continued, building an intimate connection with the crowd that culminated in him politely engaging in a Christlike crowd-surf towards the end of the set.

It was this generosity of spirit that made it such an amazing experience. Even in a fairly large space like Terminal 5, Drew was able to draw the audience in. He repeatedly thanked everyone for being there, and the band seemed genuinely psyched to be playing together and entertaining a crowd that finally began to perk up (although, several folks who had secured front row vantages didn’t even bob their heads. If you’re in the front row and you won’t even bounce along to the music, you should be ejected. Just saying.)

When they finished the YouTube taping, the show was officially over, but no one wanted it to end, least of all the band, so they kept playing, bringing out Here We Go Magic to join them in a soulful cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Ooo Baby Baby”. Still gunning after that, the jester Brandon still wanted to play one more. So they did.

By any measure, be it length of show, number of songs played, number of musicians, heart, amazing music, whatever, these guys surpassed all expectations and offered up an amazing night I won’t forget.

I have a few folks to thank for being able to enjoy this performance. Half of the Occasional Empty Nesters won tickets to BSS, but had to bail at the last minute so told me to pick up at the box office. This GOT ME TO THE VENUE.  Thanks OEN. However, the staff at Terminal 5, the most-hated music venue, wouldn’t let me take the tickets without OEN’s ID.  Epic Fail.  Some kind strangers offered me an extra ticket for free when they saw me flailing at the Will Call window. This got me INTO THE SHOW.  Thanks kind strangers.  : )

Photos by Shanda Boyett from my iPhone below (Because T5, the most hated music venue, doesn’t allow big cameras.  Boo.)  Copyright 2011.

Bluejay and Delicate Steve Played Brooklyn Bowl Dec. 13

Checked out my first show at Brooklyn Bowl last week. A bit of a haul from the subway in the snow and frigid air, but The Boy, The Bone Collector, the Future Texan and I slogged through, and it was more than worth it. The place is huge, sells homemade pork cracklin's and has a decent craft beer selection. And then there were the bands.

Bluejay was first up and includes Young B on guitar. He is the quintessential designer by day, rock star by night. He works at The Boy's office, so we had to make the trip out there to represent.

They kept the crowd lively with their toe-tappin tunes, and Young B showed an effervescence not often seen at the office.

Following their set was Delicate Steve, masterminded by, um Steve, but played with considerable abandon by a band of five. While Steve may be the mastermind, the drummer is doubtless a conspirator in this music democracy, and he exhibited the most agile, physical and amazing drumming I've seen up close. He had the audience mesmerized. As befits such a democracy, the drummer was at the front of the stage, equal with the rest of the band and better for viewing his considerable skills. And while the rest of the band exuded a practiced cool, the drummer gave off a whiff of band nerd, quickly dispelled when he picked up his sticks. Awesome. Check out the pics.

All photos by Shanda Boyett. Copyright 2010.

Des Ark, Death Vessel and Bower Birds

Photos by Shanda Boyett.  Copyright 2010.

The Spaceship Photos - Broken Social Scene

The Boy and I walked over to Central Park Sept. 21 to catch Sea and Cake and Broken Social Scene at Rumsey Playfield.

We can't ever get over the convenience of walking to a concert, having a few beers, seeing a great show, and walking home.

The Boy pointed out the similarities between Sea and Cake and Broken Social Scene to The Grateful Dead. And Broken Social Scene, a music collective with no fewer than 6 front people playing at a time could be the greatest jam band ever - if they actually took time to jam.

From the start with Texaxo Bitches from the new album and Fire Eyed Boy from their self-titled album, it was beautiful and perfect, like listening to your i-phone.

While i applaud and respect the ability to recreate that kind of quality in the real world, I so wanted them to digress and take a chance and see what happened. I mean, there's so many of them, i can't believe this doesn't happen organically on a regular basis.

At one point, Kevin Drew, the "lead" singer and master of ceremonies, introduced himself to a new musician whom he had not met.

To be fair, later in the show, they did improvise a bit. But they could really take it further, becoming the next great jam band and going beyond explicit renditions of their songs, beautiful as they are.

And I think they have the spirit. At the end, Drew led the audience in a chant. "Fuck you. I won't do what you tell me." I wish BSS would do the same.

Nevertheless, I took some cool shots of the show that look like alien ships. Enjoy.

Pics of Regal Degal at Union Pool

Photos by Shanda Boyett  Copyright 2010.

(The) Tony Castles Played Union Pool for Record Release Party, with Regal Degal and Safe

Just two days after releasing the video for the haunting “Black Girls in Dresses,” (The) Tony Castles - Paul Sicilian (vocals and

bass) Willie Miesmer (guitar and keyboards) and Gabriel Wurzel (drums) celebrated the release of their new EP, “No Service,” with a show at Union Pool.

Regal Degal and Safe opened.

With a giant Zync from American Express card poster defamed with “TONY” in giant red letters hanging behind them, the trio kicked off an amazing set that included “No Service” and “Dream Job”. A guest guitarist provided some punch to “Adequate Sheen,” and the vocalist from Safe provided backup for “Black Girls in Dresses.”

Despite a few technical snags that had Willie crawling around on the floor mid-set, the trio produced a solid and exuberant show that pleased the crowd packed into Union Pool. And there wasn’t a lot of emotional dwelling on the release of the new EP. The guys were there to play and celebrate with friends, and if someone bought the record that was great, too.

Willie summed it up, “Our goddamn record is in the back of the place and you should buy it if that is what you want to do.”

You can order the EPand watch the “Black Girls in Dresses” video at http://famousclass.com/

Photos by me.

Heavy Cream Played Union Pool

Heavy Cream, a 3/4 girl punk band, played Union Pool in Brooklyn a few weeks ago.

I caught their set in between tacos from the taco truck outside, and their uncanny channeling of The Runaways blew me away.

Check out my pics from the show.



Photos by Shanda Boyett.  Copyright 2010

Boobs Night Out

While everyone else was celebrating fashion night out all over the city, I dragged The Boy and The West Side Beauty to the LES to see the Beach Fossils at The Bowery Ballroom. I drank Magic Hat beer, which smells like Fruity Pebbles, and watched the Sundelles and the Beach Fossils with a room full of people half my age. There was even a bit of semi-mosh pit action at the end where i distinguished myself by spilling my beer and bending down for my purse. Legitimately cool.

When we left the show to seek out food, the real show actually started. The LES was a carnival, from giant, stick-like scantily-clad transvestites being filmed reality-show style, to frat boys puking on the street, to waiflike models gliding through the crowds in a hunger-induced haze, it was a scene, man.

But nothing compared to our meal at Pulinos. Well, not the meal, exactly, which was just OK, although they do have Mother's Milk on tap, and that doesn't suck. First of all, the staff was POLITE and FRIENDLY. That just doesn't happen at cool places in New York. Second of all, when a couple of bone bags showed up inquiring about being seated immediately, and by bone bags i mean beautiful, leggy models, the hostess told them there were people in front of them and refused to be taken in by their cheekbones. Perhaps she knew they weren't really going to eat. I was smitten. Love you Pulinos hostess.

Anyway, we got seated in the middle of the room. Great vantage point for people watching. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a giant hat enter the room atop a scraggly woman wearing a military-inspired bolero jacket and a white tutu. Turns out, that was all she was wearing, which i realized when she turned around and the impression of her nipples was burned into my retinas. She had no problem posing for the many cameras that appeared to capture her nearly-naked 'fit. But endearingly, the staff at Pulinos told her to button up and keep her nips under wraps. They were not amused. But The Boy was, having had occasion to unexpectedly view strange boobs while swilling beer and eating pizza. Really, a perfect night for all.