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

A Love Letter to (The) Tony Castles

I've seen and documented (The) Tony Castles several times, and have watched them evolve over the past few months from a band I enjoyed watching and listening to, to one that has created some of the most blissful music I've heard this year.


The talented trio recently played Bowery Ballroom, which I unfortunately had to miss. Someone captured this video of this new song, "Korea."  I thought they had reached the heights of my love with "Black Girls in Dresses" but "Korea" is transcendent.  Wistful and ardent, the guys have never looked or played better. 


Check it out.

They're playing Jan. 20 at Glasslands in Brooklyn.

(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.

(The) Tony Castles, Caveman, Monogold at Merc Lounge

A social acquaintance turned me on to (The) Tony Castles (photos above), so I decided to check them out live at The Mercury Lounge this week.

Three-piece Brooklyn-band Monogold opened. The lyrical falsetto of guitarist and vocalist Keith Kelly gives their sound a feathery, angelic quality, which was unfortunately not presented to best advantage at the Merc. However, bassist Mike Falotico distracted me from their technical issues by being an "8" on the Magically Babalicious, Long-Haired Emaciated Rock Dude scale.

When Caveman approached the stage, I honestly thought they looked like a bunch of douches. But as soon as they started to play, they completely endeared me. Thoughtful, layered, slightly haunting music sets a dreamy mood. Lead vocalist Matty Pickles blends charisma, amazing voice and percussion skills to land at an "8" on the Vince Vaughan-With-A-Guitar Doppleganger Rock Dude scale. You just want to cuddle him.

The comparatively large scale of Caveman made the three-piece Tony Castles seem spare as they took the stage, but their performance was anything but. In fact, I enjoyed their live performance more than the tracks I've been listening to for weeks. Psyched that they have a 5 song debut EP entitled "NO SERVICE" that will be officially released by Famous Class Records in both vinyl and digital formats on September 21, 2010.

No hot rock dude scale here. Just good music. : )

Photos of (The) Tony Castles by Shanda Boyett. Copyright 2010.