You can browse our full NYC show calendar for all of tonight’s shows, but here are some highlights…
Record Store Day
While we think visiting record stores should be more than a once-a-year occurrence, here we are at Record Store Day again with it’s allure of exclusive titles and live performances and even some free beer. Support your local record store!
Sunflower Bean, Sneaks, Today is the Day, Charly Bliss, Beverly, Steve Earle @ Rough Trade
Rough Trade is probably the highest profile place in NYC for RSD17 with one of the biggest selections of exclusive titles in the city. Maybe the biggest. Even if you aren’t a record geek, you can come and catch an afternoon’s worth of free bands — including noisecore lifers Today is the Day (3 PM), and lots more. St Vincent, who is the 2017 RSD Ambassador, will be on hand at 11:30 AM, doing what we’re not sure.
Rough Trade is not the only store doing fun stuff for Record Store Day. Check out our guide to live events, as well as our picks for RSD17 exclusives and 10 Brooklyn record stores you may not know about.
Sebadoh, Tobin Sprout, DTCV @ The Bell House
Party like it’s 1996 with this indie rock double-header of Sebadoh and onetime Guided by Voices member Tobin Sprout. DCTV, which features another former GbV member (Jim Greer), makes this a good night to smash your head on the punk rock (gently).
The Gotobeds, Shop Talk, Thick @ Sunnyvale
While Pittsburgh smartasses The Gotobeds work on their next album for Sub Pop, they’re taking a break to head up to NYC for this one-off show. Hopefully we’ll get some new tunes.
Chairlift, Kristin Kontrol @ Brooklyn Steel
And with this show, Brooklyn synthpop duo Chairlift bid us a fond farewell. Kristin Kontrol makes this a fun, sold out double bill.
Gabriella Cohen, Navy Gangs, Lunch Ladies @ Union Pool
Australian artist Gabriella Cohen makes warm, smokey guitar pop, steeped in the Velvet Underground and vintage soul (it’s a sound she describes as “pink”). She just wrapped up a tour with Foxygen, is a charmer live, with an ace band to boot.
Pentagram, Brant Bjork, Royal Thunder, Black Wizard @ Le Poisson Rouge
Influential doom band Pentagram are on the road, and they’re without founding vocalist Bobby Liebling at these shows “due to circumstances that are beyond anyone’s control, that are a direct result of Bobby Liebling’s personal actions.” Liebling’s actions have gotten him intro trouble in the past, and his struggles with addiction are well documented (he was also the only original member of the band remaining). Guitarist Victor Griffin, who joined Pentagram in the early ’80s, will take over on vocals. Also, tonight’s openers are pretty great.
Explosions in the Sky, Thor & Friends @ Capitol Theatre
Post-rock greats Explosions in the Sky are on the road in continued support of last year’s The Wilderness, and their live shows are truly towering. Opening is Swans/Shearwater member Thor Harris with a “Thor & Friends” set, which should be pretty cool.
Aimee Mann, Jonathan Coulton @ Town Hall
This year’s Mental Illness is the slowest, saddest album in Aimee Mann’s very long, very rich career, and it’s truly a great one. She’s on tour now with Jonathan Coulton, who plays on the record. Tonight’s their first of two NYC shows on this run.
Ra Ra Riot, Hideout @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
It’s been 10 years since poppy indie band Ra Ra Riot released their self-titled EP, and they’ll celebrate that anniversary tonight.
Wolf Eyes, Eartheater, Twig Harper @ Brooklyn Bazaar
Once a noise band, Wolf Eyes are now in the business of churning out heavy, psychedelic riffs. This is the release show for their new album Undertow.
Junius, The Cancer Conspiracy, InAeona @ Saint Vitus
Post-metal band Junius returned last month with their new album Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light on Prosthetic Records, and tonight their tour in support of it hits NYC.
Vatican Shadow, Entro Senestre, Cienfuegos @ Saint Vitus (late show)
Vatican Shadow, the techno project of Prurient’s Dominick Fernow, headlines the late show at Vitus tonight (midnight start), and he’s doing a “two hour hybrid DJ set.”
Lydia Ainsworth, NOIA, Annie Hart @ Baby’s All Right
Atmospheric electronic pop musician Lydia Ainsworth recently released her sophomore album, Darling of the Afterglow. If you’re going tonight, it’s worth showing up early for Au Revoir Simone’s Annie Hart.
Testament, Sepultura, Prong, The Convalescence @ The Paramount
Thrash legends Testament returned in October with Brotherhood of the Snake, one of the finer albums to come out by a veteran thrash band last year. They’re on tour now with the Cavalera-less version of Sepultura and NYC metal vets Prong.
Loretta Lynn @ Tarrytown Music Hall
Loretta Lynn is 85 years young and she’s still totally got it both live and in studio. She just announced that she’ll release a new album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, this August. Maybe she’ll play some new stuff tonight, but you’ll surely hear plenty of classics.
Chris Rock @ Mohegan Sun Arena
The great Chris Rock is in the midst of something of a comeback. He was a special guest when his pal Dave Chappelle recently hosted SNL (Dave is also in the midst of a comeback), and now he’s on his first standup tour in nine years. This is one of a few tri-state area stops on the tour (there aren’t any NYC shows).
Paul Shaffer & the World’s Most Dangerous Band w/ “surprise guest vocalist” @ NYCB Theatre at Westbury
We have no idea who the surprise guest vocalist is tonight, but we do know that Paul Shaffer & the World’s Most Dangerous Band recently released a guest-filled album and the latest single is the Bill Murray collaboration, which comes out as a 7″ this weekend for Record Store Day.
Twin Forks, Dan Layus, The Social Animals @ Bowery Ballroom
Earlier this year, Chris Carrabba focused on Dashboard Confessional for a tour of intimate venues and a covers EP, and now he’s turning his attention towards another of his bands, Twin Forks.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Masked Intruder, PEARS @ Stone Pony
Everyone’s favorite pop punk cover band, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are back on the road. The band’s lineup is NOFX’s Fat Mike, Lagwagon’s Joey Cape and Dave Raun, Foo Fighters/No Use For A Name’s Chris Shiflett, and Spike Slawson (ex-Swingin’ Utters), but for this tour, Fat Mike is being replaced by Bad Religion’s Jay Bentley and Chris Shiflett is being replaced by his brother Scott (of Face to Face). Opening is masked punks Masked Intruder, and the very good melodic hardcore band PEARS.
For all of tonight’s shows, and tomorrow’s, check out our NYC concert calendar.
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