Live Through This: Top Concert Picks For The week Of September 7th, 2018
The last time I saw Paul Simon (here) was July 2016, an excellent set marred by the weather. I was wondering then if I would ever see him live on stage again and the answer was yes, he performed in Jersey earlier this week, and will perform his last gig ever in Flushing, Queens, next Saturday. I’m going to the MSG gig on Thursday and there is one thing worth mentioning: despite his last two rewrites, album for album from Songbook to Dazzling Blue, the man was consistent. No studying this setlist if you’re going, you know em all. The only complaint is those he isn’t playing: “Peace Like A River,” “The Afterlife,” “Born At The Right Time,” (hell, even Graceland coulda been mined more) “I Know What I Know” -we come and go and here Paul goes.
Monday – MC50 Presents Kick Out The Jams – The 50th Anniversary Tour – Gramercy Theatre – Sure, it’s a tribute show, but for an album worth tributing
Monday – David Byrne, Tune-Yards – King’s Theatre – He was completely excellent Saturday night, this is an if you miss it you’ll miss it show.
Monday – The The – Beacon Theatre
Tuesday – Phil Gammage, Kristin Flammio – The Safari Room at El Cortez – The blues man is always on top of his game on stage.
Tuesday – Top Dawg Entertainment Presents: Jay Rock – The Big Redemption Tour – Irving Plaza – My friend Mariah Bailey warned me I missed on his current album, and I went back and listened again, and she was right, despite an iffy set on the Top Dawg tour, it is a goodie.
Tuesday – An Evening with Lenny Kravitz hosted by Questlove – NJPAC – Could be so bad it’s good. The new album is in the hunt for worst of the year and the bit where Lenny cries in Johnny Cash’s arm after Lenny’s mom dies is almost otherworldly in its shittiness -AND IT’S THE CHORUS!
Tuesday – Anne-Marie, Goody Grace- Rough Trade – Anne-Marie is having a year, a coupla killa featured singles, good album, opening for Ed and here you can get closer to her than the bests eats at Metlfife
Tuesday – Black Uhuru, Top Shotta Band Feat. Screechy Dan – Highline Ballroom – Black Uhuru’s new album is great.
Tuesday – Three The God Way!: Jay Electronica, Slick Rick & Roc Marciano – Sony Hall
Tuesday – Marshall Crenshaw – City Winery – Crenshaw would be one of the greatest of all time if all he had ever done was “Fantastic Planet Of Love”.
Wednesday – Owl City: Cinematic Tour w/ Matthew Thiessen & The Earthquakes – Irving Plaza
Wednesday – Doggie Diamonds’ No Filter Podcast w/ Beanie Sigel – Sony Hall – Yup, the “Anything” cat
Wednesday – Sarah McLachlan – The Paramount
Wednesday – Courtney Marie Andrews, Michaela Anne – Folkie Andrews has one of the best albums of the year to push.
Thursday – Mastodon – The Capitol Theatre
Thursday – TV On The Radio Plays Dear Science – 10 Year Anniversary Show – Knockdown Center – Sold out, by the way
Thursday – Sony Immersive Sound Experience w/ Special Performance by TOM ODELL! – Sony Hall – No idea what that means but Tom is worth catching
Thursday – 4U: A Symphonic Celebration Of Prince – King’s Theatre – Let a thousand cover bands by other names bloom
Thursday, Friday – Kim Wilson – Iridium – The great Fabulous Thunderbird
Thursday – Lost 80’s Live, A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, Bow Wow Wow – State Theatre
Thursday – Neko Case – Beacon Theatre
Thursday – Robbie Fulks and Linda Gail Lewis featuring Redd Volkaert – Hill County – “Round Too Long” is one of the best songs of the year.
Friday – FEAR – Celebrating 40 Years – Gramercy Theatre
Friday, Saturday – Ed Sheeran: 2018 North American Stadium Tour – MetLife Stadium – He was pretty good last year at Barclays but I wouldn’t go to MetLife again if you paid me and how the fuck he thinks a one man band can connect in a Stadium I have no idea.
Friday – RBRM: Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky & Mike, Bobby Brown, Bell Biv Devoe, Kid Capri, Case – Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk – Soul supergroup
Friday – Bettye Lavette – Sony Hall
Friday – Babefest: a Concert To Benefit Emily’s List – Warsaw – Ani DiFranco headlines
Friday, Saturday – Joan Baez: Fare Thee Well Tour 2018 – Beacon Theatre – Remind me to tell you about seeing Joanie at Baalbeck in 1975.
Saturday – Gary Numan – The Second Savage North American Tour With Nightmare Air – Irving Plaza
Saturday – Bilal / Ayo (Co-Bill) – Sony Hall
Saturday – Carlos Vives “Vives Tour” – Radio City Music Hall – Latin pop superstar
Saturday – Garland Jeffreys, Rivercat, Fiddler & the Crossroads – Coney Island Baby
Saturday – Jayhawks – Bowery Ballroom
Saturday – Neil Sedaka – Tilles Center Concert Hall – Bucket List time
Saturday – Ozuna – Madison Square Garden – Reggaeton star
Saturday – Patti Smith: Words and Music at the Minetta Lane – You aren’t gonna get much more up close and pesonal
Saturday – Wayne Newton – NYCB westbury – I thought he died if he left the Vegas city limits
Sunday – Outlaw Music Festival – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats… outlaws, ha.
Sunday – Sweetheart of the Rodeo: 50th Anniversary – Town Hall
Sunday – Israel Vibration & The Roots Radics Band – Sony Hall
