What We're Doing This Evening

We're very excited about the new Algo Rhythm series beginning tonight. Frequent attendees of the Mister, the gents putting this on are doing their own loft party with on-point bookings. Madteo, a local mega-digger and left-field producer, is opening up the evening, which is a rare treat; and Marcellus Pittman, the only Chair of the Three that hasn't played with Eamon and Justin, is topping the bill.

For location information, email algorhythm@rocketmail.com.

Other Nights of the Week: Remixed Record Covers and Gonzales

While we're not giddily holding our breath for this Saturday's joint party with Spank, here are a couple other things we'll be doing.

Tonight, BAM opens an exhibition of contemporary artists' takes on record covers. We don't know any of the artists' names, and we don't know what albums they've chosen, but we love BAM, so we're down.  Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we'll get our live music fixes, first with Caveman, a harmonizing lo-fi quintet; then with post bob saxophonist Joe Lovano; and finally with silly, virtuosic pianist Gonzales.

Sunday, in the aftermath of whatever transcendence occurs on Saturday, we'll go check out Stephane Wrembel at Barbés. Hopefully this time there will be dancing. Monday is a holiday after all.

Unsilent Night

We are thrilled that we do NOT have a Mister Saturday Night this weekend, not because we like a Saturday off (which we do), but because we get to take part in 'Unsilent Night', a tradition that is not just our favorite holiday happening of the year, but one of our favorite New York City experiences, period.

Created by composer Phil Kline, 'Unsilent Night' is a carol for boomboxes. Hundreds of people show up underneath the Washington Square arch, with CDs, mp3s and tapes cued up on their various players, and with a countdown, Kline has them press play. Thus ensues a parade that wanders through the East Village to Tompkins Square Park, where different movements of the ambient masterwork take over entire city blocks, with the sound changing depending on where you stand. The best is when, as everyone congregates at the end, the piece comes to a staggered end, thanks to people late in pressing the start button and low batteries that cause the tapes to run more slowly than their digital counterparts. It's beautiful and wonderful, and you absolutely should not miss it.

Unsilent Night begins at the Washington Square Arch in Manhattan at 7:00pm on Saturday, December 18. Meet under the arch at 6:40pm. Kline hands out a few boomboxes, tapes, and CDs to first folks who arrive. You can bring your own playback device, and you can email to find out about getting the mp3 for download in advance. If you don't have a boombox, don't worry. It's plenty of fun to walk with the group.

Other Nights of the Week: Getting Inflated for Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving week, and we're taking it easy. I'm out in San Fran with my Mom, and Eamon's headed to Ireland to visit his folks (and play a party in his hometown of Derry). If you're itching for something to do in the city this week, here are a couple picks, probably what we'd be doing if we were around. We hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and we'll see you for roller skating next Friday!

Other Nights of the Week: Nitzer Ebb and Montage

It's party time again for us this weekend, but before and after we get to throwing down, we'll be running around checking a few things out. Post-industrialists Nitzer Ebb play the questionable, oft-rebranded Gramercy Theatre on Tuesday, but clearly the venue's not why we're going to see the show. On Wednesday, our buddy Sal P throws a benefit to keep open the doors of the rehearsal space that Liquid Liquid shares with a bunch of other bands on the Lower East Side.

On Thursday, we're going to Film Forum to check Bruce Conner's film montages set to symphonies. Friday, Sunday and Monday we'll be doing the Bowery Presents tour with post-shoegazers Bear In Heaven at the Music Hall on Friday, Spanish dance-masters Delorean and the ramshackle Stumblebum Brass band at Mercury on Monday.

We all know what we're doing on Saturday...

Acrobatics, Violin, Magic and the Other Nights of the Week

It's Next Wave season at BAM, and we've got a fist full of tickets for shows at the Harvey and Howard over the next few weeks. The thing we're excited most about is tonight's Raoul, a show conceived and fronted by violinist/acrobat/magician/clown James Thiérrée. We've seen the past two shows he's done, mesmerizingly costumed and designed spectacles that take advantage of all Thiérrée's various slashes, and they're genius. (In case you're worried that DJs don't know what they're talking about when it comes to theater, here's a clip to prove the brilliance.)

The rest of the nights of the week aren't so shabby either. Favourite Sons, one of our favorite bands, return from a long time off at Union Pool, hopefully airing out songs from their recently recorded album. Out jazz grabs our attention on Thursday and Friday with Henry Threadgill's Zooid and the Sun Ra Arkestra; and we'll spend our Mister-less Saturday night getting down at Sound Noir with Dial artist John Roberts. Sunday we're checking Nick Cave's ballsy Grinderman show, and Monday we're seeing Sigur Ros's Jonsi in a church on the Upper West Side. How civilized.

Other Nights of the Week: Docs and Rock

Packing up from Halloween and pitching the tents for another Mister Saturday this weekend, we'll still be taking some time to get into the city this week. In the unlikely-but-awesome-rendezvous category, tonight, Syrian wedding singer Omar Souleyman meets Williamsburg, and tomorrow, death-defying, Italian/Japanese Blonde Redhead rock trio meet German post-minimalist Pantha Du Prince.

Thursday we'll be checking the premier of a never-before-seen Bruce Springsteen concert film as part of the DOC NYC Fest, and Friday we'll admire Pablo Picasso (the band not the artist) at PS1. Saturday, before we head to the loft, we'll probably peep another doc – this one, featuring Iggy Pop – and on Sunday, we'll wipe the sleep from our eyes to check our Halloween party-decorator's puppet show, The Fortune Teller. Monday? We're staying at home.

Other Nights of the Halloweek

This Saturday, we've got a party. But not just any party; it's Halloween, and we're dressing things up more than usual at 12-turn-13. While we're hanging the decorations from the ceilings and filling up the bathtub for apple-bobbing, our minds will be elsewhere – it's a good week to go out in New York.

For our more cerebral side, there's an orchestral tribute to Italian-Jewish writer/chemist Primo Levi at Asia Society; and for the side of us that likes to get weirded out, there's a reading by Oxbow singer, Eugene Robinson, who is insane (see picture above). Thursday, from 5 to 7 at Other Music, a photo exhibition about the Magnetic Fields opens, and Stephin Merritt, the band's leader, plays the background music.

Fabulous Diamonds, a two-piece drone band with slow-chugging drums and effect-laden analog synths, plays Todd P's Monster Island Basement on Friday, and on Sunday, the day after our Hallowed affair, the real Halloween takes place, again with Mister P. He's got a big show happening at the Ridgewood Masonic Temple with Janka Nabay, the Sierra Leonese king of Bubu Music. Finally, Jonathan Richman helps you come down on Monday. Details for everything after the jump.

Nerd Alert

WFMU Record Fair time! It's on from 7p - 10p tonight and from 10a - 7p on Saturday and Sunday at the Metropolitan Pavilion (125 W 18th St bet 6th and 7th Ave, Manhattan). I'll be there for pretty much the whole time, portable player in tow, ready to spend all the money I don't have. If you find a copy of this, please let me know.

[photo by Nicola]

Other Nights of the Week: CMJ Cheat Sheet

CMJ kicks off today, promising hundreds of bands, dozens of venues and countless industry flacks wielding their badges like swords to cut the line. Although we tend to think that paying $500 for a week's worth of live music is pretty steep, we're more than happy to crash the marathon's best showcases – for an average of ten bucks a pop.

Here are our picks for each day of CMJ... and a couple of options for those seeking sweet relief from the madness.

Tue, Oct 19: Gary Wilson, O'Death, Janka Nabay and more
Cake Shop (158 Ludlow St, Manhattan) / 8p / $10 / more info / directions 

Pandaemonium: A Summoning in 5 Acts

Mister Saturday Night may be off this weekend, but two Mister collaborators are stepping into the weekend fray. Long-time comrade Rudolf Rocker and MSN projectionist Sam Burneverything are joining forces to present Pandaemonium, an evening of heavy sounds and visual illusions at Silent Barn.

Although the music may be of a different vein – think '70s spy movies and psychedelic metal – the vibe should be familiar to the Mister crew. There's plenty of room to make new friends, without sacrificing the raw intensity in front of the stage.

Come midnight, as the last ominous notes ring from Liturgy's guitars, a group of shadowy magicians will conjure the Psychomanteum – a powerful oracle captured in a single shimmering mirror. Rumor has it that all those who remain will be allowed to gaze into its depths...

Dust off your finest wizarding hat, grab a minion or two and we'll see you there.

[poster courtesy of Burneverything]

Other Nights of the Week: Tricks of the Light

Thanks to everyone who came out to the last Mister Saturday – we had a ball breaking in a beautiful new space with such good company.

This week, the Mister's collaborator and comrade Rudolf Rocker hosts Pandaemonium, an evening of psychedelic sounds and visual illusions at Silent Barn – keep your eyes peeled for a sneak preview on the blog later this week. And for those who can't wait till Saturday to astral project, don't miss Polish clarinet wizard Mikolaj Trzaska at the Stone tonight.

Tue, Oct 12: Polish Institute presents Mikolaj Trzaska
The Stone (Ave C and E. 2nd St, Manhattan) / 10p / $10 / more info / directions 

Other Nights of the Week: Live from New York

There's a nip in the air that feels like perfect dancing weather to us – and we've got just the spot in mind. The Mister is all kinds of excited to give its new home a workout this Saturday, with a little help from Aesthetic Audio bossman Keith Worthy.

For additional sweat inducement, check out Marnie Stern's fiery licks tonight at the Rock Shop and listen to Gov. David Patterson spin some killer Prince b-sides on Sunday at the Insound Pop-up Store.

Tue, Oct 5 : Marnie Stern Record Release Party
The Rock Shop (249 4th Ave, Brooklyn) / 8p / $12 / more info / directions 

Loud Objects Sax It Up

Loud Objects is a trio of New York noisemakers that performs live by soldering sound-producing circuits together, crafting dissonant tones from microchips and wire. We just heard that the group is playing an intimate free show with the fearless Japanese saxophonist Tamio Shiraishi at Clocktower Gallery this Thursday evening – RSVP here, as space is very limited.

Here's a taste of Shiraishi serenading the E train at one in the morning:

Other Nights of the Week: Denmark Levels Up

We've got the week off from party-throwing, so there'll be a little extra time for going out. Aside from the must-see El Guincho and Ulrich Schnauss shows, we'll be checking Babycastles' video game geek-out happening at Queens' favorite underground venue, Silent Barn.

Babycastles is a collective of gaming nerds who rescue underground and out-of-print video games from complete obscurity and install them in custom-built arcade cabinets all over town. They're welcoming a crew of indie game designers from Copenhagen for this edition. Come for the Rückblende, stay for the akvavit.

Tue, Sept 28: El Guincho and Lemonade
Mercury Lounge (217 E Houston St, Manhattan) / 8p / $10 / more info / directions 

Dreams Coming True Tonight

When I was 13, I listened mostly to the radio. Entering the eighth grade, I became friends with a group of kids whose older brothers were going to UNC Chapel Hill, a beacon of indie rock then and now. Because of the college town's stalwart venue Cat's Cradle and labels like Merge, kids leaving little towns in the south like mine could get exposed to high-quality music and in turn send it back home for the younger ears to feed on.

Pavement was the first thing to catch my ear in those roundabout dispatches, my main entry point to indie rock and non-commercial music in general. Their music was immediately accessible, full of hooks but with a spirit that wasn't definable. I spent the next six years memorizing their absurd lyrics and trying, unsuccessfully to see them live, unbelievably bummed when I found out (as an intern at their home label, Matador Records, no less) that they were breaking up. I'd missed my chance to see my favorite band live.

But now, more than ten years later, I've got tickets in hand to go and see them with Eamon and our friend and MSN blog writer Eli Dvorkin tonight in Central Park, and from all reports they're as good as they ever were back then. If you don't have tickets, it's beyond easy to get one even though they're sold out. People were supposedly selling them outside the venue for half of face value, and they're up on Craigslist for super cheap. And if you can't go tonight, fear not! They're playing tomorrow and Friday.

[picture from last night's show via Brooklyn Vegan]

Other Nights of the Week: The Mister's Back

Mister Saturday Night returns from London with a stash of new vinyl and the hometown itch. Catch the Misters supporting our friends Escort on Friday night at the Highline Ballroom and then head to Brooklyn on Saturday for a loft party with Efdemin. Still on your feet? Then drop by Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park on Sunday to catch the end of the DUMBO Arts Festival – or a hard-earned afternoon nap.

Tue, Sept 21: Laurie Anderson – Delusion
BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St, Brooklyn) / 7:30p / $20 / more info / directions 

Other Nights of the Week: Digging the Vault

If laughter is the best medicine, then this week will keep you in the pink. Reggie Watts beatboxes between jokes in the open air, Aziz Ansari just might unleash Raaaaaaaandy and the Brooklyn Flea Record Fair collects thousands of bizarre obscurities in a single bank vault. We're keeping an eye out for this one – it'll cure what ails ya.

Tue, Sept 14: Reggie Watts and Naomi Shelton
Fort Greene Park (Myrtle Ave and N Portland Ave, Brooklyn) / 6:30p / free / more info / directions 

Scool of Seven Bells Last Night

School of Seven Bells! What a show last night. The Deheza twins' voices were in sync and cathedral-fit, Ben Curtis' guitar playing was perfectly jagged, and the beats – partially provided by machine and partially by a drummer – were giant. We love SVIIB's records, but in the flesh there's a visceral energy that takes it to a higher plane.

Kudos to Ghostly for pushing culture where it needs to go by releasing their albums (while still putting out stuff like Mux Mool). It's so refreshing to see an "electronic-music" label releasing genre-transcending music like this. It seems their ambition is being paid back with success, too. Last night's show was very sold out. More photos below the fold.

Other Nights of the Week: Michael Jackson 101

After a relaxed Labor Day spent eating smoked herring on Brighton Beach, fall arrives with a slate of great shows. This week we'll be conjuring the spirits with Sunn O))) and Boris, and going back to school to take Advanced Michael Jackson.

Tue, Sept 7: Sunn O))), Boris and BXI (feat. Ian Astbury)
Brooklyn Masonic Temple (317 Clermont Ave, Brooklyn) / 8p / $35 / more info / directions