Listing of Upcoming Shows at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn
By: BWW News Desk Jan. 07, 2010
A list of upcoming shows at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn has been released for the month of January and February.
Tuesday, January 12th; Tuesday, January 19th; Tuesday, January 26th357 Lover and their Diorama of Friends Residency
7:00 PM, $5Friday, January 15th
Gary Lucas' Gods & Monsters, Grant Hart, Kenny Chambers
7:00 PM, $10Saturday, January 16th
Hymns, Himalaya, Gigantic Hand, Solaram
8:00 PM, $10Friday, January 22nd
ShortandSweetnyc.com Presents: DJ Rob Swift, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, Apse, Venn Diagrams
Doors 8:00, $12Saturday, January 23rd
Arms, In Cadeo, Acrylics, No Eye Contact
7:00 PM, $8 advance, $10 day of showWednesday, January 27th
Private Income, White Hills, Romanian Buck, Cheryl or Sheryl?
7:00 PM, $8 advance, $10 day of showThursday, January 28th
The Stationary Set, Monogold
8:00 PM, $8 advance, $10 day of showSaturday, January 30th
The Entrance Band, Lights
8:00 PM, $13Sunday, January 31st
An Albatross, Wharton Tiers Ensemble, Marc Edwards/Weasel Walter Group
7:00 PM, $10Thursday, February 4th
Brooklyn Academy Of Music presents Sounds Like Brooklyn Fest, starring Kelli Rudick, Brent Arnold, Emily Hope Price
8:00 PM, $10
Destry, Mean Creek, the Narrative
7:00 PM, $8 advance, $10 day of showThursday, February 11th
Wanda Jackson, the Lustre Kings
7:00 PM, $15 advance, $18 day of showFriday, February 12th
Botanica, Lucinda Black Bear, and the Wiremen
7:00 PM, $10AT A GLANCETuesday, January 12th; Tuesday, January 19th; Tuesday, January 26th
357 Lover and their Diorama of Friends Residency
The Dallas Observer says 357 Lover's Corn Mo (the group's frontman and resident accordion shredder) is a cross between Freddie Mercury and Tiny Tim. John Cameron Mitchell weighed in saying that 357 Lover is the offspring of Meat Loaf and ELO. Says Rolling Stone, "Corn Mo is the future of music. Maybe it's the look, the long blonde mane, the big sideburns, the sparkling outfits. Or maybe it's the accordion in Mo's hands, the polka standard becomes arena rock magic." If you're not yet convinced that this is a band-a full-on presentation-that is not to be missed, take it from another dynamic and unpredictable showman, Andrew W.K., who says "When I first saw .357 Lover, I thought I was in a dream... and when I first heard them play, I thought I was in heaven." What more can we add except to say that 357 Lover will be bringing themselves and their "Diorama of Friends" (a collection of equally hard-to-define acts) to the Knitting Factory every Tuesday in January.
Gary Lucas & Gods and Monsters, Grant Hart
Gary Lucas & Gods and Monsters play intense psychedelic art-rock centered around the formidable virtuosity and Grammy-nominated songwriting of Lucas, a vet of both Captain Beefheart's and Jeff Buckley's bands. Playing alongside Lucas are Downtown NY legends Billy Ficca (Television) on drums and Ernie Brooks (Modern Lovers) on bass, with Jason Candler (Hungry March Band) on vocals and alto sax, and Joe Hendel (the Latest Show on Earth) on keys and trombone. Time Out New York says they are "mind blowing," while the New Yorker called Lucas "The thinking man's guitar hero" and cited the band as "an underground rock fan's dream team."Grant Hart, the former Husker Du drummer and co-songwriter worked with the diverse cast of musicians from Godspeed You Black Emperor and Silver Mt. Zion on this new CD, Hot Wax, recorded in Montreal and Minneapolis. Grant on some of the some of the songs: the song "Narcissus,Narcissus" is my first attempt at combining ancient Greek mythology and American rock-a-billy. By merging those influences with an ice cream truck atmosphere I think I have found a style that defines this period of my career. "You're the Reflection of the Moon on the Water" is one of the most organic rock and roll songs that I have ever written. It's style owes a lot to my devotion for Patti Smith. It was inspired by a comment made by a monk during the selection process to find the next Panchen Lhama, who said of one candidate, "he is the reflection of the moon on the water but he is not the moon." Grant's new record "Hot Wax" is now available on CON D'OR Records. Saturday, January 16th
Hymns, Himalaya, Gigantic Hand, Solaram
Guitarist Jason Roberts and singer/songwriter Brian Harding met growing up in southern North Carolina, cementing their friendship as teenagers over a shared love for the Americana roots of the Band and the distinctly not-southern rock of Nirvana. The two parted ways after college when Roberts joined Ben Kweller's touring band and Harding relocated to New York City, but it was only a matter of time before the undeniable musical chemistry that the two shared brought them back together. The duo reunited as Hymns in Brooklyn in 2005, fleshing out their sound with a drummer and bass player before traveling to rural Texas to record their debut album, Brother/Sister, for Blackland Records. An exhilarating blend of country twang & indie drive, it was a critical hit drawing comparisons to Tom Petty & Gram Parsons. HYMNS suddenly found themselves touring nationally with the Lemonheads, Ben Kweller, and Canadian star Sam Roberts, while back home in New York they began sharing bills with Beck and Hot Hot Heat. Friday, January 22nd
ShortandSweetnyc.com Presents: DJ Rob Swift, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, Apse, Venn Diagrams
Having got his start as a DJ at age 12 from watching his father DJ at meringue parties and his older brother showing him the ropes, Robert Aguilar AKA Rob Swift pursued his love for music & joined the groundbreaking turntablist crew the X-Men aka X-ecutioners (Roc Raida, Total Eclipse, & Mista Sinista) in 1991. Within a year of joining the X, he won the coveted DMC East Coast title, becoming world renowned as a master Turntablist. In 2001, Rob Swift was featured in the DJ documentary Scratch. He has appeared on ESPN, The Late Show w/ David Letterman, and even Sesame Street. In 2008, Rob was the first Hip Hop DJ invited to perform at the Savannah, Georgia Jazz Festival. Whether working solo, in a group setting as part of Ill Insanity (featuring former X-Men Total Eclipse & Precision) or collaborating with other like minded artists, Rob Swift is always in perpetual motion, pushing the boundaries of what he does and connecting with audiences by all means necessary. Saturday, January 23rd
Arms, In Cadeo, Acrylics, No Eye Contact
For the past few years, Todd Goldstein was best known as the guitarist in the Brooklyn indie-pop band Harlem Shakes. To those who were listening closely, though, Goldstein has always been Arms, a persona he's been crafting since 2004. As Arms, Goldstein takes up a decidedly slower, sweeter, sloppier endeavor, working alone and singing in a sad, idiosyncratic baritone. Arms' debut full-length, Kids Aflame-previously available only in the UK (melodic), and now released in the US by Gigantic Music-is a labor of love by an artist with an ear for the beauty in noise, the primacy of melody, and the timelessness of melancholy pop music.(In Cadeo)
Grunge-textured bass is trampled by keyboard melodies, giving pop an edge...It's the mix of gritty guitar riffs and catchy lyrics that allows for the In Cadeo fan-base to consist of both high school girls and mosh-pit enthusiasts."- Relix
"They eclectically blend melodramatic grunge rock with radio friendly riffs and the end result is a very powerful one." - Deli Magazine NYC Wednesday, January 27th
Private Income, White Hills, Romanian Buck, Cheryl or Sheryl?
"Rhythmic trio Private Income (formerly Zero Spanish) take their indie-rock line-up to a place less precious and more authoritative, weaving energy and rawness into the members' structured playing. Kelly Rae Kerwin makes the keyboard do her bidding as she alternates between sweet church organ, pounding assaults, and swirling scales, bringing classical training to the level of rock. Her vocals are feathery and girlish, not unlike the layered ladies of Au Revoir Simone, but are delivered with an emotive and tone-bending power that betrays her sweetness and sounds more like Nico." -- Liz Levine, Knocks From The UndergroundThursday, January 28th
The Stationary Set, Monogold
The Stationary Set thrive on irony, but not the neo-hipster "Meatloaf is cool now" type of irony. They swim in sarcasm, a perfect conduit for the expression of doubt, struggle, and matters of the heart. They know how to laugh, especially at themselves. Formed in Michigan, the SS pair smart lyrics with a penchant for well-balanced arrangements; there's a sentiment of early ‘90s pop rock influence that still makes a modern and timely effort to stay on the tip of your tongue. Saturday, January 30th
The Entrance Band, Lights
The Entrance Band kicks out a veritable explosion of mind-bending, skyscraping high-volume electric power. The trio - which includes singer/guitarist Guy Blakeslee, drummer Derek James and bassist Paz Lenchantin - set out for new musical frontiers with their full-on melding of psychedelic freakout and punk rock intensity. Co-founder of Ecstatic Peace Records, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, says, "The Entrance Band's new music is the most alluring and, yes, entrancing vibe I've yet to experience in this new age. A soundtrack for the new groove."Sunday, January 31st
An Albatross, Wharton Tiers Ensemble, Marc Edwards/Weasel Walter Group
An Albatross is a psychedelic sonic org*sm; a barrage of mechanical, jerky and discombobulated time signatures eclipsed by hectic Farfisa organ/synthesizer melodies. Not unlike sitting down with an average American family during primetime television, the music is unquestionably attention-span friendly for an ADD-diagnosed society: unbelievably short, complex, infectious bursts of polyrhythms and spirit. Currently, the "family" includes percussionist Steven Vaiani; writhing, psychedel-evangelist vocalist Eddie B. Gieda III; rhythmic contortionist/bassist Jay Hudak; Farfisa/Hammond-master, Phillip Reynolds Price; and newest family member, thundergod guitarist Daniel Schlett. After relocating their facilities to spaces in both Wilkes-Barre, PA and South Amboy, NJ, in early 2008 the group began orchestrating their most robust and progressive work yet, The An Albatross Family Album. Thursday, February 4th
Brooklyn Academy Of Music presents Sounds Like Brooklyn Fest, starring Kelli Rudick, Brent Arnold, Emily Hope Price
Kelli Rudick returns to New York for the BAM "Sounds Like Brooklyn" Music Festival. The Brooklyn based electro/indie/neo-classical artist's performances combine the slapped, bent, restrung and strangely-tuned compositions of her first release No One Knows You're Foreign with polyrhythmic structures merging looped string progressions, beats and heavy bass lines from her forthcoming second record. She's collaborated with Nick Zammuto of the Books, Alon Leventon of Drops of Consciousness, and acclaimed guitarist Kaki King.
Brent Arnold uses a cello, his voice, and a battery of effects pedals to create songs of unhinged beauty and searing intensity with an unorthodox and virtuosic approach to the instrument. His music ranges from minimal to massive, often within a single song, incorporating intricate fingerpicking, loops and distortion, mazes of electronic tones, and a surprising melodic sense. He has worked with Modest Mouse, Sleater-Kinney, DJ/Rupture, Eyvind Kang, Karl Blau, Lenny Kravitz, and many more.
Monday, February 8th
Destry, Mean Creek, the Narrative
Perhaps accidentally, the thing that Destry has become embodies the Southern city in which it was born, that being Nashville. A place where the time-tested tones of tradition continue to resonate and mingle with words that are simple, honest and true, where inspiration meets ambition.
Thursday, February 11th
Wanda Jackson, the Lustre Kings
Wanda Jackson was only halfway through high school when, in 1954, country singer Hank Thompson heard her on an Oklahoma City radio show and asked her to record with his band, the Brazos Valley Boys. By the end of the decade, Jackson had become one of America's first major female country and rockabilly singers. Jackson insisted on finishing high school before hitting the road. When she did, her father came with her. Her mother made and helped design Wanda's stage outfits. "I was the first one to put some glamour in the country music - fringe dresses, high heels, long earrings," Jackson said of these outfits. When Jackson first toured in 1955 and 1956, she was placed on a bill with none other than Elvis Presley. In 2009, it was announced that Wanda would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen were just a few artists who encouraged the Hall to induct the Rock ‘n' Roll Queen over the last few years.
Botanica, Lucinda Black Bear, And the Wiremen
Botanica is a band named for those mysterious stores stocking spells, potions and artifacts of ritual. The 2010 touring lineup of the Botanica Conspiracy includes long-time co-conspirator John Andrews, (moonlighting of late in Peter Murphy's combo), drummer extraordinaire Brian Viglione, (Dresden Dolls, Nine Inch Nails, World Inferno), and bassist Jason Binnick. Botanica's 6th studio album, Who Are You, is scheduled to hit European stores and iTunes worldwide in Feb. 2010. Following collaborations with Love & Rockets and Congo Norvell, Botanica ringleader Paul Wallfisch spent six years playing keyboards and dancing the Hora in Tod A's Firewater and can currently be heard around the world with legendary alt-diva Little Annie. Botanica's music was recently described in the New Yorker as "...trafficking in sonic noir with an undercurrent of sinewy menace...sinister sophisticates providing the perfect soundtrack to the after-hours, urban experience."
The Knitting Factory is located at 361 Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. For more information on the shows mentioned above, please visit http://bk.knittingfactory.com/
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