NYC Show Obsessive

  Bill: Ladysmith Black Mambazo Venue: Blue Note , New York, NY Date: 7/22/25 Door: $65 (won pair from DoNYC) 10:30pm Ladysmith Black Mambazo Active: 1960 ( Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa) ( Latest Release: Soothe My Soul (Songs From Our South African Church)  (Mambazo, 2023) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube It's a little difficult for me to keep the lineup straight of Ladysmith Black Mambazo since the retirement in 2008 and passing in 2020 of clear leader Joseph Shabala.  I haven't seen the group since 1990 when Nelson Mandela did a US visit and spoke on the Boston Common.  There was a free concert outside prior to the speech which I believe Ladysmith Black Mambazo were part of.  I also saw the Graceland tour where they backed Paul Simon on the Graceland tour in 1987.   It looks like there are two members remaining from that time: Albert Mazibuko who is the longest running member from the 70's and Abedne...

  Bill: Ghost Venue: Madison Square Garden , New York, NY Date: 7/22/25 Tickets $102.50 + 28.45 fee bought resale gifted 8:15 pm Ghost Active: 2006 ( Linköping ,   Östergötland , Sweden) Latest Release:  Skeletá (Loma Vista, 2025) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube The last time I saw Ghost they were opening for Iron Maiden in 2016.  Singer Tobias Forge noted the bands' NYC debut was 2011 in the short lived (at least for Rock bands) Basement at Webster Hall (actually The Studio).  They've come a long way to headlining.  I had a friend in town and picked this show to see and got some good seats in section 108.  Unfortunately, there are no photos or clips from this vantage point because they band was doing the sporadic Yondr bags.  In the past decade I've only had the Yondr experience twice for the Misfits in Jersey and Bob Dylan at the Beacon. As for the show, there was no opener, so Ghost went on pretty fast ...

  Bill:  Annihilation Time ,  Crux ,  Claimed Choice ,  Bog People ,  No Time ,  Fuerza Bruta ,  Concrete Elite , No Guard ,  XL Bully (On The Streets Again 3, Day 2) Venue:  Brooklyn Monarch , Brooklyn, NY Date: 7/19/25 Door: $90 (was on Tee Pee's +1) 9pm Annihilation Time Active: 2001 (Oxnard, CA) Latest Release: Down In The Street 7" (It's Alive, 2021), III-Tales of the Ancient Age (Tee Pee, 2008) Bandcamp    Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Missed: everybody else Guitarist Graham Clise's long running band Annihilation Time came to town for the first time in God knows how long.  Last time was rumored to be the Charleston on Bedford when they were having shows in the basement.  Graham was in town recently for Stepmother so it seems like he was just around town.  That's the way it goes! I had a late meetup and got there standing outside waiting for Kenny coming from the other direction while...

  Bill: Dinosaur Jr./Snail Mail/Easy Action Venue: Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park , Brooklyn, NY Date: 7/17/25 Door: $63.45  8:45 Dinosaur Jr. Active: 1983 (Amherst, MA) Latest Release: Guess I'll Crawl (Live in Santa Monica) (Cherry Red, 2025), Sweep It Into Space (Jagjaguwar, 2021) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube 7:45 Snail Mail Active: 2015 (Baltimore via Endicott City, MD) Latest Release:  Valentine  (Matador, 2021),  Valentine Demos  (Matador/Beat, 2023) Bandcamp   Facebook   Instagram    Discogs    Setlist   Wiki   Allmusic   YouTube 7:00pm Easy Action Active: 1998 (Detroit, MI) Latest Release: " Already Alright / Better Off Dead " (split 7" with Snakewing) (Underground Communique Records, 2013), Friends of Rock 'n' Roll (Reptillian, 2005) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube I last checked in on Dinosaur Jr. at one of the ...

  Bill: Negative Approach / No Idols / Who Pays / The Tarrys Venue: TV Eye , Queens, NY Date: 7/16/25 Door: Sold Out (had $20 plus $5 or so fee advance ticket) 10:15 Negative Approach Active: 1981 (Detroit, MI) Latest Release: Nothing Will Stand In Our Way (Taang, 2011)  Friends of No One  (Taang, 2010) Bandcamp   Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Discogs ,  Setlist , AllMusic   Wiki   YouTube 9:30 No Idols Active: ? Latest Release: Demo 2024 (Designated Moshers Unit, 2024) Bandcamp   Setlist  8:45 Who Pays Active: 2024 (Brooklyn, NY) Latest Release: The Final Meal   (Who Pays, 2024) Bandcamp 8:00 The Tarrys Active: 2020 (Danbury, CT) Latest Release:  Blind Desires (The Tarrys, 2025) Bandcamp   Facebook  Instagram   Setlist    YouTube NYC is in the middle of a 2-day John Brannon holiday.  Night one was last night at TV Eye with Negative Approach. Tonight, Easy Action kicks off the night at Pros...