NYC Show Obsessive

 Bill: Paul Simon Venue: Forest Hills Stadium , 1 Tennis Pl ., Forest Hills, Queens, NY Date: Thursday 7/9/26 Ticket: $150 (Stubhub, Floor Section 8, Row C Seat 10, bought single last week) 7:20pm Paul Simon Active: 1956 (Queens, NY) Affiliated: Simon & Garfunkel, Tom & Jerry Latest Release: Seven Psalms (Owl, 2023) " Bad Dream " (with Edie Brickell) (Owl, 2024) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Spotify I finally got off my duff and got myself to one of Paul Simon's post-retirement shows, having missed the Beacon run last year, the rainy retirement show at Jones Beach and all the Simon & Garfunkel reunion shows of the early aughts.  The last time I saw Paul Simon was when he toured with Dylan all the way back to 1999.  I saw him multiple times that run doing the same set and felt I had enough for a while.  I didn't realize that "while" would be 27 years, but that's how it goes sometimes.  I didn't g...

Bill: Topaz/Roger That!/Ashtray Angel Venue: Berlin , 25 Avenue A , New York, NY Date: Thursday 6/25/26 Door: $15 (went in early helping load in, didn't get to "list") 9pm Topaz Active: 2026 (New York, NY) Instagram 8pm Roger That! Active: 2017 (Brooklyn, NY)  Latest Release: Flashback Fever (Tee Pee, 2024) Facebook   Instagram   Discogs   YouTube   Spotify 7:15 Ashtray Angel Active: 2018 (New Haven, CT) Instagram One of those epic nights for Roger That!  We loaded up Kenny's car and his bandmate Steve drove since Kenny was still recovering from the Breeders night at Pier 17 which I couldn't make.  This meant I was in the Berlin basement by like 6 or something.  After all the soundchecks, Chloe seemingly from Connecticut did her acoustic set under the moniker Ashtray Angel.  Well played guitar with warbley vocals in that current trend, occasionally devolving into a screaming rant, but not too often.  I guess that's about right.  An...

  Bill: The Messthetics/Brandon Seabrook/Trinary System Venue: Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., New York, NY Date: Wednesday 5/6/26 Ticket: Door $27 (had a +1) 9:30pm The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis Affiliated: Fugazi Active: Messthetics: 2016 (Washington, DC), James Brandon Lewis: 2010 (New York, NY via Buffalo, NY) Latest Release: Deface The Currency (Impulse, 2026) Messthetics: Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Spotify James Brandon Lewis: Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist    AllMusic Wiki YouTube Spotify 8:30 Brandon Seabrook Active: 2011 (Brooklyn, NY) Latest Release: Hellbent Daydream (Pyroclastic, 2024) Bandcamp Instagram Discog s Setlist AllMusic WIk i YouTube Spotif y 7:30 Trinary System Active: 2016 (Boston, MA) Affiliated: Roger Miller (Mission of Burma) Latest Release: The Hard Machine (Cunieform, 2025) Bandcamp Facebook I nstagram Discog s Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTub e Spotify This...

Bill: The Innocence Mission Venue: Sony Hall , 235 W 46 St., New York, NY Date: Friday 4/24/26 Door: $35 (had free pair via DoNYC) 8pm The Innocence Mission Active: 1985 (Lancaster, PA) Latest Release: The Raindrop Cars (Therese, 2025) Midwinter Swimmers (Therese/Bella Union, 2024) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Spotify A decade into the Innocence Mission's existence I heard their album Glow on recommendation and I liked it quite a bit.  Somehow that didn't translate into hearing other albums or seeing them live until now.  Sony Hall was pretty packed out when I got there right before they went on so a corner at end of the back bar was commandeered.  Unfortunately the floor was annoyingly sticky to the point that it was driving me nuts until I couldn't take it anymore and flagged a waitress for a mop.  The supervisor gave me a couple wet rags which quickly got the job done and restored my sanity even as the workers chatte...

  Bill: Luciano/Mesha Steele/DJ Roy Venue: Le Poisson Rouge , 1 58 Bleecker St. , New York, NY Date: Sunday 4/19/26 Door: $69 (had friends +1) 9pm Luciano Active: 1993 (Davyton, Jamaica) Latest Release: Return of the Chronicles (Island, 2022), The Answer (Oneness, 2020) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Spotify It was a long running legend in the mind of a friend that brought me to Jamaican Reggae Roots artist Luciano AKA Luciano Messenjah.  He won tickets and Luciano had been on the bucket list for him since the late 90's.  The story goes that he saw Sizzla in Los Angeles and was raving about it to a friend of his who said to him "you think he is good, you should see Luciano he is better."  I may be paraphrasing a bit but you get the idea.  So my concert buddy had an itch to scratch going back decades.  As for me, I figured anyone ever on RAS Records or VP Records doing Roots Reggae is someone worth checking out, s...

  Bill: Reverend Horton Heat/Black Joe Lewis/ Piñata Protest Venue: Sony Hall , 235 W 46 St .,, New York, NY Date: Friday 4/10/26 Door: $35 (won tickets from DoNYC) 10pm Reverend Horton Heat Active: 1985 (Dallas, TX) Latest Release: Roots of the Rev (Vol. 1) (Fun-Guy, 2023) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wik i YouTube Spotify 9pm Black Joe Lewis Active: 2007 (Austin, TX) Latest Release: " Five Dollars " (Black Joe Lewis, 2020),  The Difference Between Me and You (Black Joe Lewis, 2018) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlis t AllMusi c Wik i YouTube Spotify Missed:  Piñata Protest Reverend Horton Heat is one of those bands I check in on every ten years or so.  I won tickets for tonight, so no time like the present.  I think I won last time too come to think of it.  Still good, still do "Psychobilly Freakout," still got Jimbo on bass although he is steel gray now.  The kind Reverend notes he looks like William Shat...

  Bill: Gogol Bordello/Puzzled Panther/Boris and the Joy Venue: Knockdown Center , 52-19 Flushing Ave ., Maspeth, Queens, NY Date: Saturday 3/27/26 Tickets: $46.36 via Dice (had gifted ticket) 8:45 pm Gogol Bordello Active: 1999 (New York, NY) Latest Release:  We Mean It Man! (Casa Gogol, 2026) Bandcamp   Facebook   Instagram   Discogs   Setlist  AllMusic   Wiki   YouTube   Spotify 7:45 pm Puzzled Panther Active: 2023 (New York, NY) Latest Release: " Strange Memory " (Casa Gogol, 2026)   Fits of Serenity (Casa Gogol, 2025) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discog s Setlist AllMusic   YouTube Spotify Missed: Boris and the Joy I checking in on this years version of the mighty Gogol Bordello. I was hoping to catch Boris and the Joy but the L train stuck 20 minutes at Wilson combined with a 6:45 set time made my seemingly on time leave time make me get there right when Puzzled Panther started up.  I last saw them play at B...

  Bill: Zebra/Anything But Human Venue:  Sony Hall ,  235 W 46 St . , New York, NY Date: Sunday 3/1/26 Door: $55 (had a free pair from DoNYC) 9pm Zebra Active: 1975 (Long Island, NY via New Orleans, LA) Latest Releae:   IV (Frontiers, 2003) Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Spotify 8pm Anything But Human Active:  2019 (Dallas, TX) Latest Release: " Life " (Anything But Human, 2025) Facebook   Instagram Discog s Setlist   YouTube Spotify Zebra are doing 50th anniversary dates and coupled with getting a free pair of tickets, no time like the present to finally check them out.  I really only know their first record which I wrote about a couple years back on the other blog.  My friend Kenny had said they were good and when I heard "Who's Behind The Door" I instantly remembered it from 1983 more so than "Tell Me What You Want" and Kenny's favorite "Bears."  Those songs seem like established hits now when they we...

  Bill: Margo Price/Pearl Charles Venue: Webster Hall , 125 E 11 St ., New York, NY Date: Thursday 2/19/26 Tickets: $46 (advance via Tickpick) 9pm Margo Price Active: 2013 (Nashville, TN) Latest Release: Hard Headed Woman (Lorna Vista, 2025) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discog s Setlist   AllMusic Wiki YouTube Spotify 8pm Pearl Charles Active: 2012 (Los Angeles, CA) Latest Release: Desert Queen (Taurus Rising, 2025) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic YouTube Spotify I went to check out Margo Price at the behest of a friend from Tennessee that saw her stand out on a Lincoln Center tribute bill and wanted to see more.  Then another friend coming to town said he was drinking with the bass player in Memphis.   Stars align!  I'm glad she asked me to go with her because this discovery of a "new" (more than 10 year veteran) artist was for me the best new "alt-country" I've heard in quite some time.  Well new to me and I'm glad I c...

  Bill: Gnarcissists/Torture and the Desert Spiders/Licks/Opera Venue: TV Eye , 16-47 Weirfield St ., Ridgewood, Queens, NY Date: Wednesday 2/11/26 Door: $12 11pm Gnarcissists Active: 2017 (New York, NY) Latest Release: Gnarcissists (BLISS, 2025) Bandcamp    Instagram Discogs Setlist    YouTube   Spotify 10pm Torture and the Desert Spiders Active: 2019 (Brooklyn, NY) Latest Release: " Working On Myself " (M O O N Umlaut, 2025), " Blood On The Reef " (Torture and the Desert Spiders, 2024) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist   Wix   YouTube Spotify Missed: Licks , Opera Had a jam packed night last night first checking out comedian Dave Hill at the Bell House in Gowanus, where I hadn't been to in a while.   It seems like they are exclusively a comedy venue now complete with insanely uncomfortable metal folding chairs.  Mine was bent and creaking to make me think it was on the verge of collapse in a sold out space.  I ...

  Bill: Towncryer/Stephanie M. Hall Venue: Cowgirl Seahorse , 259 Front St. , New York, NY Date: Taco Tuesday 2/10/26 Door: Free 8:15 Towncryer Affiliated: Mirror Queen, Roger That, Hopewell, Ghost of Past Mistakes Active: 2021 (Brooklyn, NY) Facebook 7:30 Stephanie M. Hall Active: 2024? (New York, NY via Memphis, TN) Affiliated: Stephanie Marie and the Double Knit Players Instagram   YouTube Towncryer continued their run of gigs at Seahorse.  Rich Meyer liked opener Stephanie M. Hall's band quite a bit.  I'm assuming that is Stephanie Marie and the Double Knit players.  She started the night solo acoustic with original material.  The one she said was her favorite to play was the one I took a clip of.  She closed with "Steel & Glass" by John Lennon from Walls and Bridges. The Cryer did their usual two sets of their mainstays of..what did Kenny call it?  Melodies, Rockers, Blues and I thought there was a 4th cover category they rotate.  Pe...

Bill: The Lemonheads Venue: Lucinda's , 169 Ave A , New York, NY Date: 1/21/26 Door: Free 7pm The Lemonheads Active: 1986 (Boston, MA) Latest Release: Love Chant  (Fire, 2025) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Spotify In recent decades The Lemonheads would be something I'd blow off, but they/Evan Dando were doing a free acoustic gigs at Lucinda Williams new bar, so I figured what the hell, I didn't see Lucinda herself playing there a few days ago, so maybe I'd check it out. I knew it was a dice roll since Ticketweb gave out free advance tickets that weren't tickets at all, just something for the club to gauge how many people were coming.   "RSVP" in NYC parlance.   I think it was a little too much to do it this way because the overage wasn't "that" much.  Better to just cram people in, tell them it is sold out and let the bar sell drinks than making people stand a hour, let people in in dribs and drabs ...