While I really like Bon Iver and I have had tickets to last night’s show at Prospect Park’s Celebrate Brooklyn concert for a while, I was skeptical about the combination of a huge open air venue and the quiet, contemplative music of Bon Iver. Boy was I in for a surprise.This is what I was expecting:

And this is what we lucky people in the crowd, including myself, got to experience last night (especially the part after the 3 minute mark):

The openers, The Rosebuds, were a fun band from North Carolina. They got the night off to a good start. There was a bit of a wait for Bon Iver to take the stage, which seemed odd because how long does it take four seemingly low-maintenance guys to get ready?  Well, when they finally took the stage, out come not four, but NINE musicians. This included an additional drummer and a brass section. That was when I knew this concert was going to be different.

Since we ended up snagging a coveted spot on the hill in the lawn section, I had a great view of the whole stage. I give the whole production very high points in the lighting department.  There were nine thin vertical lights spread across the stage in the background throughout the performance.  Sometimes they appeared to be audio levels, bouncing up to the crash of the drum beat. At other times they were used as theme lighting (i.e. red lights = “Blood Bank”). At other times the white light seemed to produce a strobe effect and the musicians seemed to momentarily disappear a few at a time, only to quickly reappear.

The whole group of nine were onstage for most of the songs, but lead singer Justin Vernon did take a moment to slow things down with a solo song from his first album, For Emma, Forever Ago.  And you knew “Skinny Love” was going to be played…the question was when? And would they do something crazy with it?  When the band said good night, you knew it was coming in the encore. It ended up being the first song—with Justin Vernon on guitar and many of the other musicians providing the hand-clapping and foot stomping beat. It is not worth describing, because I am sure there are many video recordings of this song online. From the back of the lawn, all I saw was a sea of little lights, held arms-length in the air, capturing the song that made Bon Iver popular.

I have no idea if this big band set-up was special for this tour, or if it will stick around, but last night Bon Iver proved that their songs can certainly demand attention in the vast open air arena, and that they can most definitely headline a big show. I thank them very much for proving me wrong.

The Rosebuds:

I am proud to report that the album that I nominated as Best 2009 Album Never Released is now making its long-awaited debut. It’s not a total surprise, as We Are Augustines has promised that the album would at some point see the light of day, but it’s so great that the time has finally come.

This 2011 band is different from the band of 2009—a new mix of musicians (Billy, Eric and newbie Rob) and a new name (R.I.P. Pela), but many of the songs are the same.  Apple is offering the single “Headlong into the Abyss” as a free single download this week, so check it out.  They’re definitely getting their music out there—another single, “Chapel Song,” will be featured on Starbucks’ upcoming “10 Song Summer Mix” digital sampler.  Hear the song and watch the video (shot in the BK) here:

With the beginning of spring comes the announcement of summertime music festivals, and we have one of our very own: This July 16, the Village Voice will throw the inaugural 4Knots Music Festival on the South Street Seaport. Named after the speed at which the East River, which runs right by the Seaport, pulses along, the 4Knots Music Festival will be an all-day, all-ages show in downtown at the sweatiest peak of the season.

I can’t complain, they are still offering a day of free concerts, but the Siren Music Festival was a great summertime EXPERIENCE–the Cyclone, the Boardwalk, the ice cream, the hot dogs. It was a package deal. South Street Seaport has hosted concerts before, and while they are fine shows, there is no added bonus of a post-show roller-coaster ride. There was always a huge turnout to the multiple-stage festival in Coney Island. I’m not sure how South Street Seaport will accommodate that sort of crowd.  In any event, I’m sure it will be a good time. I’ll just miss my annual trip to Coney Island, where I was able see some great bands and get me my amusement ride fix all in the same day.

Here are a few pics from Siren’s past:

Last Thursday, The Cave Singers performed a foot-stomping, hand-clapping set at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. I had seen The Cave Singers almost exactly two years ago and liked them when I saw them, but then they sort of fell off my radar.  But, luckily for me, the band played a mix of songs–many from their 2009 release Welcome Joy, and then some from their more recent album, No Witch, which was just released in February. So, as it turned out, I wasn’t all that far behind. The Seattle-based band is made up by three members, Pete Quirk, Derek Fudesco and Marty Lund, and they all looked like they were having a great time performing. I have a feeling they always look like that. Their songs are upbeat and involve maracas…and how can you not have fun when there are maracas involved?

The show opener was a performer I had never heard of before named Lia Ices. Clearly I am out of the loop because Lia Ices has already been featured on BriTunes, an online music series hosted by none other an NBC’s Nightly News anchor, Brian Williams. Just a couple of weeks ago I was in the audience when Brian Williams interviewed Newark mayor, Cory Booker, at an educational conference in NYC. Little did I know that he also sits down and chats with indie rock singers in his spare time.

Well, Brian knows how to pick ‘em. Lia Ices had the crowd hooked on her lovely voice, which was backed by a three-member band. She sort of reminded me of Au Revoir Simone, but I think that’s just because of the keyboard and the female vocals. Lia Ices’ voice is much more airy and her songs have more depth to them.  Here’s a sample, it’s her “Little Marriage” off of Grown Unknown. And in case you were wondering, Brian Williams is completely hooked on it.

Last week’s performance by Bob Schneider at City Winery was advertised as a solo show, which to me meant that these musicians in his backing band would not be there. But little did I know that a Bob Schneider “solo show” is not man-and-guitar. Nor is it just man-and-piano. Let me tell you who was on stage Thursday night:

Bob Schneider, lead singer
Bob Schneider, piano
Bob Schneider, guitarist
Bob Schneider, harmonica
Bob Schneider, human beat box
Bob Schneider, comedian
Bob Schneider, actor (specifically, playing the role of Christian Bale, accent and all)

So much for a solo show. With the help of a looping machine, a synthesizer and his own vocal beats, Bob Schneider was a true one-man band. It was a really fun night and there was lots of Texas pride in the room. Schneider played for about two hours and even took requests from the audience (unfortunately this did not include “Veggie Burger” even though I tried!). He did play some great songs like “Big Blue Sea”, “Let’s Roll,” “Changing Your Mind” and “40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet).” Schneider was pretty chatty with the crowd. It was one-quarter stand-up comedy act, three-quarters concert. And let’s just say that when he thought (jokingly) that he spotted Christian Bale in the audience, he seemed to have an endless supply of material.

This was my first visit to City Winery and I really liked everything about it: the rustic decor, wine, music, great view of the stage. It is really an ideal combination. Oh, and you get to sit down for the whole show and nobody stands up to block your view. Bonus points for that.

Though I have yet to see Bob Schneider play in Austin, I still feel like I’ve seen two great performances in NYC. He’s definitely a performer to see live. His new album, A Perfect Day, will be available on April 19th.

The Railroad Revival train is 1,500 feet long and consists of 15 vintage railcars from the 1950s and 60s, pulled by two locomotives. The bands will eat, sleep, and record on the train as they travel across the American Southwest, bringing their collaborative vision to fans from California to New Orleans. The bands will have equal billing and equal time on stage, in an environment that encourages creativity and cross-pollination. The entire tour will be the focus of a documentary that captures the spirit of the journey and gives intimate insights into the creative process…When asked about the inspiration behind the Railroad Revival Tour, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros commented, “From hobos to the wild west, trains have always been a fascination of mine. This tour is going to be rad.”

Tickets to the performances went on sale a few weeks ago and are sold out in most locations, though the bands said they will release some last minute tickets for the shows.  There seems to still be tickets available for the April 27 show in New Orleans, LA at Woldenberg Park. Here are all the stops on the route:

April 21 Oakland, CA @ Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
April 22 San Pedro, CA @ Ports O’Call Village
April 23 Chandler, AZ @ Arizona Railway Museum
April 24 Marfa, TX @ El Cosmico
April 26 Austin, TX @ 4th and Waller
April 27 New Orleans, LA @ Woldenberg Park

• The Strokes are back! And they played SNL last week. I’m looking forward to their new album on March 22. They put on a great show at Austin City Limits in October, but most of it was older stuff so who knows what the new sound will be. Here’s the sneak preview they gave us on SNL.

• The Avett Brothers, Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons appeared at the Grammys. What is happening in this world?? Never thought I would hear any of those bands in the same sentence as Grammy. It’s great for the bands, but I now have visions of many, many sold-out concerts in my future : (

And, at this time, I would like to award Seth Avett with the “Best Grammy Makeover” Award. Please see below:

Before + After

• Florence (minus the Machine) has been making the rounds. First, she appeared as one of the power singers in the Aretha Franklin Grammy Tribute. Then two weeks later, Florence stepped in for Dido to perform “If I Rise” from the Academy Award-nominated 127 Hours. It’s looking like a good year for Florence + The Machine. Tickets for their Central Park Summerstage performance in June have already sold out!

• In soundtrack news, The New Porographers have supplied NBC’s new sitcom Perfect Couples with its catchy theme song. Check it out:

• And in other New Pornographer News, the recent Kindle ad features the band’s “Sweet Talk Sweet Talk”