7. DJ Q-tip :: Liberty Hall

In the basement of the ACE Hotel is a new venue called Liberty Hall and every Friday night through this summer Q-tip will be found behind the DJ booth. Last night's debut was pretty soulful, rockin' and one non-stop dance party.

Don't miss out next time.

XQXQ

6. Fruit Bats and Blue Giant :: Bowery Ballroom (there was "radness afoot")

Firstly, can I just sound old for a hot sec and say how annoying it is that Bowery's shows NEVER start on time (ie. your alleged 7pm show will not actually begin 'til after 11...so go meet friends for dinner, come back after 5 courses - with cash in hand if you care to drink (rarrr) - and then enjoy a couple hours of great music in my second favorite venue and basement bar in the city (so far).

We all know there'll be a couple opening bands but there's just no reason (especially on a rainy Monday) to keep anyone waiting for the headliner any longer than necessary. Seriously. I think the first opener came on at like 9pm (awesome...just don't print 7pm as the show start time then). K, I'm done sounding waaaaay over 30, now to the actual bands themselves.

Opener - The Singleman Affair's frontman/guitarist looked like a slightly older Napoleon Dynamite. He closed with a pretty great whistling song...hmm.

Second opener - Blue Giant (of Portland, OR) with previous and current band members pulled from bands such as The Decemberists, Via Voce, Circus Lupus and Swords and collaborations with M. Ward and Corin Tucker of Sleater Kinney. Two words. Sweet Jesus. They got energy, they got fire, they got a great mix of country, blue grass and good 'ol fashioned rock 'n roll. Loved 'em. And turns out Leo and I graduated the same year as one of the guitarists at UofO in Eugene. Hollah.

Headliners - Fruit Bats (originally of Chicago, the group now calls Seattle home) the Bats chilltastic rock def. has more of a west coast/Californian flavor and as frontman Eric Johnson (also a member of The Shins) put it, we all felt "radness afoot" that night...right on brah, right on. Instant fav's of their '09 album include the title track The Ruminant Band, The Blessed Breeze and Tegucigulpa.

4. JAC and Bowery Riots :: ACE Hotel Lobby

ACE...what can I say, you have a killer lobby and even better tasting coffee (well, that's more of a Stumptown compliment). Your recent Sunday live music nights are a great idea but really should be kept to smaller acoustic groups or DJs in this humble music lovers opinion. I will say, however, that as a fan of Beirut, I truly enjoy the eclectic sounds of JAC when they opened for the common lobby fixtures, The Bowery Riots, recently. Now if only I could find their myspace page or any online presence...where, oh where are you hidden in cyber space JAC?

2. Goodnight Assassin :: R bar

Went to see a friend's band (Anthony Farina) and normally I wouldn't count this except that on top of being a friend's band it was a genera of music I would normally never seek out and a new venue I'd never been to in Manhattan...soooo, this was an opportune time to catch Anthony's crazy awesome guitar skillz on stage and check out a new stage. Luved to see how wildly talented he is (as well as the other band members). Not wild about their lead singer (and guess what...a month later, turns out they got rid of him...well done guys)...so I predict incredible things for this unsigned Brooklyn band in the very near future. Mark. My. Words.
XOXO and Goodnight, Assassin.

5. Rouge Wave :: Music Hall of W'burg

Actually wasn't wild about this show last night (didn't hate 'em, but didn't really feel "wowed" by them either). Didn't actually know much about this band to begin with but I had a free night and Leo and I decided to run over there at hope there were tickets avail after a 40 minute commute from our part of Crown Heights, Brooklyn all the way over to Williamsburg at 11pm. Great space (also owned by the same peps of Bowery Ballroom...feels like the same exact venue actually...only you're more likely to get a contact high in BK).

Headliners - Rouge Wave

Their show wasn't anything unique apart from the "distracting neon light sticks" according to Leo...the lights were kinda perdy...but I'm easily distracted so yah, I guess he's right. In all fairness I was feeling a bit under the weather but Good Morning got me to dance, so thanks for that R.Wave.

3. Red Wire, Black Wire :: Brooklyn Bowl

Delish fried chicken (by Blue Ribbon), easy-on-the-throat margaritas and pretty swingin' venue space in W'burg. Oh and there's bowling too. Went with my boys Leo and Daniel last night (turns out it was Daniel's bday...or close enough to it that this ended up being his impromptu par-tay) and actually left before Yes Giantess popped up on stage (crazy, I know) but really dug one of the opening bands, Red Wire, Black Wire. Fun. Danceable. Will definitely drop by this spot again. Oh, and thanks for the free tequila Aaron, miss ya heeps.

1. Hot Chip :: Highline Ballroom (and the current lineup...)

I went on a bit of a concert-buying binge and have secured tixs to the following shows...thoughts on these bands and/or their opening acts?

Firstly, I'm gonna have to count the Hot Chip/Free Energy show I went to two weeks ago as #1 on the list because (1) I saw it with two of my fav guyz (Leo and Bri, way to help kickstart this), (2) in my current fav venue (The Highline Ballroom) and (3) 'twas a FREE "secret" myspace show...perfectly good reasoning, right? Yah? Glad we're agreed.

February 26: Yes Giantess (with native Brooklyn-based Red Wire Black Wire and DJ Concerned) // Brooklyn Bowl (new venue for me...kinda more into the opening group than Yes Giantess actually)

March 5: Neon Indian (with Special Guest - TBA) // Webster Hall (booooo to the venue...but I can't complain about the $1 cover with RSVP)

March 22: Fruit Bats (with Portland's Blue Giant and Chicago's The Singleman Affair) // Bowery Ballroom (WAHOOO, my 2nd fav venue...thuuuus far)

April 2: Temper Trap (with The Kissaway Trail of Denmark)// Webster Hall (gawwwwd...hate when a band you luv plays a sucky venue and then after you get tixs they announce a new show at Music Hall of W'burg)

April 30: La Strada CD release party (with Cuff the Duke) // Knitting Factory (pretty jazzed to see Toronto-based Cuff the Duke)

June 15: John Butler Trio (with State Radio)...can someone say "hottie hippies"! Perfect outdoor show// Central Park Summerstage

June 29: Passion Pit (and Tokyo Police Club)// Prospect Park Bandshell

.: FINALE SHOW :. Passion Pit :: Prospect Park

Just bought tixs to PP's late June show (could be the last show of this challenge)...in Prospect Park with Tokyo Police. Pretty bummed I couldn't make their first big venue show in the city last month (Terminal 5) after a friend had an extra ticket and I was still fighting off some crazy flu (this has got to be the most drawn out and bitter cold winter of NYC's existence). In any case, I'd much rather see them under the warmth of a summery day in the park than in my second least favorite venue (second only to Webster of course) any day of the week.

129 days 'til Passion Pit's June 29th show!

Another great concert idea would be any one of their DJ sets since they're such whizzes with a turn table and a danceable pop song.

The Challenge

I'd like to still consider myself young. But sadly this can go hand-in-hand with being broke. I'm now four months away from my 30th and while I'd like to say I could afford some extravagant travel to Italy or Brazil for this next milestone birthday, I am and always will be, a lover of music. And to this end I make this simple challenge...

See 30 great shows in 30 different NYC venues before my 30th.

Join me in discovering what this starving-artist-haven of a city will offer...