Sep/090
ShowClix rescues Joker Productions from Ticketmaster’s toothy maw
Swoonability.
Hey again! I know updates have been sparse lately, but I promise you that I’ll be back next week. For real this time. Really. (Ehm, unless another big project gets dropped on my desk, anyway.)
Until then, however, here’s a bit of good news for you Pittsburgh-based ticket-shoppers this Labor Day weekend. This past week, we here at ShowClix signed on Joker Productions, the promotion company behind each and every show at Diesel and the Thunderbird Cafe here in the ‘Burgh, and the Ches-A-Rena out in Cheswick. What that means is, if you want to nab your tix in advance for any of those venues, you can now do so with much less in the way of both service fees and the guilt that comes with forking over your cash to Ticketmaster. Woo!
If you’re interested, they’ve got a bunch of sure-to-be-excellent shows coming up. I know I’ll certainly be about when indie rockers Elizabeth and the Catapult, goth pioneers The Damned, Cali neo-dreampop quartet Silversun Pickups, and freaky alt-rockers Thrice come to town. See the relevant links for where you can purchase tickets, or hop on over to Joker’s site for a complete calendar of their events.
Happy Labor Day, all!
Jul/090
Panic! at the Disco undergo mitosis
At least their arteries are probably healthy.
When Ryan Ross and Jon Walker exited pop-punk foursome Panic! at the Disco a little ways back, nobody thought that the pair would abandon the music business. But to have formed a new project so soon seems a little, um, hasty, doesn’t it?
Ross and Walker’s new project, entitled The Young Veins, has not only named itself and (apparently) signed with a major label, but also released a new track on their Myspace. “Change” is a garagey jangle-rock jam that reminds me a lot of early The Who – in other words, it sounds almost nothing like Panic! at the Disco, which is a pleasant surprise. I’m starting to think that the duo made the right choice in parting ways with their former bandmates.
Now hurry up with that album, guys! You know, since you both seem to be rushing things in every other area.
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Jul/090
Tour Highlights: Telefon Tel Aviv; The Twilight Sad; Blue Oyster Cult in Pittsburgh
Shalom! I'd like to know the price of your best kosher brisket.
Here’s what’s new for today:
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Datarock (dance-punk) – Dropped their late-summer/early-autumn plans, with dates ranging from August to October.
Deadmau5 (progressive house) – Announced a huge swath of dates ranging from August to November.
Lawrence Arms, The (punk) – Snagged a short series of American dates, mostly in early November.
Telefon Tel Aviv (IDM/downtempo) – Josh Eustis announced a series of dates featuring a replacement for the late Charles Cooper.
Twilight Sad, The (indie rock) – Added a bunch more dates for October to their ‘09 schedule, with We Were Promised Jetpacks along for the ride.
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NEW PITTSBURGH CONCERTS
Blue Oyster Cult (hard rock) – Sunday, August 16 @ Station Square Amphitheatre
SPECIAL NOTE: We here at ShowClix recently picked up the ticket-selling duties for the Hard Rock Cafe here in Pittsburgh. They currently have several sweet events listed in our system, including concerts by Hammerlane, Round Black Ghosts, and Good Brother Earl. You can view the entire listing of Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh events here.
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Jul/090
ShowClix Ticketed Event: The Hot Summer Jam will make you sweat
Hot 'n spicy hip-hop for your inner urban cowboy.
What’s a guy or gal to do when it’s summer and you live in one of the hottest cities in America? I mean, you could do something productive, but who wants to work when you’re facing 100-degree temperatures in the shade? You could grab a cold drink, if there weren’t a citywide shortage of ice that you could have used to shake that martini. And blasting some sweet hip-hop? Not a chance. Your old speaker system ain’t what it used to be, and besides, the little old lady downstairs complains if you so much as breathe loudly.
Instead, why not go out to a cool place with some hot music? If you can peel yourself off of that leather computer chair for an evening, then the Hot Summer Jam in Austin, Texas will do you nicely. There, the nice folks at local radio station Hot 93.3 have put together a stellar lineup of Texas-based hip-hop artists for your listening pleasure – all in one place. Groove with thousands of other music fans to the music of former UGK member Bun B, Houston emcees Slim Thug and Paul Wall, Screwed Up Click alumnui Lil’ Keke and Trae Tha Truth, Mike Jones, and many more. And if you really feel like cooling off, a VIP ticket will net you access to a special sectioned-off area, artist CDs and merch, a cash bar with drink specials, and even the chance to meet some of the artists.
Convinced yet? Well, why not? Hop on over to the event listing on ShowClix and grab a ticket for yourself. Heck, grab some for your friends, too – they’re just twenty-five bones each. Quite a bargain for an evening of top-quality Lonestar State beats ‘n rhymes, eh?
The Hot Summer Jam takes place August 15 at Travis County Expo Center in Austin, Texas. Tickets are $25 for regular admission and $60 for VIP. For more info, check out the event listing.
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Jul/090
Tour Highlights: Ingrid Michaelson; Gene Ween & The Damned in Pittsburgh
Geek girls could seriously rule the world.
Here’s what’s new for today:
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A Hawk and a Hacksaw (folk) – Announced their autumn plans, consisting of dates spread across September and October.
Dear and the Headlights (indie rock) – Announced a bunch of additional tour dates for September and October.
Michaelson, Ingrid (indie pop) – Snagged a ton of new dates, spanning the entirety of autumn.
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band (indie rock) – Dropped their plans for September consisting mostly of Midwest and Canadian dates.
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NEW PITTSBURGH CONCERTS
A Hawk and a Hacksaw (folk) – Tuesday, September 15 @ Your Inner Vagabond
A Loss for Words (pop-punk) – Wednesday, August 12 @ Blue Violet Cafe [Rochester]
Damned, The (goth-punk) – Friday, October 23 @ Diesel
Dear and the Headlights (indie rock) – Tuesday, September 22 @ Rex Theatre
Legendary Shack Shakers, The (psychobilly) – Thursday, October 1 @ Thunderbird Cafe
Michaelson, Ingrid (indie pop) – Thursday, November 5 @ Mr. Smalls
Ween, Gene (alt-rock) – Sunday, August 16 @ Club Cafe
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Jul/091
Tour Highlights: Moby; The Pixies; more Springsteen
How to go bald in style.
Here’s what’s new for today:
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Arctic Monkeys, The (indie rock) – Extended their North American tour through September and October.
Autolux (art-rock) – Graced us with a bunch of new dates, mostly through September.
Cracker (alt-rock) – Announced several more North American dates for August and September.
Mead, David (singer-songwriter) – Let loose his September plans, mostly east of the Mississippi.
Moby (IDM/trip-hop) – Announced his first North American tour in ages, consisting of dates through September and October.
Oh My God (indie rock) – Snagged a huge American tour through the early autumn months.
Om (stoner/psychedelic) – Announced their American plans through late September and October
Phenomenauts, The (punk/rockabilly) – Dropped their summer tour plans, lasting from July through October, with The Re-Volts tagging along.
Pixies, The (alt-rock) – Frank Black revealed that the band will extend their tour to include the States. No dates yet, but keep checking back!
Revolting Cocks (industrial rock) – Announced a sprawling North American tour through September and October.
Spindrift (psychedelic rock) – Announced a series of headlining shows in advance of their supporting The Dandy Warhols.
Springsteen, Bruce (classic rock) – Added several new dates for September and November to his itinerary.
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NEW PITTSBURGH CONCERTS
Autolux (art-rock) – Wednesday, September 16 @ Brillobox
Oh My God (indie rock) – Thursday, October 22 @ Howlers Coyote Cafe
Phenomenauts, The (rockabilly/punk) – Tuesday, August 18 @ 31st Street Pub w/The Re-Volts
Revolting Cocks (industrial rock) – Wednesday, October 14 @ Rex Theatre
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Jul/090
Video: Cass McCombs – “You Saved My Life”
Cass McCombs’ recent release, Catacombs, is one that I initially dismissed as just one more in the growing pack of bland indie-folk bands piggybacking off of the recent revival of that genre. If the rest of the album is as good as this track, however, it may be worth a second look. The video for this slow, almost dreampoppy single follows a man in a patchwork denim jacket on a surreal journey through a festival crowd. Prepare to space out.
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Jul/090
Video: Jenny Lewis – “See Fernando”
Jenny Lewis “See Fernando” from Team G on Vimeo.
As a former child actor-turned-musician, Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis seems like a natural star for music videos. This new video for her ‘09 single, “See Fernando,” features Lewis herself as a convincingly sexy rival/counterpart to Fernando, here portrayed as a bumbling Mexican secret agent. The entire video plays like the trailer to a campy ’60s James Bond rip-off, and it’s an incredibly fun watch.
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Jul/090
Tour Highlights: Dolores O’Riordan; Cowboy Junkies in the ‘Burgh
Do you have to let it linger that you're not coming to Pittsburgh?
Nothing much today as the summer tour announcements start to slow down. Here’s what’s new for today:
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Avett Brothers, The (folk-rock) – Added a bunch of new autumn dates to their ‘09 itinerary.
O’Riordan, Dolores (alt-rock) – The former Cranberries frontwoman announced a modest US tour through September and October.
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NEW PITTSBURGH CONCERTS
Cowboy Junkies (alt-rock) – Tuesday, October 6 @ Byham Theater
Miller, Scott (rock) – Friday, July 31 @ Schenley Plaza
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