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The Eskalators had another Subway Show this past weekend. This time it was an 7 Train-themed singalong (Ozzy's "Crazy Train," Tom Waits's "Downtown Train," the Clash's "Train in Vain," etc) that ended up at Flushing Meadows Park, where an impromptu Round Robin four-band took place with Aa, Pterodactyl, and Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt. Rebecca Smeyne documented all that, plus a dolphin.

Rebecca Smeyne

The free liquor is up therrrrre

Bacardi B-Live Tour '09
M2 Ultra Lounge
Wednesday, June 18

It's a foregone conclusion that dance parties go late, especially when disco balls and liquor sponsors and face glitter are involved. So last night at the Bacardi B-Live showcase at the M2 Ultra Lounge, the evening's lift-off seemed downright premature: around the same time Canadian freeze-pop Emily Haines was digging into an encore of "Stadium Love" 30 blocks North at Terminal 5, breakbeat greaser Drop the Lime (l/k/a Luca Venezia) was already behind the decks, killing it, just before 11. Of course, this was just the beginning. "I gotta let you guys know, shit's gonna go late," said the fairer half of Matt & Kim, who followed Venezia as the surprise special guests. Shit was also about to get dirty. "Ladies, you're gonna be rubbing your vaginas on the floor," Kim continued, perhaps inspired by having the strip club Scores right next door. "And guys? You will catch something--that's just how's it gonna be." If a record had been playing, it would have stopped. Even Matt seemed perplexed: "I don't know why I give her the mike sometimes."

Magik Markers at Shea Stadium, photos Rebecca Smeyne

So last night was the beginning of L Magazine's ambitious little festival that could, Northside Festival, and it is, by all appearances, cozier and far more endearingly starry-eyed than our old embattled, but lovable glue-bound horse CMJ, whose badges cost eight-quadrillion dollars and hydra-headed geography makes it impossible to navigate more than a few venues in a day. Northside is also unlike last weekend's Hillstock, because it takes place entirely in Williamsburg and your homie's landlord won't call up angrily to shut the thing down. So even though there's been the usual comment-section vile about this ambitious little hood-centric festival ("It's like any other night in Williamsburg" is something I've heard more than once--not true, I would never step foot in Spike Hill on any other night except to use the toilet), we're rooting for Northside's success, and not just because one-third of SOTC lives on the Southside.

That said, there's already been a bit of controversy with Northside--and it has nothing to do with Jon Norris. Last night, anyone who arrived at the East Williamsburg live-recording studio/show space Shea Stadium for the Magik Markers, Marnie Stern, and The Fly Girlz/Nine II Thesaurus, and Dynasty Handbag--a show listed on both the Northside official schedule and handbook--was given a flyer disavowing the show's affiliation with the Northside and told that badge or not, the show cost $10. Oh yeah--and Marnie Stern had cancelled. The leaflet, scanned by photog Rebecca Smeyne:

ACLU Benefit

Hillstock, the first ever installment of this permit-less backyard-and-rooftop festival, went off this weekend--though there was one hitch. The quieter Sunday singer-songwriter portion was supposed to happen on the rooftop of co-organizer Eric Williams, yet Eric's landlord magically discovered, thanks to a New York Times nabe-blog post, that his property was about to be transformed into a venue. So at the last minute, the third show was relocated to a Bergen Street rooftop, where Rebecca Smeyne photographed the likes of Emily Brodsky, ACLU Benefit, and Elizabeth Butters. In the end, there were 44 bands in 55 hours and zero cops--apparently ACLU Benefits do go better than New School ones.

all photos by Rebecca Smeyne

Japanther's Matt Reilly with pals Cerebral Ballzy

Those corporate bookstores sure do have unimpeachably strict rules. So even when a punk-chaos nacho-supreme duo like Japanther are invited to lend a bit of loft-firetrap credibility to the beigey, branded environs of Upstairs at the Square, as they did last night, our on-site photog Rebecca Smeyne says it was "an orderly affair": no Pratt grads sneaking gulps of King Cobra from their backpacks, no front-row pit, no crowd-surfing Katherine Lanpher. Apparently, there was some cursing, and drummer Ian Vanek shouted, "Fuck the Catholic Church" once, but it's pretty tough to cause a ruckus when there's No Standing Allowed. Alas. Still more daring for these guys to play here in this bland hideaway than it was last summer to rock the Williamsburg Bridge. Behold the man-book contrast below.

Rebecca Smeyne

Of all the things we here at Sound of the City emphatically endorse--Janelle Monae, the Mountain Goats, Matt & Kim, Ohio sports teams, responsible reporting of M.I.A.'s Tamil Tigers Tweets--the frantic live antics of Israeli stunt-garage trio Monotonix are high up there, and not just because the band's scheduled to terrorize this year's Siren Festival. Moreso, it's because every Monotonix performance is an endless routine of sleaze-rock acrobatics, including, but not limited to: rafter swinging, two-man somersaults, raucous crowd-surfing, bass-drum balancing, unsightly onstage mooning, crotch candle-waxing, garbage-can lobbing, fire. Last night, lager-bathed well-wishers were once again treated to an up-close-and-personal proximity to frontman Ami Shalev's pubic-hairy chest at Greenpoint's Europa, where Rebecca Smeyne photographed the band. Sure, "Longview" must've been fun when Green Day played small shows earlier this week, but did any of you get to caress Billie Joe's nips?

Justin F. Farrar gushed his respects last week to Brooklyn prog-noise stalwarts USAISAMONSTER, who after 10 years, four full-lengths, two EPs, a stack of CD-Rs, and a zillion cold floors around the globe, are ending their long-revered band. Last Saturday at the Market Hotel was billed as their "Last Show Ever" and photog Rebecca Smeyne documented the steam-room of a finale. One kid passed out and to be taken away by ambulance, but the show continued without interruption. More importantly, how was the curry?

Rebecca Smeyne

Fischerspooner's new full-length Entertainment comes out May 5, so the electro-freaks spent three nights of the last week rehearsing their new stage show at the Performing Garage. Rebecca Smeyne documented the proceedings--and they were shiny. [Fischerspooner at the Performing Garage]

Rebecca Smeyne

Of Montreal/Janelle Monáe
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thursday, April 16

"I wanna do my dance. Can I do my dance? It's called the Sophisticated Sissy." And then Kevin Barnes does the Sophisticated Sissy, which is pretty aptly named, and is but one element in an overpowering barrage of visual stimuli: In addition to the neo-disco lights, the three giant projection screens, and his bedazzled bandmates (particularly the Legion of Doom guy on double-necked guitar), there are four actors/dancers whose various costumes/scenarios I can only begin to describe. (My notes include "Red priest bless crazy guy strips priest now two crazy guys," "'The Stash' porno scene multi-pig spanking," "Jovial prancing stormtrooper buddhas turned ninjas," "Shirtless pink man distribute T-shirts," and "Tiger/ninja standing 69 looks difficult." Characters undressing other characters is a major theme.)