Written by Patrick McNamara

Let's mix it up for this latest edition of everybody's favorite digital feature and talk about some good shows happening in NYC over the next few days. Haha. I kid because that's what we always talk about on this thing and when the 13 of you who read this every week are done laughing I'll continue.

OK. You ready to talk about good* shows now? All giggled out?

Cool. Let's begin. Watch me for the changes and try and keep up, alright?

*and by good shows I mean THE BEST.

Monday - July 20, 2015 A.D.

Let's start with something free because that's always a pleasant way of easing into a workweek existence full of BCCs and “circling back" and “looping in." Rock dudes Nude Beach headline a free show at Baby's All Right. They are the hardest band to find pictures online for. I would never do it at work if I didn't work from home in my office that's also my bedroom, mud room, library and arcade.

Perhaps for you, instead of going to free shows it's sitting outside under the stars on an expansive lawn that's the best way to tackle Mondays and wrestling with the knowledge that you basically have to make money every single day for pretty much the rest of your existence. If this is the case, by all means go see Guster and Kishi Bashi play Central Park SummerStage tonight.

They say comedy = tragedy + time, so take heart, Mondays will be terrifically funny shortly after you're dead. Tonight, Chris Gethard does his Union Hall gig and he's so good you won't think about your shitty boss once.

Other notable shows = Raekwon at Irving Plaza + ONWE at Elvis Guesthouse + Shellshag at Alphaville

SEE ALL OF OUR MONDAY PICKS

Tuesday - July 21, 2015 A.D.

If Interpol was still trapped on their tour bus by the side of the road during that bad Buffalo snowstorm they would have been trapped 5,767 hours by now. #prayforInterpol Oh yeah, they're also playing Prospect Park tonight (it's not free sorry) - a terrific setting to see a terrific band. When's the last time you've listened to “Turn on the Bright Lights." I bet it hasn't been that long because that album still holds up. And if you've got 50+ minutes to kill you should really watch this Interpol set from 2001 below.

There's also a rhythmic ceremonial ritual coming up. Todd Terje makes music meant for dancing to at Terminal 5 tonight. You want big time beats on a Tuesday night? This is the thing.

But maybe you don't want all these options and you'll just take your rock legend and remain plenty satisfied with that, thank you very much. Neil Young plays Jones Beach. You want to just do that? Yeah, OK. Let's just do that.

Other notable shows = The Mekons at Bowery Ballroom + Weird Womb at Shea Stadium + Mountains at Union Pool

SEE ALL OF OUR TUESDAY PICKS

Wednesday - July 22, 2015 A.D.

Modest Mouse play Prospect Park (it's not free sorry). Remember when they were this band? What a band, man.

I like Cold Cave. If you like Cold Cave too we can totally hang out and see Cold Cave play The Wick tonight. So let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to have to share experiencing this good band with a room full of strangers.

Courtney Barnett + Speedy Ortiz + Torres play Terminal 5 and 1. 2. 3. That's how many good artists are playing this thing. Therefore, I would like to honor this show with a Triple Crown rating: the highest known rating in the existence of Oh My Rockness.

Or, you could just watch Dirty Dancing in McCarren after Prince Rama plays. You'll have the time of your life.

(I was going to post a video after that last sentence but I think it's better if I don't play it because that would be a little too “on the nose" and I believe in your ability to fill in the __________, dear Rockness reader. I believe in you.)

Other notable shows = Sorority Noise at Asbury Lanes + U2 (?) at MSG + Jill Scott at Kings Theatre + Mourn at Rough Trade + Mercury Girls (Toronto) at The Acheron

SEE ALL OF OUR WEDNESDAY PICKS

Thursday - July 23, 2015 A.D.

Emotive Scotland rockster popsters We Were Promised Jetpacks play Pier 84 with Krill. And while I don't know about jetpacks, you can bet there's gonna be at least one fucking drone. I also encourage you to read or re-read 1984 at your earliest convenience because that's a great book and too true to the times, man. Too true.

Solid jingle-janglers EZTV play Union Beach tonight with Nude Beach (Google it) + Mercury Girls (the Philly band - not the Toronto band - btw, those two good bands gotta work it out because they're confusing the fuck outta me on this music blob). Should be a solid all-around situation.

Iron and Wine play Webster Hall and don't let their longevity fool you into thinking they're not still making excellent music because they are. That being said, here are my two favorite Iron and Wine songs for your streaming pleasure and they're kind of old (what was 2009 even LIKE, man????).

Also, Alt-J are playing somewhere or another but it's one of those gimmicky marketing "enter for the chance to maybe win" jobs so let's just forget about it.

VIDEO OF ALT-J ACTING ALT

Other notable shows = Tommy Stinson (of The Replacements) at The Bowery Electric + Son Lux + Landlady at Rough Trade + U2 (?) at MSG + Future of What at Elvis Guesthouse + Pill at Cake Shop + Strand of Oaks at Bearsville Theater

SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY PICKS

Friday - July 24, 2015 A.D.

The three day/night Gigawatts Fest at The Wick starts today. Hooray for that because the lineup over the next few days is really good. You can enjoy seeing bands not just LIKE the following bands I'm about to list but ACTUALLY these following bands: The Black Lips + Anamanaguchi + A Place to Bury Strangers + Braid + Swearin' + Amanda X + Ava Luna + Mannequin Pussy. And there's more goodness where that came from.

Titus Andronicus start the first of five (5) shows at Shea Stadium. Remember when they played the Oh My Rockness 2nd Birthday Party at The Annex because we sure do they were great then and they're great now. Also, remember The Annex? In summation, we are almost 11 now.

Iron Chic play Amityviille Music Hall in Long Island tonight (Beach Slang too). So if you live in Long Island, good for you! You're so close! And if not, if you like punk/hardcore/having a great time, this is one that might be worth traveling for because I've seen Iron Chic a bunch and every time I leave smiling before my brain catches up with my body and I remember all my problems again. RECOMMENDED.

Local area good band Mr. Twin Sister (formerly just Twin Sister before they started demanding so much goddamn respect) and solid Toronto eccentro-pop* band Moon King play Bowery Ballroom. You can't go wrong at this one. Unless you behave poorly. But that's on you.

(*still trying to get eccentro-pop to take off as a widely used and recognized music genre term - since 2004)

Other notable shows = Primus and Dinosaur Jr at The Stone Pony + Creepoid at Music Hall of Williamsburg + Rafiq Bhatia at Cameo + Rocky Votolato at Mercury Lounge + Sorority Noise at The Space at Westbury

SEE ALL OF OUR FRIDAY PICKS

Saturday - July 25, 2015 A.D.

Popsters Sylvan Esso and pokesters Porches play Prospect Park (the third mention of that fine place this week for those of you who are counting which basically means this note is meant for myself). So consider this one if you're the type that likes considering positive show vibes.

Somos leads a good gang at (Jacob) Riis Park Beach Bazaar today for a solid free summer show. I still listen to this Somos album all the time (posted below) and I am patiently waiting for a new full-length because I know creativity is a process so take your time, guys. Whenever you're ready, I'll be ready too.

Reggie & The (Fucking) Full Effect play Webster Hall - Marlin Room. If in 2000 when I was really into Reggie & The (Fucking) Full Effect you would have told me they'd be playing shows in 2015 I would have looked at you and said, “Cool. By the way, I just graduated college and that means that I now know everything.)

Current smooth pop king Leon Bridges plays a FREE show at The Surf Lodge today. Yeah, that's in Montauk. DEAL with it. For more good shows that might be a little far away please check out our Summer Getaway Guides and also I've never been to Montauk.

Other notable shows = Gigawatts Fest Day #2 at The Wick + Titus Andronicus at Shea Stadium + Palehound at Silent Barn + Ricky Eat Acid at Palisades + MoMA PS 1 Summer Warm Up + Memory Tapes at Baby's All Right + Beach Slang at Asbury Lanes

SEE ALL OF OUR SATURDAY PICKS

Sunday - July 26, 2015 A.D.

Slayer play Jones Beach. Wait. Let's pretend we're really excited about it. SLAYER PLAY JONES BEACH METAL SALUTE AND ALL THAT SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

U2 play Madison Square Garden. My dad works security for concerts during his post-police retirement phase and just did four straight U2 shows in Chicago. They were no Garth Brooks. Read more about my dad when I interviewed him about seeing The Beatles live in concert in 1966. And by the way, this is still a great fucking U2 song.

They Might Be Giants play Music Hall of Williamsburg and whatever happened to that guy who played the dad in Malcolm in the Middle? I make this joke every time I talk about They Might Be Giants and then I say how I make the joke all the time... thanks for playing again with Whoa My Blobness this week. Welcome to Costco I luv U.

Other notable shows = Gigawatts Fest Day #3 + Titus Andronicus at Shea Stadium + Pill at Palisades + Rise Against at Stone Pony + Sylvan Esso at The Surf Lodge + Blues Control at Houdini Kitchen Laboratory.

SEE ALL OF OUR SUNDAY PICKS

See you next week. In the meantime, I've been revisiting this jam a lot lately.