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.

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.