Written by Patrick McNamara

Alright. There's much show goodness to discuss down below. So why are we wasting time up here? I don't know. I thought you did. Anyway, how have things been going with you lately? Everything still on the up, up, and away? Terrific. Glad to hear it. Same for me, pretty much, thanks so much for asking. Just recently, I had the most amazing egg sando it had bacon and just the right amount of……

Oh, yeah. Shows. Bands. Nightlife. Stand. Dance. Rage. Everything's a party. OK. Right. Get ready Rocknessssserrrrrs cause here we goooooooooooooooooo!

Monday - August 10, 2015 A.D.

Long Beach's Vince Staples raps a $3 show (w/ RSVP) at The Shop in Brooklyn. It's one of those Red Bull “go to this show - get wings" type jobs. I don't know. I kinda prefer Rasta Monsta. I need dollas dollas dollas is all I need.

Milk & Bone + Beau both play Elvis Guesthouse tonight and while I don't really know who either of those two bands are (a faulty blob) I know that it's a free show on a Monday night and Erika Spring is DJ'ing the night and she's chill thus a Best Shows This Week mention was formed.

And like almost all Monday nights you could go to Littlefield and see Wyatt Cenac's “Night Train." Why wait until he's huge and it's too late? Haven't you learned from your Zach Galifianakis experience by now? I saw Zach at Union Hall. WHERE WERE YOU.

Other notable shows = I think I gave you enough options for a Monday night you probably plan on spending at home catching up on all those really great television shows to stream

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Tuesday - August 11, 2015 A.D.

Fresh off opening for Father John Misty in Central Park last week, you have another chance to see Summer Moon (members of The Strokes + The Like + Au Revoir Simone*) play tonight at Baby's All Right, a venue just slightly larger than the total surface area of Central Park but still pretty intimate, all things considering. This should be a good one. That's why it's part of this article I call The Best Shows This Week.

(*there's no basement in the Alamo)

Hip-hopster legend Rakim plays a free show in Marcus Garvey Park sans Eric B. And the best news? This one is already paid in full. It's free. Ain't no joke.*

(*see what I did there, Eric B. & Rakim fans? - don't sweat the technique.)

Other notable shows = The Body at The Acheron + Weedeater at Saint Vitus + Harvey Eyeballs at Palisades

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Wednesday - August 12, 2015 A.D.

SICK. Hum (Champaign, IL's finest - after Deron Williams + Luther Head + Dee Brown + James Augustine + Roger “The Rev" Powell) play Saint Vitus* tonight. I love Hum, they're great, and I'm glad to see their legacy aging like a fine wine (not that I know what that tastes like but the $3.49 bottles I get at Trader Joe's are pretty good). And you know what? It's good to see longtime Rockness favs The Forms (please enjoy an 8-year-old band profile by clicking their name) opening up this one because we go way back. Anyway, check out this video of Hum on 120 Minutes in 1995 because it slays. Those guitars, though! Oh god, the guitars.

(*Hum also plays tomorrow night with Failure and man I've tried and tried but I just can't hear what's good about Failure - guess it's just another music blob FAIL)

Well, sheeeeeeet. Why in the hell didn't someone tell me sooner that good ol' Willie Nelson was also in town tonight? The legend play Prospect Park tonight for Celebrate Brooklyn. This isn't one of the free ones. Willie don't play that. Cause he's the chillest illest coolest cat, Jack.

L.A.'s Cherry Glazerr is the coolest band named after a local Los Angeles public radio personality that I can think of. Their super solid lo-fi haze gaze is pretty cool too. They're pretty young and they're also pretty probably going to be big time. So check them out at Baby's All Right tonight so maybe you can one day impress a stranger or somebody by saying you did.*

(*I saw Arcade Fire at Arlene's Grocery but please hold your applause and pats on my back until the end)

Other notable shows = Chris Gethard at Littlefield + Pharmakon at Palisades + 1994! at Shea Stadium

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Thursday - August 13, 2015 A.D.

Julian Casablancas is a Stroke but tonight he's just hanging and playing with his Voidz. This free show (w/ RSVP) is one of those House of Vans jobs. Cherry Glazerr opens. Remember when I was just totally saying nice things about them? You can scroll back up if you missed it the first time. It's OK. These things happen. But yeah, good show. I hope you can get in. And I mean that, man.

Baltimore's Lower Dens play MoMA (MoMA Nights, to be specific) and they're terrific. You need to buy museum admission to get in and that's $25 now. When I worked there it went up to $12 and people were PISSED. Not Tom Waits, though. When I sold him a membership he asked me what a zip code was. I've told you this story before. You know who else I sold a ticket to? The Boss. Bruce. It's totally true. He was so boss about everything too.

If you have no money, insomnia, and you feel like dancing maybe go to Elvis Guesthouse late tonight because Luke Jenner of The Rapture and Tim Sweeney of DFA are playing and you can move as the bass goes BOOM, explosions, overpowering.

Or, shit man just go see Van Halen at Jones Beach and jump you just go ahead and jump. Jump for everybody who ever said this band could stay dead.

Other notable shows = Hum (fine, and Failure) at Webster Hall + Cayetana at Asbury Lanes + Quarterbacks at Baby's All Right + NOFX at Gramercy Theatre ( < Das EFX) + HITS at Mercury Lounge + Oneida at Secret Project Robot + Doubting Thomas Cruise Control at Shea Stadium

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Friday - August 14, 2015 A.D.

You know him for LCD but his best work was for SPEEDKING. James Murphy DJ's at Output tonight. More importantly, how's his wine bar and new subway turnstile symphony sponsored by skunk beer going? Cool cool cool that all sounds real good, every music blob, thanks for your judicious reporting on all activities of James Murphy.

For a popster punkster kind of time I recommend you go to see You Blew It! (why haven't I written a profile on that band yet? - because I'm stupid) + Sorority Noise (there's your profile) lead a really good lineup at Shea Stadium tonight. Sing along if you want to because I'm gonna and not to make you feel bad or anything but I have a lovely voice.

Pictureplane play Palisades tonight and if you can't have a nice time at a Pictureplane show (those beats tho) well I just don't know…. I just don't know….. but I haven't given up on you yet. Go to this and you'll feel better when it's all said and done. Don't worry about dancing if you don't feel like dancing. The dancing will come in time.

Neck Deep play Rough Trade. Check out this “official" description of Neck Deep as found on the venue's website.

“Every now and then - and it happens less often than you might expect - a band comes along with the power, precision and indelible heart to capture the zeitgeist of a generation. Wrexham's Neck Deep are, beyond any shadow of a doubt, one such band; a bona fide phenomenon whose remorselessly effervescent pop-punk bounce has already achieved what all rock music aspires to - striking a chord with kids all over the world."

Holy shit, laying it on a bit thick about a popster punkster band, aren't we? How about we just say Neck Deep is “pretty catchy" and leave it at that.

Other notable shows = Downies at David Blaine's Steakhouse + Teen Commandments at Rough Trade + NOFX ( < Das EFX) at Stone Pony

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Saturday - August 15, 2015 A.D.

Philly's Cayetana + NYC's Chumped + Philly's Thin Lips are three good bands and they're all playing the same show. I love when this happens. See them rock the singalong songs at Baby's All Right tonight. Get there early and stay until the end. OK, I'll stop telling you how to live your life now.

Update: Worriers has been added to this show and wouldn't you know it they're good too

If you decide you want to see how hard Patchogue, NY parties (that's 2 hours and 4 minutes from NYC in current traffic says Google), today would be the day to find out because good peeps like Andrew W.K. + Iron Chic + Gates and a bunch of other bands I'm vaguely familiar with play Today's Mixtape Festival. You can also find out on Sunday because this is a two day job. Thanks for listening.

If you're broke and want to go to the beach consider going to Riis Park Beach Bazaar (double i's and double a's used in the name of the same place? - now I've seen everything, man) and see Ricky Eat Acid + Foxes in Fiction lead a good lineup. It's free.

Other notable shows = FLEM Fest in Flemington, NJ + Excepter at Trans-Pecos + Title Fight and Basement at Starland Ballroom + Safety at Suburbia + Nine of Swords at Shea Stadium + Container at Palisades + High on Fire at Irving Plaza + Van Halen at Jones Beach

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Sunday - August 16, 2015 A.D.

The Hotelier play a free popster punkster intoxicatingly emotive show at 50 Kent today during the Brooklyn Flea. Their really good album is called “Home, Like Noplace There Is" and it would be cool if they toured with DIIV whose upcoming album is called “Is the Is Are" because that way they could call it “The Is the Is Are Home, Like Noplace There Is Tour." Imagine all the merch they'd move.

Remember when I was talking about You Blew It! and Sorority Noise earlier? Sure you do. You cherish every carefully crafted word on this thing. You have another chance to see these two good bands today at the beach for free and the worst thing about the beach is the sand otherwise it's a pretty great place.

Other notable shows = FLEM Fest in Flemington, NJ + Big Eyes at Saint Vitus + The Avett Brothers at Stone Pony + whatever you want to stream from the plush comforts of home tonight

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Thanks for reading. Have a good week. Hope you see some good shit and have the chance to eat and egg sando like the one I just ate. It was runny but not too runny and the cheese was perfectly….. well, I'll tell you more about some other time. You probably have much more important shit to do like procrastinating by reading other very important music blobs. Take care. Be excellent to each other. Welcome to Costco. i LuV u.