Written by Patrick McNamara

Did you know that 2014 marks the ten year anniversary of Oh My Rockness? We should throw a party or something, right?

So…. anyone have ideas about what we should plan for that birthday? Because right now we’ve got nothing. We have been too busy listing the live musical concert shows and blobbing. Maybe you have some thoughts? If so, send them our way. No 10 year party suggestion will be immediately rejected. Unless it includes Mark McGrath on a boat.

October (something or another) is the official 10 year date. So we still have some time. I’m sure together we’ll think of something amazing to celebrate. We already know what the invitations will say though.

"Oh My Rockness: just fucking around since 2004."

Now whattya say we now blob about some good shows happening this week?

(and whattya say you follow me on Twitter - ‘cause I be stupid there too.)

Monday - May 12th, 2014 A.D.

I'm going to start The Best Shows in NYC This Week with a show happening in New Jersey. Because I am #punk #rock. OFF! + Cerebral Ballzy + NASA Space Universe are pretty punk rock too. See them play Asbury Lanes tonight. That’s a bowling alley. In New Jersey.

(see this same bill at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday and I have no idea where that is.)

There's a good up-and-coming power pop punk lineup at The Grand Victory tonight with Hector’s Pets and Games and Dirty Fences and a “Special Surprise Guest.” Please be Michael Jordan please be Michael Jordan please be Michael Jordan please be Micha……

Singer-songwriter continental drifter Keren Ann plays Joe’s Pub tonight. Did you know Keren Ann has dual Dutch and Israeli citizenship and she lives in Paris and Tel Aviv AND New York City? I'll tell you what. These aeroplanes are really changing the game.

Primal Scream were supposed to play Irving Plaza tonight. But it got cancelled. A long time ago. And no. I will not go make you a sandwich. BRO.

SEE ALL OF OUR MONDAY SHOW PICKS.

Tuesday - May 13th, 2014 A.D.

Todd Barry performs two of his final “Crowd Work” shows at The Bell House tonight. TBS. Very funny.

(Todd was such a dick to his friend Louie about Louie’s kids on that recent episode of “Louie” directed written edited and starred by Louie.)

Uh-oh. The Canadians are coming. One of my favorite singing rock ‘n roll violinists Owen “don’t call me Andrew Bird” Pallett plays Glasslands tonight with good eccentro-poppers* Doldrums. And I never realized how much Owen Pallett sounds like Christopher Cross until listening to the video below.

(*still trying, you regular #13 readers)

(oh yeah - Owen and Doldrums play Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday too - but this is neither the #time nor the #place to discuss it.)

Snarling* British punks Eagulls play Mercury Lounge tonight with Twin Peaks. Hey! This show is recommended if you like stabby jabby seriousness of heart.

(*all British punk bands are to be described as “snarling” as stated in The Blob Bible.)

Danceable Swedish popstress Lykki Li plays the garden of MoMA tonight. Good news! Tickets are only $225! And that price also includes a free set by DJ Questlove! You should totally go to this. Full disclosure. I used to sell tickets at MoMA and direct tired and over-caffeinated tourists to “Starry Night” and the bathrooms. So I’m pretty biased with this one.

(Lykki Li also plays the Apollo Theater on Thursday and it’s not $225.)

Lady Gaga plays Madison Square Garden tonight. Who gives a shit.

Other notable shows tonight = Angel Olsen at Music Hall of Williamsburg (I really should have made this one “pop” more because this show is going to be a really good one - sorry, Angel) + Howler at Rough Trade + Jolie Holland at Union Pool + The BOTS at Baby’s All Right

SEE ALL OF OUR TUESDAY SHOW PICKS.

Wednesday - May 14th, 2014 A.D.

Early ‘00s original dance rock alts The Faint play Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight. This band is the reason Oh My Rockness exists. Claire Rockness and I will tell you the story sometime... when you’re feeling sleepy... and in need of just an extra little push to send you to Pillowland.

(The Faint also play Webster Hall on Saturday and Bowery Ballroom on Monday and my real passion is linking to things.)

Howler play Mercury Lounge tonight. If you click that profile I wrote two years ago you will see I wrote that the main guy (Jordan Gatesmith) was 19 years young. I don’t know how old that makes him now but I do know Howler is still a good band. I just saw them a few months ago. They sort of sounded like The Strokes going surfing.

#strokes #surf #reference #2014 #punk #rock #alt

Here We Go Magic + Gospels + Porcelain Raft play a FREE show tonight at Pier 2 (it’s pretty much the second best pier) at Brooklyn Bridge Park for a pre-Brooklyn Half Marathon party. FULL DISCLOSURE. Claire Rockness and I are a littttttle too close to this one because we’re running this race. And we won't just be happy to be there. We race to win.

Other notable shows tonight = Metronomy at Emmanuel Lewis Hall + Baby Dayliner (love that guy!) at Union Pool + A Night of Round Robin Musical Duets featuring a bunch of people you’ve heard of at Town Hall as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival.

SEE ALL OF OUR WEDNESDAY SHOW PICKS.

Thursday - May 15th, 2014 A.D.

The good shows are endless tonight. At least that’s the way it seems. To me now. Let’s quickly chit-chat about just a few. You can view all the rest of the musical goodness yourself. You know what to do. I believe in you.

Cibo Matto + Javelin + JD Samson of Le Tigre/MEN play a FREE Celebrate Brooklyn! show in Brooklyn Bridge Park tonight. And you know we have that huge Free Summer Shows in NYC list, right? This show is on it. So are lots of other good shows. Lots and lots and lots and lots.

I tell ya. We could blob about free summer shows alllllll day.

The Afghan Whigs play Brooklyn Bowl tonight. This is one of the best late night band performances of the last 25 years. And while I don't know if this casual and reckless statement is really true, my heart seems to be leading me to type it. I’ll take my #heart over my #head anytime.

(btw, this is when people like Conan were still believing that bullshit story about how The Afghan Whigs met in jail - simpler times, indeed.)

Speaking of simpler times, Tokyo Police Club play Webster Hall tonight and I remember seeing them when we were all just a bunch of fresh faced kids with grand hopes and dreams (September 23rd. 2006. Studio B. Brooklyn. RIP). Eight years later, it turns out Tokyo Police Club needed to dream bigger and I needed to economize mine.

Lily Allen plays Highline Ballroom tonight. She’s one of those “is she or isn’t she a pop star” type of person. And has been so for awhile. I haven’t heard much from her lately. But then again, I haven’t really been listening. Calls to the UK aren’t exactly cheap*. I do enjoy watching her brother on Games of Thrones though.

(*they're free in #2014 I think.)

Atlanta metal masters/thunder makers Mastodon play Terminal 5 tonight. There’s going to be a whole lot of body bumping and headbanging in that big old place. Wear your long hair pretty for me and take care of each other in the pit, alright?

Tonight at The Westway (in the West Village) is a special show that benefits Fountain House, a leading treatment program from people with mental illness in New York City. There will be good artists, bands, DJs and art installations. Click this link to learn more. Then consider going. Good causes are always chill.

And it’s Night #2 of the pre-Brooklyn Half Marathon party at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park with Oberhofer + Radical Dads + Chaos Chaos. Like Night #1, this show is FREE. Remember. Whoa My Blobness is running this race. And we’re gonna win it.

Other notable shows tonight = A Place to Bury Strangers at The Wick + Chad Van Gaalen at The Bell House + Metronomy at Music Hall of Williamsburg + Lykki Li at the Apollo Theater

SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY SHOW PICKS.

Friday - May 16th, 2014 A.D.

Like Thursday night, it’s tough to narrow down tonight’s good shows to only a select few. But I’ll try. With God on my side, so help me God, I’ll goddamn try.

If you like punk, Death by Audio is where you should be at tonight. The lineup is full of the really good up-and-coming punker rockers. Greys. Flagland. HSY. The Beverlys. Most of those bands are from Canada. Except Flagland. They’re from Brooklyn. But all these bands bring the heat. All their names wouldn’t be linked like that if they didn’t.

Those punky New Jersey-ians known as Screaming Females and jangle haze Philly popsters Bleeding Rainbow lead a good free lineup at Brooklyn Night Bazaar tonight. By a funny coincidence, this show is also on our Free Summer Shows in NYC list I already so deftly linked to previously. But I’m linking to that list again. And again. Again. AGAIN. Because I’m #punk #rock. And the people need to know one and only one thing this summer. YOU. SHALL. NOT. PAYYYYY!

Brooklyn hazy psych-y easy breezy rock heads Woods + Boston hippy dippys Quilt + twee posters Frankie Cosmos (a band that seems to be on this thing every week - why do you think that is?) play Bowery Ballroom tonight. Go. And smile on your brother.

It’s Night #3 of the pre-Brooklyn Half Marathon FREE party at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park with performances by Body Language and DJ sets by Jukebox the Ghost and Sinkane. And God made Whoa My Blobness for a purpose. But he also made us FAST. And when we run we feel his pleasure.

Oh. Almost forgot. The Spin Doctors play Bowery Ballroom tonight. So…. there’s that. Also playing. Somebody called "Dumpstaphunk." So.... there's that.

Oh, boy.

Other notable shows tonight = Walter Martin of The Walkmen at Joe’s Pub + Black Marble at Baby’s All Right (late) + Breton at Glasslands + Jeffrey Lewis at Shea Stadium + Unstoppable Death Machines at Palisades + Tim Hecker at Knockdown Center + Elbow at Webster Hall + Blondes at this hot new club called the American Museum of Natural History.

SEE ALL OF OUR FRIDAY SHOW PICKS.

Saturday - May 17th, 2014 A.D.

Like Frankie Cosmos, I do seem to talk a lot about Porches on this thing. Maybe it’s because the main dude of Porches, Aaron Maine, is also the drummer in Frankie Cosmos? Nope. Just a total cosmic coincidence. I think it’s because they are both good bands. See Porches play Shea Stadium tonight. See Frankie Cosmos at that place I already said they were playing earlier in the week. Scroll back. You’ll find it. I know you will. I believe in you.

Swearin’ and Radiator Hospital play the free show at Brooklyn Night Bazaar night. Click those band names to read more of my dynamical original words. But for our purposes here, let’s just say A.) both bands are from Philly and B.) both bands are good.

After over a decade now of living 100% alt, Chromeo keeps Chromeo-ing along. You can see these two Canadian electro alts at Terminal 5 tonight. I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t think this band would stick around to see 2006. I was wrong.

(you can see Chromeo DJ later tonight at Verboten)

Beverly (Frankie Rose + Drew Citron, who sometimes played a Pain in the Pure Heart, + their upcoming debut is coming out on Kanine soon + just thought you’d like to know) + Las Rosas + Moon Dudes play Death by Audio tonight. Those three solid up-and-coming rockers rock in their own various rock ‘n roll ways. #rock

Other notable shows tonight = The Faint at Webster Hall (as per our earlier convo - no The Faint - no Oh My Rockness) + Built to Spill at The Stone Pony (we’ll talk more about them next week) + Talib Kweli (free) at Rough Trade (we’ll see).

SEE ALL OF OUR SATURDAY SHOW PICKS.

Sunday - May 18th, 2014 A.D.

Lisbon by way of Brooklyn by way of Baltimore’s Panda Bear (a.k.a. Noah Lennox a.k.a Animal Collective) play Warsaw tonight. And I do believe it’s been awhile since that creative musical artist played these parts. First pre-show pierogi at Warsaw on me. And by that I mean I’ll eat yours.

If you are a super original alt and Panda Bear isn’t “experimental” enough for you, Swans play Bowery Ballroom tonight. Michael Gira and his revolving door crew of members have been getting straight crazy since the early ‘80s. Whatever happens at this one, you know things are going to happen. Bring earplugs. And maybe even protective eye gear. Who knows. A good punk always prepares.

(*"experimental" is the most cited word in The Blob Bible and that means it’s the most important.)

Louisville post-rock-math-punks (or however you want to describe them) Young Widows + Seattle’s Helms Alee (same) + Highness (featuring members of Darkest Hour and Christie Front Drive) play Saint Vitus tonight. There will be shreds.

Other notable shows tonight = Fletcher C. Johnson at Baby’s All Right + Walter Martin of The Walkmen at Littlefield + Prince Rupert’s Drops at Mercury Lounge.

SEE ALL OF OUR SUNDAY SHOW PICKS.

That's it! Thanks for reading The Best Shows This Week!

Don't forget to let me know if you have any thoughts on our 10 year birthday celebration!

And look out for Whoa My Blobness at the Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday!