Written by Patrick McNamara

For those of you new to this dynamic weekly feature, I welcome you and hope you don’t bounce. And for those of you who regularly sit-in on these chill digital chit-chats, well goddamn, it sure is good to hang with you again.

Let’s talk about the good shows this week. Ready. Set. ZOOM.

Thursday - February 19th, 2015 A.D.

Philadelphia’s Swearin’ + their neighbors The Goodbye Party play Baby’s All Right. Of course, I mention early and often to anyone who will listen that Swearin’ is a good goddamn fucking band. And more recently I’ve been giving The Goodbye Party’s lo-fi power pop a whirl. On a scale of 0.0 to 10.0, I’m gonna have to give that band a solid Into It.

The Bowery Electric is doing something tonight called “The Love Hangover” featuring duets from professional humans you might have heard of. These humans include Will Sheff of Okkervil River (glad he could find time out of his busy DJ schedule) + Doug Gillard of Guided by Voices + some other humans I haven’t heard of.

Brooklyn fuzz popsters The Teen Age play Pianos. And this is probably the best band profile I’ve written to date. It’s my Gatsby, guys. It’s my Gatsby.

Other notable shows = DJ Questlove at Brooklyn Bowl + Darlings at Alphaville + DJ Nightmares on Wax at Verboten

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Friday - February 20th, 2015 A.D.

Iron Chic play Union Hall and I GUARANTEE you’ll have a good time at this show or there’s a steak dinner with your name written all over it. The band plays high energy punk that pops and moshes and makes me feel real good all over. I’ll be there to support you when you crowd surf and I’ll take care of you in the pit. So help me blob.

Good time lo-fi popsters Quarterbacks (click that) + 8-bit glitchy punks Crying (click that 2) + just a good goddamn band called LVL UP (same) lead a solid lineup at Aviv. If I wasn’t going to Iron Chic I would be at this one for sure. This problem shouldn’t happen in 2015. We were promised jetpacks.

JD Samson (Le Tigre/MEN) leads the FREE goodness at Brooklyn Night Bazaar. Come for the jams - stay for the locally grown organically sourced chotchkies and trinkets.

Obliterations + Sick Feeling are two beautifully brutal loud ass bands. They both play Saint Vitus tonight and I have a sneaking suspicion you will get destroyed. Here’s a song from each. Turn it up. Works best if you blast it.

You Blew It! + Tiny Moving Parts + Sorority Noise (click that) + Rozwell Kid (you got it - that too, please) pop the punk out at The Studio at Webster Hall (and Sunday at Asbury Lanes). Only go to this one if you’re interested in having fun. If you’re looking for a show that’s perhaps a little more serious, "Sophie’s Choice" is available for streaming for a limited time on Amazon Prime.

Other notable shows = Ms. Lauryn Hill at Highline Ballroom + Kish Bashi at Brooklyn Masonic Temple + The Districts at Bowery Ballroom + Bluffing at Shea Stadium

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Saturday - February 21st, 2015 A.D.

Boston psychster band Quilt play Brooklyn Night Bazaar with King Cyst. This one is free. For you. For me. For everybody. One world. One love. Peace. Imagine. Hope .

Boston’s Grass is Green brings the solid punk to Baby’s All Right. If you like that stabby jabby stop/start bending swooping sliding guitar goodness (I know I do) this just might be the band for you.

Flagland at Shea Stadium. They play a ton of shows and they are also really good. It’s almost like those two seemingly conflicting ideas are actually totally connected, man.

Other notable shows = Helmet at Bowery Ballroom + Monogold at Baby’s All Right + Love is Laughter at Fulton Stall Market + Chris Barron of Spin Doctors at Rockwood Music Hall

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Sunday - February 22nd, 2015 A.D.

They Might Be Giants play Music Hall of Williamsburg and whatever happened to the guy who played Malcolm’s dad? I make this same joke every time I talk about They Might Be Giants. Tell me not my faults - for I already know them.

Let’s see..... what else..... I already told you Helmet was playing Saint Vitus tonight.

....and I already mentioned You Blew It! and crew were playing Asbury Lanes.

......so…..I guess my work here is done? Cool. Time to take off, settle down, and nacho up.

Other notable shows = Togetherness on HBO that show is great even though there have been a few critical “takedowns” saying the show's well-written and perhaps flawed characters who ultimately are just trying to make it shouldn’t be liked or identified with or (god forbid) laughed at because they’re sort of like LA hipsters or something.

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Thanks for not bouncing. Let's hang again sooooooon.