The Best Shows in NYC This Week: Disclosure + Widowspeak + Battles + Leon Bridges + Courtney Barnett + Blur + Boys Life + Magical Cloudz + Gates + Idlewild + Krill + Braids + Modest Mouse + Hop Along + Garbage + more show goodness - Oh My Rockness

Rockness Recommends

The Best Shows in NYC This Week: Disclosure + Widowspeak + Battles + Leon Bridges + Courtney Barnett + Blur + Boys Life + Magical Cloudz + Gates + Idlewild + Krill + Braids + Modest Mouse + Hop Along + Garbage + more show goodness

October 19, 2015

Written by Patrick McNamara

Now that CMJ is over we can talk about other things besides CMJ... except I just said CMJ three times and we're not supposed to be talking about it anymore. This dynamic digital article is getting off to an extremely good start. Oh, well. Tell me not my content faults for I already know them.

Let's talk about what's actually about to happen rather allude to the past. And above all else, please remember that now is the now and now is all there ever is.

Shut up, Blobness.

Monday - October 19, 2015 A.D.

You might wanna ease into the week by picking something safe to start things off... something mellow for a Monday. If that's the case, might I be so bold as to suggest you go see King Dude at Saint Vitus tonight? He plays singer/songwriter driven evil core…. a genre which may or may not exist…. and he may or may not have a personal relationship with Satan.... doesn't this sound nice and chill to start your week?

Or, if you prefer the big time beats to start it off (what, you gotta problem with Satan? what did that guy ever do?), Goldroom (aka Josh Legg) plays Knitting Factory and he brings the big time beats in bunches, bunches, b-b-b-b-b-b-bunches, bunches, bunches. (that's the remix of this song "Bunches," I guess)

Fine. You want to see Chris Cornell at Beacon Theater? Well, guess what? I can't stop you. Go. Go then. Go see Chris Cornell. Kiss kiss! Bye Bye! Start spreadin' the news!….. you're leaving today!

Please listen to my least favorite song of the '90s now.

God I hate that song so much. And I totally didn't have to post it.

Other notable shows = Joseph Arthur and Hamilton Leithauser at City Winery + BORNS at Bowery Ballroom + David Cross at Littlefield

SEE ALL OF OUR MONDAY PICKS

Tuesday - October 20, 2015 A.D.

Battles plays Webster Hall and Battles is one of the best bands in the game today. Let's not fight about it let's just agree to agree because I'm wearing body armor (I always wear body armor when I blob) and you're probably not.

Baby's All Right turns two tonight and you know what that means? It means Empress Of and Moses Sumney are playing Toddler's All Right tonight, that's what that means.

Leon Bridges plays the Apollo Theater tonight (and tomorrow at Webster Hall) and the Sandman need not even bother showing up.

Other notable shows = REO Speedwagon at The Capitol Theatre and speaking of REO Speedwagon should we take a moment to listen to this Sheriff song because it's close enough, right?

"Bay-bayyyyyyy-ayyy-ayyyyy oh I get chills when I'm with youuuuuuuuu whoa-oh whoa-ohhhhhhh."

SEE ALL OF OUR TUESDAY PICKS

Wednesday - October 21, 2015 A.D.

This is a really good night for good shows and I'm not sure why. It's just a regular old Wednesday in October in NYC, after all. Perhaps smarter blobs than this one can take a crack at understanding the significance. “Ehhhhh ACTuallly OctoBER is ehhhhh traditionally prime TOURing time and ehhhhhh music INDUSTRY market research SUGGESTS that ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

Boys Life play Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight and this one is personal. If you're not familiar, they were a really good '90s emo/punk band that broke up too soon and haven't played in years and years and years until this year. If you missed them the first time around please remember that it is never ever EVER too late to get into something good and if you want to get into them might I suggest you starting with this album I've conveniently posted for you below? Great. Thanks for listening. I'll be at this show, BTW. Come say, “'sup, blob."

Majical Cloudz make songs that sound better than the spelling of their name. You heard it here FOURTH. See them at National Sawdust tonight. And they should really tour with tUnE-yArDs sometime.

“The Majical tUnE-Cloudz-yArDs 2o16 Jobal TOur" just looks good in print, you know?

Remember when I said I was going to see Boys Life tonight? I totally wasn't lying. But first, I'm going to Irving Plaza to see Gates, who are opening for The Dear Hunter and Chon. Gates is one of the best bands going and is worth pulling off the mid-week two borough doubleheader for. Please stream a good song that gives tingles now.

Krill is a good band. Unfortunately, Krill is calling it quits and that first sentence will be switched to past tense very shortly. See them play their second to last NYC show tonight at Shea Stadium (they also play tomorrow at Silent Barn) and maybe one day you can tell some impressed stranger that you once did.

Also Danzig is playing at a venue that used to be called Best Buy Theater which, quite frankly, is a really stupid name for a venue. But they just changed the name…. to the PlayStation Theater.... I shit you not…. Danzig is playing a place called the PlayStation Theater. Go for it, Glenn.

Other notable shows = Telekenisis at Bowery Ballroom + Windhand at Gramercy Theatre + Leon Bridges at Webster Hall

SEE ALL OF OUR WEDNESDAY PICKS

Thursday - October 22, 2015 A.D.

Grand Canadian post ______ popsters Braids play Baby's All Right and if you're not careful you just might soar at this one. And also, Samson gets me lifted.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Idlewild. The Scottish band (formed circa 1995) has left me with some super solid shower singing hits over the years. I can't tell you how many times I've crooned “American English" and “The Remote Part" and “Let Me Sleep (Next To The Mirror)" while waiting for my conditioner to do its magical thing (with great hair comes great responsibility) and if you come to Knitting Factory tonight I just might showcase my shower singing skills in public. They also play tomorrow at Gramercy Theatre but I can't guarantee I'll sing out for all the world to hear at that one. I don't like the acoustics as much.

Good news. Modest Mouse and Hop Along play tonight and they're both very good bands. Bad news. They play at The Space at Westbury. Good news. This is close if you live in Long Island. Bad news. This is far if you do not. I'm glad we had this talk.

Other notable shows = Kylesa at WFMU Monty Hall + Dave Gahan at Town Hall + X Ambassadors at Bowery Ballroom + Cannibal Ox at The Studio at Webster Hall

SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY PICKS

Friday - October 23, 2015 A.D.

Widowspeak has a lovely new album out and you can hear the band play lovely new songs from it at a Secret Rooftop Location tonight. Don't worry. The location will be revealed within an hour after the show has been finished. I'm kidding. I don't know when they'll reveal the location. I'm sure they'll communicate that with you directly after you purchase your ticket I know nothing I just blob here.

Blur plays the intimate DIY co-op art space Madison Square Garden, but I've always been more of a Wham! man myself. (Before Damon Albarn did anything the other dude in Wham! did everything.) Courtney Barnett opens. She's chill.

In honor of Aviator playing Fat Baby (really?) tonight, here's a great song from last year. It's about growing up. Thanks for listening.

Other notable shows = Chance the Rapper at Terminal 5 + Oneida at Cake Shop + Idlewild at Gramercy Theatre + Babes in Toyland at Saint Vitus Bar + Infinity Girl at Shea Stadium + Glasser at The Kitchen + Prism House at Trans-Pecos

SEE ALL OF OUR FRIDAY PICKS

Saturday - October 24, 2015 A.D.

NYC's So Hideous (click their name to read more really great words written by me) is a heavy/brutal/beautiful band. Please allow their melodic metal to melt your face at ABC No Rio's matinee today.

Disclosure plays Madison Square Garden. You may know this sexy sexy (two times the sexy) dance duo from the last time you tried on pants in public or polished off a gelato or shopped for linens and things.

(Also, what other music blob can go from recommending something at ABC No Rio to MSG without missing a beat? No other music blob.)

Garbage (they're from a place called the 1990s!) play Kings Theatre and I really hope for frontwoman Shirley Manson's sake it rains something hard because after all these years I just want her to be happy. Also, it says in my notes that drummer Butch Vig produced the album “Nevermind" by a band called Nir…...vana?

Other notable shows = Peaches at Irving Plaza + Cold War Kids at Terminal 5 + Glasser at The Kitchen + Here We Go Magic at Bowery Ballroom + Nonsense at Aviv + Cyril Hahn at Good Room + TEEN and Ava Luna at Saint Vitus

SEE ALL OF OUR SATURDAY PICKS

Sunday - October 25, 2015 A.D.

There is a solid punkster one at Silent Barn tonight led by Washer and Blessed State and it's certainly good to see Silent Barn back to poppin' once more.

Stephen O'Malley of Sunn O)))) plays National Sawdust and this one should drone on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and you will love it.

Finally, They Might Be Giants plays Music Hall of Williamsburg and longtime Rockness readers of this thing know what that means.

Cue up the JAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Other notable shows = Helado Negro at Baby's All Right + The Who (Who?) at Prudential Center + Chance the Rapper at Terminal 5

SEE ALL OF OUR SUNDAY PICKS

Thanks for reading. I know you have a choice when you waste time before tackling much more important shit than going to see shows this week so I certainly appreciate you spending your precious procrastination time with Oh My Rockness.

Nothing but goodness. Every week. So help me blob.

"Bay-bayyyyyyy-ayyy-ayyyyy oh I get chills when I'm with youuuuuuuuu whoa-oh whoa-ohhhhhhh."

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER!

Get new New York City announcements, free show info, ticket giveaways and more...