40 Good Shows To See in NYC in June
Gov Ball * Northside Fest * Beach Fossils * The Drums * Red Aunts * Bob Dylan * Mary Timony * Buzzcocks * Feist * Jeremy Enigk * Day Wave * The Shins * Elvis Costello * Sorority Noise * Sigur Ros * Chastity Belt * Yeasayer * Lightning Bolt * Julie Byrne * U2 * Kurt Vile * Jay Som * Nick Cave * !!! * David Byrne * Twin Peaks * Deerhoof + more!
Written by Patrick McNamara
So many good shows this month!
WHAT IS THIS THE START OF SUMMER IN NEW YORK CITY OR SOMETHING.
Get ready.
40 Super Good Shows To See In NYC In June
1. Governors Ball on Randall's Island / After Dark Shows at Various Venues (6/1 - 6/7).
Might as well start this thing HUGE.
A couple of things with this:
There's the big time fest itself on Randall's Island w/ Tool, Phoenix, Chance, Mac DeMarco, Wu Tang and a bunch more. That's over the first weekend in June.
Then there's all the late night After Dark shows at venues all over town w/ Franz Ferdinand, Car Seat Headrest, Parquet Courts, The Avalanches, Warpaint & more.
Check your local listings for the complete Gov Ball rundown.
And by your local listings I mean THIS BEST BLOB.
2. Northside Festival at various Brooklyn venues (6/8 - 6/11).
Here's a quick brainstorm of good bands playing this excellent fest:
Dirty Projectors, Lower Dens, Girlpool, The Pains, Downtown Boys, Aldous Harding, PUP, Thursday, Big Ups, Julia Holter, She-Devils, Hoops, Destruction Unit
Am I missing some. YES. I AM MISSING SOME.
Check the Northside schedule here.
3. Beach Fossils at House of Vans on Thursday, June 1st.
This good show is FREE if you RSVP.
Beach Fossils forever.
5. Red Aunts at Union Pool on Sunday, June 4th.
The Red Aunts were a good Southern California punk band from the '90s that released good records for Sympathy for the Record Industry & Epitaph. Did you miss them?
Well, sometimes good news comes along if you wait long enough because they recently reunited and are playing two shows on the same day at Union Pool.
Red Aunts = Punk. Rock.
4. The Drums at House of Vans on Wednesday, June 7th.
This good show is FREE if you RSVP.
The Drums are a good band.
Forever and Ever. Amen.
7. Mary Timony at Rough Trade on Thursday, June 8th / Mercury Lounge on Friday, June 9th (two shows).
The Helium leader is playing Helium songs (maybe for the first time since the influential alt rockers broke up circa 1998 A.D.) at two venues this month.
All three of these shows are sold-out.
Here's my take on why:
Mary Timony rules.
8. Buzzcocks at Webster Hall on Friday, June 9th.
The seminal British punks (born circa 1976 A.D.) are still out there tearing it up!
Buzzcocks released three albums in the '70s, three albums in the '90s and three albums in the new Willennium.
They sat out the '80s, basically. Probably not a bad call.
Fun Fact: Buzzcocks was the opener for the Sex Pistols' second Manchester show in 1976 A.D.
9. Feist at Town Hall (6/10 - 6/12).
Three chances to see Feist this month. Maybe.
Saturday's show is already sold-out. Didn't get tickets? Don't freak out and make a (broken social) scene.
Sunday's and Monday's shows are not sold-out.............. yet.
Take advantage of this opportunity to see one of the best songwriters in the biz. But you best hurry up.
6. Bob Dylan at The Capitol Theatre (6/13 - 6/15).
Who?
Nevermind. I just looked it up. I guess he was on Pawn Stars.
10. Jeremy Enigk at The Bell House on Tuesday, June 13th.
The former Sunny Day Real Estate frontman plays a rare NYC show and it's going to rule.
Fun Music Fact: did you know this dude was 19 years old when Diary came out? Damn, Jeremy.
11. Day Wave at Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, June 15th.
Have you heard the new Day Wave album yet? I love it.
This show will be 100% chill.
File Under: everything is fine
RIYL: having no worries
Day Wave take me away!
12. Elvis Costello and the Imposters at Central Park Summerstage on Thursday, June 15th.
One of the best moments of The Larry Sanders Show.
13. Sorority Noise at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday, June 15th.
Sorority Noise headlines this solid show. Have you heard their new album yet? It rules. You heard it here fourth.
Forth Wanderers / The Obsessives / Shannon Moser also play.
That's four good acts for the price of one. How can you not go to this.
Please note: the following song rules
14. The Shins at Prospect Park on Thursday, June 15th.
Should I go see The Shins under brilliant NYC night skies in a beautiful park in the middle of June?
I. Think. I'll. Go Home. And Mull. This. Over.
(this has been a luscious mix of words and tricks)
15. Sigur Ros at Forest Hills Stadium on Saturday, June 17th.
Sigur Ros er mesta íslenska hljómsveitin allra tíma, sennilega, þó að sælgæti og mamma Bjork gæti haft eitthvað að segja um það.
Þetta verður góð sýning!
16. Chastity Belt at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Tuesday, June 20th.
These Hardly Art punks are the best band to come out of Walla Walla, Washington since Johnny & the Moondogs.*
Chastity Belt rules. So does their new album. Go see them play songs from it. I guarantee goodness. So help me blob.
*I don't know who Johnny & the Moondogs are -- I just searched "bands from Walla Walla, Washington" and there they were
17. Yeasayer / Polica / Cymbals Eat Guitars at Prospect Park on Thursday, June 22nd.
This is one of the biggest free shows of the finest season and the #5 (and climbing) most popular upcoming show on the entire blob.
Did you know there are like 168* more free shows to choose from this summer?
*approximately -- I can't be sitting around counting free summer shows all day -- 2 busy blobbing
18. Lightning Bolt at Pioneer Works on Friday, June 23rd.
If you've never seen Lightning Bolt live, you might as well have never been to a rock 'n' roll show in your entire life.
One of the best noise punk bands to EVER play the floor.
Their first NYC show in like two years. I can't wait.
19. Julie Byrne at The Park Church Co-Op on Saturday, June 24th.
Below is my favorite Julie Byrne song, probably -- from an album full of favorites.
Which is your favorite? Please note: there are no wrong replies.
20. U2 at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, June 28th and Thursday, June 29th.
U2 is an up-and-coming band from Dublin.
I told the lads I'd help push their NYC show on my influential DIY music blob.
My job here is done.
Rounding Out The Top 40:
21. Kurt Vile at The Surf Lodge (free)
22. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Beacon Theatre
25. Twin Peaks at Baby's All Right
26. Deerhoof at The Bell House
27. Evan Dando at Bowery Ballroom
28. Lightning Bolt at Pioneer Works
29. Cloud Cult at Music Hall of Williamsburg
32. Dams of the West at Baby's All Right
34. Toro y Moi (DJ) at The Well
35. Hall and Oates / Tears for Fears at Forest Hills Stadium
36. Celebration at Rough Trade
37. Land of Talk at Bowery Ballroom
38. Angel Deradoorian at Pioneer Works
