Written by Patrick McNamara

This week is intense. Well, as intense as shows can be. Which is not that intense at all. Because in the grand scheme of things, nothing really matters! But the good news is that this also means that everything does! Everything that is happening is its own point. And therefore, we are able to giggle at The Game.

The following are The Best Shows This Weekend. (You probably gathered that from the headline - but reiteration helps our SEO, so......gotta do what you gotta do to hustle and survive out there, son.)

Thursday - June 13th, 2013 A.D.

Alright, guys. Tonight’s the night where things stop being polite and start getting real. Because tonight is the first night of Northside Fest (through Sunday). So I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to talk about a few of the good shows - most will be Northside related. I’ll throw in some videos for you too (or some audio only streams - depending on how wild and crazy I feel). And then I’ll list out some other notable good shows. Here’s what I won’t do. I won’t talk/list/stream EVERY good show going on during this weekend. Because that would be crazy....and I’m writing this on a Sunday.....and ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES ME A DULL MUSIC BLOB. We cool with the terms, all 13 of you who are still reading this thing? Cool. Let’s do it.



(Tone-Loc isn’t playing Northside that was just the intro to who is playing and you know what nevermind)

The Cameo lineup is solid all around. Chad Valley + Kisses + Ice Choir + Selebrities + Rush Midnight + some “disc jockeys.” If you like to dance at shows - go to this one. If you like to stand still at shows - go to this one. For each enjoys good music in their own way.



Iceage + A Place To Bury Strangers + Lower play MHOW. Should be a very serene, calm, peaceful show. Nothing loud about those three bands. No, Sir. No, Ma’am.



SOME (not ALL - SOME) other good shows of note tonight:
Mac DeMarco at Brooklyn Bowl
Bleached at Knitting Factory
Body/Head (Kim Gordon) + Majical Cloudz at Saint Vitus
Swans at Warsaw

SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY SHOW PICKS.

Friday - June 14th, 2013 A.D.

Forget about Northside for a minute. The Postal Service play Barclays Center (and tomorrow too). They are this hot new buzzy band featuring the singer from Death Cab For Cutie (an up-and-coming band in their own right). Also, did I mention this show has nothing to do with Northside?



OK. Back to Northside (not gonna link it anymore - you’ve had your chances). Wait. Actually, not quite back to Northside yet. Son Volt play Bowery tonight. And again tomorrow night at MHOW - and that one IS part of Northside. OK. NOW back to Northside full time. I mean it this time.

Torche play 285 Kent. This song below a good song. Perhaps that was implied by being embedded in this thing. But I just wanted to make sure you knew. That. This. Is. A . Good. Song. (Also, how many times can I get away with saying “embedded?” As many times as it takes to be funny, I guess.)



Black Flag begins three nights of reunion shows. Tonight is at Warsaw. You know how legends and reunions go. Maybe they will be good. Maybe they won’t. But guessing and going is part of the fun. (If this show is terrible - it’s all on you and your use of free will. If this show is great - please give me all of the credit. I’m the one who blobbed about it, after all.)



Speaking of legends and the ‘80s. Rhys Chatham plays (with Oneida) Europa tonight. Listen to this song from 1981. Sure. It’s a little long. But you can handle it. I want you to hear how ahead of his time this guy was. Do you hear it? Yeah. Exactly. You hear it. I knew you would hear it.



SOME (no need to explain in parentheses again) other good shows of note tonight:
Chrome Canyon at Brooklyn Bowl
White Fence at Knitting Factory
The So So Glos at Public Assembly
PAWS at South Street Seaport(FREE + Not Northside)
The Hairs/Literature/Gold Bears at Cake Shop

SEE ALL OF OUR FRIDAY SHOW PICKS.

Saturday - June 15th, 2013 A.D.

A good one for those feeling the brokeness. The Walkmen play a FREE show in (at? on?) McCarren Park (you had to RSVP in advance - or if you didn't do that, you need a Northside badge to get in - sorry, thems the rules). I don’t know why, but whenever I see their name, I have this undeniable urge to go out and buy a Saturn. And you know what? They don’t even make Saturns anymore!!!! So, so strange.



Wild Cub play Glasslands. They seem to be having such a good time when they play their grand pop (also known as collecto-pop, as of right now). And remember the Golden Rule, bands. When YOU have fun - WE have fun. (The other Golden Rule is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But that one isn’t as important.)



Still feeling the brokeness I mentioned a few lines earlier? Of course you are. That sucky feeling lingers, man (that link might make you feel better, though). You also have the option of seeing The Zombies FOR FREE in (at? on?) Central Park. This band has been a band longer than most zombies have been (un)dead. This song reminds me of sex and drugs and The Wonder Years.



Classixx and my bro, Fred Falke, (he doesn’t know he’s my bro.....yet) play (le) poisson rouge tonight (not Northside - do I have to say it every time it’s not? let me know. whatever’s most convenient for you). This one should be very dance-y. Or, stand still-y. To each is a journey unique.




Some other good shows of note tonight:
Merchandise + Destruction Unit at 285 Kent
Speedy Ortiz at Big Snow
Weekend at Knitting Factory
Pharmakon at Public Assembly
Baths at Webster Hall

SEE ALL OF OUR SATURDAY SHOW PICKS.

Sunday - June 16th, 2013 A.D.

The brokeness never. lets. up. (hint. click. that. link). And it’s what drives men to madness. Anywho, Solange plays a FREE SHOW at (in? on? above?) McCarren Park tonight. Will Jay-Z or Beyonce also be there? I. Don’t. Care......that. much. omg. fingers. crossed.



The Soft Moon play 285 Kent tonight. There’s nothing soft about this band. They are a little moon-y though. Because when I listen to them I want to go to Mars, man. And that’s close to the moon, man. Only a few billion light years away or something, man.



Light Asylum + Young Magic + Psychic Twin + O Paradiso + Adventure play Cameo. Now, I know this song is “old” - but I still listen to this Adventure jam all the time (“oooh, two years is sooooooooooooo old” scoffs the ghost of King Tutankhamun.)



Some more good shows of note tonight:
Pop Zeus at Cake Shop
Sinkane at Maxwell’s
Lambchop at Warsaw
Born Ruffians at Brooklyn Bowl

SEE ALL OF OUR SUNDAY SHOW PICKS.

That’s it. Whew. I told you it was a crazy one. The week, I mean. Not this Best Shows of the Week thing. I think it’s the sanest thing you can ever hope to read. Now if you’ll excuse me - I need to go catch up with someone who’s running in this maze made out of hedges. They forgot their phone. Not sure why I brought along the ax. Oh that’s right, I was in the middle of chopping up basic HTML code.

Thanks for playing The Game. You guys are solid to your core.