Written by Patrick McNamara

May the last week before June be with you.

It’s great to imagine your smiling face for yet another week.

Let’s talk about some good upcoming shows. Again.

And then for the love of god let’s talk about something else.

Monday - May 26th, 2014 A.D.

Happy Memorial Day. I hereby decree that you may now wear white pants again. Forever and Ever. At least till September. Amen.

Now that we got that topical pronouncement out of the way, we can move on.

Adult Dude (click that) and Field Mouse (who should open for the recently reunited Veruca Salt - and I should mind my own business) are two good bands. They both play Cameo Gallery tonight. Go if you like going to see good bands. Not recommended if you like seeing shows that suck.

Assuming that a.) you live in NYC and b.) there’s even anyone out there reading this thing, you’re probably not going to haul ass to New Jersey to see shimmering instrumental punks Frameworks play Asbury Lanes tonight (with Old Gray + Bad Kisser + the very good Vasuveda). But you should at least consider it. And anyway, you know what they say about assuming. Ass. U. Ming.

Other notable shows = a free Msa Ysa show at Rough Trade + a free Phantom Family Halo show at Baby’s All Right + did you know we made a free summer shows list?

SEE ALL OF OUR MONDAY SHOW PICKS.

Tuesday - May 27th, 2014 A.D.

Prolific nostalgia-wave creator Torn Hawk plays Cameo Gallery (Future of What + Regal Degal + Limited also play). His hazy ‘80s electronic synth blips will take you to Mars, man. The stars will be out. And they will be bright. Please note: this concert comes with intense visuals so plan your pre/prep party accordingly.

Phosphorescent play Webster Hall tonight. This band seem to have been playing around a lot lately. And I’ve talked about them on this thing often. Because they’re good. So perhaps everything that needs to be said about Phosphorescent has already been said. That's not an excuse. It’s not MY fault I don’t have any new dynamic copy ready. Phosphorescent is the one playing all the time. I guess I should also thank them for that. Because I now can finally spell Phosphorescent perfectly on the very first try. So I’m not sweating it either.

Total Slacker play The Studio at Webster Hall. For being completely lazy, they sure are a hard-working good band.

Other notable shows tonight = Yvette at Baby’s All Right + Red Fang and Big Business at Music Hall of Williamsburg + Finding Fiction at Pianos + Doubting Thomas Cruise Control at Saint Vitus Bar because that band name is sick.

SEE ALL OF OUR TUESDAY SHOW PICKS.

Wednesday - May 28th, 2014 A.D.

Dinosaur Jr. and Screaming Females and Creepoid play a free show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. You had to RSVP to get in though. And that RSVP is already closed. So if you didn’t and still want to go to this show. Sorry. You can’t. But you’re still a wonderful person and you should also check our massive free summer shows list. Because life is full of 100+ second chances.

Calling all aging alts. James Murphy DJs Output tonight. Tickets will be available at the door. Just do me a favor and get there early if you want to get in. Because I can’t stand to see you get disappointed again. YOU’RE TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR ALL THAT!!!

(how many more ‘final goodbye’ releases do you think LCD Soundsystem will put out? the current over/under is 3.)

(hey! it's the YOU. SHALL. NOT. PAYYYY! guy. what's he doing here? this James Murphy DJ show isn't free!)

Merge Records recording artist Saint Rich play Glasslands tonight. This band features Steve Marion and Christian Peslak of Delicate Steve. And awwwww yeah, you know what this means. Well, you 13 regular readers of this thing certainly know. That’s right. I’m taking this as another opportunity to post Delicate Steve’s “Butterfly.” For probably the 10th time. And Delicate Steve aren’t even playing tonight. Saint Rich are. I don’t care. Next week this entire thing might just be a bunch of “Butterfly” posts.

Other notable shows = Danish punks Lower (no - not Iceage - Lower) at Home Sweet Home + Acid Mother’s Temple at Knitting Factory + Hudson Mohawke at Webster Hall as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival.

SEE ALL OF OUR WEDNESDAY SHOW PICKS.

Thursday - May 29th, 2014 A.D.

The grand MC also known as LE1F plays Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight. He’s got the flow that makes the whole world swing. Damn, son. Boom. Sup. Wut. He’s good.

Germans play Hotel Chantelle (that’s on Ludlow). Have you heard this song “Cruel” yet? If not, you better listen to it right now. And then definitely file it under #jam when you finally decide to get yourself organizized. (no. sic YOU.)

Speaking of #jam. Dance master Fred Falke plays Verboten tonight. I haven’t posted this Ricki-Lee remix he did QUITE as much as I’ve posted Delicate Steve’s “Butterfly” on this thing. But it’s getting up there. It's not #recycled #web #content. It's just a #big #time #JAM.

Other notable shows (let’s get hectic) = Baked at Death by Audio + Slothrust at Glasslands + Failure at Irving Plaza + DJ Questlove at Brooklyn Bowl + Gross Relations at Muchmore’s + Cassie Ramone at Palisades + maybe you should just click that link down there that says “SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY SHOW PICKS” because that would probably be easier and if we get another page view because of it so be it, dear Rockness reader….so be it.

SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY SHOW PICKS.

Friday - May 30th, 2014 A.D.

RIP Michael Jackson. In 25 more days he will have been dead 5 years.

Let’s start tonight with some happiness by beginning with the rock solid pop to the punk. The Menzingers + PUP + Cayetana + Lemuria play Webster Hall tonight. And if this completely catchy lineup doesn’t make you feel right and fine and give you the overwhelming urge to sing right along (go ahead! you can!), well, I guess you’re just not into the rock solid pop to the punk. That’s fine. I don’t understand it. But it’s totally fine. It’s your journey, man. Not mine.

Tonight at The Bell House some peeps you’ve heard of formed a band you didn’t know existed. Bambi Kino (members of Nada Surf + Cat Power + Guided by Voices) headlines. Charles Bissel and Kevin Whelan of The Wrens (who have a new album out soon and it only took 9 years) team up to play some stuff too. Oh yeah. And Palomar is playing. I thought they broke up. Maybe they did and recently reunited. Remind me to look into this matter further and do some heavy duty research before publishing this thing. One can’t simply speculate on a music blob, after all.

(what's The New Yorker? is that a new alt blob? is that Mr. Peanut before he became a legume?)

We already told you cold Danish punks Lower (not Iceage) were playing Home Sweet Home this week. But we underplayed it. We put it in the “other notable shows” section. You may have missed it. Because who reads that? So let’s give Lower’s second and final NYC show at The Acheron tonight the digital space it goddamn deserves.

(Iceage wrote this song.)

Rush Midnight and Nightbox play Rough Trade tonight. Remember a few weeks ago when I posted the following Nightbox song and said it was my go-to shower singalong song? Well, I have since moved on. But I just listened to it again. And I have a feeling I’m going to be coming back to it when my conditioner is doing its magic REAL soon.

And Spank Rock brings his mad lyrical business to Verboten tonight. Oh yeah. I remember that dude. The YoYoYoYoYo man. He’s from Baltimore. But I always forget and think he’s from Canada. I don’t know why.

Other notable shows = Sage Francis at (le) poisson rouge + Hector’s Pets at Baby’s All Right + Forgetters at Death by Audio + Yann Tiersen at Highline Ballroom + Midnight Magic at Cameo Gallery

SEE ALL OF OUR FRIDAY SHOW PICKS.

Saturday - May 31st, 2014 A.D.

The Strokes play The Capitol Theatre tonight. They rock a sound that’s kind of like a cross between The Strokes and The Strokes. With a little bit of The Strokes thrown in for good measure. And let me tell you something. This band is really gonna go places. I’m even thinking about buying one of their t-shirts.

Yellow Ostrich leads another good lineup at Brooklyn Night Bazaar. Like always, the shows here are FREE. Like always, I always have to mention that and ALL CAPS the word FREE. The 13 regular readers of this thing are certainly sick of these same tricks by now. I am too, dear 13. I am too.

Vulture Shit and Flagland play The Gutter tonight. Good. That’s exactly where these good dirty Brooklyn punks belong. Let’s get blown-out and sing along to good dirty punk sing along songs. It’ll be fun. Bet.

Fool’s Gold Records founder A-Trak plays Terminal 5 (with Cam’ron + Salva). I liked A-Track back when he was a one time Invisibl Skratch Pikl. No big deal. Don’t sweat my technique. Cut cut cut cut the music with so much class.

(A-Trak isn't even in this video. But whatever. Still posting it anyway. Because I'm #punk #rock.)

Comedian/actor/ former ’80s-nostalgia-pitchman Michael Ian Black does two shows at SubCulture tonight. I recently read his book “You’re Not Doing it Right.” And it was really good. Starting Oh My Bookness soon. So keep your eyes peeled. “AHHHHHHH! MY EYES! OH WHYYYYYYY MY EYES!”

(did you know we started Oh My Yuckness too?)

Other notable shows = Yann Tiersen at Highline Ballroom + Failure at The Stone Pony + Les Sans Culottes at Paper Box.

SEE ALL OF OUR SATURDAY SHOW PICKS.

Sunday - June 1st, 2014 A.D.

If you happen to be in Montauk today for the first official unofficial weekend of summer, a.) there’s no need to rub it in and b.) you might want to go see Yeasayer play The Surf Lodge this evening at 5pm before having a cocktail or setting sail or whatever the hell it is you people do in Montauk.

For those of us stuck in the city this weekend the joke’s on Montauk. Because Trans-Pecos has an outdoor BBQ today and good bands like Beverly are playing (like Beverly because it is Beverly) today. Ha! Let Montauk have Montauk. We’re doing just fine over here in the world’s greatest city.

Bushwick Collective is having a block party today. It starts at 11 AM. Fletcher C. Johnson is playing it. So are some other bands. You should go see all of them.. Except for The Montauk Project. I’ve never heard them. But I know their kind.

NYC POPFEST continues tonight (it started last night but I forgot to mention it earlier - I could go back and correct this - but nah - I’m too #punk #rock for such shenanigans) and goes throughout the weekend. Once again, various venues and bands (including Gold-Bears) work together to bring you that sweet guitar jingle jangle. Click that link and come up with a plan. These pop shows are open to all. Except people in Montauk.

Other notable shows = Julie Klausner and Ted Leo yukking it up at The Bell House + Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders at Rough Trade (one of those “entry with purchase” jobs) + Teen Daze at Glasslands + can someone please invite me to Montauk?

SEE ALL OF OUR SUNDAY SHOW PICKS.

Thanks for reading, you guys. I know you have a choice when you procrastinate. And I sincerely appreciate all 13 of you procrastinating with me. Have a very happy start to summer. Don't let it swallow you whole.

(I’m just excited to be allowed to wear my white pants again.)