Northside, Night 2 w/ Shellshag, NO ICE, and Prima; Snail Mail w/ The RockNRoll Hi-Fives, 6/8-6/9/18

Snail Mail at Asbury Park Brewery

Weekend Wanderings

Friday

Last week was a pretty busy one. CoolMom left for a business trip to Europe on Sunday. We had the usual swim practices, swim meets, and family activities. CoolDaughter 2's softball team had a stretch of four games in four days as they made up all of the rain-outs from the season. On top of that, it was Northside Festival weekend; and there was the big Snail Mail show at Asbury Park Brewery on Saturday. Thanks to CoolDaughter 1, my very cool coolparents, and some scaled-back Northside plans, I was able to make everything work. It really is possible to have it all.

After the victory by CD2's Her-ricanes on Friday night, I headed up to Brooklyn again for a Northside show at Main Drag Music. This one featured Rose Blanshei of Prima, NO ICE, and our good friends Shellshag. I hadn't seen Shellshag in a very long time, and I was looking forward to catching up and catching their set.

Main Drag is a pretty great place for a show. It's a cavernous, old Brooklyn space with guitars hanging on the walls. The evening had a friendly, communal, non-bar vibe if that makes any sense. In addition to a cooler full of beers ($3 donation), the store also supplied a whole cooler full of flavored seltzers ($1 donation); so my night was made. (Note to bars / venues: Have more interesting non-alcoholic choices than just Red Bull, club soda, and Coke. I will totally overpay you for a La Croix or a Schweppes.)

Rose Blanshei kicked things off with a short solo set. There were a few technical difficulties with the looper, and Blanshei abandoned one song that was too new; but all the friends in the crowd were more than forgiving, laughing right along with her. The set was still mesmerizing. The combination of Blanshei's voice and guitar was haunting, and I'm going to be seeking out her work with Prima.

Rose Blanshei of Prima

NO ICE crowded the tiny stage with their seven members. The band combine power pop, classic, and indie rock into a sound that's always a raucous party. Jamie Frey and Gwynn Galitzer pour their rock and roll souls into every lyric; and, for the duration of NO ICE's set, Main Drag shrunk down to the size of a sweaty bar.

NO ICE

Shellshag closed things out, rattling off some of my favorites like "Resilient Bastard," "Flowers for Julie," and "Face to Face" over a set that -- as always -- went by too quickly. Shellhead and Jen embody everything beautiful and good that playing music can do for people; and, as they ended their set by dedicating "Carry On" to "Shellshag '18 Comeback" and a bright future, I felt my heart warming.

Shellshag

Shellshag

Another short, sweet taste of Northside '18; but -- I gotta say -- even though I only caught two shows, this was my most rewarding year.

Saturday

The Her-ricanes played (and won) their final regular season game on Saturday morning to finish the season 4-2-2. We're waiting for info on the playoff seedings. The rest of the day was, mostly, pretty lazy followed by a huge family dinner for my cousin's 30th birthday. From there, I headed to Asbury Park Brewery for the sold-out show with Snail Mail and my other family, The RockNRoll Hi-Fives.

Snail Mail, the project headed up by 19-year-old Lindsey Jordan, released their debut LP, Lush, on Friday. I spent my drives to and from Brooklyn on Friday night listening to the album on repeat, and Jordan approaches the ups and downs of young love and desire with a maturity and confidence that are rare among those even decades her senior. That, and Jordan also happens to be an interesting and subtly brilliant guitarist with a singing voice that can move between youthful and timeworn over the course of a single song.

Taken together, all of that has positioned Jordan -- fairly or unfairly -- as an indie, guitar rock savior of sorts who's received extensive coverage from NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and lots of other places who talk very seriously about music. At the end of last week, Matador announced that Snail Mail and Car Seat Headrest would be opening for their label-mates, Interpol, at Madison Square Garden this coming February. We'd all be getting to see Snail Mail at Asbury Park Brewery. Just a few days before the show, The RockNRoll Hi-Fives snagged the opening slot.

Asbury Park Brewery has been doing great things in giving a home to shows that, most likely, would have passed by Asbury Park following 2015's closure of Asbury Lanes. This show had been sold out for weeks, and Asbury Park Brewery was paaaacked. I managed to squeeze up front for both sets; but I'd imagine, given the narrowness of the room and the lack of a stage, that anyone shorter than about 6'4" would have had trouble seeing anything if they weren't in the front row. All the bodies filling the space, though, did contribute to some of the best sound I've ever heard at the place.

The RockNRoll Hi-Fives won over the room with their 30-minute set. Saturday was a double-header day for the band as they made their way to Asbury straight from a set at the Metuchen Music and Arts Festival. The effects of touring and consistent playing showed in the band's delivery, and they took full advantage of the opportunity to show a mostly new group of fans what they could do.

The RockNRoll Hi-Fives

The RockNRoll Hi-Fives

Lindsey Jordan and Snail Mail came out right at 9pm, and turned in an hourlong set that validated all the hype for me. "Heat Wave," Jordan's solo take on "Anytime," the band's cover of Coldplay's "Speed of Sound," and the crowd sing-along with "Pristine" were all highlights. Single "Pristine" is just a great song, and the band's live rendition was flawless.

Snail Mail

Snail Mail

Lindsey Jordan and Snail Mail are more proof that there's still life left in guitar rock. It's coming from new voices, with new perspectives, making catchy, accessible music that doesn't rely on re-using old ideas or being "retro."

The future is bright.

Pics from the weekend are up in the Flickr galleries.

Northside Festival, Night 1: Liz Phair Played National Sawdust with Soccer Mommy

Liz Phair. #shotoniphone

One and Done

"You have to balance the cool with the dad." That's what a very wise person (It was Maggie.) said to me last night as we were leaving National Sawdust following Liz Phair's amazing "Girly-Sound to Guyville" set there for Northside Festival 2018. It was only about 10:45, and there were still tons of festival shows happening. I'd mentioned that, in past years, I'd have headed out to another show or two. On this night, though, CoolMom was still on her business trip. CoolDaughter 1 was home holding down the fort, and I didn't want to leave the girls home alone into the wee hours of the morning. I headed to the car and drove home.

As it was, even to make it to the show, I had to leave CoolDaughter 2's softball game early. She'd had a tough game on Wednesday, striking out three times. As I left on Thursday, though, she was already 2 for 2 with a HBP. We spoke as I drove along the Staten Island Expressway, and she finished her night 4 for 4. She was so happy, which made me happy.

Anyway...

This is, I think, my fourth year covering the festival. Dad responsibilities always mean that it's a back and forth proposition for me rather than one where I can make camp in Brooklyn. I've had some great times there discovering new bands, seeing old favorites, and making new friends. This is Northside's 10th year, and something seems different this year. For one, there aren't any shows in McCarren Park. Those were always a big deal; and I saw Brian Wilson, Wolf Parade, Hinds, Luna, The Blind Shake, King Gizzard, and others there. It just seems that, after the last two years, when the festival really seemed to be blowing up, they've kind of scaled back a little this year. That's not to say there aren't some great things lined up, though.

The first trip up to Brooklyn for this year's festival was the usual. All the usual traffic in all the usual spots. I found parking pretty easily and walked over to National Sawdust to see a huge line outside for Liz Phair. The show was sold out, and there would be a limited number of press passes allowed inside (turned out it was only 5). With a little help from my friends, though, I managed to nab a spot on the guest list; and, 25 years after obsessing on Exile in Guyville with CoolMom when we were living back in Seattle, I was finally going to see Liz Phair play the songs live.

National Sawdust is a non-profit arts organization and event space with a capacity of 350 -- super small and intimate for an artist like Liz Phair. It has a look that opener, Soccer Mommy, accurately described as making you feel like you're in the movie Galaxy Quest. The acoustics are amazing. More on that in a minute.

Soccer Mommy (the stage name of Nashville singer / songwriter Sophie Allison) opened the show and did a 40 or so minute set of songs that mixed some older stuff with selections from this year's Clean. Allison is a brilliant lyricist with an amazing voice. I'm always impressed when someone can come out onto a stage alone, with just a guitar, put it all out there, and own the room the way Soccer Mommy did. It's even more impressive when someone does that as the opener for a revered artist.

I'll admit to being one of those who kind of abandoned Phair when she went more pop in the early aughts. I've seen interviews with her where she said that she was always striving for popular success, and I don't blame her for going for it I guess. I also hate to be that person who says, "I only like their early stuff;" but, honestly, Liz Phair's first three records -- and especially Guyville -- are right up there among my favorite albums ever.

As a guy who's pretty much exactly the same age as Phair, I was probably more the target than the target audience of the songs on Guyville; but, even for me, a lot of it hit home -- the overriding theme of being kind of an introvert who talks big in your head when you’re alone, for example.



Last night, it was just Phair and fellow guitarist Connor Sullivan. Phair's guitar was mostly in tune most of the time, and all the songs had a shambolic feel that took them (especially songs like "Whip Smart" and "Polyester Bride") back to their Girly-Sound roots. As I mentioned, the acoustics in the place were fantastic; and as everyone's voices swelled to sing "They play me like a pit bull in a basement and for that" on "Help Me Mary" or "Don't look at me sideways. Don't even look me straight on" on "Never Said," it was magical.

Phair was gracious and funny between songs. There wasn't a lot of "this song is about" kind of banter, but she did introduce "Girls! Girls! Girls!" ("I take full advantage, of every man I meet") by saying, "It was about this time that I thought I could do what the guys were doing."

There was a "no photos" policy for the evening, but that turned out to be a good thing. I'm grateful that I got to experience such an intimate set at all. Not having to worry about "working" made it that much more special. This dad could only pick one show to go to last night, and I ended up at the coolest one.

Northside Festival 2018 Playlist

We first met our sisses in Sharkmuffin back at Northside 2014 when I was even worse at photography than I am now.

Back to Brooklyn

It's an annual tradition here at CDMHQ. Northside Festival comes around, and CoolMom -- no matter what company she's working for -- has a business trip that week. That leaves me to juggle dinners, carpools, and trips back and forth to Brooklyn. I usually seem to manage. This year, Rose Lamela will also be covering the fest for us; so we should be able to bring you some interesting stuff.

In advance of Northside Music, which starts on Thursday, June 7th, I've put together a playlist featuring some of this year's showcasing artists. You'll see lots of friends (A Deer A Horse, Sharkmuffin, Looms, Big Bliss), artists on the rise (Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy), and old favorites (Liz Phair, Lou Barlow, Shellshag). I put this together kind of quickly, so it's heavy on artists with whom I'm already very familiar. I hope to make some discoveries as I do every year, though.

Check this out. Let me know about any of your own recommendations. Follow me on instagram at @cooldadmusic and Rosi at @rosi_music79 to see what we get up to this year.

Here's Bodega Satellite's Stuff

(Mostly) En Español

Woodbridge Township's Bodega Satellite -- Alberto Rios, Kevin Poznanski, and Diego Ponce -- describe themselves as a "3 piece indie rock ensemble from New Jersey that likes to sing in Spanish."

As part of my recent request to "send me your stuff," singer / guitarist Alberto Rios sent me a link to Bodega Satellite's Bandcamp page. There, you'll find three releases, their 3d Ep, a self-titled LP, and 2015's Tres. The band play loud and well-crafted indie rock that sometimes veers toward Meet Me in the Bathroom-era sounds like The Strokes while exhibiting a harder, heavier, high-energy edge.

Just from jumping around Bodega Satellite's page, it's clear that each release is stocked with solid songs like "Suerte" and "Solo" from Tres, "Facil de Entender" from Bodega Satellite, and 3d's "Noche." My own Spanish is decent enough to kind of follow along with the lyrics, but that is by no means a pre-requisite for rocking with Bodega Satellite.

The band are official artists at next month's Northside Festival in Brooklyn, so keep an eye out to find out where they'll be playing.

New Single from Brooklyn's Big Bliss

Big Bliss at Brooklyn's Gutter Bar in March

"Fortune"

I meant to share this one with you in my end-of-week roundup last week, but I lost focus as we approached the holiday weekend. I do want to call your attention to the latest from Big Bliss, though.

Last November, I came across Keep Near, the debut from this Brooklyn trio; and I was really taken by the band's approach to 70s and 80s-influenced post-punk. Single "High Ideal" is a monster of a song and made it onto my year-end favorites list (for whatever that's worth). In their live performances, Big Bliss are similarly enthralling, displaying all the disciplined cool that comes through on their recordings.

"Fortune" is more evidence that Big Bliss are students of their chosen genre. It's jagged, chiming guitars, a prominent bassline, insistent drums, and detached vocals. It slots somewhere between the proto-shoegaze / post-punk of The Cure and more modern indie rock like Interpol or DIIV.

Big Bliss have several dates coming up including June 1st at Brooklyn's Our Wicked Lady with Journalism and Semaphore. That one's a benefit for the Ali Forney Center. They'll also be playing the re-scheduled Signal To Noise benefit for WFDU at Manhattan's Mercury Lounge with Antietam and Honey Radar on June 3rd. Then it's a few shows as part of Color Me Bushwick on June 4th and Northside Festival (official and unofficial) June 8th through 10th.

You can grab "Fortune" over at the Big Bliss Bandcamp page.

New Single from Dentist

"The Latter"

You've missed Dentist, haven't you? I know I have. They went off to Canada for a monthlong tour; and, then, an overabundance of rainwater forced the cancellation of their homecoming show at Asbury Park Yacht Club. Well, while you were pining, the band were hard at work recording a new single. Today, Dentist kick off your holiday weekend with new song, "The Latter."

"The Latter" has been part of Dentist's live set for a while now; but, as of today, it has a title and a proper studio recording handled by our friend Andy Bova over at Simple Sound Studio. It shows off Dentist's ability to contrast Justin Bornemann's sometimes aggressive guitar with Emily Bornemann's dreamy and forlorn vocals. It also happens to be the last recording the band did with their former rhythm section of Rudy Meier (drums) and Nick Kaelblein (bass).

The new-look Dentist are still going strong and have a few shows lined up in the coming weeks. They'll be playing a Northside Festival showcase at Brooklyn's Lantern Hall on June 8th with Jody Porter and The Berlin Waltz. Then, on June 19th, Dentist will be playing the CoolDad Music-presented edition of Happy Mondays with Overlake and Philadelphia's Psychic Teens at Asbury Park's Wonder Bar.

Check out "The Latter" and have a great weekend.

Northside Festival, Day 4: Brian Wilson, ROSTAM, Hinds, 6/12/16

Brian Wilson

Pet Sounds

My first-ever Sunday at Northside Festival. Even though I have tickets to his September show at Red Bank's Count Basie Theatre, I wasn't going to miss my opportunity to see Brian Wilson and his band perform The Beach Boys' 1966 masterpiece, Pet Sounds, in full. It was a beautiful day. It would be an outdoor show. Madrid's Hinds and ROSTAM (formerly of Vampire Weekend) were on the bill. How could I pass?

I was a little nervous about the fact that a badge didn't guarantee entry to the show since this one wasn't free. Instead, it was a benefit for the Open Space Alliance; so ticket holders got priority. After a couple of beers with Justin of Dentist before his band's show at Muchmore's, I headed over to the park and waltzed right through the gate. Hinds were due at 6:30, and about as many photographers as I've ever seen (up to that moment) for a single show massed along the railing as the young women from Spain posed and mugged for photos before their set.

Hinds

They played a short set featuring songs from their excellent debut, Leave Me Alone. Just like at South By Southwest, the band were all smiles throughout their set and charmed the crowd. Their songs are simple and full of garage rock twang, reverb, and group vocals. Theirs is one of my favorite records of 2016. Afterwards, the members of Hinds milled through the crowd or worked their merch table talking with people and posing for more pictures.

Hinds

Following Hinds, ROSTAM (former Vampire Weekend composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, Rostam Batmanglij) took the stage backed by a string quartet. Several of the songs bore the hallmarks of the more chamber poppy selections in the Vampire Weekend catalog. At various points throughout the set, ROSTAM brought out guests including Wes Miles of Ra Ra Riot, Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen, and Angel Deradoorian. He performed a song with the latter pair from a secret, upcoming project.

ROSTAM

As the time got closer for Brian Wilson and his band to take the stage, the crush of photographers waiting along the rail for access reached epic proportions. I planned poorly and got a spot towards the back of the line, ending up with a lot of Wilson's piano in my shots. At 8:30, the band took the stage; and we filed into the pit. Before getting into the main event, Wilson warmed everyone up with a few non-Pet Sounds classics. Wilson introduced each song -- "California Girls," "I Get Around," "Surfer Girl," "Don't Worry Baby," "Wild Honey" (w/ Blondie Chaplin), "Sail On, Sailor" (w/ Blondie Chaplin) -- with an anecdote like, "I wrote this one when I was 19" or "I wrote this in my car." He kept up the witty between-song banter all night.

Brian Wilson

"Okay, now we're gonna play Pet Sounds." And, with that, the band kicked into that album's opening track, "Wouldn't It Be Nice." Wilson introduced "You Still Believe in Me" with, "This next song isn't really a rock and roll song, but it's about a guy who messes up all the time and his girl still loves him anyway!"

Al Jardine had a spot right next to Wilson's piano, and acted as Wilson's partner in crime throughout the set, thanking the audience throughout for singing along. Jardine's son Matt handled most of the falsetto work, and the harmonies sounded great on several of the songs. Brian Wilson's voice obviously isn't what it was 50 years ago, but hearing him sing these songs and seeing him appear to enjoy doing it so much has a charm all its own. The band, which included two drummers, was on point all night.

I almost always well up during "God Only Knows," and I felt it starting to come on as "Sloop John B" drew to a close. I managed to hold it together, though.

Following "Caroline, No," Wilson shouted "Good vibrations!" and the band launched into that one (which comes pretty close to "God Only Knows" as greatest Beach Boys' song of all time), closing the evening out with more classics -- "Good Vibrations," "Barbara Ann," "Surfin' USA," and "Fun, Fun, Fun."

Brian Wilson and Al Jardine

I made my way back to the car on a real high from the day. I don't think it's really possible for me to overstate the influence of Brian Wilson -- and, specifically, Pet Sounds -- on almost all of the music I personally listen to every day. Hearing the songs outside as the breeze (Okay. The WIND.) blew through the crowd was amazing and made for a beautiful Northside Sunday. The only thing that would have made it better would've been if CoolMom were there to dance with me. She's coming with me in September.

Pictures from all three McCarren Park sets are up in the Flickr galleries.

Northside Festival, Day 2 (Not Really) & 3: King Khan and The Shrines, Giorgio Murderer, Las Rosas, 6/10-6/11/16

King Khan and His Sensational Shrines

Back To Brooklyn

I have never made it to all four days of Northside Festival. Exhaustion, Father's Day, and just not wanting to be away from my family for another day have all contributed to the fact that two or three days are usually all I can muster. On Friday, I was dragging after getting home in the wee hours of the morning from Thursday's festivities. I sucked it up, though, and headed to Bushwick for a BBQ at Baranquilla studios featuring several of our friends including Psychiatric Metaphors and The Off White.

The camera stayed in the car, and I just relaxed there listening to Hot Curl after the arduous drive. I decided I should probably check out something official. As I arrived at my car to maybe head over to Alphaville, the exhaustion caught up with me; and I just decided to pack it in. We had a family event early the next morning, and I needed sleep.

So that was Day 2.

On Saturday, we got home from our thing at about 5:30. It was near Trenton, and I just could not drive anymore. Instead, I took the train to go see King Khan and The Shrines at Brooklyn Bowl. Just reading and relaxing as I putt-putted my way up to the city for 90 minutes was paradise.

As I entered Brooklyn Bowl, local band Las Rosas were already on stage. They play engaging psych / garage pop and have an album, Everyone Gets Exactly What They Want, coming later this year via Ernest Jenning Record Co. Also, I immediately recognized BOYTOY's Glenn Van Dyke on guitar which was cool.

Las Rosas

Next up were Giorgio Murderer, the synth punk alter ego of New Orleans, Louisiana's Buck Biloxi. Biloxi / Murderer took the stage in one of those all-black body stocking / Root Suit things underneath a camo jacket and orange shorts. He spoke mostly unintelligibly, his voice altered with that Cylon centurion effect from Battlestar Galactica. The music was mostly straight-ahead, power chord punk with the addition of synths. And it was all strangely awesome and awesomely strange.

Giorgio Murderer

At just about 10, the stage was set up for King Khan and The Shrines. Guitarist / emcee Mr. Speedfinger introduced the king and things were off. Horns blaring, keyboardist Fredovitch spinning and holding his keyboard over his head, King Khan exhorting the crowd to dance and shout back at him call-and-response style, it was everything I'd come to expect from my past experiences at King Khan's shows.

King Khan

At one point, a bunch of guys started moshing up front; and Khan told them, "Hey. This is people dancing and having a good time. It's not an exercise class. It's not an Agnostic Front show, though sometimes I wish it was." That calmed them down and it was back to just dancing. Through three different costumes, an hourlong set, and a wild encore, King Khan and The Shrines had Brooklyn Bowl cutting loose for a joyous party.

Fredovitch

When everything was over, I pushed my way through the incoming clubbers and hustled back out to the street to make my way home. I pulled into the train station at about 2:20 in the morning. My feet hurt and I was hungry; but, even all those hours later, I still felt the adrenaline of the show.

It's back to Brooklyn one more time tonight for the great Brian Wilson, provided my badge gets me in.

You can see pictures from all of last night's sets in the Flickr galleries.

Northside Festival, Day 1: Wolf Parade, Land Of Talk, Pure Bathing Culture, Eagulls, 6/9/16

Wolf Parade

Canada Day

For the first time since I've been attending Northside Festival, I was able to head out without having to worry about ditching conference calls or leaving unfinished work until my sleep-deprived next morning. There were still the usual dad-type things to deal with like arranging the cooldaughters' carpools; but, for once, I arrived in Brooklyn with even enough time to have a meal before attending several hours' worth of sets. It was nice.

I picked up my credentials in McCarren Park and huddled with the other photographers as we waited for Land Of Talk to take the stage. Last month, Elizabeth Powell played her first gig in New York in 5 years; and the crowd was ready for another round with the Canadian band. Backed by members of The Besnard Lakes, Powell fought through some guitar tuning issues to deliver a great set to an adoring crowd. When Land Of Talk finished their set, the park began to fill for Land Of Talk's fellow Canadians in Wolf Parade.

Land Of Talk

Wolf Parade have recently returned from a hiatus themselves; and, when the set started with the drumbeat of "You Are a Runner, and I Am My Father's Son," I think I felt my stomach do a little somersault. From there, they went right into "Fancy Claps," and I was grinning from ear to ear behind my camera. Wolf Parade touched on all of their releases including their latest, self-titled effort, Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner alternating like they do on the records. They closed the main set with "I'll Believe in Anything," and I would have been totally satisfied with that. Everybody walked back out onstage for a two-song encore that consisted of Boeckner rocker "This Heart's on Fire" and the more experimental "Kissing the Beehive." I started making my way over to nearby Brooklyn Bowl as the final strains of "Kissing the Beehive" sailed over the neighborhood.

Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug

The staff at Brooklyn Bowl informed me that the venue had reached "badge capacity," so I took it as an opportunity to see a pair of bands I'd never seen before. I scrapped my plans to see Diarrhea Planet and headed over to Baby's All Right for Pure Bathing Culture and Eagulls.

Baby's was packed by the time Pure Bathing Culture took the stage. Sarah Versprille has a voice that's as haunting as Victoria Legrand of Beach House; and, similar to my experience with that band upon seeing them live for the first time, Pure Bathing Culture won me over during their set. They play a cross between dream pop and yacht rock; and, judging by the size and reaction of the crowd, have built up quite a fan base. Note: Though now based in Portland, OR, Versprille and guitarist / keyboardist Daniel Hindman met at William Patterson right here in New Jersey.

Pure Bathing Culture

Things got tighter in the room as Pure Bathing Culture gave way to UK post-punks and labelmates Eagulls. The band's live set featured heavy doses of influence from post-punk icons like The Cure, but Eagulls also maintain a punk rock edge. At one point, they asked if the venue could stop switching up the colors of the lights and everything went and stayed red.

Eagulls

The sets at Baby's All Right ran more than 30 minutes behind, which would not have been a big deal except for the fact that I was exhausted. I bolted as soon as Eagulls were done and drove home to bed.

Tonight's another night. After I make sure the girls are driven everywhere they need to go, of course.

Pictures from all four of last night's sets are in the Flickr galleries.

Northside Festival 2016 Preview

Brooklyn Weekend

This weekend brings us another installment of Brooklyn's Northside Festival. While it's not quite South-By-South-Westian in scope (which is a feature not a bug), Northside does get 400+ bands playing in venues all over Brooklyn from morning until night for the whole weekend. I've attended at least part of it for the last couple of years, and the festival has introduced me to several new people and bands. I always set out to squeeze in as many of the acts on my must-see list as possible, but what invariably ends up happening is that I park myself somewhere and end up discovering stuff I never planned for. That's what I've found to be the beauty of the whole thing.

I'm gonna stick with tradition, though, and list a whole bunch of bands that I would like to see if I could. You can find the entire Northside Festival lineup / schedule here. If there's anything there that you really think is an absolute must, feel free to leave a comment or to shoot me a note.

Familiar Faces

Big gatherings like this are an opportunity for discovery, but I also find them to be a great chance to see some of my friends and favorites playing in a new place to a new crowd. Lots of familiar names have shows scheduled for Northside; and, if you're in Brooklyn this weekend, you should try to squeeze them in.

Sharkmuffin, Thursday, June 9th at Shea Stadium

Sharkmuffin are the band that I saw more than any other in March at South By Southwest. The Little Dickman recording artists deliver a mix of grunge, surf, and pop in the form of short blasts of danceable noise. Shea is kind of like a home base for them, and the other bands on this bill (especially Don Giovanni political punk band Aye Nako) make this a great show.

Sharkmuffin

NO ICE, Thursday, June 9th at Muchmore's. June 10th at The Gutter

I recently reviewed NO ICE's debut, Come on Feel the NO ICE. The band call on influences as diverse as Jesus and Mary Chain, Pavement, and The Shirelles. Somehow it all works.

Darkwing / Psychiatric Metaphors / The Off White / Rosebug, June 10th at Baranquilla. 

Darkwing / Psychiatric Metaphors / The Off White / Rosebug / Fruit & Flowers, June 11th at Gold Sounds.

Psychiatric Metaphors, June 11th at The Gutter

Darkwing / The Off White / Dentist / Fruit & Flowers / A Deer A Horse, June 12th at Muchmore's

A whole bunch of our Jersey / Little Dickman / South By Southwest friends reconvene for several shows at Northside Festival. Psychiatric Metaphors and The Off White should be familiar to any of you who spend any time in and around Asbury Park. A like-minded pair of dirty, gritty garage bands, they both have rigorous Northside schedules.

The Off White

They'll be joined in various permutations by fuzzed out psych poppers Darkwing, dreampop group Rosebug, or surf / psych rockers Fruit & Flowers. On Sunday, there's also the opportunity to catch the urgent rock and roll of A Deer A Horse and our brothers and sister in Dentist.

Dentist

Any one of these shows will make your day / evening.

BOYTOY, June 11th at Our Wicked Lady

Carousel alums and a band destined for bigger things, BOYTOY sit somewhere at the intersection of garage rock and bubblegum pop. They play a Papercup Music showcase that also features The Teen Age.

Teenage Halloween, June 12th at The Grand Victory

Ocean / Asbury Park DIY power pop / folk punk collective Teenage Halloween are one of the hardest-working bands in our little local scene, and it's great to see them getting the recognition they deserve. Their show at Grand Victory on Sunday also features great New York City band Cutters.

Bands I'd Love to See but Who Are All Probably Playing at the Same Time Really Far Away from One Another

If I've learned anything from Northside Festival, it's that I have to understand that I simply won't be able to see everything I want. It's physics. But I'll list out the acts that caught my eye as I went through the schedule and hope for the best.

Wolf Parade

Wolf Parade returned from indefinite hiatus in 2016, and their recent residency at Bowery Ballroom received rave reviews. I missed that, sadly. But Spencer Krug, Dan Boeckner, and company basically kick off the official Northside Music proceedings with a show in McCarren Park on Thursday night. The band released one of my favorite albums of all time in 2005 with the (mostly) Isaac Brock-produced Apologies to the Queen Mary, and I'm excited about finally getting the opportunity to see their live show.

Diarrhea Planet

I've seen this Nashville guitar army several times, and the shredding and overall exuberance of their shows never fails to disappoint. They play Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday night. It's the eve of the release of their third full-length Turn to Gold and should be a party. Acid Dad, another band I'd like to see, are also on that bill, but.. Wolf Parade.

Diarrhea Planet

Slonk Donkerson

Slonk Donkerson are one of those bands that I feel like I almost always have in one of these previews, and I've never actually managed to see them. They combine some of the college rock influences (R.E.M., The Replacements) of my childhood with big 80s rock into something I find irresistible. They play Friday at Grand Victory.

Colleen Green

Colleen Green's 2015 LP, I Want to Grow Up, and recent self-titled cassette EP are two of my favorite things from the last couple of years. Simple pop songs with what I like to call a "slow Ramones" aesthetic. Green plays in the wee hours of Saturday morning at Baby's All Right.

King Khan & The Shrines

The mighty King Khan and his band of Shrines are well and truly one of the greatest live acts I have ever seen. I reviewed one of their shows at Asbury Lanes in the early days of CoolDad Music and that show still stands as one of the major inspirations for why I do this. This is not to be missed. King Khan plays Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday.

King Khan

Priests

I haven't gotten a chance to see Washington, DC's Priests since February of 2015 when they played the Don Giovanni Records showcase at Knitting Factory. The live delivery of their politically-charged punk rock is just as much performance art as incendiary live show. Priests play St. Vitus on Saturday night.

Priests

Ovlov

Ovlov's am and it's combination of shoegaze and indie rock was one of my favorite records of 2013. It hits all of the right points for me from MBV to Dinosaur Jr. I feel like this band has broken up and gotten back together a couple of times since then, but they're definitely back now. I hope I can get to this one. They play Shea Stadium on Saturday. That show also features recent Wonder Bar performers Two Inch Astronaut.

WALL

I don't know much about NYC's WALL other than I saw them at South By Southwest, and they blew me away. They call themselves post-punk or no wave. Whatever. Great band. They play Saturday at Union Pool and Sunday at Aviv on a show that also includes Haybaby, Mannequin Pussy, Stove, and Caddywhompus.

Brian Wilson

The master of pop perfection plays Pet Sounds in McCarren Park on Sunday. What else is there to even say about that? Well, I could also say that ROSTAM, formerly of Vampire Weekend, and South By Southwest standout from Madrid, Hinds, open that one.

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So that's a quick list. I will, without a doubt, miss much of this and see and love some things I never expected. Keep it tuned here and to all the CoolDad Music social media outlets (especially instagram.com/cooldadmusic) to see what I get up to. I'll try to post reviews and photos daily.

Weekend Recap: Northside, Softball, Asbury Park, and Swim Meets, 6/11-6/14, 2015

Hot Blood at Asbury Park Yacht Club

Life Is Pretty Good, I Guess

I had big plans for the number of bands I'd see at Northside Festival this year. You can check out the previews I did if you want to see some of the bands I had on my radar. Things didn't go quite that way, though.

After getting to Brooklyn on Thursday and catching the free sets from Chris Forsyth and Luna, I did manage to see Sharkmuffin, Beverly, and Ludlow ejacula. I sweated it out in McCarren Park and at Alphaville., met up with some people I hadn't seen in a year, and had a great time.

Philly's Chris Forsyth opened Northside Fest with his band, The Solar Motel Band.

On Friday, I headed up to Pet Rescue for the Hearts Bleed Radio showcase featuring Vomitface, The Rizzos, The Planes, Warn The Duke, and Dentist right after softball practice. I thought about maybe

The Rizzos at Pet Rescue

trying to hit The Paper Box for The Battery Electric or Aviv for Sleepies, but a mix-up on The Battery Electric's set time and just the good time I was having hanging with Dentist kept me parked at Pet Rescue.

On Saturday, CoolDaughter #2's softball team had their final game of the season followed by a pizza party. I helped out with the coaching duties all season, and I'm not joking when I say that I welled with pride over how much our first and second graders had improved over the course of the year. They downed about 6 pizzas and an endless flow of Sierra Mist at Luigi's after the game.

Good hangs with the Dentists at Pet Rescue.

Asbury Underground was happening, but I was tired and wanted to spend some time with CoolMom before she left for her business trip. We sat out by the pool as CD2 swam with her friends from the neighborhood. I worked and worked to get CoolMom to join me in Asbury for the evening, but she wouldn't go for it. She wanted to get to bed early.

Working on about 3 hours of sleep, I headed out to Asbury Park where the sold-out Third Eye Blind show made parking a nightmare. After finding a spot in front of Asbury Tower, I walked south along the boardwalk toward Convention Hall as the sounds of The Ribeye Brothers got louder and louder. I caught the last several songs from their set and noticed Spider Bags' Dan McGee, who was up next, bouncing along to the music and enjoying himself.

The Ribeye Brothers

I told the bunch of friends that I ran into at Anchor's Bend that they would enjoy Spider Bags who were visiting from Chapel Hill. The reviews I got back after the band's set were unanimously positive. The wild and sweaty set ranged from short garage pop nuggets to extended jams. McGee called it the best show they played all year, and damned if I didn't believe him.

Spider Bags

Then it was a brisk walk down to Asbury Park Yacht Club where I managed to catch the last three songs from Hey Anna. They closed with infectious recent single "Don't Talk Stop" and sounded great. Afterwards, it was a 180-degree turn from Hey Anna's pristine, beach-tinged pop to Hot Blood's hardcore punk.

Hey Anna

Hot Blood's set was as wild as The Battery Electric's from the previous week. The scrum in front of the stage pulsed and heaved from the first song. Crowd surfers bumped up against the surf boards that decorated the ceiling. Mat Kiley jumped off the bar and landed on top of the crowd during the band's last song.

When Hot Blood were done, I was pretty physically spent. With a 6am wakeup call ahead of me for CoolDaughter #1's Princeton swim meet in the morning, I reluctantly had to call it an evening before We're Ghosts Now took the stage. I've seen the band a few times now, and you should make it a point to catch their set the next time they pop up in the listings. I did get to meet bassist Max Resnick and chat a bit, so that was cool.

Things got crazy for Hot Blood.

The next morning, I got to watch CD1 swim a couple of personal bests. Even though I was kind of in a daze, it still made me smile. Once we got home, it was a couple of hours with CoolMom before she left us until Friday.

I always get a little sad at the prospect of a week without CoolMom. The moment she walks through the door each night really is one of the highlights of my day, and I miss it when she's gone. The girls and I will manage. Maybe do a little breakfast for dinner or just swim in the pool following their half days this week.

As I lay in bed with a drink last night, though, I thought about happier things than missing CoolMom. I thought about how many really good friends I've made over the last few years, and how much I enjoy seeing them when I head out to shows. I thought about how, when certain local bands are playing, it's just as much fun for me to hang around and laugh with them as it is to see their show.

It's not all about seeing as many bands as I can and accumulating pictures and content for this site. If I wanted to to that, I'd have driven back and forth to Brooklyn for four straight days. Instead, it's about discovering new things and new bands, spending time with family and some of the other people I've grown to genuinely love, and being able to balance it all with the rest that life has to offer. That's not always so simple; but, unlike most of the other "work" I've done in my life, it feels like work that's really worth doing.

Check out Flickr for some more pics of the weekend. I still have a few to get through, but they'll all show up there eventually.

Photo Highlights of Luna at Northside Festival, McCarren Park, 6/11/15

Luna in Brooklyn's McCarren Park

Happy Birthday, Britta

I wasn't sure I'd make it to Brooklyn in time to catch the 7:30pm set from Luna, but the stars aligned for me. I walked into McCarren Park, and picked up my badge with plenty of time to get a cold drink and to get myself situated before the show.

Several other members of the press appeared to be making their way into the photo pit, so I went over to the event staff and managed to talk my way in there as well. Right on schedule, Dean Wareham, Britta Phillips, Sean Eden, and Lee Wall came out as Luna began their first set on a New York stage in 10 years. The large number of photographers with me in the pit began jockeying for position as the band lit into "Slide" from Luna's 1992 debut Lunapark.

The band seemed comfortable and relaxed, even during their longest jams. Wareham and Eden kept pointing out people they recognized in the front rows and noting the T-shirts that folks were wearing from various eras of the band. At one point, after "Tiger Lily," they even did a short rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Phillips.

As per custom, photographers were sent back into the crowd at the end of the third song. From there, I got to watch the rest of the band's 90-minute set, including epic versions of "Moon Palace," "23 Minutes in Brussels," and their cover of Beat Happening's "Indian Summer." The richness of Eden's guitar tones captivated me all evening, and I barely noticed that I was dying of heat exhaustion. I can only imagine how it felt onstage. I did manage to get off a few more pics from the smokier, more interestingly-lit later parts of the set.

Here are highlights of Luna's set. There are more in the Flickr galleries. Also, check back here later for recaps and pictures of the other stuff I caught on Thursday night.

Northside Festival Preview: June 13th & June 14th

Saturday / Sunday

I'm gonna be straight with you. Doing Northside on Saturday and Sunday this year is pretty iffy for me. CD1 has a two-day swim meet. CD2 has softball and other activities. CoolMom leaves for an international business trip on Sunday afternoon.

Here's a preview, though, of the stuff I would love to see if everything goes perfectly and I'm able to head up to Brooklyn. Several of these bands play New Jersey -- even Asbury Park -- often; so, if you can't get to Brooklyn yourself, keep an eye on the listings here for your chance to catch them when they come around.

Saturday, June 13th

Bully, Alvvays at 50 Kent

I've been absolutely loving what I've been hearing from Nashville's Bully as they get closer to the June 23rd release of their debut LP. I tried to make it to Baby's Alright when they last came through NYC, but that show sold out quickly. Alicia Bognanno writes raw and emotional songs delivered in a package of 90s-infused rock.

The self-titled debut from Toronto's Alvvays has been my obsession for the last few months. It's one of those records that I just automatically turn to when I can't think of anything else. "Archie Marry Me," "Adult Diversion," and "Party Police" never get old for me.

Throw in the fact that Built to Spill and Best Coast headline this bill, and this is a can't-miss.



A Deer A Horse at Bar Matchless

I met A Deer A Horse singer / guitarist Rebecca Satellite back in February, and she gave me a download card. I've enjoyed the band's "urgent rock n roll" ever since. There's a strain of that late 70s New York poetry punk running through A Deer A Horse's DNA. This is an early show, so a tough one for me.



Lazyeyes at Black Bear

I went to The Saint for a last-minute show by Jersey City's Overlake and noticed that Lazyeyes were on the bill. You may remember that they were part of the Hearts Bleed Radio Brooklyn mixtape that I shared here a while back. The band do that jangly, reverby thing that I like and I'd love another chance to see them live.



Against ME! / Mitski / Cayetana in McCarren Park

What can I say about this one? This is the free show in McCarren Park on Saturday afternoon. Seeing Mitski has been a goal of mine for a while now. Cayetana made one of my favorite records of 2014. Against ME! are Against ME!



Hey Anna / Coastgaard at Knitting Factory Brooklyn

Despite having many, many opportunities, I've only ever seen Hey Anna one time. It was a late, end-of-night set at Asbury Lanes. They blew me away. Their brand of pop has a tropical feel to it, and they do it so well.

Now, if I do manage to head up to Brooklyn on Saturday, Hey Anna and I will probably pass each other on the road. They play a 1pm set at Knitting Factory (no chance I'll be there early enough), and then they head to Asbury Park for an evening set at APYC.

Also on this bill are Coastgaard. I reviewed the band's beach-tinged self-titled EP for Speak Into My Good Eye, and their live show at Shea Stadium lived up to the sounds of that set.



Viet Cong at Music Hall of Williamsburg

This Canadian quartet plays complex and intricate psychedelic post-punk. Viet Cong sound like they'd be a pretty wild act to see live. They're playing two nights at MHOW.



Toy Cities at Pete's Candy Store

Toy Cities played that same show at Shea where I saw Coastgaard. They do their own take on the post-punk / indie aesthetic. There are a few shoegazy elements here and there, and I remember being pretty impressed by their set. I'd like to check them out again.



Nude Beach at Union Pool

Nude Beach put out a ballsy record in 2014. 77 is an 18-song, 68-minute collection that mines some of the late-70s and early-80s sounds of classic rock and power-pop. Nude Beach bring a punk, DIY attitude to the whole thing; and audiences have responded extremely positively every time I've seen the band play. Some sounds never get old.



Sunday, June 14th

The Brooklyn What at Union Pool

I saw the Brooklyn What with CoolMom at Maxwell's as part of The Everymen's last show there. They put on a fantastic show, and some of the tracks from 2013's Hot Wine ("The Basement," "Punk Rock Loneliness") are actually quite brilliant. It's rock, pure and simple, rooted in The Replacements and Hüsker Dü; and it's a ton of fun.



Whiskey Bitches / Haybaby at The Gutter

More gritty garage rock with Whiskey Bitches. 2014's Never Enough is 4-tracks of bouncing, buzz saw punk.

Haybaby are another of those bands I saw at the Hearts Bleed Radio Showcase last year. They've since signed to Tiny Engines. Their debut LP Sleepy Kids is due this summer. Based on what I saw last year and what you can hear on Superpresent, Haybaby touch on quite a few classic indie rock sounds that I love.



Big Quiet at Black Bear

On Big Quiet's self-titled LP, Marisa Cerio's guitar and Mitch Easter's production yield a sound that blends shoegaze and southern gothic pop into something that was a wonderful discovery for me earlier this year. Big Quiet put their own stamp on some classic sounds by incorporating some noise and Cerio's unique vocals.



So that's it. Like I said, Saturday and Sunday are going to be gametime decisions for me, but head over to the Northside Festival website and make up your own schedule. Feel free to let me know on the Interwebs if you see anything really great.