The Rockness Guide To Good New Year's Eve Shows in NYC
With Guided by Voices, DIIV, Titus Andronicus, The Hotelier, The Black Lips, Rainer Maria, DJ Animal Collective, Kamasi Washington, Thurston Moore, and Disclosure.
Written by Patrick McNamara
Do you want to go to a good show on New Year's Eve and say goodbye to 2016 A.D. in style?
Great! Us too!
We're going to get along famously in 2017 A.D. we can totally tell already.
Here are ten rock solid NYC NYE concert recommends.
(maybe we should have done sixteen recommends for the sake of 2016 A.D. symmetry but this DIY blob has always played by its own rules)
Please note: anyone can go to any of these good shows except people who scream "I'm sooooooooo drunnnnnnnnnnnnnk wooooooooooooo!" on New Year's Eve -- those people should go do something else.
Guided By Voices at Music Hall of Williamsburg
The legendary working man's band (aka the band behind the band behind the band) play Music Hall of Williamsburg and I'd say if you go you should buy them shots but I'm not sure if anybody in this band drinks.
HAHAHAHA, that's just a fun joke to get this feature started off right.
Fun fact: Guided by Voices has released 174 albums since forming in 1894.
DIIV at Villain
DIIV is a very good band. You heard it here FOURTH.
They headline this solid all-around show in Williamsburg with Palm and Honduras also playing.
Samantha Urbani (Friends) spins the deep cuts on the wheels of steel between bands. Don't sweat the technique.
Titus Andronicus at Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Titus Andronicus is a tragedy by Williams Shakespeare written somewhere between 1588 and 1593, but nobody knows for sure.
Titus Andronicus is a punk band from Glen Rock, New Jersey formed sometime in 2005 and they rule, Oh My Rockness knows this for sure.
Come for the jams -- stay for the purchasable trinkets. How bazaar, how bazaar!
The Hotelier at Mercury Lounge
Just saw The Hotelier open for somebody a couple months ago (can't remember the headliner, that's how much The Hotelier ruled that show) and my overwhelming feeling after it was over was that I needed to go see this band again immediately or on New Year's Eve -- whichever opportunity presented itself first.
Highly recommended if you like the emo rock. (If you don't, that's disappointing, but maybe you and I can see eye to eye on some other thing)
The Black Lips at Baby's All Right
The Black Lips rule!
Damn, it's going to be tough to pick just one of these shows to go to tonight.
I feel 4 U. I really do.
RIYL: blood / sweat / ringing ears / songs that sound good
Rainer Maria at Saint Vitus
These indie emo punk stalwarts have been slinging the sound goodness since sometime circa 1995 and I can tell you from recent first hand experience they still got it. I saw them play a recent CMJ (RIP) and it was my favorite set of the entire fest (RIP <--- linking this again so you'll be sure to read my other CMJ reminisces but if you wanna wait until you're done reading this really great NYE feature that's totally cool too)
"Oh! The reason! The night is long! Is very simple!"
Such a good band. I could type-sing their jams all day.
Animal Collective (DJ) at Brooklyn Bowl (late)
Animal Collective aren't playing live or anything.
They're just spinning some records and pressing some buttons and twisting some knobs and stuff.
Can't say I blame them. Do u know how hard it is to play live instruments with paws?
Kamasi Washington at Brooklyn Bowl (early)
Kamasi Washington rules and this show is gonna be EPIC.
Watch the video below and I'm confident you will agree.
(I'd like to think John Coltrane (1926 -1967) would've hit this one up tonight because he would've been the coolest 90 year old dude ever.)
Thurston Moore at The Stone
Thurston Moore does something cool at The Stone. Not sure what. But it will be cool. This I promise you.
Here's an old Sonic Youth clip from 1983 (even though they're not playing or anything) because there no rules on this DIY blob.
Disclosure at Secret Location in Brooklyn
Dance duo Disclosure play a "secret location" somewhere in Brooklyn and I have no idea where it is but if it's not the fitting room at the Gap it just won't sound right!
(closing this really great feature with a trailer to the modest 1994 Hollywood hit movie "Disclosure" instead of a Disclosure song because there are no rules on this blob in 2017 A.D.)
