Led Zeppelin 2 Plays Gramercy Theater on Friday, Jan. 9th

"Robert Plant Slams Idea of Zeppelin Tour: 'I'm Not Part of a Jukebox'" - Rolling Stone

As it is almost certain that Led Zeppelin won't be coming back, Led Zeppelin 2 may be the next best thing...

LED ZEPPELIN 2: The Live Experience recreates the sights, sounds, and pure rock and roll euphoria of a prime Led Zeppelin concert. Resplendent in satin and denim, LZ2 delivers the intense, raw energy and dynamics of songs such as "Whole Lotta Love", "Stairway to Heaven", "Kashmir", "Dazed and Confused" and many more from the entire catalog of Zeppelin studio, live and bootleg recordings.

"These guys sound f'ing exactly like Led Zeppelin!" - Kirk Hammett of Metallica



In concert, LZ2 delivers authentic renditions of classic Zeppelin material, as well as recreating the live improvisation & onstage dynamics that earned Led Zeppelin their legendary status for performing. LZ2 has performed across the US and draw rave reviews for a "spot-on" Zeppelin show, playing both deep cuts and classic tracks from the entire studio, live and bootleg catalog, and occasionally entire Led Zeppelin studio albums and performances from specific dates. LED ZEPPELIN 2 brings forward the Led Zeppelin experience to a new generation while satisfying diehard Zep fans with a raw, fresh approach.

Led Zeppelin 2 plays Gramercy Theater this Friday, Jan. 9th; Tickets range from $25 (standing/floor) to $35 (seated/loge) and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Led Zeppelin 2

Huntress: Win a Pair of Tickets to Paganfest 2012 @ Gramercy Theatre on March 31st

Win a pair of tickets to see Huntress at Gramercy Theatre on March 31st. The band is playing on the Paganfest America 2012 tour, which features Turisas, Alestorm, Arkona and Huntress.

Drop me an email at Mike.BrooklynRocks at Gmail Dot Com with the subject "Huntress Tickets" and a winner will be chosen at random. Be sure to include your first and last name in the email as tickets will be at will-call.



Huntress was birthed in the underground of Highland Park, California, clawing at the roots of heavy metal. Lead singer Jill Janus is an operatic banshee with an unparalleled four-octave range and lust for the occult. Born and raised in the Catskill Mountains of New York, she toured Europe as a teenage opera starlet. Upon her return to the States, Janus embraced Manhattan nightlife, creating Felliniesque cabarets and parties in a nihilistic club scene. Years later, Janus moved to Los Angeles and began the gestation period of Huntress. In 2009 she met underground metal band Professor. The universe spread her legs and delivered Huntress to Janus, combining former members of Professor, Dark Black and Skeletonwitch.

The powerful pentad signed to Napalm Records in November 2011. They unleashed their first music video for “Eight of Swords” in October 2011, directed by Simon Chan of Artificial Army. The song was produced and engineered by Chris Rakestraw of Sunset Lodge Recording in Silverlake, CA. Rakestraw will also produce their debut album, slated for release Spring/Summer 2012 on Napalm Records.

Links:
Huntress

Doro Announces "25 Years in Rock" DVD Release Party at Gramercy Theatre on Sept. 9th

Legendary metal maven, Doro Pesch, will perform a special one-off show in New York City on September 9, 2011 at the Gramercy Theatre. This show will mark the official U.S. screening/release party for Doro's 25 Years In Rock DVD, set for release in North America via Nuclear Blast on September 13. Released in Europe late last year (also via Nuclear Blast), the epic 2 DVD/CD set includes Doro's 25-year anniversary show in its entirety as well as out-takes from her 2,500th concert and so much more.



Tickets for the Gramercy Theatre show are now on sale and are $23.00. For anyone who needs some live Doro now, Arte, a Franco-German TV network, posted the complete set from her performance at Hellfest this past June.



Earlier this month, Doro sat in with Dio Disciples, taking the place of Tim "Ripper" Owens who was unable to make the three dates that the band played in Spain. Commented Pesch: "I'm so excited to be a part of this tour. I listened day and night to Ronnie James Dio's amazingly wonderful song and I will try me very best to do a good job with them. I feel so honored and blessed to be a part of this and to keep Dio's music and magic alive. He was truly the greatest rock and metal singer of all time. We love you, Ronnie. I will sing my heart out for you and the fans. "



Links:
Doro

Holy Grail: Crisis in Utopia CD Review // Show at Gramercy Theater on Feb. 2nd

Holy Grail formed from the ashes of the original lineup of White Wizzard (Earache) and created a buzz with their non-stop touring (with bands like Exodus, Saviours and 3 Inches of Blood) and their 2009 EP “Improper Burial”. While the two originals on the EP provided an initial view into the band’s thrash-infused power metal sound, Holy Grail firmly established their sound with the release of their debut full-length disc Crisis in Utopia this past October (Prosthetic). Breaking from their White Wizzard / NWOBHM-revival roots, Crisis in Utopia incorporates significant elements from thrash and speed metal which pushes them closer in sound to bands like Armored Saint and Accept.

Across the disc’s ten tracks, the band combines a strong sense of melody with an equal level of aggression. The band leads this charge with a combined attack of dual-lead guitars and James Paul Luna’s vocals. Luna sings in a rawer, raspier voice than he did on White Wizzard’s debut CD which he can take up to a falsetto scream. Backing vocals range from clean vocals harmonies to the (expected) melodic “wow-oh-oh” to a death metal growl. Lyrically, the band’s focus is on sword and sorcery imagery but, while some of the songs are shout-along fist pumpers, the lyrics seem to take a backseat to the raw sonic power of the music.

Guitarists James LaRue and Eli Santana skip the NWOBHM power-metal leads and play fast-paced, technical, speed metal riffs (check out the dueling leads on the disc opener “My Last Attack” and “Fight to Kill”, which is an aggressive hold-over from the 2009 EP) and the drumming stops just short of death metal blast beats. The only exception to this is “Nocturne in D Minor” which breaks up the disc mid-way with an atmospheric instrumental which highlights a flute and acoustic guitar.

Holy Grail were in town with Exodus and Bonded by Blood this past August (video from the show is below).



The band is coming back to the Gramercy Theater with 3 Inches of Blood, Eluveitie and System Divide on Feb. 2nd. Tickets are $18 (+$9 LiveNation surcharge if you buy tickets using LiveNation.com) and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Holy Grail

Vampires Everywhere Release New Single as Free Download // Tour with Murderdolls Postponed

Update: “Due to an unforeseeable family emergency, MURDERDOLLS have been forced to cancel the upcoming 'Violent Night, Deadly Night' tour. These decisions are never easy to make and we did everything we could to keep from having to cancel, but this was unavoidable. We'll do our best to make up the dates in 2011. For those who bought tickets, refunds are available from point of purchase. Sorry, ghoulscouts, but we'll see you all soon!"

DOWNLOAD: Vampires Everywhere - "Undead Heart" (download requires a Facebook or Twitter post)

In a recent interview with About.Com, vocalist Michael Vampire was asked to describe the sound of his band Vampires Everywhere.

Michael: I would describe our sound as a blend of hardcore, screamo, dark pop and dance. We didn't want to stick with one thing and be stigmatized by that our whole career. So we took all of our favorite genres and fused them together. I have played in many bands, and this is the only band I have ever played with that could pull such a feat off and make it sound good. I feel lucky to be playing with these guys.

Los Angeles' Vampires Everywhere are heading out next week on a December cross-country tour with the Murder Dolls (entitled "Violent Night, Deadly Night") which stops at Gramercy Theatre on Dec. 6th. Tickets are $15 (face + $8 in ticketing fees if you buy online) and Get Scared is also on the bill.

Links:
Vampires Everywhere

Bonded By Blood: "Exiled to Earth" Press Interview with Vocalist Jose Barrales, Earache Records, NYC July '10

Earlier this month, I had a opportunity to catch up with Jose Barrales, vocalist for the Pomona, CA thrash band Bonded by Blood. The band's second album for Earache Records, Exiled to Earth, is due out August 10th. This time around, the band recorded with producer Ralph Patlan (Megadeth, UFO and White Wizzard) and the end results are a heavier and tighter sound.

I talked with Jose about the new release (and the limited edition signed comic strip that comes with the disc if you order through Townsend Records), the evolution of the band since the "Four Pints of Blood" demo and their upcoming tours with Exodus, Overkill, Evile and Early Man.



Bonded by Blood are on the road from August through the end of the year and local shows are August 28th at Gramercy Theater with Exodus and October 10th at Europa with Early Man and Evile. The show at the Gramercy Theater also has Malevolent Creation and Holy Grail on the bill and tickets are $20. Details about the show at Europa aren't posted yet.

Here are the tour dates for the run of shows with Exodus, Malevolent Creation and Holy Grail:

08/16/10 Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
08/17/10 Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC - CANADA
08/18/10 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
08/20/10 The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
08/21/10 Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
08/23/10 Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
08/24/10 The Mod Club - Toronto, ON - CANADA
08/25/10 Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC - CANADA
08/27/10 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
08/28/10 The Gramercy Theater - New York, NY
08/29/10 Polaris - Philadelphia, PA
08/31/10 Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
09/01/10 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
09/02/10 Phoenix Hill Tavern - Louisville, KY
09/03/10 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
09/04/10 The Social - Orlando, FL
09/05/10 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
09/07/10 The Door - Dallas, TX
09/08/10 Emo's - Austin, TX
09/12/10 The Avalon - Santa Clara, CA

Links:
Bonded By Blood

Karnivool - Enter to Win a Pair of Tickets to the March 31st Show at Gramercy Theater

Australian alt-rock band Karnivool are in the midst of their first US tour in three years and the band is playing The Grammercy Theater on Wednesday, March 31st with Something to Burn and Fair to Midland.

TO WIN A PAIR OF KARNIVOOL TICKETS for THE GRAMERCY THEATER SHOW: email Mike.BrooklynRocks at gmail.com (subject: Karnivool) with your first and last name. One winner will be chosen at random tomorrow night and contacted back.

Karnivool is touring behind their sophomore disc, Sound Awake, which was released last month via SIN/SonyMusic Independent Network. This disc has been out in Australia since last June and it debuted at #1 on the Australian Independent Music charts. Kerrang! described the disc as "a hail of expansive melodies, that, when at their best are a little short of breathtaking. This is genuinely impressive stuff’".

Here is a live video of first single from this disc, "Set Fire to the Hive", that was recorded earlier this year at Big Day Out.



Links:
Karnivool

Karnivool Kick Off US Tour at SXSW / Show at The Grammercy Theater on March 31st

Australian alt-rock band Karnivool kick off their first US tour in three years with six shows at SXSW. The tour stops at The Grammercy Theater on March 31st and advanced tickets are $15.00

The band's second disc, Sound Awake, will be released in the US next Tuesday (Feb. 16th) via SIN/SonyMusic Independent Network. This disc has been out in Australia since last June and it debuted at #1 on the Australian Independent Music charts. Kerrang! described the disc as "a hail of expansive melodies, that, when at their best are a little short of breathtaking. This is genuinely impressive stuff’".

Here is a live video of first single from this disc, "Set Fire to the Hive", that was recorded earlier this year at Big Day Out.



Here are the upcoming tour dates:

March 17 -- Austin, TX (SXSW), Manic Fest Destiny @ The Belmont (ACOUSTIC), 4:00pm
March 18 -- Austin, TX (SXSW), Full Metal Texas @ Emo's, 12:15pm
March 18 -- Austin, TX (SXSW), SIN Party @ Antone's, 4:00pm
March 20 -- Austin, TX (SXSW) Aussie BBQ @ Maggie Mae's, 12:00pm
March 20 -- Austin, TX (SXSW) Manic Fest Destiny @ The Belmont (ACOUSTIC), 4:00pm
March 20 -- Austin, TX (SXSW) Aussie Showcase @ Maggie Mae's, 11:59pm
March 21 -- Corpus Christi, TX, The Pavilion @ Concrete St
March 23 -- San Antonio, TX, Scout Bar
March 24 -- Houston, TX, Scout Bar
March 26 -- Jacksonville, NC, Hooligan's
March 27 -- Augusta, GA, Sky City
March 28 -- Charleston, SC, The Oasis
March 30 -- Baltimore, MD, The Quarter
March 31 -- New York, NY, Gramercy Theater
April 01 -- Philadelphia, PA, The Note
April 02 -- Hartford, CT, Webster Underground
April 03 -- Providence, RI, Club Hell
April 05 -- Toronto, ONT, Wreck Room
April 07 -- Cleveland, OH, Peabody's
April 08 -- Louisville, KY, Phoenix Hill Tavern
April 09 -- Chicago, IL, Penny Road
April 10 -- Appleton, WI, Revolution
April 11 -- Madison, WI, The Annex
April 12 -- Minneapolis, MN, The Rock
April 14 -- Denver, CO, Marquis Theatre
April 16 -- Sacramento, CA, Boardwalk
April 17 -- Los Angeles, CA, Troubadour

Links:
Karnivool

The Residents Announce New CD and NYC Tour Dates

The Residents are back with their first NYC tour since the 2002 Demons Dance Alone tour, which played three nights at The Warsaw in Brooklyn.

The new CD is entitled Bunny Boy and it hits the streets on September 2nd. You can pre-order through The Residents' record label, Ralph America (link below). Bunny Boy "centers around an eccentric character, the bunny boy, whose search for his missing brother compels him to post videos on the internet as a "cry for help." As the story evolves, it opens up to interaction between the bunny boy and his audience, causing the narrative to twist and turn in odd and unpredictable ways. Spanning a gap between insanity and self realization, the loony, but affable bunny boy soon finds himself pursuing a goal no less vital than saving the world from Armageddon."

If you haven't seen The Resident's videos about the adventures of Timmy, you probably need to move quickly as I understand that they will be coming down to make room for the new Bunny Boy videos.

The Residents' Bunny Boy tour plays The Blender Theater @ Gramercy on October 9th and 10th. Tickets are $40.00.

Links:
RalphAmerica (The Resident's Record Label)

Laura Veirs is Playing Gramercy Theater on May 16th

“For Ms. Veirs, marvels and cataclysms are intimate, something to sing about with an acoustic guitar and a breathy familiarity.”
—The New York Times

“Veirs leaves room for you to wander around, get your imagination involved.”
—NPR’s All Things Considered

Laura Veirs has earned great critical reviews with her first two CDs and her latest CD Saltbreakers was released on April 10 on Nonesuch Records. On her third CD, Veirs remains fascinated by the natural world, filling her work with images of the ocean and the stars. But she digs even deeper this time, incorporating the turbulence of her own life and the larger world into this collection of songs.

The continuing collaboration with producer Tucker Martine (The Decemberists) allows for experimentation and inventiveness, which, according to Pitchfork, showcases Veirs’ “indulgence in flights of verbal fancy.” An example of this is the track “To The Country,” which was recorded in the Nashville cabin of Johnny Cash and June Carter and which features an eight-person Baptist choir. Veirs describes the experience as “transcendent.”

On Saltbreakers, Veirs is accompanied by her longtime studio and touring band, originally called the Tortured Souls, who now bear the same name as the album. Over the last three years, the band has traveled the world touring in support of Veirs’ previous Nonesuch albums Carbon Glacier and Year of Meteors. “The band has gotten really close,” says Veirs. “We’ve become a family.” The group includes Veirs on vocals and guitar, Karl Blau on bass, Steve Moore on piano, and Tucker Martine on drums. The title track of Saltbreakers also marks the debut of her fellow players as backing vocalists. Most of the album was recorded in Seattle.

For those who haven't heard Laura, check out:

Magnetized (2006)
Bedroom Eyes (2003)
John Henry Lives (2001)

Here are Veirs' upcoming tour dates:

May 9 - Magic Stick - Detroit, MI
May 10 - Little Brothers - Columbus, OH
May 11 - Beachland Tavern - Cleveland, OH
May 12 - El Mocambo - Toronto, ON
May 14 - La Sala Rossa - Montreal, QC
May 15 - Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA
May 16 - The Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY
May 17 - Tin Angel - Philadelphia, PA
May 18 - Iota - Arlington, VA
May 19 - Gravity Lounge - Charlottesville, VA
May 20 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
May 22 - The Basement - Nashville, TN
May 23 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
May 24 - The Parish - New Orleans, LA
May 25 - Walter’s - Houston, TX
May 26 - The Mohawk - Austin, TX
May 27 - The Cavern - Dallas, TX
May 30 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
May 31 - Modified - Phoenix, AZ
June 1 - Casbah - San Diego, CA
June 2 - Largo - Los Angeles, CA
June 4 - The Rio Theatre - Santa Cruz, CA
June 5 - Café du Nord - San Francisco, CA
June 8 - Triple Door - Seattle, WA
June 9 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR

Links:

Laura Veirs Main Website (link)
Laura Veirs MySpace page (link)