Reverend Billy back in the news...

photo by Annie Tritt for The New York Times

A Street Performer Crusades for the First Amendment

What is the purpose of the First Amendment?

That was the question before a judge in Manhattan Criminal Court yesterday, as a street performer named Reverend Billy, a k a William Talen, faced charges of harassing police officers in Union Square Park by reciting the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Mr. Talen — the white-suited, blond-pompadoured leader of the mock Church of Stop Shopping who is perhaps best known for his crusade against Starbucks — was arrested June 29. He had joined a protest against the city’s new permit requirements for the monthly Critical Mass bicycle rally and proposed restrictions on photographers and filmmakers in public places.

He was charged with two counts of second-degree harassment, under a statute originally intended for use against stalkers. He was accused of following a group of officers while repeatedly reciting the 40-odd words of the First Amendment through a megaphone, the kind commonly used by cheerleaders. (continue at nytimes.com)

Reverend Billy performs with the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir
Sunday October 7 at Highline Ballroom

email "stop shopping" to info (AT) highlineballroom.com to win FREE TICKETS!

Stones Throw Tour

STONES THROW RECORDS ANNOUNCED PARTNERSHIP WITH 2K SPORTS TO RELEASE PEANUT BUTTER WOLF PRESENTS 2K8: B-BALL ZOMBIE WAR

NEW YORK, NY - OCT. 2, 2007 – Stones Throw Records, the West Coast-based indie record label, announced today that they have teamed up with 2K Sports, the trendsetting sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), to release Peanut Butter Wolf Presents 2K8: B-Ball Zombie War, a 20-song compilation album. This collection, compiled by Stones Throw’s founder and president, features new collaborations by Talib Kweli, Q-Tip and MF DOOM rapping over beats by the late J Dilla, as well as new tracks by Madlib, Guilty Simpson, Percee P, Koushik, and J.Rocc, amongst others. It also introduces new artists, including Karriem Riggins and Madlib's group Supreme Team and Peanut Butter Wolf’s latest signing to the label, James Pants.

2K8: B-Ball Zombie War includes a diverse line-up of notable artists and includes a number of tracks that have been licensed by 2K Sports for its 2K8 video games. This marks the first Stones Throw collaboration with a video game publisher.

tickets for December 2 @ Highline Ballroom available here

Photos!

At last; the photo gallery is fixed. Sets up from Bettye LaVette, Jackopierce, Karl Denson, & both nights of James Blunt

Karl Denson pics

STILL having trouble with the photo gallery. In the meantime here's some pics from the Karl Denson Trio's show.

Queen Latifah signing....

Queen Latifah will be signing copies of her brand new release from Verve Records, Trav'lin' Light at Virgin Mega Store in Times Square on Wednesday, September 26th at 12:00pm (noon).

Purchase Queen Latifah’s new CD "Trav’lin’ Light" at the Virgin Megastore (Times Square location only) and receive a wrist band to attend the signing.

Time and space are limited so please arrive early.

Tickets for her performance at Highline Ballroom are available here

Lemonheads!

From Spin.com:

For the first time since the band's reformation, Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando will hit the road with drummer Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag) and bassist Karl Alvarez (Descendents), collectively the trio that recorded the band's latest record and self-titled reunion effort. (continue at spin.com)

The Lemonheads Friday December 21 @ Highline Ballroom

James Blunt pics

we've got tons of pics from both nights. just experiencing some technical difficulties uploading them all to the photo gallery. they'll be up soon.

Budos Band / Village Voice...

Shaolin Funks

Transcending genres and avoiding landlords with Long Island's mighty Budos Band

by Matt Rogers

True, Staten Island—perhaps best known for its Godfather locations, the Wu-Tang Clan, and the distinct accents of its residents—is often the neglected stepchild of the Big Apple's five sibling boroughs. Yet "the Shaolin" has always been a hotbed of underground music talent, having birthed such in-your-face acts as the Wu juggernaut, the New York Dolls, and Force MDs.

Now you can add the Budos Band to the list, a 12-piece riot of juicy horns, frenzied drums, psychedelic Farfisa, and fat guitars that whip Afrobeat, Ethiopian, Latin, and funk ingredients into a uniquely danceable mess. Part of the burgeoning stable of Brooklyn's Daptone Records, the Budos (short for Los Barbudos, Spanish for "the bearded ones") brought their instrumental rough-and-tumble to a jubilant, sold-out crowd at Joe's Pub late one steamy Thursday night last month. (continue at villagevoice.com)

Budos Band perform Oct 12 at Highline Ballroom

FREE show with Havoc and special guests

also we have the inside scoop on who the special guests are....
Prodigy (the other 1/2 of Mobb Deep) and The Alchemist.

RSVP info here

Bettye Lavette and Drive By Truckers / MP3 on Pitchfork

Now's about the time I'd give you a little background on Bettye LaVette, the seen-it-all soul singer who is three years and two albums into a comeback. But she doesn't need my help or anyone else's. A musical autobiography, "Before the Money Came (The Battle of Bettye LaVette)" recounts her childhood growing up poor, her early days in the business ("I was singing r&b back in 62, before you were born, and your momma, too").
(continue at pitchforkmedia.com)

mp3/stream

Michael Gira / Time Out preview...

Highline Ballroom; Fri Sep 14.

Although Gira will play solo on Friday, We Are Him (Young God), the just-issued fifth album by his revolving-door ensemble Angels of Light, is a lushly arranged, kaleidoscopic affair—perhaps his strongest effort since the 1997 dissolution of his infamous concussive dirge–cum–symphonic rock project, Swans. The rhythmic lunges of new tunes such as “Black River Song” and “My Brother’s Man” reference the performer’s glowering younger years, but with added warmth and earthiness.
(more at timeout.com)

Simian Mobile Disco Afterparty

Click image for full flyer. FREE admission w/ RSVP here.

More tickets!

We just opened up some batches of tickets for previously sold out shows:
James Blunt and Dashboard Confessional.

Scalpers are asking for hefty prices on Stub Hub. Get em for face value from us.

FREE! TREOS & Envy on the Coast MP3s

The NY Post has free song dowloads from The Receiving End of Sirens and Envy on the Coast.

Envy on the Coast, "Sugar Skulls"

Like other popular bands hailing from the Strong Island alternative music scene, the Long Island quintet's debut album, "Lucy Gray," is heavy with dramatic, emotive and aggressive music. The lead single's driving instrumentals are complemented by choruses built for screaming along to, as well as soft midsong breakdowns. They play Highline Ballroom on Thursday.

The Receiving End of Sirens, "Smoke and Mirrors"

The experimental band from Boston has taken astronomer Johannes Kepler's "Third Law of Planetary Motion" and run with it. Their sophomore album, "The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi," explores themes of misery and famine, and this track lands squarely in the former category, being about mental and physical emptiness. Plus, it's got a bridge that's both eerie and lovely. The quintet also plays Highline Ballroom on Thursday.

Tickets available here.

The New Yorker Festival...

Another year of stellar programming for the fest and we've got some of the events here at Highline Ballroom. We've got something for everyone; from Salman Rushdie to Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

Tickets go on-sale this saturday and are super limit so don't miss out.

Bill Callahan / Fader review

Nice review over at the Fader blog.

Fools Gold Records!

we are super excited to be presenting the Fools Gold CMJ showcase at Hiro Ballroom;
e-flyer design is insane!

Santana

Pics from last night with Carlos Santana.

Coheed and Cambria / As Tall As Lions

As Tall As Lions have just been added as support to the Coheed and Cambria show. Tickets go on-sale this Friday. All proceeds go to the NYC chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Also ATAL have just posted up video from their previous Highline Ballroom show here.

Tragedy

The Tri State Area's #1 All Metal Bee Gees Tribute! photo set up here

UPDATE: more pics and review here

So as you guys may have heard (and if you haven't heard, you just haven't been paying enough attention), the Highline recently hosted its first night of tribute bands. As expected, it was truly a night for the record books. Between Guyz Night (whose self-stated mission is to "put the amp
back in anthem) and Queen Diamond (a mostly-girl King Diamond tribute made up of Paul Green School of Rock alumni), it was already a night of legend, but it was Tragedy - the tri-state area's #1 metal tribute to the Bee Gees - who dominated the night.

With their hard-rock, over-the-top approach to classics like "Stayin' Alive" and "More Than A Woman," the ladies and gentlemen of this disco-metal revolution whipped the crowd into a rabid frenzy with barely a shake of their glittery tambourines. They set the stage for Beatallica, who combined the music of Metallica and the Beatles for a single dose of rock'n'roll madness. If you weren't there, you lost out big time.