BLACK LIPS, DEERHUNTER, KING KHAN Played McCarren Pool

With the help of the hilarious, makeshift emcee King Khan, Atlanta invaded McCarren Pool on Sunday with the glorious double punch of Deerhunter and Black Lips. It was a beautiful day for the summer party at the pool and all the bands infused the day with their raw talent and energy.

Black Lips were the headlining band and deservedly so. Their set was the usual chaos and mayhem we've grown to expect. The highlight for sure was the toilet paper fight during "Bad Kids", where King Khan, Bradford Cox and others stormed the stage, decorating the band with rolls of TP, which started flying into the crowd and back again. Check out the video below for the evidence.

Deerhunter were introduced by Les Savy Fav frontman Tim Harrington. The band didn't receive quite as rowdy a reception as the Lips, but their mesmerizing set blistered the adoring crowd with curiosity and intrigue. Bradford Cox led his newly formed version of Deerhunter through new tracks like "Nothing Ever Happened" and "Never Stops", both from the forthcoming album Microcastle, before closing the set out with a mind-altering, extended version of "Strange Lights".

King Khan and The Shrines opened for the two bands with their psychedelic blues funk, but Khan never really left the stage. Instead he constantly altered his costume, a crazy combination of tribal funk and glam androgyny. His pranks only seemed to accelerate throughout the day, most notably during Deerhunter's set when he bared his ass, which served as a sort of vase for a bouquet a flowers. This man is nuts!

Black Lips - Bad Kids (live at McCarren Pool)


Also, the brand new track from Deerhunter, "Nothing Ever Happened"...

Coachella Coverage

As always, Coachella was an incredible event, showcasing over 100 bands and DJ's. Beth Gibbons proved a bonafide rock star as she led Portishead in a stunning comeback performance. The Black Lips and Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings were on fire (some literally), providing a stealth alternative to Jack Johnson on the main stage. M.I.A. had a diva moment when she brought the show to an uncomfortable halt, at which point the "diva moment" turned into a full-on meltdown. And of course, Prince was amazing, sharing the stage with Morris Day and The Time for a pair of songs, then with Sheila E for her classic "Glamorous Life".

THE BLACK LIPS, Mojave Tent



The Black Lips were one of the highlights of the weekend, tearing up the Mojave tent with their rowdy rock 'n' roll. The boys ended their set by lighting their guitars on fire before they all-out destroyed them and threw the mangled guitar limbs into the crowd.

HOT CHIP, Sahara Tent


Hot Chip proved they can command the gigantic Sahara tent as good as anyone (Daft Punk aside). Their live set was high energy and the packed tent didn't let the scorching heat diffuse their enthusiasm. Fueled by percussive outbursts, this was a hot and sweaty dance party that had everyone moving.

LOVE & ROCKETS, Outdoor Stage


Much to their fans' delight, Love & Rockets made a solid return to the stage, rocking through classics like "No New Tale to Tell", "Ball of Confusion", and "No Big Deal". The songs sounded remarkably tight and fresh and the light show was perfectly suited to the bands style and tone.

M.I.A., Sahara Tent


Meltdown aside, when MIA was on she was on, but the show overall was very rough. She played the rock star, wearing a platinum wig and strutting around the stage like a fierce diva. But I think her show at Terminal 5 last October was far, far superior.

***

I'm still in LA, but hope to post some more pictures soon.

-all photos ©2008 by Scot Bowman

Countdown to Coachella - 10 Days...

For me, Coachella is a very special experience. This year will mark the 5th time I've made the trek out into the middle of the California desert for the country's greatest music festival; my first being in 1999, the inaugural Coachella. Like last year, I'm counting down the days to the festival (like a geek) because I'm so damn excited I can't think about anything else. So, for the next 10 days I'll explore who I think are the most exciting acts playing this year. These acts are in no particular order of greatness or favoritism. But I'll start with four acts that I've already seen and can highly recommend.

SANTOGOLD, Brooklyn, NY


Santogold was awesome when she opened for Bjork last September. Now, her debut album is finally coming out and I think Coachella will be her official "coming out" party. Expect Spank Rock and Diplo to join her onstage (as they did at Madison Square Garden). This is gonna be a great, great show.

Santogold - LES Artistes (music video)


BATTLES, New York City


Battles blew my mind when they played South Street Seaport last summer. The energy these guys create with their bizarre sci-fi funk sound is at times transcendental. Most importantly, you cannot miss these guys rip through the live version of the phenomenally epic robot track "Atlas".

Battles - Atlas (music video)


BLACK LIPS, Atlanta, CA


Black Lips are known for creating a certain level of chaos at their shows, though the one show I went to was rather tame. Whether it be urinating onstage, kissing each other, vomiting, or launching fireworks, a Black Lips show is never simply boring. Check out a NSFW clip of the band playing in Tijuana. Raucous or not, these guys deliver tight, hook-heavy rock n roll that sounds almost better live than it does on record. In fact, the Black Lips' first few albums were all recorded live.

Black Lips - Katrina (music video)


DAN DEACON, Baltimore, MD


Dan Deacon is another artist who creates pandemonium, but rather than doing it onstage, he does it in the crowd. As far as I can tell, Deacon never actually plays onstage. He sets up his wacky table of electronic gadgets, mixers and funny props in the audience and the party ensues around him. Often he instructs the audience in a sort of excercise, pulling you into the mix and everyone somehow becomes a part of the show. So don't complain if you never actually see Dan, just close your eyes and enjoy the euphoric madness that he creates on that wacky table.

Dan Deacon - The Crystal Cat (music video)

Save The Silent Barn!

-Bradford Cox & Karen O at Silent Barn

It was reported by Brooklyn Vegan today that The Silent Barn could be on the verge of shutting down as a result of a Con Edison bill. The Silent Barn is a house that serves as a DIY venue in Ridgewood, Queens, closely bordering my neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn. Many great shows have occured there in the past year or so, including Black Lips, Deerhunter (the one where Karen O got onstage), Dan Deacon, and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.

If you live in Brooklyn (or Queens) it is crucial that you read the article over at Brooklyn Vegan.

BLACK LIPS Rocked The Bowery Ballroom

Though tame compared to past shows, Atlanta's BLACK LIPS played a rowdy, tight, and poppin' set last night at the Bowery Ballroom and the crowd was very, very into it. They ran through all their best songs, including 'Katrina', 'Cold Hands', 'Not A Problem', and 'Stranger', the latter of which you can watch below. My only complaint about the show would be how they teased us into believing there would be an encore, but after five minutes of "ladies" filing into the backstage door (and I mean a lot of ladies), the lights went up and the show was abruptly over.

Opening band THE SELMANAIRES (also from Atlanta) were impressive as well, though the crowd looked like a scene from Night of the Living Dead throughout their set. Poor guys. They gave a lot of energy and deserved at least a little bit back.

Black Lips - Stranger (live at the Bowery Ballroom)


Tonight, both bands will be at The Music Hall of Williamsburg, but not before the Lips play a free show at Soundfix Records, then lead the audience on a circus parade to the Music Hall. This is guaranteed to be a spectacle!