ZAPPA LIVES (SORT OF)
The “Bizarre World of Frank Zappa” tour is set to kick off this week with four dates in the NY/NJ region. Produced by premier hologram production company, Eyellusion, in close cooperation with the Zappa Family Trust, the show “utilizes hours of never-before-seen Frank Zappa performance footage from the early seventies,” which serves as the basis for what is being championed as “the world’s most ambitious hologram tour to date” and a “can’t-miss concert spectacle.” The tour will start April 19 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, and be followed by performances at the Kodak Center Theater in Rochester, NY, on 4/20, the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ, on 4/22, and The Paramount Theater in Huntington, NY on 4/24.
BLACK LIPS: STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
Atlanta’s original flower punks, Black Lips, will be returning to NYC for two shows at the Bowery Ballroom on April 19-20. The group’s most recent album, Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art, which was produced by Sean Lennon and released in 2017, saw the group stepping into uncharted musical territory; somewhat downplayed were the group’s trademark garage pop sensibilities, and line-up changes saw long-time members Joe Bradley and Ian St. Pe depart, while full-time saxophonist Zumi Rosow was added to the fold. This said, while they’ve moved on from some of the wild antics that were synonymous with their performances of yesteryear, Black Lips shows are always bonkers, and not to be missed!
LYDIA AINSWORTH: UNCONVENTIONAL POP
Indie electro-pop artist Lydia Ainsworth will be doing two shows at Elsewhere in Brooklyn, NY on May 2 & 3. Ainsworth’s forthcoming release, Phantom Forest, is a blend of catchy melodies, dark synths, and captivating beats that dart around conventional pop wisdom, favoring instead experimental soundscapes. Fans of HAIM and St. Vincent are sure to be impressed with Phantom Forest. Her first album since relocating to Los Angeles from Toronto, it will be released on May 10.
DEFEATER: HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE
Boston hardcore band Defeater will be at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn on Saturday May 11. They’ll be performing in support of their forthcoming self-titled release on Epitaph Records, due May 10. The album was produced by Will Yip—whose credits include work with the mighty Quicksand, among many others—and showcases some of the group’s most pummeling work to date, while still maintaining a sense of sonic atmosphere. Joining Defeater at Saint Vitus will be Born Without Bones, One Step Closer, and Kindling. For more information about the show, please visit: saintvitusbar.com
