Sideshow @ The Knitting Factory 6/21

When 5G Productions and QN5 Music came together to create the first Sideshow they couldn’t have possibly known how instantly successful it would be. The crowd that gathered to see what was billed as “a night of singer / songwriter Hip-Hop” was only two people away from being a total sellout, though, so Louis Logic, Tonedeff, Substantial and Miz Metro, the four performers for the evening, had to know they were on to something. Overall it was an amazing night of music that mixed Hip-Hop with live instrumentation including two artists, Tonedeff and Louis Logic, showing off their skill on the piano. In a bit of marketing genius, everyone who attended the show was given a ten track CD featuring the music of all the artists. In an era where the underground rarely gets a chance to be played on the radio it was a fantastic move at getting listener retention for music that seriously deserves it. Everyone involved in Sideshow should be extremely happy with how the first one turned out and if you see another being advertised make it a point to go.

Sole Inspiration @ Sputnik 6/27

Yes, dear readers, custom sneakers are officially a form of art. That was immediately obvious to anyone who attended Sole Inspiration at Sputnik in Brooklyn. The first installment of In The Studio explored the artistry behind the spirited sneaker culture, and doubled as a benefit to help youth in Brooklyn’s Help 1 Family Shelter. Featuring sneaker designs from customizers such as Future Kicks and Tough City/Uncutt Ink, the event definitely let the sneakers shine. My personal favorites were the low tops with the NYC cityscape in black and white. Before the exhibit opened, there was a small reception, which featured previews of two upcoming ‘sneaker head’ documentaries, Jordan Heads and Know You Got Sole. What really set the mood was the music by DJ NessDigi. He took us all back to the time when we fell in love with sneakers and Hip Hop; two art forms forever linked.

SolWorks, the event promoters, will have bi-weekly events in the near future. When they do, you’ll know where to find me – with the cool kids in the one-of-a-kind Dunks.

Padre @ Pianos in NYC 5/26

From the lyrical content of Padre’s Left In A Trade it’s obvious the group is a little different from your normal indie rock bands. Who else writes about the transgendered? The group opened Saturday’s show with a song, “Rumors of Recovery,” that included that very topic in its first line, and lead singer Eli Kaplan used his full range of facial expressions to both further illustrate the lyrics and play to the crowd. Kaplan made sure the group’s 45 minute set was full of good times for the entire audience, taking time between songs to speak with the crowd, and at other times to tell us “the floor right by the stage is lonely and wants someone to stand on it” as a way to get people off the wall in the sweaty Pianos performance space and up closer to the stage. It’s always great to see a talented artist having fun while performing and in Padre the audience had the pleasure of seeing just that. It was definitely a great way to spend a Saturday night.

Joey Ramone Birthday Bash 2007

My ears are still ringing (I really should have remembered my earplugs!), but what a show it was on Saturday, May 19th. The 2007 edition of the annual Joey Ramone Birthday bash / lymphoma benefit featured a handful of rock icons, tons of old Ramones footage, and a lot of positive vibes. Slinky Vagabond, a band created by Keanan Duffty that’s comprised of him, Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistols, Clem Burke from Blondie, and Earl Slick from David Bowie’s touring band, made their world debut and The New York Dolls headlined the evening with an hour long set. David Johansen and crew are fantastic live performers and it’s great to see a trailblazing band from the 70’s still creating great music all these years later. A New York Dolls show should be required viewing for any rock band, or musical artist from any genre for that matter. Overall it was a fantastic show and a fantastic night in support of a very worthy cause on what would have been Joey Ramone's 56th birthday.