The afternoon was sizzling on Saturday, and most people didn’t dare get up from their blankets spread over the green carpet of Central Park’s Summerstage. But Apostle of Hustle’s charming frontman Andrew Whitman didn’t appear alarmed. He began by saying “Happy Pride Day,” and went on to play “My Sword’s Anger” and the title track from their newest, National Anthem of Nowhere. His pool of random behavior - like displaying a scarf before blindfolding himself for no reason - was good for morale throughout.
The opening band was Winnipeg’s The Duhks, glittering with the spark of a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo. Charged with a fiddle and a style inspired by genres all over the world (folk, samba, country, soul), there was no denying their on-stage talent. Posted below is “Death Came a Knockin,” which earned some sing-along cred, taken from a radio performance on KGNU Radio Boulder.
09.11 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / Blender Theater at Gramercy 09.14 - Do Make Say Think / New York Society for Ethical Culture 09.24 - Beirut / New York Society for Ethical Culture*
*I’m repeating this for context!
09.27 - Jose Gonzales / The Gramercy Theater
09.28 - Jose Gonzales / The Gramercy Theater
09.29 - Jose Gonzales / Music Hall Of Williamsburg
09.30 - Animal Collective / Webster Hall**
**and this too
The duo from Brooklyn has just announced a few North American dates w/ Fujiya & Miyagi. Though these don’t include New York, head out to Cutting Room on July 2nd or Piano’s on July 18th to witness Jeremy Haines and Sammy Rubin’s contagiously jumpy music. The touring is in support of XOXOXOXOXO (that’s 5 each), coming out August 14th from Might Records. Posted here is “320″ from that record, a follow-up to last year’s debut with a self-titled EP.
And there are plenty of hot dancing tips in this video around for “HJIH”:
There were some fantastic costumes and acts at the parade this year, the “last one” before Coney Island gets a corporate face. I didn’t catch all of them, but the ones I did were a lot of fun. The trains were full (with pirates, mermaids and at least one sea-bound Elvis), and the turnout was massive- several people went home without ever catching a glimpse of the actual parade.
One of my favorites was the Main Squeeze Orchestra with its fleet of female accordionists. You can catch them on July 7th at Riverside Park South, where Main Squeeze bandleader Walter Kuhr is co-curating an accordion festival from 2 to 9 pm.
Another favorite was Samba New York. This Brazillian collective is having a boat party on Wed June 27th. Print their Events page to get in for $10.
The lead singer of the Cribs addresses the crowd at the Other Stage: “People go on about global warming and the environment,” he says in the middle of a downpour. “But the real threat to civilisation is shit indie bands.”
The duo from Brooklyn has just announced a few North American dates w/ 
