We’re apparently five weeks away from Winter, not sure the weather got the memo. Anyway, let’s dive right into the best shows you can catch over the next few days.
5) Remember Sports, Lisa Prank at Rough Trade
Philly act Remember Sports are celebrating the 5th anniversary of debut album Sunchokes (back when the band were just called Sports) with an expanded re-issue and playing it in full at Rough Trade on Friday. Lisa Prank opens and is well worth a listen if you want some fun, bouncy 90s-indie a-la Julianna Hatfield. Friday 8pm
4) The Ergs, Big Eyes, Chris Gethard, Weird Skin at Brooklyn Bazaar
You need to enjoy Brooklyn Bazaar while you can as it will be closing on the 30th of November. There are still some good shows to see there and the best might be on Friday with The Ergs celebrating the 15th anniversary of dorkrockcorkrod. It’s a pretty stacked bill with Big Eyes, Weird Skin and comedian Chris Gethard. Friday 8pm
3) Hiss Golden Messenger at Webster Hall
The eleventh Hiss Golden Messenger album, Terms of Surrender, was released in September on Merge Records and is the first album without long-term collaborator Scott Hirsch. There’s no attempt at reinventing the wheel here though the album certainly feels a little different from other releases with The National’s Aaron Dessner heavily involved. Thursday 8pm
2) Lux Prima, A. Savage at Kings Theatre
While Yeah Yeah Yeahs are on somewhat of a hiatus – their last album was 2013’s Mosquito and they’ve only played a handful of shows since that tour cycle, Karen O has released a solo album and has collaborated with Danger Mouse for a project called Lux Prima. For the most part the record is an immaculately produced, fairly breezy affair, an excellent example of what a side-project should do. A. Savage of Parquet Courts opens the show. Thursday 8pm
1) The Magnetic Fields, Stephin Merritt at Symphony Space
Stephin Merritt may be the master of sardonic love songs. I’m particularly excited about this show because I haven’t managed to see The Magnetic Fields for eleven years. Celebrating songs over their almost 30-year discography, and what a discography it is – you don’t get many better hat-tricks in music than Get Lost, 69 Love Songs and i released in a row. Anyway, this is part of a Merrit residency at Symphony Space that also includes another Magnetic Fields show on the 7th of December, a Future Bible Heroes show on the 21st of November and Gothic Archies on the 12th of December. Saturday 8pm
