I’ve been trying to figure out why Jonathan Rice has been getting so much buzz lately. He’s been getting a bunch of press, and even got a plum opening spot for the R.E.M. show during SXSW this year. I saw that show and thought he was pretty awful.

So why is he getting so much attention?

He’s Jenny Lewis’ boyfriend (and has been for years, apparently).

I can’t put into words how disappointing last night’s Lou Reed show was.

The last time I saw Lou was in 2005 or 2006 at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. The wonderful Antony was with still with him at that point, and the show was incredible. The setlist was well-balanced between Velvet Underground, older Lou solo songs, and more recent fare, including one of his first live performances of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven. And while the latter was pretty damn boring, it was at least interspersed with everything else and came across as little more than an interesting, experimental side-note to the performance.

Last night’s show at the 9:30 Club was drastically different. The set list relied primarily on Lou’s more recent songs, and most of those were performed as either quasi-jams or bland AOR. The main set itself lasted about 80 minutes, but “Ecstasy” and “Magic & Loss” – neither of which do much for me – probably took up 30-35 minutes of the set. Several other songs also pushed the 10-minute mark. The encore consisted of just one song – a decent though not great rendition of “Perfect Day”.

I’m not someone who goes in expecting a “greatest hits” show by any means, and would have been happy hearing a lot of songs from various points in Lou’s career. But, honestly, the songs he chose last night, and the way he chose to present them, just about put me to sleep. I was actually ready to head out at around 10:15pm when the set suddenly came to an end.

Oh well. Guess I should have known it was gonna be one of those nights when the venue announced that Lou had requested that the bars close ten minutes prior to showtime. He also requested no cameras, so no photos from me.

If you’re in New York, and can take a few hours off on Friday afternoon, I highly recommend that you head up to Barnard College for the annual WBAR-B-Q. In addition to BBQ, games and prizes, there’s a ton of great music, including:

Takka Takka
Awesome Color
Japanther
Cause Co-Motion
Crystal Stilts (been hearing a ton of buzz about these guys)
Les Sans Culottes
and more…

And there’s a Special Guest still TBA. Haven’t heard any rumors as to who it is. Maybe a Le Firm reunion? (I kid.)

The show’s at Lehman Lawn at Barnard — take the 1 train to 116th, and enter at 117th and Broadway.

I’ll update this list throughout the week (in italics). I’m posting a bit early, though, because I know you all want to be ready to buy ABBA – The Tour tickets right when they go on sale tomorrow.

9:30 Club
Fri., 5/2: Crowded House (late show) [canceled already?]
Sat., 5/17: The Speaks, Monako, Dreaming of Eden
Tue., 6/3: Bell X1
Wed., 6/11: The Breeders w/ The Montana Boys
Wed., 6/18: ABBA – The Tour (tribute)
Thu., 6/19: ABBA – The Tour (tribute)

Tickets for all 9:30 Club shows except Crowded House go on sale Thursday 4/24 at 10am via Tickets.com.

Tickets for the extra Crowded House show (the original show is an early show) are currently only available to ticketholders for the early show. It’s a kinda weird situation. I personally don’t need to go to back-to-back Crowded House shows on the same night.

Black Cat
Wed., 5/14: Cobra Collective, Dennis Kane (backstage)
Sun., 6/15: Shearwater, Cryptacize (backstage)
Sun., 6/22: Cloak/Dagger, Transistor Transistor, New Idea Society [backstage]
Fri., 7/25: Anthony David

Tickets for all Black Cat shows go on sale Friday 4/25 at 5pm via Ticketmaster.

Rock and Roll Hotel
Wed., 6/4: The Field
Wed., 6/18: Centro-matic, The M’s
Wed., 6/25: Times New Viking
Wed., 7/2: The Black Angels, The Warlocks
Mon., 7/14: Back Door Slam, Eoin Harrington

Tickets for all Rock and Roll Hotel shows go on sale Friday 4/25 at 10am via Ticket Alternative.

Iota
Fri., 6/6: Julie Ocean, Yell County, The City Veins (3-way CD release party!)

Tickets for all Iota shows are sold at the door.

Some updated information added in italics below.

Been meaning to post this for a few days since I first saw it over on Product Shop.

The good folks at the After The Jump Fest have announced a Summer show for June 21st to coincide with the Make Music New York festival.

Details are still a bit scarce, but it looks like the show will take place over two three stages at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Galapagos Natural Selection, and also a street stage on North 6th during the day on Saturday 6/21. The day show is FREE.

Then, at night, there will be events at both Natural Selection and Music Hall of Williamsburg which will serve as charity fundraisers.

There are still a lot more acts to be announced, but so far they’ve confirmed:

The Antlers
The Forms
WakeyWakey
Bell
The Bloodsugars
The Swimmers
Project Jenny Project Jan

Actually, instead of listing everyone, here’s their current poster:

I’m gonna do my damnedest to be up there for this one. Might be apartment shopping too. Maybe.

Ed: Yeah, it’s a repost. Deal with it.

Really loving the new Mystery Jets disc. No idea when it comes out in the U.S., though.

Running out the door to see Lou Reed, but just saw this:

Shearwater with Crytacize
Black Cat Backstage
Sun., June 15th
On sale this Friday

And, wouldn’t you know it, it’s the same night as Grand Archives.

Given a choice, I’m going to Shearwater. Sorry, G.A.

Still no Embed code, but here’s the link for the entire video for Robin Sparkles’ “Sandcastles in the Sand”.

And, as for that ending… no. Aside from the fact that no guy – well, not many guys – would do that to their supposed best friend, but come on… those characters have zero chemistry. It’s almost as bad as that Joey-Rachel thing Friends tried to get away with towards the end.

So, Craig and Carter… find a way to un-do this. Fast.

Not sure if I’m going or not, but check out this awesome poster for tonight’s Constantines and Oakley Hall show at the Rock and Roll Hotel. It was designed by the good folks at El Jefe Design, and may be one of the coolest concert posters I’ve ever seen.

Cannot wait.

Dead Confederate with All the Saints
Wed., May 28th

No, not All Saints. All the Saints.

Looks like tickets may be sold at the door only TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW. I may be out of town that week. Crap crap crap crap crap.

Via Brooklyn Vegan:

Nissan Pavilion
August 7, 2008
The Metal Masters Tour
Featuring
Judas Priest
Heaven & Hell (Black Sabbath w/ Dio)
Motorhead
Testament

I hate Nissan Pavilion more than just about any other venue location on Earth, but I may just have to go to this sucker.

Awesome news via USA Today — one of the funniest TV shows that you’ve likely never seen is returning to the airwaves this summer, and then to DVD.

Spaced lasted just two seasons on British TV, but nearly a decade after its demise, the Simon Pegg sitcom has a cult following on both sides of the Atlantic. BBC America plans to re-air the 14-episode series in July, ahead of a launch of a special collector’s DVD set, Spaced’s first North American release.

Spaced, which first aired in 1999, stars Pegg (Run Fat Boy Run) and Jessica Hynes as dysfunctional twentysomethings who become friends and pose as a couple to rent an apartment. “It’s a very personal sort of show, being in your 20s at the turn of the century. I think it holds up well today,” says Pegg.

The three-disc Spaced DVD (Warner Home Video, $50) has commentary from Pegg and fans including Quentin Tarantino, Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody and South Park’s Matt Stone. “I watch and re-watch Spaced from time to time to remind myself how good television comedy can be,” Stone says.

Very slow week this week. So slow, in fact, that I think I’m only gonna list Rock and Roll Hotel shows. Unless you’re really dying for information about the U.S. Air Guitar Championships being held at the 9:30 Club.

I didn’t think so.

Rock and Roll Hotel
Thu., 6/5: Waco Brothers
Wed., 6/18: Centro-matic, The M’s
Thu., 6/19: Johnathan Rice, Maria Taylor, Nik Freitas
Wed., 6/25: Times New Viking

Only The Waco Brothers and Jonathan Rice shows actually goes go on sale this week — Friday at 10am at Ticket Alternative. The rest go on sale next Friday, 4/25.

Edited to add: One more good show, this one at the Black Cat backstage —

Headlights’ latest album, “Some Racing, Some Stopping”, has been on my “What I’m Listening To” list for a couple months now. I caught them at SXSW and am very much looking forward to seeing them again.