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Archive for the ‘New York City’ Category

Rush (Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, July 28 & 30 & August 1 & 3, 2026) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Madison Square Garden, New York City, Rush on July 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 28 & 30 & August 1 & 3, 2026] Rush

In high school and some of college, Rush was my favorite band.  No questions asked. My best college friend and I bonded over the band.  I didn’t go to enough shows during college–why didn’t I drive to Binghamton with him?

Since college I have listened to them a lot less, although i did really enjoy all of the albums they put out.  And I was super psyched to see their final tour before Neil died.

Geddy and Alex said they would never be Rush again and it sounded like they were both content to play music with other people and do their hobbies.  And then this was announced.  I wasn’t upset (it’s not like The Who or Slayer who have farewell tours all the time).  And I Was really excited that they had replaced Neil with Anika Nilles–if only because it upset so many people that there was a “girl drummer.”

When the shows were first announced I didn’t intend to go.  I didn’t feel it was necessary even if it had been over a decade since that last show.

And then I saw the prices.  Jaysus.  I have local friends who are much bigger Rush fans than me and they were jumping in paying $500/$600 a ticket, which is crazy–but was nowhere near the high end of prices.  As the dates grew closer and I heard great things about the shows, I kept my eyes on tickets.  Despite the immediate crush of sales, I don’t think all of the nights sold out.  And I’d also heard that dynamic pricing tends to get cheaper the day of the show.  Of course, that would still mean driving all the way into New York for a pain in the ass trip to MSG.

Ultimately, I decided not even investigate tickets.

And let’s see.  The 28th, I had a ticket to see Metric.
The 30th, I could have gone, but we were going on vacation two days later and that felt like a huge time commitment–this was the only day I seriously considered though.
And Aug 1 & 3 were were on vacation.

Back in the day, a Rush show was exactly the same night after night.  Possibly even note for note.  But this tour, they have been mixing up setlists like crazy and, while I’m not mad that I missed all the shows, I would have been really bummed if I went to one of the nights and the setlist was better on a different night.  I mean, let’s be honest, any Rush setlist is a good one, but …  The 30th featured all of 2112, which was pretty cool.

Plus, I’ll BET they release a show or two on DVD.

 

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Phish (Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, December 28-31, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Madison Square Garden, New York City, Phish on December 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 28-31, 2025] Phish

In 2023, I took my family to Phish on New Year’s Eve and we had a great time.  The show was fun and being in New York City after midnight was a hoot.

I didn’t feel like going last year.  But this year I asked the family if they wanted to go again.  And my son and wife said they’d go.  I snagged tickets for the 28th and the 3oth.

And then I had surgery on the 10th, and there was no way I was hoofing it into the city two weeks after a major surgery, so I happily resold to another fan.

 

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Supergrass / Sports Team (The Rooftop at Pier 17, New York, NY, September 11, 2025)

Posted in Don Broco, New York City, Sports Team, Supergrass, The Rooftop at PIer 17 on September 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 11, 2025] Supergrass / Sports Team

I’ve loved Supergrass since they first came out (I guess 30 years ago).  I was super stoked to see them live a few years back (even if it meant going into NYC).

When they announced this 30th anniversary “tour” for I Should Coco I was so excited!  Then I saw that the “tour” was 6 shows.  The closest one to me was at Pier 17, an amazing venue that is a massive pain in the ass to get to.  I bought a ticket knowing pretty much full well that I wouldn’t be able to go.

And when I wound up doing three other shows this week, the thought of dragging ass all the way to NYC lost all of its appeal.  I would still love to see them again (maybe for We’re In It for the Money), but I don’t feel that bad about missing this one. (more…)

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Primus / Ty Segall (The Rooftop at Pier 17, New York, NY, July 21, 2025)

Posted in New York City, Primus, The Rooftop at PIer 17, Ty Segall on July 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 21, 2025] Primus / Ty Segall

I’ve seen Primus four times.  And yet I’ve never seen them as just Primus.  I saw them in the 90s which was great.  Then I saw them play their Desaturated Seven album, which was fine, but the  extra songs were what I really wanted to here.  I saw them play Rush’s A Farewell to Kings, which was awesome, but again, not really Primus.  And I saw them with Puscifer this summer but it wasn’t really their show.  So, this would have been a great opportunity to see them.

But, while the Rooftop is an amazing venue, it’s a massive pain in the ass to get to.  So I’d need to have someone really special playing there to haul ass there.  And Primus wasn’t it.

Probably because Ty Segall was opening.  I have had no luck seeing this guy.  I have missed him on six occasions for one reason or another.  So, I’ll blame Ty.

 

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Phish (Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, December 28-31, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Madison Square Garden, New York City, Phish on December 28, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 28-31, 2024] Phish

Last year I took my family to Phish on New Year’s Eve and we had a great time.  The show was fun and being in New York City after midnight was a hoot.

I have gone to at least one show of their New Year’s run for the past few years, but this year I just didn’t feel like it.

Getting to the City is a pain and I was looking forward to relaxing and having no late nights for a while.

So, even though there’s probably going to be an amazing New Year’s spectacle planned, after seeing Gamehendge last year (my 17th Phish show), I ‘m taking some time off.

 

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Julien Baker / Lucy Dacus / Katie Malco (Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn NY, October 8, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY, Julien Baker, Katie Malco, Lucy Dacus, New York City, Webster Hall on October 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 8, 2024] Julien Baker / Lucy Dacus / Katie Malco

My daughter and I saw Julien Baker at Webster Hall on Sunday night, the night that Julien got sick and left early.  

She immediately announced a new show two nights later in Brooklyn.

We would have loved to have gone to this show but there were a few reasons we couldn’t.  My wife and I had tickets to see Kishi Bashi and we were pretty excited to go to that one.  Plus, Brooklyn is much harder for us to get to than NYC (which is much more challenging to get to than Philadelphia).

So, we missed out on this show which featured a “surprise” set from Lucy Dacus.  My daughter and I assumed that Lucy would be the surprise, and yeah we’re bummed we missed the show, but at least we got to see some of Julien on the first night.  (Plus, a video that I saw made it sound like the crowd was really noisy and rowdy–and consequently very distracting).

And, most likely we would probably have been too late to see Katie Malco, just like Sunday.

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Julien Baker (Webster Hall, New York City, NY, October 6, 2024)

Posted in Julien Baker, Katie Malco, Lucy Dacus, New York City, The Ophelias, Webster Hall on October 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2024] Julien Baker

My wife and I saw Julien Baker open for The Decemberists back in 2017.  I had liked a few songs on her album and I was happy she opened.  Then she announced a headline tour the following year and we grabbed tickets.

We left that show unsettled and I assumed I’d never see her again.

Then she joined boygenius and I found myself enjoying her third of the trio more than the other two who I liked better before the trio formed.  My daughter became a massive fan of all three of them and Julien in particular.  

So when she announced a few shows in New York, and my daughter found resale tickets for shockingly cheap, we decided to go to the Sunday night show.  

After The Ophelias, we were all set for Julien.  We assumed we’d be getting home pretty late since she wasn’t going on until pretty late already.  And just as the show started and we had a decent view, two people on the side of us pushed in front of us and proceeded to get all handsy.  Which is just weird and distracting.  And the one person was tall and the other person moved their head around a lot basically obscuring the stage for my daughter.

So Julien came out and I was surprised how much the show rocked.  There were flashing lights, a full band (kicking drums) and a huge sound.  Remember the last time I had seen her it was just her and a guitar and for a few songs, a violin.  So this was a massive departure, and I really liked it. (more…)

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2024] Julien Baker

My wife and I saw Julien Baker open for The Decemberists back in 2017.  I had liked a few songs on her album and I was happy she opened.  Then she announced a headline tour the following year and we grabbed tickets.

We left that show unsettled and I assumed I’d never see her again.

Then she joined boygenius and I found myself enjoying her third of the trio more than the other two who I liked better before the trio formed.  My daughter became a massive fan of all three of them and Julien in particular.  

So when she announced a few shows in New York, and my daughter found resale tickets for shockingly cheap, we decided to go to the Sunday night show.  

After The Ophelias, we were all set for Julien.  We assumed we’d be getting home pretty late since she wasn’t going on until pretty late already.  And just as the show started and we had a decent view, two people on the side of us pushed in front of us and proceeded to get all handsy.  Which is just weird and distracting.  And the one person was tall and the other person moved their head around a lot basically obscuring the stage for my daughter.

So Julien came out and I was surprised how much the show rocked.  There were flashing lights, a full band (kicking drums) and a huge sound.  Remember the last time I had seen her it was just her and a guitar and for a few songs, a violin.  So this was a massive departure, and I really liked it. (more…)

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The Ophelias (Webster Hall, New York City, NY, October 6, 2024) [JULIEN BAKER]

Posted in Julien Baker, Katie Malco, New York City, The Ophelias, Webster Hall on October 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2024] The Ophelias

The only thing I knew about The Ophelias before this show was this bit of information I looked up the last time I could have seen them (in 2022 they opened for Typhoon, but I didn’t go).

I love the origin story that Wikipedia gives for The Ophelias

The Ophelias are an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. The group first met at a time when each were independently serving as the “token girl” in various male-fronted bands from their hometown. “Coming from varied musical backgrounds (ranging from garage-rock, to surf, to opera), the distinct talents and influences of each member collided in unexpected ways at the band’s first rehearsal. It was here the band discovered that their chemistry wasn’t rooted in a shared musical reference point, but in the creative relief from the expected censorship of being a side person.”

Although a more recent review notes (more…)

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2024] The Ophelias

The only thing I knew about The Ophelias before this show was this bit of information I looked up the last time I could have seen them (in 2022 they opened for Typhoon, but I didn’t go).

I love the origin story that Wikipedia gives for The Ophelias

The Ophelias are an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. The group first met at a time when each were independently serving as the “token girl” in various male-fronted bands from their hometown. “Coming from varied musical backgrounds (ranging from garage-rock, to surf, to opera), the distinct talents and influences of each member collided in unexpected ways at the band’s first rehearsal. It was here the band discovered that their chemistry wasn’t rooted in a shared musical reference point, but in the creative relief from the expected censorship of being a side person.”

Although a more recent review notes (more…)

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2024] The Ophelias

The only thing I knew about The Ophelias before this show was this bit of information I looked up the last time I could have seen them (in 2022 they opened for Typhoon, but I didn’t go).

I love the origin story that Wikipedia gives for The Ophelias

The Ophelias are an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. The group first met at a time when each were independently serving as the “token girl” in various male-fronted bands from their hometown. “Coming from varied musical backgrounds (ranging from garage-rock, to surf, to opera), the distinct talents and influences of each member collided in unexpected ways at the band’s first rehearsal. It was here the band discovered that their chemistry wasn’t rooted in a shared musical reference point, but in the creative relief from the expected censorship of being a side person.”

Although a more recent review notes (more…)

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2024] The Ophelias

The only thing I knew about The Ophelias before this show was this bit of information I looked up the last time I could have seen them (in 2022 they opened for Typhoon, but I didn’t go).

I love the origin story that Wikipedia gives for The Ophelias

The Ophelias are an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. The group first met at a time when each were independently serving as the “token girl” in various male-fronted bands from their hometown. “Coming from varied musical backgrounds (ranging from garage-rock, to surf, to opera), the distinct talents and influences of each member collided in unexpected ways at the band’s first rehearsal. It was here the band discovered that their chemistry wasn’t rooted in a shared musical reference point, but in the creative relief from the expected censorship of being a side person.”

Although a more recent review notes (more…)

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Katie Malco (Webster Hall, New York City, NY, October 6, 2024) [JULIEN BAKER]

Posted in Julien Baker, Katie Malco, New York City, The Ophelias, Webster Hall on October 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2024] Katie Malco

My daughter has become a huge fan of boygenius.  We didn’t get to see them (well, we saw them at a festival) so when Julien Baker announced that she was playing a few shows my daughter really wanted to go.  I’m loathe to go to NYC for shows these days because of the massive hassle, but I made an exception for this (especially since there were only shows in NYC).  It turned out we were able to get surprisingly cheap resale tickets (I can’t imagine why) for the Sunday night show (the middle of three).

We left absurdly early and traffic was a nightmare!  I assumed it wouldn’t be on a Sunday but I was wrong.  I had imagined that we would get into the city an hour before doors opened and grab a bite and then mosey into the show and be maybe close to the stage.  Instead, by the time we parked (if only I had remembered that street parking was free and ample on Sundays) and walked the several blocks to Webster Hall, we were stupidly late.

We had to stand almost as far back as was possible and we had missed all but one or two songs of the Katie Malco set. (more…)

[ATTENDED: October 6, 2024] Katie Malco

My daughter has become a huge fan of boygenius.  We didn’t get to see them (well, we saw them at a festival) so when Julien Baker announced that she was playing a few shows my daughter really wanted to go.  I’m loathe to go to NYC for shows these days because of the massive hassle, but I made an exception for this (especially since there were only shows in NYC).  It turned out we were able to get surprisingly cheap resale tickets (I can’t imagine why) for the Sunday night show (the middle of three).

We left absurdly early and traffic was a nightmare!  I assumed it wouldn’t be on a Sunday but I was wrong.  I had imagined that we would get into the city an hour before doors opened and grab a bite and then mosey into the show and be maybe close to the stage.  Instead, by the time we parked (if only I had remembered that street parking was free and ample on Sundays) and walked the several blocks to Webster Hall, we were stupidly late.

We had to stand almost as far back as was possible and we had missed all but one or two songs of the Katie Malco set. (more…)

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Caleb Crain–“Easter” (New Yorker, September 26, 2022)

Posted in Caleb Crain, Death, Drugs, New York City, New Yorker, Short Story on January 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: January 2, 2024] “Easter”

This story follows two events in Jacob’s life.

They are placed concurrently often with no discernable change in the narrative.  And that makes sense since Jacob is stoned for most of it.

Jacob had driven from Houston to Galveston to visit Stu. Stu was a college friend.  They had gotten stoned together but never just the two of them–always in a group.  So Jacob was a little nervous.

But they quickly got stoned and all was well.

The other story was a few days earlier when he flew from Harvard to Texas to be with his family for Easter break.  They were all going to stay with Jacob’s grandparents.  Jacob’s grandfather had been a doctor and often self-medicated.  He also medicated his wife.  But since he was no longer practicing, his prescriptions were not always safe. (more…)

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