French group M83 played Irving Plaza on Saturday, January 24. The band was in town to open for The Killers at Madison Square Garden the following night so they added this solo show. The band opened for themselves with an “ambient set” which was beautiful but slow. They soon got the energy up though with their regular set and the show that unfolded was great. They mostly played songs from their album Saturdays=Youth that came out in 2008 and was one of my favorites of the year.

All Images: Blank Slate Photography

Lots of exciting shows have been announced recently. Yay!

Lissy Trullie + special guests Adam Green, Mark Ronson + Harley & Cassie on November 17 @ Santos Party House. Tickets on sale now.

Switch, D.I.M., Grandmaster Flash, and the Asteroids Galaxy Tour on November 21 @ Webster Hall. No advance tickets yet.

Gang Gang Dance and Marnie Stern on November 29 @ Santos Party House. Tickets on sale now.

Matt Pinfield’s Holiday Extravaganza featuring The Ting Tings, Mike Doughty, The Duke Spirit, and The Airborne Toxic  Event on December 9 @ Blender Theater. Tickets on sale now.

Candlebox on December 12 @ Irving Plaza. Tickets on sale now.

Butthole Surfers on December 12 @ The Warsaw. Tickets on sale now.

David Byrne on February 27 @ Radio City Music Hall. No tickets on sale yet.

Passion Pit on December 5 @ Glasslands. Tickets on sale now.

Cut Copy and Matt & Kim on March 21 @ Terminal 5.

Remember the Stone Temple Pilots? Of course you do. Their lead singer, Scott Weiland is back, with a solo album and tour. His new album, Happy in Galoshes, comes out November 25, but you can pre-order it now from Bestbuy.com and get free shipping, bonus tracks, the single “Missing Cleveland” as a free and immediate download and a free t-shirt. Hot!

Scott Weiland will be at Irving Plaza on December 5. Tickets are on sale.

Photo Permission: Allison Moore @ RED Music

Now that CMJ is over we can start planning for…more concerts!

The following shows are on sale now:

November 7: The Dwarves/The Uprising/Sister Anne @ Europa

November 18: The All American Rejects @ Irving Plaza

December 11: Dan Deacon/Dirty Projectors/So Percussion @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple

December 11: Suicide/A.R.E. Weapons @ Europa

December 12: Ray Davies @ Hammerstein Ballroom

December 13: Sister Hazel @ Irving Plaza

These tickets are on sale now:

Vampire Weekend and Crosby & Nash Obama Benefit on Sunday October 12 @ St. Ralph’s Cathedral. They have an “economic stimulus package” of two tickets for $55. Click here for more.

Gov’t Mule on December 30 @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Noah and the Whale on December 4 @ Bowery Ballroom

Boris on November 9 @ Maxwell’s

Walkmen and the Dodos on December 14 @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple  (Presented by New York Magazine)

Vampire Weekend on December 6 @ Terminal 5

Adventure, Beach House, Ecstatic Sunshine, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, WZT Hearts, Dent May and His Magnificent Ukelele, Excepter, Kria Brekkan, Rings, and Tickley Feather on October 22 @ (le) Poisson Rouge (part of CMJ)

Bad Brains on Noveber 5 @ Irving Plaza

Jesse Malin on December 19 @ Bowery Ballroom

These tickets are on sale tomorrow (Saturday):

Hinder on November 19 @ Nokia Theater

New York Dolls on December 27 @ Irving Plaza

Duran Duran on December 14 @ Wellmont Theater

Gza aka Genius was at Irving Plaza Friday night, to play his groundbreaking 1995 album Liquid Swords. While he did play all of that album, he also ended up playing some Wu Tang tunes and three songs from his new album Pro Tools. There were lots of guest appearances, like Rza and Killah Priest on “4th Chamber” and Raekwon on “Incarcerated Scarfaces.” Priest came back out to do “B.I.B.L.E.” and on “Duel of the Iron Mic” he had Masta Killa join him on stage. There was no encore which I found a little odd, but no one else seemed to mind. Check out the new album, I especially dig the song “Paper Plates.”

On sale at noon today:

Jesse Malin and Earl Greyhound on October 6 @ Highline Ballroom

Susan Tedeschi and James Hunter on November 12 @ Irving Plaza

The Spinto Band on November 16 @ Bowery Ballroom

Sondre Lerche on November 20 @ Bowery Ballroom

Brian Wilson on November 21 @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Vampire Weekend on December 3 @ Terminal 5

Natasha Bedingfeld on December 5 @ Terminal 5

Nada Surf on December 6 @ Bowery Ballroom

Nada Surf on December 7 @ Webster Hall

Mercury Rev on December 7 @ Highline Ballroom

Live Nation is running a promotion where various tickets are $10.

Live Nation is running a back to school special. Tickets to many shows at Roseland Ballroom, Hammerstein Ballroom, Fillmore Irving Plaza, Blender Gramercy Theatre & Warsaw, are now only $10 at LiveNation.com. That includes Bad Brains, Motorhead, Of Montreal, GZA, Killing Joke, Vision of Disorder and many more (thx BN!).

Thanks Brooklynvegan.

Lots of great shows go on sale TODAY. Check it:

T.I. (Album Release) on September 30 @ Highline Ballroom

Lucinda Williams and Buick 6 on October 3 @ WaMu Theater in MSG

Alison Moyet on October 7 @ Blender Theater

Blues Traveler on October 16 @ Highline Ballroom

Secret Machines on October 16 @ Webster Hall

Lyrics Born on October 29 @ Highline Ballroom

Pelican on November 2 @ Bowery Ballroom

The Decemberists on November 5 @ Terminal 5

Alejandro Escovedo on November 13 @ Bowery Ballroom

Hawthorne Heights On November 25 @ Irving Plaza

Dr. Dog on December 2 @ Webster Hall

In Flames on December 7 @ Terminal 5

And don’t forget the stuff that went on sale yesterday!

Wire is playing a free show with Times New Viking at Irving Plaza on October 9. You can get free tickets (2 per person) starting today at Other Music.