Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with LiveMusic

Rock Reggae Punk Funk Alt Goth Metal Thrash, who's playing?

ElmerFishpaw — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:08:10 -0800

What do you use to see what bands are playing in your area? Im tired of finding out a kickass band just played and I could have gone but didnt know about it. There should be a website with a massive database where you put in your postcode or town and it tells you what bands are playing within a specified radius. Shouldnt there? Is there? Any band that wanted to get seen would register their show to this website. Myspace kinda comes close but you have to go to each band's myspace account to see if theyre touring. Unless Im doing it wrong. The bay area has "The List" which is really close to what Im talking about but I want more! How do you find out who's playing around you?

Need more live punk rock, please.

Ufez Jones — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:47:46 -0800

I work too much and don't get out anymore. Help me acquire some (more) great live punk rock albums/DVDs. I'll keep it clean and just let you know what I have and what I'm into all at once:

CDs I already own:
Avail - Live at the Bottom of the Hill / VMLive Fireside Bowl / At the King's Head Inn
Buzzcocks - French
Subhumans (UK) - Bristol Bootleg
Bouncing Souls - Live (2xCD)
Dropkick Murphys - The Singles Collection Vol 1 (McColgan era, only half of which is live)
NOFX - I Heard They Suck Live

DVD:
Minutemen - We Jam Econo Disc 2 (live stuff)
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs (the bonus disc that came with the 25th anniv. edition of FFfRV)
American Hardcore - the Doc, which has a lot of great live footage

What else should I add to my collection? Looking for stuff that is well-recorded and well done.

Help me avoid having the Dallas club experience while I'm in Vancouver

Unicorn on the cob — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:45:10 -0800

Techno in Vancouver? Is there such a thing? If no techno, how about a really good blues bar? Help me find it before September 6. I'm about to be in Vancouver for a week (returning to US September 6). My mother is coming along; she likes live blues, I like techno. When I say techno, I don't mean remixes of top 40 music, I mean stuff like The Black Dog, Heartthrob, Drexciya, Rob Hood, Cybotron, that sort of thing. I also like tech-house and electro, even DnB, but kind of can't stand vocal or deep house or bad dubstep being drowned out by a crappy MC.

I see that Mark Farina is playing while I'm there, and that Lotus might be a good venue. But all the club listings look like they do here in Dallas; there's a lot of hype talk on flyers and all-caps Twittering, but I can't tell crap about the sound system or what style of music the djs play there. I don't care about the crowd or how much it costs to get in; I want a good sound system and a bar where I can get a decent drink without waiting 45 minutes or ordering bottle service for a few hundred just to sit down.

Alternatively, I'd also like to know what DJs to look for by name or if there are underground parties (I see there is an afterhours scene there too).

If there's none of that to be had, a dive bar with a jukebox would be just great. I'm not super-picky, but I don't want to pay $30 to go into a place that sucks, you know?

My mom would like a place where we can sit and hear local blues musicians play, or at least hear blues and jazz of some kind if it's not live and possibly eat dinner.

If anyone has suggestions on how I should dress for going out fashionably in Van, it'd be welcome, too; I see that "dress code" is listed on some clubs' pages. I'm sort of the anti-jeans and tshirt girl to begin with; I'm just trying to avoid being gauche, I suppose.

We will be staying near Robson and Granville.

Shout-out, Vancouver MeFites! If you see this and want to meet up, MeMail me. I won't have my laptop but I'll have my Blackberry which is always reliable for hitting up MeFi. :) I'll be wearing my Metafilter shirt at least once, so if you see a super-short girl walking down the street with one on, it might be me. Say hi!

Live music venues in Tokyo?

carnival of animals — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:34:11 -0800

Can you recommend any live music venues in Tokyo? I'm interested in seeing local bands, particularly instrumental 'post-rock' and electronic music. At the moment I'm not really into disco, trance, reggae, or j-pop.

Everyone I've asked so far has directed me to neighbourhoods like Shimokitazawa, or to Metropolis. While that helps, I'd really appreciate a couple of specific venue recommendations.

Also, I can speak and vaguely read Japanese, so if there is any Japanese-language street press/websites I should be checking on, I'd love to know about them too!

The most light-absorbent material?

Rumpled — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:22:39 -0800

I need to stop a projection from showing up on a wall -- is there a particularly light-absorbent material that I could use? At gigs around where I live, it's become reasonably commonplace to replace light shows with a pre-prepared projection shone directly onto the band and the wall behind them. I had the thought that it'd be really neat if there was some material that I could hang up behind the band that the projections wouldn't show up on -- so that the crazy projections showed up only on the musicians and their instruments, and everything got a little more surreal.

An AskMe search turned up a similarish question of asuh's about what kind of curtain material blocks out the most light, with the general answer being velvet blackout drapes. It's a slightly different ask, but would they perhaps work best in this situation, too?

Needless to say, if anyone has a different solution to the problem ( ~ that of how to have particularise what a projection shows up on ~ ), I'd love to hear it. Barring science-fictiony unnattainables like this, how do you think I should go about this?

Ever heard of Twine Time?

spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:59:53 -0800

Help me identify a Texas Hill Country live music venue. Around the summer of 2000 or 2001 a friend took me to an obscure beer joint that had some outstanding singer/songwriter performances. I think it was somewhere around Wimberly or New Braunfels, and I'd like to go there again sometime. They recorded the performances (they mic'd the audience as well) and posted them online. I think it was called "Twine Time" (I'm aware that there's a KUT show by the same name; I'm almost positive this was called Twine Time as well), and searching for "twine time live music austin" etc just brings results for the radio show. This has nothing to do with KUT.

Things I think I remember:

Wooden floors. The place had the ambiance of the Gruene Dance Hall, but smaller.
They had a small cover charge that went to the artists, but they also sold a membership card that you could buy to either get you in for free in the future, or to knock a couple of bucks off the cover.
They recorded the performances and later posted them online, where you could stream them.
Notably, they spent a lot of time setting up microphones to record the audience's applause. They noted that this is a small venue, but the way they'd record it they would make it sound like there were a million people clapping.
We spent a little time in Gruene and/or Wimberly before we ended up there, so it's probably within a three hour radius.
The place reminded me of an ancient ice house. I'm pretty sure that's what it originally was.

(indie)rockin steel city?

rbs — Sat, 09 May 2009 13:30:32 -0800

I just moved to Pittsburgh from Chicago. Where's the live music? Specifically, the indie rock. Back home, I could count on good bands playing regularly at places like the Empty Bottle. Is there an equivalent here? Or do the bands just not come? Artists I've been listening to a lot lately include: Electrelane, Headlights, Handsome Furs, Stereolab, Belle and Sebastian, Headlights, Camera Obscura (but not their new album...), Castlemusic, Hidden Cameras, Entire Cities.

Where can I find acts like that?

Bay Area Mariachi Action

blapst — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:26:57 -0800

I need a sweet mariachi band to play live for a 2 hour event in SF Bay Area in late May. Live in NYC, but am producing an event in SF that requires mariachi music. I've found a few band contacts online, but have no way to gauge how good they might be. Any recommendations for mariachi bands or trusted resources for finding them muchly appreciated.

what is the correct term for musician jump kick

planetkyoto — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:27:00 -0800

What should I call it when a band is finishing a song and the guitarist hits the last chord while jumping in the air and jack knifing his/her legs back? I guess it's a way of putting an exclamation mark on the song, and, I suppose, to make sure that the other members of the band know that the song is ending here and not going around again. Should I just call it a "jump kick" or is there some preferred term among musicians. Any other insights into this practice are welcome, since I'm not a musician. This is for a documentary.

International Rock Tour Date One of One (or Two)

armoured-ant — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:13:32 -0800

As per this MeTa post, I'll be over from London to San Francisco for the third week in August. Where can I gig when I'm there? Being, as I am, a fairly active electroacoustic soloist and London Underground busker, I'm looking to find one or two venues in the evening that have acoustic showcase nights or open mics that I can either book a slot at, or walk up and play. Any suggestions?

Thanks guys!

Piano bars in Chicago?

bubukaba — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:14:54 -0800

Where can I find a noirish or sleezeball lounge lizard style piano bar (or some approximation of one of these) in Chicago? I'm not sure if "piano bar" is exactly the right term.

But I've been watching a lot of noir films lately and also reading up on lounge music (I'm aware that these are completely disparate sorts of scenes - but either one will do in this case), and I'm yearning for a glamorous-yet-shady place with a beautiful, smoky-voiced woman in a fancy gown at the piano playing some kind of vague jazz music and singing...

The music is probably the most important factor here.

Experience with a Boss DR-5 sound module?

sleepy pete — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:29:25 -0800

Does anyone have experience with a Boss DR-5 sound module? Are there other sound modules worth checking out that are in the same price range/usability/portability scale? I've used a DR-5 before and liked it, but it's been years. I want something that we can use live either as a real time instrument or as a backing instrument (pre-recorded parts to play over with live instruments and in conjunction with an older sampler--usually for atmospheric sounds/layers). I want something that I can use as a drum machine and a sound module. I think that covers "wants". As for "don't wants," I don't want to have to deal with a laptop live because of the nature of the music we play, which is why I'm looking at sound modules.

Is the DR-5 easy to use in a live situation? Is it easy to move between sound patches and the songs in memory? Are there any problems with recording onto a computer or tape with a DR-5? How is the sound quality? Are there memory problems with the system?

For what it's worth, I also like the Roland MC-307, but they're a little harder to find at the moment. How are the 303s?

I should also add that I'm not necessarily looking for vintage instruments, but I think it's closer to the price range I'm looking at than newer models.

Thanks for your help.

What are the current Toronto nightspots?

Laura in Canada — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 08:06:46 -0800

I'll be in Toronto next week & need some party-all-night places to go on Thursday & Friday nights (June 7th & 8th). The company I work for is celebrating its 25th anniversary by bringing the Paris, France & Montreal, Canada offices together for a week, culminating in a trip to Toronto (Gananoque, Niagara, etc.). I grew up in Toronto, but have been gone now for nearly 4 years, as such I'm not sure of good recommendations anymore (also my last decade there was more relegated to finding great restaurants than great bars). Many of the people going on the trip will be looking for a little nightlife & have asked me for some ideas. I immediately thought of The Horseshoe (it's that kind of crowd... they want busy, live music is good), but the NXNE festival is going on & I think maybe somewhere else that we can definitely get in might be a better idea. Our hotel is downtown (Front Street specifically). Thanks for all suggestions in advance.

Paris Jazz?

timeistight — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:27:57 -0800

Where are the best places to hear jazz in Paris? We'll be spending a couple of weeks in Paris (in the 9th and 4th) next month and we'd like to take in some live music. I know of the New Morning — what else is there?

tourfilter recommendations?

SBMike — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:04:34 -0800

Which bands/artists put on the best live shows? Having seen a string of excellent concerts in the last year or so, I'd really like to go see some more. The shows that really do it for me are the ones where the performers have a great deal of energy, where they really seem to be enjoying themselves onstage, and where the crowd really gets into the show. Good stage banter is a plus, as is a general sense of showmanship, but not to the point where it seems gimmicky or forced. Bands that I would include in this class are Guided by Voices (sadly, no more), the Tragically Hip, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, the Violent Femmes, and Flogging Molly. The kind of bands where after you see their show, you and anyone else who was there feel like you shared an experience. Bands that you would see again and again each time they come through town. The kind of bands that naturally develop an intensely loyal fan base that comes out to see them each time too.

I'd appreciate hearing about fairly well known bands that totally rock out, but the budget is somewhat limited, so bonus points for somewhat obscure bands that do all this for under $20. They should be big enough to come through LA though. Mainly interested in straight-up rock, but not rigidly so.

Things to do in Amsterdam in mid December...

opsin — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 09:06:08 -0800

My brother and I are planning to visit Amsterdam around the 12th to 14th perhaps, and have been trying to track down things to do (gigs mostly) while there on the interwebs, but so far haven't found much. I'm particularly searching for live music events which may be happening - particularly world music, klezmer, jazz - anything really good. For instance, the best I could come up with was Balkan Beat Box playing at the Melkweg but that was this month.

I've seen so much good music happening there, and planned to see Tom Waits, System of a Down and Think of One there, but now I can't find anything that week. Anyone know of anything?

Curbing feedback.

Evstar — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 08:45:52 -0800

I've been roped into doing sound for a live music night at a pub in town. I haven't the vaguest idea what I'm doing. Having played in venues with horrible sound dudes, I know how frustrating it can be. I would like not to be that horrible sound dude, if at all possible. Can those of you with experience pass on some vital wisdom, or whatever helpful information you can? Thanks. There will be a basic (I think 12 channel) power mixer with 1 or 2 stage monitors and some compressor mics for vocals. I hope to hell I don't have to mic any live drums.

Music festivals

gottabefunky — Tue, 30 May 2006 10:31:38 -0800

What are some good moderate-sized, alternative-y music festivals in the US along the lines of Intonation?

Come join the Youth and Beauty Brigade

ludwig_van — Wed, 03 May 2006 10:03:06 -0800

I'm looking for advice on effective live music promotion and building a following. Also: flyers? I read these threads, and while they contained some good advice I feel like my situation is a little different.

This question was prompted because I got an e-mail from a promoter today saying that she'd try to get me a slot because she likes my music, but that I should be able to bring in at least 30 people, and for me that isn't usually the case.

I've been getting gigs steadily lately, but I've always had a hard time getting people in the door. I play indie-popish tunes, and though I've been performing with a rotating cast, I do all of the promoting. I concentrate mostly on word-of-mouth, in person and via myspace. I also usually make simple flyers (I can use InDesign, but I'm far from a design guru) and put them wherever I can, but I don't feel like they tend to do much good, despite sporting an attractive name and clever catchphrases. Lots of people say they'll come and generally it's only the same small group of my friends that shows up.

So what can/should I do? Help me expand my following (primarily in Pittsburgh, where I'll soon be returning, but I'd like to start doing things in nearby cities as well). I'm a college student there, as are most of my friends. I've got a myspace as well as my own domain with lots of mp3s that I think represent me quite well. At recent shows I've felt confident in my sound and people who didn't already know me have been sticking around and sometimes buying CDs. But I need to get these people to come see me again.

And with regard to flyers in particular - what makes a good flyer? What do you like to see on a flyer that sometimes isn't there? What size is the most effective? What locations? What adhesives? Where should I avoid flyering? And anything else that might help.

I would like to covert the .shn shows to .mp3.

ajr — Wed, 12 Jan 2005 19:54:45 -0800

I just rediscovered the greatness of the Live Music Archive and would like to covert the .shn shows to .mp3, so they will play on an iPod (the FAQ implies this is OK as long as they are not uploaded or distributed). Are there any freeware (XP) programs that can batch process these files? Bonus points if there is a program that can also add converted files to iTunes.

Anyone go to CMJ? What was good? What was bad? Are there any good reviews online?

dobbs — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 11:07:10 -0800

Anyone go to CMJ? I'm curious what the best (and worst) things you saw were. In addition, any good place online to read reviews and whatnot?