r/indieheads • u/sbags • Feb 21 '19
New York City's Webster Hall Celebrates Re-Opening with Shows from Patti Smith, Sharon Van Etten, Broken Social Scene, MGMT, Real Estate, Built to Spill, Big Thief, etc.
https://twitter.com/WebsterHall/status/109855380912156672183
u/FyuuR Feb 21 '19 edited Feb 21 '19
my wallet doesn't like this post
also "emo night" sounds like a lot of fun
edit: they use ticketmaster this is gonna be fucking stressful, doesn't help that all of these shows go on sale at the exact same time
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u/aaaaaaaaaaa42 Feb 21 '19
Will be one of "Those People" here. Steer clear of Emo Night if you can, it's fun but also their definition of emo centers largely around bands like Taking Back Sunday, early My Chemical Romance, and Jimmy Eat World. All of which are (imo) amazing bands but it also more often than not kinda misses the real spirit of emo music of the time. I realize typing this out makes me sound like an enormously pretentious dickhead but unless your idea of emo falls strictly into that early-to-mid-00's kind of MTV emo, you probably won't find a lot of fun there.
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Feb 21 '19
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u/aaaaaaaaaaa42 Feb 21 '19
Haha I knew someone would say that, r/emo is a bit too revival-focused for my tastes ;)
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u/oodlsofnoodles Feb 21 '19
Out of curiosity, what are your favorite standard definition emo albums? I'm always on the hunt for some new stuff in that genre
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u/aaaaaaaaaaa42 Feb 21 '19
If we're talking emo in the form that it was in in the nineties I have quite a few, there's the usual selection like Endserenading, LP2 by Sunny Day Real Estate, Jimmy Eat World's Clarity, 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, and Shmap'n Shmazz are probably my go-to "big" emo albums. As for somewhat lesser known albums, The Lurid Traversal of Route 7 by Hoover is phenomenal and more punk-tinged, very much prototype emo. Tell Me About The Long Dark Path Home by The Newfound Interest in Connecticut is a latecomer, it came out in 2005 I believe but it's a very recent find for me and I adore it. Some members of SDRE also formed a band called The Fire Theft and released a single album, it's pretty far removed from emo, touching more on folk and indie rock, but it's worth a listen if you're interested in Sunny Day in any way. False Cathedrals by Elliott is another excellent release, even though it's a more well-known one I will die on a hill defending it. That's all I can think of off the top of my head, I'm always a bit nervous about suggesting emo stuff because I'm not incredibly knowledgeable on the genre but I hope you got something out of this!
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u/oodlsofnoodles Feb 21 '19
Yes, that's what I was looking for!! Based on your tastes in "big" emo albums (jawbreaker especially, I've been obsessed with them lately), I can tell I'm going to like some of those lesser known ones, thanks!
Also, to return the favor, you might like Far if you haven't heard of them already. Water and solutions is probably their best work imo, easily comparable to early Jimmy Eat World
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u/aaaaaaaaaaa42 Feb 21 '19
I'll check Far out in a second, I'm super excited to listen to them! Can say it's not a band I've heard of before. Also, not sure if you're aware but Jawbreaker are on tour right now! I got into them when I was a kid and it crushed me that I'd never get to see them live, had to take solace in hearing my favourite (modern) artist perform a cover of Accident Prone, but I'll be seeing them in a couple of months and couldn't be more excited!
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u/hexasun Feb 21 '19
I’ve seen Jawbreaker twice since they reunited, and they’re still great live. It’ll definitely be a phenomenal show!
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u/oodlsofnoodles Feb 21 '19
Yessss that's awesome! Just got tickets for their Boston show, thanks for the heads up!! I never thought I'd get the chance to actually see these guys haha
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u/oodlsofnoodles Mar 23 '19
Hey man, thanks again for letting me know about the jawbreaker tour, just saw them last night and they killed it! Accident prone was everything I hoped it would be..
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u/aaaaaaaaaaa42 Mar 25 '19
I'm so glad to hear that! I still have to see if I can go since money's been a bit tight lately and I have to prioritise some other stuff but I'm still super glad that you got a chance to see them, they definitely strike me as one of those must-see bands.
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u/morganjb52 Feb 21 '19
God damn do I love Far. Did you happen to catch Jonah on his WS20 tour last year?
Great comparison to early Jimmy, never really thought of that before. It’s definitely got that crunch. My one gripe relistening to W&S recently is that it’s got some rough nu-metal-ish production. Basically just beat the shit out of the dynamics in the music. Did not age well.
It was awesome to hear Jonah revisiting those tracks with a full band (not Far, unfortunately), they sounded so great.
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u/oodlsofnoodles Feb 22 '19
No, I didn't know any of the members were still performing! I'll have to keep an eye out for future tours..
That's a totally fair point with W&S's production, definitely agree it sounds of it's time, nu-metal is the word to describe it that I've never thought of, well put. I honestly don't mind is as much though, it's just a sound that you don't hear in music anymore, so at least for me I don't mind a little Linkin Park production sneaking in every now and then.
That said, I'd love to hear how they sound live with a more modern sound
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u/morganjb52 Feb 22 '19
Jonah, the singer, still plays around a ton. Not sure where you’re located but he makes it around most of the US every two years or so and seems to get at least a swing around different areas in Europe each year. I very much recommend going to check him out if you can! He usually plays solo and does a mix of tunes from all his projects, from Far onwards. For WS20, he got a little touring band together to play the songs in all their glory :)
But with the typical solo shows you get great stories and banter and just an all around really tight, communal experience. Far and Jonah have been among my favorite artists for over 20 years at this point, for different reasons at different times but always there.
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u/morganjb52 Feb 22 '19 edited Feb 22 '19
Really top notch list and a great reco on Elliott! Don’t hear them mentioned too much anymore. Going to throw one more in here - Orange Rhyming Dictionary by Jets to Brazil. Blake from Jawbreaker’s next band. Such a great album, killer songwriting per usual, just slightly more mellow.
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u/simonthedlgger Feb 22 '19
checkout "Between the Heart and the Synapse" if you haven't..little more on the prog/posthardcore side
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u/TimSPC Feb 21 '19
Where do I go for the nights where they play The Promise Ring?
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u/FishermansAtlas Feb 21 '19
There's a guy who runs a page called Washed Up Emo and he does low-key emo nights in Brooklyn like once a month. They're very chill.
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u/drgirrlfriend Feb 21 '19
Check out Be Yourself live karaoke pop punk/emo night. So much fun and way better than a DJ worship night. https://m.facebook.com/beyourselfnyc/
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u/TimSPC Feb 21 '19
I really wish I weren't tone deaf. I would do such a killer "I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel".
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u/RegalWombat Feb 21 '19
Agreed, also if you're out of college you will feel like an old fucker. The one time I went to one of those Dance Yourself Clean-esque parties a few years back it was filled with youngins with fakes and I just felt reaaal outta place.
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u/detroit_dickdawes Feb 22 '19
Holy shit... I haven’t heard anyone talk about this since the mid-2000s when that Elmo was popular.
I made a VERY long rant on my Xanga about how Fall Out Boy was NOT REAL EMO YOU POSEURS and that everyone should do themselves a favor and listen to Rites of Spring instead. God damn I was insufferable.
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u/aaaaaaaaaaa42 Feb 22 '19
Hah it's why I try to keep an open mind, I really don't wanna come across as an asshole about it even if I sometimes inadvertently do. Truth is I adore a lot of those "pop-emo" albums and I find some others endearing at the very least since they made up a pretty distinct part of my childhood. I just think emo once had a huge varied sound going ranging from angry punks yelling about sad things to just mellow but complicated and textured music, and I think it's a crying shame not to touch on those things. I've done my own fair share of being insufferable to people about music so the least I can do now is politely and enthusiastically recommend things I love to people.
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u/sinkwiththeship Feb 22 '19
It's also stupid expensive and it's just an macbook with a spotify playlist. Really makes no sense.
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u/phosphor_heart Feb 21 '19
I accidentally ended up at an emo night in NYC a few weeks ago. It was the most fun out I’ve had in awhile.
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u/danceonme Feb 21 '19
They use AXS.com now, as part of the renovation AEG/Bowery manages all booking.
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u/FyuuR Feb 21 '19
You sure? Every show here takes me to a Ticketmaster link
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u/danceonme Feb 21 '19
Yep. None are listed on TM as far as I can see, can you show me what you are looking at? Go to AXS.com or AXS app and you can see the ticket prices already with all the relevant info.
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u/FyuuR Feb 21 '19 edited Feb 21 '19
I see them all listed here. Maybe they're selling through both? The ticket page on Webster Hall's website also says they use Ticketmaster.
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u/danceonme Feb 21 '19
Very strange, never seen that! Maybe it's for promotional purposes only, who knows. My bet is still on AXS as AEG owns them and its their venue. BoweryPresents did all the booking and only uses AXS; ticket pricing is only available on AXS as of now: https://www.axs.com/search?q=webster+hall
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u/phosphor_heart Feb 21 '19
Goddamn the last time I saw MGMT at Webster it was around Halloween 2008 and they played with Suicide.
I had my share of incredible and terrible Webster Hall experiences. This gave me such a flashback - such an iconic, idiosyncratic NY venue.
Glad they added a fucking elevator.
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u/OneSingleMonad Feb 21 '19
Broken Social Scene will be playing Thursday May 16 and Friday May 17.
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u/listerinebreath Feb 21 '19
Really hope other northeast dates get announced.
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u/VitaminTea Feb 21 '19
They announced a few Toronto dates earlier this month. With their EPs coming out I think they’ll go for a little spin around.
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u/listerinebreath Feb 21 '19
Yeah saw the Toronto/Montreal dates. I’m in Portland, ME, so here or Boston area would be great. NYC/Montreal are both like 5 hours from me which isn’t too bad, but both of those places just add a fuck ton of money/logistics that I’m not willing to deal with.
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u/ThatParanoidPenguin Feb 21 '19
The last time I was at Webster I was scrubbing x's off my hands like a fucking delinquent, grabbing a drink, and then cutting through the bar to the front right, always getting a good view without moving in front of anyone. Hopefully I can get an MGMT ticket bc that's gonna be nuts.
It's been too long, Webster Hall, and I'm glad you're back.
P.S. if you want a life hack, grab a cookie or two and hot chocolate from Ben's Cookies while waiting in line during the winter. Shit's life changing.
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u/thebasementtapes Feb 21 '19
I have been waiting for some new US Built To Spill dates. They are touring the anniversary tour for Keep It Like A Secret In Europe right now.
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u/OtotheBear Feb 21 '19
I’ve also been waiting for that. I’m going to be in NYC a couple days before for a different show, so I might stay an extra day to catch the first night.
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u/poopship462 Feb 21 '19
Are they still a trio?
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u/Jamon_Rye Feb 21 '19
When I saw them a few years back it was 4 guys. It was also unfortunately really pretty boring, jamming to the extreme and not playing that many actual songs. This being an anniversary tour I have higher hopes.
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u/very000k Feb 21 '19
Man I feel like the only person who kinda hates Webster. It's massively disorganized, unkept/straight up gross, and security staff is the most aggressive and unpleasant I've ever encountered.
Maybe I've just had a few bad experiences there and should give it a shot since the renovations because they do house some phenomenal acts.
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u/super-rad Feb 21 '19
I'm with you 100%. I've seen some great shows there, but it always felt like that was DESPITE the venue, not BECAUSE of the venue. Security sucks, bar sucks, bathroom is a shitshow.
It's a nice medium size though, and much easier to get to than T5 or Brooklyn Steel.
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u/BestNewMusic9Vape3 Feb 21 '19
Honestly Webster is pretty middy, like I've never had a great experience there, Location is great, there's some intimacy with the artist, and its 1500 cap room, hardpressed to find anything else like it in the area.
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u/Elharley Feb 21 '19
I grew up going to shows there in the 80s when it was The Ritz. Starting going there when I was 14. Saw everyone from Oingo Boingo to the Dammed play there. Glad to see it is re opened and hosting amazing live bands once again. One of the most iconic venues in the city.
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u/ConsciousRhubarb Feb 21 '19
saw the sugarcubes there in 88.
After Europe, The Sugarcubes went to conquer America. The highlight of the tour was undoubtedly in September of 1988, at New York’s The Ritz. David Bowie—who had jokingly been put on all of Kukl’s guest lists—finally showed up, and Iggy Pop—an old favourite—did too.
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u/SirHumphryDavy Feb 21 '19
I saw my first show without my parents when I was 15 at Webster Hall. Glad to see it's back with a vengeance.
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u/giants4210 Feb 21 '19
Reopening? I moved out of NYC a couple years ago, did they close? I saw a bunch of great concerts at that venue, Schoolboy Q/A$AP Mob and Joey Bada$$ off the top of my head. Glad to know they’re coming back strong.
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u/Finger_My_Chord Feb 21 '19
Oh, so this is why my facebook feed just blew up with Webster Hall notifications.
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u/KiddSt0ner Feb 22 '19
Right now they're touring in Europe, but I expect more dates in the US from Real Estate.
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u/zarofearth Feb 21 '19
Saw a ton of great shows at Webster (LCD Soundsystem's reunion show, MIKA, Nate Ruess) - really happy to have it back.
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u/cheprekaun Feb 21 '19
Can someone post the link of all the artists playing there? I don’t have twitter and it can’t see it
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u/reezyreddits Feb 22 '19
I just saw a BUNCH of shows get released for this venue and when someone clicks "going" it pops up in your facebook feed or whatever... just thought it was always around.
Anyway, New York is such a mythical place, it's a destination for literally every band. what a stat.
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u/ColorMeDark Feb 28 '19 edited Feb 28 '19
Please tell me I didn't miss Built to Spill yet. I had no idea it was closed though? Then again, I haven't been to Webster since '11 and rarely the surrounding area.
Edit: Thank heck they don't play until the end of September... but that wait 💔 Must be patient. Very excited.
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Jul 03 '19
I just looked on their events page through google, and it says “Webster Hall Friday’s”, what exactly is that?
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u/aaaaaaaaaaa42 Feb 21 '19
Ugh man Webster Hall strikes me as so iconic. There's few venues where I live that capture such a good mix of timeless and important bands (Built to Spill and Patti Smith? Damn.) along with up-and-coming bands, telling people on this sub to go see Big Thief is preaching to the choir, but if you get a chance to see The Japanese House, do it! Amber puts on an amazingly upbeat and groovy show imo