Gossip and Xenomania make joyful noise

By Ben Kessler

Arkansas-bred indie band Gossip (née The Gossip; like Facebook, they dropped the definite article) came to A Joyful Noise, their fifth studio album, having exhausted the exhortative possibilities of millennial dance-punk. Ahead of the pop culture curve, singer Beth Ditto went the distance—shorter than it seems—from subaltern militant (2006’s Standing in the Way of Control) to prophet of boho-hipster liberation (2009’s Music for Men).

The band’s breakout single, “Standing in the Way of Control,” was celebrated for its punk progressivism vis-à-vis gay marriage. Just as audacious but much less straightforward, A Joyful Noise is in sync with our current conflicted—ahem, “evolved”—cultural moment.

Gossip made an unequivocal break with the recent past when they decamped from producer Mark Ronson’s studio to work with Brian Higgins, founder of hitmaking outfit Xenomania. Ditto has said of Ronson, “We had all the same reference points.” Indeed, Ronson’s sampling sensibility curates pop music history according to a consistent hierarchy of “underground” values. He goes at his business with an undisguised sincere belief in the purity, the authenticity, that cultural history lends to certain sounds.

Higgins has no such belief. His is a synthesizing sensibility. Higgins and his collaborators put all of pop in the hopper. In its production for acts such as Saint Etienne, Girls Aloud  and Florrie, Xenomania uses eclecticism for scale.

The key to the Xenomania genius lies in tailoring excess: knowing when too much is just right vs. when it really is too much. Clearly, Higgins’  philosophy is that a strong topline melody exerts discipline downward and no effect that serves to impress the melody deeper into the listener’s consciousness should be questioned.

So, yes, this is the full-on pop sound that Gossip have been tending toward for the last half-decade. But it’s not a cynical assault on the charts. When rock acts go pop, they often burrow all the way in as if to hide themselves, eliding the intermediate steps, the thought process that got them there. (Of course, that’s because, often, there is no thought process other than The Pet Shop Boys’ ironic rallying cry, “Let’s make lots of money.”)

A Joyful Noise, however, retains many of the ingredients of the familiar Gossip sound. By collaborating with Xenomania, Gossip embark on a (forgive me) epistemological adventure, detaching their sound from its obvious reference points and mining their punk inheritance to discover its deepest register of truth and meaning.

Tracks like “Get a Job” deviate from sentimentalized ideas about outsider authenticity. Where some might see a righteous affront to conformity, Ditto sees troubling inertia: “It was adorable when you were in your twenties/Not so cute anymore now that you’re pushing 30/Girl, you better get a job.” Much of the album flips Gossip’s previous rebel-rousing role to incite introspection rather than subcult rites of affirmation. The slow-building ballad “Casualties of War” looks beyond the political arrangement of gay love relationships to weigh serious consequences: “You lost the fight/I heard it was a good fight/The kind where no one wins and no one’s right.”

The closing track, “Love in a Foreign Place,” brings the theme of xenomania (love of all things foreign) to the forefront. It’s ironic that this album, not the purest representation of the signature Higgins sound, concludes with what may prove to be the definitive Xenomania song.

With a hook powered by triumphal, parallel bass and synth lines (classic Xenomania), the song fulfills the album’s title by heralding an expat state of being where there’s “so much to live for, so much to lose.” Recasting her personal history as existential narrative, Ditto exults in having overcome the limits of “life in a small town.” But “Love in a Foreign Place”—and the album as a whole—is anchored by the chastening awareness that anywhere can be a small town.

A Joyful Noise drives us back to those warring personal impulses that are the true origin and final testing ground of our politics.

Marcus Roberts sets his own rules

Jazz musicians pushing beyond the standard deviations advance the art form, and pianist Marcus Roberts stands out among many excellent current keyboard players with a thrust all his own.

Performing the 1920s classics of Jelly Roll Morton faithfully yet also revised at Jazz at Lincoln Center May 11 and 12, and collaborating with banjoist Bela Fleck on record and at the Blue Note June 5 through 10, Roberts has been and will be neither strict neo-conservative nor outright populist, not representative of trends nor an outlying iconoclast. He’s his own man, creating quite freely within explicit structures, exploring new associations while asserting uncompromised individuality. Roberts’ music is odd, interesting, utterly unpredictable and fun to hear.

In Western European classical music, one knows how the music goes and takes satisfaction in its realization. In jazz, we may know what the musicians start with, but thrill to follow their improvised paths forward, unsure of how and where they’ll arrive. Jelly Roll Morton’s compositions for his Red Hot Peppers are highly specific, recalled with precision by fans. Roberts, who is blind, took transcriptions of Morton’s recordings and reharmonized them to get new, rich, coloristic blends from trumpet, trombone, two saxophones, clarinet, piano, bass and drums.

That JALC-associated ’bone player Ron Westray, tenor saxist Stephen Riley and three young men who were Roberts’ students at Florida State University had startlingly different soloing styles, stretching out in ways Morton couldn’t have imagined but might well have applauded, didn’t bug their leader at all. Indeed, on “Grandpa’s Spells,” “The Chant,” “Deadman Blues,” “Dr. Jazz,” “Original Jelly Roll Blues,” “Winin’ Boy” and “The Pearls,” Roberts strived to play nothing like Morton, coming up with strategies for each of his featured episodes that seemed capricious, if not random.

Morton was no roughhouse blues and boogie guy; he filtered 19th-century European romanticism and bordello flourishes into syncopated stride and in ensembles was unfailingly supportive. Roberts, however, laid out right-hand-only single note lines with perverse restraint of momentum, threw down power chords and clusters in a frenzy, concentrated for a chorus on the bell-like highest notes of the piano and added contrasts and comments to his horn players’ efforts.

Westray blew like a burbling brook, Riley employed a strangely hollow, hoarse tone on anarchic, late-swing era fragments of phrases, and the kids Joe Goldberg (clarinet), Alphonso Horne (trumpet) and Ricardo Pascal (tenor and soprano saxes) walked the line between Hot Peppers fidelity and their personal impulses, usually sustaining the balance. The concert I heard, the first of two, was fascinating, though the band hadn’t completely jelled. Drummer Jason Marsalis kept strict time, right on top of Roberts in duet on “King Porter Stomp”; he and bassist Rodney Jordan are Roberts’ regular partners.

Piano and banjo are rarely heard together, but Bela Fleck is a rare banjoist, and with Roberts’ trio on Across the Imaginary Divide, the combination sounds natural. Roberts is stately at moments, folksy at others, delving into tango and blues. This may not be jazz, or it may be an unexpected expansion of the art. Who cares? It’s fun to hear.

Reach Howard Mandel at jazzmandel@gmail.com

Illustration by Brian Taylor

It’s still the early part of the season, the good part, when summer hours kick into effect (for the luckiest among us), before the tourist invasion starts and the city starts to heat up and emit that special odor that’s uniquely New York in August.

There’s no better time to be in the city for those who love culture or the outdoors. Every street corner seems to sing with its own event or festivity, and even the most jaded New Yorker can find something to pique their interest.

Those fortunate enough to live here are in the epicenter of a marathon celebration that runs all the way through the dog days of August.
Inside, we’ve created a handy-dandy guide to the best live concerts, film festivals, theater openings, museum shows, outdoor events, summer reading series and more that will help you plot out the next few months of your life.

So heat up the grill and pour yourself a cold one. We hope you’ll find something that will brighten your summer within these pages.

-Allen Houston, Executive Editor of Manhattan Media

Music
Top 10 Concerts
Reading Summer Film
Film
Best June Events for Kids
Cultural Events & Festivals
Hamptons Events
Celebrity Summer Guide
Out of Town
Summer Reading Series
Theater
Eats & Drinks
Top Food of Summer
Museums
Outdoor
Bike Share
Top Bike Trails
TV Guide

Summer Guide was compiled by Allen Houston, Marissa Maier, Megan Bungeroth, Adam Rathe, Robby Ritaco, Laura Shin, Armond White, Regan Hofmann, Rachel Khona, Angela Barbuti, Sean Creamer, Anam Baig, Andrew Rice, Magdalena Burnham, Doug Strassler, Max Sarinsky, Whitney Casser, Robin Elisabeth Kilmer and Andrew Bartel, Ed Johnson

Onondaga County
Summer Brewfest
Summer is well-known among beer connoisseurs as the time to enjoy a fresh brew, and there is no better venue for this simple pleasure than the annual Summer Brewfest. The fest is held at Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse, roughly an hour from Manhattan. In addition to the numerous local and international microbreweries, Summer Brewfest will include live music. There are a limited number of tickets, so get them while they last. June 22, 5:30 p.m.; $50, $10 for designated drivers. Syracuse, cnysummerbrewfest.com.

NY State Blues Festival
Clinton Square in Syracuse is home to many events, but the New York State Blues Fest boasts one of the longest performer rosters and attracts some of the biggest crowds. The three-day-long festival offers everything from local talent, such as Soul of Syracuse, to internationally acclaimed blues bands like River City Junction. A three-day pass costs $25, but a VIP one, with access to food, drinks and a club crawl, will set you back $150. July 13-15; $25, $150 for VIP passes. Syracuse, nysbluesfest.com.

Middle Eastern Cultural Festival
Middle Eastern communities are present in all four corners of the country, and upstate New York is no exception. With this festival, Middle Eastern New Yorkers celebrate Saint Elias, the patron saint of the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Syracuse. The event originated in 1937, becoming the social event of the year for the Arabic-speaking community of central New York. The church grounds are converted into a Middle Eastern food haven, chock full of shish kebab, grape leaves, spinach pies, hummus, pastries and Arabic coffee. In addition, the church sets up a souk, marketplace, selling jewelry, gifts and rugs, and visitors will be entertained by live Arabic music and dances. July 20-22; free. Syracuse, sainteliasny.com.

Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival
Those who appreciate the simple pleasures in life—a nice glass of merlot and some Miles Davis—should head to the Northeast Jazz and Wine festival this summer. Admission to the event is free and includes wine tastings from local and international wineries, coupled with 22 hours of performances. One perk of this event is the air-conditioned wine pavilion. July 27-29; free. Syracuse, cnyjazz.org.

The Great New York State Fair
Arguably one of the biggest summer fests in the state, The Great New York State Fair spans over 12 days and includes entertainment and a number of competitions, from best antique automobile to prettiest rose. The fair is an out-and-out traditional American festival, complete with two 4-H competitions: 4-H Youth Building Exhibits and 4-H Youth Livestock. Aug. 23-Sept. 3; $6 advance, $10 day of. Syracuse, nysfair.org/home.

Jazzfest
If you walk down St. Mark’s Place in the East Village, you might pass by a few notable jazz clubs; if you are looking for an all day jazz fête, head to the 30th year of Jazzfest in Jamesville. The icing on the cake? Admission is free. Gas up the car or get on a bus and amp up during the four-hour ride. Acts include Cyrille Aimee and Mingo Fishtrap. On Friday, Kenny G will be the headlining performance, and on Saturday, Average White Band and Donovan with Troubadour will lay down the beat. June 22-23; free. Jamesville, syracusejazzfest.com.

Oswego County
Harborfest
Each year, the city of Oswego hosts its annual Harborfest. This will be the 25th year of the festival, and to kick it off, Kenny Loggins will be playing along with a trove of cover bands such as BIG SHOT, which pays homage to Billy Joel, and The Mayor of Margaritaville, a wink and a nod to their inspiration, Jimmy Buffett. For those who need a break from the vintage tunes, head to the juried arts and crafts fair or the numerous food tents selling fair favorites like fried dough and turkey legs. July 26-29; free. Oswego, www.oswegoharborfest.com.

Saratoga County
40th Annual Round Lake Antiques Festival
While it isn’t too difficult to find a roughed-up antique on the side of the road on trash day in New York City, connoisseurs who don’t want to risk the possibility of bed bugs and are looking for a truly good find can trek to the 40th annual Round Lake Antiques Festival. In close proximity to the town of Saratoga Springs, the weekend festival features 250 vendors and draws close to 20,000 people each year. June 23-24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; free. Round Lake, greatamericanantiquefest.com/antique_shows/round_lake.htm

Cayuga County
Sterling Renaissance Festival
Travel back to the year 1585 this summer at the Sterling Renaissance Festival, where the Medieval Era is in full swing. Go to a wench auction, eat steak on a stake and learn to dance like a bard. With over 100 vendors selling their unique wares and people running around in ye olde garb, this little village will surely feel like a blast to the past, without all the awful smells and diseases that plagued the Dark Ages. Saturdays and Sundays, July 7-Aug. 19; $22.95, kids 6-12 $12.95, group rates and multiday passes available. Sterling, sterlingfestival.com/festivalinformation.html.

Dutchess County
Dutchess County Fair
Each August, the Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck opens to the public for six days, catering to nearly half a million patrons. Only two hours from New York City, the Dutchess County Fair is the second largest in the state and serves as a showplace for agricultural marvels from across the county. Aug. 21-26; $12 advance, tickets to grandstand events sold separately. Rhinebeck, dutchessfair.com.

Governors Ball

This year’s version of the now-regular outdoor festival moves from its previous home on Governors Island to Randall’s Island but retains a strong lineup. Saturday has a dancey, up-tempo set of acts, including Passion Pit, Chromeo, James Murphy and indie rap stalwarts Atmosphere. Sunday slows things down with guitar soundtrack maestros Explosions in the Sky, as well as Beck and Modest Mouse, plus a plethora of other melodic, granola-pop bands. While the performers are about as middle-of-the-road as it gets in modern Indieland (look for experimentalism and risk-taking elsewhere), all of them are established acts. This one might be worth the money.

June 23-24; $180 for the weekend. Randall’s Island Park, governorsballmusicfestival.com. 

Catalpa Festival

Kicking off its first year, the Catalpa Festival offers yet another chance to see top-tier musical acts playing outdoors within city limits. The fest will feature more than 40 performers, including blues rock superstars The Black Keys and Snoop Dogg rocking his seminal album Doggystyle in its entirety. Other highlights include NYC faves TV on the Radio, Girl Talk and hip-hop instrumental wizard AraabMUZIK. There will also be a reggae stage sponsored by High Times magazine, a “sculpture” that belches fireballs in the air and various other novelties (inflatable “sham marriage” church?) included to distract from the fact that music lineup is mostly weak, aside from the headliners.

July 28-29; $140–$180 for the weekend. Randall’s Island Park, www.catalpanyc.com.

Electric Zoo

This is for those who dance. A lot. It’s three days; an all-night(s) blitz of modern dance music from the likes of David Guetta, A-Trak and more. If you appreciate the contemporary offshoots of what we used to call techno, this fest will be something of great joy. A zoo—of dancing people. 

Aug. 31-Sept. 2; $299 for all three days. Randall’s Island Park, electriczoofestival.com.

CITYWIDE

Make Music New York

Started in 2008, Make Music New York is a festival that has been offering an annual feast of soundbites across the city on the first day of summer. From 10 in the morning to 10 at night in hundreds of spots throughout the city, normal sidewalk sounds will be replaced by thousands of free concerts. Some of last year’s highlights were a rendition of Xenakis’ Persephassa on Central Park Lake, in which audience and musicians alike enjoyed seating on boats. Also in Central Park were middle school jazz groups from the Bronx, and Bryant Park was the site of a rock ‘n’ roll showdown between musically inclined corporate execs.

June 21; free. makemusic.org. 

DOWNTOWN

4Knots Music Festival

This annual music fest at the South Street Seaport is an indie rocker’s dream come true, with buzz bands like Bleached, Hospitality, The Drums, Crocodiles and more playing on Piers 16 and 17 along the East River. The fest benefits from the Seaport’s concentration of restaurants and bars, not to mention the food trucks that will inevitably pull up for the event—as long as you pack sunscreen and enough water to keep from daydreaming about jumping into the river, it sounds like a pretty much perfect day.

July 14, 1 p.m.; free. South Street Seaport, Fulton St. at Front St., facebook.com/4knots.

DOWNTOWN

Washington Square Music Festival

Consisting of four Friday night concerts in July, the Washington Square Music Festival is now in its 54th year of entertaining New Yorkers in one of our most beautiful parks. This year, the festival will include a night of music and poetry, a night of Viennese chamber music, a night of music for strings and wings and one of the West African sounds of the Deep Sahara Band. Seating is first-come, first-served, so get there early to enjoy a night of music beneath the stars—and the park’s famous arch—or at St. Joseph’s Church, where the first two concerts will take place.

July 10, 17, 24 & 31, 8 p.m.; free. St. Joseph’s Church, 371 6th Ave. at Waverly Place and Washington Square Park, 5th Ave at Waverly Place, washingtonsquaremusicfestival.org.

MIDTOWN

Madison Square Park’s Oval Lawn Series

Beneath the canopy of Madison Square Park’s trees—and just a dash away from Shake Shack—is one of New York’s best  summer-long music series, featuring performances from Grammy-nominated jazzman Gregory Porter, singer and actress Nellie McKay and a night of family music with Suzzy and Maggie Roche, Sloan Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche. Chairs aren’t welcome here, but bring a blanket and some snacks (or buy them from the Fatty Crab kiosk nearby) and set up camp for an unforgettable night.

 June 20-Aug. 8; free. Madison Square Park, enter park at E. 23rd St. and 5th Ave.,
madisonsquarepark.org.

UPPER WEST SIDE

RCTA Sunset Concert Series

Nine concerts over the course of the summer, from evenings of jazz to nights of Middle Eastern sounds, will grace the tennis lawn overlooking the Hudson River at West 97th Street. Kicking off with a concert from jazz bassist Ron McClure, the series will include sets from Gotham Winds, Dave Glasser, Musica Bella Orchestra, The Atwaters, Efendi, Dartmouth Boys, Los Hermanos Cintron and Steve Tarshis and his Instrumental Trio. You won’t need to bring a racquet or even be any good at sport in order to make a night at these tennis courts a win.

June 10-Aug. 19, 7 p.m.; free. Riverside Clay Tennis Courts, enter Riverside Park at W. 96th St. and Riverside Dr., rcta.info.

CITYWIDE

New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Park 

The New York Philharmonic will play a series of six concerts around the five boroughs. Performing classical favorites—and in two cases conducted by superstar baton-wielder Alan Gilbert—the group will provide listeners with those only-in-New-York evenings of music and entertainment, which we’ve found goes quite well with a picnic meal and a discreetly dispensed bottle of wine.

July 11-17; free. nyphil.org.

CITYWIDESummerStage 

Founded in 1986 at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, SummerStage expanded to venues in all five boroughs two years ago. The program—featuring everything from screenings, dance performances and concerts—has now become synonymous with summer in the city; the best part is that the programming is largely free. This season kicks off with the SummerStage Gala June 5 honoring the music of Jimi Hendrix and featuring performances by G. Love & Special Sauce, Bebel Gilberto and The Roots.

June 5-Aug. 30. summerstage.org. 

The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series 

If ticket prices for the Met Opera are a bit too steep for your wallet, check out the Opera’s annual Summer Recital Series. The tenors and sopranos get to practice their vocal dexterity while you take in genius performances at no cost at all. You also don’t have to travel too far, as the series travels to all five boroughs throughout the summer—even Staten Island! This year will feature soprano Danielle de Niese, bass-baritone John Del Carlo and tenor Dimitri Pittas.

July 25-Aug. 9; free. metoperafamily.org. 

CITYWIDE

Blue Note Jazz Festival 

While the Blue Note Jazz Festival is a relative newcomer on the summer concert scene—it only started last year—the Blue Note jazz club was started in Greenwich Village in 1986, and the record imprint of the same name has brought listeners the likes of Norah Jonest debut. This year, Blue Note is once again offering an eclectic mix of sounds and artists ranging from Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), Béla Fleck and Kathleen Battle.

June 4-30; prices vary. bluenotejazzfestival.com. 

CENTRAL PARK

Naumburg Orchestral Concert Series 

While classical music isn’t the usual top pick for summer concerts, who can pass up the opportunity to listen to classic orchestral arrangements from the likes of Wagner and Schumann outdoors in Central Park—did we mention that it’s free? Celebrating its 107th year of providing gratis concerts, the Naumburg series is sure to please in its 700-seat uptown venue.

June 19-Aug. 7; free. Concert Ground at Central Park, south of Bethesda Terrace betw. 66th & 72nd Sts.,  naumburgconcerts.org.

UPPER EAST SIDE

Harlem Meer Performance Festival 

Summer is the optimal season to enjoy the sights and sounds that New York City has to offer, and there is perhaps no better program or venue for this than the Harlem Meer Performance Festival. Entering its 19th year, the festival is situated lakeside in Central Park at 110th Street. The program features a mix of sounds, from emerging jazz musicians to Latin and gospel music. Attendees are encouraged to pack a picnic, bring a chair and relax for this free outdoor concert series.

June 17-Sept. 2; free. Plaza of the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, 110th St. betw. 5th & Lenox Aves., centralparknyc.org. 

MIDTOWN

Scandinavian Summer Sessions 

Scandinavia,—especially Sweden,—is known for its smart furniture, eclectic cuisine and unbelievable catchy pop music. While this summer series held at the Scandinavia House leans more to the acoustic and jazz side, the range of artists, from a Danish songstress to an Icelandic guitarist, combined with the locale, Smörgås Chef’s terrace cocktail bar, is sure to please. Dubbed an alternative to happy hour, the series runs through August and will only set you back $12.

Jun. 14-Aug. 2, doors at 6 p.m., concerts start at 7; $12. 58 Park Ave., betw. 32nd & 33rd Sts., scandinaviahouse.org.

MIDTOWN

Summergarden: New Music for New York 

As is its tradition, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) presents its annual summertime concert series in the sculpture garden, tapping the talent of performers from The Juilliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Spanning four evenings, the series offers the best in “adventurous contemporary music” with premieres each night. While the event is always free, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

July 10-31; free. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden at MoMA, enter through the Sculpture Garden gate on W. 54th St. betw. 5th & 6th Aves., moma.org. 

Entering its 82nd season, the annual Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit is one of those New York traditions that just never gets old. The art isn’t flagrantly modern, for the most part, but it doesn’t feel tired, either. The exhibitions run the gamut; the same block may feature landscape photographs from Southeast Asia, abstract paintings of electric guitars and clocks made from scrap metal. That’s the show’s beauty, really: Despite its large cast of regulars, you still never know what you’ll find. Everything is for sale—although it may cost you an arm and a leg—but it’s well worth the trip just to browse.
May 26-28, June 2-3, Sept. 1-3 &  8-9. University Place betw. 3rd & 12th Sts., wsoae.org.

DOWNTOWN
Hester Street Fair 

This annual street fair, an urban version of its country counterpart, is thankfully free of carnies and scary looking rides. Stroll through the outdoor market on the Lower East Side and support local artisans selling vintage threads and baubles, original art, handcrafted jewelry and homemade jams and pickles. Munch alfresco on summertime staples from Pies ‘n’ Thighs and Luke’s Lobster, then grab a gourmet ice pop from La Newyorkina or build your own gourmet gooey s’more at S’amore.
Saturdays through the summer,
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Hester St. at Essex St.,
hesterstreetfair.com. 

DOWNTOWN
HOWL! Festival 

Indulge your inner beat at the annual HOWL! Festival. Named after Allen Ginsberg’s celebrated poem, the festival kicks off with a group reading of “Howl” on Friday night. The rest of the weekend promises plenty of musical performances and dances. Be sure to check out one of the key attractions: 140 artists in action as they transform an 8-foot-high, 900-foot-long blank canvas into a mural of art encircling the park. HOWL! is kid-friendly, too, with carnival games, face-painting and story-telling.
June 1-3. Tomkins Square Park, 7th-10th Sts. betw. Aves. A & B, howlfestival.com. 

DOWNTOWN
Summer in the Square 

Union Square is the focal point every Thursday as the Union Square Partnership hosts its annual Summer in the Square, including a series of free activities and concerts in the park. “Fitness in the Square” starts at 7 a.m. and features yoga and cardio classes, while “Kids in the Square” begins at 10 a.m., offering activities for children. Starting at 6 p.m., local musicians regale listeners with everything from rock and jazz to folk and Latin music.
June 14-Aug. 9. Union Square, 14th-17 Sts. betw. Broadway & Park Ave. S.,
unionsquarenyc.org. 

DOWNTOWN
River to River Festival 

Watch Colombian Harpist Edmar Castaneda perform, take a walking tour of the Brooklyn Bridge or learn how to tie a knot. Or, do all three. This Lower Manhattan performing arts festival offers an array of free events every day at venues including Castle Clinton, Governors Island, South Street Seaport Museum, Wall Street Plaza and more. Featuring music, dance, art, film and theater events, the festival began as a way to revitalize the downtown area after 9/11 and is now celebrating its 10th year.
June 17-July 15. Various locations,
rivertorivernyc.com.

DOWNTOWN
Swedish Midsummer Festival

Scandinavians are hot. That’s a fact. Male or female, these high-cheekboned wonders will be running rampant at the Midsummer Festival at Battery Park. The festival, starting at 5 p.m., is meant to celebrate the summer solstice, or some pagan jazz like that. For some reason, the solstice makes people want to dance around trees with wreaths on their head. We don’t know why, but who cares when you can munch on waffles and herring and pretend you’re a Viking against the backdrop of the New York Harbor? OK, we could do without the herring part. Go summer!
June 22, 5-8 p.m. Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park, off Battery Place, bpcparks.org.  

DOWNTOWN
Gay Pride Parade

With the passage of gay marriage in New York last year and President Barack Obama coming out in support of same-sex marriage, expect this year’s Gay Pride Parade to be one big love fest. This über-fun event takes over the entire west side of Manhattan, with a parade down Fifth Avenue, parties on the pier, performers, a street fair and fireworks.
June 24. Begins at 36th St. & 5th Ave., ends at Christopher & Greenwich Sts., nycpride.org.

DOWNTOWN
Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival

A great way to enjoy the late sunshine after work, this weekly festival brings musicians as diverse as the Portland Cello Project and Marshall Crenshaw together with a full bar and wonderful (yet affordable) wines in the courtyard behind City Winery. It’s an eclectic celebration of the melting pot of New York City.
June 26-Aug. 28, Tuesday nights, 5:30 p.m. City Winery, 155 Varick St., www.citywinery.com.

DOWNTOWN
Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival 

Celebrate the blues with old and new artists at the second annual Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival at the World Financial Center Plaza. Buddy Guy, ranked in the top 30 of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, will headline the show on July 11, and Grammy-nominated singer Neko Case will perform July 12. Other performers include Charles Bradley and John Mayall.
July 11-12, 6-9:30 p.m. World Financial Center, 220 Vesey St., betw. North End Ave. & West St., artsbrookfield.com. 

MIDTOWN
India Day Parade 

Celebrated to commemorate Indian independence from Britain, there is usually a Bollywood star or two in attendance at this glittery parade to which Indians from all over the tristate area come to party like it’s 1999. There’s food and goodies sprinkled along the parade route, so you can chow down on your favorite goodies like samosas and kebabs.
August (date TBA). Madison Ave., from 38th to 28th St., fianynjct.org.

UPPER EAST SIDE
Museum Mile Festival 

For those who want to explore a few of New York City’s most famous museums for free, the 34th annual Museum Mile Festival is the event to attend. Known as New York’s biggest block party, Fifth Avenue will be closed to traffic from 82nd Street to 105th Street, and 10 museums will open theirs doors to the public free of charge. The event will also feature live music and outdoor art activities for kids. Participating museums include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, El Museo Del Barrio, Museum of the City of New York and more.
June 12. 5th Ave. betw. 82nd & 105th Sts., museummilefestival.org.

UPPER EAST SIDE
Bastille Day 

If you secretly wanted to protest at Zuccotti Park but didn’t want to deal with the lack of showers and that whole sleeping outside thing, Bastille Day on 60th Street is for you—it’s like the sanitized, more fun version of protesting. After all, it was the poor French who decided they weren’t going to take it anymore from that bossy monarchy. The good news is no one is going to be guillotined at this Bastille Day. Instead, visitors can play pétanque, sip on kir royales and eat some smelly cheese.
July 15, 12-5 p.m. 60th St. betw. 5th and Lexington Aves., www.bastilledayny.com.
 

UPPER WEST SIDE 
Midsummer Night Swing

If you’re looking for a fun new way to dance away a hot summer’s night in New York, consider Lincoln Center’s outdoor dance party. Midsummer Night Swing offers a one-hour dance lesson followed by live music and dancing at the bandshell and elevated dance floor in Damrosch Park. Opening night features music from the ’50s and ’60s, and subsequent nights features such genres as jazz, salsa and rock ‘n’ roll.
June 26-July 12, 6:30-10 p.m.; $17, passes for multiple nights are available. Damrosch Park, at 62nd St. betw. Columbus & Amsterdam Aves., www.midsummernightswing.org. 

GOVERNORS ISLAND

The Seventh Annual Jazz Age Lawn Party
A free ferry to Governors Island lets you slip away to a Gatsby-inspired refuge. Come to the best 1920s outdoor summer party of 2012, featuring live music, a 50-foot-square real wood dance floor (with dance lessons), delightful and refreshing cocktails, fun summer foods and desserts, an old-fashioned DJ spinning records on an antique phonograph, vintage booths and so much more. 
June 16-17 & Aug 18-19; $15, kids are free. Governors Island, dreamlandorchestra.com.

Destroyer w/ Sophia Knapp
In 2011, Destroyer (aka Daniel Bejar) released his ninth album. The understated Kaputt was a crowning achievement for Bejar, melding jazz and pop style with mournful lyrics and a rock ‘n’ roll ethos. Paired with Sophia Knapp’s eerie dream pop, (le) poisson rouge seems an appropriate locale to showcase Destroyer’s shift in style. June 19, doors at 10 p.m., show starts at 10:30; 18+; $25 advance, $30 day of. (Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com.

The Mynabirds w/ Sean Bones
If you’ve ever wondered what Saddle Creek has to offer since the dimming of stars like Bright Eyes and Cursive, the answer is The Mynabirds. Their 2010 debut What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood filled a void left in the alt-country scene by the evolution and exodus of Rilo Kiley. Got $10 lying around? A night with The Mynabirds’ quirky pseudo-country pop songs is well worth the price. June 22, doors at 10:30 p.m. show starts at 11:30; 21+; $10 advance, $12 day of. Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St., mercuryloungenyc.com.

Ecstatic Summer Festival
The first-ever Ecstatic Summer festival, presented by Arts Brookfield and curated by New Amsterdam Presents, features an amalgamation of musicians across the contemporary classical and indie rock worlds. Headlining the festival are A Roomful of Teeth with Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs (June 30), A Far Cry Orchestra with Oneohtrix Point Never and David Lang (July 14) and Escort with Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society (Aug. 25). June 30, July 14, Aug. 25, 7 p.m.; all ages; free. World Financial Center Plaza, 200 Vesey St., rivertorivernyc.com.

Moonface w/ La Big Vic
By now, most Spencer Krug fans are probably up to speed with his latest project, Moonface. Over the past decade, Krug has been at the forefront of huge indie rock acts such as Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown and several other powerhouse groups. Moonface pulls rank on most of his projects (well, maybe not Wolf Parade), and $15 is as reasonable a cover as you’re going to get for a Krug band. June 30, doors at 8 p.m., show starts at 9; 18+; $15. The Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St., boweryballroom.com.

Dan Deacon w/ John Maus
This might be the highlight of the season: off-kilter indie-tronica producer Dan Deacon paired with gloom-pop composer John Maus. Deacon is known for the assault on the senses caused by fast, loud, trippy electronica and his audience participation live shows. Then there’s the addition of Maus, whose 2011 album We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves received heavy praise for its similarities to Joy Division. Not a combo I would have expected, but certainly one I’m excited to see. July 12, time TBA; all ages; free. Pier 84, 12th Ave. & 44th St., riverrocksnyc.com.

Lotus Plaza
Deerhunter can do no wrong—and that extends to their side projects, as well. Lockett Pundt, Deerhunter’s guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, released his first album as Lotus Plaza back in 2009. In April, he released his second album, Spooky Action at a Distance, which has landed itself on a slew of “best new music” lists. Get it while it’s hip. July 18, doors at 9:30 p.m., show starts at 10:30; 21+; $12 advance, $14 at the door. Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St., mercuryloungenyc.com.

Bloc Party w/ The Drums
Bloc Party’s 2012 U.S. tour, their first after a three-year hiatus, will feature a three-night engagement at Terminal 5. That alone is a big draw, but The Drums will be there to boot. These are two bands that know how to write a good hook and have no reservations about driving it home again and again. It promises to be an unabashed catchy evening of shout-alongs and fist pumps. Aug. 7-9, doors at 7 p.m., show starts at 8; all ages; $35. Terminal 5, 610 W. 56th St., terminal5nyc.com.

!!! w/ Lenny Williams
Self-proclaimed funk punkers !!! (pronounced “chik-chik-chik”) are playing a free show at the Damrosch Bandshell with none other than the legendary R&B singer Lenny Williams (Tower of Power). While one can only begin to fathom how this double bill came to be, it is certainly not one to be missed. Aug. 9. 7:30 p.m.; all ages; free. Damrosch Bandshell, Columbus Ave. & W. 62nd St., lcoutofdoors.org.

Wild Nothings w/ Grimes & DIIV
This perfect storm of hot-button indie artists colliding at Pier 84. Featuring the tremendously topical Wild Nothings, Grimes and DIIV (formerly DIVE), this promises to be a pretty amazing show, assuming you can handle that much hip in one place (the open air should dilute it). Aug. 9, time TBA; all ages; free. Pier 84, 12th Ave. & 44th St., riverrocksnyc.com.

Real Estate
REM-influenced Real Estate are playing Webster Hall for a mere $20. Real Estate’s most recent album, 2011’s Days, was immaculately produced but maintained a reverb-heavy glaze that presumes a lo-fi sound. In light of this, a larger performance space like Webster Hall will be a great suit for them. Beware of bouncing sound waves. Aug. 11, doors at 7 p.m., show starts at 8; 18+; $20. Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St., websterhall.com.

Laugh as you may, I wholly believe and have accepted into my little black heart that the electro rock band Miike Snow is conspiring my downfall in life. For the sake of sanity (or lack thereof) I shall heretofore recognize Miike Snow as one individual, rather than the trio of producing team Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg and American Andrew Wyatt it is actually made up of. For our purposes these individuals no longer exist, they simply blur the lines of the still-life they form, like a toddlers’ watercolor.

It all started in the not so distant past, when the song “Animal,” was on every TV show, movie trailer, commercial, radio station, ringtone, on and on and on. That catchy refrain exclaimed to all that “there was a time when my world was filled with darkness…darkness, darkness.” How true a statement. Ironic, I couldn’t recognize it, even as I looped it daily on my iPod. You see, I was in love. Or rather, lust. Or rather, infatuation verging on a neurotic breakdown. I obsessed over every text and conversation. Waited for my chance to see her next. Urged incessantly that she see me sooner. I took her to a little Moroccan joint in the East Village called Kassimir. Over the candlelit table we talked about music, and I thought about sex. We had been dating for four whole days. COUNT ‘EM! One. Two. Three. Four. Clearly we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together, so when she happened to mention that Miike Snow would be playing Terminal 5 two nights from then, I thought it would be entirely acceptable for me to buy two tickets for the both of us. Just a nice thing to do. Not weird. Or creepy. Or, “this guy needs to cool it, he’s starting to freak me out.”

NICE.

So I did. When I told her, she sounded a bit uneasy. Just overwhelmed with joy, I figured.

Two nights later we stood in front of a stage while white men in white masks sang about how “a horse is not a home” (no shit) and how some chick named Silvia did him dirty. But Silvia wasn’t with me. Silvia was with him. Sara was with me. But wait… Where had she gone? I looked around. She had just been next to me. Her hand in mine. Her red lips, on the other side of my air, begging to be broken away and locked in.

“I change shapes just to hide in this place, but I’m still, I’m still an animal.” There she was. Five feet in front of me. Her hands outstretched to her sides, fingers flexed, as if she was being abducted by some invisible force. But there was only Snow. That looming bastardly creature. She was entranced. Encompassed. Engirthed. Baby, I sing the body electric! And your falling for some boys who sing to songs electric? I felt her slipping out of my grasp. Pulled in by the gravitational force of Snow.

I never saw Sara after that concert. I’m convinced that Miike Snow looked out into the audience, saw me standing with that lovely creature and thought, “I’m going to ruin Noah Wunsch.” How did he know my name? Snow has powers of the dark craft. Sara leaving me had nothing to do with the fact that I was moving way too fast, way too soon, and may have bought her a kitten and dressed it up in the same clothes I was wearing when I gave it to her. No. Nothing to do with any of that. I had been marked. Marked with the sign of Snow.

Fast forward to the present, when I received an e-mail last week asking if I wanted to interview my nemesis. My palms started sweating immediately. Was Miike taunting me? Challenging me to step into his arena, and duel him with nothing more than a quick tongue and a tiny tape recorder? Did he want to show me pictures of himself lying bareback with Sara. “These are our children, that’s little Noah, that’s little Matthew, and that’s little Wunsch. We wanted to pay homage to the man who brought us together.” SNOW!

I accepted the challenge and awaited date and time. His people sent me an e-mail asking if 4:15 Tuesday, March 20th would work. I checked my calendar. It directly conflicted with my therapist appointment. Ahhh, very keen Snow, trying to weaken my emotional faculties. Leave me vulnerable and exposed so you can snick and snack at the heart on my sleeve. “No, I’m sorry, I have an appointment I’m unable to cancel at that time, is it possible we could do any earlier?” You mess with the bull, you get the horns. A response came a minute later, simply stating that no, it would not be possible to do it earlier. That is the only time offered.

And the bull is dehorned.

I accepted this slap in the face gracefully, rescheduling with the good doctor for Wednesday. I thought of the perks that a late afternoon interview offered. I had time to go to the gym and buff up a bit. I could go to my dojo and talk to my shogun about the proper way to disembowel an ancient Samurai spirit. Fuck therapy. I didn’t need to talk this out, I needed to fight it out. But goddamnit, in my moment of adrenaline rushed excitement I forgot that Snow could read my mind. As I backtracked through the rolodex of super deadly martial arts I had trained in, he was listening in on my every thought and move.

“So sorry, 4:15 is no longer possible for Miike. Could you possibly come at 11 AM?” I read the e-mail over and over again. He was toying with me. In this cancellation my fury doubled and I felt a horrible need to see my therapist, but oh wait, I couldn’t because I had to reschedule him. Maybe I could go visit my shogun and spiritual master? NOPE! DOJO OPENS AT NOON. I would have to face the creature alone…

Tuesday morning my alarm went off. I shot out of bed, covered in a cold sweat.

Snow.

I took a stoic shower. For some reason the song “Animal,” was stuck in my head, though I hadn’t listened to it since that doomed night at Terminal 5. “Animal,” transitioned into “Silvia,” into “Paddling Out,” into… Wait. “Paddling Out,” is on his new CD Happy To You, which I hadn’t even listened to. How did I have this song stuck in my-SNOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!

I tried on seven different t-shirts. I had to look the perfect ratio of cool to schlubby. Just enough to let him know I didn’t care, but also showed that I was untouchable. Like Patrick Swayze in Tiger Warsaw, his greatest performance ever. I prepped myself for the long trek down to Tribeca. I was on his turf. Out of my element. Ready for battle.

“I’m sorry we don’t have you down for an interview at all today,” I was on the phone with some of Miike’s people.

“How is that possible? I confirmed multiple times.”

“I’m sorry. Could you possibly interview the band before their show tonight?” Why? So he could steal another one of my future wives? SARA WASN’T ENOUGH FOR HIM?!

“I have another engagement this evening. Could they possibly meet this afternoon?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. The woman was probably whispering to Miike, who was in tears from laughter: Oh my god, he actually showed up? HA! THAT’S HYSTERICAL. Or maybe I was speaking to the devil himself. He was simply feigning the voice of British representation.

“Miike?” I whispered.

“What was that?” The British woman asked.

“Nothing.”

“Unfortunately the band has meetings all day. Could they possibly call you from the limo at 3:30?” Limo. Wow. Nice name drop Sally. I get it, I’m a lowly writer, Miike is a huge rock star that gets to ride around in limos. You don’t scare me.

“Sure. 3:30 will do just fine.” I wandered the city. They had stolen my girl. They had stolen my therapist. They had stolen my shogun. What did I have left? I ran to the Westside Highway and looked out over the river. “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!” I screamed out to the water. It didn’t respond.

I did push ups and sit ups. Ran the boardwalk listening to “Eye of the Tiger.” I killed a goat and sacrificed his entrails to the Gods, “Keep me safe at 3:30 oh holy ones. To you I profess!”

3:30 rolled around. I waited at my desk. Waited for the vibrations of an incoming call. 3:35 passed without a titter. Then 3:45. 3:55. At 4 o’clock I realized what had happened. I had fallen into his trap. There I was in the midst of a physical, emotional and spiritual breakdown. Miike Snow had wanted this all along. He was the lion, and I was simply his ball of yarn. I curled up in fetal position on my floor, staring at the yellow wallpaper. Words came to my lips. They pressed and parted, until I was audibly mumbling out a universal tune.

There was a time when my world was filled with darkness… darkness, darkness.

Hangin On by Class Actress: Throwback to the shmaltzy dance tunes of Whitney Houston’s heyday, mixed with a little LCD electro backing. Shake it up, and you got “Hangin’ On.” This is a Brooklyn-based band, so keep a look out for upcoming shows.

Alex by Girls: A little Tom Petty riffing here, but the angst of up and coming rock God Chris Owens, is enough to sell the track. Turn off the lights. Light a candle. You’ll see the future.

Schism of the mind by New Build: Saw this band of LCD and Hot Chip grads last week at Mercury Lounge. They killed it. This track is just the right amount of dance weed vibing.

Runawayby Imperial Teen: For the 90’s child you gotta appreciate the frenetic weirdness of this song. For the hipsters, well the band sounds a whole lot like Los Campesinos, so dig on that chickadee.

I Owe You One by Lights: Mad girly song, but the recording doesn’t translate the mesmerizing performance the Canadian based Lights gives in a live show. Think of that girl you first had a crush on with all your heart. Then think of her singing this song. Lights.

Teenage Kicks by Bonfire Nights: Yeah, the track has been covered to death, and, yes, Nouvelle Vague is probably the best cover of it ever, but this one plays to the empty melancholy of Teenage Kicks. We all got ours when we were sixteen, and then we all got dropped. This cover captures that in a sort of While My Guitar Gently Weeps, kind of way.

Life Boats by Soft Swells: Check them out now before it won’t be cool to say you like them anymore. These kiddies are onto something. Catchy goddamned track that makes you wanna wave yoru arms back and forth over and over and over and…

Outside the City by Young Galaxy: New wavey digs on this tune. The androgynous voice goes leagues and adds a confusingly sexy lilt to the group.

Muscle Cars by Wussy: Anyone who names their song “Muscle Cars,” will make my top ten any day. The band has a sort of Pixies meets The Cure thing going on. Man-woman back-forth where-here. Groovy.

Outside the City by The War On Drugs: Bob Dylan? The Twilight Singers? Husky voice and rhythm guitar. DO IT.

“It’s Hot Chip man. I’m telling you, this is, like, the pseudonym they’re going under now. Super secret small-set show.”

The other shook his head violently, “It’s LCD! They said that the Square would be their last show, right? As LCD.”

“No, it was their last show period. Jesus. I’m friends with the DFA guys. I would know.”

The other one crumpled with defeat. “Whatever. It’s not Hot Chip.”

They were both right… and wrong. The band New Build was playing Mercury Lounge, as they had to an extremely sold out crowd the night before. Indeed, the show on March 14th was added last minute.

For money? For the fans? For the band to get a little more experience? It’s funny to think a group made of an amalgamation of graduates LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip might need to work out some kinks. At the show, there were a few uneasy breaks in between songs, and lead singer, Al Doyle, seemed a bit nervous, when not totally and completely engaging.

The crowd ranged in age and appearance, but there was one commonality: everyone had a great appreciation for these musicians. For their past acts, and for their present one. They gave as much as their previous bands, bouncing hands in the air, thumping chests to the blue lit music.

Their music is good. It’s fucking good. The genre is electro-rock, but the influence ranges the span of alternative 80’s. “Behind the Shutter,” has the heavy orchestral/gothic sound of Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Dazzle.” “Medication,”  personal favorite, has the cocksure schoolboy smarminess of Huey Lewis and the News. “Finding Reasons,” their first single, released back in August, echoes Robert Palmer in his more lax moments, like “Woke Up Laughing.” While Patrick Bateman could write an opus on the track “Misery Loves Company,” and it’s re-hashing of the Genesis motif. And then there is the wholly original “Do You Not Feel Loved.” The audience went nuts as the band cued up. Coming in slowly, like a far off wave, coming in on a tide of synth. When the chorus hit, the white crash washed over the Mercury, the lights blazed, eyes closed, heads bobbing.

In their set you can see how the tracks will gel together on their debut album Yesterday Was Lived And Lost, available for digital download on their Bandcamp (http://newbuild.bandcamp.com/) and sold on iTunes starting April 5, 2012. My recommendation… Don’t wait. It’ll just be more time wasted not listening to this band. New Build sets out for the European leg of their limited tour this week, but hopefully they’ll be back soon. Til then…

NEW BUILD – DO YOU NOT FEEL LOVED?