02/07/09 Soulive @ The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY

Seeing a favorite band in a smaller, brand new venue is always a treat. This night started at a friends' Park Slope apartment and took an adventurous turn to local funk ensemble HeyLady's practice space for a drunk and disorderly jam session after party. LISTEN HERE!

01/24/09 Electric Junkyard Gamelan/ATTN: @ Rubulad, Brooklyn, NY

This go-round at the expansive play land of Rubulad featured a couple of local acts. We came for the aesthetic allure of Electric Junkyard Gamelan's DIY twist on the traditional Indonesian ensemble, and we discovered the 8-bit beats of the eminently un-Googleable ATTN:.

01/24/09 Lachi @ National Underground, New York, NY

After this record release party, I believe my drummer friend was asked to leave the group.

01/16/09 Fuerza Bruta @ Daryl Roth Theatre, New York, NY

While not strictly a musical event, there was a DJ and some dancing at this theatrical performance, which featured gravity-defying, mind-bending, sometimes-interactive actors. It was fully worth the hour plus wait in freezing temperatures for discounted tickets.