Summer Concerts to Keep You “Cool” This Summer
The mercury rising on the thermometer means many sweaty days ahead, but the good news is that it also means that summer concert season is heating up. Check out some of our top picks for artists touring the country this summer.
Ellie Goulding
The adorable British songstress fit for royalty.
In case you needed more reason to love Princess Kate Middleton with her perfect hair and her perfect clothes and her perfect life, she also has some pretty legit music taste. After she and Prince William watched one of Ellie Goulding’s performances (from backstage, of course), they asked her to perform her beautiful rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song” for their first dance as a married couple. The song catapulted Goulding to the top of the UK charts in November 2010. And, after appearing on SNL with Tina Fey hosting, her album reached the U.S. charts as well. Ellie Goulding’s rise to stardom has only just begun. Check out her catchy singles: “Starry Eyed” and “The Writer”
Goulding will be performing in New York City on July 29 at Terminal 5 and throughout the country. Check out her other U.S. tour dates.
Childish Gambino
Ain’t Nothing Childish About This Guy.
About a month ago, The Village Voice, posted an article titled “Donald Glover is More Talented Than You,” and in today’s world of musicians, writers, “singers” (lookin’ at you, Ke$ha), and reality fame whores, I’d have to say this is entirely true. He really is one talented dude; he is a stand-up comedian, an actor on NBC’s Community, a former Emmy-winning writer for 30 Rock (which he started while still an RA at NYU), AND a witty rapper under the moniker Childish Gambino. Although his IAMDONALD half stand-up comedy, half rap tour is over, he did strongly suggest on his Twitter @donaldglover (which used to be @donglover, but he ultimately decided that it looked too much like “dong lover”) that he’d be back to Brooklyn to play his new album before it’s released. He’ll for sure be back in NYC playing at Rock the Bells on Sept. 3 on Governor’s Island and there’s no doubt he’ll be back touring the U.S. before long.
Check out his breakout single, “Freaks and Geeks,” which was also recently featured on a Dwight Howard Adidas commercial. (Dwight, don’t ever leave Orlando!) Best of all, you can download all of Childish Gambino’s music free and legally. And if you’re opposed to semi-graphic language…well, he’s a rapper. Deal with it.
The Weepies
Get weepy for The Weepies.
I am in love this this pop-folk duo. Like King Midas, everything they touch is pure gold. Okay, fine, they did have a brief stint where they co-wrote a few tracks on Mandy Moore’s album, Wild Hope, but they at least turned Mandy Moore’s usual sugary pop songs to a respectable pop album. Don’t be fooled by their sad name, not all of their songs are sad and weepy — “All This Beauty,” “Be My Thrill,” and “I Was Made for Sunny Days” are all upbeat folk tunes. The most famous songs by this husband-and-wife duo are probably, “World Spins Madly On” and “Gotta Have You.” The Weepies’ music has been featured on countless commercials and TV shows, so if you haven’t heard of them you probably have and just didn’t know it. They’re touring around the country with all acoustic sets and they’ll be at Irving Plaza September 3 in New York.
The Naked & Famous
New Zealand indie rock group.
Aside from providing the backdrop of Lord of the Rings, I didn’t know that New Zealand had much to offer, especially in terms of pop culture. (I think I just lost some major cool points for referencing LOTR). But as I learned this year, it has produced some pretty cool musicians: Brooke Fraser (on tour in Europe this summer), Natasha Bedingfield, Flight of the Conchords, Keith Urban (get off my back; I like country sometimes), and also a rock group called The Naked & The Famous. Check out their upbeat tunes like Young Blood, Girls Like You, and Punching in a Dream. They’ll be playing in Central Park for FREE on August and around the U.S. and Europe this summer.
She & Him Rock Out on the Tambourine and Triangle
She & Him at the Bowery last March. (www.brooklynvegan.com) Photos weren't allowed at last night's show.
Last night, the folk/indie band She & Him put on a wonderful, sold out show at Terminal 5. The large, barren room was packed with fans, the room swelteringly hot. But, showing dedication to the band, very few left before the end of the encore.
The opening act, strangely enough, was not musical but comedic – comedian Eugene Mirman, a Brooklyn resident and author of The Will To Whatevs, a humorous guide to modern life (HarperCollins, 2009). His topics ranged from the Tea Party and Obama to a twelve-year-old with Asperger’s to those stupid security questions credit card websites ask you. While the question is generally something along the lines of “What is your mother’s maiden name?” Eugene took the liberty of changing the question to “What are you wearing?” so that he can respond, “I don’t think that’s appropriate!” to whomever is asking on the line. He was well received by the fans.
The room only got more packed and the crowd more eager as the night wore on. When She & Him came on, the room erupted. As effortlessly glowing as she was in 500 Days of Summer, Zooey DesChanel nonchalantly asked how the crowd was doing and jumped into “Change is Hard,” a sleepy, soulful ballad, while the crowd loudly sang along. During her more fast-paced songs, she jumped up and down while playing the tambourine, her long brown hair flailing around her. The show, with Zooey’s twangy voice and retro songs, had a 60’s vibe to it. Zooey, very at ease on stage, did not hesitate to stop a song a few seconds in to change the octave. Lead guitarist M. Ward sang along in a few memorable duets. The two back up singers sang and rocked out on their tambourines, while occasionally playing the triangle, a subtle touch to the alt-country songs.
In addition to girls in dark-rimmed glasses and long boho dresses, I was surprised to see a fair amount of male fans singing along merrily. The burly man behind me sang both the guy and girl parts to “You Really Got a Hold on Me” and got really into the chorus, which goes, “Hold me, hold me, hold me….”
The band played three covers for the encore. Certainly one of the highlights of the show, the band closed with Nina Simone’s “I Put a Spell on You,” featuring just M. Ward on a few vocals and guitar and Zooey on vocals. The song featured her impressive range, as she wailed, “No, I ain’t lyin!!” The memorable show left the fans begging for more.
“It’s A Hit”: Top Actress/Singer Double Threats
It’s the eternal question: Can successful movie stars be equally-as-successful rock stars? Negative, ghost writer. I don’t know about you, but I blame Keanu Reeves. More specifically, I blame Dogstar, Reeves’ musical attempt at alt-rock greatness that was so horrible, it ensured the future ridicule of any actor who dared to dream of musical stardom. Regardless of how good your band is/was, actors-slash-singers would always have the weight of Johnny Utah on their shoulders.
Thankfully, in the past decade, a couple of lovely ladies from the silver-screen have managed to buck tradition by receiving both critical praise and mainstream success from their musical endeavors. Don’t believe me? Then check out the tunage from She & Him (feat. Zooey Deschanel), Rilo Kiley (feat. Jenny Lewis) and Scarlett Johansson (feat. herself and the beauteous voice of my hypothetical-boyfriend Pete Yorn). Dogstar be damned! These gals are proving that, when it comes to actors trying their hand at music, something’s gotta give.
1. ZOOEY DESCHANEL (Band: She & Him / Acting credits: All The Real Girls, Elf, (500) Days Of Summer): Zooey Deschanel is adorable in a basket-full-of-puppies kind of way. Despite how cold your heart is, her illegal levels of cuteness cannot be quelled—or denied. I, too, tried to fight my overwhelming feelings of adoration when I first saw her on the big screen in films like Almost Famous and The Good Girl, but once I heard her sweet coos with She & Him (specifically on songs like “Sentimental Heart” and “Change Is Hard”), I was officially a smitten kitten. Blast you, Zooey, and your obnoxiously catchy Cotton commercials! With a newly released album—Volume Two—and doo wop-influenced ditties like “Get Along Without You Now (Skeeter Davis)” and “In The Sun”, She & Him has truly become the fabric of my life.
2. JENNY LEWIS (Band: Rilo Kiley / Acting credits: Troop Beverly Hills, The Wizard, Foxfire): As a young tyke, did you ever have go-to movies for when you were sick? I totally did. Every time I stayed home from school with a scratchy throat, stomach bug or case of the Mondays, I would make my mom run to the video store to pick up my stock feel-better flick: Troop Beverly Hills. Honestly, I didn’t think much of Jenny Lewis at the time (other than admiring her pastel stirrup pants and gravity-defying side ponytails) but when I discovered the former child actresses’ band Rilo Kiley years later, I would have nothing but fond “Cookie Time” memories of her and the whole Wilderness Girls gang. Thanks to the band’s sunny disposition and breezy melodies (heard on songs like “The Execution Of All Things” and “The Good That Won’t Come Out”), Lewis & Co. was one of the few non-Omaha-based bands to earn a place on the Saddle Creek Records roster, which was no easy feat back in 2002. Yes, Jenny may’ve started her career as an actress, but after six albums—both with Rilo Kiley and as a solo artist—she’s proved that she’s a musician first and foremost.
3. SCARLETT JOHANSSON (Band: Solo album of Leonard Cohen covers & duet album with Pete Yorn / Acting credits: Ghost World, The Nanny Diaries, Iron Man): When I first heard that Scarlett Johansson was going to attempt a music career, I rolled my eyes so hard they almost popped right out of their sockets. I mean, isn’t it enough that she’s the face of Dolce & Gabbana, the wife of Ryan Reynolds and, basically, the most desired girl in Hollywood? Her first vocal foray was an album of mostly Tom Waits covers, which was celebrated by critics but I thought it was a bunch of hooey—mostly because I would rather listen to pebbles in a blender than Tom Waits. That said, when I heard Mrs. Reynolds was going to release a duets album with my beloved Pete Yorn, I was skeptical. In fact, I kind of wanted it to suck. Instead, once I opened my mind—and my ears—I was quickly silenced by how amazing Scarlet sounded on songs like “Relator” and “Clean.” No matter how hard I fought it, it was love at first listen. Homegirl might have dumbest-looking tattoo since Spring Break ’99, but she can serenade me any night of the week!
Wanna read more of my musings? Hoof it over to http://www.leslie-simon.com. Plus, if you’re not following me (@redpatterndress) on Twitter, what are you waiting for? I’m not scared to sic Morpheus on your tush. “Is this real?” Hell to the yeah!
