Week in Rock: BAM, Beacon, Bowl Edition
3 photos
<strong>Clap Your Hands Say BAM</strong><p>Prior to their performance at BAM last Friday night, there were <a href="http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/01/cyhsy_taking_a.html">rumors</a> running rampant that the show would be Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's final performance. It wasn't. The band was in good spirits and assured us there would be more to comeâtheir set list even included five new songs. Tunes from their debut album are what got the fans most excited though, many of whom were dancing in front of the stage at the seated venue. Some of the oldies included "The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth," "Over and Over Again (Lost & Found)," and "Is This Love?" Seems like <a href="http://gothamist.com/2005/06/21/movable_hype_30_recap.php">just yesterday</a> we were hearing these for the first time.</p>
<strong>Leonard Cohen Returns</strong><p>Following <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/02/12/the_beacon_restored_unveiled.php">the reopening</a> of the newly renovated Beacon Theatre, <a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/149298-live-report-leonard-cohen-new-york-ny-02-19-09">Leonard Cohen</a> played his first U.S. show in 15 years there last night (all part of a <a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/node/149303">national tour</a> that includes a stop at Coachella). <a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/149298-live-report-leonard-cohen-new-york-ny-02-19-09">Pitchfork</a> reports back from the show, saying the set included classics and crowd-pleasers like "Suzanne", "So Long, Marianne", "Chelsea Hotel #2", "Everybody Knows", "Tower of Song", and many more. And <a href="http://twitter.com/popcandy/status/1229089791">according to Twitter</a>, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/02/16/adrian_grenier.php">Adrien Grenier</a> was there, as was Tim Robbins. If you missed Cohen this time around, he'll be back in May at Radio City Music Hall.</p>
<strong>Loving Bike Lanes in the Skate Bowl</strong><p>On Valentine's Day a hundred or so cyclists rode from Astor Place to Greenpoint as part of the <a href="http://times-up.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=60&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01returnid=114">"Love Your Bike Lane" ride</a> promoting the wholesome values of road-sharing and bike lane <em>respect</em>. The ride culminated at one of Greenpoint's funkiest spaces, a huge skateboard park <a href="http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/16948/">called Autumn Bowl</a>, located in one of those giant warehouses that survived the great <a href="http://gothamist.com/2006/05/02/greenpoint_ware.php">Terminal Warehouse fire</a> of '06. Team Robespierre and So So Glos played, valets parked bikes, and skaters shredded in a sizable half-pipe. But the best part was the opportunity to slide down into the massive wooden skateboard bowl (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tscgod/321894324/">seen here in daylight</a>), where singles and couples danced V-Day away, as the bands rocked above them on the lip. Autumn Bowl isn't ordinarily open to the publicâit's one of those ultra-DIY haunts that reminds us how Williamsburg used to party in the '90sâso it was a kick to slip inside and help support <a href="http://times-up.org">Times Up</a>! If you ever get a chance to check the place out, skateboard or not, don't miss it! (But if you must use the bathroom, try not to, uh, <em>look down</em>.) <a href="http://suckapants.com/2009/02/hopeful-heartbreak.html">Tod Seelie was also in the house</a> and took some stellar photos. - <em>John Del Signore</em></p>