LIVE REVIEW: Toots & The Maytals, Sweet & Dandy

BY S. FITZGERALD LODWICK In 1962, Toots Hibbert moved to Kingston, Jamaica and formed the original incarnation of The Maytals. Last night — some 45 years later– the TLA was graced with appearance by the godfather of reggae and the show he put on would shame men half his age. This diminutive, aging Rastafarian played one of the most dynamic two and a half hour sets I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness, and whaled with a voice that sounded like it could easily last another hundred years. As those of royalty often do, Toots showed us, with mellow aplomb, […]

We Know It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But We Like It

SNAKE EYES: Slo-Mo‘s Mic Wrecka, Johnny Brenda’s, March 29 [FLICKR] CITIZEN MOM REPORTS: A funny thing happens when Yr Mom and Boss Phawker go out to review a show together. There’s a foot-plus height differential at work, making it possible for us to stand three feet apart in front of the same stage and see two very different shows. For example, Thursday night at JB’s, the Boss’s elevation gave him a view of Mic Wrecka’s uh, mic wreckin’ and Sue Rosetti’s abdomen, while I got an eyeful of Mike Brenner, specifically, his feet. It’s actually a pretty groovy vantage point, […]

BADMOTORFINGER: The Stooges’ Ron Asheton

[Illustration by ALEX FINE]   BY JONATHAN VALANIA Ron Asheton, the original guitarist for the Stooges, is widely regarded as one of the Top 20 guitarists of all time by the people that make such subjective decisions. Recently, Phawker called up Ron and talked about both the ancient and modern history of the Stooges, the needle and the damage done, the stylish evil of Nazi uniforms, how to evade the Vietnam draft, who gave Iggy the peanut butter and what it feels like to be choked by Bam Margera‘s Uncle Vito. The Stooges have reunited — with Mike Watt filling […]

LIVE REVIEW: ‘You Got Out Alive From The Eighties’

Afterhours, Khyber Pass, Philadelphia, March 28th, 2007* BY SIMONE SECCI FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT First thing to say, the Afterhours that I know and I saw playing live in Italy a couple of times, look very different from the band I saw tonight at the Khyber. For obvious reasons, because the crowd and the hype around them here are of very different proportions and also because their sound and live show was really different. Maybe cause of the influence of Twilight Singers leader’s Greg Dulli, maybe because of a new direction of the band, but tonight they rocked. Hard and loud and […]

We Know It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But We Like It

Tokyo Police Club + Cold War Kids, First Unitarian, Last Night [FLICKR] BY AMY Z. QUINN You will not find a more potent, unadulterated rock moment than standing in a crowded church basement while a sweaty band of angst-y young manboys, most just a peach-fuzz mustache away from high school geekdom, makes you a little more deaf — and somehow you don’t mind. Such moments are the thermostat of the state of rock music — and judging by last night, somebody’s been paying the heating bill. Openers Tokyo Police Club (pictured, above), a Canadian four-piece and blogrock buzz band, were […]

JOLIE HOLLAND: Amen

She’s freewheelin’ here, completely improvising and re-arranging this gorgeous lullabye from Escondido into a loping Velvets vamp and, as such, it’s a hair overlong, but WOW! Breaks our motherfuckin’ heart, she does.

PHAWKER RADIO: Amy Winehouse

UK songstress Amy Winehouse packs a solid soulful punch with this 60s-era era throwback on a non-traditional theme-addiction and recovery. Sounds like Nina Simone soaked in Phil Spector and tossed in a blender with The Supremes. Stunningly upbeat stuff, smile-inducing for even the most miserable hipster. —Tommy Zane