bill bodkin brings you the second installment of our weekly series in conjunction with the awesome people over at the NYC concert promotion company, Rocks Off
Welcome back to the Rocks Off Reader. The people at Rocks Off present a lot of awesome experience from concerts to bus trips to walking tours.
The Get Your Rocks Off with Jake Szufnarowski podcast returns this week with an interview with electronic music whiz Amon Tobin. In this podcast he and Jake talk about their trip to Japan where they say death match wrestling as well as Amon’s famed live shows and the current world of EDM. As always pre and post interview Jake regales us with some cool stories, mostly involving Terry Funk and Ric Flair. Wrestling fans will really dig it and then of course the podcast ends with another trip to Rodney’s Corner featuring the man himself, Rockin’ Rodney Speed. Listen in!
Daft Punk Tribute: Live 8 piece band performing the music of Daft Punk, Wednesday 7/3, Highline Ballroom (Doors: 8:00pm / Show: 10:00pm, Advance: $15). A horn section, rhythm section, vocals and electronics covering the funky, funky electronic sound of Daft Punk. Bring your dancing shoes kids. Click here for tickets.
Yacht Rock Revue, Wednesday, 7/10, Brooklyn Bowl (Doors: 6:00pm / Show: 8:00pm, Advance: $10). This is one of the premiere tribute/cover bands out there in the world right now. They’re performed on cruises that have seen Kid Rock and Zac Brown on them (performing not lounging). YRR brings the best of ’70s soft rock to the stages and at The Brooklyn Bowl, the party is going to be massive. Click here for tickets.
Evolution of a Cro-Magnon – An evening of Reflection, Tragedy and Triumph w/ John Joseph (Cro-Mags front man and author), Wednesday, 7/10, Kraine Theater (Advance: $20). Get an absolute no-holds barred look at the life of legendary New York hardcore frontman John Joseph. He talks about the violent times of New York City in the late ’70s and how writing and music turned everything around for him. Click here for tickets. There will be a second show, also at Kraine Theater, on Thursday 7/11. Click here tickets.
Also coming to a venue near you: Girls Girls Girls: An All-Female Tribute to Motley Crue w/Led Blimpie (7/13 @ Brooklyn Bowl), Point Break Comes Alive w/The Great White Caps (7/13 @ Highline Ballroom), Dash Rip Rock (7/13 @ B.B. Kings), Masked Intruder w/Elway and Sam Russo (7/19 @ Santos Party House), Kaiju Big Battel (7/20 @ Stage 48), Tim Barry w/Cory Branan & Des Ark (7/20 @ The Knitting Factory).
Rocks Off is known for their awesome boat shows. Here are some upcoming shows coming up for The Rocks Off Armada…Click Here for Maps off All Ports.
Thursday June 27: Keller Williams (Rocks Off Concert Cruise Aboard The Jewel – Boards: 7:00pm / Departs: 8:00pm, E. 23rd St. & FDR Dr.): Keller Williams is one the most eclectic and unique solo performers you’re going to run into in today’s scene. His style covers a range of genres like: bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz and funk. There’s also going to be food provided by the famous Dr. Marinade. Click here for tickets.
Thursday, June 27: Atomic Bitchwax with Mirror Queen and Polygamyst (Rocks Off Concert Cruise Aboard The Half Moon – Boards: 7:00pm, / Departs: 8:00pm, E. 23rd St. & FDR Dr.): Comprised of members of Monster Magnet, Godspeed and Core — Atomic Bitchwax brings hell to the high seas. Click here for tickets.
Friday July 13: No Code: A Tribute to Pearl Jam (Rocks Off Concert Cruise Aboard The Jewel – Boards: 6:00pm / Departs: 7:00pm, E. 23rd St. & FDR Dr.): Jeremy has spoken … you have to be on the boat for this one. Yes, that was lame. However, we’ve seen these guys perform for years around the Jersey Shore and New Brunswick area and they are LEGIT. Really awesome band that’s the closest to Pearl Jam you’re going to get. Click here for tickets.
Thursday July 19: Moon Taxi (Rocks Off Concert Cruise Aboard The Jewel – Boards: 7:00pm / Departs: 8:00pm, E. 23rd St. & FDR Dr.): New hotness alert. Moon Taxi is legitimately going to blow up into something huge, so get on the bandwagon now and see them on a boat. These guys have had music on ABC’s Nashville, HBO and they’re playing Lollapalooze this year. You heard it here … these guys are gonna blow up. Click here for tickets.
Coming to the Boats: The Slackers (7/20), Kalob Griffin Band / The Wild Northern (7/21), Sheer Terror (7/28), Start Making Sense: A Tribute to The Talking Heads w/The Great White Caps (7/30), Schism – A Tribute to Tool (8/1), Bonerama (8/2), Ellis Ashbrook (8/7),
Rocks Off is running air-conditioned, bathroom-equipped, sound-system-stacked, TV-screen’s a blazin’ rockin’ party buses from NYC to and from shows at PNC Bank Arts Center and Jones Beach this summer.
“Buses leave from the time and location listed on each show page. These bus rides are BYOS: Bring Your own Shit!!! Refreshments are not served on the bus, but we encourage you to bring your own (just keep tidy and help us keep the bus clean). Best part is that our professional drivers are also highly trained Ninjas, and will be staying with the bus to guard your precious briefcases and designer hula hoops — meaning you can leave your stuff on the bus while you’re at the show.
The buses will leave the venues half an hour after the show ends, so no matter what condition you’re in, please proceed as efficiently as you can towards the bus after the last encore. The plus side is, you’ll find yourself back in NYC afterwards in plenty of time to get a decent night’s sleep, or to just keep raging with all the awesome people you met on the bus.”
June/July 2013 Bus Schedule
Saturday June 29: Kid Rock at PNC Bank Arts Center
Wednesday July 10: Phish at PNC Bank Arts Center
Friday July 12: Phish at Jones Beach
Friday July 12: Further at PNC Bank Arts Center
From the Rocks Off desk: We’re going to do this right – loud personalities, loud music, and a bumpin’ sound system so you can experience these films the way they were meant to be heard: LOUD.
Get ready for extreme tales of artistry and excess, breakups and reunions, glory and failure – as only the musicians can tell it.
And don’t worry, we know that rock n roll is more than just guitars cranked up to 11 and tight leather pants. The spirit of rock n’ roll – the spirit of rebellion, creativity and individualism, can be felt in all genres and all different types of people. Hell, we all know Mozart was more badass than Axl Rose over 200 years ago.
It’s gonna be an earth-shattering run of flicks, and we want you there for every sweet minute of it!
To submit your films or for more information, contact us at filmfest@rocksoff.com.
THE PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE of ROCK N ROLL in NEW YORK CITY: Hosted by Rocks Off’s Jake Szufnarowski “If you want to know how how the rock n roll business works, and oftentimes doesn’t work — complete with hilariously offensive, almost unbelievable tales — this is your man. Yes, folks, NYC Rock and Roll ain’t dead yet. Join us on “The Evolution of Rock N Roll in New York City Through The Eyes of a Living, Breathing, and Working Concert Promoter, Rock God and Hell Raiser”, and you’ll learn just how alive it is.” Next Dates: Friday June 28, Friday July 19, Friday August 2.
THE HISTORY OF ART, CRIME, DRUGS and PUNK ROCK ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE: Hosted by John Joseph of The Cro Mags. (Description by John Joseph himself) “Most people walking around on the Lower East Side today with its trendy boutiques and coffee shops have no idea of its history, the great music and violence that has always co-existed side by side down here. I’ll take you to the punk clubs, gang hangouts and drug spots where some of the craziest things went down. It’s a first hand account from someone who was immersed in the danger having myself grown up on the streets of NYC since the age of 14. I guarantee you it will be a true punk rock & crime history lesson from someone who was there way back then and is still here.
We will drop by the famous CBGB’s location where The Ramones and so many other legendary punk bands started. We’ll walk by Great Gildersleeves where the Hells Angels regularly ran people over on their motorcycles. Stroll down memory lane at Saint Mark’s Place passing Trash and Vaudeville (punk store), the Electric Circus where the likes of Bad Brains, Crass, and so many others jammed. All the while telling you my anecdotes and funny stories of the crazy shit I’ve seen go down. Then Tompkins Sq Park, giving first hand knowledge of the area’s events. We’ll even hit MANITOBAS for Bob Gruen’s famous Punk Rock photo exhibit before we go by the Ritz (now Webster Hall) and Irving Plaza where so many great bands like Black Flag, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Motorhead (first U.S. gig), The Damned, Buzzcocks played and where the late punk-rocker John Belushi slam danced his nights away. Finally our last stop on the tour will be Max’s Kansas City where we end in Union Sq. Park discussing the area and what is what it was like. Drugs, hookers, violence, the Palladium where The Clash’s London Calling album cover was shot and many great bands played. Ever heard of Julien’s Pool Hall? The porno theaters where I’d sleep in the dead of winter for 50 cents a night and the Gramercy Park Boxing Gym (now PC Richard’s) where my old man and many World Champions boxed. The bottom line is, whether you’re a seasoned New Yorker or someone visiting the city on vacation, this tour is not to be missed. I can guarantee that it will be a memorable experience.”
