Gorillaz @ The Susquehanna Bank Center 10.10.10

Gorillaz (Photos by Rod Snyder for The Waster)

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Gorillaz made a stop at Camden's Susquehanna Bank Center this past Sunday, October 10th. Our friends over at TheWaster.com were able to cover the peformance. Be sure to check out their coverage, which includes a bunch of more photos and Sunday night's setlist here. The stop was apart of their massive world tour that they are currently in the midst off. The group, who also made a stop at NYC's Madison Square Garden last Friday, still have the tour's European and Australian legs ahead of them. All of their upcoming tour dates can be found on their Myspace page. The electronic, hip-hop group is out in support of their latest release Plastic Beach, which dropped this past March via EMI Records. Be sure to pick up that album here.

Valencia @ School of Rock 10.1.10

Valencia (Photos by Catherine Powell)

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Valencia stopped by School of Rock Friday, October 1st. The show was a kick off to their tour with Automatic Loveletter. NJ's Jet Lag Gemini also made an appearance on the bill. You can find Valencia's 11 song setlist from their School of Rock performance below. Just yesterday, the Philadelphia group dropped their 3rd studio album Dancing with a Ghost via Isurrender Records. The label is offering a bunch of different packages for buying the album. You should check them out here. Valencia are set to head out with Say Anything, Motion City Soundtrack and Saves the Day for a two week run, which starts tomorrow night in San Diego. Be sure to check out all of their upcoming tour dates here.

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Covenant played a last minute show @ QXTS 10.9.10

Covenant (photos by Chris Becker)

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Legendary Swedish electronic music band Covenant played a last minute show at Newark's QXTS this past Saturday, October 9th. The band was originally set to perform at NYC's Oceana Hall but announced the venue switch the weekend before. This was the band's only stop in the tri-state area. DJ's Ron Medina, Q, Aengel, Dysfunction, Father Jeff, and V-Christ were there spinning. Though we were unable to grab Saturday night's setlist you can check out their setlist from a few nights earlier here. Check out a video of Covenant performing their song "Call the Ships to Port" @ QXTS below. The band is set to release the Lightbringer EP later this month. Check out all of their upcoming tour dates here.

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Glassjaw played another short, semi-secret set @ Maxwell's 10.10.10

Glassjaw seems to love to play unadvertised shows at Maxwell's. First they performed a sort of secret set at Maxwell's last December and last night they did it again. The Long Island group stopped by the small Hoboken venue to celebrate the release of their new single "Natural Born Farmer". The show was billed as a "Sons Modern Family Gathering feat. Tidal Arms/Happy Body Slow Brain and very special guest" and as usual everyone knew Glassjaw would be making an appearance. The packed show apparently saw appearances from Buddy of Senses Fail, Anthony Raneri of Bayside and even Beck? Ryan Flatley of Sputnik Music wrote a thorough review of the night, which you should check out here. Excerpt below.

The expectations for the show were virtually unknown due to Glassjaw’s presence lately.  Opening with “Must’ve Run All Day,” the crowd was belting each word as Daryl Palumbo hung onto to the microphone stand, as it began perhaps the most intimate set that Glassjaw have played.  Even though the music started, with each song, the crowd anxiously waited for that moment of explosion to come, but instead the reward was much grander.  Following “Must’ve Run All Day,” was Worship and Tributecompanions “Ape Dos Mil” and “Trailer Park Jesus.”  While it was nothing groundbreaking, they are songs that are often overlooked in a rather intense catalog.  Even so, there were crowd surfers that hit the stage lights of the low ceiling within Maxwell’s. [Ryan Flatley - Sputnik Music]

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The Wonder Years, Four Year Strong, Comeback Kid @ Starlight Ballroom 10.4.10

The Wonder Years (photos by Dan Bassini)

Four Year Strong

Comeback Kid

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The Wonder Years and Four Year Strong stopped by Philadelphia's Starlight Ballroom this past Monday. The date was just the 2nd night of the FYS, TWY and CBK tour, which is a full US run that will take the three bands all the way into November. Though we weren't able to grab the setlists from Monday night, you can find Four Year Strong and The Wonder Years' setlists from the next night at Irving Plaza. Videos from Monday night's show can be found after the fold. The Wonder Years recently re-released their break-out record The Upsides through Hopeless Records, if you haven't picked it up yet you can do so here. Back in March Four Year Strong dropped their 3rd studio album, Enemy of the World and have been on the road non-stop ever since. You can find the tours full routing below.

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The Gaslight Anthem @ Radio City Music Hall 9.30.10

The Gaslight Anthem played their largest headlining set to date this past Thursday at NYC's legendary Radio City Music Hall. Time Out New York was there to review it. Check out their write-up here. Excerpt below. Thursday nights full setlist can be found after the fold. Also, if you missed it check out our coverage of their last NJ show here.

The four-piece held its own on the historic stage, opening the set with “High Lonesome,” off of 2008’s The ‘59 Sound, the album that garnered comparisons to the Boss, which pressured the band to push themselves further on their latest release, American Slang. After playing “We Came to Dance” and “Diamond Street Church Choir,” singer Brian Fallon—tattooed down to his knuckles and dressed in a white crew-neck T-shirt, blue jeans and a vintage-inspired bowler hat—relinquished guitar duties to another musician. For the upbeat “Old White Lincoln” and the soulful “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,” Fallon focused on singing and charming the crowd that consisted of every demographic, from punks in Replacements T-shirts to businessmen in slacks and button-downs, as well as the band’s family and friends. [Time Out NY]

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The Temper Trap @ Wellmont Theatre 10.30.10

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It finally happened. After attending close to two-hundred shows in the past two years I finally witnessed a band butcher the name of the city they were in. Hearing singer, Dougy Mandagi ask "What's up Clairmont?" wasn't quite as big of a mishap as I'd image a band saying the name of a different city, but pretty entertaining nonetheless. Either way when the group jumped into one of their albums stand out tracks, "Fadar" shortly after, all was well. The Wellmont Theatre always has good sound, but The Temper Trap seemed to really bring that out, the group's array of instruments allowed them to reach an even fuller sound than on their well producer record.

The Australian quintet have had a crazy year, very rarely will you see a band become as instantly large off a debut as The Temper Trap have. Even though compared to most other Wellmont Theatre shows, last night's crowd was smaller than usual, it is extremely impressive that a new band from thousands of miles away can draw a crowd as big as they did in the suburbs of NJ. Tonight the group will play to a much larger audience at their sold-out Terminal 5 show. If you missed it, the group recently performed on Jimmy Fallon. Be sure to pick up their impressive debut Conditions here.

The Temper Trap - Fader     (Buy)

More photos of The National @ Wellmont Theatre 9.24.10

The National (photos by Brian Reilly)

Owen Pallett

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A couple days ago we posted our original coverage of last Friday's The National show @ Wellmont Theatre. Luckily NJU's photo editor, Brian Reilly was also in attendance and has his own photos to contribute. Unlike me he was able to catch Owen Pallett, who opened the sold-out show. Check out our original post here. I reposted Friday nights setlist below.

The National - Slow Show

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Titus Andronicus @ Webster Hall 9.25.10

Titus Andronicus (photos by Clara Hung)

Free Energy

Etc.

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Titus Andronicus played their biggest headlining set to date this past Saturday @ NYC's Webster Hall. The Glen Rock based group have been on the road for the better part of this year supporting their 2nd studio album The Monitor. Saturday's show brought an end to their initial non-stop run of touring, as the group currently has no announced dates. It has been a crazy year for the group. The Monitor received much critical praise, the group has performed at countless music festivals and even performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Being able to perform on the legendary Webster Hall stage was good way of seeing it all pay off. You can find Titus Andronicus's 12 song setlist from Webster Hall below. If you still haven't yet, pick up their latest album The Monitor here.

Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus Forever

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The Gay Blades @ Meat Locker 9.25.10

The Gay Blades

Those Mockingbirds (photos by Ken Lavey)

Waking Lights (photos by Ken Lavey)

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The Gay Blades played a special $2 show at Montclair's Meat Locker this past Saturday, September 25th. The date was apart of the NJ trio's short basement tour to promote their soon-to-be released 2nd studio album Savages. If you missed it we recently interviewed the group, where we discussed their new record, basement shows and their plans for the rest of 2010. Be sure to check that out here. Pre-order Savages, which is due out October 5th via Triple Crown Records here. Tris McCall of The Star-Ledger recently did an in-depth piece on the group's forth coming album. You can find that here. Excerpt below.

“Savages,” then, is a chronicle of a deeply troubled period in Westfield’s life. Because it’s a Gay Blades album, it’s alternately joyous and snarky, devoted to cheap thrills and grand gestures, and decorated in broad, vivid strokes. Because it was written when it was, there’s a ferocious riptide of anger and dismay waiting for the unwary listener. Westfield, who has never been big on self-censoring, pours out frustration and confusion in a white-hot torrent. “Shadow’s Like a Ghost” is a haunted ballad; “Burns and Shakes” is unhinged with heartbreak. “Why Winter in Detroit,” the album’s centerpiece, is an existential riddle disguised as a rude come-on. [NJ.com]

The Gay Blades - Try To Understand (Dmerit Remix)

Jimmy Eat World @ Starland Ballroom 9.24.10

Brick + Mortar

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Jimmy Eat World stopped by Sayerville's Starland Ballroom this past Friday, September 24th. The veteran pop-punk group have been fairly busy as of late. Not only did they play Starland Ballroom on Friday, which was a show in the middle of an extensive national tour the group is currently on, but they also released a music video for their new album's first single titled "My Best Theory". That video along with a video of them on their bus riding to Starland Ballroom can be found below. Friday nights Starland Ballroom setlist can be found below as well. JEW are set to release their seventh studio album Invented this Tuesday via Interscope Records. If you missed the groups packed Starland Ballroom date, you still have a chance to catch them at one of their two upcoming Terminal 5 dates in October. All of Jimmy Eat World's upcoming tour dates can be found here. Be sure to pre-order their new record Invented here. NJU favorites, Brick + Mortar opened Friday nights show. The Toms River duo have plenty of things in the works, until those are ready to be announced be sure to check out the groups debut EP here.

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The National @ Wellmont Theatre 9.24.10

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The National played a sold out show at Montclair's Wellmont Theatre last night, September 24th. The Brooklyn based group started off their set with "Runaway", a track from their most recent album High Violet, which came out last May through 4AD. The show acted as a kick-off to their US tour that will wrap up October 18th in Denver. The group will then head to Europe for a month starting in November. All of The Nationals upcoming tour dates can be found here. The setlist from their Wellmont Theatre show can be found below. If you haven't yet pick up their latest album High Violet here.

The National - Mistaken For Strangers (Buy)

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Electric Six @ Maxwell's 9.24.10

Fall On Your Sword

It had only been two months since the last time Electric Six stopped by Hoboken's Maxwell's, but you wouldn't have been able to tell from the crowd. An enthused audience greeted the Detroit group as if their return to NJ had been a long time coming. Though I wasn't able to keep track of the groups Maxwell's setlist, their Bowery Ballroom setlist can be found below. The sold-out show came in the beginning of a very extensive US tour that will keep them on the road all the way up until November. The group will then head out to Europe at the end of November. All of Electric Six's upcoming tour dates can be seen here. Unfortunately, I was having major camera problems so there are no more photos this time around, but we'll make sure to catch them the next time they're in town.

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LCD Soundsystem @ Wellmont Theatre 9.23.10

LCD Soundsystem (photos by Ken Lavey)

Sleigh Bells

Crowd

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LCD Soundsystem kicked-off their Fall tour last night at Montclair's Wellmont Theatre. James Murphy & Co. opened with Dance Yrself Clean, which was apparently a live debut for the song. The group went on to play a 14 song set that featured a pretty even mix of songs from all of James' three albums. The anything but retired group is set to play shows all the way up until the end of this year. After they finish up this US tour, which ends October 27th in Detroit, they head over to Europe for the better part of November. All of their upcoming tour dates can be found here. Setlist from last night's Wellmont Theatre show can be found below along with a couple videos of LCD Soundsystem and a video of the opening band Sleight Bells.

LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean

Sleigh Bells - Riot Rhythm

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Jenny & Johnny @ Maxwell's 9.21.10

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Jenny and Johnny stopped by Hoboken's Maxwell's last night, September 21st. The boyfriend and girlfriend duo made up of Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice played a 15 song set to a sold out crowd. They performed every song off their recently release collaboration record titled I'm Having Fun Now as well as a couple songs "Carpetbaggers" and "The Next Messiah". The full setlist from last night's performance can be seen below. Jenny and Johnny are currently out on a headlining tour, but they have squeezed a couple supporting dates in between. The two recently opened for one of Pavement's reunion shows this past Sunday and they support Superchunk tonight in Philadelphia. You can check out all of their upcoming tour dates here.

Jenny and Johnny - Scissor Runner

Jenny and Johnny - Love Hurts (cover)

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Fireworks, Man Overboard @ First Unitarian Church 9.17.10

Fireworks (photos by Dan Bassini)

Man Overboard

Transit

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Fireworks headlining tour featuring The Swellers, Man Overboard and Transit stopped by Philadelphia's First Unitarian Church this past Friday, September 23rd. The massive national tour featuring some of today's most loved pop-punk groups is about half way through, but still have the rest of their area dates ahead of them. The "All I Have Left Is This Tour" tour is set to hit Manhattan's The Studio (at Webster Hall) and then they hit South Jersey's Hangar 84 this Friday, September 24th. The tour wraps up in Fireworks home-town Detroit October 1st. Man Overboard and Transit both recently put out records on Run For Cover Records, if you haven't yet, be sure to pick them up here. Fireworks put out All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion back in 2009. That album can be picked up here. Unfortunately we were unable to grab photos of The Swellers set, but you can check out videos of their First Unitarian Church performance below.

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Strung Out @ Asbury Lanes 9.18.10

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Strung Out stopped by Asbury Park's Asbury Lanes last night Saturday, September 18th. The California group have been together for 21 years and have managed to put out 7 studio albums with their latest Agents of the Underground being released last September. The close to capacity show was praised by the band as one of their favorite NJ shows yet. The group's written setlist, which features 18 songs, leaning more towards their newer material, yet including songs from almost all of their releases can be found below. Strung Out have been out on the road with Rufio, Mute and We Are The Union for the past month. The tour is currently in its final week and wraps up this Sunday in Denver. Keep up with all of Strung Out's happenings here.

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Waking Lights @ Maxwell's 9.17.10

Waking Lights

The Exotic Aquatic

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Waking Lights played a record release show this past Friday at Hoboken's Maxwell's. The Rabbit Hole has been out for about a year on vinyl, but was officially digitally released on Friday. Surprisingly the show was almost at capacity by the time Waking Lights took the stage. The North Jersey folk-rock group played a 10 song set, which included every song off of The Rabbit Hole, 3(?) new songs and "Sweet Virginia" off their debut EP for the encore. Incase you missed the Waking Lights recently launched a new website that includes a clip of a live performance of their new song "Our Time Will Come". You'll also be able to check out their upcoming CMJ dates on the site. The group is currently in the studio working on a new full-length that should hopefully be out early next year. WL's setlist from Friday night can be found after the fold.

Waking Lights - Where It All Began

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Bouncing Souls @ ABC No Rio 9.14.10

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Bouncing Souls played a benefit show at Manhattan's legendary club, ABC No Rio. The thirty year old spot is raising money to construct a new facility. Some of their plans for constructions can be seen at ABC No Rio's website. Check out a list of their upcoming events, which include exhibitions of visual art, poetry readings and of course their well known Hardcore/Punk Matinee shows every Saturday here.

This was Bouncing Souls last of three NYC dates, which included a show at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg on Sunday and a Rocks Off Cruise show around Manhatan the night after. The pop-punk veterans played a setlist of mostly requests, it happen to include a cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven", video below. Bouncing Souls will hit the road for the better part of October and November. The group will then head to New Zealand and Australia for a run of dates.

Bruce Springsteen played a private/benefit show @ The Stone Pony 9.11.10

Bruce Springsteen & family on-stage at The Stone Pony 9.11.10 (via Rolling Stone)

Bruce Springsteen played an unannounced/private benefit show this past Saturday, September 11th at Asbury Park's Stone Pony. Rumors are that tickets for the 800 capacity standing room only show ranged from $5-20,000. The benefit was for underprivileged students at Bruce's son Evan's school, Boston College. It was drummer, Max Weinberger's second night in a row at The Pony as his solo band played there the night before. The 25 song setlist from Saturday nights performance can be found below. Check out a rather pointless video of a group of people outside The Stone Pony desperately trying to just get a glimpse of Bruce performing below as well.

Springsteen was backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band, with Max Weinberg on drums. Also joining "The Boss" throughout the standing-room-only gig was longtime friend -- and Jersey Shore music legend -- Southside Johnny.

Backstreets.com posted that covers included versions of Wilson Pickett's "634-5789" and "In The Midnight Hour," Moon Mullican's "Seven Nights To Rock," the Isley Brothers' "Twist And Shout," and Sam Cooke's "Havin' A Party." Springsteen closed the show with an acoustic version of "Thunder Road."

We asked Springsteen if it's gotten tougher putting himself through such strenuous workouts every time he hits the stage: "The show was always very physical, and I've had people ask me -- they say, 'Wow, wasn't that really hard?' I said it was as hard as it used to be to do it, but it wasn't any harder, you know? (laughs) It was always kind of hard, so it was. . . It was as hard as that, but I wouldn't say that it was any harder." [KSHE95]

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