So much for being rocked like a hurricane… with the decidedly unimpressive Irene out of the way, the skies have cleared and New Yorkers are ready to rock in zones A, B, and C once more. The summer concert season may be wrapping up, but not without some classic rock, some death metal, and of course, the epic, the historic, the once-in-a-lifetime Big 4. Here are the concerts on the New York Hard Rock Examiner’s radar for the month of September:
Thursday, September 1st: Diamond Head at B.B. King’s. With the Big 4 rapidly approaching, what better band to kickstart the month than one that was covered no less than four times on Metallica’s Garage, Inc. album? This British band was at least 50% responsible for thrash metal as we know it, and B.B. King’s is sure to be packed with fans paying homage.
Saturday, September 3rd: Incubus at Jones Beach. Incubus is still around? If Sublime and 311 played the Beach this summer, well why not? It’s the second to last show of the amphitheater season, so take advantage before the weather goes for good.
Sunday, September 4th: Incubus at PNC Arts Center. New Jersey’s chance to catch the alt rockers. Plenty of cheap tickets are still available for the lawn too.
Friday, September 9th: Doro Pesch at Gramercy Theatre. One of the original legends of metal, Doro is celebrating 25 years and a DVD release party with only two shows, one here and one in Chicago two days later. Sure to be packed with her best hits from solo and Warlock albums, you can’t get much more intimate than the Gramercy for those who want to rock face to face with the original metal frontwoman.
Friday, September 9th: Arch Enemy at Best Buy Theater. It’s sheer coincidence that one of Doro’s heir-apparents is playing in town the same night, and that makes a tough choice for some fans. It’s virtually impossible not to have a good time at Best Buy’s underground venue, and opening acts Skeletonwitch, Devildriver, and Chthonic make for a pretty killer line up. Whether you go with Doro or Arch Enemy, you’re sure to be in for a night of quality metal.
Monday, September 12th: Metal Masters Clinic & Satan’s Lounge Band at Best Buy Theater. With the Big 4 only two days away, New York will be hosting tons of metalheads, and bassists Frank Bello and David Ellefson will be joined by Kerry King, Charlie Benante, and Mike Portnoy for a free clinic, followed by a show being billed as ‘Satan’s Lounge Band,’ which has all but been acknowledged as a ‘secret’ Anthrax show. Details are still sketchy, but fans are being told to line up outside the venue at 5pm to get wristbands for the clinic, and tickets for the concert are available with preorders for the new Anthrax album, Worship Music.
Tuesday, September 13th: Road Recovery Benefit Concert featuring Slash. It’s back to Best Buy once more for this charity event featuring Slash as well as his former Guns n’ Roses bandmates Matt and Duff among other musicians. Help raise money to fight addiction while witnessing the legends on stage together, but you might want to pregame – this will be a dry event. Read my review of Slash’s last local performance here.
Wednesday, September 14th: The Big 4 at Yankee Stadium. Two full years of hype, anticipation, and pleading are finally paying off – Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax are coming to New York City, and they’re playing at the Bronx’s most famous venue. The upper level seats are not yet sold out, but tickets cost a pretty penny, starting at $90 plus fees. This is a show no New York metalhead can afford to miss, but it might be wise to keep an eye on Craigslist and the brokerage websites to see if prices start falling a day or two before the show. Also note that doors open at 4pm, so those intent on catching all four bands should plan to be in the Bronx fairly early. Not sure how you’re going to get there? Consider the Rocks Off Concert Cruise, which for $25 will take you on a 90 minute booze cruise from the West Side of Manhattan right to the Stadium gates. Also check out my Countdown to the Big 4 interviews with Charlie Benante, Chris Broderick, and Tom Araya, and my review of Metallica’s last local concert here.
Friday, September 16th: Schism on Rocks Off Cruise. In case you didn’t catch them last time, the boys in Schism are launching yet another New York Harbor cruise for those who feel like combining some sightseeing with the trippy, crushing music of Tool. Opening act Battle of Los Angeles will add some Rage Against the Machine into the mix as well – read my review of Schism’s last concert cruise by clicking here.
Friday, September 16th: Led Zeppelin 2 at Theatre at Westbury. One might think that there are too many Zeppelin tributes in the New York area, from Lez Zeppelin to Black Dog to Get The Led Out and more. But that is incorrect, because in fact, there is no such thing as too much Zeppelin in any way shape or form. Catch this Long Island show in the roundhouse, or…
Saturday, September 17th: Led Zeppelin 2 at Gramercy Theatre. While Westbury offers roundhouse seating, the Gramercy has the option of both open floor and theater-style seats, letting fans get as close or far as they want from the band. Either way, you can’t go wrong with the songs that laid the very foundation of hard rock music.
Sunday, September 18th: Roger Daltrey at Prudential Center. The voice of The Who has decided it’s time to give a proper tour to the Tommy record, and even though Pete isn’t joining him on this round, this is sure to be an epic production. Classic rock fans absolutely cannot miss this performance of one of the greatest concept albums of all time.
Wednesday – Thursday September 21st-22nd: Opeth at Webster Hall. Easily one of the top prog-metal bands around, the Swedish Opeth has a new record, Heritage, coming out on September 20th, and they’re following that up with a pair of NYC shows. Shockingly, tickets are still available, so grab them while you can because the tiny Webster Hall will barely be able to contain all the raw talent in this band. Read my review of Opeth’s last New York show here.
Friday, September 23rd: Roger Daltrey at Nassau Coliseum. Long Island gets their chance to hear and see Tommy in person. Plenty of great tickets are still left for this unique tour, likely not to ever be repeated.
Friday, September 23rd: Kyuss Lives! at Terminal 5. Normally this Examiner is not a fan of T5, which tends to get incredibly hot and packed when sold out, but in this case, it’s probably just perfect for three of the four guys credited with creating stoner metal. Three floors of bars and couches provides plenty of room for those who want to enjoy the show, and hopefully the roof deck will still be open for those who need a smoke.
Sunday, September 25th: Ghost at Gramercy Theatre. It’s hard to explain a band that crafts their entire public image on mysterious masks and cloaks and refuses to communicate directly with the press, but this Swedish band gets rave reviews, both for their music and spooky stage show. The Gramercy is a great place to get intimate with a band, and Ghost might be one of the freshest bands to appear in the metal world in some time.
Monday, September 26th: The Foo Fighters at Izod Center. Dave Grohl and his band have been out of sight for some time, but will be hitting the NYC region for no less than three shows over the next two months. Tickets are still available for all three shows, and at surprisingly reasonable prices.
Monday-Tuesday September 26-27th: George Thorogood & The Destroyers at B.B. Kings. What more can you say about the man who drinks alone while being bad to the bone? Come have bourbon, scotch, and beer while rocking out with the classic rock legend at the underground B.B. King’s during this two night stand.
Special Note:
Friday-Saturday September 2-3rd: GWAR Crack-a-Thon at MF Gallery. Give the hipsters something to feel out of the loop about by attending this art show/fund raiser/telecast hosted by GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus. Words can’t really describe this insane event in a single paragraph, so click here for more info.
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