Some songs and memories never leave us.
This weekend there are local opportunities to hear rockabilly, electronica, club, and calypso tunes that have stood the test of time.
Let’s begin tonight (3/3) with longtime road warrior Wayne “The Train” Hancock ringing out his Texas twang at the Knitting Factory.
I’ve been following Mr. Hancock since we were both living in Austin in the mid ’90s. All those gimmicky rockabilly bands floating around Brooklyn lately can’t hold a candle to him.
Go check him out so you see what all my fuss is about.
O13, Friday’s opening act at St. Vitus (3/4), seamlessly mines the best of four decades of electronica trends. The band’s name, by the way, is the letter O, then the numbers one, three. Their debut album, Time Wave Zero, features krautrock, new wave, no wave, and ambient sounds.
Here‘s a track.
As disclosure, I worked a day job with the band’s bassist, Kent Heine, about ten years ago. It was with a lawyer that used to scream at opposing counsel over the phone, “I’m gonna come at you like the Chinese hordes!” (I think he meant the 13th century Mongol hordes, but never mind).
However, I’ve said maybe five words total to Kent since, the last time maybe four years ago. So it’s a straight recommendation.
For those of you looking for something besides electronica on Friday, don’t forget that Michael Daves is reinventing bluegrass down at the Knitting Factory. See yesterday’s Greenpointers preview of that event here.
The rest of the weekend is all about old-school DJ’s. Danny Tenaglia has been pounding WKTU-worthy guido club music since the mid-’90s. I don’t mean that as a slight.
This guy did residencies at the legendary Roller Palace and Crisco Disco clubs in the city, and has mixed for Madonna, Janet Jackson, the Pet Shop Boys, and Blondie.
So the next time you are banging your fists on the steering wheel to a thump-bass song and screaming that’s my jam!!!!:>Â good chance he’s responsible.
Tenaglia is spinning at Output this Saturday night (3/5).
On Sunday (3/6), a couple of DJ’s from WFMU continue their quixotic, but highly worthy quest, to revive classic calypso in the hearts and minds of Greenpointers. They start at 4 pm at Union Pool.
I put together a Spotify calypso playlist to get you ready.