First, to celebrate today’s tropical temps, a calypso gift from The Kinks.
That’s the song playing behind a trailer to the ’80s flop Club Paradise.
This weekend brings some fine ’80s-style new wave pop to our neighborhood, along with the chance to dance at the Wburg Music Hall, or rock out at Aviv. Or just bleed from the head at Grand Vic, but for more on that, you have to peek behind the click to your right.
If you are in a rowdy mood, and looking to ramp up to a boisterous St. Pat’s next Thursday, Grand Vic is still running hardcore punk and ska lineups on the weekends. Friday night (3/11) they have Mephiskapheles and Steel Toe Solution (here is a preview on Spotify).
Speaking of St. Pat’s, here’s a pat on the back to North Brooklyn for stealing popular Irish jig-punk band Murphy’s Law away from those fancy clubs in the city this year (see right).
Tonight (3/10), the Teen Commandments performs at Rough Trade . Is Tropical headlines. Close your eyes while listening to T.C. and you can almost imagine you are a character in Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, or pretty much any ’80s John Hughes movie.  To wit:
If you are seeking the same sunny pop sensibility, but with more of a dance beat, check out Great Good Fine OK at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday night (3/12). Here‘s a sample track.
Aviv has a fine lineup Friday (3/11). Thin Lips, The Max Levine Ensemble and Bellows perform, in that order. As one guy commented on Facebook, mulling all that talent:
 this show isnt even fair
Since we are in the spirit of complaint, what’s the deal with the live concert listing services in town? The Village Voice used to have pretty comprehensive listings, but now it’s really paltry.
The usual online sources, like Brooklyn Vegan and Free Williamsburg, seem to be also be cutting back, and listing the same subset of bands and venues all the time. It really grinds my gears. Does anyone know where to go?
I’m looking for complete music listings, I realize there are many curated event lists that are pretty good, like the one here.
Alright, enough complaining. At least until next week’s column.
As usual, you can click on the venue hyperlinks above for addresses & set times.