By Daniel Jumpertz
Special to DNAinfo
While the cream of the international alternative music scene heads to Asbury Park, N.J., to play at the Portishead-curated All Tomorrow's Parties this weekend, Manhattan will be hosting a few private shindigs of its own. What's the hottest ticket this week? Sting celebrates 25 years in the business (and his 60th birthday) with a star-studded fundraising party on Saturday night, while Radiohead drop in for two shows at Roseland Ballroom. And don't forget rock's poet laureate Elvis Costello. He's appearing uptown on Saturday night with his band, The Imposters.
Wednesday, Sept. 28
A worthy alternative for those who couldn't get Radiohead tickets, Jimmy La Valle's eclectic project The Album Leaf plays at Le Poisson Rouge, Founded in San Diego in 1998, The Album Leaf fuses ambient post-rock, acoustic and electronic. The most recent album, through Sub Pop and titled "A Chorus of Storytellers," was released last year.
Select New York Radiohead fans finally get to hear their eighth album "The King Of Limbs" live. That's if you were super-quick off the mark (and incredibly lucky) and able to nab tickets. "The King Of Limbs" was recorded in LA and produced, like "OK Computer," by Nigel Godrich. It's a progression of the more experimental and jittery direction the band has undertaken post-"OK Computer," but like all their work, it rewards repeated listening. Radiohead played as a secret act at the recent Glastonbury Festival unveiling some new tracks — expect to hear some surprises tonight, too. With FourTet and Rocketnumbernine at Roseland Ballroom. Also Thursday.
Thursday, Sept. 29
Catskill's folksy revivalists The Felice Brothers got their start playing the New York City subway system. Tonight, they're playing Webster Hall. Their latest long-player, "Celebration, Florida" was recorded in the gymnasium and theater of Beacon, N.Y.’s old high school.
Friday, Sept. 30
First wave LA punk rockers X are back together again and are playing Irving Plaza. Also Saturday
a band both goofy and incredibly funky — Primus — will be playing tracks from their eighth album Les Claypool formed Primus during 1984 in California and has released some of their records on his Prawn Song Records label. Also tonight, "Green Naugahyde" at Roseland Ballroom.
Saturday Oct. 1 - GIG OF THE WEEK
Ever since his "My Aim Is True" album in 1977, Elvis Costello has been widely recognized as a gifted lyricist and master songwriter. Beginning as a quirky pop-punk agitator, Costello has sailed most musical tributaries and mastered many of them, including country ("Good Year For The Roses"), classical ("The Juliet Letters" with the Brodsky Quartet) and the pop classics ("Painted From Memory" with Burt Bacharach). His biggest US hit was "Veronica" from his "Spike" album in 1989, but then Costello has been more loved as an album artist with 13 US top 40 albums thus far. This time Costello is touring with his new(ish) band The Imposters. United Palace Theatre, Washington Heights.
Also tonight: An amazing party is happening at Beacon Theatre to celebrate Sting's 60th birthday, and also as a fundraiser for the Robin Hood Foundation. Starring Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, some tickets for this event were made available to Sting fan club members, but otherwise this is a private, fundraising event.
Noah Lennox from the Animal Collective becomes indie-darling Panda Bear tonight. At Webster Hall.
Sunday, Oct. 2
Third Eye Blind arrived on the scene at the height of early '90s grunge, but are more accurately categorized as an upbeat rock band when compared to some of their more miserable, navel-gazing peers. At Irving Plaza.
Monday, Oct. 3
The Psychedelic Furs ("Love My Way" and "Pretty In Pink") and Tom Tom Club — two bands who made their biggest impact in the 1980s — are currently touring together. They play Irving Plaza tonight.
Tuesday, Oct. 4
Gothic London rockers The Horrors will be playing tracks from their excellent new album "Skying" tonight at Webster Hall.
