It's time for our exciting first look at NSOP 2008! Seems as if this year's festivities will not include the traditional Orientation Concert on the Steps. You'll recall that last year Clipse performed with the World Famous Vampire Weekend.

A Columbia Concerts insider explained that it's "not entirely clear" why there's no concert, only that "we're trying to put all of our eggs into the Bacchanal Concert basket, I guess." He also promises that the Spring Concert will be huge.

Nervous energy borne of coffee and unfinished CC papers pervaded Lerner as the tech crews set up for Bacchanal's annual spring concert last night. Kids who arrived at 8 p.m. camped out near the white plastic barricade like they were at Webster Hall ca. 2003 waiting for the Get Up Kids, or maybe Interpol. In any case, they came, they clustered on the floor, they took out a laptop or two to maximize efficiency. WBAR jockeys spun the de rigueur ambient noise and obscure electronica, and the elite with green backstage passes perched near the merchandise table.

It didn't take much prying to determine that a lot of people at the show arrived sans knowledge of what they were in for, despite Bwog's best efforts to the contrary. And if they thought "indie rock" was in any way related to "rock and roll" apart from the implementation of the same instruments, the first swirls of Grizzly Bear's atmospheric noodling hopefully set them straight. But lukewarm crowd responses, ample chatter among the grad students in the back—including one prescient, tight-pantsed character who had slipped a Stella Artois into bone-dry Lerner—and bored-looking couples glued to the auditorium chairs all indicated a lack of rapport between band and crowd, give or take the clusters towards the front who hummed along to each four-part harmony.

The lineup for Barnard Radio's annual outdoor BBQ and concert has been announced in an email from Milano Chowkwanyun, the Co-Promotions Director of WBAR. The show will take place on Friday, April 25th (on Barnard's lawn, Nexus be damned) and will feature the following:

Wizards of the Coast
Bear
Food Will Win the War
Liturgy
Thee Yetis
Les Sans Culottes
MegaFaun
Tickley Feather
Crystal Stilts
Cause Co-Motion
Awesome Color
Skaters
Videohippos
Japanther

Plus, the titillating promise of a "special guest." Ampire-vay Eekend-way?

Bwog is currently livebwogging from the Low Steps, where we (like many of you) stumbled upon a rock concert. The music was loud (and catchy) as Bwog yelled around in vain trying to figure out what the concert was for. We first ran into Jeffrey Rodriguez, SEAS '10, of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship who explained that the concert (which is called Praise on the Steps for Jesus) was to kick off Jesus Week. Bwog screamed a couple clarifying questions, but Rodriguez ran off to enjoy the show. Dejected, we resigned ourselves to Googling. Luckily, Jonathan Walton, CC 08, sat down next to us on the steps and began typing on Bwog's laptop. "Jesus Week is traditionally the week before Easter at Columbia University but because of Spring break this year we decided to have it later in the year. Each year the Christian fellowships come together to worship and reach out to campus through events and service," he wrote in our open Word document. "Thank you!" Bwog yelled. Walton smiled and ran off.

The participating Christian fellowships include Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Korean Campus Crusade for Christ, Campus Crusade for Christ, Remnant Christian Fellowship, and Kompass Christian Koinonia. "Are you ready to love God?!" the lead singer yelled to the crowd. The crowd replied affirmatively, enthusiastically.

- JNW

Columbia is more than just "Upper West Side Soweto." Chromeo's performance at Bowery Ballroom Monday night showed off the cheekier side of Ivy League music.

Despite the recent flurry of hype surrounding Vampire Weekend, they are not the only Columbia-related band selling out Bowery Ballroom. Chromeo anyone? A French grad student and T.A. by day, David Macklovitch has amassed a number of glowing CULPA reviews. However, he also doubles as Dave 1, and along with bandmate P-Thugg, the duo is known as the (somewhat ironic) electrofunk group Chromeo.

Making the night family affair, Dave 1's little brother, A-Trak DJed between sets. Spinning mash-ups from Dirty South Dance ensured the crowd never had to stop dancing. Opener Kid Sister bemoaned her current cold and lack of health insurance, perhaps as a reference to the upcoming elections. Though her bumping and grinding masked any symptoms of illness, and her sequined beret and flashy nails also helped. Vivacious and brash, but not overtly sexual, Kid Sister is a b-boy's wet dream.

In which Courtney Douds communes with the poet of misspent suburban youth.

I predict this to be the least ironic post ever written for Bwog.

This past Tuesday, I attended the first of two concerts given by the band Marilyn Manson and their infamous frontman of the same name at the Hammerstein Ballroom. And though he played a fairly long set, I could have handled having my upper body crushed by a thousand people for ten more hours for him to perform his whole repertoire. I went as a princess of darkness, with black eyeliner, bright blue eyeshadow, and red lipstick smeared across my face.

Columbia is more than just "Upper West Side Soweto." Chromeo's performance at Bowery Ballroom Monday night showed off the cheekier side of Ivy League music.

Despite the recent flurry of hype surrounding Vampire Weekend, they are not the only Columbia-related band selling out Bowery Ballroom. Chromeo anyone? A French grad student and T.A. by day, David Macklovitch has amassed a number of glowing CULPA reviews. However, he also doubles as Dave 1, and along with bandmate P-Thugg, the duo is known as the (somewhat ironic) electrofunk group Chromeo.

Making the night family affair, Dave 1's little brother, A-Trak DJed between sets. Spinning mash-ups from Dirty South Dance ensured the crowd never had to stop dancing. Opener Kid Sister bemoaned her current cold and lack of health insurance, perhaps as a reference to the upcoming elections. Though her bumping and grinding masked any symptoms of illness, and her sequined beret and flashy nails also helped. Vivacious and brash, but not overtly sexual, Kid Sister is a b-boy's wet dream.

Brandon Wolfeld, Bwog's newest Arts correspondent, provides an optimistic roundup of his Saturday CMJ experience. (Photos by Armin Rosen.)

What brings six bands from as far away as Kansas to a seemingly abandoned lot in Brooklyn? The answer: the College Music Journal's CMJ festival, an annual 5-day orgy of everything indie.

The venue, the Yard on Carol St. in Brooklyn, is vaguely reminiscent of a summer camp theater stage. It offers little more than folding chairs, park benches and spectacular views of the scenic Gowanus, and the event felt more like a family reunion than a concert: at least a quarter of the attendees at this showcase were the performers themselves.

I arrived at The Yard midway through a performance by the Lisps, whose melancholy vocals complimented and sometimes contrasted with their folksy, acoustic sound. Next up was Balthrop, Alabama, an excellent blend of Neutral Milk Hotel and the Decemebrists with a hint of Moe and a dash of country. After them came Nebraska-based Eagle*Seagull, a band whose power pop was featured some very danceable beats and equally catchy vocals so reminiscent of Win Butler that you have to wonder if the Texas native had a long lost brother living in Nebraska.

Next up was the Two Man Gentleman Band, composed of three Columbia alumni. They were wearing old fashioned suits accompanied by suspenders and fedoras, and when it was their turn to take the stage they produced something that somehow seemed uniquely Columbian: the Gentlemen rocked out in contemporary Vaudeville style with some kazoos, a banjo, an upright bass, a snare drum, and a tambourine duct taped to the lead singer's right foot.

More photos after the jump!

No, this has nothing to do with hate crimes, and yes, it happened several days ago. But sometimes things slip through the cracks, and Bwog newbie Beth Gordon says it's never too late to hear about this band.

I've been told that if Queens and the Bronx took a shit, it would be Randall's Island. Nevertheless, Arcade Fire's last show in New York City for the next couple years was enough to make it worth the trek this Saturday. I found my way to the Island around six, listening to Les Savy Fav from the walkway to the venue. By the time they searched my bag and scanned my ticket, Blonde Redhead had begun their set. I haven't heard much of Blonde Redhead, so I decided to walk around, eat funnel cake and push my way into the middle of the crowd. I had to be prepared for LCD Soundsystem.

LCD Soundsytsem was fantastic. They played songs mostly from their newest album, Sound of Silver (2007). The 25,000 people who crossed the Triborough Bridge packed as close to the stage as possible to see James Murphy & Co. play triumphantly. Members of Arcade Fire joined them onstage for a few songs; Murphy (vocals for LCD) declared he had to tire them out so they could "have an edge" over the headliner. Their electronica/dance/pop sound was even better live than the recorded version—the masses jumping up and down were certainly feeling it. They ended the set with the song "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down," which was a bit slower than the previous songs, but the perfect exit for the native New York band and the New York audience.

Working its way up from the Warehouse in Winston-Salem to Webster Hall, Okkervil River has cemented its place among the best in hyper-literate indie rock. Bwog correspondent Max Friedman chronicles his personal journey with Okkervil River.

When I first saw Okkervil River play, four years ago, it was at a small, artsy venue in my hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, just after the release of their then new album, Black Sheep Boy. Having just happened upon their music, I was excited to see them, as were a few of my friends, but it seemed, at least in my town, that we were more or less the only ones. There were only about thirty people at the show, and half of them were sitting through the entire set.

This is not to say that the band was dull; they were, in fact, electric, and they succeeded in turning me from new listener into a devoted follower. They simply had not achieved enough recognition among the jaded concertgoers and self-styled musicians of the area to warrant their enthusiasm. When my friends and I spoke to Scott Brackett, the trumpeter and keyboardist, after the show, however, he said that he thought the band was getting steadily better, musically and lyrically, and, though he did was too modest to say it, he seemed to believe that greater popularity was in their future.

The Wikipedia article for The Hold Steady says that Daniel Radcliffe has proclaimed the quintet as his "favourite band." He's in good company; the formerly Twin Cities-based rockers (now the pride of Brooklyn) have reached the apotheosis of indie stardom. Following the release of their third-life crisis album, Boys and Girls in America, they toured high and low (including here, with thanks to CU Concerts), apparently building up a reputation as one of those bands that just needs to be seen live.

They played for free at World Trade Center 7 earlier tonight to a half-suited, half-Williamsburg crowd. You've got to hand it to them for turning an almost completely sober bunch (except for the clearly ecstasied contingent in the very front) into absolutely elated head-boppers. Craig Finn, the madcap frontman, exuded pure joy. He bolted around the stage flailing his arm like a little kid, jumped up and down with his guitar over his body as if he wouldn't mind if it ended up on the ground, and made up hand motions to his lyrics that if done by anyone else would look ridiculous. Keyboardist Franz Nicolay, wearing a bizarre black ensemble and beret, soloed with one hand and chugged a bottle of red wine with the other.

By the end of the set, Finn was wasted and making awkward references to 9/11, but no matter. Anyone who belts "You don't have to deal with the dealers/let your boyfriend deal with the dealers" with a Cheshire cat smile is instantly forgiven, and one of everyone's favourite performers again.

Tomorrow: M. Ward headlines (supported by Victoria Williams and McCarthy Trenching). Again without charge. World Trade Center 7, 5:30pm.

- Jessica Cohen

Bwog's resident concert expert Justin Goncalves answers all your questions about the best venues, where to go when you've had it up to here with indie rock, and that elusive Brooklynite Todd P.

Do you like music? I like music. Do you know what the best thing about living in New York while someone else pays the rent? Spending all that extra cheese on concerts.

Before I hook all you freshies up with the best places to go for concert listings and reviews, let me tell you all a little story. Just two years ago, I was in your shoes (red Converse high-tops, anyone?). Sure, I might've spent my first week at Columbia in a serious delirium, but, once playing beer-pong at Pike gets old (one time is enough, believe you me), you've gotta branch out. People really throw around this phrase too much, but, in all honesty, New York is the mecca for all things music. Whether you want to catch JT share the bill with Good Charlotte (which I did, and it was doooope), sing along to some great Hank Williams and Johnny Cash tunes with Alex Battles, or see Clipse melt your face off with their rhymes of fury, you can do it all. First semester, I spent all money and at least one night a week seeing a concert. One weekend, and I'm still not so sure why I thought this would be a good idea, I saw four consecutive nights of live music. And, to be honest, I can only remember seeing Animal Collective on Thursday and Ted Leo on Sunday. So, the most important advice I can give you is to pace yourself.

Now I'll answer your questions:

Last week a vigilant commenter tipped us off to a possible They Might Be Giants concert happening on October 14th on campus. Well, first, said commenter was lucky that a Bwog editor caught that tidbit (send in things to the alias, come on now!). Second, we emailed TMBG's bookers High Road Touring and they confirmed the date- and added that it's going to be a "kids show." So you can geek out and regress into early childhood to your heart's content.

Bwogger Kate Redburn brings us good tidings of the latest goodie to add to your iTunes.

I have a date with destiny, and it's May 30, 2007. That's when one of my all-time favorite musicians, Manu Chao, is playing my hometown. I've never been more excited about a concert, but only partially because of who I'm seeing--half the pleasure comes from having found out about the concert at all. To call Manu Chao international is an understatement: as his Wikipedia page boasts, the guy sings in French, Spanish, Wolof, Portuguese, English, Arabic, and Galician. Needless to say, his multi-lingual website is a bit hard to navigate, and I always seem to miss his infrequent visits to the United States.

Enter my savior, and the reason for this post: iConcertCal. Download iConcertCal, do it now. This simple iTunes add on, good for both PC and Mac, creates an automatic calendar of upcoming shows in your area by artists in your iTunes Library. The website doesn't explain exactly which lists they cull for concert dates, but the personalized calendar includes dates, times, venue names, and links to buy tickets. You can also change the location, to see who's playing back home. For the truly savvy, there's a radius feature, allowing you to change the radius around your location (this can prove very helpful since our zip code often yields results in New Jersey). If you're lucky enough to use a Mac, iConcertCal can also sync with iCal, creating a separate calendar with all the same information in a much prettier format.

I'm sure there's a bigger point in here somewhere about the freedom of information on the internet, but my music's up too loud for me to find it.

In which Bwog music critic Bryan Mochizuki programs your Friday, Sunday, and Monday nights.

There are at least two really great shows in the city this weekend and two equally shiver-inducing MP3's to share today, but first...THE OSCARS ARE THIS SUNDAY. Among the reasons to be excited: this year's Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Ennio Morricone, the composer on A Fistful Of Dollars, Once Upon A Time In The West, and 504 other films/shows. Bank on this as THE highlight reel of the evening: the final showdown in West, the first time you hear the classic "do-ee-oo-ee-oo" theme in Good/Bad/Ugly, any scene from Bulworth, you get the picture. For the show, Celine Dion's singing. Not mad, although I'd have preferred Warren Beatty. Anywho, on Sunday check in for that liveblog action that you've been missing from your life. But enough talk...

"Apocalypse" — Vietnam

Vietnam's a rock band from Brooklyn. Make or break, right? Like either "oh Jesus give that Brooklyn here!" or "play Clap Your Hands again. I dare you." The thing is: a. they're originally from Austin, which makes sense considering the healthy dose of twang that pops up in their riffs. And b. there aren't many Brooklyn bands that give people this much nostalgia for electric Dylan and Loaded-era Velvet Underground. These dudes hit those nails on their respective heads, but only enough to tease you into keep listening. It's like if Marisa Miller were to do a classic Farrah Fawcett pose — yeah, she's jacking a bit, but it also shows that she can play on that level. "Apocalypse" is the most dynamic song on their debut album, which came out in January. They'll be playing it tonight at Southpaw in Brooklyn. Get tickets here.