CONCERTS
"The live show is the new album cover," says David Tobias, singer/guitarist for Brooklyn’s electro-funksters Apes & Androids. In a piece in July’s Spin on the new vogue for psychadelic stage-shows, we learn that the Androids hand out kazoos to their audience so they can play along to Gary Glitter’s "Rock & Roll Part 2," and that the band’s friends are known to dress up like zombies on-stage and perform a dead-on impression of Michael Jackson’s "Thriller." Sounds like a good time. Even better when you consider who the boys are playing with—the borough’s most accomplished sonic terrorists, A Place To Bury Strangers. The weirdness goes down at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on July 19 as part of the Siren Festival after-party. [On Sale: Today at noon]
The RZA’s been a busy man lately—though not with what you think. Last fall he picked up the Hip-Hop Chess Federation championship in San Francisco, and in June he founded wuchess.com where (the apparently numerous) folks who are both chess and Wu-Tang fans can share their passions online. Last week, the RZA found time away from the board to release a new album, Digi Snacks, under the guise of his alter ego, Bobby Digital. The Bob Dig touches down at Webster Hall on Saturday, July 5th. [On Sale Now]
Those who prefer to celebrate the nation’s independence with bow ties instead of beer bongs should head to the Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall for the world premier of Bramwell Tovey’s Urban Runway on July 3 and 4. The "Musical Fireworks" also include Copland’s beloved Rodeo and, of course, Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever. [On Sale Now]
THEATER
Scotland has its own National Theater? Who knew? But god bless. The National Theater of Scotland—founded in February 2006 with the young director Vicky Featherstone at the helm—opened the Lincoln Center Festival yesterday with its highly anticipated interpretation of Euripides’ "Bacchae" at the Rose Theater. But no worries if you missed it—there are performances nearly every day through July 13. John Tiffany, who directed the National Theater’s well-received "Black Watch" at Brooklyn’s St. Ann’s Warehouse last year, takes the reigns again with "Bacchae." The inimitable Scotsman Alan Cumming plays Dionysus, who, as the Times‘ Celia McGee tells us, is "conceived as a rock star" with the "rhythm-and-blues Maenads as his backup singers and groupies." Isn’t he always reconceiving old roles as a rock star? [On Sale Now]
