The Bowery Presents

Music Hall of Williamsburg upcoming shows

The Prom You Were Promised
After years of raised expectations and inevitable disappointment, after Pretty in Pink and Saved By The Bell season 4 (we remember it, too), 826NYC and Bowery Presents are happy to finally present THE PROM YOU WERE PROMISED, a night of formal wear, amazing dance music, and a chance to re-live prom the way you always wanted.

The night will feature rare DJ sets by VAMPIRE WEEKEND, PAT MAHONEY (of LCD Soundsystem), and HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR, and will be hosted by one of our favorite comedians (and 826NYC advisory board member!) LEO ALLEN. So fire up the limo, dust off that tux (or not), break out the hairspray, and get ready to dance!

PROM BASICS:

Who: You, and a date. (Date not required)

Dress code: Prom attire (Your old gown/tux/suit, or the jeans and sneakers you wished you'd worn.)

What: The prom night you’ve been waiting for.

When: Thursday, May 21, 2009, at 9 p.m.

Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 North 6th Street, Brooklyn

Why:
1) For the kids - all proceeds benefit 826NYC
2) For the music - three killer DJ sets, each of them worth the price of admission
3) For the replacement memories, made to last a lifetime
Vampire Weekend
official website
myspace
In the fall of 2005, Ezra Koenig was wondering about the origins of preppiness. What was khaki and where had it come from He had spent the previous summer traveling through India and touring across America as a member of The Dirty Projectors. That same summer, Rostam Batmanglij interned at the Oxford English Dictionary and managed to obtain the key to the harpsichord room at Columbia University. He studied film scoring downtown and rented an apartment in Morningside Heights. At Columbia, Ezra majored in English and Rostam majored in Music. As their time at school was coming to an end, they formed Vampire Weekend in the spring of 2006 with drummer Christopher Tomson and bassist Chris Baio.

With a distinct vibe in mind, they began recording and performing around New York City. Drawing on their diverse backgrounds and interests, they began experimenting and exploring the intersections of the things they loved: African guitar music, the Western classical canon, hazy memories of summers in Cape Cod, winters in upper Manhattan, reggaeton and everything else that would become a part of Vampire Weekend.

Their first album came together over the course of 18 months, beginning in an undersized practice room on the Columbia University campus and ending in a newly christened storage space-cum-studio called the Treefort in DUMBO, Brooklyn. During this time, the band went from playing at the literary houses of their Alma Mater to selling out shows in New York at The Bowery Ballroom and the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and opening for Animal Collective at Webster Hall.

In the spring of 2007, Chris Baio began booking the band's first national tour as he finished a degree in Russian Regional Studies (the remaining members of the band graduated in May of 2006). Ezra Koenig was preparing his eighth graders in Bed-Stuy for the city-wide English exams. Chris Tomson was ending his nine-month stay on a windowless fourth floor of a major label archive in midtown Manhattan. Rostam Batmanglij was wrapping up what will likely be his last film score for the foreseeable future. The band went in four ways on a 2004 Honda Odyssey. When they returned from their July tour they had signed to XL Recordings and seen America from coast to coast.

Their self-titled debut was released on January 29, 2008 to worldwide critical acclaim. They have graced magazine covers, played numerous sold-out shows across the world, performed on Saturday Night Live, The Late Show With David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Late Night With Conan O'Brien. They are one of the biggest success stories of 2008.
LCD Soundsystem
official website
myspace
LCD Soundsystem is the musical side project of producer James Murphy, co-founder of New York City dance-punk label DFA Records. Formed in 2002, the music of LCD Soundsystem can also be described as a mix of dance and post punk, along with elements of disco and other styles. The band covered songs from Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

During live performances, Murphy is accompanied by Al Doyle (guitar, percussion — also of Hot Chip), Phil Skarich (bass), Nancy Whang on the keyboard and Pat Mahoney on the drums. Previous members include Tyler Pope (!!! / Out Hud) on the bass, Phil Mossman on the guitar and percussion.

LCD Soundsystem gained attention with its first single, “Losing My Edge”. The song, which sounds like the boastings of a music geek put to an electronic beat, received acclaim in 2002. Murphy released a double album simply titled LCD Soundsystem in February of 2005 to critical acclaim. The first disk of the album contains new music and the second contains rereleases of songs previously released as singles. The opening track “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House” entered the uk Top 40 in March 2005.

On December 8, 2005 the group received nominations for two Grammys in the electronica category for their self-titled album and in the Dance category for “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House”. This album was also chosen as one of Amazon.com’s Top 100 Editor’s Picks of 2005.

In March 2007, the band released their second album entitled Sound of Silver. The album has spawned four singles including “North American Scum”, “All My Friends”, “Someone Great” and “Time to Get Away”. Sound Of Silver saw a move towards a more traditional song writing approach whilst still maintaining the production values of their eponymous debut effort. This has resulted in the album appearing in numerous critic’s end of year lists and another Grammy nomination for best electronic/dance album of 2007.
Hercules and Love Affair
official website
myspace
Hercules And Love Affair continue their disco revolution with the release of the brand new single ‘You Belong’ released 7th July.

Taken from their critically acclaimed debut album and sung by the fabulous Kim.

A breathtaking set of mixes including Riton, Kevin Sanderson and a stunning Hercules Club Mix are all designed to get your ass on that dancefloor.
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