SOhO Restaurant & Music Club

The full package: Singer-songwriter Griffin House returns to SOhO

October 17, 2014August 19, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Griffin House stops by SOhO this week. Courtesy photo — Griffin House stops by SOhO this week.
Courtesy photo

It takes a set of cojones for a singer-songwriter to name his latest album “Balls,” especially when that singer is Griffin House, who is best known for love songs and introspection and not joking around.

“Certain people have ideas about what a musician is and isn’t supposed to do,” he says. “If you want people to take you seriously, you’re supposed to create this intrigue, almost not be yourself. And there’s no title that could explain my personality or sense of humor other than ‘Balls.’ ” (Actually, the name comes from his childhood, in a story too convoluted for this article.)

Wall of noise: Thurston Moore brings his new band and a new album to SOhO

October 3, 2014August 20, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Thurston Moore, second from right, and his band, from left, Deb Googe, Steve Shelley and James Sedwards Matador Records photo — Thurston Moore, second from right, and his band, from left, Deb Googe, Steve Shelley and James Sedwards
Matador Records photo

Thurston Moore is tireless. Since the end of his marriage to Kim Gordon and by extension the end of Sonic Youth, he’s just as busy as he ever was, forming and disbanding experimental bands, guest appearing on several records, including a black metal band’s, and working on a new album that just came out, “The Best Day.” He’s touring with the band that made that album, which includes Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley on drums, Nought’s James Sedwards on guitar, and Deb Googe of My Bloody Valentine on bass, and they’ll be coming to SOhO on Thursday, along with another classic ’90s band, Sebadoh.

For those surprised by the acoustic chamber music of 2010’s Beck-produced “Demolished Thoughts,” this is a return to the explorations of drone, Krautrock repetition and noise of Mr. Moore’s other works.

Comedy Veteran – THREE HILARIOUS ARMED FORCES VETS TELL JOKES AT SOHO TO BENEFIT THE TROOPS

September 6, 2013October 8, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Former Staff Sergeant Thorn Tran is the executive producer and lead comic of The GIs ofComedy. Brett Saariphot — Former Staff Sergeant Thorn Tran is the executive producer and lead comic of The GIs ofComedy.
Brett Saariphot

Comedians often travel to America’s numerous war zones to entertain the troops. But with this event at SOhO Thursday night the script has been flipped, as three vets with stand-up chops provide an evening of laughs to the civilians, and all for a good cause.

“Our mission and goal is to take care as many of our troops as possible by making them laugh,” says former Staff Sergeant Thom Tran, the executive producer and lead comic of The GIs of Comedy. He along with Jose Sarduy and Tom Irwin intend to make audiences laugh while benefiting the Soldier’s Project. This charity provides free mental health counseling to veterans.

Still in Orbit – SKA LEGENDS THE SKATALITES COME TO SOHO

April 5, 2013November 16, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Lester Sterling can still wail a mean sax at age 77, and as the last surviving original member of the Skatalites, he has a right to. It’s a slinky, almost African sound, reminiscent of not just the history of ska, but of the Ethiopian jazz scene developing a continent away. Mr. Sterling’s band, which reunited in the ’80s and has continued playing ever since, comes to SOhO this Thursday, and should not be taken for granted.

As much as the original Skatalites have contributed to the history of ska and beyond, their ’60s incarnation was as chaotic personally as their storming and sweaty first gigs. Trombonist Don Drummond, who wrote a majority of their material, suffered from bouts of mental illness, checked in and out of sanitariums, and murdered his girlfriend in 1965. When he died four years later, most of Jamaica came out in the streets for the funeral.