Well, the weather outside is... delightful? No one’s complaining about 65 degree November days, but don’t count on it lasting much longer. Fortunately, there are a decent amount of indoor concerts coming up, although winter months are usually slower than the rest of the year and this December is no exception. Still, there’s just enough classic rock and metal to go around, and a ton of trance leading up to New Year’s Eve. Following are the concerts on the Hard Rock Examiner’s radar for December 2011:
Thursday, December 1st: Bob Seger at Madison Square Garden. Still like that old time rock n’ roll? There’s no better place for it than the Garden, and no one has more classic rock hits than Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. Only sidestage seats are left via Ticketmaster, but brokers and scalpers can help you out for the right price. Read my guide to buying tickets on the secondary market by clicking here.
Saturday, December 3rd: Armored Saint at Webster Hall. It’s a great time for long-lost metal bands, as John Bush is back in Armored Saint and Joey Belladonna is back fronting Anthrax. The ‘Thrax is touring like crazy, but Armored Saint shows are far and few between so far so catch these guys while you can!
Sunday, December 4th: Eyehategod at Europa. Did someone say sludge metal? There’s no one sludgier than this New Orleans’ group, which also features Down drummer Jimmy Bower in its ranks (read my recent interview with Jimmy here). Europa is one of Brooklyn’s best laid-out venues, and this Sunday night show promises to be insanely crushing.
Monday, December 5th: Corey Taylor at Highline Ballroom. The shockingly open frontman of Slipknot and Stone Sour is on a solo acoustic tour, playing songs from both his bands as well as covers, and even Q&A sessions. This show somehow hasn’t sold out yet, but considering his amazing catalog and magnetic personality, this is a can’t-miss for fans of his work. You can read my review of Stone Sour’s last New York concert right here.
Friday, December 9th: Corey Taylor at Starland Ballroom. New Jersey gets their chance to greet Mr. Taylor and his incomparable setlist and life experiences. Starland is more roomy than the tiny Highline, but a solid hour+ drive from NYC so pick your show accordingly. Read my review of Slipknot’s last local show here.
Friday, December 9th: A Pale Horse Named Death at Webster Hall. Led by Sal Abruscato from Type O Negative, this is slow stoner metal at its very best. APHND has yet to really explode onto the heavy metal radars, but expect this show to be one more step on their unstoppable march to success.
Saturday, December 10th: A Pale Horse Named Death at Dingbatz. Clifton, NJ gives you a second chance to catch the band, only minutes from the Lincoln Tunnel. A great second option for anyone who can’t make the Friday night show, and definitely more intimate than Webster Hall.
Sunday, December 11th: Between the Buried and Me at Best Buy Theater. Definitely one of the more musically intriguing metal acts around, this band has developed a heavy but still progressive sound and are known for killer live shows. Read NY Rock Examiner Lou Di Monaco’s interview with bassist Dan Briggs here.
Tuesday, December 13th: The Devil Wears Prada at Best Buy Theater. Get your monthly fix of live death metal from these guys, with support from Whitechapel, Enter Shikari, and For Today. The underground Best Buy Theater is one of the city’s greatest venues for metal, with a spacious open floor for moshing and unassigned seats in the back for those who prefer to watch the show in peace.
Saturday, December 17th: Twisted Sister at Best Buy Theater. Return once more to Best Buy to catch the Twisted Sister Twisted Christmas show. In addition to metal takes on Christmas classics, you can count on hearing Twisted favorites like We’re Not Gonna Take It and I Wanna Rock. Read my interview from last year with guitarist Jay Jay French here.
Wednesday, December 21st: Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Nassau Coliseum. The undisputed heavy metal champions of Christmas and classic music, TSO brings all the fiery bombast of arena rock in the guise of a touching holiday show. There are a pair of showings, at 4pm and 8pm, at the Coliseum. Read my review of the 2008 Christmas spectacular here.
Thursday, December 22nd: Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Prudential Center. Newark gets its own chance for the TSO experience, also with dual 4pm and 8pm showtimes. The relatively new Prudential Center is a gorgeous venue and a spectacular place to catch any arena show. Read my review of the Beethoven’s Last Night (non-Christmas) show from 2010 here.
Monday-Wednesday, December 26-28th: The Disco Biscuits at Best Buy Theater. A far cry from heavy metal, but the electronica-loving Biscuits put on a great sound and light show, and are returning for a three day residence leading up to New Years. Think of it as a hard rock electro jam band, and read my review of their last Best Buy show here.
Thursday-Friday, December 29-30th: The Machine at B.B. King’s. Few things are more dependable than The Machine’s annual New Years shows at BB’s, and Pink Floyd fans always pack the club for this superb tribute. Expect different setlists every night as this band loves the deep and obscure cuts, but rest assured that they won’t leave without playing Wish You Were Here. My review of last year’s New Year’s concert here.
Friday, December 30th: Clutch at Starland Ballroom. No NYC date on this tour, so fans of the stoner rock Clutch will have to haul out to Sayerville, NJ to catch the band. It’s worth it though, as Clutch consistently delivers full impact setlists and aren’t afraid to play late. A great opportunity for anyone who missed their pair of boat shows over the summer.
Saturday, December 31st: Infected Mushroom at Best Buy Theater. It’s hard to advise anyone to go anywhere near Times Square on New Year’s Eve, but if anything can justify it, it’s watching Infected Mushroom bringing in 2012. These Israelis mix bass-crushing beats with screaming lead guitars for one of the most metal trance acts around, and Best Buy is unmatched when it comes to comfort and cleanliness. Read my review of Infected Mushroom in Tel Aviv by clicking here.
Notable Mention:
Sunday, December 18th: Wu Tang Clan at Best Buy Theater. One of the best live rap groups out there, even metal fans should be able to appreciate the energy Wu Tang brings to their live set. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to catch Method Man, RZA, GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, U-God,Inspectah Deck, and Masta Killa.
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