For Those Who Have The Means

If it seems like every band that has ever been featured in the pages of NME will be playing at Mercury Lounge in March, you are not too far off. The cluster of UK shows makes sense given that New York is the usual stopover for bands travelling to and from SXSW. Yet I can't help feeling this group of shows is a classic case of quantity over quality. Where are the really exciting new British bands, such as The Kooks and Duels and Morning Runner and My Latest Novel (who you can read all about at Untouched By Work or Duty) and Harrisons and Dirty Little Faces? The tour schedule for Duels has them at SXSW March 14-19, but no mention of where or when they will be playing, and nothing about a show in New York or anywhere else in the U.S. Oh, how they tease.

2/02 The Cloud Room at Southpaw
2/03 Low & His Name Is Alive at Southpaw
2/06 Low & His Name Is Alive at Bowery Ballroom
2/07 Nada Surf at Mercury Lounge
2/09 Sigur Ros at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden
2/10 The Mooney Suzuki at Southpaw
2/14 Cat Power at Town Hall
2/24-25 Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Bowery Ballroom
2/25 Stars & Magnet at Webster Hall
3/01 Test Icicles at Northsix
3/01 Rob Dickinson (of Catherine Wheel) at Mercury Lounge
3/02-03 Belle and Sebastian & The New Pornographers @ Nokia Theatre
3/02 Test Icicles at Mercury Lounge
3/02 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at The Hook
3/06 Serena Maneesh at Bowery Ballroom
3/07 The Subways at Bowery Ballroom
3/08 The Wedding Present at Bowery Ballroom
3/09 Eagle*Seagull at Pianos
3/10 BATTLE at Mercury Lounge
3/11 Eagle*Seagull at The Hook
3/11 The Datsuns at Mercury Lounge
3/13 BATTLE at Rothko
3/13 Guillemots at Mercury Lounge
3/15 Isobel Campbell at Southpaw
3/17-18 Stereolab at Town Hall
3/21 The Zutons at Mercury Lounge
3/23 ¡Forward, Russia! & Amusement Parks on Fire at Mercury Lounge
3/24 The Books & Jose Gonzalez at Bowery Ballroom
3/24-25 Mystery Jets at Mercury Lounge
3/25 The Arctic Monkeys at Webster Hall
3/26 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at Knitting Factory
3/27 White Rose Movement at Mercury Lounge
3/27 Th' Faith Healers at Northsix
3/30 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Mercury Lounge
3/31 I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness at Northsix
4/04-05 Art Brut at Bowery Ballroom
4/14-15 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Bowery Ballroom
7/2 Seu Jorge at Central Park Summerstage

Finally, a note to Pete: I know you're currently at the mercy of the gaoler's key, but a U.S. Babyshambles show is really really overdue. Let's talk when you get a chance. There's an abandoned warehouse on the Gowanus Canal that would be the perfect venue. It could be the Spike Island of this generation. Think about it. Seriously.