It’s back and bigger than ever.
The third annual CBGB Music and Film festival, running Oct. 8 to Oct. 13 at various venues across Manhattan and Brooklyn, announced its lineup Thursday morning. After Blondie’s headline performance in Times Square in 2013, this year’s event will again look to serve up the kind of art worthy of bearing the legendary club’s name.
Plenty of great acts are on offer this time around, but mark your calendars for these seven don’t-miss performances. Tickets and further details are available at cbgbfest.com.
Jane’s Addiction (Oct. 12, location TBA)
Heroin addiction, internal feuds and onstage fights have marred their history — but remarkably, Jane’s Addiction are still going. The LA rockers, fronted by Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell, spent much of last year celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 1988 album “Nothing’s Shocking.” It’s so widely adored, however, that they’re stretching it into a 26th anniversary by playing the entire album live in Times Square.
Robert DeLong (Oct. 12, location TBA)
The legacy of CBGBs is not just about snotty dudes with guitars. Hailing from Washington state, Robert DeLong is a one-man band who mashes together elements of rock, EDM and electronica into a mutant, but unique, end product. He rocks some pretty cool face makeup to boot.
Devo (Oct. 12, location TBA)
Even though drummer Alan Myers and synth-player/guitarist Bob Casale havedied in the past two years, New Wave pioneers Devo are forging forward. More than 40 years on, the Akron group’s music, performance and, above all, sense of humor remains incomparable. Go see them — they’ll never disappoint.
Macy Gray (Oct. 10, City Winery)
Four years since “The Sellout” (her last album of original music), that familiar high-pitched voice is back with a new album, “The Way,” which drops on Oct. 7. The R&B singer hasn’t come close to recapturing the heights of her late-1990s fame, but if the rest of her new material is anything like the catchy current single “Hands,” she could be serving up an unexpected treat.
We Are Scientists (Oct. 12, location TBA)
The New York indie-rockers are always good for a tune (as this year’s album “TV en Français” again showed), but vocalist/guitarist Keith Murray and bassist/vocalist Chris Cain also have the kind of between-song banter that will leave you in hysterics. Either way, it’s a guaranteed good time.
The Sons & Heirs (Oct. 11, Knitting Factory)
The Smiths are still refusing to reform — so in the meantime, we’ll have to make do with the best NYC-based Smiths tribute band. In fairness, it’s not a bad second prize; both singer “Ronnissey” and guitarist “Ravi Marr” do fine impressions of the original Manchester rock icons. Remember to bring plenty of gladioli to throw at them.
‘Like Sunday, Like Rain’
Green Day fans will be interested to see the band’s singer Billie Joe Armstrong play a big-screen role alongside Leighton Meester and Debra Messing in this story of a musical child prodigy surrounded by much wealth but little in the way of parental affection.