ON random Monday nights at Arlene Grocery, Jimmy Fallon has covered the Clash’s “I Fought the Law,” Ryan Adams has hit “Attitude” by the Misfits and Robbie Williams has tried out the Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy in the U.K.”
That’s just the celebrity highlight reel of Punk Metal Karaoke, which celebrates five slamming years this Monday. It’s where fans can imitate the idols of their obsession – be it Sid Vicious or Axl Rose. And many of them do it well, even though they’ve traded their office pinstripes for a ripped T-shirt only hours before.
Participants front a live band, which keeps the night fresh by adding new tunes such as the Darkness’ “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.”
Emceed by the acerbic Owen Comaskey, the show began in 1999 as pure punk but expanded to heavy metal a few months later. It’s at ArleneGrocery, 95 Stanton St.; (212) 358-1633.
TODAY & TOMORROW: The 2nd Annual Beatbox Convention opens at the Bowery Poetry Club today (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 308 Bowery; [212] 614-0505) with an open mike jam featuring 60 beatboxes from around the world.
Tomorrow, the party moves to CB’s Gallery (1 to 7 p.m.; 313 Bowery; [212] 677-0455). Attend or watch it live at http://www.cbgb.com.
Guests will get a warm welcome from the human beatbox machine himself, Doug E. Fresh, via video, and a history lesson from Abra about the ancient history of the form – languages that used clicking and popping sounds in Africa.
Tomorrow also includes an open jam, workships like “Beatboxing 101” and sessions about beatboxing and video, commercials, theater and film.
To close the day, Akim Funk Buddha will demonstrate martial arts, sword-fighting and tap dancing while beatboxing.
An after-party closes the celebration at the Remote Lounge (327 Bowery; [212] 228-0228) Saturday night. See http://www.humanbeatbox.com for more info.
TONIGHT & TOMORROW: New Yorkers are gearing up for the popped and punk’d rock ‘n’ roll of the Muffs.
The L.A. band, with lead singer Kim Shattuck, performs at Park Slope’s Southpaw (125 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn; [718] 230-0236) tonight and at Maxwell’s (1039 Washington St., Hoboken, N.J.; [201] 798-0406) tomorrow night (with the Kowalskis and the Downbeat 5).
Tonight’s openers at Southpaw include Wide Right (who has a song about Vince Gallo) and the Tight Fit, rockers who perform originals and covers of a surprising mix of artists, such as Fats Domino and the Jesus & Mary Chain.
MONDAY: Memphis’ Lucero, featuring the penetrating vocals of Arkansas native Ben Nichols, are husky rootsy rockers inspired by country-rock stalwarts such as Gram Parsons and Steve Earle and rockers such as Neil Young and the Pogues.
The band’s latest, “That Much Further West,” which was recorded in a warehouse that sits on the same spot where Elvis
used to take karate lessons, moves a little more into rock territory. The group performs at the Knitting Factory (74 Leonard St.; [212] 219-3006).
THURSDAY: Fearless Music TV, which tapes the best of New York’s up-and-coming rock bands in the studio, will hold its wrap party at Pianos (158 Ludlow St.; [212] 505-3733) with the Twenty–Twos, Scout, Low Flying Jets and the Blam.
The show, which airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 35 (Time Warner Cable/Manhattan), is also celebrating the forthcoming second season, as well as its outer-borough launch.
It’s a way of hearing all the buzz bands – such as Aerial Love Feed, Hurry-Up Offense, the Damnwells and the French Kicks – Playlist writes about without leaving your studio.
