Everclear Storm New York, Talk 17-Year Career

It’s been over 17 years, but Oregon natives Everclear are still packing venues and taking names.

“Goddamn it it’s good to be back, New York,” announced frontman Art Alexakis during the band’s show at New York’s Highline Ballroom Monday night.

The concert was one of Everclear’s 18 U.S. tour dates, which kicked off last week in Alabama and serves to support the band’s latest record, In A Different Light – a stripped-down, greatest hits affair that comes out today.

The band rocked an energetic, hit-fueled set, playing songs like “Father of Mine,” “Strawberry,” “Wonderful,” “I Will Buy You a New Life,” and a rare cover of “Brown Eyed Girl,” which Alexakis dedicated to daughter Anna.

“She’s taller than me now when she wears her fucking high heels,” he admitted.

Poison Ivy got to chat with Alexakis post-show, to watch him greet fans (an everynight occurence), and find out how he keeps things interesting after so many years.

“I reach down deep and get in touch with what made me excited about that song in the first place,” Alexakis told us.

“And, it sounds cliche but, every night I meet the fans and that makes it real.”

Check out a snippet of Alexakis rocking “Brown Eyed Girl,” above.

And click here to visit the AOL Listening Party for In A Different Light!

[Photo by Erica Gerard]

Van Morrison Rocks MSG

Forty years later, Van Morrison‘s still got it!!

The rocker, 63, blazed through his legendary album Astral Weeks at his Madison Square Garden show Friday in New York.

“This recording keeps coming up all the time,” Morrison explains, of why he decided to start playing it live. “There’s a demand for it from the audience. That’s enough for me, really, you know?”