Red Baraat pulled out all the stops for a celebration of the Indian holiday of Holi at Webster Hall in New York. Well all the stops save one—there was no throwing of colors going on inside the venue (probably because the resulting mess would require tremendous effort to clean up).

But the dhol ‘n’ brass band didn’t disappoint. With free Indian sweets for those in attendance and an opening performance from the Parijat Desai Dance Company, the Festival of Colors kicked off. Before Red Baraat’s performance, the audience received some Indian dance instruction from the stage, though in reality it would take very little from the band to get them moving. When it struck 9 pm, Red Baraat kicked off their celebration. The nearly 90 minute performance was practically a non-stop dance fest and included stilted walkers parading the dance floor adding little flourishes and posing for photos. But if it was the seven men of Red Baraat that made the evening. As they had a grand old time, they shared their positive vibes with the enthusiastic audience.

Sigur Rós played one of their biggest shows ever on March 25th at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The band (still a three piece) is performing their classics alongside a few new ones that will be on their forthcoming album Kveikur out on June 18th. The dark and brooding title track from the album was debuted on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon the prior week and “Brennisteinn” had been released on a small download only EP for tour ticket purchasers. Some upcoming show dates are below as well as videos of the two new songs and photos from the Madison Square Garden performance.

Steve Cooper, the lead singer of Spirit Animal, is quite wild on stage fronting the band. He kicks, he thrashes and he pounces from side to side. I can only wonder what he would do if he had more space than that of the tiny Mercury Lounge stage. But if you are curious to see some of his antics, you can check out photos form the band’s show on March 5th below. Below those, you can download their EP This is a Test (and see our review here) or you can visit Rolling Stone and download a song called “Love Crime”.

Last winter’s NYC Craft Beer Festival proved to be an event filled with wholesome food and warming brews. But as the warmer months roll around, it is time to think about spring seasonals. Thanks to the folks behind NYC’s Craft Beer Festival Winter Harvest, March presents itself with a fine opportunity to sample some of the finest spring offerings from a rather impressive collection of the finest breweries. With that, look out for the Spring Seasonal Festival, which goes down on March 30 at Lexington Armory in New York City.

For those not as well-accustomed to the styles of beer that become available once the flowers start to bloom, here is a brief review of what you should expect. While there will certainly be a plethora of standard styles like IPAs and blonde ales, expect to see some imported greats like the delicate yet spicy Belgian-style saison, or the German spring seasonal, bock. Many of the breweries present at this year’s festival will be domestic, though, so be on the lookout for some varying interpretations of these classic styles.

The loss of Ari Picker’s mother in 2009 greatly informed Lost in the Trees’ second album A Church That Fits Our Needs. The band performed songs from this poetic tribute and their debut All Alone in an Empty House to a captivated audience in the Allen Room a Lincoln Center. During the performance, it sounded like Picker said this would be the last time the current incarnation of the band was together, but that awaits to be seen as the band has some upcoming East Coast tour dates.