Lucid Culture

New stuff just added for this weekend!  

 

 

Mon July 23 Girl Friday plays the Magnetic Field on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn Heights,8 PM, no cover. Female-fronted indie rock trio, subtly catchy, very smart songwriting. Check our reviews page for a look at how they sound live.

 

 

Later Mon July 23 once and future Beat Rodeo frontman George Usher plays Lakeside, 10 PM. His most recent solo effort is reputedly one of the great powerpop efforts of recent years; his old band did some mighty fine stuff in that vein back in the 80s. 

Later 7/23 Rev. Vince Anderson plays Black Betty, 10:30 PM. See our reviews page for a look at his wild, exuberant, politically spot-on show last week here.

 

 

 

Weds July 25 Brooklyn schoolteacher and dancehall reggae legend Sister Carol plays  Brower Park in Bed-Stuy, bordered by Brooklyn & Kingston Aves on one side and St. Mark’s & Park Place on the other (Kingston/Throop Ave. station on the M, walk along Kingston and you’ll hit it), 7 PM. Half of her students will probably be there. Forget her cover of Wild Thing: her way of getting a conscious message across is to get the party rolling and then sneak it in. This sister is pretty smart, yeah mon.  

Later Weds July 25 brilliant bluegrass guitarist Danny Weiss plays with his terrific frontwoman, his wife Mary Olive Smith and their band Reckon So at Rodeo Bar, 10:30 PM. Weiss is one of the few guitarists to utilize the lower register of the fretboard to the absolute max, resulting in a particularly warm, soulful sound.

 

 

Thurs July 26 former Muddy Waters harp player James Cotton plays Metrotech Park in downtown Brookln,  noon, F train to Jay St., get out at the back of the train if you’re coming from Manhattan. Reputedly he still has it.

 

 

Also Thurs July 26, 7 PM, the rambunctious Musette Explosion (Matt Munisteri, Will Holshouser and Marcus Rojas) play haunting accordion-based French and Belgian dance music from the 20s and 30s at The Jewish Museum, 5th Ave and 92nd St in Manhattan, free with admission.

 

 

Also Thurs July 26, Sharon Jones, arguably the best singer in soul music today, plays with her brilliant old-school funk band the Dap Kings at Castle Clinton in Battery Park, 2 tix available per person starting at 5 PM at the table in front of the fort, sneak out of work early and get there by 4:30 PM if you really want a ticket. The show will probably start around 7.

 

 

Later Thurs July 26 Ninth House frontman Mark Sinnis plays his quietly evil Nashville gothic stuff at the Living Room, in the upstairs room away from all the tourists, 8:30 PM.

 

 

Later Thurs July 26 Jack Grace and his old-school country band play Rodeo Bar, 10:30 PM. He books the place, so he usually plays there on weekends: here’s your chance to catch his wild, completely over-the-top act without having to make your way through the crowds of drunken Baruch kids.

 

 

Also Thurs July 26 there’s what could be a pretty amazing nostalgia bill at Asser Levy Park, across the street from the aquarium at Coney Island (W 5th and Surf Ave) starting at 7:30 PM. On the bill: Country Joe McDonald, who with his band the Fish put out some classic psychedelic stuff in the late 60s (although he may be completely toasted by this point); folk/pop singer Melanie, who did some very pretty poppy stuff in addition to her unctuous single Brand New Key; Denny Laine, who sang Go Now with the Moody Blues before they became an art-rock act, and was later in Wings; the Zombies (original members, yeaaah!), chamber pop legends;  and Brill Building faux-hippies the Rascals and the Turtles.  B/D train to Stillwell, or F to West 8th. Best to get there by 9 if you’re going to see the Zombies like everybody else.

 

 

Fri July 27 a great double bill at Barbes in Park Slope, Brooklyn, F train to 7th Ave., starting at 8 PM with hauntingly brilliant art-rock keyboardist Greta Gertler and her band the Extroverts, followed by Jack Grace and his band in case you missed them the previous night.

 

 

Later Fri July 27, 8:30 PM pop hookmeister par excellence Sharon Goldman plays in her new duo with the darker, more jazz-influenced  Nina Soka at the Living Room, upstairs. See our reviews page for a look at Goldman’s excellent, most recent solo album.

 

 

Later Fri July 27 an amazing show at The Silo at The Yard (400 Carroll Street, Brooklyn (between Bond & Nevins on the Gowanus Canal), $10 at the door. Check out this lineup: 9 PM it’s Beans from Anti-Pop Constortium, one of the great hip-hop MCs of this era, then at 10 PM Moist Paula from Moisturizer does her mesmerizing, soundtrack-style Secretary instrumental project, then at 11 PM it’s devious keyboardist/frontman Wilder Zoby from Chin Chin, doing his hypnotically danceable, sexy Zapp-style funk/groove stylings. 

Later Fri July 27 Boston garage rockers, soon to be legends, Muck & the Mires play Lakeside, 11 PM. Be forewarned: these guys have become very popular, get there by 10 if you’re going.

 

 

Also Fri July 27, 11 PM Rawles Balls clears the tourists out of the Living Room, downstairs. The cover band from hell, butchering every iconically schlocky song ever written, true punk rock in spirit if not in musicianship. If you can make it through the sorority swarm at the bar as you walk in, you are in for a treat. Sneak in some booze if that’s your thing because drinks here are pricy.

 

 

 

Sat July 28,  2-9 PM there’s an old-school salsa all-day spectacular at Prospect Park.  Tito Rojas, who’s been around forever and still sounds pretty much the same, headlines. The Joe Cuba Sextet – who brought boogaloo to the masses and still kick out an intoxicating groove – are also on the bill along with Viento De Agua, David Cedeno and others. Beware: security is sure to be unusually nasty, since this is a Latino bill; watch out for undercover agents provocateurs trying to stir up trouble, and maybe stay out of the inner arena entirely.

 

 

Sat July 28 the Dog Show brings their deliriously powerful literate mod punk stylings to the Mean Fiddler, 266 W 47th St. in midtown, 7 PM. Guaranteed trendoid-free and the sound here is great. This is a trio show with frontman Jerome O’Brien wailing on bass.

Later Sat July 28, punk/reggae/dance legends the Slits open for Sonic Youth – playing their classic album Daydream Nation in its entirety – at McCarren Pool, 8 PM. Advance tix are expensive ($34 through the Irving Plaza box office), but this could be amazing (though who’s playing piano on Providence?) – Thurston & Co. played here with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs last year and predictably stole the show.  

Sun July 29 gypsy jazz monster guitarist Stephane Wrembel plays Barbes, 9 PM. Another guy who’s become very popular: get there at least by 8 if you even want to have a prayer of getting into the little back room here.

 

 

Later Sun July 29 Australian punk/jangle legends the Saints play the Mercury Lounge, 10 PM. Last time around they were doing all the old punk stuff and had Marty Willson-Piper from the Church doing his best Ron Asheton imitation.

 

 

Mon July 3 brilliant Hawaiian/retro harmony stylists the Moonlighters play Barbes, 8:30 PM, sounding better than ever. Click on our review page for a look at how amazing they sound with the new lineup

 

 

Also Mon July 30 at Bar on A (Ave. A/11th St.), a killer acoustic show. On the bill:

8:30 PM Ian Roure and Liza Garelik from the Larch and Liza & the WonderWheels doing a rare duo acoustic show. If you’re very lucky maybe Liza will belt White Rabbit for you like she did at that private party a few months ago.

9 PM fingerpicking acoustic guitarist Bob Prince

9:30 PM Dan Sallitt, former frontman of darkly sardonic LA new wave obscurities Blow This Nightclub working up some new material

 

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