Lucid Culture

Sat Aug 18 at Damrosch Park out behind Lincoln Center starting at 7, it’s rockabilly night, an unusually mixed bill. At this point it looks like expert blues fingerpicker and Rev. Gary Davis disciple Larry Johnson will be opening for a rockabilly supergroup of sorts comprised of awful 60s survivor Roy Head, “Rock and Roll Tornado” Dale Hawkins, semi-legend Charlie Gracie, and baritone crooner Sleepy LaBeef followed by the gospel group the Dixie Hummingbirds.

Also Sat Aug 18 Samara Lubelski plays Cake Shop, 9ish. She’s good: jangly, watery, goth-tinged, electric rock.

Later Sat Aug 18 Electric Engine – indie rock masters of the crescendoing chorus – open for the attractively thoughtful Hula at Luna, 10 PM.

Even later Sat Aug 18 Moonlighters’ frontwoman Bliss Blood’s excellent Delta blues band Delta Dreambox plays with special guest, retro ragtime innuendo master Al Duvall at Banjo Jim’s, 11 PM.

 Sun Aug 19 Matty Charles & the Valentines play Pete’s, 10 PM. They’ve played residencies here off and on for god knows how long and they’re back, and if you like country music you should see them sometime. 

Mon Aug 20 what’s left of 70s soul/funk legends the Spinners (the frontguy died back in the 80s) open for Philly soul brothers the O’Jays at Wingate Field, 7:30 PM, Winthrop Street and Kingston Avenue in Bed-Stuy, free. The headliners are supposedly pretty much the same as they were in the 70s. C’mon, tell me you don’t want to jump on the Love Train. Directions: 2  train to Winthrop Street, walk 2 blocks east or by bus: B12 on Clarkson Avenue to New York Avenue, walk north; B44 on Nostrand Avenue and New York Avenues to Winthrop Street, walk east.

Thurs Aug 23 a terrific show at Kenny’s Castaways on Bleecker St., of all places: soaring psychedelic 80s throwbacks Liza & the WonderWheels open at 8, followed by fiery upstate garage rockers Skelter at 9. Headliners System Noise, who play at 10 have a spectacularly powerful frontwoman, good lyrics, amazing eerie guitar, a new bass player and are pyrotechnically good live.

Fri Aug 24 it’s the cd release party for scorching garage/punk rockers 18 at Union Pool, 10ish. Lyres authenticity, Ramones energy, unbelievable tightness.

Also Fri Aug 24 Marcellus Hall & the Headliners play Lakeside, 11 PM. The New Yorker illustrator and once-and-future White Hassle frontman is at the absolute peak of his powers as retro hookmeister and dazzlingly literate, funny wordsmith. He also plays Pete’s on Aug 29 at 11, probably solo.

Sat Aug 25 at 3 PM it’s the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, uptown at Marcus Garvey Park with Abbey Lincoln, Chico Hamilton, Marc Cary and Lezlie Harrison. Sunday’s show at Tompkins Square Park also starts at three and features Abbey Lincoln, Chico Hamilton, Todd Williams and Maurice Brown

Later Sat Aug 25 there’s an amazing show at Hank’s in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Atlantic Ave. and 3rd Ave., take any train to Atlantic Ave and walk a block on Atlantic toward Brooklyn Heights. Haunting Britfolk-inflected siren Amanda Thorpe, sounding better than ever, opens the show at 9 followed by the equally haunting and much louder Randi Russo and her band.  Long-running, black-as-coal Nashville gothic headliners Ninth House have shuffled their lineup yet again and are better off for it, should be a lot of surprises tonight.

Sun Aug 26 the Mingus Big Band AND the Mingus Orchestra play the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival at Damrosch Park, out back, show starts at 8 PM but get there an hour early if you want a seat.

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