NYC Live Music Calendar – End of Dec 07 and All of Jan 08

If you don’t recognize a venue listed here, click on Venues, to your right, under Categories, and scroll down. Check back for frequent updates, as we put new stuff up here pretty much every day. Apologies if fonts and/or spacing are a little bizarre: computer gremlin infestation.

First, the good things that happen every week:

Every Sunday the Ear-Regulars, led by trumpeter Jon Kellso and guitarist Matt Munisteri play NYC’s only weekly hot jazz session starting around 8 PM at the Ear Inn on Spring St.  Hard to believe, in the city that springboarded the careers of thousands of jazz legends, but true. This is by far the best value in town for marquee-caliber jazz: for the price of a drink and a tip for the band, you can see world-famous players (and brilliant obscure ones) you’d usually have to drop $100 for at some big-ticket room. The material is mostly old-time stuff from the 30s and 40s, but the players (especially Kellso and Munisteri, who have a chemistry that goes back several years) push it into some deliciously unexpected places. Munisteri is also playing an 8 PM residency every Monday at Banjo Jim’s, where you can get to hear his brilliantly literate, lyrical original songs.

 

Also every Sunday excellent country twangsters Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers play Hank’s in Brooklyn around 9:30ish, frequently with special guests or a guest band. No cover, with free barbecue and sausage. Definitely your best bet if your stomach is empty and you like this sort of thing.

 

Sundays starting Jan 13, the free, 5:15 PM organ recitals at St. Thomas Church get started up again. This is a prestige venue for touring organists from around the world, the sonics are spectacularly good and so is the old Skinner organ.

Also Sundays in January, Matty Charles plays fairly early, 8:30 PM at Pete’s. He’s been doing residencies on and off here for the last few years and he’s always worth seeing. The Guy Clark comparison is apt, but…he’s more trad country, in fact not a folkie at all. And a fine singer.

 

Mondays in January (and pretty much every month, when he’s not on tour), Rev. Vince Anderson and his band play Black Betty in Williamsburg, two sets starting around 10:30 PM. The Rev. is one of the great keyboardists around, equally thrilling on organ or electric piano, an expert at Billy Preston style funk, honkytonk, gospel and blues. He writes very funny, very politically astute, frequently salacious original gospel songs and is one of the great live performers of our time. Moist Paula from Moisturizer is the lead soloist on baritone sax.

Also Mondays in January the Barbes house band, Chicha Libre plays there starting around 10. They’ve singlehandedly resurrected an amazing subgenre, chicha, which was popular in the Peruvian Amazon in the late 60s and early 70s. With electric accordion, cuatro, surf guitar and a boisterous rhythm section, their mix of obscure classics and originals is one of the funnest, most danceable things you’ll witness this year. Perhaps not so strangely, they sound a lot like Finnish surf rockers Laika and the Cosmonauts in their most imaginative moments.  

 

 

Sat Dec 29 and 30 at 9 and 10:30 PM, the Roy Hargrove Organ Quintet is at the Jazz Gallery. Hargrove plays well against an organ. And he knows it. When he and his trumpet aren’t doing the big band thing they do this and it serves him well.

Also Sat Dec 29 Rob Curto’s Forro for All plays Barbes, 10 PM. Forro is Brazilian jungle guitar-and-accordion music. It has a haunting, gypsyish feel and it’s danceable as hell. And it’s our latest fixation, a style you should get to know.

New Year’s Eve, several choices, all but one of them second-generation bands doing old styles their own inimitable way. Your best bet is Lakeside where Tammy Faye Starlite’s incomparably funny Stones cover band the Mike Hunt Band (as in, have you seen Mike Hunt) starts around 10:30 (early by Lakeside standards, and they’ll go late too). Suggest you get there by 8 – or, hell, get there for happy hour and be completely loaded by the time the band goes on, you’ll laugh harder.

Also New Year’s Eve it’s George and Shirley Jones AKA Matt Munisteri and Rachelle Garniez at La Luncheonette, 130 10th Ave. at 18th St., probably just as funny as Tammy Faye’s thing but more nourishing if somewhat more expensive. Bistro food and two of the most amazing musicians in town wailing and teasing you with guitar and accordion, show starts around 9.

Also New Years’s Eve legendary Brooklyn second-generation garage punks the Fleshtones play the Magnetic Field around 11, relatively cheap ($20) and in a tourist-free neighborhood.  Also New Year’s Eve the best music you’ll hear anywhere tonight is at Barbes where Chicha Libre play at around 10, also for a fairly cheap $20 cover.

Otherwise – legendary Irish expats Black 47 are playing Connolly’s at Times Square around 10 for a measly (relatively speaking) $20. Advance tix absolutely necessary, available at the restaurant. They’re great live, although this is the last neighborhood you’d want to be in on a night like this unless you’re planning on leaving sometime after sunrise.

And if you want to go all out New Year’s Eve, the absolutely brilliant cabaret stylist Kristine Zbornik, with panstylistically amazing Bobby Peaco on piano play the Metropolitan Room on 22nd St., 10:30 PM, $75 but but but it’s OPEN BAR and a free shot of cheap champagne at midnight. This show came together in a hurry, so you know everything will be fresh and everybody’s energy level will be through the roof.

Thurs Jan 3 as she does every month here at 10 PM, Rachelle Garniez plays Barbes. The greatest songwriter of our era, somebody completely in touch with other eras (the 60s and before) and locales (Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Weimar Berlin, CBGB circa 1979, the Mississippi Delta circa 1930 and the pre-luxury condo Lower East Side), as good on piano as she is on accordion, and a hilariously spontaneous performer.

Also Thurs Jan 3 formerly all-female retro trio Catspaw bring their scorching, Gretsch guitar-driven rockabilly and surf stylings to Hank’s, 10 PM. Effortlessly excellent stuff, it’ll be interesting to see who they got to replace the very good Deb Schuster on bass.

 

Also Thurs Jan 3 excellent 60s style country archivists Reckon So borrow Larry Campbell from Bob Dylan’s band and play the Rodeo Bar, 10:30 PM. Warmhearted guy/girl vocals, gorgeous lower-register guitar from Mr. Danny Weiss and some choice originals.Fri Jan 4 A-list Nashville dobro player Jimmy Stewart (whose dad Travis Stewart played with Bill Monroe) plays Rodeo Bar around 10 opening for Jack Grace and his completely authentic, 60s-style, George Jones/Merle Haggard-influenced unit.

 

Sat Jan 5 Washington DC blues guitarist Bobby Radcliff plays Terra Blues on Bleecker St., 7 PM, early. Not sure if this is an acoustic or electric set. He’s the rare white guy (sorry) who plays a zillion notes yet doesn’t waste any, a la Stevie Ray right before he died. Maybe because of where he’s from, he also understands funk, i.e. he gets it. Whether plugged in or not, he’s worth seeing.

Also Sat Jan 5 surf/soundtrack/noir guitarist Jim Campilongo plays with his trio at Barbes, 8 PM. If you like Big Lazy (and if you wish Campilongo would play friendlier surroundings than the Living Room), this is for you.

 

Also Sat Jan 5 it’s longtime Dick Dale aficionado and promoter Unsteady Freddie’s Surf-Rock Shindig (and birthday show) at Otto’s featuring the impressively trad Mr. Action & The Boss Guitars, The Outpatients, the impressively psychedelic, original Ohioans Purple K’nif, & The Aquatudes, show starts around 9.

 

Sun Jan 6 Django Reinhardt disciple Stephane Wrembel channels his inspiration on guitar at Barbes, 9 PM, get there early if you’re going, this guy is very popular and for good reason. He’s also playing Jan 13 and 27 also at 9.

Also Sun Jan 6 ex-Railroad Jerk and Pantographs guitar powerhouse Alec Stephen plays a rare solo acoustic show at Pete’s, 9:30 PM. He’s been rocking a lot harder lately, so this should be interesting. Matty Charles starts out the night on a good note at 8:30 PM

Also Sun Jan 6 East Village legend Rick Shapiro brings his uproarious, completely out-of-the-box and always apropos standup comedy to Sidewalk, 10 PM. In times like these we need guys like this more than ever. If you remember Lewis Black before Comedy Central got him, you’ll appreciate this guy: similar outrage and populist sensibilities.

 

 

Mon Jan 7 the charming, self-explanatory Ukeladies play Rodeo Bar, 10:30 PM.

Tues Jan 8 Al Lee Wyer, who’s been around the block a few times, plays Sidewalk at 8 PM. Old-school Brooklyn songwriter: rustic lyrically driven rock on something of a middle-era Springsteen tip. Worth checking out if that’s your thing.

Also Tues Jan 8 furious, fiery surf instrumentalists the Coffin Daggers open a night of comedy (?!?) at 9 PM sharp at the Toy Eater’s Studio, 143 Christopher Columbus Drive (one block from Grove Street PATH) in Jersey City. Still macabre after all these years.They once opened a film premiere at the Knit and cleared the room of upper Eastside yuppies in under 60 seconds, maybe they can break that record tonight.

Weds Jan 9 an excellent triple bill at Red Star, 37 Greenpoint Ave. in Greenpoint: at 8 PM extremely amusing, smart country-rockers Maynard & the Musties followed by brilliant garage rock/popsters the Disclaimers and then Half Ajar (who reputedly share some Disclaimers).

Also Weds Jan 9 the incomparable LJ Murphy plays a rare solo show at the Lucky Cat on Grand St. in Williamsburg, 10 PM sharp. A very charismatic showman who always gives 200% live, Murphy’s myspace says that his stuff sounds like “music for smart people in a stupid world.” Well put. He’s a great lyricist, politically aware and has a lot of oldschool R&B inflected songs that will someday be regarded as classics.

Thurs Jan 10 diversely influenced reggae rockers Lionize play Rose Bar in Williamsburg, 9 PM, free

Also Thurs Jan 10 the Memphis Morticians, the rare ghoulabilly band who actually have some connection to the dark side (as opposed to being a silly cartoon) open the night at Midway, 9:30 PM on an eclectic bill. The Swinging Neckbreakers play at 11:30 if you like them and feel like sticking around.

Also Thurs Jan 10 it’s guitarist Jimmy Vivino’s birthday celebration at B.B. King’s, 10 PM, pricy ($25) but could be interesting. Sort of a Losers Lounge type thing, cameos by a whole bunch of A-list rockers: Willie Nile, soul singer Catherine Russell, David Johansen, Hubert Sumlin and others. They’ll be playing their own material. It appears that Willie Nile’s band the Prisoners of Second Avenue will be backing everybody, which makes it even better.

 

Also Thurs Jan 10, 10 PM dark, slinky, groove-driven, slightly shoegaze trio El Jezel play Fat Baby. Some of their stuff is very fun and danceable; most of their recent stuff is atmospheric and frequently haunting.

Fri Jan 11 starting at 8 PM it’s a great triple bill at Pete’s starting with the Ulrich Zeigler Duo (which is basically Pink Noise, i.e. reverb guitar genius Steve Ulrich from Big Lazy and Ottomar Zeigler from the Blam), followed by subtle, witty Americana duo Kill Henry Sugar at 9 and then the soaring, irrepressible Robin Aigner’s latest oldtimey project, Royal Pine at 10. The Ulrich Zeigler Duo is also playing Jan 25 here at 8 PM.

 

Sat Jan 12 Danny & Dusty AKA Dan Stuart from legendary 80s garage revivalists Green on Red and Steve Wynn, who is something of a legend himself play Bowery Ballroom, 9 PM. Their amazing, obscure Lost Weekend country/rock album from the 80s is back in print, and they have a new one which promises to be every bit as twangily fun and over-the-edge.

Also Sat Jan 12 sweeping, majestic Radiohead-influenced art-rockers My Pet Dragon are back together and headlining at icky Galapagos at 10. Don’t fall into the water with the piranhas.

Also Sat Jan 12 exhilarating ouzo-fueled Greek traditionalists Magges play the new Mehanata AKA the Bulgarian Bar on lower Orchard St. just north of Delancey, 10 PM.

 

Sun Jan 13, speaking of Green on Red, their keyboardist (and longtime occasional Steve Wynn sideman) Chris Cacavas does a rare show as front man at Lakeside, 10ish. That killer organ intro from Gravity Talks? That was him. A lot of college radio types from the 80s undoubtedly have fond memories of that and a lot of other stuff Cacavas put his paws on, so get here early if you’re going.

 

Mon Jan 14, for a rare $10 cover, charming pan-American harmony group Las Rubias del Norte (sort of a South American version of the Moonlighters) open for Chicha Libre at Barbes, 8 PM.

Tues Jan 15 The Old Rugged Sauce plays Lakeside, 10 PM. This terrific bunch of old-sch0ol Williamsburg types (i.e. pre-luxury condo people) play rousing, very smart, imaginatively arranged covers of classic vocal jazz songs. This is the kind of show where you could drag someone you know who hates jazz and at the end of the night, that person would be singing along.

Thurs Jan 17 hilarious country parody band the Inbreeds play Hank’s, 9 PM. As funny – and as politically aware – as Tammy Faye Starlite, which is high praise. They’re also playing Midway at 8 PM on Jan 24. 

Also Thurs Jan 17 if you can’t make it to Matt Munisteri’s umpteen other shows this month, he’s also at Barbes at 10 PM.

Fri Jan 18 fiery highway rockers the Sloe Guns play the Underscore (the former Hogs & Heifers on upper First Ave.), time TBA. Their new material rocks harder than ever, frontman Eric Alter is playing a lot of lead guitar and they finally have the right drummer. One of the best live bands in town right now.

Also Fri Jan 18 another of the best live bands in town, brilliant politically-charged orchestrated rockers Melomane play Union Hall, 10ish. Lush textures with horns, strings, guitars and keyboards, and frontman Pierre de Gaillande’s ongoing “disaster song cycle” continues to scare and amaze. Also Fri Jan 18 former Industrial Tepee frontman Tom Shaner plays Lakeside, 11 PM. Always worth seeing what this excellent, Americana-steeped songwriter (and southwestern gothic specialist) is up to.

 

Sat Jan 19 starting early (4 PM) it’s opening reception for the annual Williamsburg Salon Art Club Show, 135 Broadway (at Bedford) in South Williamsburg. As usual it’s a group show with a ton of people showing, but there’s always something worth checking out here.

 

Also Sat Jan 19 Jack Grace’s excellent bass-playing wife Daria picks up her ukelele and plays with her oldtimey band the Prewar Ponies at Barbes, 8 PM. Sultry jazz/pop chanteuse Sasha Dobson follows on the bill; Melomane spinoff The Snow (who sound pretty much the same as Melomane except with more harmonies and maybe a little more of a jazz feel) headline.

 

Also Sat Jan 19 the amusingly titled Pennsylvania band Drink Up Buttercup play around 10 PM at Cake Shop. Their myspace indicates that they mix a sort of faux cockney punk with ska, which is somewhat silly but they probably give 100% live. Also Sat Jan 19 Ninth House plays Hank’s, 11 PM. The Nashville gothic quintet has never sounded better, with the keys and the violin taking center stage more and more, jamming out intros and outros, and ominous baritone frontman Mark Sinnis has never seemed as at ease or having so much fun as he clearly is with this latest incarnation of the band.

 

Sun Jan 20 the incomparable Amy Allison plays Banjo Jim’s, probably playing two sets (or at least one long one) starting early at 7 PM. She was country and still plays the hits, but her new stuff is more rock-oriented, haunting and absolutely gorgeous. Just like her voice. And she’s just as hilarious a performer as always. Get there early so you can get a seat: this is a cozy place. She’s also playing here at 7 on Jan 27.

 

Tues Jan 22 brilliant violinist Jenny Scheinman plays another early show at Barbes, 7 PM. Pegged as jazz but adept at classical, gypsy music and even country, she’s somebody you ought to see at some point. She’s also playing Jan 29 here at 7, followed by the boisterous, danceable Slavic Soul Party.

 

Also Tues Jan 22 through Jan 27 the Brad Mehldau Trio plays the Vanguard. Yeah, the piano player is a compulsive weirdo and probably thinks way too much for his own good, but his Art of the Trio albums are the real deal. And this is where he made them. And he always has a great rhythm section behind him.

 

Thurs Jan 24 and Fri Jan 25 it’s the Other Half festival at Barbes starting around at 8 each night, featuring original compositions played by female composers in many genres. A laudable concept, along the lines of what Jessica Valiente’s been doing at the Nuyorican. Be adventurous, check it out.

 

Fri Jan 25 it’s Neil Young night w/ Walter Salas-Humara from the Silos, Steve Wynn & Eric “Roscoe” Ambel from Steve Earle’s band at Lakeside, show starts around 10:30 PM. Hopefully Roscoe’s wrist has recovered from the bike accident; the other guys on the bill share his fondness for electric Neil and ability to get similarly evil and dirty.

 

Sat Jan 26 Erin Regan plays at 10 PM at Sidewalk. Her stage persona is icy and dismissive; her lyrics could cut through bulletproof glass. An understated master of the outsider anthem with a good sense of melody.

Also Sat Jan 26 clever, politically charged Americana duo Kill Henry Sugar play Barbes, 10 PM. Just guitar or lapsteel and drums, smart lyrics, witty stage banter and some understatedly good tunes. 

Sat Jan 26 a terrific gypsy rock night at Luna starting around 8:30 PM with the female-fronted Nanuchka and Guignol (feat. members of World Inferno doing noir accordion klezmer instrumentals). Guignol claim to be advocates of “red wine theft,” which definitely gets our seal of approval.

Also Sat Jan 26 legendary rockabilly/surf monsters Simon & the Bar Sinisters play Lakeside, 11 PM. Strange to see Simon taking a gig that doesn’t pay – maybe this a rehearsal for something more lucrative. Whatever the case, he’s been around forever, an 80s LES punk who discovered the Ventures and surfing and writes hilariously authentic retro 50s songs.  

Starting Tues Jan 29 and continuing, smartly lyrical jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein leads a trio with killer organist Larry Goldings and percussionist Bill Stewart at the Vanguard. These guys have a history and a chemistry, and they’re all about the song and the melody. Highly recommended.

Also Tues Jan 29 Johnny Allen plays Terra Blues on Bleecker, 10 PM. A genuine, bonafide soul/blues crooner with powerful, incisive guitar chops: when he hits the volume pedal and starts to solo, duck. He could hurt you. He does a killer cover of the Albert Collins classic I’m Not Drunk (I’m Just Drinking).    

Thurs Jan 31 former Gang Starr frontman Guru’s Jazzmatazz plays the Highline Ballroom, 9 PM, advance tix highly recommended. Dave Sanborn and Bob James are on the latest album, Vol. 4 which could be good or bad. Appropriate that they’d do this show at this upscale stoner venue. Upcoming:

 

Feb 2, a killer surf show starting at 10 at Otto’s with the Supertones, El Muchacho, Coffin Daggers and Sea Devils.

 

Feb 10 at  3 PM, the Greenwich Village Orchestra plays Shostakovich and more at Washington Irving HS auditorium, 16th St. and Irving Place, your best deal in town for classical music, just a $15 contribution. Feb 16, 11 PM second-generation Boston garage revivalists Lyres headline at Midway.