Great Lake Swimmers @ SXSW 2011 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

The private Matt & Kim/Girl Talk show wasn't the only musical portion of this year's U.S. Open which is now underway in NY. Tennis fans will also get to enjoy sets by indie rock bands like Wye Oak (9/1), Miniature Tigers (9/2), Ava Luna (9/3), Great Lake Swimmers (9/4), and others through the competition's September 11th end date.

For Wye Oak the tennis show is a one-off date before they begin touring with Yo La Tengo and the National, and then Okkervil River, and then Explosions in the Sky. All dates are listed below.

For Great Lake Swimmers, it's one of four NY shows, one of which is at City Winery on September 5th. All dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Wye Oak, Great Lake Swimmers & others playing the U.S. Open (and other shows)"

Fool's Gold Day Off is returning to the City Winery Backyard on September 5 (aka Labor Day) with Juicy J, Danny Brown, AraabMUZIK, Just Blaze, Brothers Macklovitch (A-Trak & Dave1), Cubic Zirconia, and more. The all ages event runs from 2-8 PM and admission is free.

Juicy J aka 1/2 of Three 6 Mafia also has other dates coming up, all of which are listed below.

As previously mentioned, AraabMUZIK also tours with and opens for SBTRKT at Bowery Ballroom (10/31). SBTRKT's show the next night (11/1) at MHOW in Brooklyn didn't have an opener, but now it does and it's Cubic Zirconia. Tickets for both of those shows are still on sale.

Danny Brown tours with Das Racist in September.

A show flier and a video from last year's Day Off and stuff, below...

Continue reading "Fool's Gold Day Off coming (free outdoor NYC show w/ Juicy J & more), Cubic Zirconia also opening for SBTRKT"

Matthew Sweet will release his 13th album Modern Art on September 27. You can grab the first single, "She Walks the Night," in exchange for your email address below.

Matthew will tour in support of the album this fall. That tour includes three shows in NYC happening on October 31, November 1, and November 2 at City Winery with The Shadowboxers. The tour also serves as the 20th anniversary of Matthew's 1991 album Girlfriend, which spawned the single of the same name. Tickets are on sale now for all three NYC shows.

All dates, video, and widget below...

Continue reading "Matthew Sweet releasing new album, touring (dates)"

The Duke & The King at Mercury Lounge in 2009 (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)

The Summer BBQ Blow Out Festival is coming to City Winery this Saturday (8/6). The fest features a lot of food by gourmet chefs and performances by Midnight Magic, Computer Magic, New Villager, and Punches. TIckets are still on sale now and we're also giving away a pair. Contest details below.

The Duke & The King are also playing their album release show at City Winery on Saturday (8/6), though the show is completely separate from the Summer BBQ Blow Out which is outside. Tickets are on sale now.

Lots of other interesting things are happening at City Winery in the upcoming months as well. Bebel Gilberto is continuing her residency at the venue throughout the month of August. Tickets are on sale for all of her upcoming dates including 8/17, 8/24, 8/27, and 8/31.

Martha Wainwright will kick off her own residency at City Winery in November. Tickets are on sale now for 11/11 and 11/21. As mentioned, Martha also plays NYC this month at Cooper Square Hotel on August 22 as part of Joe's Pub's Summer Salon Series.

Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave) aka The Nightwatchman plays the NYC venue on September 1 as a short run of September dates in between his US tour with Incubus and his UK tour with Rise Against. The tours are in support of his recently released EP Union Town and the upcoming full length World Wide Rebel Songs. Tickets for the 9/1 City Winery show are on sale now. All Tom Morello dates below.

Keren Ann plays City Winery on September 30 and October 1 before she heads out on a European tour in November. Tickets for both shows are on sale now. All Keren Ann dates below.

As mentioned, Jay Farrar is playing City Winery on October 14 and 15. He's since added a third show at the venue on October 16. Tickets for all three shows are available.

Marianne Faithfull is playing a three-night run at the venue from December 18 to 20. The shows are her only scheduled US shows at the moment. Tickets for all three shows are on sale now. All Marianne Faithfull dates below.

All dates and Summer BBQ Blowout contest details below...

Continue reading "Duke & the King, Bebel Gilberto, Keren Ann, Tom Morello, Jay Farrar, Marianne Faithfull, Martha Wainwright & other shows"

As previously mentioned, but in the words of a new article in the Wall Street Journal:

On Wednesday, Richard Robbins will take his two daughters, Ava, who is 5 years old, and Ella, who is 3, to the Damrosch Park Bandshell, where they will join the British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg and an anticipated crowd of 5,000 in a giant sing-along. It's called the Big Busk, and if Mr. Robbins gets his wish, one of the 10 or so tunes they'll all perform will be "Paradise City," by 1980s hard-rockers Guns N' Roses.

"Where better than Lincoln Center for Billy to release his inner Axl Rose?" asked Mr. Robbins, a 42-year-old digital strategist for a Manhattan public relations firm. The song isn't the most obvious that one would associate with Mr. Bragg, a post-punk folkie known for his activist political stances. It just happens to have a chorus that Mr. Robbins's little girls love to sing. And that's the whole idea.

To busk is to play music on the street or subway, likely with an instrument case laid open so passersby can toss money in appreciation. Mr. Bragg, who is 53 years old, supersized the venerable troubadour tradition in 2007 when he staged the first Big Busk at the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre in London. It's become a biannual tradition there, with audiences invited to bring acoustic guitars or other instruments, or simply join in the chorus, as Mr. Bragg and his band play familiar songs limited to four or fewer simple chords.

On Wednesday, Lincoln Center will launch the summer season of its Out of Doors series with an American edition of the hootenanny in Damrosch Park.

The third annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival kicked off in the courtyard behind City Winery on 6/21 with a 'Make Music New York' show featuring Mike Doughty and Emily Wells. The series continues every Tuesday through August 16. All shows take place from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, admission is free, and wine, made on the premises, will be served.

Other performers this year include Vernon Reid (of Living Color), WIlliamsburg Salsa Orchestra, Nicole Atkins, and others. City Winery is also hosting the Summer BBQ Blowout Festival with Midnight Magic and others in the same outdoor location on August 6th, but that is not free. Check out the full free lineup below.

Continue reading "Hudson Square Music and Wine Festival -- 2011 lineup of free shows outside City Winery"

Midnight Magic @ MHOW in Feb (more by Chris Gersbeck)

Finger on the Pulse and City Winery are presenting the first annual Summer BBQ Blowout Festival outdoors behind City Winery on August 6 from 12 to 4 PM. The festival features a number of different chefs grilling all day and musical performances by Midnight Magic, Computer Magic, New Villager, Punches (members of Finger on the Pulse) and others. Tickets went on general sale via City Winery today (6/16).

Midnight Magic also has some shows coming up. They play a Northside show with YACHT and The Miracles Club at Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 19. Tickets are still available. They also open for Cut Copy at Prospect Park on August 11. Tickets are still available. Midnight Magic also play a PS1 'Warm Up' show with Justin Miller and others on September 3.

Full Summer BBQ lineup and flyer below...

Continue reading "Summer BBQ Blowout Festival behind City Winery & other Midnight Magic shows"

A message from Danny Amis

Dear Friends...

I can't thank you enough for your generosity.
Thanks to your help, and the upcoming benefit shows,
I no longer need to stress out over my medical bills. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!

As many of you know, I was diagnosed with Cancer in 2010.
This forced me to stop working and touring.
The type of cancer I've been told I have is called
"Multiple Myeloma", cancer of the bone marrow.
I was caught off guard without insurance, but thankfully was able
to obtain insurance through the Affordable Care Act which
passed congress last year and for which I am eternally grateful.
Without that insurance I wouldn't have been able to get a necessary
procedure to save my life called a Stem Cell Transplant.
I underwent that procedure in May, and it seems to have been successful.
I now face a couple of months of recovery.

Your generosity has helped immensely, it's a very expensive procedure.
Unfortunately, high medical costs are something I'll have to face the rest of my life,
as this disease is incurable. I can only hope to knock it into remission for a while.
I'm going to leave this donation button up for those who still want to help.
Simply be aware that I'm not set up to accept tax-deductible donations.
Again, I can't thank you enough for your help!

Los Straitjackets go on a very long tour of their own without Amis this summer. The tour stops at City Winery on June 23 and 24 with Dave Alvin & the Guilty Ones. Tickets are available for both shows. It also hits Maxwell's on August 4 with Bill Kirchen. Tickets are on sale. All LS dates and benefit dates, below...

Continue reading "Danny Amis recovering from cancer procedure, benefit shows planned (and Los Straitjackets is touring too)"

On one of the sunniest day of the year so far, Hobokenites came out in droves to eat, see local art and hear live music at the Hoboken Arts and Music Festival on Sunday afternoon...

The Baseball Project... proceeded to rip a hole through the afternoon with the sheer power of their rocking and songwriting prowess. Highlights (and there were many) included Wynn's ode to Detroit Tiger's pitcher Mark Fidrych entitled '1976', McCaughey's wordtastic 'Panda and The Freak,' and the ridiculously talented rhythm section of Buck and Pitmon.

Craig Finn (of the Hold Steady) made a truly electric guest appearance on a tune for which he penned the lyrics called, 'Please Don't Call Them Twinkies.'" He was entirely captivating and having never heard/seen him sing live before, I think I fully understand now why his band is so popular. -[Patch]

And with those triumphant dates in their rearview, The Baseball Project has announced their return to NYC with a date at City Winery on June 5th. Tickets are on sale. The NYC date is part of a larger string of mostly Northeastern dates that will also include a stop in Baseball Hall of Fame home Cooperstown on June 3rd (they play a brewery there).

All of this touring is in support of their second album, Volume Two: High and Inside, which was released March 1 on Yep Roc and includes guest appearances from Craig Finn, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan, and Chris Funk and John Moen of The Decemberists.

All tour dates, a video of the band on "Extra" (where they play "Fair Weather Fan" and talk about being accepted by the baseball community), and the above-mentioned videos, below....

Continue reading "The Baseball Project played Hoboken & Brooklyn w/ Craig Finn (and Drew's House too), announce more dates (City Winery)"

The Blind Boys of Alabama [released] a traditional country-gospel album for the first time in their 70-year career on May 3rd, 2011. One of country music's most acclaimed and compelling artists, Jamey Johnson, co-produced the album and performs on it along with Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Lee Ann Womack, and The Oak Ridge Boys.

Continue reading "Blind Boys of Alabama released a guest-filled country-gospel album, The Oak Ridge Boys play with them in NYC tonight"

"Three rocking 30th Anniversary shows, featuring a special live performance of Marshall's critically acclaimed self-titled debut album "Marshall Crenshaw" performed in its entirety.

Crenshaw will perform his debut single and his self-titled debut album in sequence, adding as many other hits and favorites as time permits. He will be joined by Yo La Tengo guitarist Ira Kaplan, longtime associate Graham Maby on bass, drummer Josh Dion, and on the 29th by original drummer (and brother) Robert Crenshaw.

According to Crenshaw, "The emphasis in the advertising, etc. has been on my first album but this year actually marks the 30-year anniversary of the release of 'Something's Gonna Happen' on Shake Records, my first record, and a really, really darn good one, produced by the late Alan Betrock and myself. Therefore, this year marks my 30th year as a recording artist . . . amazing. It's crazy!!"

Continue reading "Marshall Crenshaw celebrating 30 years, playing 'Marshall Crenshaw' 3 nights @ City Winery w/ Ira Kaplan"

If on you're way out of the subway in late July you happen to notice a busker that looks a helluva lot like Billy Bragg surrounded by an army of other guitar-weilding maniacs, don't be alarmed. The spectacle is just the opening act for the two+ week Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, which will feature shows with Mavis Staples (as discussed), "Laurie Anderson and Friends", Bettye LaVette, a girl-group heavy Ponderosa Stomp, the 28th Annual Roots of American Music Festival, The Bar-Kays, and many, many others at the Damrosch Park Bandshell and other Manhattan locations from July 27th until its close on August 14th. The full schedule is below.

Billy Bragg leading The Big Busk in the UK

The Big Busk is the first performance scheduled (and it happens twice on July 27th), and will see Bragg leading a play-along concert flanked by an army of cue-cards detailing what chords he is playing. Check out a video from a 2008 'Big Busk' that took place in England, below.

Billy Bragg will also make up his cancelled dates from earlier this year around that 7/27 appearance. He'll play City Winery in NYC on 7/26 (tickets), 7/28 (tickets) and 7/29 (tickets).

All Lincoln Center festival dates and lineups, and all Billy Bragg tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Lincoln Center Out of Doors 2011 schedule announced, rescheduled Billy Bragg dates too"

Olof Arnalds @ Swan Dive (BV SXSW) (more by Tim Griffin)

After last being seen at SXSW, Iceland's Ólöf Arnalds returns this month, first for some west coast dates, and then for another visit east that includes an April 23rd at Joe's Pub with German pianist / composer Hauschka, and to play the Anthology Film Archives' 2011 Film Preservation Honors at City Winery on April 27th. Tickets to the latter can cost you either $40 (general admission) or $200 (benefit). Harmony Korine, Marina Abramovic, Richard Barone, and, Transgendered Jesus will also be performing/appearing.

All Olof dates below...

Continue reading "Ólöf Arnalds returning soon --- 2011 Tour Dates (include 2011 Film Preservation Honors event)"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

DOWNLOAD: Daniel Martin Moore - Dark Road (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Daniel Martin Moore - In the Cool of the Day (MP3)

Jessica Lea Mayfield @ SXSW

Jessica Lea Mayfield's new Dan Auerbach-produced album, Tell Me, was released by Nonesuch Records on February 8, and since then she's tourned with Justin Townes Earle, and the Avett Brothers, and played a few shows in Austin for SXSW, one of which was an American Songwriter showcase which is where the pictures in this post come from. Another one of her sets from SXSW is for sale on iTunes, and another is streaming at KEXP. I wanted to book her on one of the many BrooklynVegan parties as well, but it ended up not working out.

She is currently back out on the road, but this time as a headliner, with Daniel Martin Moore. They play Glasslands on March 30th (AKA TONIGHT) (tickets are still available) and, after a stop in Philly, Bowery Ballroom on April 1st (tickets available too). All tour dates are listed below

Daniel Martin Moore recently dropped In The Cool Of The Day via Sub Pop in January. Two MP3s from that record are above, and the title track is also below.

Moore's companion on the recent, um, Dear Companion LP has been at work too. Ben Sollee has a new LP, Inclusions, due in May and was SUPPOSED to support Billy Bragg on his cancelled tour that was supposed to be at City Winery this week, but instead will play City Winery as part of a Japan benefit on March 31st with Rachael Yamagata, Tift Merritt, Marshall Crenshaw, Dar Williams, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Nicole Atkins, classic pianist Taka Kigawa, and the New York based big band Morning Musuko. Ben will also play with Tracy Bonham at Cameo in Brooklyn one day later.

All Jessica Lee Mayfield and Daniel Martin Moore, tour dates, some videos and more SXSW pictures, below...

Continue reading "Jessica Lea Mayfield played SXSW (pics), on tour w/ Daniel Martin Moore ++ Ben Sollee playing shows, a Japan Benefit"

IT IS WITH DEEP REGRET THAT I MUST CANCEL MY US TOUR
It is with deep regret that I must announce that I have had to cancel my US tour, which was due to start in Brownfield, Maine, on 24th March. My mother was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and her health has deteriorated to such a critical extent in the past week that I am now unable to fulfill these dates. As her life slips away, I feel that my place is by her side.

Details of rescheduled dates and/or refunds will be available soon.

Billy Bragg

John Wesley Harding and Eugene Mirman at LPR in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

"I wanted to bring together my novel writing friends (who mostly envy my musician friends) and my musician friends (who mostly envy my novel writing friends) under one flag," says John Wesley Harding. "Then add Eugene Mirman and his comedians of comedy... The fact is: I like everyone who's performing.

In between (and before) those dates, John Wesley Harding AKA Wesley Stace will do readings in and around the area, including one on 3/10 at Book Court in Brooklyn and one on 3/17 as part of a panel at LIO in Brooklyn. He'll be speaking about Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer, his new book. Maybe you read about it in the New York Times:

WESLEY STACE'S new book, "Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer," is both a murder mystery and a novel about classical music, with a character who sometimes assumes another identity. Mr. Stace, an enthusiastic, donnish Englishman with an honors degree in English literature from Jesus College, Cambridge, and a head stuffed full of historical trivia, is an expert on both double lives and music. Improbably, he is also John Wesley Harding, an Elvis Costello-like singer-songwriter and folk rocker who has released more than a dozen records and is cool enough to have enlisted most of the Decemberists as the backup band on a forthcoming album.

The Decemberists play Prospect Park on June 14th with Best Coast. Ticket info is forthcoming.

The David Wax Museum, who recently played their own show at City Winery (and who are part of John Wesley's Cabinet on 3/11), will also be at SXSW where you'll be able to catch them at a BrooklynVegan day party right at noon on Friday, 3/18 at Barbarella on Red River. Stay tuned for more details on that party coming shortly (but I can say it is the same one Middle Brother is playing later in the day). More David Wax dates at their website.

All Stace & Andrew Bird dates are below...

Continue reading "Andrew Bird playing w/ John Wesley Harding, Wesley Stace released a book, David Wax Museum heading to SXSW"

John Wesley Harding @ the Eugene Mirman Fest (more by David Andrako)

The next edition of John Wesley Harding's Cabinet of Wonders goes down at City Winery in NYC tonight, 2/11, with Eugene Mirman, Ted Leo, The Fiery Furnaces, Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield, Ben Ottewell (of Gomez), and Rivka Galchen Patrick McGrath. That's an amazing lineup and tickets are still available for the show that features a few people who appeared on the lineup of last night's Neil Young tribute at Carnegie Hall.

As mentioned, Ben Ottewell also plays an early show at Mercury Lounge tonight.

Tonight's show is Ted Leo's only upcoming NYC appearance, though those in Austin in March can catch him at the BrooklynVegan SXSW showcase and at other shows. His full solo tour includes February west coast dates, and April east coast dates (Philly, Scranton & CT included). All dates are listed below...

Continue reading "updated Ted Leo solo dates, John Wesley Harding Cabinet of Wonders at City Winery tonight"

DOWNLOAD: Rhett Miller - Live at Fez 4/4/01 (Zipped MP3s)

"Happy to be in the same room with live Rhett Miller lyrics...." - Michelle Snyder

"Dear lord, rhett miller is effing amazing. #citywinery #rhettmiller" - Chris Crapanzano

Rhett Miller at City Winery (theDoogan)

Rhett Miller, who next plays a solo show at Infinity Hall in Norfolk, CT on 2/11, spent Friday night (2/4) at City Winery, and was joined on stage by Nicole Atkins for a few songs. Video of the pair performing "Four Leaf Clover" and "Fireflies" is below. Catch Nicole Atkins at her own headlining show at Bowery Ballroom this Wednesday night with The Gay Blades and Mon Khmer. Tickets are still available.

Rhett's band Old 97's had no NYC dates when we recently posted dates, but now there's one happening on April 9th at Webster Hall with Kevin Devine. Tickets for that go on AmEx presale Wednesday at noon and on regular sale Friday.

The new date comes right in the middle of Old 97s' run of shows with Teddy Thompson who is not listed on the Webster bill but does have his own solo NYC shows happening at City Winery on March 18th (tickets) and Rubin Museum on March 25th (tickets).

Updated tour dates and videos below...

Continue reading "Rhett Miller played w/ Nicole Atkins, Old 97's add tour dates "

Goldenplec: Your first album hit the shelves over ten years ago, now on his fifth album how different are they?

Teddy Thompson: I feel like they change a lot every time, I mean, I'm one of those people who is unhappy with everything I do as soon as I've done it. And the longer that goes by, the harder it is for me to look at it and be pleased at all. So, even they one before this, I listen to it and I go 'Ooh I didn't get that quite right, This one's much better.

Goldenplec: So it that a sign of being a perfectionist or striving for something more each time?

Teddy Thompson: Yeah, It's being a perfectionist. For a long time I thought being a perfectionist meant that you did things perfectly (laughs). Then I found out that that's not what being a perfectionist is at all, it's somebody that's just unhappy with what they've done and wants to get it perfect but often, most of the time, feels like they don't get close. But it can work that way too, it makes you strive for something better each time, so it's a useful thing. I think the longer you go, like it's ten years now, I can listen to my first record and not be unhappy, be kind of embarrassed but I can find good moments in it because it seems like so long ago.

The Old 97s, who released new albums and played NYC shows in December, don't have any more NYC dates scheduled at the moment, but their frontman Rhett Miller does. You can catch Rhett this Friday, February 4th, at City Winery with Julia Haltigan. He also plays a week later at Infinity Music Hall in CT. All dates are listed below.

The above-quoted interview also discusses Teddy's relationship to the Wainwrights. Teddy says:

"Maybe I have, I would like to think that I have. [Rufus has] certainly influenced me. He was further along than I was when we met, already had a record deal, was making a record and was very confident. Fully formed within himself, I was still figuring out what I was doing and he certainly helped me. And Martha, I just find generally inspiring, especially when you see her live. She's a reminder of how to give it all on stage when you're feeling a bit safe or lazy or something. Then you see Martha play.' "

All Teddy & Rhett dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Teddy Thompson releasing Bella, playing shows (Old 97's too) "

Kaki King's axes

"Just wanted to introduce you to some members of the up-coming traveling guitar-freak show. Harp guitar, 7 string fanned fret nylon, high-tuned 12 string, and of course, the ovation, my original and favorite freak. I woke up one morning at a friend's house and Ru Paul was there. Yes, that Ru Paul . . . just, don't ask right now. He said he shit his pants and his titties got hard when he saw the harp guitar, and I took that as a very good sign." - Kaki King

Her full tour schedule and some streaming audio is below.

Continue reading "Kaki King going on an acoustic tour (2011 dates)"

John & Ian & barrels of wine

After a rousing opening set by duo The Shivers, Deer Tick frontman John McCauley and Deer Tick guitarist Ian O'Neil (who also used to be in Titus Andronicus) took turns playing completely solo and with each other at their show at City Winery in NYC last night (1/19). In front of an over-packed house, they each used their voices and guitars as instruments, and sometimes John sat down at the piano. Speaking of sitting down, that's what most of the crowd was doing, at their tables where food, beer, and especially wine were flowing. Others were standing around the edges of the spacious venue because there weren't any seats left.

The setlist was heavy on Deer Tick classics that I was especially happy to hear stripped down, included brand new unrecorded songs (often the ones Ian sang), Middle Brother songs (including the song "Middle Brother" with assistance from special guest and audience member Jonny Corndawg who helped write the song), a Replacements cover, and a John Prine cover. They closed with a festive cover of Buddy Holly's "Oh Boy." The only dissapointment was that John had a piano at his disposal and he didn't use it to play "Christ Jesus."

The merch table had Jonny Corndawg-created Beavis & Butthead (John & Ian) airbrushed shirts for sale, and the venue was selling limited edition bottles of City Winery-made John McCauley 'petit shiraz' wine (pictures below).

One night earlier, as I hinted they might, both John and Ian showed up and played sets at the final night of Corndawg's Union Pool residency in Brooklyn.

Go catch John and Ian on tour with each other now, catch Corndawg out on tour with Dawes, and see Middle Brother when they tour with Deer Tick and Dawes in March (tickets are still on sale for both NYC shows). Everyone's dates are listed HERE.

More pictures and some videos from City Winery, and videos from Union Pool too, below...

Continue reading "John McCauley & Ian O'Neil (and Jonny Corndawg) played City Winery (and Union Pool) "

Joseph Arthur is a regular at City Winery where his regular residencies include a different special guest at each show. On February 3rd it will be Greg Laswell. On February 5th it will be Jesse Malin. And on January 15th it will be ex-Pedro the Lion frontman David Bazan who leaves on a tour two weeks later with Jimmy Eat World. That tour hits House of Blues in Atlantic City on February 11th, and many other places. All dates below...

Continue reading "David Bazan playing City Winery, touring w/ Jimmy Eat World"

Mavis Staples' new Jeff Tweedy-produced ANTI-released album You Are Not Alone was released in September (it was MOJO's #12 album of the year). Mavis will continue to support that record at various shows in 2011. If you missed her on October 6th at City Winery, she returns to NYC to play the Bell House on January 18th (the same night as Prince's final MSG show). Tickets are on sale for the Brooklyn show which is being billed as "with special guests".

In March Mavis plays a series of dates with Billy Bragg right before he plays three of his own shows at City Winery.

Jeff Tweedy, like he did on the Colbert Report that same week, played with Mavis at City Winery in October. Videos from that show, Colbert and Jools Holland, with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Mavis Staples playing shows in 2011 (Bell House included)"

Join the legendary Billy Bragg for a triplex of club shows in the intimate setting of City Winery in late Spring. Bragg, the much loved and highly regarded folk master songwriter, returns to New York City for the series -"At Home In the City" - where he'll perform a varied and eclectic selection from his storied career.

These three dates are your only chance to enjoy the mastery of Billy Bragg in a warm and inviting setting - think of them as conversations over a glass of wine with an old friend. [City Winery]

Continue reading "Billy Bragg playing 3 nights @ City Winery, other dates"

Dan Hicks digs Christmas tunes. But it took him over 30 years in the music business to get around to doing his own album of holiday music. The singer/songwriter/guitarist and leader of the Hot Licks, a swinging band with a cult following in the rock world going back to the '70s, has just released Crazy for Christmas on Surfdog Records and is on his way around the country on a tour he calls "Holidaze in Hicksville". The group will perform at a mix of theaters, clubs and coffeehouses, including the Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va., the City Winery in New York City and McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, Calif.

Talking via phone from his home in Marin County, California, Hicks says that he's always done Christmas tunes during that time of year with his band, the Hot Licks. "I've been doing Christmas songs with the Hot Licks for a couple of decades. We did about eight or ten tunes, but we didn't do them all at once. We've been doing shows we call Holidaze in Hicksville. We have a canvas backdrop with a cartoon scene of Christmas."
[Jazz Times]

Continue reading "Dan Hicks released a Christmas album, touring (dates)"