Ben Kweller @ Town Hall in 2008 (more by Eric M. Townsend)

That free 7/14 Blitzen Trapper gig is actually a co-headlining bill with Ben Kweller, and that show is one of a few free shows that will be hosted this year in NYC apartment complex Stuy Town. Full list below...

Continue reading "free shows at Stuy Town Oval this summer (Ben Kweller, Dan Zanes, Wood Brothers & more)"

Lee Ranaldo @ Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

New York Guitar Festival is returning this January and has some upcoming events scheduled at the Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center. The guitarists will be premiering original film scores for silent films by Buster Keaton. Dan Zanes plays on January 10, Lee Ranaldo (of Sonic Youth) and Kaki King on January 12, Keller Williams and special guest TBA on January 17, and Califone and special guest TBA on January 19. Tickets go on sale September 6 from Kaufman Center's website, at the Box Office, or by calling 212 501 3330.

Califone also plays the Design Harvest Festival in Chicago on October 1st.

Dan Zanes has other upcoming shows in the next few months including John Wesley Harding's Cabinet of Wonders on September 23 at City Winery and October 2 at NYU's Skirball Center. Tickets are on sale for the City Winery show and the Skirball show. All dates below.

Keller Williams has other shows coming up too including a kids matinee show on November 19 at Brooklyn Bowl where he will perform songs from his family album Kids. Tickets and Family 4 Pack tickets are on sale now.

All Dan Zanes dates below...

Continue reading "NY Guitar Fest announces 2012 shows (Califone, Kaki King, Lee Ranaldo, Dan Zanes & more)"

Pete Seeger at Clearwater 2009 (more by )

The 2011 edition of the Clearwater Festival boasts some big names over its two days, June 18th and 19th, in Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. Founder Pete Seeger will be joined by Drive-By Truckers, Martin Sexton, Indigo Girls, Josh Ritter, Arlo Guthrie, Suzanne Vega, Billy Bragg (who plays NYCx3 a month later), and man other artists who are listed elow. Tickets are still available.

In related news, Martin Sexton will play four NYC shows before that Clearwater appearance, as part of a residency at City Winery. Tickets are sold-out for Martin Sexton on June 2nd, 3rd, & 4th at the venue but he just added a fourth late show on 6/4, and tickets are still available.

All Martin Sexton tour dates and the full Clearwater lineup is below.

Continue reading "Clearwater Fest 2011 lineup & other Martin Sexton dates"

The National show in Prospect Park (more by Amanda Hatfield)

We already knew that 'Celebrate Brooklyn' is hosting an impressive lineup of ticketed Prospect Park Bandshell shows this summer: The Decemberists, Animal Collective, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver & Cut Copy. And we knew that the 33rd annual series of free shows would start with an Andrew Bird show on June 10th, and that BRIC is also hosting three free 'dance parties' in Brooklyn Bridge Park this summer too.

Now the entire 2011 lineup of "24 free performances, including 20 music concerts, two dance performances, two film screenings with live music, and a family concert" is here! You can check it all out (The Feelies, Real Estate, The Books, Junip, Doveman, Justin Townes Earle, Punch Brothers, Raekwon, Oumou Sangaré, Times New Viking, Ra Ra Riot, Delicate Steve, Buke & Gass and Hal Willner included), below...

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn - complete 2011 Prospect Park show lineup"

Sunday, July 4
Dan Zanes Jam & Jubilee
The Battery 4th of July Concert and Family Festival
Presented by Alliance for Downtown New York
Come celebrate the Fourth of July family style with Grammy-Award-winning artist Dan Zanes and his incredible array of musical friends. Spend the day dancing to the infectious rhythms of Columbian band La Cumbiamba eNeYe, marching with the parade of 76 Trombones, and singing along to Dan's own brand of Broadway classics like you've never heard them before! Bring a blanket and enjoy the lawn along with jugglers, stilt walkers, and a cast of larger than life characters. Free,
1pm doors
2pm La Cumiamba eNeYé,
3pm Dan Zanes and Friends,
4:30 76 Trombones
Battery Park, State Street and Battery Place. Space is limited and entry is on a first-come, first-served basis

Well, at least the Old 97's are doing a show at South Street Seaport.

The above-described free concert at NYC's Battery Park is an annual tradition, except usually the bill features indie rock. Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst were last year.

The Blind Boys of Alabama will curate a three-night series at Lincoln Center on July 12, 14 & 16. The events start with an opening night concert featuring rock artists Yo La Tengo, Lambchop, Exene Cervenka of X and Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket [plus Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Horns]. On July 14 the focus shifts to country music, with performances by Yonder Mountain String Band, Ralph Stanley, Alison Moorer and Randy Travis, plus Ray Benson and Jason Roberts of Asleep at the Wheel. The final evening, The Blind Boys' Family Revival, will feature songs from all of the group's Grammy Award-winning albums and includes collaborations with Aaron Neville, Joan Osborne, Hot 8 Brass Band, Dan Zanes, John Hammond, and Charlie Musselwhite, among others.

Tickets for all three are on sale now.

More details on the gospel group's Lincoln Center shows, their full upcoming schedule, a video of their performance on Letterman earlier this year with Lou Reed (they also visited Daytrotter in March) and more are below...

Continue reading "Blind Boys of Alabama touring, curated 3 shows @ Lincoln Center w/ many guests (Yo La Tengo, Jim James, more)"

Les Savy Fav rides the ladder at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more)

"Launched in 2007, Sounds Like Brooklyn Music Festival (formerly known as Brooklyn Next) is BAM's annual showcase of the some of the most innovative music coming out of the borough. The program features concerts in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAMcafé, and partner venues around Brooklyn that highlight the breadth and depth of music produced by Brooklyn artists working in jazz, hip-hop, rock, electronic, brass band, and every other hybrid genre in between. As a vehicle for artist development, Sounds Like Brooklyn focuses on emerging and mid-career musicians working at the intersection of innovation and tradition."

BAM's Sounds Like Brooklyn Festival will be happening this year January 29-30 and February 4-6 at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAMcafé and other venues around town. Last year's lineup included Beirut, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Japanther. This year's shows include Les Savy Fav, Vivian Girls, Rain Machine, Anti-Pop Consortium, Ra Ra Riot and The Antlers. Tickets go on sale Monday, December 14th (or today, 12/9, for Friends of BAM). Full lineup and more info below...

Continue reading "Les Savy Fav, Antlers, Vivian Girls, Ra Ra Riot & more playing 2010 BAM Sounds Like Brooklyn shows"