Honky Tonkin' In Queens brings a taste of Nashville to Ridgewood's Gottscheer Hall
Ridgewood, Queens has been getting a taste of Nashville with the now-monthly Honky Tonkin' In Queens series put on by DJ Moonshine and DJ Prison Rodeo. The pair have already been regulars at Williamsburg honky tonk bar Skinny Dennis, where you can often find them spinning classic country vinyl, but since February 2023 they've also been bringing their party to Gottscheer Hall, the German pub and catering hall that's been a Queens staple since 1924. The hall's oversized dance floor invites two-step and line dancing in a way that the usually-packed Skinny Dennis--and even most standard music venues--can't usually accomodate.
Honky Tonkin' In Queens started small with local Brooklyn band North of Amarillo in February, but it's quickly grown. It returned in April with headliner Joshua Quimby, and grew once again for the June edition that was headlined by former Third Man recording artist / current New West recording artist Joshua Hedley, whose 2022 album Neon Blue is one of the most widely-acclaimed alternative-leaning country albums in recent memory. That show was opened by Lauren Morrow and it featured viral clogger Zeb Ross.
This past Saturday (7/22), the series returned with Emily Nenni, who's also fresh off releasing a great new album for New West, On the Ranch. Her backing band for the night was Teddy and the Rough Riders. Support came from "gothic mountain band" Laurel Hells Ramblers and Old Lady. We caught both the Joshua Hedley show and the Emily Nenni show, and you can tell that these honky tonk parties are not just a blast for the audience, but for the bands too. You don't see these kinds of things in NYC the way you do in Tennessee or Texas, and with all the crowd participation and dancing, it's a much different vibe than when country singers come through NYC and play rock clubs. Whether you're a skilled two-stepper or a curious bystander, it's hard not to get sucked into the contagious energy.
The headlining performances from Emily Nenni and Joshua Hedley at these events were remarkable too. Both have pristine voices, ace backing bands, and great songs, and both have really interesting, unique ways of fusing together traditional/classic elements of country music with fresh new vibes. Next up at Honky Tonkin' In Queens on August 25 is Fort Worth, TX's Summer Dean, whose great new album The Biggest Life also does that. That one's got local support from Brooklyn's Low Roller. Tickets for the honky tonk with Summer Dean are on sale now and these always sell out in advance, so get yr tix ahead of time.
