Sidewalk's Sidewalk

360 Degrees of Sidewalk

2012-01-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

Make sure to check this out. It's one of those 360 degree photographs showing Sidewalk's front dining room pre-renovation. How did this even happen? I really wish they'd given the back room this treatment. In any event, I hope this stays around for a long while as a reminder of the old days.

Milk Cup

2012-01-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

A group called Milk Cup made a vivid debut at last night's open mic. A description by Ben, which I hope he doesn't mind me swiping from a Facebook post:

"So Ray Brown plays, then Charles Mansfield, Jonathan Berger, Matthew Silver, and then some act called MILK CUP drags drums and a bass amp on stage and goes into some sort of death metal frenzy complete with fishnet body stocking and table dancing, which inspires me to hit the gong repeatedly with my head. They scream long after the lights have been lowered to black and they get the gig, of course."

And my experience:
I was sitting in the front row and in the middle of the song the Milk Cup singer came over to the edge of the stage and repeatedly ordered me to give him my glasses. I'm not sure what he wanted to do with them, but I am thankful I had enough presence of mind to refuse.

Mr. Milk Cup started off fully dressed but stripped to his fish net suit somewhere during the course of their song. At one point, as Ben mentioned, he jumped up on a table, and then, if I remember correctly, he ran out into the audience where I think he took off his first piece of clothing. Mr Milk Cup was not exactly a slender guy, so the image of him in his fish net suit, accessorized nicely by blue boxer-briefs--was quite striking.

The singer was so dramatic that not much attention was paid to the drummer, although bits of drum stick were breaking off during the set and flying into the audience. The tip of one stick fell into my lap.

I wish I knew what they were singing about...there actually were some lyrics--they were just impossible to hear.

Milk Cup was by far the most dramatic of last night's acts, but there were some other good ones. Chink Floyd, for example was very solid as always--nice piano playing by T. Y. and some meaningful thoughts from Master Lee.

Oh yeah....the Canadian comic...what was her name...she was funnny--mostly because of her over the top energy--sort of the same type of intensity as Milk Cup but directed toward comedy. That's not usually the style of comic that turns up at Sidewalk, but it worked.

Chameleon Reunion - 12/10-2011

2011-12-19T08:45:00.000-08:00

Ray Brown organized a reunion show, held Saturday the 10th, of performers from the Chameleon days, the period from 1989 to 1991 when Lach oversaw an open mic that was a precursor to what emerged at Sidewalk a few years later. The Chameleon was located practically next door to Sidewalk, on Sixth Street, just East of Sidewalk.

It's clear from talking to Ray and also from listening to the performers the other night, that they all felt the time at Chameleon was vital and special, much the way many of us felt whenever we entered Sidewalk for the first time and thought we'd discovered a secret universe of musical joy.

It was nice to have a chance to connect with the specific vibe of the Chameleon through the folks who played the reunion. Remarkably they all seemed fit and good looking. I don't know if Ray decided to book based on who still looked good, but the Chameleon folks have held up well. As for the music, well..my notes of Saturday's show are kind of a mish-mash, but one thing that stood out is the quirky humor that was threaded through each set. Dave Keener's song Moist, Tender, and Flaky for example, is a very funny comic anthem about what a guy expects from a relationship.

I don't know why this humorous strain in the songs would surprise me. In fact it kind of reminded me of the humor that I found at Sidewalk and identified with from the very beginning. It was interesting, though, in any event, to see this as an antecedent to what I found when I arrived years later.

Dave Keener reminded us that the Chameleon was not all about music but also showcased numerous standup comics. He read a series of jokes by Danny DeVito (not the actor, but the comic now known as Danny Vermont). Dave also brought on Tom Keener-who I assume is his brother-to perform Christmas in Brooklyn. And Dave also did a song with Dave Foster, who lots of folks know through Bubble, which I saw when they played the Beatles album Revolver live in its entirety.

Mark Humble read a note from Lach--or at least something he said came from Lach--it seemed very Lachesque anyway--a story about the legend of Kwanicamas--the all purpose holiday celebration. Mark played a long set with a mixture of touching and funny songs.

Something I noticed about both these guys and about James Graham whose set I only caught a bit of--is that they both are excellent guitarists. It's not that they were playing flashy solos or anything, but they used what seemed to me more interesting chord voicings than most of the Sidewalk regulars and played with taste and a nice touch.

Thank You Mary was Ray Brown's band with James Graham and Cybele Merrick. They played a very short set that included "I Want You to Drink Wine with Me"--actually that's not the title, but according to Ray it was a song he wrote in High School "You Can Rock Me' and a rendition of "Those Were the Days" (yes, the Those Were the Days we all know). There was a song in there that was kind of a punky patter song that I liked a lot--"Beg Me." And one about he wind blowing...."that's what it usually does." I wish Thank You Mary had played a little longer so I could have gotten more of the sense of where they were coming from, but I was still glad I got the chance to hear them.

Unfortunately I missed the early part of the show, which included sets by Ray and by James Graham. I'm sure that Ray was as brilliant as always. And I was intrigued by what I did hear of James at the tail end of his set and when he played with Thank You Mary.

When Ray first came back to "the scene" we talked a lot about the Chameleon Days. One of my questions was "whatever happened to these folks." At this point I wonder that too about some of the performers I've met who came through Sidewalk with burning energy but then eventually moved on. It seems as if many of the Chameleon folks have continued with their creative endeavors but in different contexts--I know some of these guys live out of town now. And I assume it's the same with others who have moved on from Sidewalk. In any event it was nice to connect with this encapsulated part of the scene's heritage.

Times Article on Jeffrey Lewis

2011-11-22T18:10:00.000-08:00

I figured a major New York Times article on an artist with a deep Sidewalk connection was reason enough to bring this blog out of its slumber, at least temporarily. The Times has a big article on Jeffrey Lewis, who even years after having expanded his artistic horizons in many directions beyond 6th and A maintains his connections to the community there. The article touches on Jeff's history with Sidewalk, but also talks about how even though his career proceeds on a modest scale, through a disciplined and smart approach he manages to make a decent living.

Congrats Jeff. It's nice to see someone who is genuinely talented and who also seems basically grounded get some strong recognition. However, I'll be interested to hear if Jeff thinks the article is accurate. It seems to hit the main points that I know about, but I wonder how Jeff feels about being described as a "professional-grade neurotic." How are those grades determined exactly? Are there City inspectors for that sort of thing--the same guys who do the restaurants, maybe?

Enjoy the article.

New York Folk Festival Strikes Back

2011-10-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

The article on the Antifolk Fest that ran in the New York Times's Arts Beat blog generated the following comment from Ted Geier:

Ted Geier
Queens, NY
September 29th, 2011
12:08 pm

I have seen the story about the New York Folk Festival rejecting these gentlemen repeated in various media by the founders of the Antifolk Festival. To set the record straight, I am confident they never approached our Festival, which I produced from its founding in 1981 to final season in 1987. The Festival was in part dedicated to expanding the definition of folk, and was similar in its programming to what these guys are doing, featuring street performer shows, blues, soul, punk, jazz, funk, singer-songwriters, and rock, as well as traditional and modern "folk musicians," in venues as diverse as Times Square, Prospect Park. I think we were gone before they started, and I don't think we were "folk music snobs." Finally, I don't believe there was ever a "New York CITY Folk Festival," but I could be wrong on that one. In sum and in my humble opinion, they are doing good stuff and have a good story that doesn't need a villain.

I wanted to air Ted Geier's comments further, especially since I was involved in getting the Times some of the background information for their story. The New York Folk Festival very well may have been as open, progressive, and varied as Mr. Geier reports. And he's right that no villain is needed in this story. I think his comments provide valuable perspective and I'm sure as the producer of the Festival, he is justifiably proud of what he accomplished with it.

However, for better or worse, it does seem from everything I've read, and heard from folks directly involved--that The New York Folk Festival, which was happening at the same time they etablished the first Antifolk Festival, represented to Lach, Kirk Kelly, etc. the more mainstream Folk establishment, which they were reacting against. It's not that they applied to The New York Festival and weren't accepted, but that they felt rejected from the folk scene as a whole [and the Times story is accurate in saying that none of the AF crew were invited to play the NY Fest]. In the end it seems as if the Antifolker preferred doing their own thing anyway.

So, as a matter of history, mentioning The New York Folk Festival is relevant. However, I think it is interesting to see this issue looked at from two sides. Ted Geier feels that he was presenting a diverse and inclusive Fest. The Antifolkers felt it was mainstream and closed. Probably both sides have some validity. And it definitely is worth being reminded that more often than not shades of grey are more prevalent than black and white in any two (or more) - sided issue.

Antifolk Festival Ends with Blackout Night, 9-25-2011

2011-09-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

There are times when I can't explain even to myself what it is that draws me to focus so intently on Sidewalk Cafe. But there are other times when moments of such beauty, grace, and plain fun occur that I can't understand how the rest of the world lives without it.

The last night of the Antifolk Festival provided some of those more awe-inspiring moments. The atmosphere had something to do with it. Sunday was blackout night, which meant that everyone performed without amplification and the room was lit only with candles. Because the performances were unamplified, most of the audience was clustered up front, and it felt a bit like everyone was gathered around a campfire. I missed some of the early sets, but Ray Brown's show in particular provided numerous moments of soulful charm. Ray's songs are deeply emotional, often on unexpected--sometimes harsh-subject matter. His melodies and voice are rich and interesting. In particular I've grown fond recently of his song about an infatuation at Catweazle. On Sunday, Morgan Heringer, sang with Ray from her seat in the audience near the stage on a couple of songs, and something about the sound and vibe, especially the laid back, spontaneous feel of the whole experience was really transcendent. As a little zinger, Ray ended his set with a kind of medley of "I Don't Know How to Love Him," and "Oh Happy Day." 'That's it Ray--throw us off base.' After the frankness of some of his other songs, testaments to Jesus weren't exactly what I was expecting--but we all loved it anyway--and sang along.

There were many other nice moments last night. In particular Rachel Devlin brought us to some ecstatic high points on a couple songs with Dan, and they did a nice cover of Crazy and the Brains's 'Sexy Magazine.'Debe Dalton closed things off. Debe was back on banjo-- Never can get enough of her and it was a nice way to close out the Antifolk Festival. As Debe sang her last song Ben blew out all the candles on stage.

I felt a lot of community spirit throughout the week. For one, three or four of the nights were organized by individual folks from the scene. And then I saw lots of people who came out to shows on many or most of the nights. Congrats and thanks to Ben Krieger for organizing a great week--and for keeping our little world of creativity and fun on track.

By the way, it looks as if I never posted here the link to Myron the Magnificent's video guide to the Antifolk Festival:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpTZr8iLdMU

Antifolk Festival

2011-09-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I guess I've been ignoring this blog a bit.- But I've had lots of fun at the last few Monday nights, even stayed all the way through tea the other night, which may be only the third or possibly fourth time I've done that. Seen some fun and nutty things lately....like Chris Faroe's impromptu concerto with cell phones and voice mail messages. Anyway, there is lots going on, what with the upcoming Antifolk Festival and all. I think it's one of the better schedules in a long time, with a diverse range of artists from all eras of the Antifolk scene. Kirk Kelly, who was there at the beginning with Lach will play, then people from every period in between. There are many acts I'm looking forward to...Anyway, I helped write up a press release for the event, and also Gina Mobilio wrote a nice advance piece about the Fest for American Songwriter. Recognizing this is a bit of a cop out to defer to those pieces, but they do have all the info. If you go to the actual link for the American Songwriter article, you can see the conversation it has generated about Antifolk.

(I tried posting the text of the release and article in this blog post, but something went haywire with the formatting--I'll have to straighten it out later, but the links will take you to the referenced information.

http://sidewalkmusic.net/Antifolk%20Festival%20Fall%202011%20Release.pdf

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/09/jeffrey-lewis-discusses-the-fall-2011-antifolk-fest/

Monday Night Open Mic, August 29, 2011

2011-08-30T01:04:00.000-07:00

It was a good one. Hamster Rap (by Neesa Sunar) ruled.

Now available: chess boards in the back room.

Good to see all the folks, old-timers and new.

Opening Night, August 10. 2011

2011-08-12T22:44:00.000-07:00

Dad's Rec Room.
Colorado Ski Lodge
Howard Johnson's Hotel Lobby, 1974
College Rathskellar, also 1974

These are a few of the ways the new interior of Sidewalk's backroom was described at its opening Wednesday. Yes, the music room does have quite a rustic feel to it now. The walls are lined with wide boards that evidently come from an old barn. And the rest of the decor has a rough hewn feel, almost like a self-conscious imitation of a country breakfast restaurant.

After all the anticipation the truth is, it really doesn't matter. The basic layout of the room is the same as it was. There are plenty of benches built in all around the walls, and tables in the center--just like the old days---plus a new stage that is bigger than the old one. As soon as the lights went down and Ben got up and started doing his schtick, it was just like Sidewalk as usual.

Although it felt like a regular open mic, it wasn't really because most of the acts in the early part of the evening had been selected by Ben to represent different eras of Sidewalk Cafe-dom. I don't know how I ended up first on the bill for the night except that I had a show scheduled for the next day--but I kicked things off with nervous renditions of a couple of my songs. There were too many others to go into lots of detail on them all, but the bill included folks like: Erin Regan, Howard Hughes, Phoebe Kreutz, Adam Green, Bible Gun, Debe Dalton, Steve Stavola, Brooke Pridmore, Sam Grossman, Prewar Yardsale, Bendix, Morgan Heringer, Dan Penta, Jon Berger, Dan and Rachel, Bernard King Presents, Elizabeth Devlin, Rav Shmuel, Charles Mansfield, Emily Hope Price, Albert Goold, Emily Einhorn, Rick Patrick, M. Lamar, Jim Flyn, JJ Hayes, Jen Kaplan. I left at 1 a.m., and I'm still trying to find out what Jason Trachtenberg did that got everyone so worked up at the end of the night (he arrived after I left).

I played a show on Thursday night and the best thing I can say about the sound system is that I didn't notice it. In other words of all the things I had to think about, whether I could hear myself on stage wasn't one of them. I think it will take some time to assess that new system but from what I can see so far, it's a big improvement over what was there previously. There's also a new lighting rig and all new lighting instruments. The thicket of random wires that used to snake around the ceiling is gone--as is the old disco light. The mirror ball remains. All the keys on the piano work and the music stand there is back.

The rest of the place has, of course, also been upgraded and although the main dining area wasn't yet open, the bar was going full tilt. I don't know how all the young, attractive folks hanging out there got the idea to come by on the first night, but the place was already busy.

I guess I'm kind of glad that the restaurant's decor--although definitely clean, modern and brushed up, features some odd and incongrous choices. It will carry on the tradition. After all, what the heck were those two large playing cards painted on the wall near the old entrance all about? And the random skeletons all over the place. Some day the new sliding barn door into the ladies room and the wine label wall paper in the bathrooms will stand out the same way.

All that said, Sidewalk's owners deserve credit for investing in their restaurant, including the back room. In general the spiffed up new joint is an improvement all around.

Congrats to Ben for keeping us all together over the last 5 months and for working on getting the back room up to speed. And to Brian for planning and installing the great new sound system. It was good to be back. It was good to see Ben behind the board and Debe in her rightful place. It was good to see Berger storming all over the stage and into the audience, and it was even good to face the wall while playing the piano. Our little clubhouse is up to speed again. See you there soon.

See you all at the Sidewalk.

Pictures to come....soon....

Last Night and Tonight

2011-08-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hey There-Yeah, Sidewalk reopened last night. The most remarkable thing was how normal it seemed to be there. Everyone just fell into their groove. Anyway, I was there and I took a lot of pictures and have more to say and I will have lots of stuff up as soon as possible. The delay, however, is partially due to this little show I'm playing tonight.

I'm so excited to be playing with the guys in the band again. We've worked out some really fun stuff and I hope you can be there.

The Key Lime Pie Revue Reunion
Sidewalk Cafe
Tonight, August 11, 2011
9 p.m.
Also on the evening's bill: Elastic No-No Band, Steve Stavola, comedy from Jack Dishel, Debe Dalton

Web Sites-A-Poppin

2011-08-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

The sidewalk music calendar went up today on Ben Krieger's sidewalkmusic.net site, and Sidewalk the restaurant launched its own site at sidewalkny.com. It's good to have these sites up, finally, like 'whew, things are back to normal.' There's a full list of performers up for the Sidewalk stage, showing in a new easy-to-read calendar format, and, although the restaurant's site doesn't have too much info, it does have the complete menu. While the food choices are almost entirely new (so long to my veggie penne) it has the same kind of feel as what was available at the old Sidewalk with a variety of moderately priced sandwich, salad, and breakfast choices as well as a selection of entrees. I was a little worried for a second that Sidewalk was trying to go upscale on us, but honestly the menu seems to offer a good range of selections, and while the prices of things have gone up a little bit, for the most part they seem pretty fair. There are many fewer choices altogether--for example no more omelettes, no more nachos, no falafel, no black bean burger (but Jon Berger gets to keep his Chicken Schnitzel).

There's a clear link from the restaurant site to the music site, but I wonder if having two separate sites isn't a little confusing for the end user than if it all had been integrated into one overall Sidewalk site--or at least if the sites looked as if they were related.

Well, I hope word is getting around about tomorrow night's opening celebration. I'll bet it will be a fun one. See you there.

Sidewalk All-Star Extravaganza - Wednesday

2011-08-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here are the details regarding Sidewalk's Opening Celebration tomorrow night. It's a nice bill of folks, and I'M looking forward to the show, but I assume people will also be coming by to check out the new joint and try some of the paper-baked tilapia. I wonder if they got the Debe Dalton plaque back in place. And, ahem, a reminder that some of us are playing later in the week, like even the following night (scroll down the page for details). See you Wednesday.

Sidewalk Opening Celebration
Wednesday, August 10 at 7:00pm - Thursday at 12:00am
Sidewalk Cafe, 94 Avenue A at 6th Street

An army of artists from the NYC antifolk scene celebrate the second coming of Sidewalk. Each perform will play 2 songs, open mike-style, and then we'll open up the stage for a one song wonder round that will go until it ends or they kick us out. To sign up for the one song wonder round, just show up and see Ben at the sound booth.

Performances in the first part by (in no particular order):

Emily Hope Price
Bible Gun
Prewar Yardsale
Phoebe Kreutz
Steve Espinola
Rav Shmuel
Dan Costello
Emily Einhorn
Brook Pridemore
Sam Grossman
Jack Dishel
Charles M
Erin Regan
Dan Penta
Morgan Heringer
Mr. Patrick
MMM
Joe Bendik
M Lamar
Bernard King
Debe Dalton
Give to Light (Andrew H)
Elizabeth Devlin
Jon Berger

Each artist will perform two songs. An open 1-SONG WONDER ROUND will follow at 11pm til late.

Wrapping Up at Tribes - Back to Avenue A

2011-08-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Although I wasn't entirely crazy about the vibe (and certainly not the smoke) at Gallery of Tribes, I do think it's impressive that Ben managed to keep the Sidewalk culture alive and thriving there during the months that Sidewalk itself was closed for renovations. Unfortunately I had to be out of town for the final night at Tribes, but I gather it was a fun evening. I WAS there for the second to the last Monday and finally found myself connecting to that old 'you just don't know what's going to happen" feeling that has been a defining part of the Sidewalk experience at its best. It was a fun and slightly wacky night. Morgan Heringer and Ray Brown filled in for Ben who, one imagines, was home with his newborn. Morgan seemed to take most of the MCing responsibility and although she was hesitant at first, things started to flow after a while. Jen Kaplan cracked me up with her explicit tales of dating life which also inspired a brief audience colloquy about certain expressive practices of interrelating.

Anyway, I'm getting off the topic. We're getting close to Sidewalk's reopening and information about the new place is coming out in dribs and drabs. The most specific details so far have come out in the following article in the Village Voice online.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2011/08/sidewalk_cafe_r.php#more

There are several interesting points here, including that Sidewalk has hired a publicist. It really cannot hurt to have people who know what they're doing help with promotion. But I hope that the publicists are tying into the most notable and newsworthy factors of the Sidewalk story. I would be thrilled if the "housemade potato chips," "paper-baked mustard tilapia" and "rustic hanging lanterns" help Sidewalk achieve great press. But to my mind what Sidewalk has going for it that other places don't is a deep subculture of artistic expression that despite its small size physically has had a large impact in the City's arts world. While I gather the music activity at Sidewalk pays off for the restaurant, its owners and managers still deserve credit for nurturing this shaggy scene for so many years. I have always gotten the sense that their heart is in it.

When Sidewalk opened in the 1980s, the East Village was filled with similar places--informal, cheap restaurants, patronized by the young artists and striving New York newcomers who moved to the area when it still was on the edge. In recent years Sidewalk has been one of the few remaining throwbacks to that time. I gather until the current renovations relatively little had changed at all since it opened, so in recent years it was easy to get the feel of the old East Village, just by entering. It's great that Sidewalk is being updated--it was about time really. No matter what though, I'm sure that I will always value Sidewalk for fostering artists and for its connection to the old East Village. I hope that Sidewalk's publicists see the value in telling the story of how the power of the Sidewalk community is so strong that it stayed entact over 5 months, waiting to return in full force to Avenue A. In the meantime, I'll look forward to trying some crème brulée French toast.

By the way, it would be great if we could see the schedule of upcoming shows. Some of them--mine included--are coming up soon.

Key Lime Pie Reunion and Birthday Blowout, Sidewalk Cafe, August 11

2011-07-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks-We've heard your demands. The Key Lime Pie Revue will be back on stage performing all its chart-toppers and funky favorites on August 11 at Sidewalk Cafe. Come check out the new and improved Sidewalk and help with a birthday blowout too! The Key Lime Pie Revue is Ariel Bitran, Trudy Williams, George Boziwick, Marc Steve, and Herb Scher. Dance captain is Jon Berger.

Key Lime Pie Revue
Reunion
Thursday, August 11, 9 p.m.
94 Avenue A at 6th Street
No cover, drink minimum

Sidewalk/Darwin/Caged Animals

2011-07-20T05:03:00.000-07:00

Despite the international news blackout on the subject, I think I am safe in letting you know that the Sidewalk is reopening in August after its five-month renovation. I'm looking forward to seeing what they've done with the old place.

In the meantime Darwin Deez's song Radar Detector is still playing in my head after seeing Darwin and the band play a headlining show to a full house at the Bowery Ballroom last (Friday) night. Darwin also brought along friends like Vin Caccione whose new group Caged Animals opened.

I'm sure the last time I saw Darwin was at Sidewalk, maybe even at a Monday open night. His songs have the same feel as they did back then when he played solo with his homemade backing tracks. Several of the songs are based around guitar riffs that have a light funk feel. But what I hadn't seen was the shape of Darwin's full-length show. Threaded through the performance are some goofy moments, including four or five breaks in which the band performs choreographed dances to recorded tracks. There was also a side trip into rap, and a tune that evolves into a cover of You Can Call Me Al. It's not exactly that Darwin and his band don't take themselves seriously, because I think they really do, but there's a spirit of humor running through the show that adds to its enjoyment. Some of Darwin's songs--particularly Radar Detector and Constellations are infectiously catchy. I really have to congratulate Darwin for where he's gotten with his music. He's getting to perform his stuff for large audiences around the world and it's great to see. It was good to have a chance to say hello to him last night and to see the other Sidewalk folks who were on hand. One of Darwin's partners in playing is our friend Andrew Hoepfner who has been touring with Darwin, most recently on guitar. Andrew seemed to be having a great time on stage last night as did the rest of the group.

It was also exciting to see Vin Caccione along with Magali Charron and his sister Tayla (and a drummer I didn't know) open for Darwin in their group Caged Animals. Vin and his folks were playing rock infused with the sound of electronically processed instruments, a much different sound than Vin's group Soft Black. They reached a high point in the last song of the night when Vin brought things up to a boiling guitar crescendo and the two women sang in a kind of gloriously climactic moment. Vin has a 7 inch disk out on white vinyl that he was selling at the show.

Glad to say it: See you at the Sidewalk.

2011-07-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

It was so nice to see everyone yesterday at the Fourth of July spectacular at Goodbye Blue Monday. It feels like it's been forever since there's been a big event that has drawn a large cross section of the community, but I had that great feeling when I arrived yesterday of walking into a place where the vibe of groovy friendship was strong. It was fabulous to see people like Matt, Nan, Dan, Rachel, Brian, Elizabeth, Annabel Lee, Debe, Doug, Isaac, Uchenna, Jen, JJ, Joe Crow, Jon, Brook, Erin, Dan, Erin, Brer, Brent, Mark, Gina, Ray, Adam, Madison, Josh, Ben, Justin, Barry, Amos, Michael, Jason, TPM, Charles, Reginald, Scott, Vin, Luke, Mike, Morgan, Betsy, Mary, and....(yeah, I know I'm probably forgetting someone important...sorry if it's you).

Goodbye Blue Monday has really spruced itself up recently and the backyard area now is a very comfortable place to sit and schmooze with people. So comfortable in fact that I think I did more schmoozing then concentrated music listening. The barbecue that was going on out there was a nice touch too. But there definitely was lots of energy in the performances that were swirling around in the front stage and in the backyard space. Among the performances, most notable for me was seeing Debe Dalton play a set for the first time after her recuperation from her finger injury. Debe played the dojo instead of the banjo, and her show also included the reading of some poetry by Walt Whitman.

So, congrats to Brian and Dan for organizing a great show!

I also managed to stop in briefly at Scapegrace for Sexual Independence Day. It's the first Fourth of July event I've attended that featured dildo-making and naked body painting (along with a backyard kiddie pool and a barbecue). I was glad to get to hear Susan Hwang and Julie Delano, both among my favorite performers, alternate songs in a short set. I believe that Jacinta Mack and Yoko Kikuchi were the main organizers of the event. It was kind of cool that there were two interesting functions going on that involved people connected to the same community. I hope they both continue next year, but if so, maybe the organizers can communicate and find a way to stagger things so more people can go to both...especially since the locations are so close.

Wakey Wakey

2011-05-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hey- I came across this interview with Michael Grubbs/Wakey Wakey. Michael played Sidewalk lots way back when...maybe 2005/6-ish or so. In the course of the interview he also mentions Andrew and Creaky Boards...

http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/wakey-wakey/video/interview_1002773.html

Now that I'm poking around I see Mike has an occasional role on One Tree Hill too where he gets to play some of his songs and also make out with good looking actresses...I had no idea.

By the way, if you haven't checked out the Wolfgang's Vault site, it's kind of amazing what you can find there. Tons of free concert recordings and live videos. Especially strong in 1960s/70s acts like The Who, Stones, CSNY, Hendrix, etc...

The Weather Sucks!

2011-04-13T07:39:00.001-07:00

Really, I just had to say this. Will I see you at Morgan Herringer and Isaac Gillespie's show tonight at Cake Shop? Maybe so.

What's A Scene Without a Home

2011-03-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Is a scene still a scene if it has no home? In the last week or two I've attended the Monday Night in Exodus at A Gathering of Tribes as well as shows at Brooklyn Tea Party, Project Parlor and Goodbye Blue Monday, all of which featured performers and audience members drawn from our world at Sidewalk.

It's interesting although a little abstract to think about what a "scene" actually is if it has no central nucleus. While it is comforting to see familiar faces at the various places where things are happening currently, Sidewalk has until now been the feeder system for the broader network, continually bringing in new creative energy that eventually flows out through other tributaries. I wonder whether the basic tribe would stay connected without Sidewalk there to kind of link us all together. Hard to say.

I may have given up on the Monday night in Exodus at Tribes merely because of the smokiness of the place. While I like the whole open vibe of that space, I really was not happy to be reminded of the days when smoking was common in bars and clubs and you would get home with all your clothes infused with that smell.

Joe Crow's day long extravaganza celebrating his new vinyl release started in the afternoon at Project Parlor a laid back bar in Bushwick with a nice backyard, which is where the performances were held. It would have been nicer if the weather had cooperated better--I think it was in the 30s or low 40s about the whole time. Joe Crow brought in a few groups who he knew from hanging out at Project Parlor and elsewhere, and regulars like Thomas Patrick Maguire, Justin Remer, Feral Foster, and Myron the Magnificent also performed. It was a fun afternoon.

Things then shifted over to Goodbye Blue Monday where Purple Organ was playing as many of us arrived. Lach, Jordan Levinson, Telethons, Dan and Rachel played, but unfortunately I couldn't stay for most of the sets....I really like GBM's new setup though, which I saw for the first time. It seems a lot more comfortable and the food I ordered was not bad at all. That steel tower in the back is quite a work of engineering. Impressive.

Sidewalk Talk Show - with Guest Brian Speaker

2011-03-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to the online edition of The Sidewalk Talk Show. While these conversations originally were held as live talks from the stage at Sidewalk, during the time that the club is closed and the open mic is being held in exile, we are holding some of these interviews on this site.

My guest today is Brian Speaker, who is involved with the scene surrounding Sidewalk Cafe on many fronts. Brian is a songwriter and performer, proprietor of the music venue Brooklyn Tea Party, and operator of his own recording studio.

Anything else I'm forgetting, Brian?

I think that's a pretty good start.

First off, although I want to talk about a lot of other things, since you originally were going to be in charge of upgrading the sound system and backline at Sidewalk, I wonder if there's anything new to say about what's going on there at the moment in terms of the future of the music activities there.

Well, there is in fact an update. Before Pini got the can, Ben and I spoke in great detail about what the club’s needs were. We made a few lists, one being absolutes, one being upgrades, and one being the dream list. Since that time, many things have gone down regarding the Sidewalk employees and Pini, but the list makes sense to whomever is in charge, and as it was well thought out, it has been seen by the new GM and he agrees with our proposed assessment. We've been approved to go ahead with the negotiated terms we had with Pini.

Well, that's comforting to hear. So, I guess that means that the renovation is proceeding and the intentions are to keep things flowing in the back room.

The back room has long been in need of an overhaul. New clubs like Rockwood, or not so new now a days, are changing the game for live music in small venues in NYC. When I worked at Sidewalk it was always thought that the back room needed a lift, and now, after all of this, it seems we're finally going to get it. It’s not going to be an elite system, but it will be better than most people will be expecting.

Any further sense of how long the process will take from your end or from theirs?

I'm sure that information will find its way to people once the renovations get a little further along. I mean, by the looks of things, the place is being torn apart to the bare bones, to build it back up again. They want to eliminate any low grades from past health or city codes. They want the place to be respectable from the ground up. However long that takes, is up to the construction of the renovations.

Ok, so, now on to other things--Brooklyn Tea Party, the venue that you run from your home in Bushwick [and which has nothing to do with the similar-sounding political group]. I have enjoyed many shows there, and what I especially like is the combination of a party and performance. There's something so enjoyable about the intimate scale of the place and the feeling of hospitality that goes along with the music. I'm wondering, for those who might not be familiar with BTP, if you could give a short run down of its history.

BTP began with Dan Costello, Rachel Devlin, Brook Pridemore and Michael David Campbell. They moved in together with the intent on having a place to practice, perform and party. They built the stage in the living room and put in place the basic touches of wiring and sound so the place could be used for their own music. Later it became a venue, when they started inviting friends to play and perform.

And then how did you get involved?

I moved into BTP in the spring of 2008. Brook was out on tour, as the usual for him those days, and so I began to sublet his room. As I was living there, it was discussed that the other folks were ready to move out come August. The space was and is perfect for my recording studio set up, so Brook and I took over the lease until Brook eventually moved out. Scott Loving moved in sometime before that, and now he and I reside here with his girlfriend, Assylia.

So, it's great that you kept things going with the performances there. One of the things that I like about it is the underground nature of it--I guess really what that means is that yes, you have to know about it from friends, or whatever, but also that no one is really trying to make money from what goes on there. But I know it takes a lot of work for you to put on those shows. Can you talk about why you do this and what your general kind of idea or aesthetic for the place is?

Well, I too want and need a place to practice. It’s great to be able to have The Everybody Knows over in the middle of an afternoon and work on songs, or record an album in an environment where we're not watching the clock. But, first and foremost, I loved this place before I lived here. I got what those guys were doing and I knew coming into this space, it was meant to be used for shows. The vibe is good, the sound has been upgraded since I moved in, and I wanted to keep the place going. When I began doing shows here, it was costing us money, so we cut back shows from two a month to once a month. As the financials of the days began to get worse, we knew we had to make some changes to keep the place going. We began by putting a $5 donation at the door. This ensures we're going to be able to pay the bands something at the end of the night. Then, Scott and I decided to offer cheap beer for a donation in order to put towards our electric bill. That way, we can give the $5 donation tally to the bands, and we have a chance to put a small amount of money towards our bills. It’s not much, but in this day and age, every little bit counts.

Do you have any general overriding concept for the type of shows you put on? Or is it just that you look at who's out there and pick what you think you would like to hear?

Mostly, we want to put shows together that give a bit of variety. I mean, how many times have you been to a show of 5 acts and you can see that same show every month, or every other month? It gets old quick. Mixing and matching is fun, but in the end, Scott and I have to enjoy the night, because it’s our home, our party. We don't put ourselves on the bill at every show like the old guard used to do either. That was important for me to feel like we are doing this for others and enjoying it for ourselves. We also like to put new people on so our audience gets a chance at seeing someone we respect, who might not be very well known.

Are there any shows or moments that stand out as highlights for you either since you've been running BTP or before?

You know Herb, my favorite moments at any show, are those where I literally get lost in the music. It used to happen to me when I would come here before I moved in, and it still happens for me, more often here than anywhere else. I'll climb up to the loft area and sit behind the lights and just transcend. That being said, my favorite performers are the ones that are really, really good at music!

Why, how diplomatic of you, Brian.

But I know what you mean. There are definitely times at BTP where I've gotten totally caught up in the performances.

In my own case I remember some amazing Schwervon! shows, Debe's live concert recording, and the shows of that first July 4 extravaganza (couldn't make it to the second one).

The Fools, Toby Goodshank, Barry Bliss...
Debe's live concert, I just recently mixed and mastered after all this time, and it is truly wonderful!

I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Sometimes the openers are the best part of the night for me. Scott Rudd, Charles Mansfield, Emily Einhorn... I mean these are the beginning of the night and it’s like WOW, where do you go after that?

So, in Ben K's interview he said that he tries to stay aware of what's going on at other venues so as to not program events that will conflict. I have to admit that early on in BTP's history I was not altogether thrilled when they hosted Jeff Lewis on the same night I was playing at Sidewalk (because otherwise I'm sure my show would have been overflowing). I guess this is a little less of an issue now with fewer shows, but how do you feel about this question of "competition" within our community of performers and venues?

In my opinion, its not competition. This is NYC, and this is Brooklyn. You are swimming in a sea of things to do, shows, arts, culture, fireworks. There are always going to be other things going on, and sure, attendance will vary because of that. That being said, BK and I do talk about upcoming shows, but we try not to be concerned too much if someone else is having an event on the same night.

Any specific plans for the future with BTP you'd like to mention or anything else you'd like to say about it?

Yeah, I would like to say, we need community support. We need people to support our shows because, it’s such a fragile thing. The world is in such a financial shut down, and we feel it here. We try to keep this place going, and allow folks to have good nights with great music for not a lot of money. Places are closing down, and we don't want to.

Also, there is a magic that happens here and I don't want that to end. My favorite part of any night is when a performer takes me aside and is awe of what just happened. They thank me and say, when and if they can play here again, they would like to, and that makes me feel great!

Well, you've got a great show coming up this Friday which I'll bet a lot of people will attend: Rebecca Seatle, Crazy & the Brains, Prewar Yardsale--and a special unannounced guest, right?

Yeah, that's this weekend!

Any hints about the special guest???????

It’s going to be fucking amazing!!!

Prewar Yardsale hasn't played together in front of an audience in over one year. It’s like a reunion show.

So... no hints!

Ok--well, I think you summed up the BTP experience well when talking about the magic of the place, and I hope anyone not familiar with it will come out and see for him or herself. I want to move on and talk a little about what you do during the day there--which includes running a full-fledged recording studio, right? I know you recorded The Everybody Knows's album, and Debe's recording, and did some work for Eric Wolfson and others. How are things going with that?

Things are going pretty well. I am making, and helping to make some pretty incredible records. I've recently invested in some new pieces, including a 1959 Wurlitzer electric piano, that is absolutely amazing. And then I have this 1940's electric guitar amp that has such a unique sound. I'm currently looking for an analog tape machine. I've always wanted to be proficient on an analog machine, and now i have the chance to do that. i just have to find the right fit.

Maybe you should tell people about your overall setup.

I run Protools with wave plug-ins, a focusrite octopre, which means I can record 16 tracks simultaneously, and I have a few really nice mics and preamps. My main line is a Neumann U87 microphone through a Universal Audio LA-610 preamp. The live room has a lot of character and we can use the three bedrooms for isolation in recording full bands with very little bleed. You can check out some of the audio samples on the new bandcamp page...http://speakersonic.bandcamp.com/

Brian-when we first met--if you remember way back--it was when Eric Wolfson, Vin Caccione and I disrupted your work by taking over the stage at Sidewalk for a rogue photo shoot while you were maintaining some of the audio equipment there. So as long as I've known you--in addition to performing and running BTP--you seem to have had a fascination with capturing sound--Is there anyway to put into words what it is about this that you find so interesting.

By the way, I think you were pretty pissed off at us. I hope you've forgiven us.

Capturing sound, yes, I do have a fascination with that, but moreso I have a fascination with the sound and its source. When you hear a voice so unique as Julie LaMendola, sailing along in your living room, it’s magic. When you hear the incredible vibe of a Vincent Caccione's guitar leads, when you hear the slippery keys of a Preston Spurlock, or the abrasive smash of the perfrect snare, you want to capture what you hear. You want it to sound on record the way you hear it in your ears and reverberating around in your head. That is truly awesome and I want to capture it!

I vaguely remember that the Sidewalk back then was truly a fucking disaster. The lack of maintenance of their system and the dirt and gunk, made it hard to fix things and to do my job. You guys coming in to disrupt that was also something I learned was part of the gig.

So, it's not a matter of playing around with cool gear?

Of course its about the gear too! I LOVE gear, but more than anything I LOVE knowing how to use it, and how, when someone tells me what they hear in their head, I can make said thing happen. Sometimes it’s gear, sometimes it’s experiment, sometimes it’s accident, but the sonics must be represented. The process is also the best part.

Well, from what I can tell you've been doing a good job at that. I'm looking forward to hearing more of your work--although the snippets I heard of The Everybody Knows's album the other night sounded really good.

Also, check out Boo Hoo's record, Afghan Hounds. That is still one of my favorite records to be released that i've ever been involved in.

Cool. I will....So, thanks for hanging on with me through this with all the typing and everything--I'm sure I could go on for a while--but I do at least want to get to your songwriting, especially The Mars Chronicles. You put a ton of work over a long period into creating what is essentially an opera or a musical having to do with exploration of Mars and a cast of characters from earth and space. I think you've presented it in full at least twice with a large cast and a quite lovely sequined costume that you wear. For one, I was suprised to realize that you must have an affinity for musicals to some extent--but in any event can you tell me what inspired you in creating The Mars Chronicles?

The Mars Chronicles began with my song a day project, Spiral Notebook. I guess about 25 songs in, I thought it would be fun to have a story to continue if I felt like it. Also, I was watching the NASA rovers land on Mars. This was big news at the time, so the story was based on the idea that folks have talked about for a long time: "when are we going to Mars?" As the story continued, it took different turns and began to become something in itself. After 13 songs, I had to set the project aside because it was very apparent, it needed its own head space and some time to find the rest of the story. Once I finished Spiral Notebook, I came back to The Mars Chronicles and began performing it as a concert Space Rock Opera. Now, it’s in consideration for the NY Fringe Festival, and I'm working with two partners, Dan Costello and Jason Surratt to try and complete the story so it can be ready for full production by this summer.

So, you guys are writing more songs?

I've written and finished two other songs for the album, which I plan to release sometime later this year as a concept record. There are several other songs that I've written, but Dan and Jason are helping primarily with the story. But, yes, there are going to be several other songs written for the show. In the end, it will be a full length musical/space rock opera for the stage.

So, I recently learned of your involvement as a teenager with a hard rock band that played around at fraternity parties, etc, but did you have any previous experience or interest in using music theatrically. Or did you you secretly spend a lot of time listening to Evita and Cats and stuff as a kid?

After my high school rock band broke up, I was a little lost and in search of something that wasn't going to fall out beneath me. I mean the band breaking up was something i did not want to happen, and I had absolutely no control over. So, being a bit of a choir nerd, I loved singing in our high school shows and such. I began to take voice lessons and even took a role in a community theater show in my home town. I decided to study theater at Purdue University, where I absorbed as much about lights and sound as anything else. I did listen to and learn to sing a lot of rock musical tunes and still love them to this day, but more like Chess, Les Mis and Tommy. On a whim I auditioned for Busch Gardens, Williamsburg and got the job. I spent the spring/summer doing 635 performances as Northrup, a one man, musical magic show in Virginia.

Man-musicals and magic-you and I should go on the road. I'll have to talk to you more offline about the magic stuff.

The magic was the mutli-million dollar theater.

I have to admit that in the past I've had mixed feelings about "rock operas," which is kind of weird in a way since I'm such a big fan of musicals. I've always liked Tommy because I love The Who and I think some of those songs are great, but then again there was a point where some of the stuff that followed Tommy got to be pompous and overbearing-I can't think of any specifics at the moment but you probably know what I'm talking about. But then again I loved Rent, although I consider that more of a musical than an opera. I guess some of the lines are blurring really, but where this is leading is to whether there's anything you can say as to what it is about the form of the piece--the idea of a "rock opera”--that interests you--and also if there are any specific themes in what you've written that you are trying to deal with or if it is just kind of what it seems to be about on the surface. Yikes--a long question....

The Mars Chronicles is about Love and Inter-Galactic Peace on the "surface," but it also has some deep rooted social and political currents that are very much in step with what's going on in our world today. The rest of the show, was always part of the plan. Finding exactly how to say it and where to take it, has been the windfall. Barry Bliss recently asked me if I was ever going to be "finished" with it, or if it was something I would be working on for the rest of my life. I think if you ask anyone today working on, essentially a novel set to music, the word "finished" isn't in the vocabulary for the first five years. Just ask Phoebe Kreutz who has been immersed in a team of writers on her musical which I had the good privilege of seeing in a showcase. Amazing! It’s been years in the works.

I do, however, plan on releasing the record as its own piece, like Tommy was a concept record before it became a "complete show.” But unlike Tommy, The Mars Chronicles was meant to be a full story. I just haven't finished the entire songwriting part of it yet

Yeah, it would be good to have a recording of it. I'm looking forward to that. Although I'd like to see more performances of it too. I just had a flash of Ariel singing that song about the United Nations Space Organization.. Also that whole press conference section I really like--just to name two parts--Anyway, good luck with the NY Fringe Festival--that's cool to hear it's up for consideration there. By the way, in the course of this you mentioned your song-a-day project--which was a very cool thing. I remember thinking at the time that it would be hard to keep writing good songs under those kind of circumstances, but I remember any number of very interesting pieces that you devised and sang at Sidewalk around then. Anything you want to say about that experience.

It was a challenge, it was hard, it was frustrating, it was time consuming and it was worth it. I think experience is the key word. It taught me a lot about myself and it changed me for the better. I plan on releasing that catalogue as an all in one DVD very soon. It’s long overdue.

Wow, we're covering a lot of ground here.

Ok-one more thing-I know that earlier you were working doing professional voice over work--then I heard you on TV as the voice of a fruity drink--are you still doing any of that kind of stuff?

I partake in the occasional audition and even a job from time to time, but the truth is, that industry, like so many others, has changed dramatically over these past few years. I used to go to casting offices all over the city, where I was up against 25 of the the top guys in NY. Now I go to my agent’s office, where I'm up against 10 guys in my office along with 10 guys in every office from NY to LA. I'm now up against upwards of 500 people for one job. Big or small, experience does not matter in that realm. It’s only if your voice matches the voice in someone else's head. It’s frustrating, but that world gave me the gift of being able to afford a comfortable life in NYC for so many years, and honestly, 6 years of voicing that juice drink, bought my recording studio, which is where my life is headed. I will do voice work as its available to me. I really do love it. I've had the chance to be in some AMAZING recording studios and work with superstars. It’s a privilege.

OK--well, I know we've been at this a while now--and thanks so much for your time--My last thought is something I come back to all the time and it is about the community of folks connected to our scene. I have a feeling that connection to a community of that nature is something that also is of value to you and so to finish things up is there anything you'd like to say about that or anything else before we sign off.

In a place like NYC, where there are so many people scratching out a life in art and music, it is nice to feel like I'm part of something. This is a tough scene to understand sometimes, just like its name, it's hard to define. But, the littlest bit of support can mean a whole lot to a lot of people.

OK Brian--thanks a lot for your time and the thought put into this. See you soon.

Cool, thanks for your interest Herb. I'm glad to take part.

###

More news..

2011-03-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

See Ben Krieger's post over at OJ for a new wrinkle on what's up at Sidewalk. http://www.olivejuicemusic.com/forum/2011/03/11/1112.

While Ben still feels that the music scene in the back room will continue, these latest developments seem to open the possibility that anything could happen. Of concern is that all the members of the Sidewalk service staff have lost their jobs.

I hope that the back room in fact does continue as the home of the scene that this blog documents. In the best case scenario the restaurant will reopen with a nicely renovated and more comfortable space for the performers and audience. However, it is interesting to conjecture what might happen if that doesn't turn out to be the case. The scene on which so many of us thrive is not inherently dependent on its venue, but for it to continue in approximately the same manner things would have to fall into place the right way. It will be interesting to see how things build at A Gathering of Tribes.

It is, by the way, easy to imagine the Sidewalk space being turned over to other purposes. I'm sure that someone could come along who feels that the value of the real estate could be maximized through other means. Again, I really hope this doesn't happen, but we've seen numerous cherished places close in recent years and anything is certainly possible.

American Songwriter Piece on Antifolk Fest

2011-03-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

I was in touch with Evan Schlansky, who was at one time a regular at Sidewalk and is now an editor at American Songwriter magazine based out of Nashville. I asked Evan about the possibility of shooting photos for the publication and he invited me to submit shots of the Antifolk Fest along with some captions. Well, the captions swelled some into a photo-essay type deal. It's all online here. I was glad to have a chance to do this story and to get some publicity for Sidewalk, the Fest, and those featured. I was also sorry that for a variety of reasons it was impossible to include absolutely everyone who performed in the Fest. In any event, I hope you enjoy the piece. Here it is.

(That's Brook Pridemore in the photo above, one of the shots included in the American Songwriter piece).

Sidewalk Talk Show Online - with Guest Ben Krieger

2011-03-08T23:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks for tuning in everyone to the first online Sidewalk Talk Show. We usually do these live on stage at Sidewalk Cafe, but during the club's renovation, I thought we could try some online interviews.

I'm very pleased to have as my first online guest Sidewalk's very own head honcho, Ben Krieger. Welcome Ben.

Hey Herb, glad to be here!

First off, I want to say that I think we solved the problem of finding an appropriate catch phrase for the talk show.

We did?

You brilliantly came up with it last night.

Wait, what did I say?

“Hey Little Buddy, Let's Go”

Heh! You know, that's actually a pretty good one. Let's use it!

Definitely. So, that gets us to the point that the Monday Night Open Mic is now operating in exodus from A Gathering of Tribes on East 3rd Street, and last night was the first night it was held in this new temporary location. How did you feel it went?

It went well. There were 15 performers, which is small compared to what we're used to, but I felt like all the key elements in terms of personalities were there. We had a bit of everything, and people from each "generation" of the Sidewalk scene. I've already had a bunch of inquiries re: next week, so I can't wait to see things build.

I thought it was lots of fun and I liked the intimate feel last night. Because of the people there, in combination with the setting, I really felt comfortable, which enabled me to try some things I might not have with more people around.

That was a great new song. It really opened up the feel of the evening.

Thanks. I always wanted to write and perform a song in the same night and I was glad I was able to do so last night....but really, I just wanted to say that there was a good feeling of comraderie and ultimately some wackiness last night. You guys ended up with an inspired Crabs on Banjo set.

Yeah, it really worked! I really hope the tape Bernard made came out.

So, can you talk a little about what is actually going on at Sidewalk. Any details for us?

I don't know too much. Pini (the SWalk owner) is working on the renovation plans now, and Brian Speaker (sound tech) has been in touch with him regarding upgrades to the backline and sound system. Other than that, I'm trying to keep out of the loop for a few weeks. It's not often that I get to NOT think about the Sidewalk much. I haven't felt like this in almost 3 years.

OK--but I need to ask this because I think some people have been wondering--is there any chance that Sidewalk will close altogether?

No chance at all. There is no way Pini would be spending any amount of money if he wasn't planning on reopening. More importantly, Pini is pretty straightforward about things like this. If he says we're renovating, that's what we're doing.

Cool--let me get back to what you said above--you haven't felt like this in almost 3 years--what do you mean by that?

Booking a music venue is exactly like Tetris. I've talked with other bookers about this and they feel the same way. There's always another week on the horizon, always a potential snag on a particular night, maybe a last-minute cancellation. To be free for 4-6 weeks and know that there is nothing I need to worry about at 94 Avenue A is a huge weight off my shoulders. I care about the club a lot but can't help thinking about it. It never turns off. And right now I feel a bit more relaxed than usual because it's closed.

So, this is a good chance to ask you about what it's like to run Sidewalk, both on a day to day basis and more broadly.

From what you wrote above I see-and it's probably only the tip of the iceberg--that you have lots of day-to-day details to deal with. Do, you also get to think more broadly about how you want to shape things? In other words, do you think about what you want the overall flavor, image, feel of the club to be and do you try to move things in any direction.

The day-to-day can be pretty overwhelming, so it's hard to think about how I want to shape things, but I've been getting better at that. Keep in mind that before Sidewalk, I had never booked a club more than one night a week. So I've grown a lot as a booker, and I've started to put together systems where I keep track of the acts better and can begin to shape events/evenings that are regular, cool events at the club. This is in addition to the antifolk activities. When I started, it was antifolk/not-antifolk. Over the past year I've started to focus more on all of the talented acts at the club who aren't part of that scene, putting together bills that are more cohesive. One act recently told me that the bill I put him on in February was the best bill he's ever been on. I had made a conscious effort to assemble those acts and it felt good to get that feedback. I'm trying to do much more of that.

I just want to run a good club and try new things. That's my basic MO. And I try to maintain the most unique open stage in the city.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "antifolk activities." What is that exactly vs. not-antifolk?

When I got to the Sidewalk, there was this active antifolk scene with festivals, alumni, a history, legacy. I spent a lot of time working with acts on the scene, trying to put together events like I Heart U to maintain the momentum. I booked other acts at the club, but I wasn't as familiar with them. Keep in mind that sometimes I listen to an act online and within 30 seconds I know I want to book them. 3 months later they play their show and it's great. They play again, and again. And if they are consistently playing on nights where I'm off, then 2 years later there are some great acts at the club whose sound I don't know at all. I just hear about it from the sound crew. Meanwhile, I'm catching the Purple Organ a zillion times all over the city simply by hanging out with my friends. So for a while I felt like--especially with my commitments as a father--that there was a large group of amazing acts coming through the Sidewalk who had nothing to do with the antifolk legacy. They were getting booked, but not as thoughtfully as I would have liked. About a year ago I started to focus on changing that.

OK--I see, so it's not just that you're booking acts that you discover at the Open Mic, but other people who approach you or you find elsewhere, or whatever? I guess I never really thought too much about how you book acts other than people you see at the open mic.

A lot of acts approach me online and get booked that way. Sometimes they bring their friends on a bill and I end up booking the friends regularly and separately.

There are some great acts--some of the best, actually--who have never come through the open stage.

Cool. So, I certainly can understand your sense of relief at having a break for a few weeks, but now that you have been at this job for almost three years, how do you feel about it? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Some of both? Do you feel you are providing a service? Do you think that you are contributing something to the world...or what?

I love it. I feel like I'm contributing a service to the people who chose to play there and show up on Mondays. While "draw expectation" is one of those things that artists grumble about, I also feel a huge sense of responsibility towards the staff. I'm in charge of the revenue for a third (symbolically) of the club, and also a lot of the bar traffic. I want to see the staff be able to eat and pay rent. I think performers should have a great place to play. In terms of the sound crew, I think we should always make the artists sound good.

It can be really exhausting. Sometimes the toughest thing about Sidewalk is that I care about it. Because I also care about my family, my health, my art. And when you care about everything in your life, when there isn't anything you are willing to walk away from, it can leave you pretty exhausted. There are times where I wish I made my money cleaning toilets. Because then I could walk away easily if I wanted to. But I'll settle for exhausted.

What do you love about the job?

I love the music and I love bringing people together in positive, meaningful ways. More than anything else, I love those two things.

When you took over the job you were following in the footsteps of He Who is Known as Lach--who certainly had a following and his own style. The Sidewalk had a reputation for hosting the City's leading open mic and we all know of the names of notable artists who emerged from there over the years. When you took over were you intimidated by all this? And, while this may be similar to some of the other things we've already covered, do you think your style is different from Lach's and how?

Lach and I are different in several ways...

First of all, Lach has an incredibly healthy ego and a rock-star amount of confidence. He's really good at talking with pretty much anyone, no matter who they are because, hey...he's Lach. I approached this job a little less confident than that, particularly in terms of the performers who were now notable artists. I certainly felt I could do the job, but - and here's an example - when Regina Spektor used to show up, I was a little nervous talking with her. For Lach, or for anyone who has known her for a long time, she's just Regina. I was nervous. It's taken me a few years to deal with that. Now it's no longer an issue.

I don't see too much of a difference in the way Lach and I run the open stage, but this is because I mostly experienced a post-child, milder Lach. I'm about the same age Lach was when he started things at Sidewalk. I get a sense like he was a bit more of a devil back then.

(The good thing about conducting an interview via chat is that you can take a break when your subject needs to go pick up his daughter.)

Hey there....

So, picking up where we left off... I understand when you talk about nervousness with individual well-known performers, but I wonder if you were ever concerned about the whole thing, i.e. the obligation/challenge of carrying forward something that had been so well-established at that point.

Initially I was nervous about it, but it becomes easier as time goes onwards. You start to notice the patterns: new people coming in who connect with the scene, people moving on, leaving the nest after a few years and playing out more, coming back. Once you start to recognize the ebb and flow, things become more manageable. You start to understand what you have control over and what you don't, and you dive in to the opportunities you have.

This gets into what I wanted to talk about next, which is the community aspect of Sidewalk. I guess it may be preaching to the choir to talk about this here, but my experience has been, as has that of so many other folks I talk to, that while so many performers turn up at SW for the opportunity to play, they often get caught up deeply in the community aspect of the place. There are so few opportunities these days to really interact in a common setting with like-minded people that Sidewalk can be enveloping in that way. This isn't so much a question as a comment, I realize, but maybe you can respond as to your own perspective on this.

One thing that I've gotten better at is playing meet-and-greet. The community is there, but it's my role to make sure that people don't leave without brushing a few shoulders. This way, they have a reason to come back. The community definitely needs to be nurtured.

Another thing that changed during the last year or two that Lach was at the helm was the development of the Brooklyn Tea Party. There was some resistance at first on Lach's part, some concern that the BTP was taking away from the scene at the Sidewalk. One thing that I did when I took over was try and get out to events all over the city where the Sidewalk community had spread to. It wasn't like you had to twist my arm - it's fun to go to the BTP and Goodbye Blue Monday! But I felt it had to be done. And that was hard at times. Trying to be at Sidewalk, trying to catch a show at BTP, trying to be a family man. This is no ordinary booking job. But it has been worth it. Lach, post-retirement, has embraced the BTP much more readily. I think it's nice that the community has spread all over and that people come back to the Sidewalk to play a comfortable show or the festival when they feel like it.

Yeah, and there are other offshoots too, like everything that Matt is doing with OJ, and other similar endeavors, but I feel that in some respect it all links back to Sidewalk, even in cases in which the connections to it are floating further out there than they once did.
It's interesting, because sometimes I come across people who haven't been on the scene in a long time and who I've never met, but if I explain that I hang out at Sidewalk, it immediately gives us a common basis for conversation.

I should add that in some ways, if I'm not careful, the BTP and other events DO take away from Sidewalk from a business perspective. An ill-timed birthday party can cut attendance at an antifolk-related event by 20 people. That could be a $200 loss for the club that night. There's only so much I can control, but I do try and keep tabs on major events like BTP shows, Huggabroomstock, major OJ events, to make sure that there isn't a conflict when I put together nights at the club.

Like I said, no ordinary booking job.

So, you just finished up with the Winter Antifolk Festival, and I'm wondering what your thoughts were about that both in terms of the duration and format this year and the performances.

I am glad that it was limited to a week. When I booked my first festival back in 2008, I had basically looked back at Lach's old calendar, counted how many days the fest was, and tried to fill that up. It was usually 10 or 11 days, not including the Monday. That got to be incredibly exhausting. The festival wasn't always that long. It seems like at some point it was a lot smaller but kept growing over the years. I'm glad I scaled it back. For one, it still felt pretty damn full, with amazing performances. Secondly, after such an exhausting first week, if we had to go through 4 more days, we all would have dropped dead.

I liked the format...I think people should have a little more time and I'm going to continue with that.

With the shorter Festival it felt more like what I originally thought was its intention, to highlight the performers who stand out on the scene at the moment--to put a special focus on that group--In any event, were there any particular performances or moments that stood out for you?

Crazy and the Brains have really come a long way. Their show was amazing. Emily Einhorn is always great. Isaac Gillespie just keeps getting more interesting. I was really happy with the Penultimate blowout, the Timothy Dark section in particular.

Those were some good highlights, although I didn't get to see Isaac's set, unfortunately. Crazy rocked the place. I was really glad to have been there for that, and I thought Emily was amazing. The Penultimate Blowout was a combination of your sound/art stuff with other performers. I wonder in respect to your own work are you focusing more on that kind of "noise" stuff or are you actively writing more traditional songs or are you doing some of it all?

I try not to think about it too much and just go with whatever seems to be inspiring to me. I would say that while some of the noise and sound collage that I've done has been inspired by the records I have soaked up over the past few years, it's also a reaction to hearing so many singer-songwriters on a daily basis. I haven't felt the need to express myself with verses and choruses over the past few years. And I have so many songs in that vein as it is. I do write a lot, but many of the songs are studio creations and don't translate well live.

One more thing about your stewardship of Sidewalk--is this something you see continuing with well into the future or do you ever mull over thoughts of doing other things--making a living-wise that is?

I don't see an end at this point. It's been a great ride so far. When Sidewalk does eventually end for me, things will definitely get even more interesting, that's for sure. I mean, unless I needed to, how could I take a job that sucks after this?

Well, I have finished with all the grueling 60 Minutes like questions, so I'd like to say, as someone who has benefitted very much from all your efforts at Sidewalk, thanks for all your work at keeping our little club house going in such a vital fashion.

You're welcome.

Oh wait, one more intensive question--any clearer sense of when SW will open again?

I was told that the renovation was planned for 4 weeks, but because it's a renovation and things happen, 6 is more realistic. The Sidewalk is being booked from May 1 onward. There are some late April dates already booked and as March moves onwards I'll have a better sense of how April is shaping up. Definitely no performances before April 10.

So, that's getting to be it for me. Is there anything else you want to add about anything?

I think that's about all I can muster for now.

OK--that about does it. Just to circle back, Crabs on Banjo last night played a song that had to do with Gilligan, among other things and Ben came up with the refrain "Hey Little Buddy, Let's Go." So that is where The Sidewalk Talk Show's new catch phrase came from. Ben, thanks for doing this. I hope we'll have more of these online chats, but in the meantime, see you soon, and "Hey Little Buddy, Let's Go."

Later, sir, thanks for doing this, it was fun.

###

Sidewalk in Exile

2011-03-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

While renovations are underway at Sidewalk Ben Krieger is bringing the Monday open mic to "A Gathering of Tribes," the same location that hosts Catweazle.

While Ben suggests in his email (run in its entirety below), that he needed something to keep him occupied, I think also there is an organic need for a place to accommodate the intense energy of mass personal expression that has filled Sidewalk week after week on Monday nights.

Here's Ben's email:

Hey Everyone,

Bernard King is right. I lasted exactly 24 hours doing nothing before I lost my mind.

While the Sidewalk is closed for renovations (I was sent some crazy demolition shots that I'll post soon), a "scaled down version" of the Monday event will be held at A Gathering of the Tribes. Many of you know this place as the home of Catweazle and the exiled Post Script Coffee House. Steve Cannon has been gracious enough to host us for a bit while the SWalk is being refaced.

You know the part in Goodfellas where they are all in jail, cut off from their normal life, but still making do with what they have and stirring the sauce? THAT is what this will be like.

Sign-up is at 7:30. The event will start at 8pm, one song for all, and we'll start around the list again if we need to. The event officially ends at 10, but people usually hang out to enjoy themselves for a good bit after that.

There is no cover for performers. The tip jar will support Steve-and I strongly encourage you bring some money to support this great guy-with non-performers encouraged to donate $5. There is no liquor license at this apartment and I will have cans of PBR in a cooler for guests. If you would like to have someone hold your beer while you throw me a few bucks to support my temp unemployment, that's cool. Please don't plan on partaking if you are under 21.

If you really stick it out to the end, there will be hot tea as usual.

Please spread the word to any regulars or SWalk alumni you know who may be interested. It will be over before you know it, so say you were there!

THE MONDAY NIGHT EXODUS
at
A Gathering of the Tribes
285 East 3rd St, 2nd Floor
(between Avenues C and D)

Breaking News...

2011-03-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

Just got word that Sidewalk will be closed for 6 weeks and all acts in that period will be cancelled. Evidently the issue has to do with renewal of the club's liquor license, and while that is being worked out Sidewalk will take the opportunity to conduct renovations. This will include some updates to the sound system and backline as well as some new decorating work by Mr. Krieger. I'm pleased to hear he will be conducting research at the Bernard King Antifolk Archive (BKAA for short) in search of historic Sidewalk posters to decorate the club.

Here is the email announcement from Ben that summarizes the latest news:

Hey Everyone,

As of today, Tuesday March 1, the Sidewalk is closed for renovations and will be open again in mid April. ALL shows and events until mid April are CANCELED. This email is being sent to all acts who are affected by this sudden news. It was sudden to me as well (I found out last night).

We will be upgrading the club's backline, sound system and back room. Heavy renovations will be done to the bar and restaurant area.

I am actively answering my emails, booking May onward. If you need to contact me in order to reschedule your show for the spring, please do so.

I can also provide you with a fuller story regarding this news if you are curious.

UPDATES WILL BE POSTED ON THE SIDEWALK WEBSITE, including any news regarding Monday's regular open stage.

On behalf of the Sidewalk, I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. Believe me, I can sympathize - I'm out of work and pay for 6 weeks I wasn't planning on.

Let's be in touch and I'll see you on the other side. The silver lining on this is a big one - renovating and upgrades are always fun.

Sincerely,

Ben

Festival So Far

2011-02-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

From what I've seen so far, the energy of the Festival has very much inspired some tight and compelling performances. There was a lot to enjoy Wednesday night, starting with Domino's typically offbeat but wondrous performance. While there were moments where she sort of seemed to lose her way, there also were some sections where I couldn't believe the sounds she was making. She also did some cool dance moves. Amanda Nicole played a beautiful set with just herself and an electric guitar--dense and ethereal at the same time. Crazy and the Brains totally rocked the place. Everyone at Sidewalk was on their feet dancing most of the time. It was the best C&TB set I've seen. I caught the beginning of The Telethons with John standing up and playing drum. It was rocking along, but unfortunately the late hour caught up with me and I had to head out.

Thursday--Jon Berger gave a strong spoken word set which included some of the newer material he's been writing. His parents were there and I always wonder how they react to some of Jon's more...personal pieces. Jordan Levinson's material is very much influenced by traditional country music. She played some covers including one by Townes Van Zandt and another by Blind Willie McTell. Jordan's finger-picking was effective and her vocals were particularly strong, drawing at times on the sort of yodeling style that is woven into some country music. I'm not so familiar with a wide range of country artists, but I did fall in love at one point with this album by Iris Dement, and I often feel that Jordan's voice has a quality similar to hers. In any event, she sounded great. Comic Rob Shapiro appeared as a substitute for the originally announced Bernard King Presents. While I've seen Rob give rollickingly funny performances, his brash and confrontational style wasn't a good fit with the rest of that night's bill and he lost the audience as he soldiered on. Brook Pridemore sat for most if not his entire set, something I don't remember him doing before, but he still gave a very energetic performance. Brook stepped into the audience and then led us all out to the street for his finale. That was cool. When he finished his last song, Brook ran away up Avenue A.

One of the things about the Antifolk Festival is that it give you a chance to see some performers in a different frame. I sat close to the stage during Lenny Molotov's set and was getting into his guitar work in a way I hadn't before. I liked the song he finished with--Dick Will Rise--which I think he said he hadn't played in 12 years. It was about Richard Nixon. Emily Einhorn's set was stunning. What can I say? She has it all. Her songs are very rich and her singing is inventive and gorgeous. That was one of the best sets I've seen at Sidewalk in a while. She played "In the Office," which is a song I love--plus some new songs--"Hollow" and "Roses" (among others) which I am looking forward to becoming more familiar with. In the song Nonsense--mostly through the stylized way she sang the chorus sections--she found a fresh approach to looking at unfortunate relationships. Lach was back and played a warm, tight set. There was a good balance to the material he chose, including songs on both guitar and piano, and he was connecting with the audience. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying a set by Phoebe Kreutz. There's such a lightness and humor to her songs. She played a couple numbers with Gary Adler, with whom I believe she collaborates on musical theatre pieces--and the one about the character who marries her second cousin is hilarious. She also had other friends on stage as special guests including Toby Goodshank, Angela Carlucci, Yoko Kikuchi, and Matt Colborn. I caught the beginning of Isaac Gillespie's set. It turns out he asked a friend--a woman-to sing most of his songs--which gave them a different quality. I couldn't stay for the whole thing but I enjoyed what I saw at the beginning. Isaac was also projecting film footage during his set which gave it a surreal feel.

It's intense to be at Sidewalk night after night for hours at a time. For one, you need to have a lot of dollar bills with you. But I do think the shorter Festival schedule makes it manageable. We're heading into the home stretch. I will see you there.

Open Mic, Monday, February 21, 2011m, Festival, etc.

2011-02-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

There was more than the usual vibration and energy at Sidewalk Monday as a cross-section of folks from past and present eras gathered in the spirit of promotion for the Antifolk Festival. There was also, I think, coincidental visitation from folks who have been away for a while. Among those I chatted with or just saw on site were Isaac Gillespie, Jordan Levinson, Jeffrey Lewis, Deborah T., Aaron Invisible. The Festival is shorter this time, just a week, which I think is a good thing. It had grown so elaborate in recent years that it became a challenge to navigate. Also, condensing the schedule should heighten the specialness of the week. Of course, there are lots of folks missing from this year's schedule (me included!), but it will be interesting to see if this approach results in a different feel.

The second week of my renewed Sidewalk Talk Show Monday featured an interview with Emily Einhorn who is playing during the Festival this Friday. I remember finally clicking into Emily's stuff when I saw a Festival show of hers--maybe last year at this time. What stood out most strongly to me is that Emily's songs often depict a cast of characters that seem very different from her. So many songs that pour from the stage at Sidewalk are these autobiographical expressions of frustrated love that it was refreshing to encounter someone taking a different approach. On top of that she has a unique style as a performer.

Anyway, I was looking forward to talking with Emily about her work and about songwriting in general, and I think that we did touch on some intriguing points. Emily revealed, for example, that she only began writing songs at age 18--I don't know her current age but I gather that wasn't too long ago--and that prior to her efforts as a songwriter she was intensely devoted to Irish dance! Seriously.

I am continuing to refine my approach to this onstage talk show and am glad I have the opportunity to shape it from week to week. The main challenge is how to have a conversation of substance in a very condensed time frame. My tendency is to want to ask many questions on wide-ranging topics. But I'm beginning to learn that perhaps narrowing the focus extremely would allow for a more relaxed and ultimately more expansive feel. I'm still trying to figure out how to get these interviews posted here online...it will happen.

I am planning on attending several of the Festival shows starting tonight. Don't miss Domino at 7pm. Hope to see you there.

Open Mic, Monday, Feb 14, and Sidewalk Talk Show

2011-02-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

Last Monday marked the reintroduction of the Sidewalk Talk show, my little interview program held on the Sidewalk stage during the open mic. Ray Brown was the first guest of this new wave of the endeavor. Ray hung out and performed at the Chameleon, one of the spots where Lach's open mic scene developed before moving eventually around the corner to Sidewalk Cafe. After things wrapped up at the Chameleon, Ray stayed away from his guitar for something like 20 years before returning to Sidewalk about a year and a half ago. During out interview Ray talked a little bit about the scene at the Chameleon, including recollections of artists like Paleface, Jason Trachtenburg, and Beck. Ray also talked a bit about his own songs, including the change in his songwriting style from the days of the Chameleon until now. The Sidewalk Talk show returns tonight, featuring an interview with an amazing artist who is performing on the Antifolk Festival bill this week.

Last week's open mic on Valentine's Day included "I Hate You" an opportunity for participants to play songs they hate--in contrast to the more frequent "I Heart You" sessions which feature covers of more appreciated tunes by other artists on the scene. There weren't too many I Hate You selections featured, although Ben Krieger played Hallelujah, Keith Hammond played Steve Earle's Guitar Town, and JJ Hayes did Seasons in the Sun.

Other folks who gave it a stab last week included Ryan Martin, The Fools, Sima Cunningham (who sang Dolly Parton's Jolene), Josh Blanco, and Blueberry Season.

See you tonight with more Sidewalk Talk Show and the launch of the winter Antifolk Fest.

Debe's Hand

2011-02-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, Debe Dalton severely injured her right middle finger when trying to stop herself from falling after slipping on a patch of ice Saturday. Her finger was cut deeply and required surgery by a hand specialist. With the help of Dan and Rachel Debe was taken right away to the Bellevue emergency room and underwent a six-hour operation. She is now recovering in the hospital and seems in relatively good spirits. Her hand is kept immobile on a nest of inflatable pillows filled with warm air. Debe was also proud to explain (and show) that part of her treatment involves the use of leeches. Yes, actual leeches to help with the bleeding.

Despite the trauma of the accident, Debe seems confident that her recovery will go well. Maybe it was the pain killers talking but in general I was glad to see how optimistic she is. I'm sure it helps that many of her friends have been visiting.

It's still pretty treacherous out there with the ice, so be careful everyone. Every time I go outside I'm afraid of wiping out.

And send good thoughts to Debe. We want her back soon. As of now, Debe expects to be in the hospital through Sunday.

Poetry Slam, Patsy Grace, Sidewalk, January 20, 2010

2011-01-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

I came in on the tail end of a Poetry Slam at Sidewalk last night. It was the first time I'd been to one, and while I was glad to see it so heavily attended, I realized that I really don't like my poetry slammed. I much prefer it recited or even read. One feature of the slam I found peculiar is that each poem was given a score by a panel of judges after it was performed. I'm not really sure what the point is of making poetry the basis of a competitive event. What sense does it make to compare works of art and say that one is better? Poems, songs, paintings, plays, movies, ballets, are each unique items created out of the singular motives and inspiration of an artist or artists. There isn't even any logical or objective scale on which to compare different works of art. It's not like a track meet where you can compare times or distances jumped. But beyond that, why do people want to evaluate art works like this. They should be judged and enjoyed individually on their own merits, on the way they make us feel, on how they shed light on the world or the condition of humanity. While I guess there is a certain entertainment value in watching the Academy Awards, for example, I still find the whole premise of it absurd. I think it has something to do with the nature of our country's culture, which seems to like to make us all feel like we have to be "winners."

I heard from folks that had been there the whole evening that there was some good poetry heard, and I think it's nice that something like this gets a bunch of folks involved in literature, but for the moment I'll stick to reading my poetry in books (more likely on those signs in the subway cars, actually).

And by the way, after hearing the poetry slammers, I have an enhanced appreciation of Jon Berger's unique style of poetry delivery which doesn't rely on many of the beat-style cliches that seemed in evidence during the slam.

I caught the end of the slam because I came to hear Patsy Grace. Some of you probably know that Patsy was a Sidewalk regular years ago, before my time, maybe in the early 2000s or something-not entirely sure about that. After leaving New York I know Patsy lived in New Orleans and that may very well be where she resides today. Patsy casts a warm, laid back, earthy vibe in her performances and is a compelling performer. Some of her songs are particularly catchy, and they have interesting structures and some surprising musical ideas, but I feel that much of the spell she casts comes from the mood the songs create all together (check her out on MySpace if you want to know what I mean).

Patsy had a really good violin player with her a guy who she said was from New Orleans. While my first thought was that this dude was way too slim and handsome for his own good--he did have a nice feel for the material and added some very tasteful accompaniment and solos. I'm sorry I didn't catch his name--every time Patsy pronounced it I thought she was saying John-O. And it's quite lame of me that I didn't verify that or find out his last name which I think was either Freedberg or Fishburg.

Patsy had a cold last night and kept implying that her singing voice wasn't in form, although I think she sounded just fine. I wish I'd been around during the years when Patsy was active on the scene--or had some sort of time machine to check in on those days. Somehow I'll bet that in the context of that era-bolstered, prodded, and nurtured by the other heavy-duty talents of the day she must have made quite an impression.

I seem to be making it out to fewer shows these days, as I mentioned in another post. Although I want this blog to continue to tie into the world of Sidewalk Cafe, I realized that at times when I don't have too much to directly report about performances from the scene that I could use this space for general thoughts and rants. So don't be surprised if sometime soon I do a little more aimless rambling about things. I hope it'll be fun for everyone, but who knows? See you then.

Monday Night Antihoot, 1/10/2011, Venus Flytrap, Susan Hwang, Sweet Soubrette

2011-01-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Debe Dalton was in town last night and so some semblance of order and balance was restored to Sidewalk, which I think accounted for the richer and more interesting stuff that was happening on stage. I wasn't keeping notes and so a lot of what went on last night has already slipped away, at least from my storehouse, but I did enjoy a number of the acts. In particular it was nice to hear Debe play and I appreciated her pulling out my favorite song, "Tuesday, Wednesday." I also decided to get back on stage to play for the first time in a while and it was lots of fun for me to trot out my song about Tower Records. It really HAD been quite a long time since I'd sat down at that piano and it brought me back to all the fun, nervousness, and awkwardness of the times in the past when I faced that brick wall. By the way, I do remember that Ben Krieger kicked things off by singing Squid on My Head into the bottom chamber of the piano--from which he'd removed the front cover. This was, Ben explained, his way of getting natural reverb--it was also a repeat performance from the "Blackout" show he'd done Sunday night.

On Friday, I made it for all of Venus Flytrap II, Bernard King's epic assemblage of an all female bill. It was a nice night with many good performances, but the acts that stood out to me were the ones, I think, with which I was most unfamiliar. In particular I liked Julian and the Lopez Dispensers, which featured Julian Lopezmat the center of a three piece group (piano and electric guitar). Some of their tunes, I thought, seemed almost to have an underlying feel of cowboy songs, yet many of them also rocked. Julian was impressive as a singer and frontwoman. I look forward to hearing more from them.

I also really enjoyed Julie Delano's anguished but elegant set. She started off playing a duet with Sam Grossman that they repeated at the end of the show. That's something I've always thought about doing--playing a song a second time. In my case it would be to get it right, but I think for Julie it was just because she enjoyed playing the song.

There was lots of other good stuff going on all through the night. Rebecca Seatle's lyrics about "spindle limbs" have been running through my brain for the last few days. Julie Hill played mostly standards/covers with a friend of hers from music school, including "Oh Darling," but also played an improvised song. Angela Carlucci had a line in one of her songs that I appreciated...something about how everyone she looks up to is trying to look and act young--but she's too old for that.

On Saturday I went to Sweet Soubrette's cd release show at Bowery Poetry club. She isn't really a figure at Sidewalk. I think I got to know her or at least hear her stuff initially through the Bushwick Book Club. Her show was impressive, amazing really, with something like 10 musicians on stage including a horn section, backup vocals, keyboard, guitar, drums, etc. Sweet Soubrette (also known as Ellia Bisker) plays mostly ukelele--and thank god her brother was there to tune it for her throughout the show. Her songs were about lonely City People, being a gold digger, and a love interest in Isabella Rosellini, among other topics.

I was also interested in hearing Susan Hwang's performance with a band, a mix of covers and original tunes. Susan wore an amazing shimmering silver floor-length dress that must be the best vintage store find ever. It seemed to fit well with a kind of 60s girl-group sounding song about "Jimmy" a character I gather Susan knows. Julie Delano and Nan Turner provided appropriate backup vocals. Susan also sang a song about the "girl pool" and a rousing closer about how "This Will be Our Year." Susan is a great singer and terrific songwriter and I enjoyed the set.

I had every intention of making it to the Blackout Night at Sidewalk on Sunday. I'm a big fan of Steve Espinola and most of the other folks who were on the bill too, but life intervened and I couldn't make it. In any event, I'm a big proponent of unamplified music and I was glad to hear Ben say last night that he planned on offering more of these events in the future. It's kind of surprising to me sometimes that most performers take for granted that we need an intermediating device between our voices and the audience. What this means though is that we almost never hear the natural quality of the human voice in performance and also that other people beside the performer (i.e. audio technicians) are making decisions about how a performer sounds. Because of the prevalence of amplification everywhere, we've pretty much forgotten how to listen without it. You actually can hear people fine in most (or at least many) settings without mics but you just have to listen more intently. Ultimately once you adjust your expectations and scale of listening, it's a much more satisfying experience.

This Weekend

2011-01-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

Good shows all throughout the weekend: It'll be more than a five-hour night if you make it through the whole slate of performers tonight at Sidewalk. Bernard King has pulled together another of his all-women bills. While we can debate the merits of gender-based programming, I can without any question give Bernard credit for putting together a slate of fine acts, all of whom I am looking forward to hearing. You may know many of the names, but I heard Anna Haas do a song for the first time Monday at the Open Mic and was very captivated by her voice and style. There are a couple other newcomers on the bill as well. Check out the details here. Also, on Sunday, Sidewalk is presenting its second blackout night. I am a big proponent of unamplified music and so I am looking forward to this show. Unfortunately I had to miss the last one but I heard it was a great night. Here's the bill: Sunday, January 9: BLACKOUT NIGHT at Sidewalk! 8-Steve Espinola, 8:45-Elizabeth Devlin, 9:30-Adam Bricks, 10:15-Ben Krieger, 11-Debe Dalton

Finally, a plug for an intriguing show on Saturday at Bowery Poetry Club. Susan Hwang is playing with an interesting band featuring among others, Julie Delano and Nan Turner as backup vocalists. I will be interested to see how Susan interprets her material with this group. She is opening for Sweet Soubrette who is releasing a new CD called Days and Nights.

Hope to see you at one of the shows. They're a good reason not to stay snowbound.

Landlords!??

2010-12-31T14:05:00.000-08:00

I just received a promotional email from a Sidewalk friend that includes a blatantly anti-semitic statement. Maybe you got the email too. The comment was about Chasidic Jews in Brooklyn who my friend says he refers to generically as "Landlords." My friend says how glad he is to see these folks struggling in the snow and that the blizzard was meant by God to smite these landlords, which is signified by it falling on Christmas.

This friend--whose work I admire--is one who likes to be outlandish and provocative. And there's part of me that wants to let this slide based on my friendship with him and my knowledge that maybe he's just trying to be silly or get a response. But I really can't let this one go because I do think from what he wrote that he was at least to some degree serious. And no matter what, it's dangerous (not to mention offensive) to make statements like these that lump together Jews or people from any religion or ethnic group, as having one generalized trait or quality.

First off, just to state the obvious--categorizing all Chasidic Jews as landlords is inherently prejudiced and bigoted. My main encounters with observant Jews come mostly at B and H Photo, where many of them are photographers who moonlight selling cameras. But suffice to say, Chasidic Jews have many different professions. Further, landlords come in all variety of religions, starting with Donald Trump on down (Donald Trump is Catholic). Does my friend think God is dreaming up schemes to smite all landlords or just the Chasidic ones in Brooklyn? (Not to mention the tenants and everyone else who had to deal with the snow).

Fairly recently I heard another Sidewalk performer-whose work I greatly like-say onstage that the downfall of our economy is essentially attributable to the Jews who were running Lehman Brothers. I asked this performer afterward if he had some sort of statistics as to the number of Jews working at Lehman Brothers or some other evidence that a preponderance of Jews were behind the breakdown in our economy. I would think that the blame for the downfall in the economy, if you were looking for someone to blame, would more logically go to the elected officials who eviscerated most of the oversight of the financial industry--and encouraged the broadening of subprime loans.

I find it striking that at a point when we have seen the pernicious effects of prejudice through history that people still have the need to cast certain groups in the role of "other." It seems to me that people are trying to relieve the anxiety of their own day-to-day lives by finding a structural repository for blame. On one hand the Jews are cast in the role of controlling the money. On the other hand waves of new immigrants, including some who are undoubtedly here illegally, threaten the stability of people who have been here longer.

In Nazi Germany the antisemetism that lead to the Holocaust came from blame ascribed to Jews for the extreme inflation and other economic difficulties in Germany at the time. It really doesn't take too much of a leap to see parallels in my friend's enjoyment in seeing the Chasidic "Landlords" struggling with the snow in Brooklyn that he believes was sent by God to smite them.

One of the things that's perplexing about all of this is how to deal with these types of comments from people you basically like and have spent pleasant times with. It's quite discordant to hear stuff like this coming from your friends and acquaintances. In these two cases I have relayed my dismay directly to each person. I suppose this post will serve to amplify my thoughts.

While these kinds of statements stand out most personally to me when they relate to Jews, I find it just as reprehensible when similar generalizations are made about other ethnic groups, religions, races, or people of specific sexual preference. I think it's dangerous to our society to limit our conception of people based on broad labels. For one, most obviously, it constrains the opportunities of those who are discriminated against--and we've seen such prejudice in the extreme lead to violence or death. Aside from that, it narrows the texture of our society. Think about the white-bread culture that was pervasive in the 1950s. That's what we get when we limit our perceptions of people based on anything other than their real skill and ability. Honestly at this stage of the game I shouldn't have to enumerate the hazards of discrimination and prejudice, but based on the comments I've outlined above, it seems as if unfortunately these explanations are still necessary.

Hello

2010-12-11T00:14:00.000-08:00

In a comment attached to my last post--someone asked where I've been these days (thanks very much for inquiring, by the way). Well, I guess the short answer is that I've been here but haven't really been getting out so much recently. I think this is a temporary situation, maybe a break from the nights out and the long travels to far flung venues. Also, I have been focused these days on trying to create a place in a new freelance profession and that is taking a lot of my mental energy. And I guess there seems to come a time for most folks who pass through the Sidewalk force field when the excitement of all that expressive energy settles down a little. I don't see a time in the near future when that world is not a significant focus for me, and I'm definitely not giving up on keeping the thread of this blog going. But yes, after six or seven years of deep immersion, other things have captured my attention too--spending more time on photography and trying to get inside the head of that crafty conjuror, Myron the Magnificent.

I always hoped that from time to time other folks would contribute here too. This board is definitely open to any kind of reporting, profiles, reviews, short comments, rants, or musing that anyone wants to send in, provided there is at least some connection to the scene surrounding or emanating from or once related to Sidewalk. If you go to a show and have a few thoughts about it, feel free to share them here. (I guess just sending me what you want to put up is the best way to go about it).

Ok, more soon. Go write a song.

Kung Fu Crimewave's Rock and Roll Circus, Friday, November 12

2010-11-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Well, finally Kung Fu Crimewave's Rock and Roll Circus is nearly upon us. The show at Goodbye Blue Monday celebrates the release of KFCW's cd Capitol Punishment, as well as the birthday of frontman Luke Kelly. The event will feature performances by: Myron the Magnificent and the Lovely Vera, Kung Fu Crimewave, The Sweet Ones, Purple Organ, and Heroes of the Open End. The only act I'm not familiar with is The Sweet Ones, although the others are all among my favorites, and The Sweet Ones seem to rock from what I can tell by YouTube. I have not heard Heroes of the Open End in quite a while and they should provide a fitting, all out finale to the evening. Come early for the confounding magic of Myron and Vera. I'm assured other circus-y surprises are in store, but you'll have to be there to find out what.

Catching Up

2010-11-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

A few things, some a roundup of links you might have seen elsewhere.

Peter Dizozza posted video from a Sidewalk Set going back to 1999. This is definitely worth a look. He opens with a song called "Hell Hole" and then merges into a piece with Jon Berger and Adam Green. There is much spoken word/narrration throughout, accompanied on piano by Peter. The video gives a good visual of an earlier Sidewalk setup before the red curtain was put up and when they had a grand piano on stage. It's also interesting to see younger versions of Peter, Jon, and Adam. I mean, I knew Adam Green was young when he started hanging out at Sidewalk but here he seems like he might have just come from his Bar Mitzvah class.

Major Matt and Nan have documented their tour with the Vaselines in writing and photos. I'll admit I have always had a fascination with life on the rock and roll tour bus. Here is about as close to the experience as you can get (without doing it yourself, of course, which I know you will).

Also, although it's been a few weeks now, I wanted to acknowledge the Debe Dalton/Dan Penta tribute that myself and others performed in on October 23. It was, of course, great to see Debe and to hear the songs by her and Dan. And I was glad to have a chance to play one of my favorite songs by Debe, "Tuesday, Wednesday" (although I'm considering my faulty rendition just a first step in perfecting that song, which I am planning on making a permanent part of my repertoire). However, the overall evening surprisingly had less participation and turnout than I would have thought. Even Dan Penta couldn't make it (because of work obligations). Other performers were: Kung Fu Crimewave, John Roche, Dan and Rachel, Joe Crow Ryan, Neil Kelly, Justin Remer, Ben K. and Morgan Herringer, and probably others who I am forgetting. Debe was at the Open Mic the following Monday, momentarily restoring the balance to a room that has been akimbo ever since she left town a while back. Debe assures me she is returning to NYC permanently in January.

Jerry Bock Died

2010-11-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the diversion, but one of my personal songwriting heroes, composer Jerry Bock, died yesterday. It might seem like something of a cliché for a Jewish kid from the suburbs to choose the writer of Fiddler on the Roof as a major influence, but while I do think that's a great musical and it has become a landmark piece, it was over years of listening to his body of work, that I grew to love the songs Bock wrote with his partner, lyricist Sheldon Harnick. Moreso than Fiddler, I think the masterpiece of songwriting that they created is a show called She Loves Me which wonderfully uses songs to convey character and dramatic movement.

I know there are some lovers of musical theatre in the Sidewalk scene, but no one really talks about it all that much. While I certainly have my heroes in the rock and pop world, I've been hugely influenced by the great Broadway songwriters, and I think anyone seriously interested in the art of songwriting should go back and listen to some of these works. Bock and Harnick picked up the heritage that was established by writers like Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, and Richard Rodgers who came before them. The songs of Fiddler have been so widely heard that at this point they almost seem like clichés themselves. But realize that when they were written there was no precedent for using the sounds of traditional Jewish music to shape and flavor the songs in a Broadway musical. A good example is "If I were A Rich Man," which starts in the key of C major but then brings in minor tonality that gives it that Eastern European flavor (before shifting into another key altogether). The songs in Fiddler feel organic, almost as if they sprang naturally from the characters who sing them. That ease must have taken a lot of work to obtain.

My explanation doesn't really do Bock's inventiveness much justice. I've just been flipping through a book that has some of his songs in it and I'm struck on each page by the fresh approach he took. His instincts for interesting, unusual musical choices was very strong. And most striking of all is how the choices come from and support the dramatic situation at hand.

Without context it can be hard to jump into listening to some of these Broadway musicals and get them right away, especially since sometimes you have to overlook a kind of brassy quality that some poeple find unappealing. But if you ever do have the motivation, try to check out some of the songs from She Loves Me and give them a little bit of a chance to grow on you. They are orchestrated with more subtlety than most shows anyway. In particular I love the sequence that includes the two songs "Where's My Shoe?" and "Ice Cream."

By the way, I don't get as star struck as I used to, but I do have a framed photo of me with Bock and Harnick from a time they appeared at a Library event I helped organize (you can look through Bock's manuscripts at the Library by the way!). Read about it here.

Schwervon on Tour with the Vaselines

2010-10-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Schwervon who are now on the road playing 4 dates as the opening act for The Vaselines. I only know what Matt and Nan posted on Facebook, which is that the whole deal came together very quickly. They played yesterday in Chicago, then it's Detroit, Toronto and Montreal between now and Sunday. This seems like a very good--and much deserved--opportunity for Schwervon! to reach a new and larger audience for their great tunes.

Supercute in the Times

2010-10-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

In an article Monday about the CMJ festival The New York Times ran a big photo of our compatriots Supercute, performing on the sidewalk on Ludlow Street. I find it interesting how Supercute has developed a whole image that goes beyond their music to their fashion style, videos, etc. In the Times photo you'll see Rachel and Julia wearing these huge bows that it seems would enable them to fly from gig to gig if they flapped them the right way. It points out to me that somehow the gals are savvy enough in their style to both mock and celebrate their girlishness at the same time. This comes through in their songs too which simultaneously seem genuinely girlish but also ironic. There is a degree of savvy and also strong drive underneath what they are doing. I give them credit for finding a way to stand out.

NY Times Review of Jeffrey Lewis - opening for The Vaselines

2010-10-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard played at Webster Hall last week as part of a show headlined by The Vaselines. Jon Pareles reviewed the show for The New York Times, and while the section on Jeffrey wasn't extensive, it was nice to see that Pareles had some perceptive and positive comments about Jeff's work. Jeff's band, by the way, included Nan Turner and Simon Beins, who each, as you undoubtedly know, play in their own bands and with others connected through Sidewalk, OJ, etc. Jeff has certainly been recognized in the Times before but I always think it's nice when folks on the scene are highlighted in the broader media. Below is an excerpt of the section that mentions Jeffrey. To read the entire article, click here.

Excerpt

Jeffrey Lewis, who opened the show, also keeps his music simple, strumming a few chords on a guitar that may well be held together by the stickers covering its front, and leading a band that piles on a cheerful clutter. But he’s a clever, articulate wordslinger, coming up with rhetorical conceits — one song, “Cult Boyfriend,” compared his romantic appeal to that of cult bands and films — and putting in a lot of preparation.

He’s also a comics artist, and his set included two short films — essentially slide shows of his elaborate drawings — that were finely reasoned histories, in rhyme, of the Soviet Union and the French Revolution, affirming populism through primitivism.

Bushwick Book Club Covers Frankenstein, Tuesday, October 5, 2010

2010-10-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

"Annoyed" is how most of the songwriters at the Bushwick Book Club described their feelings about the novel Frankenstein. I think mostly it was a reaction to the character Dr. Frankenstein. Having not read the book since I made my way through about half of it in college, I really can't comment except to say that annoyance came up several times during the night.

A number of the songs had to do with love....Susan Hwang's asked "why don't you love your monster" which I took to mean 'why don't you love your creation...your offspring.' Pearl...whose last name I didn't get but was making her Bushwick Book Club debut similarly wrote about love...saying "love is what you learn....teach love." Rachel Devlin and Dan Costello did a very cool 1950s style-number which I later gathered was in the style of Frankie Valli. There were lots more folks who played...as always I was impressed by Phoebe Kreutz's amazing rhymes. Her song urged parents to keep their kids away from science. Sweet Soubrette said to Dr. Frankenstein hey "why didn't you just knock up some pretty girl instead." And the Up Against the Wall String Band sang a funny song about how the book really is not too much like the movie. Justin Remer read a long short story that was sort of a modern day Frankenstein tale. Other interesting songs were written and performed by Mark Palermo, Anna Leuchtenberg, Corn Mo, and Joe Crow Ryan.

I'm always impressed at how much interesting stuff comes out of these Book Club sessions. Lots of times the songs are rough or at least roughly played....one assumes these artists' own creations were in development up until the last minute, but it's always interesting to see fresh new songs being born and how much solid songcraft comes out of these monthly meetings. Congrats as always to Susan Hwang for putting on a good show.

Kimya Plays The Knitting Factory, Friday, October 8, 2010

2010-10-07T23:42:00.000-07:00

Kimya plays The Knitting Factory, tonight.

Reganomics - A Benefit - September 26 at Goodbye Blue Monday

2010-09-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Erin Regan was the focus of a benefit and sort of tribute at Goodbye Blue Monday on Sunday. Kudos to Joanna Kelly and Kate Wheeler for organizing the lovely affair (and anyone else who might have helped who I don't know about). There was a fair amount of Erin Regan merch for sale, including buttons and silk-screened t-shirts that I gather were hand-crafted by Kate and Joanna. It seemed as if even the Erin Regan wrist bands were painstakingly made by someone out of bright pink gaffer's tape.

The performers of the substantially-lengthed event were Daoud, Casey, Dashan, Toby, Kung Fu Crimewave, and the Everybody Knows. Kung Fu Crimewave featured a couple Erin Regan covers in their set, including Your Mom's Car. Erin also played a short set of her own songs. The evening reached a climactic moment in the We are the World-style all-star ballad (see photo) which referenced the hope that her foot heal quickly "for the children." Erin was also presented with one of those oversized checks, like the winner of the million dollar sweepstakes.

Erin has been through an ordeal with a problematic broken foot that hasn't healed and has resulted in financial challenges. Quite a bit of money was raised to help her out the other night.

I wrote in another post about songs I find annoying that are sort of musicalized versions of people's diaries. Somehow, even though Erin's songs draw from incidents in her own life (as far as I know, anyway), they seem to rise well-above these sorts of trivialized journal entries. It's hard to point to exactly why her songs work so well and others don't, but I think it's a combination of sharp imagery, gorgeous melodies, a beautiful voice, and impassioned performance. There have been moments at Sidewalk when Erin has totally swept me away in some deep moment of performance. I wish she was still hanging around the joint.

The Fort at Webster

2010-09-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Since he mentions it in his comment in the post below, I gather Lach is ok going public with his upcoming launch of The Fort on Saturday nights at Webster Hall. According to Lach, The Fort won't be an open mic, although there may be some music involved, but a hangout scene woven into Webster Hall's overall Circus night. The Fort will launch October 2 at midnight. More details to come soon, I'm sure. As most folks here probably know, The Fort was the name of Lach's original hangout in his Rivington Street apartment, where the Antifolk scene got its start in the 1980s, and the name has been attached to his succeeding music venues at times as well.

Monday Night Antihoot, September 20 and stuff that's on my mind

2010-09-20T21:36:00.001-07:00

I'll admit that I'm in a weird mood or something but I thought tonight was one of the most lackluster nights I've experienced at Sidewalk in a long while. Maybe all the good stuff happened when I was chatting at the bar or something, but when I was in the back it seemed like mostly I was hearing a string of boring songs about frustrated love. I mean of course great songs have been written about love but if you're going to try to take on the Beatles or the Gershwins, or...name your favorite writer of amazing love songs...you better have a damned original way of looking at it. Just because YOU have intense desire, or problems with your mate, or a secret love affair, or whatever, doesn't mean the world needs to hear a song about it unless it opens up some new idea or perspective. Alright, I know that there were some more interesting performances peppered throughout the evening, but I swear during one long swath when I sat there listening it was nothing but "I want you, but I can't see/how come baby you don't love me...(or words to that effect).

Everybody always thinks that their heyday in the scene was the best--and I'll admit that I probably sound like a curmudgeon-y old man by saying (with wobbly, weathered voice) "back in my day....."

Well, it's true, that I have seen many amazing songwriters grace the stage at Sidewalk, and it seems as if many more of them were concentrated in years past--but setting that aside for the moment, what about the sheer over-the-top energy that would frequently strike out from the stage? Just two examples--I only saw him once but I'll never forget this guy Thomas Truax who brought out some sort of Rube Goldberg-like mechanical wheel that had a protruding clapper attached which would make an electronic beat every time it rotated, and of course there's my friend Preston Spurlock who for a long while specialized in creating songs with Casio keyboards, electronic toys, tape recorders, and slide whistles. When Preston and his cousin Chase played a show at Sidewalk they wore matching outfits and pummeled each other with their fists, like something out of an old Loony Tunes cartoon or ancient vaudeville bit.

I'm not arguing that extremity is worthwhile for its own sake. It, of course, has to be accompanied by artistic merit. But what I am saying is that I hope people can push themselves past the easy answer and into uncharted territory of creative expression. Things go in cycles and that goes for Sidewalk too. You never know what's going to happen next week...so I will see you there, for sure.

So while I'm being cranky--I saw from Lach's email today that the Anti-idol competition is returning to the Antihoot at Webster Hall. I beat around the bush about this in my last post, but I still can't quite wrap my head around the idea of grafting a competition onto an open mic. From my perspective an open mic should be the opposite of competitive. This is kind of an ideological issue with me--I don't even really believe in the Academy Awards. How can you have a "best" of anything when you're talking about art? I praise Lach up and down for providing people with opportunities over decades to perform and have their work heard here in New York (I even made a half hour film about that once). He created a brilliant scene that has given thousands of people, including me, a place to grow as artists, meet collaborators and friends, and find an audience. I know that he is doing what he thinks best to keep the scene strong at Webster. But again I say, forget the competition, it's nudity that will draw them in. Try nudity Lach, and cotton candy.

Next time, less pompous ranting, more reporting. Till then....

Monday Night Open Mic and Antihoot returns to Webster Hall

2010-09-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

Both of our favorite impresarios are back in town. Ben Krieger was off on a manly man's week in the wilds of Oregon, and Lach has newly returned from a month in Scotland where he performed his one man show and ran the Antihoot as part of the Fringe Festival.

Things were kind of quiet at Sidewalk tonight. On top of the smallish crowd, Ben switched things up by making it a one-song per performer night all the way through. Just as I was leaving at around 10:45 or so they were going into round two in which everyone who stayed around could get up for another song. I like the idea of a one song all around night once in a while but with a smaller crowd I guess people could have stretched out a bit. Anyway, there's something to be said for maintaining a brisk pace.

Despite the low key crowd there were some interesting performers, Love, a Japanese songwriter/DJ performed as did a poet named Sophia who read an intense but interesting piece. It was great to see Ariel Bitran again who played some really cool and intricate guitar stuff. There was a Hungarian guy, Gabor, who lives in Italy who did a U2 medley, and oh yeah, there was me, who played the first new song I've written in quite a while.

Just as a few of us were talking about tomorrow's return of the Antihoot to Webster Hall Lach moseyed in. Word from Britain-at least what I read in the papers--is that Lach is the inspiration for a new breed of English Antifolk comedy--that's a story for another time but it sounds kind of interesting--maybe some of those folks will turn up at the Antihoot. Anyway, with the return to Webster people are wondering if the Anti-Idol competition will also be coming back. I was glad that when that wrapped up at the last show in July the five finalists shared in the prize (they were Tyler, The Fools, Supercute, Rob Shapiro, Cal Folger Day and Crazy and the Brains). Somehow it seems as if it would have been weird had there been a "winner" of the open mic. I get the sense that there are mixed feelings around about the competition with some folks taking it in stride and others feeling that it changed the vibe of the scene. My own thought is that this time around if extra promotion is needed maybe they could try something else like...nudity, for example. Or maybe free cotton candy. Or both. Anyway, I think it's good that the Antihoot is back. A nice scene developed there and it will be interesting to see how it goes as it revs up again. I'm sure that there are plenty of folks out there who will appreciate another place to play and work on their stuff. See you there.

Jofranna, Honeybird, Major Matt, Yossarian Feedback

2010-09-02T12:04:00.001-07:00

The place was packed for Jofranna's ep release event last night. While Jofranna might not exactly rap with traditional rap authenticity, they do so in their own charming Jofrannaesque style. I really liked their songs, including the one about Coney Island and the one about old people (which I identified with to an alarming degree). The gals lathered up Luke Kelly with Vaseline to demonstrate a technique used by some of the kids Jofranna work with in NYC schools to prevent scratches, cuts and other facial marks when they get into fights--that was a little depressing to learn about, actually.

Honeybird was in from Italy and performed a cool song about their butcher. Major Matt gave a very solid solo show, and Yossarian Feedback surrounded himself on the stage floor with effects pedals, and electronics to perform some very cool stuff using recorded ambient sound and synthesized music etc.

Urban Barnyard, 8-26-2010

2010-08-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

Urban Barnyard's show last night was really great. Excuse me if I'm not getting these titles right, but they played "Little Cricket's a Sex Machine," "Hot Dog," and "Wolves," among others, plus a cover of a Major Matt tune, and a new song. I hope someone recorded this (I say, selfishly). At the risk of being redundant-since I've written this kind of thing here numerous times before--Urban Barnyard is strong in so many ways--their songwriting is great, and their performing and playing are also excellent, but I think what really gives them extra added dimension is the way they arrange the songs, with interesting vocal harmonies, trading off on singing within songs, and unusual accompaniment ideas. There's something special about seeing them at Sidewalk or really in any intimate setting, with a bunch of fans and friends on their feet dancing. Hope they come back sometime soon--even if it does involve shipping in one of the members from across the country.

More Urban Barnyard Photos

2010-08-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hey, check out this article that is kind of about Sidewalk

2010-08-25T22:19:00.000-07:00

Evan Schlansky wrote an article in American Songwriter magazine that covers the time he spent playing at Sidewalk. Check it out by clicking: here.

A brief commercial interruption

2010-08-25T08:16:00.001-07:00

Many of you may already know this, but I figured I should take a moment here to mention that I have recently wound down my previous career in order to begin another, as a photographer. If you haven't taken a look before, my web site at www.herbscher.com features portraits of many folks from Sidewalk, and I also recently launched a photo blog at www.herbscher.com/blog. Plus there are a smattering of my photos illustrating previous entries in this blog.

I love taking photos of all types and have shot architecture, social events, still life etc. But I particularly enjoy portraits because of the mixture of the planned and unplanned, the collaborative and psychological aspects, and the visual and compositional challenges.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program....

Monday Night Open Mic, August 23, 2010 and Urban Barnyard

2010-08-24T15:16:00.001-07:00

I had fun last night but I have to admit I was more in a roaming and socializing mood than a sitting down and listening mood, so with a certain degree of chagrin I don't have much to say about the performances. However I did want to mention that while sitting in the bar area at Sidewalk I spotted a glimpse of Dibs passing by and sprung outside to say hello. Many of you may know that Dibs has moved to Oakland but is back in town for a brief while. Part of his visit will include a performance at Sidewalk on Thursday with Urban Barnyard. I would strongly recommend that everyone reading this who is available attend the show. Urban Barnyard is a force of music that will captivate you. If you're not familiar with them, please just take my word for it and go.

Above is a photo I took of Urban Barnyard a while back for Urban Folk magazine. I can't pinpoint why exactly, but it has always been a sentimental favorite of mine. Maybe it has to do with my love of the band or just whatever was in the air that day that we did this at Sidewalk.

Antifolk Fest, Wednesday, August 11, by Guest Correspondent, J. J. Hayes

2010-08-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

Our guest correspondent J. J. Hayes was on the scene at Sidewalk for the Antifolk Fest acts Wednesday. Here is his report:

By J. J. Hayes

Here is my humble stream of consciousness report about Wednesday's doings:

Clinical Trials (a/k./a Somer) was on at 7:00, and I haven't seen her do straight up acoustic set in a while but she was totally in the face of every song she did and her own face was expressing some kind of pitch perfect raw emotion in just about every song. She also snuck in a cover of She-Bop, which led to a discussion outside about other songs which have the same subject matter, or at least apparently do. Like Jackson Browne's "Rosie" and the Who's "Pictures of Lily." I therefore missed Dan Killian's set and cannot comment. Soce The Elemental Wizard -- first time I ever caught a full Soce set, if 1/2 hour be a full set. I cannot complain about a man who will free style Jon Berger's suggestion to rap about Thursday on a Wednesday, and in fact enjoyed the whole thing immensely. After Soce was Barry Bliss, which is where the evening got going for me. Barry did what may be called a laid back set. Barry himself commented that his 1/2 hour ended just as he was felt he was hitting stride. Yet there was something really important, it seemed to me, about a non-intense Barry Bliss set, just a man simply laying down a classic song like "Joan of Arc' (I mean Barry's Song of that title is a classic, not tht he covered Leonard Cohen's Joan of Arc) in a not so crowded but darkened candlelit venue. Dudes, I wish to cry to the rest of the world, you are missing something exceedingly special. Barry's relatively new American Dream should be heard by many people. He finished with his song about how fame is not going to be something most performers on this scene are ever going to be playing arenas with tons of groupies and limos. That song may have been written to someone who really thought they were going to get famous from the music or perhaps from the songwriter to himself, in any case, done in the rather laid back non-angry manner it was so matter of fact in this performance, that one could simply accept the state of affairs that this is not a place for fame and yet it is so artistically compelling on an evening like this that one thinks you know this is as important as any moment in rock and roll history except no one is going to be talking about, because it is not part of the mainstream conversation. Rav Shmuel was next, he did at least three love songs and the tip jar was being passed before we even settled into the set but here's the thing, oh reader, you must hear Rav's new song, his final song which I think he forced into the line-up beyond the two songs after tip jar rule. It is called Being and Becoming and it is I declare required listening. This song had people listening intently and applauding strongly. I had my eyes on Sam James who seemed entranced by it. Sam was up next and somehow coming off of Rav's final song his whole set seemed particularly compelling as if he took some of that existential force from Being and Becoming and imbued that alternative mythical world that Sam James and the songs of Sam James inhabits with urgency. It started me thinking that some singers sing from their particular world (as in Somer, Bliss and Shmuel) but others seem to be exploring a world most of us have thought to be long gone. But these old ballads and this old style, this world which predates even the old weird America, and is more like the old weird English Scots border, has many corners yet to be explored and James is like someone who the longer he stays in this far away country which is really just behind you and to the left out of the corner of your eye becomes more and more fluent in the language and knows places only the natives know about, and is willing to share them in a dark room in the east village. And then Turner Cody. Cody's set (with Spencer Chakedis on mandolin for a number of songs) was easily one of the the best sets I have heard in a while. It was fairly impeccable. Where Sam James was coming from the mist covered green woodlands on the borders of some ancient place, cody was coming out of dryer climes. It was like the southern European mainland, greek island or old desert west, to James's british islands. Cody, like James, is willing to use old poetic synactical strangenesses without blinking and fluently. Listening to Turner Cody is like listening to someone who really believes that that old poetic diction, that worldview of the old ballads, can give us insight into a world where people run around driving Ferraris, and he ends up convincing you that the old weird world never really left us. Or even that the present world is weirder now then you imagine and is utterly capable of being mapped onto the older pathways.

Didn't get to see The Relatives or Drew Blood.

Myron Revives Vaudeville's Magic Delicatessen

2010-08-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, August 8 at 9 p.m. magician Myron the Magnificent will revive part of a classic conjuring routine, originally performed by his grandfather--Mervyn the Magnificent--in 1923. The trick was part of Mervyn's Magic Delicatessen --the only magic show ever to have involved deli food. The trick will be part of an all new Myron the Magnificent show at Sidewalk Cafe as part of the Antifolk Fest. This is sure to be a spectacular evening of amazing miracles not to be missed!

Antifolk Fest Photos Part II-Jason Trachtenburg

2010-08-07T19:18:00.001-07:00

I hope to be back with some more info about the last couple of nights of the Antifolk Fest, but I'm busy working with Myron the Magnificent on his act for tomorrow. In the meantime here are some photos of Hank and Pigeon, Ray Brown, Supercute, and the Pendulum Swings (featuring Jason Trachtenburg) from Thursday and Friday. For technical reasons I might have to break this up into two posts.

Monday Night Open Mic, August 2, 2010 and The Fest

2010-08-03T16:23:00.000-07:00

The Antifolk Festival kicks off tonight at Sidewalk, and last night's Open Mic saw a strong representation of the acts playing this week. I was very impressed by most of the first 10 or so artists who performed last night, including Morgan and Alex P., Ray Brown, Dan Mo, Charles Mansfield, Jesse Lee, Jon Berger Mike Rechner, and Jonathan Vincent among others. I had not noticed Jesse Lee before, but he was a standout. Ben K. kicked things off performing a cover of Domino's song Princess as a duet with Corey the puppet. I believe that Domino would have appreciated this unique interpretation, although I didn't see her there last night. Major Matt, Brook Pridemore, Timothy Dark, Master Lee (Chink Floyd), and many others also turned in strong performances. Myron the Magnificent pulled colorful streamers from the neck of a borrowed guitar and produced coins at his fingertips and from random items borrowed from the audience. Later Level II performed Wanderlust, which included a puppet performance merged with a burlesque routine.

In years past I have been subject to Fest burnout by somehow finding myself drawn like a magnet to just about every show. If you're one of those types I recommend pacing yourself or by the end of this week your eyes will be glazed (and you'll be staring at the Sidewalk Menu hoping to find that one fabulous dish that you just haven't spotted till now--by the way, $2 for an extra serving of pita--come on). Anyway I know that this year I myself will have to miss several of the shows for a variety of reasons, so I am repeating my entreaties for interested correspondents who would like to write up even the briefest of reports on the various nights. Please contact me if you're interested. And don't forget to bring lots of singles if you want to tip the multitude of act playing.

The Antifolk Fest is usually rewarded with a couple blurbs in the press. Most often they emphasize the weird or marginal aspects of the groups that play. I don't know how weird or marginal we really are--well, ok, marginal, maybe, but honestly I think there's room for a lot more weirdness at Sidewalk these days. But anyway, it's good to be noticed and I was glad to see that The New Yorker singled out a couple of interesting groups. Here are the blurbs:

The New Yorker - http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/nightlife/2010/08/09/100809goni_GOAT_nightlife
SIDEWALK CAFÉ
94 Avenue A (212-473-7373)—Aug. 3-13: The Summer Antifolk Festival. For those who know little or nothing about New York’s antifolk scene and who want to learn more, this annual gathering is a simple and exhaustive solution. More than sixty acts performing a diverse program of music and spoken word are expected, in keeping with this venue’s long-running open-mic night and its tradition of being, well, weird. The festival showcases new talent like the ragtag xylophone-and-guitar duo Crazy and the Brains and the colorful all-girl teen-age trio Supercute!, as well as veteran favorites such as the Major Matt Mason USA, Linda Draper, Toby Goodshank, the Purple Organ, Peter Dizozza, and Turner Cody.

Time Out New York - http://newyork.timeout.com/events/music/352554/4585151/antifolk-festival
Antifolk Festival
Sidewalk Café
94 Ave A (at 6th St)
East Village | Map
212-473-7373
Description
For a quarter century, artists working the margins of New York music have clustered under the antifolk rubric, a broad scene that keeps a safe haven in the back of the East Village’s Sidewalk Café. Randomly dropping by Sidewalk can be a risky endeavor: Not every performer can be the world’s next Beck (to cite one artist who rose through antifolk’s ranks). A smart time to pop in is during the Antifolk Festival, which takes over the club for a week or so every August.

###

Boog City Presents Graceland & Hi, How Are You?, July 14, 2010

2010-07-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

Graceland is one of my favorite albums and so I was very interested in the evening presented by Boog City last night at Sidewalk. A gaggle of your favorite Antifolk stars gathered to perform that album along with Daniel Johnston's Hi, How Are You. There were many fine interpretations of Paul Simon's songs. I particularly liked the ones like those by Dan Fishback and Jesse Schoen that went a little against the grain of the original. But there were many fine moments by Casey Holford, and The Infringers, as well as Kathy Zimmer, who I thought stood out on Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes. The Infringers rewrote The Myth of Fingerprints so that it was about the petroleum leak in the Gulf. I wasn't so sure about that approach--I thought it came across as a bit of a stretch. But hey kudos to them anyway for trying something different.

I have not yet found the intrinsic identification with Daniel Johnston that seems woven among the songwriters and performers of the Sidewalk scene, although I suspect at some point I will get around to listening to his stuff more carefully since so many people whose work I admire are fans of his. In any event, although I don't have the same points of comparison as I did to the Simon album, there were lots of nice performances by The Trouble Dolls, Bob Kerr, Steve Espinola, Preston Spurlock and The Devil and Christy Davis. Steve played his electric tennis racket on one of the songs and used a reel to reel tape recorder to form a backing track on another. Christy Davis and her pals gave a particularly spirited performance including some theatrically recited lyrics.

I was testing out my new camera the other night--one that theoretically lets me photograph in much lower light than I have been able to previously. Here's a shot of Dan Fishback, who played Gumboots and You Can Call Me Al.

Antihoot at Webster Hall - June 29, 2010

2010-07-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Lach and Co. have introduced some changes/refinements to the setup of the open mic at Webster Hall which very much enhance the feel of the proceedings. As nice as it is, the Marlin Room is an expansive space and initially, with the artists performing from the large stage, a sense of intimacy was missing. Now, the performances are held on the floor directly in front of the stage, and Lach has came out from the sound booth in the back to moderate from a spot up front to the left of the performers. The furniture has also been rearranged to allow for a more intimate feel. Although many of the performers are the same as those who play at Sidewalk, the Webster Hall open mic is developing some of its own in-jokes and stylistic quirks. Rob (?) the bartender was drafted by Lach for some comic interplay here and there and Julie the waitress was also a visible figure on the scene.

I've been thinking that Webster Hall is a good location for Myron the Magnificent to ply his trade. The retro vibe of the place provides a good feel for Myron's act, and I decided to give it a try the other night. Well, we all have our good and bad nights, I guess, but Myron was a little rough around the edges Tuesday. Myron's effort to sever Julie the waitress with two ropes didn't exactly go as planned and some of his other tricks were a little bumpy too. Afterward Myron entertained some folks in the side room with close-up magic and that was fun.

Lach and I were talking the other night and we briefly touched on nervousness while performing. When I first started at Sidewalk, like many folks, I guess, I would practice relentlessly in order to override the nervousness that was prevalent when I played. Now, I try to look at open mics as like a laboratory, a place to develop and work on what I'm doing. I still like things to be polished, and can't help but feel disappointed when they don't go exactly as planned, but it's much easier to look at playing these events as part of a process of getting better and developing your art rather than a be all and end all. I can't say that I don't get nervous at all, but I've definitely gotten better at being involved with the moments as they are happening on stage, rather than worrying so much about how I'm being perceived.

I kind of noticed Dan Mo for the first time the other night, even though I know he's been around for a while. Cool stuff. What he played the other night had a jazzy feel in the chords. Chloe Phillips did some funny stuff--In particular I liked her schtick about how weird people act when they run into someone in whom they have a romantic interest. She also talked about getting dumped by her "wee" boyfriend. Ray Brown's song "Last Summer" was gorgeous.

Juice Box at Scapegrace, Friday, June 25, 2010

2010-06-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

I was wandering around Wyckoff Avenue for a while Friday night trying to find the entrance to Scapegrace, the site for Olive Juice's first "Juice Box." event. I finally saw Jen and Uchenna of The Fools and followed behind them.

Major Matt discontinued the OJ All Day Fest, this year, which I thought was kind of too bad. I'd just assumed those would go on forever and that when we were all old and grey we'd be pulling together to schlep amps, set up the merch tables, write the press releases, whatever needed to be done. Of course it's easy for me to say that when I'm not the one bearing all the burden of organizing the whole thing, so I understand Matt's decision. But the event Friday was a nice alternative.

First, the Scapegrace space is amazing. I didn't have any idea at all what to expect when I entered this long hall that was in a state of half-decay. But when I paid my three bucks and turned the corner I was in this incredible large room that was flanked on both sides by gorgeous walls of pressed tin, painted a kind of milky green. The walls seemed as if they emerged straight from a hundred years ago and they showed the wear of all that time. While my fantasies of time travel will undoubtedly never be fulfilled, I always love finding situations where real elements from the past are part of the scene. Julie Delano explained later that they'd discovered the tin after removing layers of unattractive panelling. Artwork by Preston Spurlock, Toby Goodshank, and Angela Carlucci was on view throughout the room and added a lot to the feel of the room. Preston's and Toby's work was on one wall framed in old windows from the house. Angela created a set of amazing intricate cutouts that were posted on the other side of the room.

The space has a large backyard where lots of folks congregated between music sets. Beverages and merchandise were available back there along with lots of good conversation. The humidity had trailed off by that point and the weather was perfect for hanging around out doors

Inside three groups played. First up was Brian, a group of three gals playing what I thought reflected a kind of surf-music feel. The Wowz played a great set, and Schwervon was solid as usual and got the crowd moving. Although I enjoyed listening to the bands, somehow the music seemed to be more of a general part of the ambience than the main focus of the night. DJs continued after the bands played and a small group of enthusiastic dancers were still going at it when I left. Yoko Kikuchi took some photos documenting the night, which you can see be clicking here: Yoko's pictures.

Part of what made the night so enjoyable was the laid back vibe of the whole scene. There was a lot of hanging out and catching up. Although I saw a lot of the regular OJ crew, there also were a good mix of new faces too--at least new to me.

Wycoff Avenue seems to have morphed even since the last time I was there, which doesn't feel like it was too long ago. There are a handful of upscale restaurants, bars, and shops that have popped up. It's inevitable, I guess, but it would be nice to think that the neighborhood could stay accessible to folks who have been there for a while. About two years ago the Forgotten New York site documented the entire length of Wycoff Avneue and you can read about it by clicking here.

Scapegrace is conveniently located a few steps from the Jefferson Street stop on the L, but why is it that late on the weekends the L always seems to be replaced by a shuttle bus? Luckily the other night one came right away and I was able to get moving.

Lach and Matt and Matt's Antifolk Memories

2010-06-14T08:54:00.001-07:00

I'd noticed the public airing on the OJ Board of longstanding dIfferences between Major Matt and Lach and since this blog is dedicated to documenting the scene in which those disagreements took place, I was mulling over exactly how to refer to the situation here. It all feels a little gossipy, and while intrigued, I wasn't sure if it added to the understanding of the community or was just kind of salacious. In the meantime, while my mulling was taking place, enough time had passed that I wasn't sure I'd get around to mentioning it at all. If you have not already seen the exchange on the OJ Board, it is easy enough to go back and look at it, so I am not going to go into any details on the specifics.

To tell you the truth, based on my experiences elsewhere, I've always been amazed and impressed that there aren't MORE falling outs among people in our scene. The overriding attitude even today is one of support and collaboration. Not that everyone loves everyone else or that there aren't uncomfortable situations here and there (undoubtedly there are more than I know about) but somehow the attitude at Sidewalk has always been welcoming.

However, what finally gave me the rationale to write about this is that the exchange with Lach inspired Matt to start documenting his memories of the Antifolk scene on his own blog. That history is particularly welcome as the period in which Matt was intensively hanging out at Sidewalk has not been extensively documented. Those were the early days of the Antihoot at Sidewalk and a time when some of the key figures from the scene first started coming around and got to know one another. Plus, Matt writes about how Olive Juice got started, which is another bit of history worth preserving.

I'll have to figure out a way to permanently link to Matt's memories here at Sidewalk's Sidewalk, but in the meantime, you can read the three entries he's written so far at: http://matthew-roth.livejournal.com/

Level II Extravaganzarama - Friday, June 11, 2010

2010-06-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Sidewalk Stage was jam packed with puppeteers, musicians, a magician, a comedian, and more for the Level II Extravaganza Friday. Although the ambitions for the performance overwhelmed the capabilities of the stage, it was an interesting step toward a variety show concept that may develop further in the future. Level II seems to be the overarching name for Ben Folstein's puppet performances and music. I was particularly impressed by his group's musicianship. They had a solid funk feel, which featured trombone, nice bass work, two strong gals on vocals and the impressive guitar work of Ben himself. The songs are from Level II's puppet musical Love is Like Mud. Magician Myron the Magnificent was the evening's M.C., performing tricks here and there between acts and also presenting two excerpts from his stage act featuring his lovely assistant Vera. Ben Croneberg performed some of his Steven Wright-influenced comedy, and although I thought he was doing ok, he was literally given the hook by the evening's impresario Ben F. A later skit depicted a guy in tights filling in for a missing stripper instructor. While the piece might have some comic possibilities, it seemed to go on for a few thrusts too long...Anyway, I may not be the most objective observer considering my affiliation with MTM, but I thought the evening was lots of fun and I hope there are more in the future.

Domino's CD Release Show

2010-06-09T02:06:00.000-07:00

Domino's CD release show last night was a mixture of amazing and unusual moments. Domino was set to perform at 9 but when I got there, right on time for the start of her show, I was told that she had yet to arrive. Even though Domino had been heavily promoting the show the night before at the open mic, somehow she had gotten set back and didn't arrive until about 9:45.

In the meantime a very vocal representative from the group of Domino's friends who were present lobbied to let another friend from the audience have a moment to sing on stage. Nick and Ben acceded to the entreaties and Domino's friend Leticia rose and began singing songs in German, Indian, and other languages.

After Leticia concluded, Joe Crow Ryan ably filled in with a set. Joe seems to be getting more polished all the time and I thought it was one of his better shows. It contained numerous covers, and I thought that rhythmically he found a nice pulse to many of the pieces that pushed them along into a tasteful jazz feel.

Domino started her set by explaining that she was starting not with an original tune but with a little dance she does to someone else's song. Watching Domino dance to REM's Orange Crush, while using a bottle of that drink as a prop, is a reminder of the unbridled moments in childhood when we would lose ourselves and dance in front of a mirror or our siblings in some kind of flight of imagination. Her dance evoked a joyful giddiness among some of us watching.

There is no point not acknowledging that part of what captivates people about Domino is how she marches to the beat of her own....guitar playing. But what she brings to the stage has brilliance to it and outstanding creativity. Several of her songs were performed last night to homemade backing tracks which she plays from an onstage boom box. She finished up with this song Cheesecake, requested by Nick, that you have to hear to grasp fully but it is typical of Domino's unique subject matter and style of wordplay. "He wanted another piece of my Cheesecake....I sent him away with Cheesecake." I was so glad I was there for her set. I wonder where everyone else was, though. It was a small house. Anyway, I love Domino.

Lach's Antihoot at Webster Hall & Diane Cluck at Sidewalk, Tuesday, May 11, 2010

2010-05-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

I've been receiving frequent messages from a Mr. Steve Rogers, urging me to attend events at Webster Hall, including the Tuesday, Antihoot run by Lach. Mr. Rogers is a pretty persuasive guy, so I turned out on Tuesday to see what the hubbub was about. Actually, this was my second visit, truth be told, after checking out the Antihoot's new location on its very first night in back in March.

When I arrived, Talia was playing--the same young Talia I'd noticed at the Open Mic at Sidewalk the night before. Talia's songs often are about the emotional currents stirred up by the guys in her life (or at least the ones she has crushes on) or by conflicts with her classmates in school. I've got to give Talia credit for having the drive to write songs and find places to perform them. Plunging headlong into this stuff at an early age means that she will have more opportunity to learn and develop her writing and generally to find a path into music if she decides that's what she wants. And what better way to do it than hanging out at late-night songwriting joints!

Next up was a group called Now (if I'm not mistaken) a duo with a quite lithesome young lady and a guy singing a heavily pop-flavored tune to a rhythm track.

Mike Rechner played two songs from his Churchill Downs project. Mike's songs always seem heavily influenced by Lou Reed to me--spare and somehow bringing out feelings of alienation. Cool stuff.

Morgan Heringer played a couple nice tunes...she referred to standard ukulele position--one leg on a chair, elbow on the raised thigh, holding the angled up ukulele.

The Gentleman Scumbag was up next with funny stuff about his job as a dirty balloon maker at Lucky Cheng's. I particularly liked the story about the father who insisted that John make a particularly profane balloon sculpture for the man's 15 year-old daughter.

Emily Moment was on hand with accompaniment from a friend on guitar. The songs seemed to have kind of a country-flavored pop feel . Emily's vocals stand out more each time I hear her play.

Joie Blaney was a fixture for years at Sidewalk's Open Mic before moving to L. A. a couple years ago. It was nice to see him back in town for a visit. Joie played some new songs, including one about the bygone days of Sweet Bohemia.

Dave Woodcock, a very versatile performer who I gather is visiting from England, displayed some virtuosic technique with a song on piano about how "life ain't worth a damn" and then turned to guitar for a much gentler song called Gretna Green. Very nice.

The Scufz is a retro-flavored act with a guy on washboard/percussion, a fellow on guitar and vocals and another on washtub bass. The guitarist seemed to be pulling most of the weight musically and had some nice jazzy chords to fill out their sound. In the middle of the set a scantily clad gal appeared with a megaphone to pick up the vocals and added further retro-style with "voidio-do, voidio-do" lyrics. She then surprised us by whisking off her short dress to reveal an even scantier costume underneath.

Lenny Molotov played and JJ Hayes did a song about Killing the Buddha.

One of the things I've noticed about the Merlin Room at Webster Hall is that it provides a much more sophisticated range of atmospheric devices for Lach to play with. The whirling stage lights are one thing but I jumped every time I heard the smoke machine hiss on.

The Merlin Room is a gorgeous space and is a great place for anyone who has wanted to play on a larger stage in amuch more polished setting than Sidewalk. Although it probably had as many people in attendance the other night as Sidewalk's open mic usually does, the large room made it seem more sparsely attended. But with Steve Rogers on the case I'm sure that will soon be a thing of the past.

After I headed out from Webster Hall, intending to catch the train home--I ran into Crazy and the Brains and friends who were heading over to Sidewalk to hear Diane Cluck. Diane's songs are gentle and elegant. They require intent listening but it pays off. In particular, a requested song, Macy's Day Bird struck me as ravishing. One of the reasons to hang out in this scene is for the times when you unexpectedly encounter moments of powerful artistry. Thanks to Crazy and Co. for tipping me off to Diane's show which was a nice way to finish off the night.

Monday Night Open Mic, May 10, 2010

2010-05-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

I thought there was some good energy the other night, helped by the addition of a big projection screen behind the stage which featured videos by a few folks on the list. Preston Spurlock showed some of his animations--a number of which I'd seen but all of which are brilliant. Interspersed with those he had some bizarre "found" footage, including a real educational film from the 1980s (?) which explored different ways to refer to a penis. The instructor, a straight-laced looking woman in front of a blackboard kept asking her students for more references and and wrote them all down--cock, dick, meat, etc....totally bizarre. Pete Scalzitti also showed the cool animation for his song Amy, which he accompanied live on piano.

It was actually Brian Speaker who opened the show with a song from his Mars Chronicles opera. Good to see Brian is recovered from whatever bug knocked him out of commission for a bit.

Morgan Heringer played a couple lovely songs--she'll be on the bill at Sidewalk Friday with Cal Folger Day. Birds of Prey performed (Birds of Prey is a gal from Australia who I've seen over the last few weeks). Talia sang Sticky Situation--which she explained is about a girl in her class who i mean to her.

The floating logo from the DVD machine that randomly swam around on the projection screen as various acts played was a strange and inadequate vestige of 1960s light shows. I don't know if anyone else thought about this--but in its day the Fillmore East was just a few blocks away from Sidewalk. How things have changed.

Brook Pridemore, and the Facsimiles played--leading up to Nothing but Strings, which I can only describe as a hip hop violin duo. They were two violinists who played to a hip-hop rhythm track. It was a bit overblown, frankly, but cool nonetheless. I look forward to seeing these guys some more.

Zoe--was it Zoe--I think it was--she sang a song she said was inspried by The Prince by Machiavelli. Most of her performance was from a position on her knees or supine.

###

Tonight - Wednesday, May 12, 2010

2010-05-12T14:22:00.001-07:00

Tonight there are performances all over the place that will test your loyalties and abilities to navigate public transit. As I started to list them all--and the locales--Sidewalk, Cake Shop, Goodbye Blue Monday, Webster Hall, Lilly Coogan's, it made me realize that that the scene that I think of as emanating from Sidewalk really has become rather far flung. For a moment I thought that maybe it wasn't possible to look at this as part of one scene anymore. But, to my sensibility, I do still think there are links and continuity between all these artists and that it's worth recognizing the connections and the ongoing lineage. So, even as things morph and evolve around us, I am going to continue to write about the "Sidewalk Scene" and assume that anyone with a specific enough interest to read this blog will know what that encompasses. And, of course, there still IS the scene at Sidewalk going strong.

Ok, --I'll probably get around to writing more about that stuff some other time, but for now, here is some of what's happening tonight:

at Goodbye Blue Monday Nan Turner celebrates the release of her CD "Construction of a Champ." The evening features performances by a slate of intriguing and talented folks including Susan Hwang, "Jofranna", Dave End, and Nan herself with a large group of friends backing her up as The One Night Stands.

Cake Shop has Only Son and Ching Chong Song on the bill.

Lach's slate at Webster Hall includes an appearance by our friend Joie Blaney, making a rare visit from L. A. Also on that bill is Mike Rechner with his new project Churchill Downs plus Lenny Molotov and Lach himself.

Sidewalk has added an intriguing set by Anders and Co., which I gather will feature folks who were among the regular gang at Sidewalk.

Relative newcomer Charles Mansfield debuts his EP at Lilly Coogan's

I will be at one or more of these shows. And maybe I'll see you there.

Monday Night Open Mic, April 12, 2010

2010-04-13T04:07:00.001-07:00

Isaac Gillespie filled in as host for Ben K. last night. After showing some nerves during a bit of a wobbly monologue, Isaac did great, nicely handling the introductions and transitions with the proper amount of humor, banter, and forward motion.

The first act after Isaac was Bird to Prey--a gal who sang some captivating, gentle songs. From a quick Google search it looks as if Bird to Prey is Sarah Turk, originally hailing from Freemantle, Australia. One of her songs was a nice one called Peppertree Road. Check her out on MySpace.

Larkin Grimm is another performer I'd describe as captivating. Isaac noticed she was playing a 12-string electric guitar. Larkin has an unusual style that impresses me every time I see her play.

Next up --Giant Chink --Yes, Master Lee and Touching You are back with another band name. This one was focused as a Heavy Metal group. Master Lee was wearing a dramatic looking red fur and belting out a lot of "songs." He ended his set by saying "we don't rehearse."

Woodford Green - a guy/gal duo from England was next. Some nice tunes with her on accordion and he playing trumpet, guitar and ukulele.

Talia was back. Talia said "I'm Talia, I'm 12 years old, and I'm a musician." Talia's first song was "Never Been Kissed." Then she sng a song that she said she wrote " When I WAS in love." The song was Tornadoes. Gosh--the 12 year olds seem to have a lot of perspective on love these days.....maybe it was always like that and I just don't remember.

Eric -- nice stuff on piano - a good vibe

Yea for The Fools. I love The Fools.

Taylor Wagner had problem tuning her guitar, even with an electric tuner--She talked about how much it sucked being a waitress and then sang a song about it. She kind of belted her songs--at least at moments-- I'm sure we'll hear more from her.

Ben Pagano plays some nice bluesy piano. He did the sort of bluesy standard Hot Tamales and Red Hot.

I walked in to hear the conclusion of a song performed by Faye. Very cool thing where she was playing a kind of repeated chord riff while doing some very cool sort of wild vocals over it. Then she sang an a cappella song. Faye definitely has some interesting ideas going on. Hope to see her again too.

The Essentials -a duo of two guys on acoustic guitars.

As usual I wish I could have stayed around longer. Anyone else want to comment on the rest of the evening?

See you next time.

The Problem

2010-04-12T05:25:00.001-07:00

Too much good stuff going on, not enough time.

Here's a link to a very brief synopsis from the OJ Board by Steve Espinola of the Webster Hall show last Wednesday with Steve and with Mr. Patrick, Emily Hope Price, Diane Cluck, and Soft Black. Read through the links for comments by Jeff Lewis and others: click here

Sounds like it was a great show.

Lach has lots of cool stuff coming up at Webster Hall. I'm particularly intrigued by the chance to hear Hammell on Trial on May 19, an act I've heard a lot about but have never had the chance to see perform.

Lach Presents

OK-time to readjust the calendar - thanks Lach for making more late nights out inevitable.

Bushwick Book Club, April 6, 2010

2010-04-07T02:38:00.000-07:00

Susan Hwang has done a great job with the Bushwick Book Club cd. I got it last night and have already listened to a lot of it although with 58 songs, I have a way to go. What stands out is the very high quality of the songwriting. Some of this has to do with Susan's good judgment in the songs she chose to include. But it also is credit to the Book Club itself, which inspires such interesting creations. It's great to have this document of the Book Club's first year and also the snapshot of our broader scene that it represents. Tom Bayne's cover -- a class picture in caricature -- in visual form also captures the many characters who have contributed.

Last night's show marked the cd release and also a regular Book Club night focusing on Dolly Parton's autobiography. Susan kicked things off, Maria and Franz played remotely via Skype, a woman who's name I don't know was dressed as Dolly (sort of, I think) and did a fun yodelling number with audience foot stomping, The Hooters, three chicks (one on banjo, one on guitar and all on vocals), did a fun country-flavored number about how they've slept with everyone but so and so...you kind of had to hear it but it had a spoon playing and whistle blowing break down section. Some of the playing was a little wobbly but to me that was the hit of the night. It was a bit of a novelty number that you could kind of imagine at the Grand Ole Opry.

Angela Carlucci told a story about how Dolly's mother would cheer up her kids by asking them to go outside and find stones and the kid who needed the most cheering up had his or her stone put in the soup...Major Matt played in a blonde Dolly wig, Joe Crow did a number at the piano....

It was a fine and fun night....

The Tuesday Tea Cup followed and Preston played one of my favorite songs of his, Gardenias. The song is about senility, basically, but it had people dancing in the aisles, literally. Mark Palermo also played a Hendrix tune. Good going Mark.

Monday Night Open Mic, April 5, 2010

2010-04-07T02:08:00.000-07:00

Hello--I was just around a short while on Monday, but here's what I remember or at least wrote down....

Mr. Patrick told a story while playing a big chinese instrument.

Jon Berger read poems from his iPhone

Brian Vergara did a number a capella with foot stomping - it involved a chorus that went "are you hurt, are you sad....."

Olivia Gerber played two songs. She is definitely worth checking out...

I couldn't catch if it was Red Zepperin or Red Zeppelin, but the band formerly known as Chink Floyd, comprising Master Lee, Touching You, Ariel Bitran and Matt Winkler, played next. Master Lee was hilarious and did this running gag where he kept yelling a sort of Kung Fu yell into the microphone. [I've been corrected-see comment below] He also made jokes about activities he'd like to pursue with 14 year-old girls, only to be followed on stage by:

Talia (?) a 14 year-old girl who was as 14 years old as a 14 year old could be. Except she might have been 13. She sang a couple songs about love...keep doing it Talia. Life is better with songs.

Larkin Grimm played--performing with a small harp. She was joined by Cindy who accompanied with lovely ideas on bass and also sang with Larkin.. They were excellent. Unusual and beautiful stuff. The first song was "Mina Minou...your body is gone, almost gone." Check out another version of it here: Mina Minou

Let's take a second to mention all the bad harp jokes that ensued...

I didn't catch the name of the second song but it was a lovely, gentle tune.

Brook Pridemore broke out a cover of Dancing Queen. Ben K. put on the disco lights and then rushed up on stage to add the piano part. The two Dancing Queens, Jon Berger and Joe Crow Ryan shook their respective bodies in the middle of the room. It was all kind of silly but also was one of those amazing Sidewalk moments where you are swept up into an impossible and joyful few minutes of pure fun.

Yikes, I missed it

2010-03-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

If you read this blog, chance are you've already seen the following note over at the OJ Board about the night of Major Matt songs at Sidewalk Tuesday. For missing it I should be forced to pay $2 for extra pita. In any event, maybe you haven't seen this, so here's at least a little info about the night from Jeff Lewis...I Heart Major Matt

3-21-2010 Debutante Hour CD Release Show

2010-03-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

I've written any number of times about how much I enjoy the shows put on by my pals The Debutante Hour, so it would be redundant of me to go on at length about their great vocal harmonies, strong songwriting, charm, wit, coordinated outfits, and good looks. But, I must report the truth. The Debutantes put on a thoroughly entertaining show at Mercury Lounge Sunday night, at the CD release show of their album "The Birth and Death of Meaning." The trio was in fine form, performing songs that are mostly part of their regular set, but throughout the night the pieces were supplemented by other musicians, most of whom played on the record. So, trumpet, violin, clarinet, extra percusssion (by Nan Turner) etc, were featured in songs like Devil Song, Croak Hiss and Sputter, and others. During Miracle Birth, the Debutante Hour's crack Cigarette Girl and her assistants gave birth to the new cd by sliding them in succession down a red banner (they were then hawked by the pillbox wearing cigarette girl through the crowd). There also was a performance in Spanish by Dan and Danny in matching black bow ties and vests. The Debutantes performed their cover of No Scrub and finished off with an upbeat Ukranian song. Schwervon opened with a fine set. Matt looked a bit like Andre Agassi with his Schwervon headband. A splendid time was had by all.

Lach's Antihoot, Tuesday, March 16

2010-03-17T03:05:00.000-07:00

Lach's Antihoot got off to a new start last night at Webster Hall. I wandered up about 7:20 or so and saw some familiar faces outside, Debe Dalton chiefly among them. The room inside is large and kind of slick, with comfortable places to sit. There's a stage with a cool back drop that looks like a big wrought iron fan--a kind of Art Deco look. Lach is stationed behind plexiglass partitions in a booth at the back of the room. There's a large bar to the left of the stage. Leading into the main room is a side room that I have a feeling will become like the Sidewalk basement, a place to hang out, practice, chat. While hanging around before things got going, I had this disorienting moment from encountering Lach as Antihoot host in a new setting. After all, the pattern and rhythms of the Sidewalk open mic nights hosted by Lach had grown so familiar over the years.

The crowd was kind of slow to build and Lach delayed sign up a little. Unfortunately I had to leave for a while and so wasn't there for the evening's kick-off, but from what I heard it was pretty much as usual with Lach explaining the ropes of how the evening works. I came back later in the night and somehow things felt more familiar. Bernard was hanging around and people were singing their hearts out on stage.

It seemed to be a kind of quiet kick-off for the Antihoot. There were any number of folks from Sidewalk there: Master Lee and Mr. Patrick, Steve Espinola, Vin, Charles Mansfield, Don Cameron, Rob Shapiro. There also were other performers who seemed new to the scene, who somehow found out about the Antihoot, and there was also a group of mysterious folks in darkened areas along the wall who were hanging out. But the large room made it feel as if it was a little sparsely populated. The new event probably does need some time before it catches on but I have no doubt it will.

As usual, even in the brief time I was there, I heard some really interesting music, some of it from folks I wasn't at all familiar with. Is there a bottomless source of people in New York needing to express themselves? It seems so. The greatness of open mics is the opportunity given to anyone who has the urge, the drive, the desire to tell the world how they feel. Even with Lach back as host, this one will probably take on a character that's different than what came before. So, let's say welcome to the new Antihoot, and thanks for providing us a stage.

Debe Dalton's Birthday Show, Sunday, March 14

2010-03-17T02:40:00.000-07:00

Debe Dalton's seat has been labeled in bronze. I think it was Master Lee and Rick Patrick who took care of that. Now there's a little Debe Dalton plaque on the wall down front. Well, we all KNEW it was Debe Dalton's seat anyway, but now it's official.

It was a fun night all around Sunday at Debe's birthday show, with some nice performances.

Myron the Magnificient kicked things off with his amazing magic--Myron is still refining his act a little and one new trick truly flopped. But the rest of the show seemed to go well. A highlight was making a signed handkerchied disappear from the stage and then reappear inside a salt shaker on a table in the middle of the room. How'd you do it Myron? As always the lovely Vera Lynn assisted.

Gillian Visco was next. I hadn't seen Gillian play in a while, but I don't remember her playing electric guitar, which is what she used the other night. Gillian played a series of lovely, kind of mellow songs, including Floatation Devices and The Front Row, which was a request from Debe. I need to check out Gillian's stuff further, but some her songs have some quite rich and poetic lyrics. She does a lot of kind of finger pick-y stuff on the guitar for accompaniment.

Barry Bliss played his cool biography song, with all the details of his life. He had another one called American Dream....a sort of ironic song about the state of things. He also played a song about Rasputin and one about becoming free. Barry looked a little like Rasputin the other night.

Susan Hwang played a great set. Her songs are very strong and her singing is amazing. Even though I've heard most of her songs numerous times, I was still noticing new things in the lyrics--particularly in this song Parking.

Debe started with a Carter Family song, "Over the Garden Wall." She sang "Close the Door" as a duet with Susan. She did the best version of her song Tuesday, Wednesday that I can remember hearing....it's one that I love. Other songs: Normal, Ed's Song, Oh Susannah, Butcher's Boy, and Crackle (?) a new song about missing her friends while she's stationed out of town. My love for Debe's songwriting and performing knows no bounds, as I've written before. Her show the other night was again evidence why.

Ching Chong Spng also played a great set. Their stuff is so incredibly musical. They were in trio form the other night with Dan, Julie and Susan (making her appearance in the fourth set of the night). Madeleine, MIning, Rorissa, Dreaming, and Old Man were some of the songs they played.

Tonight: Debe Dalton's Birthday - with Myron the Magnificent

2010-03-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited about Debe Dalton's birthday celebration tonight. It's a great bill all around and kicks off at 7:30 with an appearance by Myron the Magnificent. Myron, as you may know, is the magician who has recently turned up at Sidewalk to make his comeback after an unfortunate incident with swords and fire temporarily forced him from his home theatre in Las Vegas. However thanks to the good work of his attorney, Ira Blitz, Myron is back ready to astound and amaze you.

It's a stellar night all around with some of Sidewalk's most interesting acts out to pay tribute to Ms. Dalton. Hope to see you there.

Sunday, March 14
Sidewalk Cafe
Debe Dalton's Birthday Celebration

7:30-Myron The Magnificant, 8-Gillian Visco, 8:40-Barry Bliss, 9:15-Susan Hwang, 10-Debe Dalton, 11-Ching Chong Song

Monday Night Open Mic, March 8, 2010

2010-03-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

This will be really quick. So, a few friends who I hadn't seen at the Open Mic in a long while were on hand the other night. I ran into Lance Romance who hadn't been there on a Monday in ages. It just so happened on the same night Debe Dalton was in town, sitting in her regular down front spot. But Lance didn't realize anything was out of the ordinary --just thought there was Debe as usual--even though she's been away for a while too. Also, was glad to see Pablo Das in a surprise appearance --visiting from L. A.

There was lots of good music played. Isaac Gillespie filled in hosting for a bit too.

Hey Dudes - Who Gets to Have the Antifolk Fest?

2010-02-28T17:06:00.001-08:00

Lach's New Deal at Webster Hall

Wow. Lach just sent out a dealio saying he's booking two nights a week at Webster Hall. Tuesday nights starting March 16 will feature The Antihoot (!) and Wednesdays (starting March 23) will feature a bill of 4 acts. Tuesdays will be free (no minimum) with sign-up at 7. There will be a five-dollar cover on Wednesdays, again with no minimum.

This is an interesting development on many levels. What jumps right out are questions of how this will affect the shape of things in our little community of performers. Lach founded the Sidewalk Open Mic and then after fifteen years left it in the capable hands of Ben Krieger who has kept it going as the City's preeminent open stage. Now Lach comes back to establish a new open mic on a different night. Will this shake things up at Sidewalk? Will the scenes at the two separate clubs have different feels/characters? Who will have claim as the home of Antifolk? Will it be like Ray's and Original Ray's?!

Well, I'm sure that the scene or at least the City can support two strong Open Mics on different nights. There certainly are no lack of artists looking for places to play. Above all, I'll bet it will be great for us performers who will have more options now. I know I'll be glad to have another place in Manhattan where I might be able to get a gig. Lach sent a link that has photos of the Webster Hall venue and it's a nicely restored space that can hold an audience of up to 500. Marlin Room.

By the way, I like the idea of a small cover charge for Lach's Wednesday night gigs as opposed to the tip jar method. While I don't mind pitching in a little for acts at Sidewalk, frankly I find the tip jar an annoyance. It interrupts the shows, it puts guilty pressure on people, and the artists don't even get all the money. Really I'd just rather pay at the door and be done with it, at least if the door charge is reasonable. Yeesh--had to get that off my chest--sorry Ben!

Angela and Toby at Sidewalk, February 20, 2010

2010-02-28T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hi-I came across this video of Angela Carlucci, performing with Toby Goodshank at her Sidewalk Show on Saturday the 20th. This song is gorgeous.

Submissions Wanted

2010-02-28T12:45:00.001-08:00

Hey You

If you have any interest in writing about artists and performances for this blog, please let me know.

Right now I'd particularly be interested in coverage of the nights of the Festival that are missing here. That would be the shows this past Wed and Thurs, Feb 24 and 25th.

However, In general the idea as it says above is to cover the performances and other creative activities stemming from the community of artists surrounding Sidewalk Cafe. I define the connection to Sidewalk by some sort of internal logic, but usually it's pretty obvious who or what qualifies for coverage here and things can be pretty broadly defined.

One priority is to provide a sense of what's currently happening on the scene, but I think just as important is building up a base of history that folks can search in the future. My focus has been on documenting performances but if you are interested in album reviews, artist profiles, or any more creative types of write-ups, photo coverage, whatever, that would be cool too. One intention is to showcase the long lineage of folks who have been connected to Sidewalk over the years. Lots of folks have moved out of New York or perform mostly on tour so out of town write ups would definitely be of interest.

I can be reached at thirdclassmail [aaattttt] earthlink [dotttt] net

Herb

The Fest, Catching Up, February 18, 2010

2010-02-28T10:50:00.001-08:00

Going all the way back to the 18th, which seems like eons ago...first off, check out an earlier post for some words about Blurple who opened the show that night. Charles Mansfield was up next with a series of emotional songs, including one about a tatooed gal and another that references Frank Sinatra attempting suicide in a hotel elevator. I can't verify that Frank Sinatra did try suicide in an elevator but it's an effective hook for a song....

I wanted to mention the return of Lance Romance (playing as MILF City) to Sidewalk after a long time away. It was great to hear songs like Sexy Bowler Girl, Mrs. Doubtfire and the one about Andre the Giant's Posse. Although Lance seemed a little more low key than I remember him, it was still a nice set--although, ok, truthfully I did wish he would have played the urinal song! Sorry I didn't get to say hello Lance.

Barry Bliss has developed a beard of remarkable proportion. He is putting to shame the Amish and Chasidic people I know. I really liked this long song he did in which he told his life story in detail. I usually find that specific life details in songs have to be handled carefully or the songs can sound like bad diary entries. But Barry's song was nothing but specific detail-- and somehow in that way it was broadly relevant.

Emily Moment sang this interesting song about whether or not to sing political songs (In the middle of it she ends up quoting that Rod Stewart song Maggie May as an example of a pop hit that steered away from politics). I hadn't heard that one before and it was a cool way of actually touching on politics even though that seems not to be Emily's particular bent.

Bernard King put together a roster of nearly 20 performers who focused on work by or relating to Hans and Sophie Scholl, young German dissidents who stood up against the Nazis and were eventually sentenced to death for their outspokenness. Folks like Preston, Charles Mansfield, Randi Russo, Magali and Andrew Hoepfner, among others, read works by Hans and Sophie or sang relevant songs. It was an interesting way to be introduced to a touching part of history.

Jason Trachtenburg's group The Pendulum Swings featured a trumpet and tenor sax, as well as bass and drums plus Jason on the piano. The larger group enabled Jason to step away from the piano some and sing at the front of the stage. Jason played some of the songs we've come to know and love---Everybody Loves the Clown, Must Be Somebody's Birthday, I Don't Want to Tempt Time. The horn players took some jazzy solos too...

It was late as heck by then and I couldn't stay for Smoke.

Antifolk Fest, Friday, February 26, 2010

2010-02-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

I always promise myself I'm going to stay on top of writing up the Fest shows, and sometimes I even get off to a good start as I did this year. I thought the strategy of live write-ups while at Sidewalk would help, but it turned out I couldn't get everything down between sets. Well, now's the time, even after the fact, that I try to catch up a little. Fest burnout and life in general intervened a bit toward the end and so I ended up missing some shows I wish I'd seen .

The Fest Wrapped up Friday, coming to a conclusion with a great set by The Wowz.

I arrived at the tail end of The Fools set....I was coming straight from a rehearsal, so I had a good excuse for being late.... Anyway, I heard one of my favorite Fools songs, the one that pays tribute to parents.

The Debutante Hour played next. Those gals get better and better every time I see them. Their harmonies are so tight and well constructed. Plus, I appreciate the fact that they always pay attention to a unified look on stage (nice outfits gals). They debuted a cover of TLC's song "No Scrubs" last night and handled several other of their hits, like Devil Song and Miracle Birth. The Debutante Hour, if you've never seen them, comprise Susan Hwang and Maria Sonevytsky, who trade off on accordion and other instruments (Susan played a lot of percussion the other night) and Mia Pixley who plays cello. They have a great sound and are working on a new cd which I'm looking forward to.

The Debutante Hour was followed up by Myron the Magnificent. Myron is kind of an exasperated magician, struggling with mishaps in his career, an overbearing "magic mom" and problems with his assistant, Vera Lynn. Still, he has the power to amaze, as he did Friday by piercing a balloon with a long needle without popping it, producing coins magically from the air, and passing ropes through an audience volunteer. Myron and I are very close--you might even say we're practically alter egos--and I was glad to support him in his debut at Sidewalk Cafe

Crazy and the Brains rocked the hall with a supplemented group that featured Mike Winkler playing an inverted bass drum and Joe Crow shaking it on various percussion instruments from the side of the stage. (I'm not sure if Joe Crow was invited to perform or just joined in.) I'm starting to get much more into the Crazy aesthetic. It's pretty cool to mix the punk rock/acoustic style with percussion instruments like xylophone or glockenspiel or whatever it is that is played by "The Brains," (who is an excellent musician). Right now I can't stop singing End of the World, Saturday Night Live, and Sexy Magazine.

Despite the snow Don McCloskey filled up Sidewalk yet again. Don is a charismatic performer who really has command of the stage and of his audience. His fans seem to know the lyrics to all his songs and singing along is a big part of the show. Don mixes folk and hip-hop, with hip-hop taking command to a large extent last night. Friday he drew on Jeff from Crazy in the Brains to sit in playing the Glockenspiel on Don's song about...a Glockenspiel. He also debuted on piano a funny song he wrote about men's figure skating. And he dedicated Dance Like a Jackass, to Jon Berger who did just that with hilarious extremity.

Next up was Lach who performed an energetic set that also spun off into monologues and comic pieces like his impersonation of Jim Morrison as Batman. There was a song I hadn't heard before which Lach introduced as stemming from a period staring too long a Monet's water lillies. I can understand how those amazing paintings would inspire a song, and this one was cool, intertwining colors and numbers and language. Several of the familiar Lach songs like Jet City, Hey, and Ungrateful seemed to have extra zest. Maybe it was just me, but there was kind of a coherence to it all, even with the comic tangent. The Batman/Morrison connection came because Val Kilmer played both roles. Lach also did some schtick about short poems, and sang the Spiderman and Gigantor themes as lead ins to a request for Stephen Said.

Toby Goodshank played a cool Barry Bliss cover and also spoke extensively about a couple he'd witnessed earlier in the night involved in some interesting back end byplay. I'm sorry that I had to step out for some of Toby's set but the crowd was rapt so it seemed he rocked.

I've been fan of The Wowz for a while and have been intrigued by their interest in an early 1960s style of vocal harmonies. But it had been a while since I'd heard them and now, it seems that Julie Lamendola has joined Sam Grossman, Simon Beins, and Johnny Dydo as a permanent part of the group. Things have developed in a really interesting way, with Julie's amazing vocals providing a strong counterbalance to the singing by Sam, Simon and Johnny. Plus, the whole group seemed "rockier" with more reliance on electric guitar. There were some really nice musical interludes that involved trading off and overlapping playing on saw and guitar. A nice way to close the Fest.

Stay tuned for a wrap up of lots of other shows yet to be covered.....

###

Monday Night Open Mic, February 21, 2010

2010-02-23T04:10:00.000-08:00

Lach hosted the Open Mic last night. It's always a nice familiar feeling to find the old guy in the driver's seat now and then. The place was crowded as hell last night. According to Lach there were 80 acts signed up.

Here are some notes about just a few of the folks who played (and forgive me if I happened to miss you!)

Brook Pridemore played a new song - "Blood in my mouth, pain in my eyes, I have arrived"

Amanda at the piano played a song about another girl named Amanda who liked her boyfriend.

Richard Chanel (Sp?) played some cool stuff - harmonica and guitar - very Dylan influenced. --

Hank and Pigeon --- I find Morgan Herringer's stuff quite beautiful. She and Alex P. did a lovely set..."When I die will you cut me to pieces and put me in a vegetable garden?"

Albert Goold plays some wild stuff on piano and writes some cool music. His first song was sung with a friend Drew Boy" and they did some cool vocal stuff --overlapping lines, interesting intervals on repeated syllables....lots of ideas streaming from Albert's hands and mind.

Seth of Dufus --- what stood out is that a guy came on stage and poured water into Seth's mouth while he was playing, which Seth used to musical effect by gargling and singing with the water in his throat. Seth's stuff often is a stream of wild vocalizing with a fair amount of gibberish lyrics. It was a nice moment to see Lach and Seth together, something Lach called attention to, because neither of them are on the scene that much these days I gather Seth was a regular some point back.

Dan Costello and Rachel Devlin played a new song - Wo Banana (or Woe Bananan?) which was all about bananas. It was cool....They also did the one "I don't want to die with poison"

Myron the Magnificent pulled coins from the air and from people's ears and caps and glasses. He then turned all the coins into gpld chocolate pieces. Myron performs Friday as part of the Antifolk Fest

It turns out Myron also is a reasonably decent pianist and co-hosted Lach's game show What the Fuck? Jon Berger and Miles were the two contestants (they lost)

Boo Hoo played a song called Woody Allen that seemed to mostly be about a plane crash.

Cal Folger Day did a bluesy tune about that old frisco train.

Antifolk Fest, Sunday, February 20, 2009

2010-02-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

This blog has always sought guest correspondents. And finally it got one. Man on the scene, Jonathan Berger, filed the following report on last night's shows:

By Jonathan Berger

Just around seven, the show started with the first part of I Heart You. The room was about half-filled, surprisingly crowded for a Sunday night. Maybe it was the Festival; maybe it was because of the Circle Jerk that is I Heart You. When you invite a bunch of local characters to pay respect to each other by covering their material, everybody wants to go out to see if their material will get attention.

Ben Krieger started on piano, doing a Domino song about saloon drinking. I didn't recognize it, or Chris Maher's who did a dirge by, I believe, Christine.

Neil Kelly, who once recorded an album of Thomas Patrick McGuire songs, instead covered the Wowz track, "Sexually Depressed About the Lack of Jameses."

Jordan Levinson introduced her Everybody Knows cover by referring to rock envy. "I don't play rock," she said, "but I wish I did. So this is a really good thing."

Peter Dizozza covered Steve Espinola's "You've Lost Everything," a song he’d helped Steve play just on Friday during the Lookalikes Reunion set. After a verse it transitioned into another Steve song, "Inside and Blue." Dizozza suckered me with his musical zigzag.

Charles Mansfield introduced "Tidewater Rising" by mentioning that the songwriter was in the audience to hear it. "I just saw Dan Costello before I got on stage," Charles explained "Now I'm a lot more nervous."

Brian Speaker started off tuning, explaining that he was covering Debe Dalton. The audience laughed. He went on to cover a song from the Bushwick Book Club songwriting collective, ending the track about fairyland by stating, "I heart Phoebe Kreutz."
Round one of I Heart You completed, some folk chatted while the stage transitioned into longer sets.

Lach suggested "What do you think: an I Hate You night. You cover people whom you hate - or, if you're paranoid, someone you think hates you."

Everybody around liked the idea.

At 7.30 was Philadelphia's Blown Away, featuring Sammy Shuster on songs, a saw/triangle/percussion player, and a video display featuring images that complemented the songs. Sammy occasionally turned to watch the computer screen, perhaps unsure what was being generated.

Cal Folger Day followed at eight with a percussionist in tow. Cal has always seemed pretty good to me (something about her reeks genuine), but I haven't heard any other critical opinion about her, so I'm not prepared yet to weigh on her.

Ray Brown hit the stage at 8.30. Starting with a small instrumental piece, he said, while applause died, "This is about good as it's gonna get."

His next song put the lie to that statement; featuring the phrase "theater of douchebaggery."

Ray's last song had a female guest vocalist and was his I Heart You contribution. Starting with a line from Herb Scher's "Tower Records is Gone," Ray went into Lach's “Drinking Beers with Mom. He’d also done it on Monday at the Open Mic; it was interesting to hear an audience react to the song without identifying with the specific artist. On Monday, Ray got laughter on different lines than Lach would.

9.30 saw the second round of I Heart You. Starting with Crazy & the Brains. Covering Toby Goodshank, Crazy said, “We had thought it was called ‘Track One’ but it's actually called ‘Pulled Pork.’ So, uh… let's go.”

Domino followed, playing through Somer’s “Sean's Song.” I recognized it because of the chorus: “HiFi stereo at your burial…”

Morgan Herringer performed with Cal Folger Day. Threatening to cover Supercute, they instead did a Shivers’ song. The next act introduced himself as “Dan Crow Costello,” and aped Joe Crow Ryan’s stage shtick to a T before hitting the piano and banging out one of the rare Crow originals.

Preston Spurlock covered Dibs, “A man who’s been in more bands than anyone else in this room,” including a couple in which they both play.

Mike Winkler did Crazy and the Brains’ “Saturday Night Live.” While a much better singer, Winkler lacked confidence in the lines, thus leaving his version inferior. In general, the covers on command that were presented on Sunday were less than the originals - mine certainly were. If you don't cover a song as a true labor of love, it's bound to feel like it. Still, the audience joined in with Winkler, really getting into the song.

Jon Berger did three pieces about the AF Experience. Instead of singing, he read the lines. He took more time than he should, presumably thinking he had special privileges. Dick. (Disclaimer: Jon Berger wrote this entry - along with this disclaimer. Dick.)

Sam Grossman and Alex P finished the line-up of I Heart You. P covered Timothy Showalter, from PA. “This guy is why I’m playing and writing songs,” he explained, before launching into a song about community. A perfectly clear ending note for a series of performances about that very subject.

Antifolk Fest in the News

2010-02-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

Below are two blurbs about the Antifolk Fest. One is from Friday's NY Times and the other from Time Out New York in August. I find it interesting that coverage of the Antifolk Fest usually at some point gets around to referring to the performers as oddballs, misfits, or miscreants. In fact, the Times chose not to refer to any specific artists playing but just to mention "more than 70 misfit acts." Now, I'm not necessarily upset to be called a misfit. In fact my whole show this year is kind of ABOUT being a misfit, but I wonder if the music writers could find something a little more illuminating to say rather than just lumping everyone together in the category of odd. Let me make sure to say that it's nice to be mentioned at all, but, unrealistic as it may be, it would be nice if there was a little more depth to their description of the artists on the scene.

NY Times

ANTIFOLK FESTIVAL (Friday through Thursday) Antifolk is one of those know-it-when-you-see-it genres, although it’s built, loosely, on the notion that folk music doesn’t have to be so serious (and that punk music doesn’t have to be so violent). This winter’s Antifolk Festival, which began on Monday and runs through next Friday, features more than 70 misfit acts. Schedule and information: sidewalkmusic.net. Sidewalk Café, 94 Avenue A, near Sixth Street, East Village , (212) 473-7373; no cover, two-drink minimum. (Amanda Petrusich)

Time Out New York, August 2009
Music
Top live show
Antifolk Festival

Sidewalk Café
Sidewalk Café; Fri 7–Aug 16
For a quarter century, artists working the margins of New York music have clustered under the Antifolk rubric, a broad scene that keeps a safe haven in the back of the East Village’s Sidewalk Café. As the leather-jacketed warriors parading St. Marks Place have given way to the gentler souls of Bedford Avenue, the Antifolk world has remained a persistent alternative: less a stylistic meeting ground than a free-for-all built from the democracy of the open mike. It is no coincidence that the luminaries sprung from this world—Beck, the Moldy Peaches, Nellie McKay, Regina Spektor—have all been stubborn aberrations, unattached to any larger cultural movement.

Randomly dropping by Sidewalk can be a risky endeavor: Not every performer is the world’s next Beck. A smart time to pop in is during the Antifolk Festival, which takes over the club for a week or so every August. This year’s lineup reflects the breadth inherent to this creative bloc. It includes some reigning stars: Jason Trachtenburg and his daughter, Rachel, of the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, perform on Saturday 8, and Larkin Grimm, an astonishingly slanted folksinger, plays August 16. But the festival extends to a raft of oddballs and miscreants who are less heard and worth hearing. Elizabeth Devlin croons brassy dreams over Autoharp August 14, while Debe Dalton presents old-world banjo laments Saturday 8. Talking Stick pairs the singular performance artists Master Lee and Mr. Patrick August 16. There are also singing rabbis, outsider legends and local nuts—watch your back, Bowery Ballroom.—Jay Ruttenberg

Read more: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/music/77122/antifolk-festival-at-sidewalk-cafe-concert-preview#ixzz0g7Tt2sLN

Antifolk Fest, Friday February 19, 2010

2010-02-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

As usual I'm getting behind in writing up these Festival shows. I started off doing it live right there at Sidewalk, which I thought would make it easier to keep up--the idea being I could dash out a short post between sets--but so far I'm not as good at dashing out quick items as I would like.

I did, however, want to mention last night's set with the Lookalikes. It was quite a surprise to find that two guys who look so much alike are both also such damn good songwriters. I've always liked Steve Espinola's songs quite a bit but his partner Alex Wolf, it turns out, writes some equally rich stuff. They performed one of Alex's songs about a year he lived in England as an awkward 11 year-old and another great song by Alex that was requested--called Old Man--about his grandparents. Steve also pulled out his electric tennis racquet and masterminded some audience participation, and I think somehow Peter Dizozza even ended up on stage playing on a song. Steve also played some cool piano solos with bits of clashing notes in all the right places. This is the type of show where afterward you go 'I wish I could hear that all over again'. but anyway it stood out as one of the better, more moving sets of the Festival so far. I was halfway to the busstop before I realized I should've bought the Lookalikes cd---Lifeophobia--so I ran back and got it.

Antifolk Fest, Live, February 18, 2010

2010-02-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

Blurple (who just played) is the type of act we need more of around here. Kind of weird avant gardy stuff They even had a song called Avant Schmavant Garde Schmant, or something like that. Another of their ditties elucidated the steps for making grilled cheese, and yet another featured a sort of chant of the lyrics: "Hey Kids, Don't You Smoke, Hey Kids You Will Choke. Blurple consisted of a guy who mostly played acoustic guitar but also played the piano with his foot on one song and a girl who played a variety of things including a hollowed out gourd whistle. Somehow Blurple, I think, came from a combination of the names of the two members of the group.

Antifolk Fest, February 16, 2010

2010-02-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

Jeff Lewis: Jeff started off with a new song...it was about trading time...essentially it was about how to be great, how to use the time you have to learn something new, unique....

He also did covers of three songs from the 1950s: "Endless Sleep" by Jody Reynolds and the Storm, The Fang, by Nervous Norvus, and a Tom Lehrer song about when we all die.

Another new one was a song about green sludge. Yes, it was about something called "Crongu" the best green sludge around. (I'm not really sure if that is how you spell "Crongu" by the way. Could be Krongu or Crongoo or Crongue etc.

Jeff also performed one of his documentary films, a new one about the fall of the Roman Empire.

As usual Jeff's set was rich with compelling and interesting material. It had at least three new pieces and three covers I'd never heard him play before. That's a lot of new material and a lot of ideas for someone who could coast a lot more on his established "hits" if he wanted to.

Unfortunately I had to leave before hearing The Everybody Knows. Man these shows go late.

Antifolk Fest, Live, February 16, 2010

2010-02-16T20:05:00.000-08:00

Lots of fun to watch the epic Mars Chronicles again. Last time I think I was overly focused on finding the "meaning" of the piece rather than just enjoying the songs, the singing, and the playing. The show is Brian Speaker's sci-fi epic...looking at interplanetary peace, love, and understanding. Nice performances....a very tight job on some complex material.

Next up....Jeff Lewis

Antifolk Fest, Live, February 16, 2010

2010-02-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

I had no intention of doing this but Doug Johnson saw my laptop and said "hey, you liveblogging the Fest?" And after about two seconds I thought--well, why not?

Just saw a cool set by Master Lee. I will write about it in more depth, but I love Master Lee's combination of psychology, and comedy, and personal narrative. It's well-constructed, meaningful stuff.

Before that Larkin Grimm performed a set of stark, beautiful songs, accompanying herself mostly on electric guitar but also on a small harp for one song. On guitar, rather than accompany herself harmonically, she mostly played fuzzed out melodic lines that duplicated or went along with the melodies of her vocals.

Brian Speaker's company is now getting set up for The Mars Chronicles. Brian in his rhinestone gown; Ben Kreiger on synthesizer; Dan Costello, piano; Rachel Devlin, Emily Moment, Ariel Bitran vocals; Scott Loving on guitar; Nate Goheen, bass; John Rubin drums.

Show is starting. More later

Antifolk Fest

2010-02-15T04:43:00.000-08:00

The Antifolk Fest kicks off at the open mic tonight and somehow I find myself writing from Orlando, Florida. Although I can't be there tonight, I am sure I will be hanging out at Sidewalk most nights of the Fest. Looking at the schedule reveals so many shows to look forward to. At the moment, what looks like a highlight to me is the February 20 show with all those fabulous women, including an appearance by Debe Dalton who remains at the heart of the Sidewalk scene even though she has been temporarily stationed in upstate New York. I'm also looking forward to the return of Lance Romance (billed as MILF City). It's been a long while since Mr. Romanace has played Sidewalk. One of the first nights I was there, Lance pounded the piano with his feet during a song about bees.

I also want to make sure to mention my close pal Myron the Magnificent who makes his Sidewalk Cafe debut on the 26th. Myron is a third generation conjurer who will astound you with his feats of legerdemain. Myron has achieved great acclaim on the stages of Las Vegas and at birthday parties and bar mitzvahs across the tri-state area. After some unfortunate problems during a performance of his famous flaming double sword penetration Myron had to take a break from the stage. However now that he's been exonerated of all charges, he returns to amaze you with his feats of wonder.

Take a look at the festival schedule. Ben has done a great job of creating a fest where just about every night holds unusual and rich promise. I will see you there.

Monday Night Open Mic, February 1, 2010

2010-02-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

Chloe Philip, Dan Asselin, Dorit and Isaac Gillespie. Four faces who hadn't been around in a bit returned the other night. Nice to see some folks from various earlier eras, and I was glad to be able to welcome Isaac back from his tour of a few weeks. Dorit convinced me to check out Live Band Karaoke down the street at Arlene's Grocery--an intense scene of a different sort than Sidewalk--an open event for performers of head banging rock and roll to accompaniment of a great backing band. It was cool to see a sort of parallel scene going on right nearby.

Friday, January 22, 2010

2010-01-25T00:40:00.001-08:00

I've been trying to find time to finish up this post...I do want to get something up about the big productions the other night, even though it's been more than a week now....so here's a quick write-up.

Friday was a night of extravaganzas, what with Brian Speaker's rock opera The Mars Chronicles and Level 2's puppet saga Love is Mud. It was interesting to see the pieces back to back and aside from anything else, the folks behind them deserve credit for their ambition and determination in pulling them off.

The Mars Chronicles tells the story of Apollo Vesta, who is sent to explore Mars and is the first earth explorer to walk on the planet's surface. While stranded, Apollo encounters an underground world, Eros, where he meets resistance from the underworld Commander Terminus. Even though I love musical theatre, I've never been a huge fan of rock operas, which often seem overblown. While I love the songs in Tommy, for example as a whole piece I've never found it terribly captivating. I had that feeling going into The Mars Chronicles, but I must say that, by the end it won me over. The songs range in style from gentle duets to epic narratives. There was some very nice singing in the lovely songs between Apollo (played by Brian) and his wife Aurora (sung by Rachel Devlin). Ariel Bitran nearly stole the show singing about the United Nations Space Organization (check it out on MySpace). I was particularly impressed by the lavish song "Media." I've heard Brian performing these songs one by one over the last year or so, but it was interesting to hear them in context. Brian's company comprised Ben Krieger, Rachel Devlin, Ariel Bitran, Dan Costello, and Emily Moment. The band featured John Rubin, Nate Goheen, Scott Loving, Ben Krieger (on some squealy synth sounds), Brian, and Dan Costello.

Level 2's Puppet production Love is Mud, which had a run of four nights at Sidewalk, was just as impressive, if not more. The piece is a musical love story between puppets, with all the tribulations of actual relationships. Ben Folstein is the driving creative force behind the project, but he had a company of musicians, singers and puppeteers with him to pull to pull it off. Runt of the Litter, a forlorn establishing song, is still stuck in my head from hearing it at the Open Mic and the performance the other night. There are numerous other well-written songs throughout including Excellent Choice, sung at the puppets' first big date. There's some explicit puppet sex, and later some heavy puppet drinking after the sad puppet break-up. The puppets are created in a deliberately rough-hewn paper maché style, but there was lots of clever design in the characters and scenes, including a moving subway. Ben, his musicians, and singer/actors were positioned stage right and a tall puppet theatre was set up center stage. I was very impressed by the show, especially considering the effort it must have taken to write all the material; make the puppets, stage, and scenery; cast, and rehearse it, etc. My memory of the specifics has grown a little hazy over the last week, and you kind of have to see it anyway to get the point. But it was amazing, actually, to see this world that Ben and his company created come to life.

I was glad to get a chance to hear a full dose of Patsy Grace. Patsy was a regular figure at Sidewalk well before my time but later moved out of New York. It seems she has recently returned and is hanging out at Sidewalk once again. She has a voice that has a bit of a catch to it, which gives a nice sound to her gentle and emotional songs. Patsy played with cellist Ken Hashimoto (?) which formed a nice blend. Hope to have a chance to hear Patsy again soon.

Monday Night Open Mic, January 18, 2010

2010-01-24T23:55:00.001-08:00

Monday marked the Sidewalk debut of magician Myron the Magnificent. Myron comes from a long line of magicians, going back to his grandfather, Mervyn the Magnificent, who was famous as the "King of Conjuring" in vaudeville stages in the 1920s and 30s. More about Myron in a minute.

Ben K kicked things off with a song about Darwin and then did Sting Ra.

Livening things up between sets was Corry, the puppet.

Level 2 played Excellent Choice and Runt of the Litter, two songs from the puppet extravaganza Love is Mud which Level 2 is performing over 4 nights starting later in the week. Nice songs. The melody of Runt of the Litter is definitely stuck in my head...

Brian Speaker also performed The Landing, a song from his epic, The Mars Chronicles. Brian also played another song at the piano...

The Fools introduced a cool new song...

I'd met John Murdock, but never seen him perform until the other night. John works making erotic balloons at Lucky Cheng's, a drag restaurant in New York, and his act draws on stories from his experiences there. Monday he focused on stories about opening and running Lucky Cheng's in Las Vegas. Pretty interesting and entertaining stuff.

Dibs-It was a nice suprise to see Dibs who I hadn't run into at the Open Mic in a while. Dibs played two really cool songs, Egg & Sea (not sure if that's the title) and Nathaniel.

Laura Bridget played a couple nice songs on piano. One of them was a tribute to her friend who had commited suicide.

Myron the Magnificent explained that because of a recent unfortunate incident with his flaming double sword penetration act he had to take a hiatus from the stage. But now, upon his return, he is performing the much safer double rope penetration. Myron then proceeded to demonstrate pulling two ropes straight through the body of a volunteer from the audience. Myron appears February 26 at the Antifolk Festival.

NIck Nace played a nice bluesy song--"take time in the morning for me"

Kate Lovejoy read a poem.

Monday Night Open Mic, January 11, 2010

2010-01-14T16:33:00.001-08:00

It had been a while since I'd lasted all the way till the end of a Monday night. I understand why the early slots usually feature acts with upcoming shows that need promoting, but I realized the other night that means that in those early hours those of us who are regulars are usually seeing acts with which we might already be familiar. It's in the later hours that the suprises appear.

I spent most of the early part of the night geeking out with Josh the Magician. Coins and cards were flying in the seats by the front window.

I did pop in to hear Ray Brown sing "My Garage Apartment." And a little later I watched Ku entertain with stories about how her family of 5 Korean siblings bored the hell out of family friends who came over and were forced to sit through a full-on recital by each kid. Very funny stuff from Ku.

The standout of the evening to me was Livia (or maybe Olivia) Gerber, who sang two really nice songs and got a gig. I loved Livia's voice which is a little unusual, and she seemed to have a kind of laid back attitude.

There was also the young woman who performed an a cappella rendition of a bluesy classic. She sang with so much over-the-top ornamentation and excessive nasal tonality that for the first time I had to bite my lip to keep from bursting out in laughter.

I was sorry I missed seeing the ballon guy after chatting with him downstairs. I was waiting and waiting but then got caught up in conversation.

The surprise novelty hit of the night was performed by Norm, a marshmellow of guy with a large Afro. Norm covered a rap tune...something about beat the pussy up...but in a folky-antifolky kind of style, accompanying himself on guitar. It was funny as all heck.

Emily Moment stayed till the end and played a nice song "here's to twenty nothing."

Also, 3gcrew were around. I still can't quite get the gist of what these guys are up to. I mean it's in the hip-hop vein, but the mc guy spits these verses, that sound like some sort of rapidfire robot talk. I'm not a skilled enough listener to detect any real words there. There's something entertaining about it, though.

I've been skipping over folks here and there, and if I skipped you, I'm sorry. Ben got up to do his set and kicked off with Here, There and Everywhere. He stuck with the Beatles tunes for just about his whole set (slipping in an original at the end). Those of us still there at that point were hopping on the stage and singing or playing along.

A handful of folks sat around afterward for tea: Level II, Emily, Ben and 1 or 2 others. We finally got kicked out about twenty to four.

It was nice to have a night where I didn't have work the next day so I could stay all the way through. It's still about being willing to sit and listen to waves of ambitious folks burning to express themselves. The payoff are the nuggets of greatness or oddness that you come across, and Monday had enough of both to remind me of what I have always found so compelling about Sidewalk Cafe.

Elastic No No Band CD Release at Brooklyn Tea Party, January 8, 2010

2010-01-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

Last night was the CD release show for Elastic No No Band's album Fustercluck at Brooklyn Tea Party. The album is an epic compilation of Justin's songs, (with some covers mixed in). There was more male pants dropping and shirt removing than I usually enjoy in an evening out, but it was a fun night with sets by Joe Crow Ryan, Thomas Patrick Maguire, Schwervon and Elastic No No.

Playing piano as an accompanist with ENB is a different experience for me than most of the other things I do. After a long time aborbing the form of the songs, I finally started getting an instinct for some more interesting musical ideas, especially ways to transition between chords. Last night I was trying to add some variety to the chord playing by putting in these ascending chords, like say when you move from B7 at the end of a verse to E maj at the top of the next. But you can't really do this sort of thing on the fly. Just now I was playing around with it at home and it sounds a lot better using diminished chords. Like: B7, then Db, D, Eb (all diminished) and then to the home chord E. This requires a ton of practice, and then you'd like to be able to do it in all keys. I wish there was a Sidewalk Cafe piano players forum or something. I'd love to be able to talk over some of these things or exchange ideas. Any piano players out there want to geek out on this stuff?

Kirk Kelly, Go Man Go Antifest, December 19, The Studio at Webster Hall

2009-12-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

I suppose I was seeking the holy grail of Antifolk the other night at Kirk Kelly's show recognizing the 20th anniversary of his record Go Man Go. The show on December 19 at Webster Hall's studio space, featured short sets from an extensive assortment of songwriters, including Kirk, Roger Manning, and Lach, who were among the crew of rejects from Folk City who in the mid 1980s came together around what they dubbed Antifolk.

However, it seems you can't go back in time. When I started coming around in 2004 and first became aware of the term Antifolk, to me it was connected to artists like The Moldy Peaches, Jeffrey Lewis, Major Matt, Nellie McKay, and Regina Spektor, where the seriousness of their songwriting was often balanced by a screwy, sideways perspective.

I always thought there was a straight line from those artists back to the early days of Lach, Kirk, Roger et al, but maybe that path wasn't as direct as I imagined. Much of what I heard the other night -- particularly from Kirk in the various configurations in which he played -- seemed tied more to traditional folk than to what I had associated with "Antifolk." Kirk's songs range over a variety of styles but two areas around which they tend to focus are labor and traditional Irish music. He expresses his political views fairly directly and I see connections to Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and others who were at the root of the "folk" genre. In fact Kirk covered a tune by another beloved "folk" stalwart, Phil Ochs.

One of the problems is that from the vantage point of today some of the distinctions in styles that were evident in the 1980s have blurred. Whatever was considered "folk" then very well must have clashed with the more strident, rebellious style of Kirk, Lach et al. But what happened after these antifolkers came together? Things centered around Lach's loft, then a variety of outposts such as Sophie's and the Chameleon. Then Lach went away for a year or something.

I have no way of really validating this but it is my sense that it was when he came back and established things at Sidewalk that a newer wave of songwriters associated with the later "Antifolkers" started forming. Now's the moment for that nagging "What is Antifolk?' question. It's really impossible to define what it was about that late 90s period that stands out so much and I hate lumping people together in categories. But without a doubt there was some kind of common sensibility running through the place that drew like-minded songwriters.

The differentiation was illustrated the other night when Jeff Lewis took the stage. For example, he played Will Oldham Horror one of his long, wordy patter-type songs, which mixes his ruminations about a life as an artist with a scene of being assaulted and raped by Will Oldham. What the fuck. To me this is a quite different angle than the kind of protest songs I heard from Kirk and the more straightforward styles of some of the other artists on the bill.

So, I'm suggesting there was a break in continuity between two periods, but in fact that's not entirely true, because, of course, the thread through it all was Lach. Lach created the atmosphere for all of this and with his personality and his own songwriting drew the people who came to play. So ultimately there IS a lineage to which we are all connected, one that continues today under the stewardship of Bee K. I still think it's a great scene and I'm glad to be part of the stream that runs from the 80s to now.

All that said, a bit more about what actually happened at the show the other night:

First off, I arrived early when some sort of filming of postmodern circus-y vaudeville performers was going on. All these slightly surreal yet spangly circus outfits clashed quite strongly with the rumpled Antifolk performers who were getting set up.

I quite enjoyed hearing Lach and Kirk play together (photo at right). They didn't quite announce themselves as The Folk Brothers, but I understand that's how they used to bill themselves. They gave a zesty performance with songs like Cigarettes and Whisky and a cool interpreation of the Velvet Underground's Femme Fatale.

There was a very solid sort of house band made up of John Kruth on mandolin and guitar, Dave Dreiwitz on bass, and Billy Figg on drums. They accompanied John S. Hall in what was essentially a cool country set, with songs like I'm Busted and Wallflower. I asked Lach if John had always been a country act and he sort of chuckled and explained that what he'd done with King Missile was more like spoken word over heavy metal. They also played with Lach and with Kirk and (I think) others throughout the night.

Erin Regan and Debe Dalton both played beautiful sets. Debe played a new song that she'd written during her time out of NYC. I have to hear it again to get the full gist--it has to do with missing her friends here in the City--and it seems as exquisite as anything else the young lass has written.

I really liked Kirk's song Go Man Go. He performs it with a ton of energy and chants out "Go Man Gooooouugghh" in this dramatic way. I will have to track down a copy of the disc.

Jeff Lewis did a couple of his illustrated movies--one about the Cuban Missle Crisis and another about the voyage of the Mayflower. He also played his "I Love Antifolk" song, sung to the tune of "I Love Rock n' Roll." I have to track down the lyrics to that. It was during Jeff's set that sloppy drunk girls started drifting in from Webseter Hall's upstairs rooms and disrupting things. Thankfully they soon moved on.

Kruth et al also played a set of their own which was pretty funky. Shows what you can do with a mandolin if you set your mind to it.

The complete bill--in the order they played as best as I recorded it, comprised: Roger Manning, Joe Hurley, Lach and Kirk, John S. Hall, Erin Regan, Kirk (solo), Debe Dalton, Lach (solo), Mike Rimbaud, Jeffrey Lewis, John Kruth, and Kirk again (with Paddy on the Railway[?]).

By the way, it was lightly snowing when we entered Webster Hall's studio around 7 p.m. There was a blizzard under way when we left well after midnight. A bunch of us ended up at a sports bar hunkering down with some fried food and beer.

Best ofs for Sidewalk Alums?

2009-12-21T17:34:00.000-08:00

My survey is anything but comprehensive, but so far the only Sidewalk alum I've seen appear in a major best of list is Nellie McKay, whose album Normal as Blueberry Pie was chosen by Ben Ratliff in the Times.

Any others?

Stolen from Lastup Larry @ OJ Board - Monday Night Open Mic, December 14, 2009

2009-12-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

I couldn't make it to Sidewalk last Monday. Lastup Larry wrote a report over at the OJ Board. Sounds like I should've been there....

LastUpLarry's Report

Kirk Kelly's Big Show at Webster Hall- Go Man Go 20th Anniversary

2009-12-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

If you're interested in the heritage of our little community of songwriters, you can't do better than the event upcoming this Saturday at Webster Hall, which celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Kirk Kelly's record Go Man Go. The extensive bill includes performances by Kirk, Lach, and Roger Manning, three of the folks who launched the Antifolk movement in the early/mid-1980s. Also performing are our friends Jeff Lewis, Debe Dalton, and Erin Regan--as well as John S. Hall--a figure whose name I've often seen referenced but have never had a chance to hear perform. Others on the bill are Joe Hurley, John Kruth, and Mike Rimbaud, and I've heard mumbled gossip that other folks have been invited to play. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. The event benefits the Artist Worker Action League. It starts at 6:30 or 7 p.m., depending on which part of Webster Hall's web site you believe. For more info:

http://websterhall.com/events/show_event_sub.php?id=793&size=small&cdate=2009-12-19

Monday Night Open Mic, December 7, 2009

2009-12-14T04:19:00.000-08:00

Can you tell me why people from Holland are referred to as Dutch? Shouldn't they be Hollanders or something (see below).

Ben Krieger brought in a theremin and kicked things off by using it on a couple of his standard tunes..There's a Squid on My Head and Mom and Dad play Rock and Roll.

Brian Speaker played a cool song that was called something like "And God Said," which I think he might have writen for the Bushwick Book Club's Bible Evening.

Ariel Bitran asked Ben to join him and accompany him on theremin. They played Deep Blue Lake, one of Ariel's songs based on Zelda and another called (maybe) You're Mr. Right. Anyway--I think it was on the first song Ben played an awesome theremin solo and the theremin throughout the song was cool.

A group I'd never heard called Historic District Commission consisted of a lead singer with two acoustic guitarists backing him up. They were pretty good--nice work from the guy who mostly played lead guitar and a nice sound from the vocalist.

Jason Trachtenberg played--and spoke about his group called The Pendulum Swings--his new big band.

Domino--I loved her song about Mo Pitkins closing-- ah hah, ah hah, ah hah, ah hah, ah hah...

I performed in here somewhere--not sure of the order. It had been a while since I'd played on a Monday and I wanted to get out there a bit. On the spur of the moment I decided to use the theremin, which I worked into my song "Fishes." Although it might have gone better if rehearsed, I'm kind of glad to reach the point where I don't mind experimenting on stage. It's a long distance from where I started when I first played Sidewalk.

GI Dave-was back-hadn't seen him in a long while.

I still haven't been able to catch their names, but for the second time I noticed two sisters, who sing primarily in spanish--they started with a song called Baile (dance) in which one of the sisters accompanied the other on guitar-- and then the one who handled vocals on the first song played John Lennon's Imagine by herself on the piano.

Master Lee appeared with his backup group--comprised of Ariel Bitran and Touching You--who were introduced as "Chink Floyd." Many cracks from the audience followed, including something like Dark Side of the Sun Yung Moon, and playing the Great Wall.

For the next set an acoustic guitar sat on stage in a spotlight while Lach vocalized what the guitar might be thinking while waiting to be played--a fun anthropomorphic moment...Lach then appeared on stage and played This Ain't a Song and Men Don't Come Back.

Josh the magician--I was glad to hear there was a magician on the list. Josh was kind of goofy, reading this comedy stuff he'd written which featured a lot of words written backward. He did a trick with a dollar bill in which he transformed a normal bill into one which looked like it had been cut into quarters and reassembled with the sections scrambled. He then magically transformed it back to a regular dollar. Later Josh entertained with some trick at the bar and he and I got into a long conversation about magic. Glad to know there are still some magic, nerds, um afficionadoes, out there in the world. (www.joshrand.com)

Two performers from Amsterdam, were, I think, possibly, the standouts of the night.

Lena--played a jazzy song about why she hates weddings. Nice jazzy guitar work and vocals. A light swing feel. There's not all that much of that around Sidewalk so it was good to hear.

The she was followed by Suzanne who played a song called "85" about being that many years old. Accompanied by a friend on trumpet. Really stellar stuff with an ethereal feel... especially on the trumpet parts.

Jon Berger entertained with some of his classier works, like Gussie Got Fucked and The Magical Negro

That's about the point I wrapped it up--or at least the point I went to hang out in the bar.