tangelO

New York City?!?!

I was in New York City last weekend – definitely for a little bit longer than I wanted to be, but that’s ok. I got a chance to see some great music and check out some parts of NYC I hadn’t really been to before. Also, I was introduced to the joys of the Chinatown Bus, something I will try to avoid using for the rest of my life.

And the Moneynotes

The first thing I had a chance to see was at Piano’s Bar & Grille. They have an open mic night (sort of) on Friday nights, and a friend’s band was playing. I had no idea what to expect, but I was very surprised and pleased with what we saw. The band: And the Moneynotes (myspace, daytrotter session) – A pseudo jugband/country-rock/good-time band with heaps of talent and an obvious joy of what they’re doing. They mixed genres throughout their set – bluegrass, R&B, country-rock – it all fit, and was delivered without much effort. Their energy was directed into the crowd, and was generally well-received by everyone I was in elbow-contact with (it was PACKED). Tons of fun, and very impressive musically. They are enormous (at least in comparison to the stage at Piano’s), and carry a sound that is tight and well rehearsed, but slightly unhinged, giving them a sort of “sing-and-dance-around-the-fire-with-your-jug-o-wine” type attitude. Regardless of their low-brow genre, their music is serious, and they play directly to their audience. For country and blues enthusiasts, they are a must-see.

And the Moneynotes – Too Much
And the Moneynotes – A Pirate’s Confession Part III

(both from the most current release “New Cornucopia!” Buy it from iTunes here.)

EDIT – I was immediately reminded of this song from the documentary “Heartworn Highways” when I saw them. It would be great to hear them cover this.
Rodney Crowell – Bluebird Wine

April 4th – East River Bar

The next night I had a chance to see a one-night art show at the East River Bar in Brooklyn. I had never been there before, and it sort of reminded me of Charlie’s Kitchen in Cambridge, or the Uptown Bar in Minneapolis. Dimly-lit, packed, and with an excellent patio where you could still hear the music, but escape the crowded bar scene. Directly underneath the Williamsburg Bridge, it had a strangely non-city and isolated theme going on. I will definitely try to return.

There were several bands playing, but we arrived just in time to catch the last one. They were great, but we primarily came to see the show by the artists that was going on at the same time. They had created “band posters” with fictional bands to showcase their printing and design skills. It was very impressive, and I hope one day to have a “Motor Penis” print of my own. The artists were, for the most part, semi-professional, but the prints were anything but – professional, without a doubt. Sadly, I only have links for one of the artists, but that will have to do (see Circus Fire Design and “Jeff P Does…” for Jeff’s work). Hopefully there will be a central website to view these prints again, because they all deserve more than a one-night showing.