LIC Notes
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LICNotes Events:
J Walter Hawkes residency at LIC Bar featuring JWH Trio and special guests The Jacob Varmus Group!
Catch Steve Blanco Trio Tues and Fri nights at Domaine Wine Bar!
Catch Steve Blanco Trio Tues and Fri nights at Domaine Wine Bar!
The Hand Band at 8pm, Dave Diamond at 9pm, Jason Crosby at 10pm live at LIC Bar!
Local musician Anthony Cekay (composer of The Spectacular War Museum) has founded a new website with Leighanne Saltsman called Page4Music. Page4Music is dedicated to fostering discourse within the music industry and features fantastic podcasts on a range of music-related topics.
Check out the podcast with Emmy-winning local trombonist J. Walter Hawkes from last week, and be sure to check their latest post for a podcast featuring RocketHub.com's Brian Meece and Gus Rodriguez discussing their upcoming album release, the crowdfunding process, and their CD release party at NYC's The Living Room.
Cheers to Page4Music for their efforts!
Be sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
Liz Nieves is an Astoria-based photographer and music enthusiast. She recently launched a photoblog of her work called glitter unicorn and shared some of her fantastic local music photos (and the stories behind them) with LICNotes!
Where are you based in Queens? If you're not from here, where are you from and when did you come to the neighborhood?
I have lived in Astoria for ten years. I grew up all over NY (Bronx, Long Island and upstate near Ithaca).
What is your involvement/investment in local music?
I spent some time volunteering for Astoria Music and Arts this year and sometimes I curate art/music shows.
How would you characterize the scene you photograph?
Colorful, unpretentious, and unformed.
Can you tell us about some of the bands/musicians you've taken pictures of?
It's a very random group of people and the thing that seems to tie them together is a passion for their music.
Can you tell us about some of the best shows you've seen in the neighborhood?
This is really hard. I have seen Little Creatures pack out the Quays while everyone sang along, or Illimanjaro play a house party that had everyone dancing for hours. Bad Buka is amazing... I can't wait for their CD to come out. Hearing Bernadette sing with Mainline Gypsy gives me goosebumps everytime, or hearing Freedomhead rock out is like watching another reincarnation of rock and roll. James Call's songs have a way of becoming catch phrases you can't stop singing – I could go on and on. But bands that I would go see? All that I have named so far plus: The Jamies, Rattrap Bumpkin, Hops, Mathew Snow, Shaeffer and the Darklords, Silbin Sandoval, Thunderbang! (I'm sure I'm missing someone)
What are your favorite places to see shows in Astoria/LIC?
The Quays for true grit. The Astoria Brewhouse and LIC Bar are close behind.
What inspires you – in terms of photography, and in general?
Inclement weather and I try to capture fleeting moments of unique personalities to reveal underlying truths (or so I have been told).
What local photo exhibitions have you been a part of, and are there more in the works?
I will be having my first solo exhibit in January – I have displayed one piece for a fundraiser hosted by Stomp and Howl last year.
Can you tell us more about Astoria's Hell Gate Social and its place in the scene for music and photography alike?
Hell Gate (George Rallis) has done alot to contribute to the local art and music scene. It's the closest thing to an art gallery in Astoria and the variety of art that has been exhibited so far is quite amazing. No matter what the musicians think of the sound at Hell Gate, at some point every band and DJ that lives locally has performed there. The bar has been extremely supportive to every aspect of the arts in Astoria.
When it comes to music in Queens, we've all heard the detractors, the doubters, the unfortunately misinformed... Why is the Astoria/LIC music scene YOUR home and why is this the place you spend time and take pictures?
I am a third generation New Yorker who really loves my neighborhood. The common artistic thread that runs through LIC/Astoria makes it very easy to be social and have something to do or even have something going on. Every project that I have been a part of has only been met with support. For those that live here and have not experienced that because they only feel validated by what is going on in Manhattan or any currently hip neighborhood, you are missing out.
Thanks to Liz for sharing her work with us – check out her photoblog for music photography and much more!
Audrey Dimola is a born and raised Astoria/Long Island City gal. Best known around town for her work as Managing Editor of LIC-based arts/music/culture magazine, Ins&Outs, Audrey is now Project Manager of Dom & Tom, Inc., a NYC web and mobile development studio.
It's Tuesday night at LIC Bar – have you checked out or even hopped onstage for the LIC Jazz Jam yet?!
Since this past October, the LIC Jazz Alliance has hosted an extremely unique and welcoming kind of open jam jazz event at LIC Bar. Tonight is another round of the Jazz Jam from 8-11:30pm. There's no cover and a one drink minimum to enjoy 3+ hours (!) of live local jazz. Jazz guitarist Amanda Monaco, member of the LIC Jazz Alliance, weighed in on what the Jazz Jam experience has been like thus far, and shares her hopes for LICJA's future:
"The session has been quite a success so far. The atmosphere has been warm and inviting – like a cozy, fun party in someone's living room (only with a fully stocked bar). We've had musicians from all over Queens come to play, as well as neighbors who have come to listen. It's a unique session in that the house band (currently Broc Hempel, piano; Sam Trapchak, bass; Christian Coleman, drums and host) performs about 3 tunes and then opens up the session for the next 3+ hours. The music is continuous – no set breaks to speak of – and musicians are invited to stick around for the entire time as there is almost always more than one opportunity to play, as opposed to the usual 'wait forever, play one tune, get off the stage' routine that sadly accompanies other jam sessions. We also have a tradition of ending each session with the jazz classic 'I'll Remember April' and inviting all of the horn players back on stage for a rousing finale.
LICJA's goals in the next year are to supplement this weekly jam session with a monthly concert series in the neighborhood featuring LIC Jazz Musicians and their own groups. We are also on the lookout for a permanent space where we can provide jazz workshops and lessons to children and adults in the community, creating a space where LIC residents can come and learn about and enjoy this great music called jazz.
We are hoping that the jam session will continue to be a weekly event as we see it growing over the coming months and bringing the community together."
Special thanks to Amanda and LICJA for fostering a creative – and quite importantly, FUN – atmosphere for open jazz jams and improvisation right here in LIC. The LIC jazz community is growing and whether you're bringing instruments to play or just enjoying the music, you can be a part of it with this event at LIC Bar!
The weekly Jazz Jam will continue on Tuesdays through November – and hopefully beyond!
LIC Bar
45-58 Vernon Blvd, LIC
Jazz Jam from 8-11:30pm
* Top photo by Jesse Winter
The LIC Barn Dance is a brand new monthly Americana music series at LIC Bar that kicks off on Monday, November 8th (RSVP on Facebook here)! We got the low-down on this unconventional hoedown from one of the series' creators, "Notorious" Liz Cousins. Check it out!
Who came up with the idea for the LIC Barn Dance?
My husband Daniel (aka The Invisible Kid) and I were out at a Silbin Sandovar show a few weeks ago and were riffing on some ideas, and he threw out the words Long Island City Barn Dance, which I wrote on a napkin and stuffed in my bag. From there it was chatting with Gus [Rodriguez, LIC Bar's booker and event producer] and making it happen.
Why LIC?
Simply? LIC is still an undiscovered neighborhood. Folks'll go one stop into Brooklyn for Williamsburg, or a lot more than that for Park Slope, but they think Queens is FAR. LIC is ONE stop into Queens from midtown! It's also a neighborhood of some AMAZING musicians and people. I want folks to recognize! And, I'd rather support MY neighborhood and it's proprietors.
What is the LIC Barn Dance all about?
LIC Barn Dance was developed to showcase the great Americana acts throughout LIC/Astoria proper as well as the City at large. This could be anything from bluegrass, country, western swing, Bakersfield, two-step, zydeco, rockabilly, ragtime to the more modern takes of NewGrass and Alt-country. It's about GREAT music, GREAT performances and giving people a GREAT reason to come back: fun. Music has gotten so dang serious, we aim to bring the fun back to a night out.
Why were DB Rielly, Rick Snell & The Whistlin' Wolves chosen for the inaugural show?
Gus had already booked DB Rielly and as DB is one of my favorite musicians and humans, he was a lock. He always does a seriously GREAT show and knows how to make the audience have fun (there's that word again). Rick Snell came in via Gus as well and knows a thing or two about most of the styles I listed above. He's a pro, and we're glad to have him on board. And The Whistlin' Wolves? I saw then the same night we came up with the Barn Dance idea and they absolutely blew me away. Really high-energy, tight show, and, dare I say...fun. So I HAD to get them on the bill.
What can music fans expect from future events in this series?
My main objective is to give folks a truly memorable night out with some amazing music. The future? I could say they have to come on out to keep it all elusive-like, but I'm hoping for things like a Bluegrass/Newgrass Festival, a Rockabilly night, a Mardi Gras zydeco/Swampfest, Banjopalooza (banjo being my favorite instrument, which I play VERY terribly)...just about anything under the Americana/Roots umbrella.
When can we catch the LIC Barn Dance?
We're looking at once a month, keeping it alive is up to YOU dear reader. Check in with us on Facebook or at www.licbarndance.com.
What is your particular investment/involvement in LIC?
I have lived in Astoria-LIC for 8 years now and have watched it grow and want the rest of the City to finally "get it". Queens isn't just Beer Gardens, cemeteries and airports! I also promote self-released bands/musicians to radio and feel a lot of GREAT music gets overlooked just because it's not signed with a huge payola machine behind it. Starting the LIC Barn Dance lines up perfectly with both of my "missions". And we hope you'll come along and join us. And because I've seen several posts on the topic, dancing IS optional.
The Inaugural LIC Barn Dance!
Monday, November 8th @ 8pm
LIC Bar: 45-58 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City
with DB Rielly, Rick Snell & The Whistlin' Wolves
Audrey Dimola is a born and raised Astoria/Long Island City gal. Best known around town for her work as Managing Editor of LIC-based arts/music/culture magazine, Ins&Outs, Audrey is now Project Manager of Dom & Tom, Inc., a NYC web and mobile development studio.
This article is reproduced with kind permission from where it originally appeared: writer/photographer William Ruben Helms' blog, The Joy of Violent Movement.
In the past three or four years, the LIC Bar, located on the end of a now bustling stretch of Vernon Boulevard, has developed a reputation for hosting some of the neighborhood’s best singer/songwriters – including Little Embers, whom I’m wild about, Jeanne Marie Boes, Gus Rodriguez (aka Silbin Sandovar), Brian Meece, Shelly Bhushan, Megan Kerper and others. With increasing frequency, some of the metropolitan area’s up-and-comers have stopped by to play sets such as the wildly talented Vanessa Boyd and others. I’ve seen a handful of shows at the LIC Bar and based on my own observations and conversations musicians seem to really enjoy playing at the venue – they rave about the sound system, which management has improved; they’ll mention that audiences there tend to come for the music and are lovingly supportive of the musicians; and musicians will rave about the intimate and informal performance spaces. In fact, I’ve heard some compare the LIC Bar to the Rockwood Music Hall, down in the Lower East Side. So when I heard that local indie sensation Nicola was playing her first of hopefully many gigs in Queens, I had to catch her – first because it had been about a year since I had seen her perform live and second, because she’s a phenomenon live. And considering the week I had before, I needed something to start my week off right. But I’ll get into that in a moment...
I’ve known Nicola for some time now, going back to when she introduced herself to me on MySpace. I listened to the tunes she had up and was blown away by that voice – it’s confident, soulful, sultry and powerful. What a voice! And before I saw her perform live, I had this visual sense based on hearing her on albums that she was an Amazonian; that she had to be at least six feet tall but when I saw her perform for the first time at Piano’s, a couple of years back, I was struck by her diminutive size. But she has a commanding, confident presence that’s simply unforgettable. I’ve seen her play with her full backing band and solo acoustic – you can normally catch her do solo sets at Penn Station, Union Square and Times Square as part of the MTA’s Music Underground series – but this would be the first time I would be catching Nicola with her percussionist Ray Diaz.
Now Diaz on the congas and other percussion instruments bring Nicola’s pop sentiment back to el barrio. The drums reminded me of the meringue and salsa blasted at eardrum bursting levels out of cars and house parties along Junction Boulevard, Roosevelt Avenue and 99th Street during boyhood summers. What was impressive to see is that both musicians had the comfortable simpatico of musicians who have played together for years. Both Diaz had Nicola had an impeccable and intuitive sense of what each other were doing and when they would be doing it.
Nicola did many songs I was familiar with from her previous albums and previous gigs, including “Limited Knowledge” which done as an acoustic number peels back the dense layers of the album version and allowed Nicola some room for her vocals to freely roam about the song. It seemed apparent to me that the small, Monday night audience was impressed by this woman. The fourth song of her set, a song I haven’t heard before, reminded me a bit of an old Cyndi Lauper song – and interestingly enough, it was a beautiful moment that enraptured the small crowd at LIC Bar. No one checked their Facebook or went on Twitter, no one aimlessly chatted with their friends. No one stared at the walls or decided to get up for a drink. It was rare and it was probably one of the best moments I’ve seen at the LIC Bar – if not the best moment I’ve experienced at a show this year. “Down,” from her first album had a comfy pop twang and it showed Nicola’s ability to write a catchy pop song. “Message” was pure power pop with some extensive guitar solos and a bit of a Latin party feel, thanks to an extensive solo by Diaz towards the end that had the crowd really getting into a party mood. People started cheering as though the Yankees won the World Series.
There were a couple of hilarious moments – moments that I really couldn’t possibly make up even if I tried. During Nicola’s set a crazy old man yelled out, “I’m horny – now where’s the food!” It was awkwardly funny. And at one point Nicola went into some playful stage banter about playing shows where there was at least one person from Des Moines, Iowa – and there was someone there who was actually from Des Moines, Iowa! What I will say is that Monday night at the LIC Bar was memorable and a helluva lot of fun. Go out and catch this woman – it doesn’t matter if it’s a solo, a duo, a trio or her full band wherever and whenever you can, it’ll be a Latin-styled pop party.
Article and all photos by Willam Ruben Helms. Check out more photos from Nicola's show at LIC Bar on Flickr.
Incomparable eight-piece local band BAD BUKA (formerly Panonian Wave) have left hundreds in the wake of their high energy, joyously outrageous 'gypsy punk rock' shows.
Bad Buka is the kind of band that defies explanation - they bring their lively Balkan roots to NYC with the richness of world music, punk rock attitude, and even the spunk of ska. Their energy is so PURE that listeners are immediately converted. Theirs is the kind of music that any person of any musical background or taste can absorb, dance to, lose themselves in, and commune with. At a Bad Buka show, you truly become part of a shared experience - a transfer of energy from band to crowd and back again, over and over and over. This band is simply one of a kind, and they need YOUR help to take their music to the next level.
The time has come for Buka to recreate their groundbreaking live experience on their very first EP! Extremely exciting for a band that lives in the realm of local legend. They're turning to ROCKETHUB, a locally-founded crowdsourcing website that helps artists, musicians, and people of all sorts turn their dreams into reality with a little help from their friends.
Help fuel their EP Project on ROCKETHUB!
Watch the video:
Check them out:
And spread the good word of BAD BUKA!
Audrey Dimola is a born and raised Astoria/Long Island City gal. Best known around town for her work as Managing Editor of LIC-based arts/music/culture magazine, Ins&Outs, Audrey is now Project Manager of Dom & Tom, Inc., a NYC web and mobile development studio.
[All photos besides last by William Ruben Helms - visit his Flickr & Blog]
Fearless music lovers and Monster Mashers: make sure you have your Halloween costume picked out. The Queens neighborhood music scene has a virtual graveyard full of options for hellraisin' Halloween parties!
We've asked our resident Halloween expert The Dollar Store Demon to give us his two cents worth and he has summoned the hounds of hell to bring you his picks for this weekend.
FRIDAY OCT 29th
*"Did you hear that? Was it the howl of the banshee? Steady your nerves! Hold on tight to your pint glass as you scream for your life as The Jamies, Illimanjaro, The Concentrics plus The Suspicious Packages stir up a bloodbath of heavy rock."
The Shillelagh Tavern
4722 30th Ave
Astoria, NY
9pm
*"Wait! It doesn't end there! If you were lucky enough to survive the rock assault of The Jamies, stagger over to the oh-so-appropriately named HELL GATE SOCIAL where burlesque monster brides will seduce foolish mortals into turning into love slaves for the rockabilly stylings of AM PREACHER!
The Dollar Store Demon also nods with devilish approval at the very reasonable $5 cover.
Not bad for half naked she-devils gyrating to live rock n roll!"
Hell Gate Social
12-21 Astoria Blvd
Astoria, NY
11pm-2am
SATURDAY OCT 30th
*"Ahh! Saturday night! Hallow's Eve is nigh! So many pagan festivals -- a ghoul could lose his way. There is the possibility of drowning to death in the sea of choices, but I am here to keep you on the proper path of darkness. Gather round the cauldron, children..."
*"Rock n Roll as we all know, is the devil's music and one of its undisputed masters is PETER CASE. Peter has signed a dark pact with The Secret Theatre to play just one New York City show on his current US tour -- and it will be here in Queens! This will be your only chance to catch the fiend behind The Nerves and The Plimsouls so don't be ghoulish and miss out! Also on the bill are local heroes LITTLE EMBERS!"
The Secret Theatre
44-02 23rd Street
Long Island City, NY
tix available at: http://www.secrettheatre.com/
doors open 6pm
*"Now you're ready to kick into high gear -- from outside THE LIC BAR you will hear the gypsy fiddles play. Vampires and werewolves crouch down beside the caravan waiting for the drink specials to kick in. A tent covering has been placed over the majestic courtyard of the bar to contain all the mischief and evil lurking within...that can only mean one thing -- BAD BUKA'S HAUNTED MASQUERADE BALL is about to begin! These gypsy rockers are one of the strongest bands on the scene and if you're not convinced of that after this show, you must be a total zombie..."
Cash prizes for best costumes and drink specials, plus more music courtesy of Astoria DJ Group. $10 cover
LIC BAR
45-58 Vernon Blvd
Long Island City, NY 11101
www.licbar.com
*"Did ye know? The popular Long Island City watering hole DOMINIE'S HOEK was born on Halloween?! That's right -- honest to Lucifer -- they will be celebrating their 7th anniversary. Lucky for them -- unlucky for you if you miss this great evening that includes the sinister melodies of HEADFLOSS, QUEENS DENIM ROCKERS, & THE BLACK FIVES! Now is that evil enough for you?!"
Dominie's Hoek
48-17 Vernon Blvd
Long Island City, NY 11101
*"Don't be a Hallo-weiner and miss Astoria Music & Arts' 4th Annual ZOMBIE STOMP SOCIAL! THE BIG DEATH SCENE, DRUNKEN PUMPKIN, THE HEADLOCKS, and THUNDERBANG will transform into creatures of the night engulfed in an ocean of dry ice. Lift your goblets, show off your red masque of death and just get silly."
The Shillelagh Tavern
4722 30th Ave
Astoria, NY
8pm
SUNDAY, OCT 31st
*NIALL CONNOLLY knows a thing or two about Halloween and his SUNDAY SOCIAL at LIC BAR will prove that. Share your songs and ghostly tales as you gaze into the embers of your amber..."
LIC BAR
45-58 Vernon Blvd
Long Island City
5pm
HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM LICNOTES!
If there is only one motivational seminar-cum-cult rock show that you need attend, it’s this one.
In The Power of the Crystals, charismatic visionary James Call [who also happens to be the frontman of Astoria band The Missing Teens] walks through the seven habits of highly destructive people, along with the corresponding crystals. The codified philosophy denounces paths that claim inner peace is the way: for millennia these charlatan beliefs have only led to wars and misery. The true path to self-actualization is focusing outwards, with twin drives of sex and anger to guide the path of destruction. Also procrastination seems to be a key mix to this self-destructive cocktail.
Ted Tappert conducts the interviews with a journalistic verve that pierces as much as enlightens the audience to The Power of the Crystals.
You will chant your way to victory above all. You will know that life is not zero-sum game, but full of zero-sum losers with one-sum winner: you.
It’s a challenge.
It’s a promise.
It’s Power, Ultimate Power, over all things in your life that you’ve been powerless against.
And the seminar is happening now, so go frickin’ see it. Or don’t – be miserable for the rest of your life if that makes you feel good.
From the Astoria Music & Arts website:
The Power of the Crystals is combination self-help seminar, cultist ritual, live rock show, and play. It's Astoria Music & Arts' first foray into the theatre world, and our first attempt at starting a bonafide cult as well. We could not be more excited to turn the stage over to James Call and the Missing Teens, who are going to explain to you the cosmic Power of the Crystals, what the Crystals are, how to find and align them, and how to achieve success, success, success.
This is your chance to learn what exactly is meant by "attaining Hawkman," how to "be angry, be reactive, be attractive," and how to balance sexy anger with pointless drudgery (to destroy the Earth, through good times). It is a strange, ominous, and yet, strangely appealing philosophy, and we want to expose it to you - through rock. Let EJ Cantu as Ted Tappert ask the hard questions, while Renee Cole and the dancing girls, and the directorial skills of Quin Gordon, massage your emotions during this strange journey.
Power of the Crystals: 7 Habits of Highly Destructive People
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 9pm
Sunday, October 24, 2010 @ 2pm
Location: Astoria Brewhouse (upstairs)
2850 31st Street @30th Ave, Astoria, Queens
A special announcement via the Long Island City Jazz Alliance official website:
Greetings, jazz fans and neighbors! We have TWO WEEKS to build up a jam session at the local watering hole known as LIC Bar, and if it goes well, we’ll be there every Tuesday. We’ll be playing music from 8 to 11 p.m., with $3 Miller Hi-Life Bottles to drink and a big box of FREE CDs to take home with you! Come and play so we can make this a weekly happening!
The first two weeks (October 12 and 19) will be hosted by guitarist Amanda Monaco and her trio. They’ll play a few tunes before opening up the bandstand to whoever comes out to play. It’s going to be a great time!
LIC Bar is located at 45-58 Vernon Blvd (corner of 46 Avenue), Long Island City NY. 7 to Vernon-Jackson, G to 21 St/Van Alst, or E/M to 23 St/Ely.
Congrats to LICJA on their new endeavor, and to all of our readers: come out & SUPPORT LOCAL JAZZ IN LIC!
Summer is over, and way too fast!
Here's some Summer memories from Astoria Music & Arts' 3rd annual Astoria Music Now! festival in Astoria Park, shot by Audrey Dimola.
FEATURING:
Hops & Drew P
The Jamies
Illimanjaro
DJ 2melo & Cumba Mela
Mainline Gypsy
Mathew Snow & The Way It Was
Lancaster County Prison
KRAUT
Videos coming soon!
Check out our full set of hi-res photos on Flickr!
Long Island City, to me, is an outpost town, a town somewhere at the edge of an island, not quite Queens, not quite Brooklyn. The sunset only can be seen between the grid streets of Manhattan like a landscape of window blinds. Yes, it’s only fitting a band called Mission: On Mars plays at the edge of the universe, or at least as it may be known to some of the nearby residents. Okay, that last part was forced writing and cheese but seriously, to many of the attendees who came out for Mission: On Mars at the Gantries, the faces – curious of the live music playing in their backyard – may have led to the band’s uninspiring set. The band may as well had been from Mars.
Mission: On Mars sounded technically good. Vocalist Kristen Hoffman sang with a tinge of Indian flavor while Neel Murgai’s throat singing added another layer to their blend of East meets West music. The band’s broad influences combine jazz, rock, funk, and Indian folk music, and was a hit among the children, who danced along with a belly dancer; imitating her movements as she flitted across the floor.
But the band played without heart and thus became boring. I had seen the band play before. It was last year at a music festival in Queens. I remember really liking them, their energy, their mojo, that hypnotic gesture they made with their instruments, and the way they made my head swirl with ‘60s decadent exuberance. At Live at the Gantries it was different but the band’s set shouldn’t have been surprising – most especially since the audience consisted of children, parents, and curious baby boomers.
If anything the show did, however, showcase the Gantries, and Long Island City for that matter, as a location for live music if the right people continue to sow these seeds.
Carlos Detres is an author and DJ, founder of multimedia online magazine, The Whiskey Dregs.
First and last photos by Carlos Detres; all other photos by Arianys Wilson, view more on Flickr.
Mission: on mars, Live at The Gantries by Renzo Ortega from Live at the Gantries on Vimeo.
There is nothing like watching a seasoned musician at his prime playing the music he loves. Such was the case at Live at the Gantries when we went to catch Andy Statman, one of this generation’s most acclaimed clarinet and mandolin players. We seem to be perpetually blessed with stellar weather and an even better crowd every time we head to see a live act at the Park and that night was no exception. Every New Yorker needs an excuse to celebrate on a hot Tuesday summer night and this is the perfect place to do it. Joyous, lyrical and vibrant, Andy’s music is equally transporting. As he began the first few tunes of his set, the words “Jewish Soul” came to mind – I heard the sensual strains of Greek and Mediterranean music, the rhythmic quarter notes of Middle Eastern tunes, and the mellifluous tones of classic jazz.
From their tune "Uman," a melody with a lively Israeli feel, to the ebullient "Anim Zemiros,” The Andy Statman trio are as diverse as the Queens music scene itself. In what has become a thriving Jazz community in Long Island City, Andy Statman is the jewel in its crown, combining the avant garde melodies of his beloved clarinet with down home bluegrass and the traditional Hasidic folk songs that were so much a part of his childhood. Born and raised in my adopted home of Jackson Heights, Andy is one of the most humble and most sought-after musicians on the NYC music scene. Clearly proud of his roots, Andy announced to loud cheers that he was born in Queens – little did some of the little kids running around realize that their parents had brought them to see a legend.
A Grammy-award nominated artist, Andy has played with such luminaries as Bela Fleck, Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead and Itzhak Perlman but watching him play for a hometown crowd was a rare joy. Accompanied by bassist Jim Whitney and percussionist Larry Eagle, who adds some wicked bongos to the mix, Andy’s music defies category. There’s an exotic, soulful Middle Eastern feel to his music that reminded me of some of Rachid Taha’s early tunes mixed with the vivid beats of 1920s Jewish dance tunes and traditional bluegrass. Like Bela Fleck, Andy seems to draw from every kind of American music tinged with world music, synthesizing all forms and making them his own. One of the innovators of a new form of “roots music,” he has now helped to transform the genre. Only a finely tuned ear and rare talent can envision how such diverse forms of music can co-exist in such a beautiful way. Luckily, one of those artists plays right in our own neighborhood.
Gina Sigillito is a writer and published author who promotes local bands and writes about music in the NYC area.
All photos by Arianys Wilson, view more on Flickr.
ANDY STATMAN Live at the Gantries from Live at the Gantries on Vimeo.
On Saturday, July 31st, we gathered at the Secret Theatre to celebrate the life and music of Alex Chilton. Chilton, who passed away this March, was an iconoclastic musician and one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. He achieved early success as the lead singer of The Box Tops, with whom he recorded the number 1 hit 1967 single “The Letter” and several other hits as a teenager. Chilton had every reason to expect this level of popular success to continue for the rest of his career. But despite the consistently accomplished songwriting and hook-laden production of his next band Big Star, he never charted again.
But since the ‘60s, Chilton has become an icon for innumerable rock musicians. Steve Wynn, of Dream Syndicate and a headliner of the show at the Secret Theatre, tells a story of making the Greyhound pilgrimage from L.A. to Memphis to meet Chilton. The teenaged Wynn had only the address on the back cover of Chilton’s most recent album, but the evening of his arrival, he found himself at a bar with the man himself. Chilton was glad to have the young man around, as long as he was buying the beer and cigarettes. The way Wynn describes it, Chilton was always loquacious and forthcoming, except when it came to his own music. He couldn’t understand why anyone would be interested in that.
Chilton’s albums with Big Star became more and more popular with a certain set over the years, eventually passing into the pantheon of overlooked masterpieces. Despite himself, perhaps, Chilton played the role of elder statesmen in his later years, a canonical piece of indie rock history. He was to perform a set of Big Star songs at South by Southwest just days before his death, in fact. He was a reckless legacy act, pulling off performances in the way only a seasoned performer dares. In one of the clips of “Nothing Can Hurt Me,” a forthcoming Big Star documentary from Drew DeNicola and Danielle McCarthy that was screened at the event, we see Chilton and Big Star preparing for a 2009 gig at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. The band hadn’t rehearsed for the show, and Chilton didn’t even show up for sound check, as usual. It’s never been about presenting polished performances for Chilton – because polish is anathema to his music, and because his band has chemistry and charisma and, more than anything else, his songs.
It was appropriate, then, that the band at the Secret Theatre had never played together before the day of the show. The musicians, led by Little Embers’ Anthony Rizzo, come from home genres as diverse as country, psychedelic, and noise rock. The net result of the group, though, was an intimate and well-executed homage to Chilton’s recorded output. The band performed songs from all periods of Chilton’s career, from early Box Tops hits, through selections from all three of Big Star’s albums, to tunes from Chilton’s more experimental solo album Like Flies on Sherbert. And with musicians including Steve Wynn, Jim Sclavunos (of Grinderman and one of Chilton’s later bands), Franklin Bruno (of early-90s cult act Nothing Painted Blue and the Mountain Goats), and younger New York indie rockers including Adam Falcon, Ryan Milligan, Todd Michaelsen, and Alice Texas, the band evoked the essence of Chilton’s spontaneity.
It was a tribute to Chilton’s spirit that they could pull this off without sacrificing the unassimilable risk of his live performances. The most poignant moments of the set were when something slipped up just slightly – when a drum rhythm was slightly askew, or when one of the guitarists lost track of the chord progression for a bar. The audience was so close to the music that we were there with them at these moments of friction, and nothing could quite match the frisson when the music, almost inevitably, pulls back onto the rails. The whole service, from the memorial reading of essays, to the Youtube clips of Alex in his youth and his drifting middle age, brought us where we needed to be to experience this intimacy.
We came to the show with varying degrees of familiarity with Chilton’s work. Some have been fans for decade or had even toured with him. Others were only aware of his work in the vaguest sense, perhaps only even knowing him as the writer of “In the Street,” the theme song of “That ‘70s Show.” And others were given his records at a certain age, as if they were treasured Beatles 7-inches, objects connected to a deep source of meaning in the same sort of way. But regardless of where we were coming from, we all left with a sense of what it would have been like to be in the presence of the man, and a sense of why it mattered to know him.
Drew Jaegle is an LIC resident and musician. He is currently working on a new rock-oriented project with his band, The Icons, and on material with a hip-hop group that is still to be named.
May we say it? This is THE WEEKEND to catch some of the MOST INCREDIBLE SHOWS ever to come to LONG ISLAND CITY! Be careful not to overdose on GOODNESS! For the love of LIC, get your asses out of those easy chairs and love thy musical neighborhood. If you want to see GORDON GANO AND THE RYANS, Questlove, BAD BUKA, and a summer night tribute to ELVIS PRESLEY, then keep reading!
*FRIDAY, AUGUST 13th STEVE BLANCO TRIO at DOMAINE WINE BAR
*SATURDAY, AUGUST 14th 2-9pm
PS1 Warm Up featuring: QUESTLOVE, THESE ARE POWERS, TREASURE FINGERS, and KINGDOM. Questlove makes an appearance for a DJ set at LIC’s most popular Saturday summer afternoon attraction!
For more info: http://ps1.org/calendar/view/day/2010/08/14/
*SATURDAY, AUGUST 14th 7-midnight
THE SECRET THEATRE introduces its first ever INTERNATIONALISTS CABARET featuring the coolest world music acts. This first edition features hometown favorites BAD BUKA and ARAM BAJAKIAN’S AFRO ARMO PUNK ENSEMBLE. This is not your stuffy academic public library world music show—this is a party!
*SUNDAY, AUGUST 15th 3-8pm
LIC BAR’S SUMMER SERIES presents an outdoor concert starring GORDON GANO AND THE RYANS. This is the famed Violent Femmes front mans' first show ever in Queens and we are SUPER EXCITED. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to catch a bona fide music LEGEND in a beautiful and intimate setting. Also on the bill providing local flavor are Little Embers and Silbin Sandovar. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. They can be purchased online at LIC Bar.
*MONDAY, AUGUST 16th 8-11pm
ELVIS WEEK COMES TO Long Island City!!!
Aug 16th is the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s passing and LIC Bar has the ultimate memorial celebration starring none other than EDDIE CLENDENING, who portrays Elvis in the Tony-award winning smash THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET! Elvis fans best not miss this one! Only fools won’t rush in! Especially since there is no cover!
I had never been to a show at the little gem on the water in Long Island City known as The Gantries, and I was excited to see it for the first time. I was racing to get to the venue in time for Mundo Clave, Queens' unique, soulful Latin jazz ensemble. With my Blackberry pressed to my ear, I was running down 50th Street in heels, talking to my friend Joe and rehashing the freak-out day we were both having. Once I reached the park perched on the edge of the East River it all changed. A little salsa, a little percussion and couples dancing with the beautiful New York City skyline in the background and the day managed to wash away.
"If you wanna get up and dance please don't be shy," bassist Fernando Benardos quipped as the band launched into their sexy, groove-laden, jazz-infused salsa tunes like " Sabor" and "Killer Joe."
The crowd of more than one hundred was anything but shy. Despite the 90-degree heat, there was a businessman in a suit and tie doing a wicked merengue with his partner, young couples kicking back and grooving to the music, and even children dancing, ice cream in hand.
An eight-piece group of incredibly gifted Queens based musicians, Mundo Clave combines the best improvisation of classic jazz with the spice and passion of modern salsa and the heavy-bottomed bass of 70s funk. Their tunes infuse the infectious rhythms and percussion of early Santana and Tito Puente with the melodic style of Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.
The Mundo Clave experience reminded me of my childhood days when my parents took me to see some of the local St. Louis jazz musicians who combined a timeless swing sound with bluesy vibes. As the band moved effortlessly from Salsa to Jazz and bass-laden grooves, they showed an incredible versatility. With a lilting Vibraphone, played masterfully by Dan Sieber, lively maracas, and sensual sax, Mundo Clave adds spicy variety to their music.
With Daniel Arboleda on tenor sax/flute, a phenomenal player who channels a little Grover Washington Jr., Mundo Clave launched into a few Miles Davis tunes, their way, spiced with Latin flair and complete with Timbales, blistering bongos and mighty drums. The man sitting next to us was so into the music that he was tapping along in tune with a drumstick and cowbell. By the time the band played an inspired cover of a Cha-cha tune by Poncho Sanchez, much of the crowd was up and dancing.
Mundo Clave's old style jazz combined with their hypnotic and sexy Latin rhythm is sure to garner a whole generation of fans. In a time when the term "Jazz fusion" is used far too often, these musicians are the real deal, taking the form back to its original mellifluous sound and spicing it up with a sultry Afro-Cuban style all their own.
Gina Sigillito is a writer and published author who promotes local bands and writes about music in the NYC area.
All photos by Arianys Wilson, view more on Flickr.
MUNDO CLAVE Live at the Gantries by Renzo Ortega from Live at the Gantries on Vimeo.
WHAT A WEEKEND! SO MANY EXCITING MUSIC EVENTS HAPPENING IN LIC!
THE SECRET THEATRE’S TRIBUTE TO ALEX CHILTON on SATURDAY might be the one to catch! There’s a fantastic line up featuring headliner STEVE WYNN of THE DREAM SYNDICATE! This is Steve’s first ever show in Queens! Also on the bill is Radio 4, Franklin Bruno, Alice Texas, Ryan Milligan, and JIM SCLAVUNOS from NICK CAVE and the BAD SEEDS!! Come enjoy a night of book readings, film screenings and great food!
Doors open 5:30, show is from 6-10pm, and tix are available here: https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/8344225
PS1’s WARM UP also has some mega firepower: Babe Rainbow, Oneohtrix Point Never, CFCF, Prince Rama, Animal Collective DJs, and Blondes! For details, visit: http://ps1.org/warmup/
Catch an incredible performance at LIC BAR on SUNDAY by one of NYC’s best-loved singer songwriters JONAH SMITH!
He’ll be sharing a bill with one of our hometown favorites, ANDY STACK, for a great afternoon of outdoor music, cheap eats and drinks! Not to be missed!
5-8pm FREE ENTRY! For more info visit: www.licbar.com
Also recommended:
Live Jazz by THE STEVE BLANCO TRIO @ DOMAINE WINE BAR FRI 9-MIDNIGHT
ASTORIA DJ GROUP at LIC Bar FRI 9pm-2am
DJ ANTHONY CHICO’s PS1 Afterparty @ LIC BAR 9pm-2am
and Jazz by MARTIN KELLEY at CRANKY’S CAFÉ 2-4pm
El Chico Blanco, the band of Long Island City improvisational stalwarts Steve Blanco, Anthony Riscica, and Geoff Gersh, played an inspired set last Saturday night at LIC’s The Creek & The Cave. After a full set earlier in the evening, the group was joined at midnight by LPS on turntables to improvise a full score to the 1982 movie Tron. It was an appropriate choice: the film’s long awaited sequel is being released this year, and more to the point, the band’s gamut of sounds is perfectly suited to the movie’s iconography.
The neighborhood was out in full force for the show. The band passed around glow sticks for audience members to wear as their own facsimiles of the suits worn by the program avatars in the electronic world of the movie. When the lights went out for the performance, the space was lit up with neon halos, like a vision of the future from the 1980s. The range of sounds the group worked with was less ambiguously contemporary, tending towards precise layering of grooves and spectral lines instead of hazy synthesizer nostalgia.
The group was wise in choosing not to reference the iconic themes of the original score by Wendy Carlos. In their place, the group improvised an original score in their familiar style. LPS added scratching effects and looped vocal samples of the film’s dialogue on top of the band’s heavily effect-laden guitar riffs, keyboard sounds, and drum rhythms. The band shifted fluidly from groove to groove, responding to the film’s plot and visual themes with new motives and shifts in timbre.
The set was split in half by a brief intermission. The break came at a seemingly arbitrary point in the movie, and it highlighted the show’s one flaw. Even though the band continually engaged with the film on the level of its images and editing, the story of this very diagetic feature was pretty much left aside. The dialogue of the film was muted along with the rest of the film’s original soundtrack, and this made the progression of the narrative difficult to follow for spectators not already familiar with the film. It was a necessary omission, perhaps, but one that made this more of a multimedia music event than a film screening with music.
The evening was an impressive showing by a band that’s already become a fixture of the scene. The band has been exploring a sound world beyond the scope of all but the most cutting-edge musicians, and the Tron event saw them in appropriately idiomatic form. It was an ambitious, engaging night of music and film, and hopefully a sign of what’s to come. El Chico Blanco plays at Domaine Wine Bar every Tuesday evening at 9:30, and you can also stay updated with the band on Facebook.
Drew Jaegle is an LIC resident and musician. He is currently working on a new rock-oriented project with his band, The Icons, and on material with a hip-hop group that is still to be named.
The videos are dark due to the lightning, but sound quality is great – have a listen below and get a feel for ECB! Check out more videos of the band here and here.
This article is reproduced with kind permission from where it originally appeared: writer/photographer William Ruben Helms' blog, The Joy of Violent Movement.
Although it wasn’t the birthplace of hip-hop, Queensbridge manages to hold a very special place in hip-hop history as it was the home of legendary producer Marley Marl, who later produced some of LL Cool J’s best work – including a ton of songs on one of LL Cool J’s biggest breakout hit albums, Mama Said Knock You Out; and because the neighborhood was also home to Marley Marl’s Juice Crew whose members include Roxanne Shante, MC Shan and Craig G., before introducing rappers like Kool G. Rap, Biz Markie, and Big Daddy Kane. The Juice Crew developed a reputation for firing off and starting beefs with rival crews on records, including their biggest rivals, the South Bronx-based Boogie Down Productions, fronted by KRS One, as well as DJ Red Alert. Of course, when compared to the beef records of new school hip-hop, the beefs between Boogie Down Productions and the Juice Crew seem – well, kind of tame. But regardless of their tameness by more modern standards, some truly amazing records were released during this time. Unfortunately and typically, for hip-hop or any other genre, the Queensbridge sound fell out of favor for the better part of a decade. But rappers such as Capone (of the Queens-based duo Capone ‘N Noreaga), Mobb Deep, Cormega and superstar, Nas brought the neighborhood back to prominence and back to public consciousness. So with Queensbridge’s place in hip-hop history, it should be no surprise that Summerstage would host the first of a recurring series of hip-hop shows here in Queensbridge with Funkmaster Flex and legendary old school rappers, EPMD as the headliners.
Figuring that there would be a lot of people out for the free show, I changed to a t-shirt and shorts and bolted from my office to make sure I got a decent enough spot to actually see the stage. Of course, that meant getting there for some of the last bit of sound checks before DJ Hotday warmed up the early comers with a tad over an hour set that started off with some area-appropriate old school hip-hop with the Juice Crew’s “The Bridge,” and weaved its way through hip-hop history, as it was followed by Jay Z, Mobb, Deep, Run DMC’s “Sucka MC’s” and tons more, before finally ending with Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle.” Hotday’s DJ set was fairly workman-like as it was relatively free of turntable pyrotechnics – there wasn’t endless scratching for the sake of scratching or sudden and obnoxious switching between stereo and mono sound either, which are staples of tons of DJs across the country. Granted some of the song selection felt a bit obvious but I was quite pleased to hear both “Sucka MCs” and “Blow the Whistle” in the same set – especially since I hadn’t heard “Blow the Whistle” in some time (and because it’s one of my favorite Too $hort songs).
There were two brief stoppages during DJ Hotday’s set to allow Ron Artest, the local hero and member of the 2010 NBA World Champion Los Angeles Lakers to say a couple of words to the crowd and later to let him know that State Senate Chairman Malcolm Smith had passed legislation proclaiming July 15th to be Ron Artest Day across the state. Artest gets an unfairly bad rap – he’s a bit of a weird dude and yes, he has gotten himself into trouble – but he’s always been proud of being from Queensbridge, and he routinely gives back to the community, so I have to give him credit for that. And although I’m jumping a little ahead of myself here, despite what he does for his community, as a rapper he frankly isn’t good. Sure, as a basketball player, he exudes confidence but on stage, he exudes an awkward, cringe-inducing presence that made me feel embarrassed for him. If he wasn’t the tallest dude on stage, I think it would have been easier to dismiss him as a wannabe. Artest’s rhymes and rhyme schemes are fairly simplistic and the material is more of the clichéd stuff any listener will come across on the radio: songs about money, bling, women, champagne and cars. At one point, Artest seemed to be lip synching one of his songs – badly. It wasn’t as terrible as a strung out and screwed up, David Bowie lip synching “Fame” on Soul Train but it was close. During his insufferably long set, I had turned to an older woman who was standing near me and we both agreed on one thing – that Ron Artest should stick to playing basketball.
Like a lot of Hot 97 listeners, I’ve bitterly complained about Funkmaster Flex, especially over the last five years or so. Funkmaster Flex seemed to spend much more time promoting his car shows down in South Jersey and his other various projects than playing actual music. But when he’s actually inspired to play, Flex is among the world’s best DJs. His set also primarily stuck to old school stuff, ranging from New Edition’s super saccharine “Candy Girl,” to Bel Biv Devoe’s “Poison,” Mobb Deep, old school break beats, Wu Tang Clan and others. Unlike DJ Hotday who stuck to playing longer pieces of songs, Flex’s set involved much more pyrotechnics – scratching, weaving and bopping galore. Strangely, Flex ended his set with Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle.” I love the song but I kept wondering why both DJs played similar tunes throughout the set. Regardless, both DJs had the audience amped up for the rest of the night.
EPMD brings back all sorts of fond memories for me. I think of catching Yo! MTV Raps with Dr. Dre and Ed Lover on the weekends after school and the weekend edition with Fab Five Freddy, and catching the hottest videos of the day or of the week. Ah, there was Third Bass, Heavy D, Kwame and the Polka Dots, the New Jack Swing era, Redman, K Solo, and of course EPMD. One of the first cassette tapes I bought was EPMD’s Business Never Personal in 1991 or 1992 from the long defunct chain, Nobody Beats the Wiz. Granted, seeing Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith looking like they were aging (and badly), reminded me that I was also getting older. But you know, at the same time, it reminded me of how much fun some of the old school stuff really was. “You Gots to Chill” and “So Whatcha Sayin’” with their 808 synthesizer drum beats and heavy bass lines bristle with the sort of braggadocio that was common in old school rhymes. Sure, Sermon and Smith’s rhymes were never as politically charged or as a deep as KRS One, never really filled with the righteous indignation of Chuck D, nor filled with the wild pop culture references of Das EFX but they were always fun.
Both Sermon and Smith took a breather to allow for their DJ, DJ Scratch to do a ten or fifteen minute DJ set full of wild pyrotechnics – including Scratch using his mouth and teeth on the turntable. DJ Scratch who’s a three-time World DJ Champion is known for these sorts of tricks and it really wows the crowd. Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith joined Scratch back up on the stage to do an incredibly energetic and wild version of “Headbanger” complete with roughly every possible hip-hop personality they could gather in New York on stage with them. I recognized Greg Nice of Nice ‘N Smooth, Marley Marl, Spinderella of Salt ‘N Pepa, and Capone of Capone ‘N Noreaga. Even Ralph McDaniels was around somewhere. Ending the set with Erick Sermon’s subpar hit “Just Like Music,” was a bit of a downer but still this show was probably the most fun at a show I’ve had in quite some time.
(Photos: #1 [top]: Funkmaster Flex on the 1s and 2s; #2 and #3: DJ Scratch on the 1s and 2s; #4: EPMD rocking the crowd; #5: Ron Artest spitting some rhymes; #6: DJ Hotday warming up the crowd; #7: Ralph McDaniels; and #8: Ron Artest saying a few words to his neighborhood)
Article and all photos by Willam Ruben Helms. Check out more photos from the show on William's Flickr page.
Astoria was fortunate have a truly exceptional talent perform at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden last week. Gary Lucas, who has worked with Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, and many others, captivated the crowd with a solo acoustic show, during which he played two beautiful instruments: a 1926 National resonator, and a 1946 Gibson J-45.
Lucas was pleased to be in Queens, noting that although he been to the borough many times, this was his first gig here. He presented an eclectic mix of original material and stunning interpretations, including the early Beefheart blues “Sure ‘Nuff Yes I Do,” during which he demonstrated his amazing dexterity as a slide guitarist and fingerpicker. This would continue throughout the evening. Another highlight was a haunting rendition of Skip James’ “Special Rider Blues,” which revealed that he’s a fine singer as well. An instrumental reading of the Rolling Stones’ “She’s a Rainbow” shed an entirely new light on the song, as Lucas adapted the piano riff and melody for guitar and expanded upon it for several inspired minutes.
Lucas also challenged the audience with his stunning original pieces, as well arrangements of Chinese pop tunes from the 1930’s, which make up his latest CD, The Edge of Heaven. Appropriately for the location, the guitarist also played works by Czech artists Dvorak Smetana, Janacek, and the Plastic People of the Universe. The warm weather, cold beer, and fine music made for a memorable night in Astoria, as did Lucas’ announcement that he will be performing at the Beer Garden again this fall, during a special show to commemorate the Czech Republic’s Velvet Revolution.
Article by Arthur Schupbach.
Jimmy Wohl sits down with Steve Blanco of El Chico Blanco to discuss music, upcoming events, and of course, TRON, for this installment of Conversations at Cranky's, a new video interview series only on LICNotes! The series is filmed at Cranky's Cafe in Long Island City, Queens.
LICNotes interviews members of Astoria-based bands Digamy and Freedomhead (singer/guitarist David of Digamy, guitarist John of Freedomhead, and Samantha, manager of both bands) to discuss their part in the rebirth of Gussy's in Astoria as a new ALL AGES venue for live local music.
Shot & interviewed by Tom Tancredi; edited by Dominick Dimola.
LICNotes Interview: The rise of a new venue - with Digamy and Freedomhead from LIC Notes on Vimeo.
Catch the bands on Facebook for more info and details on their upcoming shows: Digamy and Freedomhead. Support local music!
Gordon Gano, Steve Wynn, Gary Lucas, Funkmaster Flex...playing in QUEENS?!?!
Recently a great discussion on our website was sparked when the question of whether a "music scene" really exists in Queens was asked.
Despite what some of the naysayers say and believe, like a plant that bursts and grows out of a piece of cement, there have been a lot of musicians, event producers, promoters and fans working hard to bring music to Queens bars, cafes and parks that were never intended to host and house live music. It's a beautiful and organic thing to observe.
Beautiful enough to attract artists that in the past might have scoffed at the thought of even getting off the train in Queens! "Name" artists too!
We were most surprised and pleased to have GARY LUCAS play the Bohemian Beer Hall this past week! Lucas is famous for his collaborations with Lou Reed, Jeff Buckley (Lucas co-wrote two of the songs, "Grace" and "Mojo Pin", from Jeff Buckley's popular and critically acclaimed album Grace), Captain Beefheart, Nick Cave, and many more!
The Secret Theatre is presenting an ALEX CHILTON TRIBUTE Saturday, July 31st (get tix HERE!). STEVE WYNN of THE DREAM SYNDICATE and JIM SCLAVUNOS of NICK CAVE'S BAD SEEDS, and KEITH STRENG of THE FLESHTONES are just the first names to be announced in a line up that Secret Theatre director Richard Mazda promises will be full of very cool surprise guests.
The band KRAUT are true New York punk pioneers. In fact their very first gig was opening for THE CLASH! And now they are headling THE ASTORIA MUSIC AND ARTS ASTORIA MUSIC NOW FESTIVAL Saturday, July 24th! (more info HERE!)
LIC Bar's big score for the summer is none other than GORDON GANO of The VIOLENT FEMMES! Gano will be performing there with THE RYAN BROTHERS (of THE BOGMEN) Sunday, August 15th at 6pm.
And this just in: a fantastic FREE hip hop show starring legendary rappers EPMD and DJ FUNKMASTER FLEX Thursday, July 15th at 7pm in LIC's Queensbridge Park! (more details HERE!)
It's very interesting that despite the lack of a 100% full time music venue in Queens the people in the scene are starting to see their hard work pay off when artists of this caliber start to venture this way, don't you think? And this is just the first wave...
We're excited to see who's coming along next...!
Amanda Monaco shares her thoughts on Long Island City, the rise of the jazz scene and what's in store for the future of LIC Jazz Alliance with LICNotes.com. Interview by Barsha Khandker.
Barsha: How did you get into jazz?
Amanda: I’m pretty sure that the initial interest, if you can believe it, was from watching “The Muppet Show” as a kid. There was a jazz standard featured in every episode in the first season and a lot of creative musical improvisation going on, not to mention a great Muppet House Band: Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. When I was in high school, I studied at the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven, Connecticut, where I played in the jazz band. The teacher was incredible and I met several musicians with whom I still play to this day.
Barsha: Are you originally from New York? If not, what made you come to New York?
Amanda: I’m not, but it’s the place to go for jazz, which is how I ended up here.
Barsha: How did you get to Long Island City and what made you stay?
Amanda: A friend of mine knew of an apartment available in her building so we moved in. We’ve stayed because we love the neighborhood, the people we’ve met here and the small-town feeling that exists.
Barsha: How was the LIC Jazz Alliance formed?
Amanda: The Long Island City Jazz Alliance was inspired by other artist-run collectives in New York City, such as the Brooklyn Jazz Underground. There are many jazz musicians in LIC, and I thought that bringing them all together would be great for both the musicians and the neighborhood as a whole.
Barsha: Where do you find inspiration to make music?
Amanda: I don’t rely on inspiration to make music. Even when I’m feeling “stale” I can always think of something that gets me out of that rut and back to creating, whether I’m inspired or not. Most of the time it ends up being a matter of necessity - new music for an upcoming concert, for example - and I just get to it.
Barsha: How do you feel about the music scene in LIC? Do you feel that bands like yours get enough exposure?
Amanda: They don't, but people are working on it. Gus Rodriguez over at LIC Bar is working really hard and there's also a new venue in Sunnyside called Ra Cafe that he's working on as well. I think it's just a matter of time. I think it's going to get better and better, but it takes time. There's not a jazz club in the neighborhood, which is unfortunate, but hopefully at some point there will be... It would be really wonderful... It's something that I've thought about as well. I mean, the Jazz Alliance is so new that at this point it's very, very, sort of basic. We were supposed to have this gig on Sunday [June 20th], but now it's going to be August 24th.
In a sense, I think it worked out because now we have a little bit more time to get it together and maybe reach out to the community more, and that was actually my intention with the Jazz Alliance - to not only get more attention for jazz in the neighborhood, but also to bring the neighborhood together and have this thing for others who maybe aren't jazz musicians but are jazz fans or just want something like that.
It's a very diverse community, and also when you talk about mapping out the demographics, you have the waterfront, which is almost completely separate. I mean, there are some people in those apartments that are involved in the neighborhood, but most of them aren't. Like I said in another interview I did for The Q Note, which is an LIC website, I said you can tell if the neighborhood hasn't been integrated because there are still no lines for Sunday Brunch.
Barsha: What is it like working in such a big band? Is it difficult to keep the peace or do you guys find it easy to make music together as a family?
Amanda: Well, as of now, it's just individual musicians that have bands, and then there's a couple of people who aren't musicians at all, they're just big jazz fans. So that's what it is so far. We haven't figured out yet how we're going to do it, because I would like to open it up to the community in a way where the community can participate. So we have to kind of figure out how that's going to work. Right now there's about 17 of us - 13 jazz musicians and 4 non-jazz musicians.
Barsha: Where do you want to take the band in the future? How far do you want to go?
Amanda: I'm not really sure. I'm thinking I'd definitely like to have a regular concert series, almost like a festival, a two or three day festival every year. It would be nice if we could have a concert series at some point. It's so new, there's just so many options, which is kind of exciting. It's a bit overwhelming, but also very exciting because it could really go a lot of different ways, especially if you're talking about the community as a whole. Ultimately it would be cool if we could do outreach, like jazz for kids. That would be fun.
Barsha: What would be the perfect venue for you to play in? Where would you like to play?
Amanda: Oh, the Vanguard - I mean everybody aspires to play at the Village Vanguard. It's the only original jazz club that's left. It's a different time, it's been around forever. Coltrane played there, Miles played there... everybody played there and that's sort of THE place. They have the Vanguard Orchestra every Monday. If you've never been there, go!
Barsha: Do you tour around the country?
Amanda: I have - I haven't been touring lately, I haven't been on the road for a couple of years. I'm thinking more Europe now, maybe a west coast tour. Outside of the Jazz Alliance, I have two different projects. I have a band called Deathblow, which is an avant-garde quartet with saxophone, guitar, bass and drums, and then I have a more modern, straight ahead quintet called Playdate, with piano, saxophone, guitar, bass and drums. So that's sort of more traditional yet not completely traditional, and then [Deathblow is] the more far out kind of thing. So the more far out band, that's going to be the Europe thing. Playdate, we're talking about the West Coast, maybe. They book things so far in advance now, that if you don't get on it really early... you have to be REALLY on top of it, and I'm not really on top of it, but I will be. I'm learning the ropes with the touring thing. It's a different world now for touring, it's not like it used to be. It used to be a lot different. There aren't as many gigs anymore... for music in general.
Barsha: Do you think jazz gets enough representation?
Amanda: The PR for jazz has been screwed up for so long. I keep saying that I want to write an article called "How Jazz Shoots itself in the Foot" because jazz shoots itself in the foot all the time. I mean the one thing that brought me to jazz is I always thought it was one of those things that was very intimate and very warm and inviting, and something that could really bring about a sense of community. And it has that, but a lot of people just look at jazz and think you have to know a million things about it to listen to it, you have to be so educated... You don't. It's been drilled into people's heads for so long that it's this intellectual art form and it's so terrible that that's the case because it's like going on a roller coaster. You don't know what's going to happen. There are dips and drops and you might end up upside down, and jazz is kind of like that too. It's just a roller coaster ride, it's fun, you never know what to expect. It's like a ride, but people don't approach it that way. Even jazz musicians don't approach it that way - they get all serious and stuff. I just think it's really bad that the sense of humor has come out of jazz, that you can't really have a sense of humor and everybody is so serious all the time.
Barsha: Do you personally have any more performances this year aside from the Gantries?
Amanda: I'm playing in Brooklyn at the Tea Lounge on August 12th, I'm playing in New Haven, Connecticut, at the New Haven Jazz Festival on August 14th and then there is the LIC Jazz Alliance performance [Live at the Gantries] on August 24th.
Barsha: Does the LIC Jazz Alliance have anything else scheduled as of yet?
Amanda: Not as of yet, but we will! We will have more, and there are other musicians like J Walter Hawkes, who has a lot of gigs coming up.
Barsha: Finally, if you were to use one word to describe The LIC Jazz Alliance, what would it be?
Amanda: Enthusiastic, we are enthusiastic about bringing more jazz to the community.
Top photo by Scott Friedlander. Bottom photo by Daniel Kapovic.
The Lascivious Biddies play LIC Bar this Sunday
Summer marches on! Here's some cool events happening in the hood this weekend!
FRIDAY, JULY 9th
DOMAINE WINE BAR 9pm-midnight
STEVE BLANCO TRIO
LIC BAR 9pm-2am
ASTORIA DJ GROUP presents
New Wave Edition Featuring DJs BlaqJeff (Jeff Miller) and CHANGOCHAN (CJ Sanchez)
SATURDAY, JULY 10th
PS1 WARM UP
agnès b. presents:
Klement / Contre Coeur, France (live)
Acid Washed / Record Makers, France (live)
Veronica Vasicka / Minimal Wave, New York (DJ set)
Gatekeeper / Brooklyn (live)
LIC Bar 9pm-2am
DJ ANTHONY CHICO's PS1 afterparty
SUNDAY, JULY 11th
LIC BAR
WORLD CUP FINAL PARTY 1pm-9pm
featuring live music by
THE LASCIVIOUS BIDDIES & BRIAN MEECE & ARAM BAJAKIAN
Music starts at 6pm
MONDAY, JULY 12th
LIC BAR 8-11pm
MONDAY MUSIC SHOWCASE REVUE
featuring
THE MICHAEL LOUIS BAND 8pm
DAVE BARCKOW 9pm
KATHY ZIMMER & ANDREA LONGATO 10pm
Record high temperatures did little to deter locals from gathering to hear harmonica virtuoso Jia-Yi He on the sun-soaked steps of Gantry Park for last Tuesday's Live at the Gantries. Accompanied by his daughter Jenny He on piano, Mr. He delivered an eclectic set of hits from classical, jazz, and pop music as well as traditional Chinese folk songs. Mr. He showed off the fascinating range of sounds a harmonica can achieve in tunes ranging from the Beatles’ “Love Me Do” to a dizzying rendition of “Flight of the Bumblebees.”
Mr. He and his daughter were visibly enthusiastic about the music, bopping their heads along with the beat of a polka. The crowd was just as enthralled, and the father-daughter duo was buoyed along by the many tanned children dancing energetically throughout the performance.
Mr. He charmed the audience with his large arsenal of harmonicas, most notably the “world’s smallest harmonica.” He stuck this tiny instrument inside his mouth to produce a kazoo-like version of “Happy Birthday.” But the crowd was really wowed by the musician’s quirky talent for playing four harmonicas at once by gripping a stack of harmonicas like a Dagwood sandwich. This feat has already earned Mr. He an appearance on TV’s “America’s Got Talent.”
Mr. He continued his display of great showmanship with his next song, which he performed by cycling through 11 harmonicas, each in a different key. Mr. He ended the night with a rendition of the languid tune of “Rhapsody in Blue,” as the sun eased down behind the Manhattan skyline.
Come out on Tuesday, July 13 at 7:00 PM for D.B. Reilly live at the Gantries!
Alice Xie is an LIC resident who pays local taxes and enjoys patronizing events in the neighborhood.
Top photo by Alice Xie.
All other photos by Arianys Wilson, view more on Flickr.
Jia-Yi He live at the Gantries by Renzo Ortega, from Live at the Gantries on Vimeo.
