LIC Notes

 

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.

I don’t think I’m down with the global warming thing. This new autumn weather – sultry/cold rain/humid/chill breeze – sucks. So New York is the new Austin; I almost turned on the a/c today, and it’s time to write the November rent check. But if this were really Austin, the rent would be lower.

 

In a spasm of quasi-political action, I refrained from flipping the switch and went food shopping using canvas bags. Having ditched my ’89 Honda Accord LX for a purple Fuji Absolute 12-speed, I’m now feeling virtuous but, well, a bit bland.

 

You know the temporary yet effective solution to that: I turned to sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll. I’ve hoisted more than my fair share of Radeberger* this past month, and even got to meet the Radeberger Girls. One of them bought me a beer – I think she fancies me a bit!

 

Oh right, you’re here for the music. October’s de-blanding has mixed Brazilian surf riffs, sax-playing around Japanese swing, and Croatian dance-party rock. On one LIC Bar evening, João Erbetta and his band spin out high-energy surf tunes with a Portuguese accent. My usual problem with much Brazilian music comes from its being too pastel and languid (yes, it’s my problem); I’m happy to listen to surf music anytime, and believe I hear complications under the fun. Erbetta neatly reverses those tropes. His playing is fluid, exciting, precisely shaped, and quite engaging, so much so that I don’t really want to look under the hood to see how it all runs. I’ve heard him play in other contexts, and know he’s not just technically a savvy guitarist, but a musician who blends his personality with many genrés. Sadly, the bar was not so crowded when Erbetta played. He deserves a wider audience; while pretty well known on the scene, that and $104 will get you to your day job on the 7 train next month.

 

We’ve chatted about DB Rielly before, but that’s not going to stop me here. DB’s band followed Erbetta’s, and the party mood continued. For me, this show pivoted around the playing of the estimable Hiro Suzuki, lead guitar player in the group. Suzuki favored swing-era tunes which, by virtue of his actually being able to swing, set up a great dance mood. DB added counterpoint via his bluesy sax playing. Even some folks who’ve followed him for years realized he even played sax – turns out it was his first instrument, who knew? – and the contrast in sound lent depth to what can be a surface-y genrè. The two also collaborated beautifully on some covers of singer/songwriter tunes, like John Hiatt’s "Feels Like Rain," managing the transitions in mood gracefully without damping the party spirit.

 

By time The Dynasty took the stage, the party mood had swung to raucous. Don’t look for The Dynasty on iTunes; this was a one-off group, essentially Chris and Diana from Bad Buka, playing as part of Diana’s sister Carla’s birthday celebration (not saying which one, but “Lather” would know). And celebrate is what Bad Buka do best. I can’t say I remember much particularly that went on, other than someone shouting to the crowd, “Shut up and sing!” Everyone sang, everyone danced, it didn’t matter if you knew Croatian songs or dances; soon everyone felt like part of Carla’s family and the celebration. As the full band is playing a Hallowe’en party, I’ll try to get a more fair assessment then. Like, it’ll be easier on Hallowe’en?

 

The evening closed with Julie Kathryn, a local singer/songwriter. That transition, closing after a rowdy crowd-pleaser, is less than easy, as I’ve noted previously. It does help the neighbors get some sleep, but the previous music had opened me up so much that I found it hard to calibrate Kathryn’s stuff. Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy her; I did. And when she said, “I’ve never played my guitar this hard, it’s out of tune!” I though, God on ya, lass! I’ll bring positive expectations to her next gig.

 

In a final twitch of political activism, I’ll be voting before filing that next report. You know that we middle-aged, upper-middle-class white guys ALWAYS vote. (That’s why they call us The Man, right?) Not saying I won’t vote the straight The Rent Is Too Damn High party ticket, of course. Especially if I’m tempted to turn on the a/c again.

 

*Bloggers are enjoined by some federal rule to reveal every product bought for them in the course of covering their beat. I’m compiling a disclosure document that will enumerate the Pilsner, Coteaux de Languedoc, small-batch bourbon, single-malt Scotch, self-produced cd’s, brownies, Hawai’ian skunkweed spliffs, and mutual avowals of sexual desire involved; it will be available for you right around the time I complete my 2008 NYS corporate tax return.

 

The Silver Shark is always moving, just under the surface of the LIC scene. He comes up suddenly to snap up some wine and music, and perhaps bare his teeth at nearby lovely mermaids – though he generally doesn't bite. You can catch an occasional glimpse of him at your favorite LIC venue, and regularly here at his blog.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

 

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.

It was a nail-biter – but after the first two acts of LIC's Live at the Gantries were rescheduled due to rain, Brooklyn/Queens borderline rockers Pass Kontrol made the third time the charm and kicked off the annual Summer music series under clear skies.

The band played upwards of ten songs in Gantry Park last Tuesday, gliding into atmospheric instrumentals or rushing into fuller, more uptempo numbers with the frenetic charge of old school, stripped-down rock and roll. Some tracks were peppered with lyrics sung in a warm and effortlessly bluesy tone, while others were completely wordless, ringing out through the Gantries and floating off into the night. Either way, the glowing undertone to their music is a certain spirit of joy, which is why Pass Kontrol were a great choice for Long Island City's most glorious venue. They were versatile and gracious, filled the huge and scenic space with their expansive sound, and seemed genuinely enthused about what attendees know to be a Gantries signature: cheeky little kids who love to dance! At one point, the band even echoed a little boy racing around in front of them and called a "time out!" on their music, grinning and pausing until they received his signal to resume.

The children were part of a Live at the Gantries crowd that was, as always, all ages and relatively diverse – comprised of friends and fans, mellow bystanders, folks sitting at tables, dog-walking couples pausing to watch, and photographers snapping away. The audience filled out even more as the band's set went on, and it's no surprise – on a gorgeous Summer evening, Gantry Park is incomparable, especially when it comes to seeing live music.

Pass Kontrol lent themselves particularly well to the setting with their mix of rollicking rock, jangling guitars, driving beats, and shimmering electronics, all with a standout, easy-to-listen-to voice that melded perfectly with their sound. Their singer/guitarist and drummer also traded places in a humorously dubbed "dirty switcheroo" for some loose, punchier songs at certain points in their set. In a serendipitous way, Pass Kontrol's sound also seemed to invoke the many phases and feelings of the Summertime – laid-back and dreamy, nostalgic and bittersweet, boisterous and free – especially when soaked up in the golden light of LIC's picturesque waterfront. By the time the sun had nearly set, it was clear that the band originally intended to be Live at the Gantries' third act had ended up as its extremely fitting opener.

Welcome to Live at the Gantries!

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 by Arianys Wilson, view more on Flickr.

 

Pass Kontrol Live at the Gantries by Renzo Ortega, from Live at the Gantries on Vimeo.