Black Rock Coalition Orchestra, Jonah Smith and More Set for Joe's Pub, Now thru 4/20

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced an exciting lineup of events now through April 20, 2014. Check out the full schedule below and you're sure to find something that strikes your fancy!

PUBLIC FORUM SOLO: SARAH LEWIS
Tonight at 7:00 PM
$25-$35

In this one-night-only Public Forum Solo event, Sarah Lewis, cultural historian, curator, and author of the acclaimed new book, The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery, will deliver a talk about Frederick Douglass' seminal lecture "Pictures and Progress." The lecture argued that before any social progress is possible, we must be able to imagine what a better world could look like. Then, two of America's most celebrated and insightful creative talents, the playwright and screenwriter José Rivera and the celebrated photographer and visual artist Carrie Mae Weems - who has a major retrospective exhibition currently on view at the Guggenheim - will join her to discuss what lessons contemporary artists should take from Douglass's lecture, and what a better world looks like to them.

CLAY VS. LEVI: Sing in the Ring
Tonight at 9:30 PM
$15

CLAY VS. LEVI: The Sing in the Ring is a one-night only heavyweight musician match between Clay Cook and Levi Lowrey. The Georgia natives are set to square off with 90 minutes of knockout hits featuring new music and special collaborative material.

Lowrey's following was built on strong musicianship and earnest songwriting, earning him industry honors and multiple cuts on fellow artists' records including the Zac Brown Band's #1 hit "Colder Weather." He has toured with ZBB, Alabama, The Mavericks and Blackberry Smoke. He formerly fronted alt-bluegrass outfit, Cadillac Sky, which opened on Mumford & Sons' sold-out 2010 tour.

Cook's latest album North Star debuted at #3 on iTunes singer-songwriter albums chart. He attended Berklee School of Music, where he and roommate John Mayer wrote many songs together, including the hit "Neon" from Mayer's first platinum album Room for Squares. Returning to the South, Cook became a part-time member of bands like Sugarland, Shawn Mullins and Marshall Tucker Band before making his eventual home with the Zac Brown Band.

PETER MULVEY / CAITLIN CANTY
Tuesday, April 8 at 7:00 PM
$15

Silver Ladder is an auditory shot in the arm from veteran touring songwriter Peter Mulvey. Produced by the indomitable Chuck Prophet, the album is a lean, muscular collection of tightly constructed songs, leavening Mulvey's tendency toward ruminative and yearning acoustic songs with a dose of sharp-witted, punchy rock and roll. After a turbulent stretch in his personal life left him at sea, Mulvey decided to write his way out of it. The songs came flooding out over the weeks and months, and within a year he had more than enough for a new record.

Singer/songwriter Caitlin Canty contributes her pure, nuanced singing to her work with several bands (Darlingside, Down Like Silver, etc) in addition to maintaining an active tour schedule of her own. Her most recent album Golden Hour (Oct 2012) is a fan-funded album blending Canty's folk roots with a Western tone, while her Brooklyn-based, Nashville-bred band lends an alt-country flavor to her songs.

BLACK ROCK COALITION ORCHESTRA: SANTANA RETROSPECTIVE REDUX
Tuesday, April 8 at 9:30 PM
$25

The Black Rock Coalition (BRC) presents the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra in residency at Joe's Pub. Under the creative supervision of BRC co-founder and Living Colour founder Vernon Reid, BRCO will perform three shows throughout 2014, each celebrating Black rock pioneers and movements of the American pop canon. The first show will be Santana Retrospective Redux, Vol. 1, an exploration of the Grammy Award-winning guitar legend's expansive musical career.

In varied iterations, BRCO has performed in some of the world's most respected venues and festivals, honoring Nina Simone, James Brown, WAR, Curtis Mayfield, Betty Davis, Black Women Songwriters, Stevie Wonder, Gil Scott-Heron & more. BRC is the nation's only non-profit, member-supported organization founded to facilitate the maximum empowerment, exposure and expression of Black alternative artists.

CINDERELLA: THE REAL TRUE STORY
Wednesday, April 9 at 7:00 PM
SOLD OUT

This presentation is a concert version of new musical theater piece, CINDERELLA: The Real True Story. In this gender-bent version of the fairytale classic, Cinderella goes to the Ball disguised as a man, the Princess falls in love with her, and complications ensue. This Cinderella story delivers a rather timely message - all Lovers deserve to have their Happily Ever Afters - a way that is both subversive and accessible. Directed by Darren Katz, the music and lyrics are by Holly Gewandter and book is by Cheryl Moch and Gewandter.

ETHAN LIPTON & HIS ORCHESTRA
Wednesday, April 9 at 9:00 PM
$20

Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra play an edgy combination of jazz, folk and alternative music with a singer-songwriter core. With melancholy wit and a cockeyed worldview, sepia-toned frontman Lipton and band mates Eben Levy (guitar), Ian Riggs (bass) and Vito Dieterle (sax) deliver songs steeped in mixed-message sincerity and soul. NPR's Weekend Edition has hailed Lipton's work as "Hilarious, twisted, sophisticated, schleppy and sad all at once...songs that take the mundane of life and twist it." New York Magazine declared the group the Best Lounge Act of 2009.

CATIE LAZARUS: EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Thursday, April 10 at 7:00 PM
$20

Ever wonder what it's like to have a dreamy job? Comedian Catie Lazarus did too, so she created an utterly addictive, candid and fun talk show about work. April's Employees of the Month are Rosie Perez (actor, choreographer & writer), Wallace Shawn (playwright & actor) and Taylor Mac (actor, playwright & performance artist). The show will also feature music from Beyondo.

Alumni include: Rachel Maddow, Gloria Steinem, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Andrew Rannells, Lewis Black, Robert Smigel, Esther Perel, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and Grover the Muppet.

JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND: THE DRIFT
Thursday & Friday, April 10 & 11 at 9:30 PM
SOLD OUT

Longtime Joe's Pub favorite Justin Vivian Bond returns to the acclaimed downtown venue for a new long-form show based on the work of Tennessee Williams. In The Drift, JVB creates a new, free associative, collage of spoken word and song inspired by Williams' novella The Roman Spring of Karen Stone about a retired actress who drifts from one space to another through couture, bed, or her own mind. Performances run on select dates through mid-April.

TAYLOR DAVIS
Friday, April 11 at 7:30 PM
$15

Taylor Davis is a classically trained American violinist, arranger and composer. Her passion for video game and film music launched her wildly popular YouTube channel ViolinTay in 2011. She is in high demand as a soloist, having performed on countless video game and film soundtracks as well as live events like the global launch of the game Titanic II (in New York & London). She is also part of the video game rock band Critical Hit, led by Blizzard Entertainment composer Jason Hayes. Davis recently began releasing her own original music starting with her first single "Nebulous" in July 2013, and plans to release a full album of original music in 2014.

OSEKRE, TAYLOR SIMONE & FRIENDS
Friday, April 11 at Midnight (11:59 PM)
$12

After arriving in New York City to attend college, with only 30 dollars and change in his pocket, Osekre has not looked back. His sound is a combination of lyricism, wit, insight and flow delivered with sweet melodic African hooks. While Afro-Indie describes his style, Jama is the Ghanaian name for his groove; exciting African hooks are immersed in beats that draw from playing soccer barefooted and selling cold water in plastic bags on the streets of Accra. Osekre is the protégé of Kiki Djan, formerly of Osibisa fame. That mentorship has helped him unlock a musical vibe that has a unique local sound regardless of place and space. He performs with his band The Lucky Bastards.

HASSAN HAKMOUN
Saturday, April 12 at 7:00 PM
$20

Hassan Hakmoun is one of the most notable figures in contemporary Moroccan music, schooled in the traditional sounds of the Gnawa people in his native Marrakesh. Hakmoun is regarded as a trailblazer for many young Gnawa musicians who have sought out connections with the world beyond their traditional heritage and milieu. Since moving to the U.S. in 1987, his music has absorbed elements of popular styles, from jazz and world music to neo-classical contemporary Western music and cerebral pop, resulting in a diverse, award-winning and critically acclaimed body of work. It has been 23 years since the talented vocalist and sintir player released his first album Gift of the Gnawa, but the time has been spent well. Hakmoun's latest album, Unity, is the finest example of ritual music combined with the heart of American rock, soul and blues ever recorded. Hakmoun's 6-piece ensemble includes the sintir plus vocals, guitar, drums, percussion, flute/sax, and karkaba, the metal double castenets of the Gnawa.

WATERSPORTS: SCREAM ALONG W/ BILLY
Saturday, April 12 at 9:30 PM
$20

Billy Hough, Susan Goldberg and their usual motley crew devote their next installment of Scream Along With Billy to the films of Underground impresario John Waters. After all, what says Easter like a trailer full of filthy fame-whores? An old woman in a baby crib? Sex with chickens? The answer to these questions and many more will be answered musically, in the nude and via puppets. The show will include the band GarageDogs and more.

K'NAAN
Saturdays, April 12 & 19 at 11:30 PM
SOLD OUT

Somali-Canadian hip-hop artist and philanthropist K'naan is embarking on a month-long residency at Joe's Pub in April. You know him from his collaborations with music greats Nas, Bono, Mos Def and will.I.am from his 2012 LP release Country, God Or The Girl. The grandson of Haji Mohamed, one of Somalia's most famous poets, and nephew of famed Somali singer Magool, the emcee is forging his own musical path through reggae, funk, pop, soul and, above all, hip-hop. Each week at Joe's Pub (April 12, 19 & 26), he will play intimate acoustic sets of new and old music.

FISHTANK ENSEMBLE
Sunday, April 13 at 7:30 PM
$14

Formed in 2005, Fishtank Ensemble is a gypsy jazz band that has played everywhere from the hip LA clubs to festivals, cultural centers, museums, parades and even on the street. The band includes two explosive violins, the world's best slap bass player, musical saw, flamenco and gypsy jazz guitar, trombone, opera, jazz and gypsy vocals, accordion and one little banjolele. Tackling everything from French hot jazz to wild Serbian and Transylvanian gypsy anthems, Flamenco and oddball originals, the band is a not to be missed event for world music lovers.

THE UNIVERSAL THUMP: THE SEDER-SONGWRITER PROJECT
Sunday, April 13 at 9:30PM
$15

The Universal Thump is led by sweet-voiced Australian ex-pat singer-songwriter, Greta Gertler Gold and producer, drummer and multi-instrumentalist Adam D. Gold. Known for elaborate, sweeping orchestral pop approach to recordings and live shows, their debut album was described by NPR as "A psychedelic journey of multiple identities as told by Gertler in her transporting, angelic soprano, backed by layers of organs, girl-group harmonies, strings, brass, percussion and what can only be described as futuristic whale noises."

For one night only, they've gathered a line-up of musical friends - NYC's finest singer-songwriters - to create a new Tower of Song (and artisanal matzo): The Seder-Songwriter Project. An all-inclusive, secular, humanist celebration, the project will feature new songs based on the Seder story and rituals, culminating in a modern re-telling and re-interpretation of the Jewish holiday - a "Musical Seder."

The performance features Benjamin Cartel, Carol Lipnik, Pete Galub, Rozz Nash-Coulon, Serena Jost, Jesse Krakow, Alec Spiegelman, Noam Weinstein, Alice Bierhorst, Rebecca Pronsky, Byron Isaacs, Basya Schechter, Anna Copa Cobanna (as 'Moses') and more.

ASHLEY MONROE/STRIKING MATCHES
Monday, April 14 at 7:00 & 9:30 PM
$30

As soon as you hear Ashley Monroe, you instantly recognize one thing: she's the real deal. The 26 year-old's songs resonate so profoundly because they reflect the experiences of an artist, who has already seen both the best and worst that life has to offer. Despite her list of previous accomplishments, everything she's done so far feels like it's been pointing the way toward her latest album Like a Rose. With songs that run the gamut from feel-good to controversial to contemplative, the album, produced by country music titan Vince Gill, offers the full range of Monroe's songwriting and performing skills.

To maintain the honesty of Monroe's songs, Gill and the singer recorded the album the way most of the greatest albums ever were made: sans gimmickry. "We just got the band in a circle and started playing the songs," Monroe says, "and once we felt like we had a feel for it, I'd do my vocal live-I never went back in to do a second vocal. Everyone put everything we had into the songs. There was a buzz in the room. We all had fun-it felt like a big old family, the way records used to be made."

Nashville band Striking Matches are Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis. Their influences, ranging from Jerry Reed to The Beatles, John Mayer to Patsy Cline, are evident in their music. In their young career, they have already played the Grand Ole Opry more than 15 times, and had three songs featured on ABC's hit show "Nashville." The duo has shared the stage with John Hiatt, Hunter Hayes, Martina McBride, The Band Perry, The Fray, Billy Currington, Kip Moore, Monroe and more. They were named a CMT Listen Up artist in September 2013 and became the first artist signed to the newly launched I.R.S. Records Nashville with their debut full-length effort to be released in 2014.

HAMILTON LEITHAUSER
Tuesday & Wednesday, April 15 & 16 at 7:30 & 9:30 PM
$25

Hamilton Leithauser announces his debut solo album Black Hours via Ribbon Music in North America on June 3, internationally on June 2. Inaugurating a new chapter in an already remarkable career from The Walkmen front man, the album brings Leithauser full circle and then some, from lonely mid-winter piano-and-vocals sessions, to a loud rock band and back again. Featuring Leithauser with a slew of talented collaborators including Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend), Paul Maroon (The Walkmen), Morgan Henderson (Fleet Foxes) and Richard Swift (The Shins/solo), the album showcases Leithauser at his most passionate, personal and free. His live show will include include Maroon (guitar), Henderson (bass) and Nick Stumpf (drums) in addition to a string quartet.

SPOTTISWOODE & HIS ENEMIES: ENGLISH DREAM CD RELEASE
Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 PM
$15

Spottiswoode is the son of an American singer and an English clergyman. Drawing comparisons to everyone from Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and The National to Ray Davies and Nick Cave, Spottiswoode & His Enemies have been profiled on NPR's Weekend Edition, World Cafe and Soundcheck and toured worldwide from SXSW to Lille, France to Lincoln Center.

English Dream, their sixth studio recording, is a haunting departure for the septet. It is an English record, written and sung by an Englishman but recorded in Brooklyn by a New York band. His Enemies are John Young (bass), Tim Vaill (drums), Candace DeBartolo (saxophone), Kevin Cordt (trumpet), Riley McMahon (guitar, mandolin, glockenspiel), and Tony Lauria (piano, accordion, keyboards).

THE HOT SARDINES
Thursday, April 17 at 9:30 PM
$15 - $20

Take a blustery brass lineup, layer it over a rhythm section led by a Fats Waller-style stride-piano virtuoso, and tie the whole thing together with a magnetic, one-of-the-boys frontwoman whose voice recalls another era, and you have The Hot Sardines. This NYC-based outfit, which includes a tap dancer, has been called "consistently electrifying live" by Popmatters. The Sardine sound - wartime Paris via New Orleans, or the other way around - is strongly influenced by the straight-up, foot-stomping jazz Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt and Waller used to make. Reflecting a philosophy that hot jazz, Dixieland and Tin Pan Alley tunes are all pop music (and not delicate historical artifacts), pianist-bandleader Evan "Bibs" Palazzo and Paris-born singer Miz Elizabeth describe their band as "born in the 1920s, but raised in the '00s." The Sardines continue their monthly residency at Joe's Pub through July.

SOMI - NIGHTSPRING
Thursday, April 17 at 11:30 PM
$15 in Advance / $20 at Door

Acclaimed East African vocalist and songwriter Somi returns to Joe's Pub for a three week late night residency. She and her band will preview music from her forthcoming album and major label debut The Lagos Music Salon (Sony/Okeh) which will be released this summer. Her NightSPRING residency is inspired by the unfolding season and the magic of the night. Somi's band is Otis Brown III (drums), Toru Dodo (piano/keyboard), Nir Felder (guitar), Michael Olatuja (bass) and Alicia Olatuja (additional vocals).

THE GREYHOUNDS: ACCUMULATOR CD RELEASE
Friday, April 18 at 7:30 PM
$15

The Greyhounds are guitarist Andrew Trube and keyboardist Anthony Farrell, who have been making and playing music for 15 years together. With long-time ties to Memphis, their sound can be described as "Hall & Oates meets ZZ Top." The duo, who recently signed with legendary Memphis label Ardent Music, will release new album 'Accumulator' on 4/8. The album will combine cream-of-the-crop tunes the band's devoted followers pass along to the uninitiated with new, previously-unreleased tracks.

JONAH SMITH
Friday, April 18 at 9:30 PM
$12

For over a decade after releasing his debut record in 2001, award-winning singer-songwriter Jonah Smith was a staple on the New York music scene, leading a band that could play for hours. In 2012, Smith wrote, produced and released two albums, one of which was nominated for Rock Album of the year by the IMA's. At the end of 2012, he moved to Los Angeles, where he continues to record and perform. This show is a homecoming for Smith, who will reunite with his longtime band for the CD release show for his new acoustic EP, which was produced by Andy Stack and himself. The band will be joined by a few special guests for this performance.

NICKEL & DIME OPS
Friday, April 18 at 11:30 PM
$12

Nickel and Dime OPS is a jazz-fused hip-hop band based out of New York City. The group is led by Queens lyricist Nickel Killsmicsand features vocalist Victoria Cave alongside a septet of jazz musicians playing hip-hop beats. The combination of thought-provoking lyrics and soulful grooves headed by their powerful 3 piece horn section has been getting crowd approval at many New York venues. Since 2010, the band has also been holding down a weekly Thursday night residency at the world renowned SMOKE Jazz Club. Their sophomore release, The Soulygamist, is now available

STEVE: A DOCU-MUSICAL
Saturday, April 19 at 7:00 PM
$14

Steve: A Docu-Musical is a hilarious and touching new take on musical theater, combining documentary styling with distinctively original songs co-written by Colin and Steve. Colin is a twenty-something musician living in Brooklyn. Steve is a retired railway clerk from Australia and prolific author of books, lyrics, and emails to Colin. Colin and Steve have never met. Over the last five years, they have written over 100 songs together and exchanged almost 7,000 emails.

HORSE FEATHERS: 10th ANNIVERSARY ACOUSTIC TOUR
Saturday, April 19 at 9:30 PM
$15

Horse Feathers features Justin Ringle's unique vocals wrapped with sparkling guitars, dancing fiddles, and smoky banjo woven through the foundation of the lower strings. New elements are everywhere: horn, woodwind and brass appear and fade, and drums drive the beat in places, providing new texture and heft. The lyrics traverse familiar themes from natural disaster to the deeply personal, each through Ringle's uniquely American linguistic lens. The latest album Cynics New Year does not fail to deliver something beautiful and new. It navigates a thoughtful, thought-provoking expedition from the wide sky and rolling ocean to the most private corners of the human heart.

Joining Ringle is Nathan Crockett and a cadre of Northwest musicians: Dustin Dybvig, Victor Nash, Justin Power, Catherine Odell, Jedadiah Bernards, Cory Goldman, Jenn Rawling, Adam Thompson, Scott Magee, Brandon Johnson and sound engineer Skyler Norwood.

THE MEETING* HOSTED BY JUSTIN SAYRE
Sunday, April 20 at 7:00 PM
$20

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will continue its three month engagement with a celebration of the lauded actor, writer and director John Cameron Mitchell, just in time for the Broadway debut of his celebrated musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. April's special guests are to be announced.

Justin Sayre, the show's creator, writer and host, serves as the Chairman of the Board of the International Order of Sodomites and brings his singular wit to essential business of the day through such regular features such as "Letters to the Chairman" and "New Rulings from the Board."

ARIAS & RATZKE
Sunday, April 20 at 9:30 PM
$25

New York City icon Joey Arias and Dutch/German cabaret star Sven Ratzke premiere their new collaborative show Arias & Ratzke. Arias recently guest starred with Ratzke in Amsterdam, and the chemistry between these two world class performers inspired them to create a show together. With music directed by Ratzke's long-time collaborator, jazz pianist Charly Zastrau, Arias & Ratzke covers musical terrain ranging from Brecht and Weill to Lou Reed and The Beatles, with a dash of Shirley Bassey and Billie Holiday for good measure. Expect the unexpected as these peerless improvisers and vocalists engage the audience and each other with a mix of comedy, song and audience interaction.

Visit joespub.com for a complete list of shows.

Tickets can be purchased online at joespub.com, by phone at 212-967-7555, or in person at The Public Theater Box Office 425 Lafayette Street, NYC (Mon & Sun 2:00-6:30PM, Tues-Sat 2:00-7:30PM).

Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe's Pub at The Public debuted in 1998 and plays a vital role in The Public's mission of supporting young artists while providing established artists with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. In 2013, Joe's Pub celebrates 15 years of the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community and artistic freedom. It received a top-to-bottom renovation in 2011, leading to improved sightlines, expanded seating capacity and a new menu from acclaimed Chef Andrew Carmellini. With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe's Pub presents talent from all over the world as part of The Public's programming downtown at its Astor Place home, hosting approximately 800 shows and serving over 100,000 audience members annually.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities.