Jeff LeBlanc, Eleni Mandell and More Set for Joe's Pub, 7/16-22

Joe's Pub has announced its upcoming performances, July 16-22, 2012, including "All Aboard the Soul Train: A Tribute to Don Cornelius," Tori Scott, Jeff LeBlanc, Carolyn Wonderland, Our Hit Parade, David Dondero, Amy LaVere, Josh Rouse, Eleni Mandell, Batz, Howard Fishman, Amber Martin, Quarteto Olinda and Pedro Moraes. See full details below!

ALL ABOARD: THE SOUL TRAIN – A TRIBUTE TO DON CORNELIUS
WITH MEMBERS OF JAmes Brown'S ORIGINAL BAND

July 16 at 9:30pm

$25 Reserved / $35 Premium

Broadway's most powerful voices join members of JAmes Browns original band to pay tribute to Don Cornelius, Soul Train's legendary television host who brought black culture and music into America's living rooms.100% of the proceeds will go to Hope North, a 40-acre campus in Uganda where refugees, orphans, and former child soldiers find a place to call home. Produced and directed by Amy Birnbaum/Soul Deep Productions.

Guests will include: Capathia Jenkins (Newsies), Chester Gregory (Sister Act), Lilli Cooper (Spring Awakening), Michael James Scott (Book Of Mormon), C.E Smith (Leap of Faith), Maurice Murphy (Spelling Bee), Lillias White (Fela!), Saycon Senblah (Hair), Ryan Shaw (award winning recording artist), Anwar Robinson (American Idol), Jamie Cepero (TV's Smash), Destan Owens (Rent), Jerry Dixon (award winning writer, actor, producer), Darius Anthony Harper (Book Of Mormon Nat. Tour).

TORI SCOTT

July 17 at 7:30pm

$15

Belter and bad decision expert Tori Scott makes her Joe's Pub debut with an evening of songs ranging from Judy Garland to Cee Lo Green. She has graced the stages of The Duplex, the Laurie Beechman, the Metropolitan Room, and every gay bar on the Eastern Seaboard; on television, she's counted to 20 as a singing garbage woman on Sesame Street and dubbed the vocals of a singing hooker on HBO's "Cathouse: The Musical." Now, she brings Joe's Pub her signature mix of stories, standards, and songs that were already on her iPod and didn't seem like they'd be that hard to learn. Written by Tori Scott and Adam Hetrick, Musical Direction by Jesse Kissel.

JEFF LeBLANC
w/ special guest Rhianna LaRocque

July 17 at 9:30pm

$15 Advance / $18 Door

Jeff LeBlanc is using his college degree a little differently than he first envisioned. His immediately familiar-sounding blend of pop and acoustic rock quickly took him from dorm room concerts at Sacred Heart University to a 60-date tour of colleges across the country, where he was praised as everything from "the new John Mayer" to an artist "perfectly in tune with his audience." His new album, "Worth Holding On To", was self-released last August and quickly rose to #3 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Chart. He's become a staple on the Sirius/XM Coffee House channel, even grabbing a nomination for their "Singer/Songwriter Discovery of 2011". Jeff's recently toured with the likes of the Goo Goo Dolls, Ingrid Michaelson, Matt Nathanson, Brett Dennen, David Archuleta and many more.

Rhianna LaRocque has come a long way since spending Sunday afternoons in her hometown of Severna Park, MD, singing Spice Girls songs into her hairbrush. Today, in the midst of releasing her second EP, Rhianna has evolved into a unique and versatile singer-songwriter whose music combines a level of introspection beyond her years with the wide-eyed sincerity of someone always trying to learn and gro…w. Floating over rolling chord patterns, Rhianna's voice has one quality that stands out above many others – honesty. Her voice is real, unembellished and reminiscent of a time when a guitar and a voice was all you needed to say something beautiful. Lucky for us, she's only just begun talking.

CAROLYN WONDERLAND

July 18 at 7:30pm

$15

A triple threat with her diverse songwriting, soulful vocals, and guitar goddess status - all featured on over twenty CDs - Carolyn Wonderland has a pedigree in this business that's hard to match. A bit of a renegade, she likes to incorporate elements of blues, country, swing, zydeco, surf, gospel, soul, and some nights, maybe even a cumbia into the musical mix.

Recent years have seen Wonderland stretching out musically, working some expert whistling and scat singing into her shows. In addition to her trusty guitar, "Patty," Carolyn has been regularly playing her trumpet, and even occasionally the accordion, mandolin, or keys…she is threatening to take up nose flute if someone doesn't stop her…

Wonderland's songs have been featured on NBC's Homicide, Fox's Time of Your Life, & Houston NORML even made a video PSA set to Carolyn's Annie's Scarlet Letter. She has toured with acts like Buddy Guy and Johnny Winter, sat-in with String Cheese Incident, Robert Earl Keen, and Los Lobos, and even sang the "National Anthem" at Sturgis Bike Week 2003 - her 10th anniversary playing Sturgis - before Robbie Kneivel's record-breaking jump over one hundred Harleys. Recently, she was a panelist at the University of Texas LBJ Library's "Instruments of Freedom" Forum with Kinky Friedman, Marcia Ball, Jerry Jeff Walker and others. She's been lucky enough to jam with mentors and friends like Bob Dylan, Eddy Shaver and Ray Benson. Most recently, Wonderland was named the 2009 Winner of Best Female Vocalist and Best Blues Band at the Austin Music Awards.

OUR HIT PARADE
starring Bridget Everett, Kenny Mellman, and Neal Medlyn

July 18 at 9:30pm

$20

OUR HIT PARADE is a live top-ten countdown show created by Tony nominee and Obie winner Kenny Mellman (Kiki & Herb), carnal chanteuse Bridget Everett (At Least It's Pink at Ars Nova), pop song opera impresario Neal Medlyn (Neal Medlyn's Unpronounceable Symbol at P.S. 122), producer and MTV cameraman Brendan Kennedy, and writers Ada Calhoun and Peter Schjeldahl. The show is inspired by the musical sketch series Your Hit Parade that ran on radio and then television from 1935 to 1959. On that show, cast members performed the week's most popular songs as comically literal skits. In this show, the hosts and special guest stars from the local performance scene present their renditions of current popular hits live on stage!Rotating guests include: Billy Eichner, Molly Pope, Lady Rizo, Randy Harrison, Jenn Harris, Murray Hill, Sherry Vine, Corn Mo, The Wau Wau Sisters, and many more…

DAVID DONDERO

July 19 at 7:30pm

$12

Few songwriters have experienced and expressed the sinking depths and uplifting optimism of humanity like David Dondero, and his ability to shine a light on the human condition (his own included) is inspiring. Dondero is best known for his narrative tales of America. Having spent most of his life on the road, Dave uses his staggering lyrical talent to paint tales of life in the US of A through clever word play and sarcastic humor (as represented in the album title) about some of life's most sensitive subjects.

AMY LaVERE

July 19 at 9:30pm

$14

Hailed by critics as "a uniquely Memphis blend of grit and delicacy" and "filled with just enough charm to melt the heart," Amy LaVere is an American singer, songwriter, bass player, and storyteller. She has recorded four releases on the Archer Records label - This World Is Not My Home (2005), Anchors & Anvils (2007), an EP, Died of Love (2009), and Stranger Me (2011).

Appearances on the BBC's Later with Jools Holland, Conan O'Brien, the Royal Albert Hall and Germany's Rolling Stone Festival have introduced her to audiences around the world. Amy's newest album, Stranger Me, was produced with noted UK producer/engineer Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire). In addition to her songwriting prowess, Amy is quite the upright bass player. As the late Jim Dickinson (her former producer) once said, "She can triple–slap the upright bass like Willie Dixon on steroids."

JOSH ROUSE

July 20 at 7:30pm

SOLD OUT

The Common thread through Josh Rouse's rich journey has been his music – distinctive, appealing, and much celebrated across the globe. His life is reflected in his set of new recordings, a new album, his ninth overall, and with the simple title, 'Josh Rouse and the Long Vacations'. This down-to-earth singer-songwriter came out early in his career with an astounding and acclaimed piece of music in 'Dressed Up like Nebraska', highlighted by its title cut, and the song "Suburban Sweetheart", which 15 years later still stands up majestically alongside other tracks of its canon. As Josh has described his work, "This album is a variety of short, colorful, pop songs influenced by the sun, city living, adapting, and humor!" A reminder that music, at its essence, is entertainment.

ELENI MANDELL

July 20 at 9:30pm

$15

Eleni Mandell - a supremely talented and critically acclaimed songwriter with a singular gift for writing wry, literate songs that synthesize jazz, country, folk, blues, rock and pop - will release her new album Artificial Fire this month. The 15-song collection builds on Mandell's 2007 breakthrough Miracle of Five, adding a more direct, full-band sound to Mandell's sharp-edged tales of romance, lust and love.

All the songs on Artificial Fire were written by Mandell, but arranged, recorded and produced with her longtime band, allowing the group's cohesiveness and musical acumen to shape the tracks while Mandell's articulate lyrics hold centerstage.

BATZ

July 20 at 11:30pm

$15

One morning in a small office, an employee arrives at his desk to find his computer broken. He discovers reading material at his desk, and starts to recite it aloud. At first his coworkers hardly notice. But after a series of strange coincidences . . . If you follow the New York theater scene, you may think you know where this is going. But, mix in classic Bat stories and a cast of harried office loons playing dozens of characters, and you've got a light-hearted tribute to the Dark Knight as you've never seen him! And it's a lot shorter than six hours!

Howard Fishman

July 21 at 7pm

$15 Advance / $20 Door

Acclaimed singer, guitarist, composer and bandleader Howard Fishman filters a deep passion for New Orleans soul, Brooklyn grit, open-hearted country, blues, classical, and gospel music through a completely original, experimental aesthetic, to create a sound entirely his own.

Fishman began his career on the streets of New Orleans and in the subways of New York. A testament to his wide-ranging appeal, Fishman has appeared on bills with such diverse artists as Califone, Odetta, Yo-Yo Ma, Maceo Parker, Robyn Hitchcock, Nellie McKay, and Allen Holdsworth. He is a frequent NPR guest, making feature-length appearances on "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, "World Cafe," "The Leonard Lopate Show," "Word of Mouth," and "Soundcheck," among others.

Fishman's travels and omnivorous cultural curiosity inform his constantly-expanding repertoire of special projects, from his original oratorio "we are destroyed," about The Donner Party, to his multi-media musical travelogue "No Further Instructions," to his New Orleans-inspired Biting Fish Brass Band, to his "Basement Tapes Project," featuring the music of Bob Dylan and The Band. He has released ten albums to date.

AMBER MARTIN
W/ SPECIAL GUEST LOST LOCKETS

July 21 at 9:30pm

$15

One of Time Out NY's ten New York women every gay man should know and be obsessed with, celebrated vocalist and comedic performance artist, Amber Martin premieres her new show for one night only at Joe's Pub.

In her own exceptional way, Martin blends music, raunch, stories, movement, and acid-capped comedy with a pristine, multi-octave solo singing voice. Amber has seasoned her previous performances with rotating celebrity collaborators: Bridget Everett, Justin VivIan Bond, Casey Spooner, John Cameron Mitchell, Jake Shears and Karen Black, to name a few. Just wait and see who will be joining her this time! Also with opening artists, Lost Lockets from Portland, OR.

BRASIL SUMMERFEST returns for its second edition July 21-28, 2012 to various NYC venues. The festival aims to introduce New Yorkers to a sampling of Brazil's dynamic Artists, and the richness and diversity of the country's contemporary music scene.

QUARTETO OLINDA
presented in association with BRASIL SUMMERFEST

July 22 at 7:30pm

$15

From the clubs in Recife to the stages of New York, Quarteto Olinda brings their forró de rabeca to the US for the first time. The sounds of the rabeca, the Brazilian folk fiddle, and the drumbeat of the zabumba will get the dance floor going just like a Brazilian summer night. The members of Quarteto Olinda grew up surrounded by the music of the Northeast of Brazil, and now bring their own perspective to the regional styles of forró, coco, and cavalo marinho. Cláudio Rabeca leads this group of hotshot young musicians from Recife and Olinda on the rabeca, with Yuri Rabid on bass, Guga Amorim, Bruno Vizenof, and Carlos Amarelo on percussion.

The heirs to a long line of performers from Pernambuco, Quarteto Olinda makes the traditional music of forró immediate and contemporary. The members of the band grew up playing with the masters of regional genres, and are now leaders in their artistic community. Their weekly shows at Xinxim da Baiana in Olinda grew so packed that they were shut down by the police as the crowd spilled into the streets at all hours of the night. Quarteto Olinda is now one of the most popular bands in Recife, performing throughout Brazil, Europe, and now for the first time in the United States.

With such great love for the sound of the rabeca and the music of forró, Quarteto Olinda is making their mark, moving audiences around the world with their infectious dance music and superb musicianship. Get your dancing shoes on, and segure a chapa (hold on to your hats)!

PEDRO MORAES
presented in association with BRASIL SUMMERFEST

July 22 at 9:30pm

$15

Considered one of the most important composers and singers in the new Brazilian Popular Music scenario, Pedro Moraes´ career officially began 10 years ago with an unforseen episode of international acknowledgement. Mexican rising jazz star Magos Herrera, deeply influenced by brazilian classics, brought to wide audiences in her country two songs by Pedro, which led him to a short and successfull tour to Mexico City and New York. Upon returning to Brazil, Pedro became one of the leaders of a generation that´s been breaking grounds in brazilian songwriting, organizing and taking part in several collective projects, such as the "Brotherhood of Free Music".

Never losing sight of his opus as a composer, Pedro started, in 2003, a very successful parallel career as a samba interpreter, springing from the traditional bohemian neighborhood of Lapa, Rio de Janeiro, to nation-wide touring, mostly with the ensemble "É com esse que eu vou", with whom he recorded the acclaimed album "Samba do Baú" (the "Treasure-Chest Samba"), dedicated to previously unreleased songs by the greatest masters in the history of this most brazilian genre (Paulinho da Viola, Cartola, Nelson Sargento among others, with some of whom he had the opportunity of sharing vocals on studio and stage).

Since 2007, after recording his first solo album, Claroescuro, Pedro Moraes has been dedicating fully to promoting his music, with an intense schedule of concerts that has included Europe (England, Germany and Spain), Asia (India - Pedro is the first brazilian artist to have his CD released by an Indian label - and Sri Lanka) and some successful touring around Brazil, with outstanding response from audiences and press.
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Visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows and to purchase tickets. Or call 212-967-7555 or visit The Public Theater Box Office (1 PM to 6 PM) located at 425 Lafayette Street, NYC.

Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, reopened October 4th, 2011 from a top to bottom renovation, debuted in October 1998 and quickly became one of New York City's most celebrated and in-demand showcase venues for live music and performance. With its genre-blind booking and vast diversity of interests, the stage at Joe's Pub gives voice to a world of varied and stellar artists. Joe's Pub is open seven days a week, regularly hosting as many as three shows a day. Dinner and drink service is available during every performance. In addition to its reputation of presenting internationally known stars, Joe's Pub has also developed into a premier showcase stage for up-and-coming musicians and emerging artists from a variety of disciplines.