Turnpike Troubadours, 15th Anniversary Celebration and More Set for Joe's Pub, Now thru 11/10
By: BWW News Desk Nov. 04, 2013
Joe's Pub has announced its lineup for this week, November 4-10, 2013, featuring Son Lux, Griffin House, Turnpike Troubadours, Polkabjorn & Kleine Heine, Ed Kowalczyk, Words & Music by Dan Wilson Co-Presented with WFUV, Mark Olson, The Hot Sardines, Never Sleep Alone, Marcelle Davies-Lashley, Joe's Pub 15th Anniversary Celebration featuring Bridgett Everett: Rock Bottom a Night to Benefit New York Voices, Nora York: Water Water Everywhere / Nay Any Drop to Drink, and The Joey Arias Experience. Details below!
November 4 at 9:30 and 11:30 PM
SOLD OUT
Son Lux is Ryan Lott. His debut recording, At War With Walls and Mazes (2008), earned him the title of "Best New Artist" by NPR's All Songs Considered. In 2011 he followed up this release with We Are Rising which Consequence of Sound described as "the dark, operatic middle ground between Owen Pallett and In Rainbows-era Radiohead or Wild Beasts' fantastic, operatic heights." In the last 4 years Lott has built an impressive list of collaborators including everyone from indie-rock darlings such as Sufjan Stevens, Peter Silberman (The Antlers), These New Puritans, My Brightest Diamond; to composers and classical world institutions such as Nico Muhly, Richard Perry (Arcade Fire), Judd Greenstein, yMusic, ETHEL, and Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw; to rappers Serengeti, Busdriver and Beans (Antipop Consortium). Recently Son Lux has performed at Carnegie Hall with the Young People's Choir of New York, held a weeklong residency at the Joyce Theater with Stephen Petronio Dance Company, performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and has shared the stage with Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Kate Davis, and Dose One. He will be collaborating this summer with Serengeti and Sufjan Stevens and world renowned visual artist Jim Hodges for a musical accompaniment to a traveling retrospective of Hodges work debuting at the Walker Museum of Art in February of 2014. Son Lux will be releasing his third full-length release via Joyful Noise Recordings.
November 5 at 7:30 PM
$20
Although Springfield Ohio native Griffin House didn't begin playing guitar and writing songs until he was 18, the power of his music struck an emotional connection with audiences immediately. House shocked his family by turning down a golf scholarship to focus on a new like making music. "Sports were really a big part of me and how I grew up," he says. "So deciding not to take that scholarship was a turning point for me in choosing a new path for myself, a new life making music." There were some issues to deal with first, however - he couldn't play the guitar he'd bought from and friend, nor had he ever written a song. Not long afterward, he wrote his first song for the high school sweetheart with whom he'd parted ways after graduation. When she came for a visit, House played it for her, and it brought her to tears. "Then I was hooked," he says, "I thought, 'Oh, man, if I can make people cry, I'm gonna keep doing this. I'm gonna make as many people cry as I can!'"
November 5 at 9:30 PM
SOLD OUT
Times are tough for just about everyone these days, especially for those who live in what is often referred to as the "flyover states," in the heart of the country. People have become tougher, their skins have grown thicker and they have become much harder to win over. That especially holds true when it comes to the music that rolls into the bars, music halls and honky-tonks of their towns. The overwhelming success that Turnpike Troubadours have had on the so-called Red Dirt circuit of those states says a lot about the quintet's authenticity and fire, particularly because their music is not exactly what that scene in known for producing. Over the course of the past five years, Felker, bassist RC Edwards, fiddle player Kyle Nix, guitarist Ryan Engleman and drummer Gabe Pearson, have honed the rowdy, quick-witted sound that's brought folks of all stripes together in front of those stages. And on Goodbye Normal Street, the Troubadours' third full-length album, the band takes that blend of nice and easy and nice and rough and distills it into a 43-minute ride that takes in the scenery of America's Heartland and the inner workings of a group of 20-somethings on a quest for something better.
November 6 at 7:30 PM
$20 Advance / $25 Door
A random performance at a yodeling festival in Huttwil, Switzerland, in the summer of 2007 resulted in the duo Polkabjørn & Kleine Heine. Their repertoire is varied and includes yodeling from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Who for example does not remember the 1942 Austrian hit; Mein Vater ist ein Appenzeller? If the mood is right they might even play a funeral song, or some Ricky Nelson. Take nothing for granted with this duo!
ED KOWALCZYK: I ALONE (ACOUSTIC)
November 6 at 9:30 PM
November 7 at 9:30 PM
SOLD OUT
Ed Kowalczyk, founding member, songwriter and former lead-singer of LIVE, opened a new chapter in his already illustrious career in 2009 with the launch of his solo career. With over 20 Million Albums sold worldwide, Kowalczyk has built an impressive résumé in LIVE that includes eight full-length albums that have reached gold and platinum status in 9 countries, and nine Top 10 hit songs, which include the crossover smash "Grace" from his debut solo album, and classics such as "Lightning Crashes", "I Alone", "Selling The Drama", "The Dolphin's Cry" and "Heaven". Ed's trademark vocals, electrifying stage presence and sweeping diversity as a performer shines through in his new self-produced acoustic production - "I Alone" Acoustic.
WORDS & MUSIC BY DAN WILSON CO-PRESENTED WITH WFUV
November 7 at 7:30 PM
SOLD OUT
Dan Wilson describes his Words & Music shows as "my chance to play songs, talk about songwriting, to tell stories about what motivates me as an artist, what inspires me, what keeps me going, and to share some ideas, tricks and hacks with other people about how to keep that creative flame alive." At these shows, audiences are able to get an inside look at Wilson's collaboration process, where his songs come from, and how he writes them. Dan Wilson is a singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and occasional cartoonist. He is best known as the lead singer of the band Semisonic, for which he wrote the Grammy-nominated smash "Closing Time" as well as other international hits including "Secret Smile" and "Chemistry." Prior to that, he was a member of the band Trip Shakespeare, whose long-haired psychedelia influenced a generation of Midwestern bands long after their breakup in the early 90s. Wilson is currently finishing up his third solo album, which will be released in the spring of 2014. On November 5, 2013, the first recording from this album, "Disappearing," will be the debut release of the new singles label, Canvasclub. "Disappearing" will be available in digital single format as well as a 7-inch version (with a cover of Neil Young's "Out on the Weekend" as a B-side).
November 8 at 7:30 PM
$15
Many Colored Kite is both a culmination of everything that came before it, and an exploration of uncharted waters. Recorded over a month's time in Portland with producer/engineer Beau Raymond (Chris Robinson, Devendra Banhart), the album finds Mark Olson embracing a decidedly brighter path towards the future, exploring themes of freedom and struggle, isolation and belonging, spirituality and love. He translates that idea of Bob Marley's lyrical directness into a beautiful simplicity of expression, creating "little moral stories," as he calls them. Album opener "Little Bird Of Freedom," which features folk-jazz chanteuse Jolie Holland, is an acknowledgement of both personal and universal struggle, which the title track, written at a park in Oslo, Norway, takes a step further. "To me, a 'many colored kite' is the idea that instead of having a restrictive world, let's have an inclusive one, where it's good for people to have different ideas, different faiths, and different languages." Ultimately, Many Colored Kite is a statement album. It's Mark Olson acknowledging the past, but making a conscious decision to lift up and continue his journey forward. "Let's face it-I worked hard on this record. I put everything I had into this one. I tried to play my best, sing my best, and write my best. I want this to look towards the future, and I hope our story goes on."
November 8 at 9:30 PM
SOLD OUT
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 front-woman whose voice recalls another era, and you haveThe Hot Sardines, an NYC outfit (with a tap dancer) that's been called "consistently electrifying live" (Popmatters). The Sardine sound - wartime Paris via New Orleans, or the other way around - is steeped in the kind of music Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt and Waller used to make: Straight-up, foot-stomping jazz. Pianist-bandleader Evan "Bibs" Palazzo and Paris-born singer Miz Elizabeth (who owe their collaboration to meeting via Craigslist) describe their band as "born in the 1920s, but raised in the '00s," reflecting a philosophy that hot jazz, Dixieland and Tin Pan Alley tunes are all pop music, not historical artifact to be handled with kid gloves. In 2013 The Sardines headlined the TCM Classic Cruise, played Great GoogaMooga Festival, the Spiegeltent and the Blue Note Jazz festival, and continue to turn regular haunt The Standard Hotel into a "saloon in the sky" (The Wall Street Journal).
November 8 at 11:30 PM
$25 Singles / $30 Voyeurs
Finally, a show designed to help you hook up! Sexual evangelist and Best-Selling author Dr. Alex Schiller brings the hot, the single and the curious together for a night of delirious laughter, awesome music and socio-sensual interaction. Dr. Alex insists that her audience be filled with the sexy and seeking. And she suggests you put your table/seat number, stats and sexual preference in the comments section below. Only sit it the "Singles" section if you are SINGLE and willing to interact with strangers! "Singles" mix in the front and become active participants in the show. "Voyeurs" watch from the back as the provocative and irreverent Dr. Alex dispenses sex advice from her new book, "Never Sleep Alone", and leads her audience through a wildly entertaining evening. Willing singles are invited to join Dr. Alex on stage for free champagne, blind dates and interactive demonstrations. The night continues at an exclusive after-party and the secret location is announced at curtain call. "Single straight males should sit with single straight females, hot gays with hot gays, older rich men with younger drunk women- Why sit with people you find sexually irrelevant?" ?- Dr. Alex. If you are interested in participating in a live, on-stage date or demonstration at the show, or would like to share your opinions on dating/sex (anonymous letters welcome) with the audience, then please send your request to NSAshow@gmail.com "Dr. Schiller is darn good at what she does." - The New York Times
November 9 at 7:00 PM
$15
Marcelle Davies-Lashley, Brooklyn native and baby of seven children born to West African parents from Liberia and Sierra Leone respectively is a psalmist extraordinaire. She began singing in the church choir at the age of 5 and never stopped. The sultry sound of the warm musical instrument of her voice will melt your heart and feed your soul. Marcellehas travelled to six of seven continents soothing and exciting the world in melody and song with a stage presence and sincerity that is second to none. She toured Turkey with Craig Harris and the Nation of Imagination. Marcelle played the role of the Queen of Sheba in the national and international tour of Robert Wilson's opera The Temptation of Saint Anthony by Gustave Flaubert with the amazing libretto written by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon. Marcelle is featured as a percussionist with the hypnotizing skills of her tambourine on Toshi Reagon's Have You Heard and on Carl Hancock Rux's Cornbread, Cognac and Collard Green Revolution as a featured vocalist. She has rendered her musical gift to the background vocals of BeBe and CeCe Winans Greatest Hits and Liz Wright to name a few. Marcelle had the honor of being the mistress of ceremony at the Jazz Foundation of America's Gala Performance at the historically acclaimed Apollo Theater in the spring of 2012. Marcelle has worked as a musician coloring and making everyone else sound good lending background vocals with Angelique Kidjo, Bono and Macy Gray. South Africa, London, Italy, Germany, Australia, France, Portugal, New York City and the universe is better for the likes of the music from the depth and gospel jazz soul fusion of Marcelle Davies-Lashley.
JOE'S PUB 15th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
FEATURING BRIDGETT EVERETT: ROCK BOTTOM
November 9 at 9:00 PM
$75
Joe's Pub at The Public is celebrating 15 years of the best in live music and performance nightly. This celebration will feature the announcement of one of the next commissioned New York Voices artists, an encore performance of Bridget Everett's New York Voices commission Rock Bottom, and will be followed by a raucous all night party with DJ Champagne Jerry. Come celebrate with us! ***The price of admission includes craft cocktails by resident mixtress Tiffany Short and celebratory sweet treats. About Rock Bottom: Written by Everett with Tony-winning writing duo Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, Rock Bottom is Bridget Everett's first major show since 2007's At Least It's Pink and the first since her critically-acclaimed tour with Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer. In Rock Bottom, "early Bette Midler" (NY Times) Bridget Everett barrels through life tip-toeing toward disaster, wine bottle by wine bottle and man by man. Instead of succumbing to her chardonnay-induced stupor, Bridget embraces a series of revelations that lead this voice of an angel to redemption. Rock Bottom is what happens when you're too passionate to give up, and too big to fail. The performance will feature familiar songs from Everett's monthly sold-out showcase at Joe's Pub with her band The Tender Moments (Bridget Everett, Vocals;Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, Bass; Carmine Covelli, Drums; Mike Jackson, Guitar; Matt Ray, Piano) as well as new songs written with Shaiman, Wittman and Horovitz.
NORA YORK'S WATER WATER EVERYWHERE
November 10 at 7:00 PM
FREE
Conceptual artist, musician and educator Nora York specializes in deconstructing and reimagining established musical masterworks. In Water Water Everywhere / Nay Any Drop To Drink she is framing Handel's Water Music suites with her own original compositions to confront the topic of climate change as it affects water-the oceans, rivers, aquifers, lakes, streams, wells, and our bodies and minds. This work-in-progress is both a love letter to water and a wake-up call. At its core, it asks the audience to consider the essential significance of water to all life on earth. In preparation for Water Water Everywhere / Nay Any Drop To Drink, York is engaging in conversations with scientists and activists in the fields of climate change and water. By "distilling the facts" she will identify the dominant images, metaphors, and concepts for her songs. York is also curating visual images for projections during portions of the live performance to create a complimentary metaphoric visual landscape to accompany the music. The visual artists committed to contributing images are Kiki Smith, Kate Teale, Judith Belzer, Jerry Kearns. Joining York will be an ensemble of both contemporary and classical musicians and singers. At the helm will be co-composer and longtime collaborator Jamie Lawrence on piano. Dave Hofstra, bass; Steve Tarshis, guitar; Peter Grant, drums; will be joined by luminaries from the classical world including Charles McCracken bassoon; Diane Lesser, oboe; Robin Zeh, violin. And surprise guests!
November 10 at 9:30 PM
$25
Following a sold out residency at Joe's Pub in February, bona fide New York City icon Joey Arias returns to the Pub with The Joey Arias Experience. Drawing on his life-long affinity for music, Arias takes you on a journey across musical genres (jazz, pop, rock, experimental) that spans his earliest musical influences; his days at Capitol Records; his tenure as the lead singer of Strange Party (an influence on the Talking Heads); and his original songs from Jazzo Lozzo, an album that quite literally made Arias "big in Japan" with the album's release there and subsequent tour. The Joey Arias Experience revives this rich backlog of musical history with Arias as medium and muse. Fresh from a tour of Australia and a 10-show run at Soho Theatre in London, Arias takes this moment to reflect on the roots of his career and redefine his own musical language and history.
Visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows and to purchase tickets, or call 212-967-7555, or visit in person at The Taub Box Office at The Public Theater (1 PM to 6 PM) located at 425 Lafayette Street, NYC.
ABOUT JOE'S PUB AT THE PUBLIC: Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe's Pub 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. www.joespub.com
ABOUT THE PUBLIC THEATER AT ASTOR PLACE: 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. www.publictheater.
Videos