Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its nightly performances from January 4-15, 2017. Scroll down and visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!
Guests: Desiree Burch, Rayya Elias, Margo Jefferson, Kaki King, Bess Stillwell & Maysoon Zayid
Wednesday, January 4 at 7:00PM
SOLD OUT!
Every month, New York's best and brightest women gather on stage for Women of Letters to celebrate the lost art of letter writing. Expect laughter, tears, and camaraderie as host Sofija Stefanovic welcomes guests reading "A letter to my monster." Guests are iconic comedian and storyteller Desiree Burch, author, filmmaker, musician and renowned polymath Rayya Elias, award-winning author and cultural critic Margo Jefferson, world-renowned guitarist and composer Kaki King, emergency physician, writer and storyteller Bess Stillman and acclaimed comedian, writer and actress Maysoon Zayid.
Women of Letters veterans include Molly Ringwald, Jean Grae, Megan Amram, Martha Wainwright, Kathleen Turner, Aparna Nancherla, Siri Hustvedt, Edie Falco, Susan Orlean, Emma Straub, Alexis Okeowo, Amanda Palmer, Sonia Manzano, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Bebe Buell, Eileen Myles, Suki Kim and more.
Proceeds from Women of Letters shows are regularly donated to charity, with $750K+ being raised globally to date. January 4th's proceeds will go to Guernica, a non-profit magazine dedicated to global art and politics, published online since 2004.
Erin Markey: BONER KILLER
Part of Under the Radar + Joe's Pub: In Concert
Wednesday and Tuesday, January 4 & 10 at 9:30PM; Friday, January 6 at Midnight
$25
Comprised of her signature story-driven stand-up and scored by sensual home-made pop, Erin Markey: Boner Killer is an intimate musical conversation between what Markey thinks she can't have and how she'd have it if she could. Driven by Whitney Houston's lesbian mythologies, Europe, and a Pretty Woman accident, Markey sacrifices her own life to transform personal humiliations into naked feminist hope. She is accompanied by a small music outfit and directed by Ellie Heyman.
Jomama Jones: BLACK LIGHT
Part of Under the Radar + Joe's Pub: In Concert
Thursday & Sunday, January 5 & 8 at 7:00PM
$25
As part of New York Voices, Joe's Pub at The Public presents Jomama Jones's Black Light, a work-in-progress created by Daniel Alexander Jones, featuring songs co-composed with longtime collaborator Bobby Halvorson and musical direction by pianist Samora Pinderhughes. Black Light, which features all original songs, many from Jomama's forthcoming double album Flowering (January 1, 2017), explores the hopes and fears, the signs and signifiers found in the darkest parts of night as we all move toward an uncertain dawn. Jones performs the show as his alter ego, Jomama Jones, with additional vocals by Helga Davis and Jonathan Gonzalez, plus special guests. This presentation is presented as part of The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival in Under the Radar + Joe's Pub: In Concert, a collaborative series re-engineering the intersection of music and theater.
MX Justin VivIan Bond SHOWS UP: UTR AFTER-PARTY
Thursday, January 5 at 9:30PM
$25
In a natural continuation of last year's celebration of Mx Justin VivIan Bond's prolific and trailblazing career as a performing artist, Mx Bond served as one of the Pub's performance ambassadors in its expansion outside of New York City for two programming partnerships in Houston and Seattle. Join us to celebrate Under the Radar 2017, Mx Bond's national pollination and to toast the many artists who call Joe's Pub home.
Mx Bond is a writer, singer, painter and performance artist. Mx Bond is the author of the Lambda Literary Award winning memoir TANGO: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels, published by The Feminist Press and Susie Says...a collaboration with Gina Garan (Powerhouse Books, 2012). V's debut album Dendrophile was self-released on WhimsyMusic in 2011 and was followed by Silver Wells in 2012. In 2011, v's art exhibition The Fall of the House of Whimsy was presented at Participant Inc. Mx Bond is a recipient of The Ethyl Eichelberger Award, The Peter Reed Foundation Grant and The Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award for Performance Art/Theater, an Obie and a Bessie. Additionally, Mx Bond was nominated for a Tony for Kiki and Herb Alive On Broadway in 2007.
Friday, January 6 at 7:00PM
$20
Time For Three, comprised of violinist Nicolas Kendall, double-bassist Ranaan Meyer and violinist Charles Yang, has been described as "America's favourite classical garage band." Originating at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music. Tf3 has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, The BBC Proms, NFL games, the Indy 500 and Dancing with the Stars. Their acclaimed PBS special released this year won an Emmy Award. The groups hit YouTube bullying-prevention video, "Stronger," has inspired students across the globe, eliciting features on CNN and the Huffington Post. They are now recording their sophomore album for Universal Music Classics with several of the recordings to be released in conjunction with their Night of the Proms tour throughout Europe this fall.
Friday, January 6 at 9:30PM
SOLD OUT!
Joan Osborne has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the great voices of her generation - both a commanding, passionate performer and a frank, emotionally evocative songwriter. A multi-platinum selling recording artist and seven-time Grammy nominee, the soulful vocalist is a highly sought-after collaborator and guest performer who has performed alongside many notable artists, including Bob Dylan, Luciano Pavarotti, Stevie Wonder, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, and Mavis Staples to name a few.
Saturday, January 7 at 7:00PM
SOLD OUT!
Syracuse native Martin Sexton got his start singing in the streets and subways of Boston in the early 90's. Still fiercely independent and headlining venues from The Fillmore to Carnegie Hall, he has influenced a generation of contemporary artists. His songs have appeared in television series such as Scrubs?, ?Parenthood?, ?Masters of Sex? and in numerous films, though it's his incendiary live show, honest lyrics, and vocal prowess that keep fans coming back for more. This show is a part of Sexton's tour of his ninth studio release Mixtape of the Open Road.
Saturday, January 7 at 9:30PM
$20
Pedro Pablo "Pedrito" Martinez was born in Havana, Cuba, Sept 12, 1973. His career as a leader, began in 2005 with the formation in NYC of the Pedrito Martinez Group with fans that include Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks, Steve Gadd, Taj Mahal and Quincy Jones. The Pedrito Martinez Group's, Grammy-nominated, first studio album, was released October, 2013 and features special guests, Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield and Steve Gadd. The album was chosen among NPR's Favorite Albums of 2013 and The Boston Globe Critics Top Ten Albums of 2013." Habana Dreams, PMG's second album, recorded largely, in Cuba in October 2015 was released in June 2016 with guests Ruben Blades, Isaac Delgado, Wynton Marsalis, Descemer Bueno, Roman Diaz, Angelique Kidjo, and Telmary Diaz.
Part of Under the Radar + Joe's Pub: In Concert
Saturday, January 7 at Midnight & Thursday, January 12 at 9:30PM
SOLD OUT!
PWR BTTM is a queer punk band consisting of Ben Hopkins and Liv Bruce. Formed at Bard College, Bruce and Hopkins bonded over a mutual interest in bringing elements of performance and drag artistry into DIY culture, and recorded a demo, Cinderella Beauty Shop, and the Republican National Convention split EP with Jawbreaker Reunion. PWR BTTM's debut LP, Ugly Cherries, documents the duo's experiences with queerness, gender, and adulthood over the course of a year of living in upstate New York. Ugly Cherries was recorded by Christopher Daly at Salvation Recording Company in New Paltz, NY and mastered by Jamal Ruhe at West West Side Music. Since recording the album, the band has toured alongside Ra Ra Riot, Mitski, and Car Seat Headrest as they spread their infectious live show across the USA and beyond.
CHAMPAGNE JERRY FT. Neal Medlyn: IN THE CHAMPAGNE ROOM
Part of Under the Radar + Joe's Pub: In Concert
Sunday, January 8 at 9:30PM
$25
The Champagne Room is a magical room that has been secretly hidden for years. Inside lives Champagne Jerry and his entourage, the Champagne Club, with enough cheap gold, dance, effervescence, and memories to last a lifetime. Semi-retired performance artist Neal Medlyn returns with songs from his notorious career to help open the Champagne Room for a performance and event that will change everyone's life. Champagne Jerry is a project created by Neal Medlyn who has been named one of the top ten best performers in New York by Time Out and profiled in Rolling Stone, Brooklyn Vegan and Interview Magazine.
THE STEEL WHEELS / PARSONSFIELD
Monday, January 9 at 7:00PM
$20
Some things come to be in their own time, of their own accord. Such has been the case with The Steel Wheels. In the beginning, it was simply a matter of four young men who'd happened to cross paths at a formative moment in each of their lives reveling in the shared experience of plucking acoustic instruments and blending their voices. But over the years, what had begun organically as a pure lark evolved into a mission: to fuse the personal with the universal, the deeply rooted past with the joys and sorrows of everyday existence. These thematic and stylistic vectors intersect powerfully on their latest album Leave Some Things Behind; a deeply human, emotionally authentic work that interweaves timely songs with timeless sounds.
The five members of Parsonsfield had looked forward to making music in the cavernous industrial space on the banks of The Farmington River in Collinsville, CT ever since singer/banjo player Chris Freeman, who grew up nearby, brought it to their attention. The idea of recording in such a reverberant, reactive space held great appeal after the past six months spent in Canada exclusively performing their critically acclaimed original songs for 'The Heart Of Robin Hood,' a musical that required them to wear in-ear monitors for eight shows a week in theaters designed to be sonically dead. They used this new creative space to create their newest album Blooming Through The Black which was release this past September of 2016.
QUETZAL / BETTY BONIFASSI / MAARJA NUUT
Monday, January 9 at 9:30PM
$15
From the ashes of Los Angeles' 1992 rebellion/riots arose a collective of East Side musicians committed to respectfully continuing the legacy of over 70 years of Chicano Rock, standing on the shoulders of giants like Ritchie Valens, Cannibal and The Headhunters, Los Lobos, and many others. Named "one of Los Angeles' most important bands" by the LA Times and winners of a Grammy award in 2013, Quetzal forges a sound that will simultaneously make you dance and contemplate change, a sound as rich and complex as their pluri-ethnic barrio experience.
Betty Bonifassi became known with The Triplets of Belleville, her collaboration with DJ Champion, and the duo Beast. She is undoubtedly one of Canada's great voices and exudes a magnetism that is unreal. She released her debut album on September 23, 2014 with the Montreal-based L-A be label. The album pays tribute to African-American prisoners' songs from the 1920s collected by ethno-musicologist Alan Lomax in the Southern US states. These chants helped to maintain the pace of the unbearable and inhuman work.
A fiddler and singer from Northern Estonia, Maarja Nuut's music combines traditional dance tunes, songs, and stories with live electronics, creating a space where classical minimalism and experimental music meet the village musical traditions of pre-war Europe. While her work is often compared to composers such as Arvo Pärt, Philip Glass, and La Monte Young; Matador Records' Director of Publicity and Artist Liaison notes that "Maarja Nuut is someone that can bring Estonian folk to an international audience. (...) I can see a contemporary indie audience for her as well: for example, fans of Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, and Sigur Ros."
FRENCH QUARTER: JAZZ IN NYC FT. RAPHAËL IMBERT, LOU TAVANO & IMANY
Tuesday, January 10 at 6:30PM
$15
The French Quarter's fourth edition is on its way to New York for three special evenings on the occasion of three major international jazz events (APAP, Winter Jazz Festival and Global Fest). French jazz currently lives a wonderful revival and Paris Jazz Club aim to spread its creativity, dynamism and richness all over the world. Raphaël Imbert is saxophone player, composer, improviser, teacher and researcher. He is joined by a group of musicians to perform Music Is My Home. Lou Tavano will perform her debut album For You. Tavano's unique voice captivates you and with mesmerizing charisma she transports you to her universe, as she shares her kaleidoscope of personal stories. Imany's style is a raging melancholy underpinned by lyrics that her life experience has sharpened. Her portion of the show is called The Wrong Kind of War.
Wednesday, January 11 at 7:00PM
$25
As Grace Kelly defiantly reminds us on "The Other One," a standout number from her upcoming album Trying To Figure It Out, she's not looking to be like anyone else. "Got my own thing," she sings over the song's urban, trancelike groove. Although the singer and saxophone player has been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike as a jazz musician, the track's exhilarating chorus, haunting keyboard hook and brittle electro edge show an artist interested only in playing what she loves labels be damned. Kelly is a graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in professional music. She is a seven-time winner of the Downbeat critics poll and has drawn critical praise and new fans every year headlining over 700 shows in 30 countries at all major jazz festivals, from Montreux to Newport to Montreal.
BROOKLYN RAGA MASSIVE: TERRY RILEY'S IN C
PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH GLOBALFEST & ISPA
Wednesday, January 11 at 9:30PM
$20
Brooklyn Raga Massive is a collective of forward thinking musicians rooted in Indian classical music. Their Weekly Concert and Jam Session (4.5 years running) has nurtured an incredible community of artists and music lovers. Indian classical music is often performed with only 2 or 3 musicians. Terry Riley's minimalist classic "In C" was a great way for BRM to perform with their entire community of 20 plus musicians and of course put their own stamp on this canonic work. Terry Riley is a student of Indian vocal music himself and encouraged BRM to take more liberties with the piece. BRM is the first group to perform "In C" with mostly Indian Instruments: sitar, sarod, tabla, bansuri, violin, vocal, cello, bass, guitar and more.
DJ BEMBONA PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH GLOBALFEST & ISPA
Wednesday, January 11 at 11:00PM
FREE!
If her name sounds familiar, it's because you've heard it before. DJ Bembona has played at iBomba, Que Bajo?!, Afro-Latino Festival, Maracuyeah and more. Her Boricua-Panameña roots merge with her Brooklyn upbringing to showcase sounds that shift between the past and the future, finding the fine line where contemporary meets classic and the Latinx diaspora shines. Her current residency at Camaradas El Barrio (Vibras NYC) is a celebration of just that; generations coming together through African & Indigenous rhythms and new Latinx sounds.
BETSAYDA MACHADO & LA PARRANDA EL CLAVO: GALA SABROSA
Thursday, January 12 at 7:00PM
$20 Adv / $25
Dubbed 'The Black Voice of Barlovento,' Betsayda Machado is the carrier of a long tradition of nearly extinguished Afro-Venezuelan music genres. Her music's raw percussive nature is reminiscent of other African-rooted music - from countries like Colombia, Cuba and Brazil - but was born of its own unique history and culture. For nearly 30 years, the ensemble has performed at town festivities, funerals and celebrations, preserving songs which reinforce town history and local anecdotes. Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo have recorded a series of albums and organized the first tour. This infectious music, anchored by Machado's thunderous voice, is an example of the African diasporic traditions being celebrated all weekend long by TD Sunfest '16's new programming component, AFRIKALIA: African Heart Beats.
I BEG YOUR PARTON: ADDIE SINGS DOLLY
Friday, January 13 at 7:30PM
$18
Addie Brownlee returns for her annual, beloved tribute to Dolly Parton. A few days prior to Parton's 71st birthday, the show focuses on the great songs the legend has performed throughout her career - getting to the heart of what has made her such an icon. Brownlee's voice has been compared to singers like Dusty Springfield. " IF Brownlee's voice is of the dust, the earth, then her lyrics are a hard rain.
NOEL & JULIA'S WAYWARD BRAINCHILDREN
Friday, January 13 at 9:30PM
$20
Noel Carey and Julia Mattison have a lot of brainchildren, and they're all going on a family trip to Joe's Pub. Fresh off of winning the 2016 Streamy Award for Best Indie for their hit series Brooklyn Sound, this musical comedy duo is ready to share some brand new songs for upcoming projects, deep cuts from Brooklyn Sound, and perhaps a musical orphan or two that are still looking for a home. Grab your friends, awkwardly avoid your acquaintances, and make your way to Noel and Julia's Home for Wayward Brainchildren.
STEPHANIE CHOU, PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CHINA INSTITUTE
Saturday, January 14 at 7:00PM
$15
Stephanie Chou is a saxophonist, singer and composer. Her music combines classical and Chinese influences with jazz and pop harmony and rhythm. This concert celebrates the release of Asymptote, her third album. Asymptote features fresh arrangements of Chinese classics including "The Moon Represents My Heart" and "Kangding Love Song," a tongue-twister about eating grapes, and songs influenced by her love of mathematics and literature. Chou's goal is to create global music that is artistically challenging, bold and fearless, and which presents a unique musical perspective. Asymptote features jazz musicians Kenny Wollesen, David Binney, John Escreet, and Zack Lober, as well as viola and erhu virtuoso Andy Lin.
Saturday, January 14 at 9:30PM
$20
Ayo's a warrior, although that's hard to believe when you see her, so beautiful and frail with her guitar slung across her shoulder. Yet she spends all her time on the road, on stage or in the studio, living the life of a true artist - one who isn't just playing at being a star, but loves music more than anything in the world. After selling one and a half million records in 40 countries, Ayo turned to the producer of her first album, Jay Newland, with her latest project, Ticket to the World. Recorded live, its prolific collection of sixteen songs breathes sincerity and elegance.
Sunday, January 15 at Noon
$12
SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young, a not-for-profit dedicated to helping young people who stutter find their voice, proudly presents the culmination of its Songwriting Project. The young participants, ages 8 - 18, worked with professional songwriters to bring their original songs to life. Everett Bradley, SAY's musical director (currently touring with Jon Bon Jovi) leads a professional band to back up these amazing superstar SAY songwriters as they perform their original songs.
Sunday, January 15 at 7:00PM
$15
After the acclaimed 2015 performance of his debut album Batania, Kristo Rodzevski returns to Joe's Pub for a CD/LP release show of his second album Bitter Almonds, with a stellar group of musicians from the New York's jazz and improvised music scene. Bitter Almonds is an album about the human condition. A little bitter and dark on first taste, it hits you with a playful aftertaste of sweet, though tacit, optimism. It is post-rock, post-folk, post-jazz; liminal music - a borderland, with a delightful balance of structure and improvisation. An aching intimacy in the voice, paired with expansive, open arrangements. It gives the listener the sensation of a quiet rooftop, city streets stretching in all directions as far as the eye can see.
MICHAEL MWENSO'S MELTING POT
FEATURING Vuyo Sotashe: SONGS OF FREEDOM
Sunday, January 15 at 9:30PM
$15 Adv / $20 Door
Whether acting as vocalist, emcee, showman or impresario, Michael Mwenso conveys both the sophistication and spontaneity of hardcore jazz and the music's folkloric roots with impeccable craft, creativity and flair. Most frequently, Mwenso performs as leader of Michael Mwenso and The Shakes, a retinue comprising between three to five vocalists and a rotating ensemble. Mwenso has spent his entire life immersed in the jazz scene and has developed his unique skill set through the course of eventful life journeys.
South African jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe is making his mark in the New York jazz scene. Sotashe won the first prize at the first Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival Vocal Competition in 2014, and performed on the festival's main stage in 2015. More recently, he won the Audience Prize and placed second over-all at the Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition in 2015, held at Montreux Jazz Festival. He has performed on international stages and collaborated with renowned artists. At Joe's Pub, he recently performed in Somi's Dreaming Zenzile.
For tickets, go online at joespub.com, call 10AM-7:00PM daily at 212-967-7555, or visit in person at The Public Theater Box Office, 425 Lafayette Street, NYC (Opens daily at 2PM). There is a $12 food / two (2) drink minimum per person per show, unless otherwise noted.
Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe's Pub at The Public opened 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. Joe's Pub presents the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community and artistic freedom. The organization also offers unique opportunities likeNew York Voices, an artist commissioning program that provides musicians the resources and tools needed to develop original theater works. Commissioned artists have included Ethan Lipton, Toshi Reagon, Bridget Everett, Allen Toussaint and more. In 2011, the Pub received a top-to-bottom renovation, 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.
The Public Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare, the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. Celebrating his 10th anniversary season at The Public, Eustis has created new community-based initiatives designed to engage audiences like Public Lab, Public Studio, Public Forum, Public Works, and a remount of the Mobile Unit. 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 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; Public Works, an expanding initiative that is designed to cultivate new connections and new models of engagement with artists, audiences and the community each year; and audience and artist development initiatives that range from Emerging Writers Group to the Public Forum series. The Public is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; and in October 2012, the landmark building downtown at Astor Place was revitalized to physically manifest the Company's core mission of sparking new dialogues and increasing accessibility for artists and audiences, by dramatically opening up the building to the street and community, and transforming the lobby into a public piazza for artists, students, and audiences. The Public is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning acclaimed American musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and in Spring 2017, Lynn Nottage's acclaimed new play Sweat.. The Public has received 59 Tony Awards, 168 Obie Awards, 53 Drama Desk Awards, 54 Lortel Awards, 32 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics Awards, and five Pulitzer Prizes.
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