Mara Wilson, Caroline Rose, Mary Millben, and More to Perform at Joe's Pub 8/20-31
By: Sally Henry Fuller Aug. 18, 2014
This week, Joe's Pub at the Public will feature the talents of many performers, including Mara Wilson, Caroline Rose, Mary Millben, and more, August 20-31.
Wednesday, August 20 at 7:30pm
$15
A self-proclaimed "failed scholar and modern-day hobo," 24-year old Caroline Rose has broken her long string of short-circuits with a live-wire national debut, I Will Not Be Afraid (August 19th / Little Hi! Records) that draws on her roots in rockabilly, vintage country and blues to capture her unique and personal vision. Rose tried embracing religion. But when her church busted up in a sex scandal, her parents stopped attending services and her attempt to join the last of the three remaining Shakers - a sect disappearing due to its strict belief in celibacy - didn't quite work out. While she escaped the "heroin highway" that runs through her hometown via a scholarship to small liberal arts college, Rose failed as a scholar, barely scraping along to graduation. So she bought a vintage sports car to travel the country, which quickly broke down. She followed that with a stint stocking shelves and sweeping the floors of a grocery store for a boss who eventually fired her.
Wednesday, August 20 at 9:30pm
$12 adv / $15 door
Armed with two excellent musicians and one of the most powerful voices in Canada, Alejandra Ribera weaves between languages, seducing audiences and luring them into an intimate world filled with deep waters and mythical creatures. Performing material from her critically acclaimed new album La boca, Ribera's emotionally charged performances have moved audiences to tears, drawing them in with the first note and launching them on a journey with every passionate note and thoughtful lyric.
Thursday, August 21 at 7:30 PM
$15
As a Bolivian-American artist trained in the opera and theater world, Gian-Carla Tisera's subversive musical prowess is the result of two worlds colliding, creating a groundbreaking and dynamic fusion of Opera, Bolivian folk music and Latin jazz. 'Son Montuno' embraces operatic Verdi melodies, Bolivian, original and Latin American songs explode with symphonic passion and spoken word is embraced in a fury of sounds and textures. Gian-Carla's debut album Nora la Bella is a ravishing musical feat where she is joined by twice Grammy Award-nominated Elio Villafranca as her co-producer and by some of the best talent in the Latin jazz industry. The album will be released September 2014.
Thursday, August 21 at 9:30pm
$12
Peptalk is Michael Carter (electronics), Shayna Dunkelman (percussion) and Angelica Negron (voice). Peptalk's visceral music combines many exotic instruments with lush electronic sounds and airy vocals. They are obsessed with creating a hyper real world both sonically and visually by blending memories from their lives in Tokyo, San Juan and Los Angeles. Each member plays with bands and artists like Yoko Ono, Glasser, Xiu Xiu, Thurston Moore, Balun and Tyondai Braxton, but by joining forces, they create rich musical arrangements of various percussion, accordion, strings, harp and voice accompanied by layers of synths, samples and electronics beats. Themes of solitude, escapism and cultural curiosity are expressed through their songs that drift between intimate lyrical moments, dreamy sound textures and grooves.
PENNY AND SPARROW / SONGS OF WATER
Friday, August 22 at 7:00pm
$15
Penny & Sparrow were listed by BuzzFeed as #2 of 50 SXSW bands to know and The Huffington Post as #4 of 30 SXSW acts about to break in 2014. They're also part of the Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival lineup this October (10th-12th). So there's good reason this Austin duo is garnering such praise and attention. When so much of radio is a blur of popstars, synthesizers, drums, and light shows - here, two honest men lay bare the simple poetry of sound. Andy Baxter and Kyle Jahnke write and play music that effortlessly draws you in with their deep, moving lyrics that are intimate and relational in nature reminiscent of Bon Iver and The Swell Season; along with possessing that rare quality to captivate an audience to the point you can hear a pin drop.
Songs of Water is a 7-piece multi-instrumentalist group that blends Modern Folk, Bluegrass, Roots, Experimental and World Music influences in a strongly American context. With strong musicianship and performance skills, Songs of Water, delivers a live performance loved by all ages.
MICHAEL MWENSO: THE PROHIBITED JAZZ AGE
Friday, August 22 at 9:30pm
$12 adv / $15 door
Jazz vocalist Michael Mwenso offers a collection of shameless tunes from the 1920s and1930s that were banned from being broadcast in their era. The playful and romantic nature of these songs also make them timeless. not simply because they are funny and amusing, but it's a reminder that romance and sexuality are, and always have been, universal human experiences. Enjoy an exhilarating night of Jazz, wit and delight.
COOL PRESENTED BY RICHARD KENNEDY AND THE CULTURE WHORE
Friday, August 22 at 11:30pm
$15
Merging today's downtown stars with tomorrow's Broadway stars, "COOL" celebrates creative culture by bringing to life a night reminiscent of Studio 54. Performers to be announced shortly. Presented by Richard Kennedy and The Culture Whore.
Saturday, August 23 at 7:30pm
$15
Craig Greenberg has been called this generation's "troubadour piano man" (Jambands.com), combining the pop sensibilities and greatly skilled musicianship of Ben Folds, with the lyrical smarts of Randy Newman. His voice brims with soul and personality, coming from his strong native New Yorker identity, and also from his experience getting his start while living abroad, performing in the bars and on the streets of Chile and Spain from 2002 to 2004. Since his return to NY, Craig has been a mainstay on the downtown and Brooklyn music scene, and as well has toured around the US and abroad. He has performed with industry notables such as Jackson Browne, Chris Barron (Spin Doctors), Jane Wiedlin (Go-Go's), Steve Conte (NY Dolls). He is currently working on 3rd album, to be released the end of 2014.
BLAIR CRIMMINS AND THE HOOKERS
Saturday, August 23 at 9:30PM
$15
Blair Crimmins and The Hookers bring Ragtime and 1920s style Dixieland Jazz to new audiences. His sound is at once modern while being deeply rooted in the past. In four years and over five hundred shows, he has toured the U.S. playing his own gigs and and opening for artists like Mumford & Sons and O.A.R. A multi-instrumentalist and music academic, Crimmins writes songs and arrangements for a classic New Orleans-style horn section (trumpet, clarinet and trombone). His last release and video "State Hotel" landed them a full feature in Creative Loafing Atlanta. In 2012, Crimmins showed his musical chops by scoring the independent short film Old Man Cabbage. Crimmins and The Hookers are currently on tour to support their 2013 album Sing-a-longs.
KARSH KALE - COLLECTIVE SESSIONS W/ SPECIAL GUESTS
Saturday, August 23 at 11:30pm
$18 Adv / $23 Door
Described by Billboard Magazine as a "visionary composer and producer," Karsh Kale is one of global music's brightest stars. In the past 12 years as a solo recording artist, producer, composer, performer and DJ, Kale has set the world of electronic fusion on fire and has helped to create a genre of new music and culture that continues to influence an entire generation. Fans and critics claim Kale as a pioneer and a trail blazer, not only opening doors for his own career but for an entire scene to emerge in the world of electronica and fusion music. Kale has also developed a reputation as a genre bending collaborator and a world renowned tabla player and musician, exploring the worlds of electronica, Indian classical music, rock, jazz fusion and hip hop which has led him to work with some of the most renowned artists from around the globe. Kale continues to reinvent his ever-evolving sound and has established himself as one of the world's most sought after fusion artists.
Sunday, August 24 at 7:30PM
$14
Creaky Brooklyn band Kotorino plays darkly elegant, trippy, gypsy-flavored "parlor rock" with carnivalesque touches. Compared to the Fishtank Ensemble, Radio Fantastique, Piñataland, Starhead and Sufjan Stevens, they perform European waltzes, Latin Tangos and rural Americana on guitar, fiddle, tuba, bass clarinet, tenor sax, horn, piano, drums, and acoustic bass. Vocal harmonies are haunting and lyrics flirt with adventure, unease and triumph. WNYC said, "Even in a music scene saturated with 'chamber-pop' bands and odd instrumentation, Kotorino stands out with its use of all variety of winds, strings, and other musical gadgetry. The music itself is omnivorous in its source material, quite pretty, and downright haunting."
MARA WILSON: WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
Sunday, August 24 at 9:30PM
$14
Death, commitment, sock puppets -- everyone's afraid of something. Laugh at your fears as host Mara Wilson takes you through comedian and performers' anxieties (and a few of her own). This is a show all about fears, anxieties, phobias, dealing with them, getting through them, and laughing at them. Guests are TBA.
Monday, August 25 at 7:30PM
$20 adv / $25 door
Created by Sammy Wegent, and from the minds behind live comedy juggernauts Mortified & Freestyle Love Supreme, Speechless shows off Silicon Valley's silly side by letting presenters live out their worst nightmare: giving a presentation with absolutely no preparation.The show puts entertainers, entrepreneurs, and audience members on the spot with just a PowerPoint deck full of images that they've never seen and a topic determined at random by a spinning wheel. These can be a TED talk, a new app being launched, even a wedding toast, and then presenters do their best to get through their talk, while attempting to leave the audience Speechless.
MUSICAL THEATRE FACTORY BENEFIT
Monday, August 25 at 9:30PM
$30 - $60
Join an all-star cast and artists from Musical Theatre Factory's first summer season for an evening of new and adventurous musical theatre songs. Musical Theatre Factory is a volunteer-based organization dedicated to helping musical theatre artists develop new work in a collaborative environment free from the pressures of critical or commercial success. At this one-night-only event, MTF writers and composers will be showcasing the greatest hits from the Factory's unique development programs. Come hear what Musical Theatre Factory has to share, and help raise funds for the 2014-15 MTF season.
Tuesday, August 26 at 7:30PM
$20
Beyond a robust touring schedule, Sarah Darling keeps busy with frequent national TV appearances to the launch of her new line of boots for Durango to the success of her French macaron company. Her July 18th appearance at the Grand Ole Opry marked her 60th appearance on that historic stage since her debut just three years ago. It was also the night country superstar Brad Paisley honored her by performing a house-shaking duet of "Whiskey Lullaby" with her. Recent radio success with singles, "Home to Me," and "Little Umbrellas" solidified the Iowa native as one of country's music's breakout performers and elite vocalists. Called "a sophisticated songwriter with a crisp, powerful voice" by The New York Times, Darling pairs her uncanny knack for songwriting with her passion for performing on stage. She has been tagged "Nashville's Darling" by Music City's Convention and Visitors Bureau, and "America's Darling," since her appearances on RISING STAR.
SHRIVE ALIVE / THE ACADEMY BLUES PROJECT
Tuesday, August 26 at 9:30PM
$12
Shrive Alive features Jon Shriver (vocals, guitar), Fred Cash (bass), Alex Nolan (guitar), and Greg Gonzalez (drums). Shrive's original inspiration as a guitarist was Jimi Hendrix, but he has since invoked other classic rock guitar greats along with blues and be-bop musicians to develop his style. A master time-waster, Shrive spent valuable time in Mississippi with Fat Possum Records, working with greats like R.L Burnside and T-Model Ford. His talents span beyond the stage and into the studio where he has produced for Nas, and was featured on guitar in the Michael Mann/Will Smith movie Ali. Shrive has also worked as an engineer with many Hip Hop and R&B legends including Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., Jodeci, and Wu-Tang Clan.
The Academy Blues Project is a rock band founded in 2006 in the 'showband' tradition. ABP are the progeny of a long lineage of New York City showbands, combining killer chops, lush arrangements and theatrical spectacle into an unforgettable live show. With a repertoire as eclectic as its members' musical backgrounds, ABP evokes a wide array of genres in its original music. ABP is Mark Levy (vocals, guitar, theremin), Brian Barone (guitar), Ben Easton (keys), Trevor Brown (bass), Jim Bloom (drums), Dan Lipsitz (saxophone) and Nick Catino (trumpet).
Thursday, August 28 at 7:00PM
$20 adv / $25 door
Oklahoma has been an incubator for birthing great singers, including Helen Hayes Award nominee Mary Millben, who is now among the names of rising stars from the heartland of America. A versatile soprano with family roots in gospel music, Millben's first stage was her home church where she was known for her stunning vocal range. Thanks to the faith instilled by her determined, single mother, it was a matter of time before this preacher's child would go from the hills of the South to the stages of the world. A University of Oklahoma alum, her life journey then led her to the Nation's capital where she served as a White House intern and later Presidential Appointee to George W. Bush.
Millben went on to become a featured soloist for President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama while further impressing audiences at such notable venues as the White House, the Kennedy Center, the famed Copacabana, as well as stages across Asia and Europe. Millben had humble beginnings in New York, working as a hostess at the Upper West Side's treasured French-American bistro Café Luxembourg. More recently, she performed at Westchester Broadway Theatre, a sold-out solo concert at The Cutting Room in 2013 and a debut at City Winery in June 2014.
Following two recent summer features in the Washington, D.C. - a sold-out solo tribute to the late Marvin Hamlisch at the National Museum of Women in the Arts and a performance alongside Oprah Winfrey at the Lavern Chatman for Congress fundraiser, Millben is excited to return to New York in concert.
Thursday, August 28 at 9:30PM
$12 adv / $15 door
Mikey Wax has recently been recognized by both New Music Seminar and iHeart Radio as an "Artist On The Verge" and an "Artist To Watch," respectively. His fan base is continually growing online and in person at shows thanks to engaging audiences who connect with Wax's passion for music and life. In February, 2014, Wax signed with Toucan Cove / Universal Music Group, and hit the studio with producer and brother duo Scott and Ed Cash. His new full-length, self-titled label debut was released on June 10, 2014. The album quickly jumped into the iTunes top 100 pop chart, and the first single "You Lift Me Up" was featured by iTunes as "Ahead Of The Curve." The song has already garnered two million Spotify streams.
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