Rarely do you see the Lower East Side of New York busy during the day. Busy with bands loading and unloading gear, industry people and press moving in and out of venues. On Ludlow Street alone you have Piano’s, The Living Room, The Cake Shop, and Arlene’s Grocery all within a one-block radius. Go two blocks and you’ve added the Mercury Lounge and the Backstage Bar.
I’ve been spending a good amount of time around this one-block radius of Ludlow and Stanton Streets. I started Day three at Piano’s for the I Guess I’m Floating day party. Brooklyn’s Beach Fossils played late afternoon in the upstairs gallery. I like the upstairs of Piano’s since it’s low key and reminds me of a living room with comfy couches and rugs. The last time I saw Beach Fossils, it was in a dark recording studio that was transformed into a party for SXSW 2010. It was freezing outside, so I appreciated the coziness of Piano’s. The band played a thirty-minute set of garage rock including their popular track “Daydream” with its catchy guitar riff. The band is off now to Europe for a six-week tour, so be sure to catch them if you’re on that side of the pond.
Right next door to Piano’s is The Living Room, a bar set up with tables and chairs throughout. I caught a set by the Kopecky Family Band who played as a part of ASCAP’s day showcase. Seven members make up the band, and they put on quite an energetic performance considering the place was half-full on a Thursday afternoon. The Kopecky’s played a great mix of folk inspired rock, and a good variety of instruments including strings and lots of percussion. I’d love to see these guys on the bill for the Newport Folk fest next year.
My night was spent on the Bowery. I caught sets at the Bowery Ballroom by PVT (Pivot), Good Old War, and Company of Thieves. All I can say is that Chicago’s Company of Thieves is so great live. Seriously, go see them. Lead singer Genevieve had the crowd mesmerized with her energy and voice. I’ve seen numerous bands over the years at the Bowery and I’ve never seen someone sing with such a range, and so forcefully. Just before closing the night with their radio hit “Oscar Wilde,” fans in the crowd threw masses of confetti into the audience. At first I thought the confetti was the band’s planning, but speaking with Genevieve after the show, she said it was a surprise to her and had no idea who these mystery fans were.
I ended the third night of CMJ by seeing Hypernova (Brooklyn by way of Iran) play at R bar. Speaking with the band’s manager Ali, he informed me that the group just finished recording new tracks in the studio and are looking forward to playing more live shows. Hypernova’s heavy rock with deep vocals was an interesting mix for R bar, which normally sees post-college “top forty” kids on a typical Thursday night. It did feel like you were on set for a music video. The band played on a red stage, with stripper poles and all. Cue the strippers!
photo by Erez Avissar
