LICpop

A Show

2008-07-18T11:58:00.002-04:00

I haven't been putting any shows together, obvs. However, this weekend, some favorite songwriters from Michigan join Brooklyn-based Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good to Me, Flashpapr, City Center) for a free gig at a small venue. The info is below-- come on out if you aren't up to anything.

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***Saturday, July 19***

FRED THOMAS (Brooklyn, NY)

MATT JONES (Ann Arbor, MI)

MISTY LYN & THE BIG BEAUTIFUL (Ann Arbor, MI)

JGRAVES (Grosse Pointe, MI)

Music starts at 8 PM
FREE

@ DOMINIE'S HOEK

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Okay, So I'm Not Moving Anywhere Yet

2008-06-19T17:26:00.009-04:00

Unless you've been living under a rock the past few days, you've probably heard about this already on the interweb or TV or in the paper:

What you probably didn't know is that I took that footage at LICMJ.

Can you spot Chris Martin in this video? I think he's the messianic-looking one.

Viva la Creaky Boards!

Meh

2008-05-19T18:25:00.004-04:00

This blog has rolled-over and died. Some dudes may be opening a club up in Ravenswood soon, Dominie's Hoek is still having shows pretty regularly, and luxury condos full of amenities will continue to rampage these lands with their glassy kudzu fingers, but it appears I'm heading further inland to greener pastures and other projects. On to obscure corners of Ridgewood/Bushwick, circa August. Where a kid can be a kid.

Back to the Drawing Board

2008-03-24T23:55:00.003-04:00

Okay, so where's the next LIC show space? Dominie's Hoek is great, but a bit limiting on size and styles, understandbly... it was a fun run. Land-use conflicts, they get you every time... Who has an idea? Todd P told me that that little bar on top the Hunterspoint Ave. 7 train stop, or that space on the side of Jackson Ave. Steakhouse could be options. We'll see... things were starting to get good, too, with strong turnout regularly, DJs downstairs, and more folks involved in putting together and helping out at shows.

After a year and a half of trying to make it work, The Creek and The Cave will no longer be able to continue as a live music venue. It is simply not fair to the folks who live above us and residential buildings aren’t typically as forgiving as ours has been. The staff at The Creek and The Cave want to thank so many folks who volunteered, played, and partied with us over the past 18 months. We had a blast and hope you did too.

Special Thanks goes out to:
Drew St. Aubin
Brandon Zwagerman
Gabe
Andy Guthrie
Jake and WLWL
Justin and The Gulf of Michigan
Queens Denim Rockers
Greg Smith and The Broken English
John Foote and Yellowdog
The Hard Lessons
Third Space Music
The Rockers

We wish you all the best of luck in the future.

Respectfully,
Rebecca A. Trent
Owner, The Creek and The Cave

Frappucino-Free Zone (For Now)

2008-03-13T21:21:00.005-04:00

In hot neighborhood news, it looks like LIC will be spared a Starbucks for at least the near future. Although I won't be surprised of one of these new glassy buildings comes with one built-in eventually. Ah well.

I'm off the map traveling to California and Michigan for a few weeks starting Saturday, so there won't be another post until April, but we're all adults here and you know how to check venue websites. But first, we've got an all-female show at the Creek and the Cave on Friday and a few options Saturday. Have fun out there. Look both ways when crossing the street.

hold down the fort and my booth at Court Square Diner.

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***Friday, March 13***

LOCKET (Queens, NY)

NINA & HER BAND (Long Island?, NY)

SOMER (Manhattan, NY)

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, March 14***

MOAID 2008
A benefit for St. John's EMT Elaine Mohini Hoare featuring YELLOWDOG, DJs, and raffles

Starts at 6 PM
$25

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, March 14***

BOGS VISIONARY ORCHESTRA (Brooklyn, NY)

Music starts at 9 PM
FREE

@ DOMINIE'S HOEK

Funeral

2008-03-12T19:17:00.002-04:00

Just got the sad news via TXT from Justin @ Dominie's Hoek:

Funeral service for Herman the Fish tonight at Dominie's Hoek. The wake starts at, say, 11? And when I close the bar we're walking him down to the East River.

Arcade Fire This Weekend in LIC

2008-03-05T20:18:00.004-05:00

Shameless, yes, but now that I have your attention (the bands are probably pissed that I did that, and hype = super gross, but sometimes works), I am happy to announce that while (The) Arcade Fire is NOT playing Queens this weekend, if you like sprawling-ass anthemic bands along those lines as much as I do (albeit rather different takes on such an arrangement), you're in luck. RAVENS AND CHIMES come uptown and across the river for a special "acoustic" show, their big send-off before heading down to South by Southwest. Their album Reichenbach Falls is one of the best NYC records I've stumbled upon recently, and their live performances are a knockout. MY OTHER FRIEND and THE LOOM, both heavyweights in their own right, open up the night. Trust me, the room will be packed both on-stage and -off. Highs in the 50s. Accordions and strings likely. Wear awesome scarves and colorful galoshes. The future's so bright you gotta wear shades.

On another note, (ahem) TITS & SPANDEX spins "smash hits" downstairs until the wee hours. Danceparty? It's happened before.

Be there, or be lame.

Saturday night: drum & bass DJs at the Creek and the Cave, bluegrass at Dominie's Hoek. You'll probably pick one, or the other.

Queens is the new awesome / needs a new publicist.

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***Friday, March 7***

RAVENS AND CHIMES (Manhattan, NY)
"Justifiably, Ravens & Chimes' sound is frequently associated with the Arcade Fire, but the band finds their element somewhere in between Leonard Cohen and Vampire Weekend." -SPIN

MY OTHER FRIEND (Brooklyn, NY)
"There is a wonderfully hypnotic quality to this music - recommended for fans of Arcade Fire and The Decemberists" -THE DELI MAGAZINE

THE LOOM (Brooklyn, NY)
"The Loom aren't that old fashioned, but with banjos, accordions, and considerable melodrama—their word, not mine—the Brooklyn band harks back to the early days, when big beards and plaid shirts symbolized austere living, not outer-borough bohemianism."* - THE DELI MAGAZINE

* (2 out of 3 ain't bad)

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

DJs TITS & SPANDEX (Brooklyn, NY) spin "smash hits, soul classics, and secret jams" downstairs!

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, March 8***

DRIVEN AM showcase
Drum & bass DJs RANDOM MOVEMENT, FOCUS, & MIXMASTER DOC

$10

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, March 8***

ALL NIGHT COOKIN' (Queens, NY)
Bluegrass!

Music starts at 9 PM
FREE

@ DOMINIE'S HOEK

No Time Left for You

2008-02-29T12:12:00.000-05:00

No time for pithy press quotes this week, but should be a fun show tonight in Long Island City Queens: THE LAVENDERS return with their garage-pop, EMPTY ORCHESTRA visits from the postindustrial landscapes of Genessee County, Michigan, and MANNY NOMIKOS makes his LIC debut. DJ AGENT RAMONA will make you nostalgic for the 1990s downstairs.

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***Friday, February 29***

THE LAVENDERS (Manhattan, NY)

EMPTY ORCHESTRA (Flint, MI)

MANNY NOMIKOS (Manhattan, NY)

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

DJ AGENT RAMONA (Brooklyn, NY) spins 1990s indie rock downstairs!

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

Jawck Jams

2008-02-22T01:56:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone who packed the room last week and to Em over at GUILT FREE PLEASURES for the nice writeup on MATT JONES' set, shuffleboard, and more:

This week in LIC/QNS/NYC, we've got a rare solid-borough lineup; with all bands and our downstairs danceparty instigator all hailing from Kings County.

Looking just over the horizon, much-lauded NYC sprawlsemble and personal favorite of mine RAVENS AND CHIMES headline a pre-SXSW sendoff show on March 7. Save the date. Bring a date.

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***Friday, February 22***

CATAVOLIS (Brooklyn, NY)
"Catavolis approach music with a painterly eye, creating songs on the songs' terms." -STAGE.FM

THE WHITE NOISE SUPREMACISTS (Brooklyn, NY)
"Somehow managing to merge pop, punk, New Wave, and noise rock together."-SMOTHER

JEREMY JOYCE (Brooklyn, NY)
Melancholic Americanic.

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

DJ MELISSA (Brooklyn, NY) spins jawck jams downstairs in the lounge!

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

Valiumtimes Day

2008-02-15T10:34:00.005-05:00

Happy Valiumtimes Day! Quite the pile-o-music-happenings this weekend in Long Island City QNS NYC. Tonight The Creek and the Cave highlights the debut of new band PALMYRA and the return of one of Michigan's songwriting geniuses, MATT JONES, not to mention Ann Arbor-to-Philly transplant EMILY BATE and GOING GONE from Astoria. In what hopes to be the beginning of a weekly friday DJ series downstairs in the lounge, DJ PEACHY KEANE and DJ LAURA spin all your indiepop faves during and after the show. Stick around for the party! Gabriel hosts a hard-to-beat lineup tomorrow night with SOFT BLACK, MICHAEL LEVITON, THE JONES STREET BOYS, and the return of the always-lovely KELLI RAE POWELL. Meanwhile, bluegrass returns to Dominie's Hoek with MELTING POINT.

I'm diggin' the ALL CAPS.

Drop me a note if you'd ever like to DJ or work the door some Friday; we're always looking to get more people involved as we build this little scene at the foot of the Pulaski Bridge.

MATT JONES performing at the Creek back in December:

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***Friday, February 15***

PALMYRA (Brooklyn, NY)
Spankin' new band featuring members of Umberto, The Ambitious Brothers, and The Dumb & Ugly Club

MATT JONES (Ann Arbor, MI)
"Some rare singers have the gift to captivate at first notes, this is Matt Jones' case. But this initial attraction is progressively converted into a complete addiction." -YOU CRAZY DREAMERS

EMILY BATE (Philadelphia, PA)
"Casual sex? Perpetual indecision? Youthful indiscretion?" -CD BABY

GOING GONE (Queens, NY)
Female duo from Astoria.

Music starts at 8 PM
$5

DJ PEACHY KEANE (Brooklyn, NY) + DJ LAURA (Finland!) spin indiepop jams downstairs in the lounge!

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, February 16***

SOFT BLACK (Hawthorne, NJ)
"The prolific, big-haired prince of psychedelic folk-pop comes to the Creek to spin his modern fables, backed by his stompin' band (who also have hair, and who break hearts just like he does). Come and see why the antifolk scene in the East Village can't get enough of him."

MICHAEL LEVITON (Brooklyn, NY)
"You're at Coney Island in midwinter, everything's closed, and you're hopelessly in love with the girl in full mermaid regalia who has incongrously shown up at the boardwalk. Such is the appeal of starry-eyed ukelele crooner Michael Leviton." - PASTE

THE JONES STREET BOYS (Brooklyn, NY)
"For a band of Brooklynites, the Jones Street Boys kick up a pretty good hillbilly stomp . . . They play their catchy originals with virtuosic mandolin jams and honky-tonk piano fillers, and top them with off-kilter, good-time harmonies." -TIME OUT NEW YORK

KELLI RAE POWELL (Brooklyn, NY)
"We learn once and for all that size isn't everything. With her little guitar and diminutive stature, Kelli Rae's performance is kick-ass big. A cabaret bad-girl's persona sets the theme for many of her songs, yet you know this is a vehicle for metaphor about all our desires and social human folly." -JEZEBEL MUSIC

Music starts at 8 PM
$5

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, February 16***

MELTING POINT (Brooklyn, NY)
Bluegrass!

Music starts at 9 PM
FREE

@ DOMINIE'S HOEK

Fresh from Iceland!

2008-02-08T01:51:00.000-05:00

This weekend in LIC QNS NYC, a few shows occur. Go figure. A two-band rock show Friday, and Andy Guthrie brings some friends for his monthly songwriter shindig on Saturday. Next week: Matt Jones, Michael Leviton, and more! Stay tuned.

***Friday, February 8***

DOG-DAY CICADA (Long Island, NY)
Kids from the Long Island suburbs try their luck at Long Island City.

LOCKET (Queens, NY)
Fresh from Iceland!
Music starts at 10 PM
$5
As always, all ages in the theater and restaurant areas, 21+ downstairs in the bar

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, February 9***

ANDY GUTHRIE (Queens, NY)
No relation to Woody or Arlo. Or is there?

GEORGE MEL (Manhattan, NY)
Jazz percussionist and compser via Georgia (the country)

BRYAN DUNN (Brooklyn, NY)
"a modest musician who has the power to get his songs inside your head. FOREVER!!!" -LISTEN UP!
Music starts at 9 PM
$5
As always, all ages in the theater and restaurant areas, 21+ downstairs in the bar

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

Your Pet Sugar Glider

2008-02-01T10:19:00.000-05:00

Doesn't it ever snow in this town? Weather or not this rain keeps up, LIC is not the driest nabe in the city, as you bar regulars know. We've got a pop show tonight and an acousticy show tomorrow; I'm going to be stuck at the office (hooray dayjobs!) all weekend other than a few brief breaks for live music and sleep. Won't you be my neighbor? I'm excited about these lineups.

***Friday, February 1***
THE MAJORLEANS (Brooklyn, NY)
The band formerly known as Anvil, Crosby & Tennant, expect classic pop harmonies even your parents would love. But so will you. And your pet sugar glider.

THE BRIGHT LIGHTS (Brooklyn, NY)
"The band's sound lies somewhere between early indie pop-punk, and a saccharine sweet twee-pop." -GIRL ABOUT TOWN

THE LAVENDERS (Manhattan, NY)
Pop sensibilities + garageband aesthetic = this bill is going to hold together really well, I think.

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, February 2***

BORN AT SEA (Brooklyn, NY)
"Cello, banjo, vocals, guitar, dust, broken glass, empty flasks, bloody lips and prayers." -$650 APARTMENT FOR $650

DREW NIX (Brooklyn, NY)
Has, according to his website, played with MTV's Jackass. Doesn't sound like what you'd expect from that trivia fact, however, thankfully.

CAREY WALLACE (Brooklyn, NY)
For your Mississippi heart.

Music starts at 9 PM
FREE

@ DOMINIE'S HOEK

Vegemite Black-and-Tans

2008-01-25T02:32:00.000-05:00

How are you? How is it almost February already? I'm still behind on life.

Last Friday was a totally packed and totally awesome jangle-flute-pop show. Like 20 new people signed up for this mailing list, even. Last Saturday, not so packed, but such good songs, and such good Peter-Nevins-vs-Bushwick-muggers-chase-scene-tales as well. Spread your love a bit. Weekends are long. Kinda. Okay, or not.

Friday, K Records' Karl Blau returns again with a few friends in-tow-- he won't be living in Queens forever (I don't think) so see him while you can! The Creek and the Cave's informative website tells me it is also bartender Vin/Vince/Vinny/Vinsanity's birthday. Buy him a drink. Er, he probably gets those anyway. Give him a big tip, then.

Saturday, talent-attractor and very fine soundman-in-a-pinch Andy Guthrie hosts a jazz night on the LICene. As an added bonus, it is also apparently Australia Day at the Creek and the Cave, which hopefully entails black-and-tans comprised of Foster's and vegemite. As a hybrid, it'd be sweet if someone covered "Waltzing Matilda" or Men at Work on the sax. Or, stumble down the street for some free bluegrass at Dominie's Hoek. I also hear there's a sweet themed party at a semi-known communal loftspace on the northern edge of the nabe to our east. Just sayin'. You've got options, Queens. Oh yeah, the Silent Barn in Ridgewood is probably up to something as well. Also, anyone ever go to this bar in Astoria called Sparrow? I hear it's pretty decent. We're getting there. And not priced-out, or pet spas (yet).

***Friday, January 25***

KARL BLAU (Queens, NY)
"When he's at his best, Blau resembles a prophet scarfing honey in the desert, a John McPhee speaking in tongues, chanting in a whisper from Lord Byron's Vision of Judgment about out-of-tune angels." -PITCHFORK MEDIA

STEBMO (Seattle, WA)
"Grooves, jazz, and outer explorations: It's all on the table . . . a fine fancy feast." -SEATTLE WEEKLY

PURE HORSEHAIR (Brooklyn, NY)
"Both songwriter and voice carry sincerity and a sense of urgency that is missing from most of what I hear today." -4F

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, January 26***

BRIAN SEEGER (Manhattan, NY)

ANDY GUTHRIE (Queens, NY)

SEAN NOWELL (Manhattan, NY)

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, January 26***

VINCENT CROSS (Manhattan, NY)

GOOD COMPANY (not Bad Company)
Can't find a website, but they probably have a song and album of the same name.

Music starts at 9 PM
FREE

@ DOMINIE'S HOEK

Cuddlecore

2008-01-18T08:56:00.000-05:00

Pop show 2nite, Acousticy show 2morrow:

***Friday, January 18***
SUREFIRE BROADCAST (Hammonton, NJ)
"Mostly noisy indiepop, in the vein of, well, all of my favorite bands." -SKATTERBRAIN

THE BRIDESMAIDS (Brooklyn, NY)
"For fans who want their well-worn favorites filtered through an unconventional modern lens, the Bridesmaids deliver both." -VENUS ZINE

SCARY MONSTER (Philadelphia, PA)
Jangly indiepop band featuring ex-members of Missing Piece, The Low Tones, Snow Fairies, The Parcels and That's Ms. Werewolf to You.

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, January 19***

THE BOY BATHING (Manhattan, NY)
"Think precious acoustic-sounding indie lullabies ("Cuddlecore," they say on their myspace, which sounds ominous but is kinda misleading), but so wordy that the lyrics start to avalanche in a way that's kind of sweet and romantic." -THE L MAGAZINE

PETER NEVINS (Manhattan, NY)
My own guess is that if you taught a very impressionable 17th. century troubadour all about Syd Barrett, Donovan, Stephin Merritt, and the Lower East Side as it is today, he would most likely end up sounding something like this inimitable man.

DIBS (Brooklyn, NY)
"Jonathan Richman meets Beat Happening. Daniel Johnston punches Stephin Merritt. Anyway you compare him, Dibs is his own weirdo. "

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

"Huge Stains of What I Hope is Only Water Mar the Walls of 21st Street."

2008-01-11T16:43:00.000-05:00

Over the years, innumerable articles, blogs and forums have referred to the G train as the stepchild of the subway system. But that’s not quite right — it’s not the stepchild, it’s more like that unwanted drunk uncle everyone has. It’s embarrassing and awkward and doesn’t quite behave like it’s supposed to, but you keep it around because, well, it’s family.

-The New York Times

Jeez, It's Almost 2009 Already.

2008-01-11T11:10:00.000-05:00

Still haven't dug-out from the holidays?

Me either.

Live music still seems to sneak up on us anyway, though.

You can't fight it. Just give in.

I know it's wet. Just pretend you are in Portland. The music is as good and the drinks are almost as affordable.

Two good shows this weekend in LIC QNS NYC:

***Friday, January 11***

ALDENBARTON (Queens, NY)
The Creek's #1 soundman Drew's great keyboard-fronted pop band!

BRIDGES AND POWERLINES (Manhattan, NY)
"New York power pop band Bridges and Powerlines makes a strong
impression on its debut release... 4 stars." - All Music Guide"

MOLLY-JEAN (Detroit, MI)
"She exudes an intoxicating mix of emotions, with her delivery seeming both shy and earnest at the same time." -Motor City Rocks

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, January 12***

AFUCHE (Brooklyn, NY)
"Remarkably fresh." -Comfort Comes

AMO JOY! (Indianapolis, IN)
"...kazoos, toy pianos, and bells. With all of this, they are very fun to just watch." -SNH

JUMPING FLEA CIRCUS (Manhattan, NY)
Friggin' adorable girl-uke.

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

Actually

2008-01-04T15:24:00.000-05:00

Brooklyn Vegan says you should really, really go to this show tonight.

Get there early.

Brooklyn Vegan Says:

2008-01-04T15:05:00.000-05:00

Go see either Amy Fisher or Fred Thomas tonight.

EXCLAMAT!ON PO!NTS!

2008-01-02T16:41:00.000-05:00

1. Happy New Year!

2. Happy album-release to Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good to Me, Flashpapr, Lovesick) for his new record Flood, out now on Magic Marker Records! I've been listening to it a lot! It's as good as anything he's ever done! I kid not! You, too, should pick up a copy and hear the songs live this Friday in LIC, QNS, NYC! It's a perfect winter album! The tone of this paragraph is a pretty inappropriate one, really! You'll more likely cry than yell from listening to it! But that's not a bad thing!

Download "Last One" from Flood

3. Happy birthday to me! Any claims to still being in my "mid-twenties" will become even more tenuous as of Friday! Come help me become super-mature (for once)! It can't be that bad! My mom and sister might even be there! Awkward!

4. Creaky Boards returns to the Creek! Remember how much fun their last show was there?! I think their main man Andrew said it was one of the best shows they ever played in NYC! Re-live the magic!

6. Perennial LIC faves The Beets bring their indefatigable catchiness back again! Ray-Bans, indoors, at night, in January?!

7. Special guest Kevin Eder will be joining us all the way from the Lake Superior shores of Michigan's Upper Peninsula! He may be working the door! Say hello; he's nice and puts on enormous shows in the most isolated reaches of the Upper Midwest!

8. I hope to see you there!

So excited! Just can't hide it!
B!Z!

***Friday, January 4***

FRED THOMAS (Brooklyn, NY) (Album-release show!)
I could insert some quotation from Pitchfork or a physical magazine or one of the big music blogs to convince you he is Approved by The Powers That Be, but I won't. I am just going to say that Fred Thomas possibly my favorite songwriter in the whole world. You should come and see/hear for yourself, and buy his new album if it makes you feel human again. !

CREAKY BOARDS (Brooklyn, NY)
"A lot of bands can't handle comparisons to bands like the Beach Boys, but Creaky Boards actually seem to embrace it, having fun with their multi-part harmonies and the playfulness behind all of their songs." -Pop Tarts Suck Toasted

THE BEETS (Queens, NY)
"...it's certainly pretty simple, direct stuff, but theirs is a sound that, for the moment, requires no embellishment to be purely enjoyable." -Impose Magazine

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

Intrafamilial Stress? Interholiday Shows!

2007-12-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

Your fundamentalist aunt making you feel uncomfortable yet? Need a break from sucrose-filled little cousins? Does your dad keep asking you how much money is in your savings account or how much credit card debt you have?

Well, obvs, it's time to get out of the house and see some live music. Heck, and unlike the dinner-table conversations about hunting, farming, and real estate that take place when I visit my relatives, these won't be a total sausage-fest either.

***Friday, December 28***

LOCKET (Queens, NY)
Two girls. One face-rocking vision for the future of humankind.

LIVING IN POLAROIDS (Long Island, NY)
Kristina Stapelfeld + LIRR = sweet.

LIZZ DIELEMAN (Manhattan, NY)
Inwood via Western Michigan.

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, December 29***

LUIS BETANCOURT (Brooklyn, NY)

AMANDA BRET (Brooklyn, NY)

ELEANOR DUBINSKY (Manhattan, NY)

ANDY GUTHRIE (Queens, NY)

JENN LINDSAY (Brooklyn, NY)

Music starts at 8 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

Thanks, Gothamist!

2007-12-14T17:18:00.000-05:00

Even the big-time blogs think you should come to tonight's show at The Creek and the Cave.

Keep Manhattan

2007-12-14T01:45:00.000-05:00

The LICpop myspace profile just received this message:

Hello, how are you,

My name is Jean and I'm a booking agent for the 169 bar, a candlelit dive bar in the heart of Chinatown NYC. I was wondering if you would be interested in booking a show sometime! I am specifically looking for artists who identify their music under the following genres: acoustic, soul, r@b, funk, discohouse, salsa, latin, jazz, world, pop, glam, country, rockabilly, folk, and indie/rock. For rock/metal/punk bands, I am looking for toned down acoustic/acoustic band sets.

I am currently booking Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for the winter. I also have an opening for 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4. So if you're interested, let me know, and I'll give you all the details.

Merry Xmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Jean

Everything you've ever heard about that place is obviously true. Maybe you saw the article in Urban Folk this summer entitled: "169 Bar: Musicians Beware." I'm not normally one to bash venues publicly, as I've booked shows at some of the most unprofessional and half-assed joints around over the years, and while the Creek is getting pretty close now, these LIC bars still have a pretty DIY feel to them compared to the pro NYC clubs, admittedly.

This is strike 3 for 169 Bar, though. My first experience with them was a desperate attempt to find Chris Bathgate his first NYC gigs during the CMJ Music Marathon last year. I'd only been in New York a few months myself, and spent hours combing around for anywhere that ever hosted live music and sending out desperate-but-glowing emails to any bar or cafe I could locate. A Bruno from LES Productions was happy to offer a date at 169 Bar. The following conditions should have raised red flags to begin with, but I naively figured that maybe this is normal for New York, greenhorn that I was:

Our below shows work as follows; they are 21+ concerts, admission is
(for 21+ $8@ the door). We have promotions happening for the shows,
but we do ask that all bands performing with us have a following. Your
band will receive 20% but we do have a 10-person minimum. If a band
brings less than 10 people they will not be paid for the show, but if
there are more than 40 fans the band will then receive 30% and a free
4 camera DVD. 100 + fans and you get 40%. If your band has a good turn
out we will offer you additional concerts.

Once you make your 10-person minimum we will give you drink tickets

***Note*** This is a must***
All bands/performers must list their shows with LES Productions on MY SPACE
Also they must give a credit to LES Productions as an (LES Productions Preents)

***If you can't bring at least 6 people to the show do not book it
because your set might get cut short or you might not go on.***

Okay, fine, whatever, we just needed a gig, anywhere. We'll take it. I can scare up 6 people.

2 weeks later, after I'd made a poster and we'd begun promotion, Chris gets some message from a guy named Markel saying that they actually don't have space on the bill and will have to move him to another date. Which obviously won't work, as he's coming from Michigan.

I found Dominie's Hoek who could hook us up at the last minute with what ended up being a great gig, thankfully.

Okay, so I forgot all about that place, as nobody who's anyone you've ever heard of or wanted to see actually plays there. Until a few months ago, when, somehow, an old friend ends up booking her very first NYC gig at the place. I show up, pay the overpriced cover, I ask the door guy when she'll *really* go on, he says 1 hour, so I walk around and get away from the awful amateurish band playing in there. I come back, and he tells me, oh, another hour. I tell him that I know what they do there and not to BS me. He says he has to run a business. I tell him I book bands in Queens. He gives me his card and tells me we should work together and I should send bands his way. Right. He buys me a Pabst, which I graciously-enough accept. I go to the corner and grind my teeth through a few more bands on a bill put together with seemingly no attempt at compatibility until my friend finally plays, about 3 hours after she was scheduled. And this was a Tuesday night, when some of us have dayjobs.

And now, this. I see what they do. This pathetic bar is spamming MySpace profiles, even ones, like this one, that if even remotely glanced at obviously aren't for a band whatsoever. They aren't listening, reading, paying attention. Just spamming. Spamming acts with a couple hundred MySpace friends, acts just starting out who are probably completely flattered to have anyone ever proactively offer them a gig. Young acts or old acts who know nothing about the NYC music scene but are starry-eyed. Acts whose friends will all come to support them and pay a $10 cover that will all go to the bar, on top of the drinks they buy. While to some degree all venues are "using" musicians for the bodies they bring in and the drinks they buy and often even a slice of the cover, never in my life have I seen such a degree of disregard for musicians as artists or people. Grist for the mill; thrown on a bill with 6 other acts that may or may not have any aesthetic compatibility. Overbookings, bumpings and shiftings based on calculation of crowd buildup and drink sales.

I'm guessing most of them don't want to come back again after their first experience, hence the need to cast a broad net for new prey via spamming.

Jean, LICpop.com totally wants to play your 169 Bar. Heck, you even have an opening on my birthday, sounds like a blast!

Less Stocks, More Rock

2007-12-14T01:21:00.000-05:00

Into the home stretch this weekend in LIC, we've got a great indie rock show this Friday and a roots-music benefit shindig this Saturday. Ignore those ominous condo skeletons rising in the distance and get yourself to the bar; no stockbrokers, just music, beer, friends, and Mexicanesque entrees.

***Friday, December 14***

THE ANTLERS (Brooklyn, NY)
"It's Silberman's cascading, Jeff Buckley-esque vocal tones that you will probably remember most fondly." -THE IRISH TIMES

SPANISH PRISONERS (Brooklyn, NY)
"Stretches the confines of folk music, with meandering sounds that surface over top of the vocal lines." -HERO HILL

BEAT RADIO (Bellmore, NY)
"Beat Radio spin wistful melodies with subtle, vulnerable lyrics in
the same vein as Luna or Sebadoh's more tender moments. Their songs
have a radiant, familiar quality that grows on you with each listen." -3HIVE

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, December 15***

THE RED HOOK DIXIELAND RAMBLERS
"The Red Hook Ramblers are dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of America's rich early musical heritage. Their specialty: hot jazz of the '20s, especially in the New Orleans and Chicago styles."

SQUARE STRUTS
"Square Struts are a folk duo comprised of Hubby Jenkins' old time blues and Jessy Carolina's washboard. Together they reinterpret the Americana roots songbook like you've never heard it before."

ANNIE CRANE & ERIC WOLFSON
"Crane & Wolfson blur the lines between folk and antifolk with a set of classic songs and originals, including the title track of 'Nowhere to Go.'"

PEAKS AND VALLEYS
"A girl from Kentucky with guitar and autoharp joins tri-state, finger-picking banjo carpetbagger. They sing lovely melodies of family, historical Brooklyn figures, and worms in the mud."

Music starts at 8 PM
$5

A benefit for the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

MI Invades LIC QNS NYC (again!)

2007-12-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Michiganders are back! Innundating LIC QNS this weekend is a horde of some of best songwriters from the Mitten State. Want your heart to break over and over while you down another beer (everyone needs that, this time of year)? These shows are the only place to be. In all sincerity, this is some powerful stuff. Some of these folks have international acclaim, some are unknown outside their home base, but pound-for-pound (and especially dollar-for-dollar) you be hard-pressed to find better bills this weekend in New York City.

Here are a few videos from last time to jog your memory:

***Friday, December 7***

MISTY LYN & THE BIG BEAUTIFUL (Ann Arbor, MI)
"As lonely as getting caught in a snowstorm but comfy at the same time." -METRO TIMES

MATT JONES (Ann Arbor, MI)
"Some rare singers have the gift to captivate at first notes, this is Matt Jones' case. But this initial attraction is progressively converted into a complete addiction." -YOU CRAZY DREAMERS

CHRIS BATHGATE (Ann Arbor, MI)
"Such a melancholy treasure." -HARP MAGAZINE

JIM ROLL (Ann Arbor, MI)
"Difficult to pigeonhole but recommended to those who like their Americana with a noir-ish tang. Four Stars." -Q MAGAZINE (UK)

Music starts at 8 PM
$5

@ THE CREEK AND THE CAVE

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***Saturday, December 8***

MISTY LYN & THE BIG BEAUTIFUL (Ann Arbor, MI)
"As lonely as getting caught in a snowstorm but comfy at the same time." -METRO TIMES

MATT JONES (Ann Arbor, MI)
"Some rare singers have the gift to captivate at first notes, this is Matt Jones' case. But this initial attraction is progressively converted into a complete addiction." -YOU CRAZY DREAMERS

JIM ROLL (Ann Arbor, MI)
"Difficult to pigeonhole but recommended to those who like their Americana with a noir-ish tang. Four Stars." -Q MAGAZINE (UK)

CHRIS BATHGATE (Ann Arbor, MI)
"Such a melancholy treasure." -HARP MAGAZINE

KARL STURK (Brooklyn, NY)
Solo work by ex-Ambitious Brother.

Music starts at 8 PM
FREE

@ DOMINIE'S HOEK

Go Nuclear Tonight

2007-11-30T11:45:00.000-05:00

Seriously, when's the last time you were at a RAWK show? Things get pretty old-school tonight; it'll feel like Detroit circa 2001 all over again. In a good way. Maybe the bar can start carrying Stroh's.

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***Friday, November 30***

THE NUCLEARS (Brooklyn, NY) (ALBUM RELEASE SHOW!)
"Total whiskey-drinking, shit-kicking rock and roll." -MIKE WATT (The Minutemen)

THE GULF OF MICHIGAN (Brooklyn, NY)
Fresh new band fronted by your favorite Dominie's Hoek barkeep. Ask him about the name sometime.

QUEENS DENIM ROCKERS (Queens, NY)
Fresh older band comprised of Dominie's Hoek regulars. The name is pretty straightforward and accurate.

9:00 PM
$5

@ The Creek and the Cave