After a long, long Sidewalk-less summer, that old antifolk birthplace(?)/hub/hangout finally re-opened. Last night's packed show marked its grand re-opening after some serious renovations to the cafe and bar.
The bar now resembles more of its swanky East Village neighbors and the inside of the music room has lost all of the broken guitars, drums, and other musical artifacts that had been hanging on the walls. The stage lighting, sound system, and back line also underwent major upgrading. However, what stayed the same was the quality of the performances. Here are a few highlights from last night's performances:
1. Ben Krieger / Crabs on Banjo - Open mic host and last night's MC, started the night off by improvising a song about "refurbished barn wood" (an audience suggestion from somewhere in the back of the house) with piano accompaniment.
2. Howard Hughes - Filling in for Major Matt Mason and originally from France, this fragile-voiced, Andre Herman Dune sound-alike sang an acoustic pop song that provocatively began with the lyrics "my father shot himself" and, well, was not as depressing and dark as the lyric would suggest. Au contraire.
3. Phoebe Kreutz - A master of acoustic songs full of quirk and hooks, Phoebe somehow made a song about Noah's Ark catchy and un-preachy.
(photo by Maria Rocha-Buschel)
4. Adam Green - Making a surprise, unscheduled appearance, this former Moldy Peach and Sidewalk Cafe legend really needs no introduction or further hyping. He's probably famous enough already.
4b. Adam Green - "Stadium Soul" (Video)
5. Bible Gun - When this New-Jersey-based piano and sax duo hit the stage with their slightly atonal barrage of speed-pop, you can't help but scratch your head and say, "I don't know what that was, but it was awesome." Don't forget to check out the Bible Gun bandcamp.
5b. Bible Gun - ????? (Video)
6. Debe Dalton - Another Sidewalk Cafe legend, Debe began her set with a touching song about her recovery from a recent icy-sidewalk slipping accident and then closed it with a fine cover of a classic (anti?)folk song. There's a reason she has her own plaque now:
6. Debe Dalton - Another Sidewalk Cafe legend, Debe began her set with a touching song about her recovery from a recent icy-sidewalk slipping accident and then closed it with a fine cover of a classic (anti?)folk song. There's a reason she has her own plaque now:
(photo hijacked from Ben Krieger's facebook)
6b. Debe Dalton - "Pack Up Your Sorrows" (Richard & Mimi Farina Cover) (Video)
7. Brook Pridemore - This Sidewalk regular's brand of "trash folk" just gets better every time I see him. His cover of Adam Green's "Bluebirds" classic(?) song in the man's presence was followed by someone shouting "suck-up" shout from the audience, but he more than made up for it with an awesome performance of one of his most anthemic originals with piano accompaniment.
7b. Brook Pridemore - "Bluebirds" (Adam Green Cover) (Video)
7c. Brook Pridemore - "I'll Be Here All Night" (Video)
(video by Maria Rocha-Buschel)
Alas, since it was a weeknight and I had to go shortly after Pridemore's set, I missed the awesomeness that came later. If you have any videos or stories from what came later, please send them over to:
plasticimpossible (at) gmail (dot) com
