NY PopsUp is a state-wide arts and culture program that intends to re-start the entertainment industry while theaters and traditional venues remain closed. Broadway actors and singers Shoshana Bean and Gavin Creel performed a four-hour concert inside the International Center of Photography building to socially-distanced spectators outside on the sidewalk. Performers and audience were separated by floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and even the musicians were protected from one another via clear, six-foot tall partitions. Future NY PopsUp events will happen all over the city and the state until June. Many of the performances will take place in unusual spaces, including parks, piers, buildings, and barges. To insure that audiences will be kept manageably small and socially-distant, the performances will be announced shortly before they occur.
In related news, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio reiterated this morning that applications became available at noon today for the Open Culture performing arts program. By working through community-based arts and cultural organizations, applicants can apply for expedited permits at reduced fees for street performances in more than 200 locations throughout the city. Open Culture will continue until October 31, 2021, with the possibility of extension until March 31, 2022. The Open Culture guidelines can be accessed on the website of the Mayor's Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts also last week announced Restart Stages, a citywide initiative that will create 10 outdoor performance and rehearsal spaces to help kickstart the performing arts sector of New York City. Restart Stages will launch on World Health Day, April 7, with a special performance for healthcare workers.
The East Village
The Anyway Café, Caravan of Dreams, and Rue-B seem to be the prime spots for live music in the East Village these days. All three restaurants kept the music plugged in throughout the winter.  |
| Vocalist/drummer Diana Gitesha Hernandez, accompanied by guitarist Mark Capon and bassist Mark E. Nelms, sang jazz standards at the Anyway Café on February 24 |
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| Vocalist/percussionist Axel Barragan, accompanied by his brother Eric Barragan on guitar, sang romantic pop songs, mostly in Spanish, at the Anyway Café on February 22 |
The Lower East Side
The Lower East Side will gain momentum soon. Right now, the best spots to catch live music are Joey Bats Café, Marshall Stack, and Sour Mouse NYC.
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| Eli Bridges performed bluegrass-flavored songs at Marshall Stack on February 26 |
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| Magic Forest performed 1960s-style psychedelic folk at Marshall Stack on February 27 |
Greenwich Village
While the East Village and Lower East Side have been welcoming music fans throughout the winter, Greenwich Village seems to be a little slower at getting back into live music. The venue choices at the moment are limited to Baby Brasa, the Corner Bistro and the Red Lion. Look for musicians to start performing in Washington Square Park soon.
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| Alex & Ricky performed at the Red Lion on February 26 |
Unique New York
A few venues carve a unique niche. Pinky's Space is an East Village art project that happens to specialize in rotisserie chicken. Paint, play board games, eat delicious American cuisine, purchase one-of-a-kind art treasures at reasonable prices, and on occasion listen to local singer-songwriters and jazz musicians.
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| Josh Rubinstein at Pinky's Space on February 26 |
The weather remains on the chilly side, but a select few determined musicians are willing to play outdoors for tips on slowly melting snow banks. The Eric Paulin Quartet did not mind the challenges at Tompkins Square Park, except "it was hard to balance the drum kit on the uneven surface," according to drummer Paulin.
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| The Eric Paulin Quartet performed instrumental jazz standards in Tompkins Square Park on February 24 |
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