Where to Go for Live Music on a Friday Night

For those who keep saying, "there is no live music anymore," please note that on a long walk through downtown Manhattan this past Friday night, I photographed 11 music acts, and there were others I missed by a few minutes. Here is your guide to a typical Friday night of live music.

Tonight's tour begins at the Bitter End's reopening night. Paul Rizzo, owner of the club which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, had to reimagine the venue in light of Covid restrictions. Indoor capacity was reduced from 230 to 42, with no standing room. Performers and audience must be 12 feet apart so a line that the performers must not pass is marked in tape on the stage. Early and late shows feature different performers and require separate admissions. Three of the four shows on the opening weekend were sold out.

JudyAnne Jackson reopened the Bitter End

Leaving the Bitter End, I walked into the Red Lion two doors down and found Brian Halloran leaving the stage. Two blocks further I found a jazz trio playing for tips on the sidewalk of MacDougal Street just north of Bleecker Street.

A jazz trio performed for bystanders on MacDougal Street

On the next corner, customers waited on line down Minetta Lane by the corner entrance of Café Wha?, eager to party with the Café Wha? House Band in the large downstairs venue. Café Wha? also uses the lobby of the adjacent Players Theatre on MacDougal Street for its outdoor entertainment, and Bryan Stephens was performing his interpretation of popular hits for an audience seated at tables on the sidewalk and a roadside shed.

Bryan Stephens at Café Wha?

On to the next corner, where Matt Fernandez was singing in the window of Groove to diners seated at tables both inside the venue and outside on the sidewalk and in the roadside shed.

Matt Fernandez at Groove

A walk through Washington Square Park saw numerous musicians playing on park benches. Several parties also were generating around various boom boxes. Upon reaching the Lower East Side, Alfonso Cid was singing flamenco and tango songs as Adrian Alvarado played acoustic guitar and Amilia Hernandez danced at Karvouna Mezze.

Alfonso Cid with Adrian Alvarado and Amilia Hernandez at Karvouna Mezze

Back in June 2020, Marshall Stack became one of the first local venues in the Covid-era to present live music in its window, with performers inside and patrons seated at sidewalk tables or in the roadside shed. The venue now has a few indoor tables as well. More than any other venue, Marshall Stack embodies a rock and roll spirit.

The Ritualists at Marshall Stack

Joey Bats Café and Pinky's Space did not have live music tonight, so it was time to move west again. Next stop, the Anyway Café, which features an eclectic stable of musical artists. On any night, the music could be New Orleans jazz, Russian pop, gypsy jazz or singer-songwriter fare.

Contemporary Adults at the Anyway Café

The Bowery Electric, around the corner from the Anyway Café, normally hosts solid rock bands but was closed tonight. Back in Greenwich Village, the Bitter End cleared out the first show and sanitized the room in readiness for a second show. Jess McAvoy headlined a sold-out late show at the freshly reopened club.

Jess McAvoy at the Bitter End

Just a few steps away, the Red Lion featured its final band for the evening, No Standards, a trio that performed familiar pop songs. No Standards will return to the Red Lion this coming Thursday evening.

No Standards at the Red Lion

Continuing west and north, the jazz trio was still on the sidewalk, a new crowd was waiting to enter the Café Wha? House Band's second show in the basement of Café Wha?, Matt Fernandez moved half a block to perform for the outdoor diners at Café Wha?, and the Black Soul Experience was preparing to start at Groove. Nearby, Off the Bar Brass was roaming the streets playing for diners at numerous sidewalk cafés. Off the Bar Brass is normally a quintet, but one of the members took this weekend to work on his graduate studies.

Off the Bar Brass in Greenwich Village

Finally, the last stop of the night was Sour Mouse NYC a hybrid music venue, art gallery, and billiards hall. New York State legislators recently revoked the curfew for billiard halls, bowling alleys, and other cultural and amusement establishments, so Sour Mouse NYC stays open until 2 a.m. on weekends. Steven Chelliah and his band perform three rocking sets every Friday night, ending after midnight. Reservations are recommended, however, because the venue fills quickly.

Steven Chelliah at Sour Mouse NYC

This musical tour was representative of any Friday night in downtown Manhattan. It could have encompassed even more venues with a longer walk or an earlier start. The dismissive statement "There is no live music anymore" was a valid overview a year ago at the beginning of the pandemic, but it no longer rings true. Countless music artists perform locally every afternoon and evening.

Is anyone feeling the itch to break the routine and enjoy a rocking night out? Would you be open to hearing some emerging musicians? What will you be doing next Friday night? Maybe it is time to check out new music. The Manhattan Beat's music calendar offers many suggestions.