Musicians Who Create Their Own Downtown Performance Spaces

When performance is not about playing for your friends or gaining fame but simply about building an audience of strangers, many ambitious local musicians find places to play that are off the beaten track. 

Many musicians will load their gear and cart it to an outdoor space, weather permitting.

Pinc Louds at La Plaza Cultural community garden on July 31 before a west coast tour

The Meetles at Tompkins Square Park on August 15, celebrating the anniversaries of the Beatles at Shea Stadium and the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival

CJ Wolfe at Tompkins Square Park on August 15 played solo, accompanying recorded tracks

Andrew Kalleen at Washington Square Park on August 15 brings his piano on a dolly

The A Train at Cooper Square Plaza on July 14 had the audience dancing

Spirit outside Union Square Park on July 25

The Sammy Buttons Experience outside the Stonewall National Monument on August 15

The Agustin Grasso Quartet played a street fair on Avenue B on July 31

Terry Waldo's Gotham City at Greeley Square on August 10 (photograph by Seth Okrend)

The Eric Paulin Quartet at Tompkins Square Park on August 10

Scott Stenten at Tompkins Square Park on August 7

Magic Forest at Tompkins Square Park on August 7

Amy of Ruckus Interruptus on St. Marks Place

Some musicians will find indoor gigs in places that normally do not have live music.

Dreamcrusher at the Swedish Institute's Museum of Printed Matter on July 28

Numerous jam sessions happen downtown. Come to the gig, add your name to the list, and play a song or two with the house band.

Big Ed's Blues Jam at the Red Lion on August 2

The Monday Night Jam at the Bitter End on August 2

The Wednesday Night Jam at Otto's Shrunken Head on August 11

***

The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's August 2021 calendar.