The Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2023

New York City’s music scene is thriving again. Touring musicians are making the city a must-stop, playing both larger and smaller spaces. Among the local acts, veteran performers have returned to the smaller stages, and emerging acts continue making the scene exciting. Live music fans have resumed supporting the scene as well, buying tickets, merchandise, and dinner and drinks at the city’s 100+ music venues.

The first “Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC” list was published in The Aquarian Weekly in the late 1970s. The purpose of the annual list has always been to honor and celebrate hard-working local musicians who deserve applause for their contributions to the live music circuit and to help propel their regional popularity. The criteria for this annual list has always been that the artists must be based in New York City, play mostly original compositions, and perform before live audiences locally throughout the majority of the year as opposed to just a tour stop.

In 2021 and 2022, the lists particularly honored those brave local musicians who played before live audiences during the worst years of the COVID pandemic. These heroic honorees are revisited below in alphabetical order. More information about these musicians can be found by clicking on the articles in The Manhattan Beat, "The Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2021" and "The Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2022."

2022

Jill Fiore

The Hipp Pipps

Seth Kessel

Robert Leslie

Jesse Malin

Adam Masterson

Willie Nile

Oz Noy

Rachael & Vilray

Strange Majik

2021

Cancion Franklin

Diane Gentile

James Maddock

Rob Mastrianni

Pinc Louds

Rebelmatic

Dina Regine

Michelle Shocked

SoulCake

Leni Stern

All of the above artists continue to perform outstanding shows into 2023, but in an effort to spotlight more musicians, the 2023 list highlights additional locals who are deserving of greater public acclaim. “The Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2023” again lists in alphabetical order some of the best music acts currently performing within the local music circuit. Whether or not these musicians achieve widespread success in 2023, these musicians merit a rousing round of applause and support simply for relentlessly playing good music live throughout the challenges of this past year.

The Top 10 Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2023

Bush Tetras

Bush Tetras at the Hall at Elsewhere on October 15, 2022

Bush Tetras has landed on this list repeatedly since the early 1980s, when the punk-funk band hit underground and college playlists with “Too Many Creeps” and “Cowboys in Africa.” The band continues to create new and solid funk-infused alternative rock and always performs electrifying concerts. In recent months, the band has performed at Elsewhere, Lincoln Center and TV Eye.

The Emily Duff Band

The Emily Duff Band at Cowgirl on April 18, 2022

Emily Duff is a prolific singer-songwriter. Thoroughly a New Yorker, the Queens native and Greenwich Village resident may wear a Ramones t-shirt while performing country-rocking original songs. She plays most often at Cowgirl and the Loft at City Winery.

Fantastic Cat

Fantastic Cat at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2, on November 19, 2022

Fantastic Cat is comprised of four singer-songwriters who have played the local circuit independently for years. Anthony D'Amato, Don DiLego, Brian Dunne, and Mike Montali joined forces to become a local Americana-style rock supergroup. The band has performed at the Bowery Ballroom and Rockwood Music Hall.

“King” Solomon Hicks

"King" Solomon Hicks at the Blue Note on July 22

“King” Solomon Hicks headlines shows at the Blue Note and other higher-ticketed venues, but he also makes unannounced frequent cameo appearances at Terra Blues and other venues. Once this blues guitar wiz on the stage, he plays and plays. His original songs sound very much like the blues staples he also covers.

Hazmat Modine

Hazmat Modine at Terra Blues on May 28, 2022

Hazmat Modine formed in the 1990s as an eclectic band rooted in blues and links to folk, jazz and World music. Led by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Wade Schuman, Hazmat Modine performs principally at Terra Blues every other Saturday night.

Eugene Hütz/Gogol Bordello

Eugene Hütz with Gogol Bordello at the Brooklyn Bowl on New Year's Eve 2022

Having performed international tours for many years, Gogol Bordello would not have made this list except that vocalist Eugene Hütz has been bringing stripped-down solo shows to Lower East Side events at Niagara and Tompkins Square Park. He also performed with members of Gogol Bordello at a benefit for the Ukraine at City Winery NYC. Gogol Bordello started 2022 with shows at Brooklyn Steel and ended with shows at the Brooklyn Bowl.

Murphy’s Law

Murphy's Law at the Brooklyn Bowl on New Year's Eve 2022

Headlining local punk shows since 1982, a Murphy’s Law concert is a punk-rock party. Led by James “Jimmy G” Drescher, the band’s solid performance can sometimes be overshadowed by avid fan participation. The band recently performed at the Bowery Electric, a Rocks Off river cruise, and a New Year’s Eve performance at the Brooklyn Bowl.

Tash Neal & MJT

Tash Neal & MJT at the Bitter End on December 30, 2022

Tash Neal, formerly half of the London Souls, is based in Harlem and his new band, MJT, is comprised of three brothers from Long Island. The music is a blend of almost everything rocking – hard rock, funk, punk, progressive rock and rhythm & blues. The group plays periodically at the Bitter End.

Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum

Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum at le Poisson Rouge on May 11, 2022

Vocalist/actor Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Six Feet Under), keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen (Blondie), and drummer Peter Yanowitz (formerly of the Wallflowers) formed Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum in 2018 after working together in the Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The experimental art-rock group has performed recently at le Poisson Rouge and the Bowery Ballroom.

Trixie Whitley

Trixie Whitley at the Sultan Room on March 26, 2022

Trixie Whitley was born in Belgium but now seems to be based in New York City. She especially rocks her strong and passionate vocals when she has a full y rocking band. Recently, she has performed at Pete’s Candy Store and the Sultan Room.

Under the Radar: 40 More Must-See NYC Music Acts in 2023

• Bayaz (rock)
• Bobby Blue (rockabilly, ranchero, country)
• The Christine Santelli Trio (Americana, blues)
• Coyle Girelli (singer-songwriter)
• Cumgirl8 (indie-rock)
• Michael Daves (bluegrass)
• DonBlackCat & Friends (rock & roll)
• Dropper (pop)
• Edwin Vazquez (singer-songwriter)
• Galdort Gumbo & the Righteous Cats (Mardi Gras)
• The Phil Gammage Quartet (Americana)
• The Gold Standard Band (pop)
• Gustaf (art-rock)
• Rebecca Haviland & Whiskey Heart (Americana)
• Heat Death (psychedelic)
• Hudson City Rats (rock and roll)
• The Greg Humphreys Electric Trio (blues rock)
• InCircles (alt-rock)
• Killcode (rock)
• Kolker (blues rock)
• Steve Krebs & the Maynard G’s (punk)
• The Kyle Lacy Band (rhythm & blues, pop)
• Lizzie & the Makers (blues rock)
• Miranda and the Beat (indie-rock)
• The National Reserve (country-rock)
• The Hugh Pool Band (blues rock)
• Puma, Joe & Dave (poetry, experimental)
• Recreational Outrage (punk)
• Ricky Stein (singer-songwriter)
• The Ritualists (glam rock)
• Rogers & Butler (singer-songwriter, pop)
• The Rover Boys Trio (Americana)
• Sea Monster (punk)
• Snake Canyon (rock)
• Kelley Swindall (country)
• The TarantinosNYC (surf, instrumental)
• Leah Tash (singer-songwriter)
• Ten Ton Mojo (rock)
• Tilden (indie-pop)
• Urban Waste (punk)

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken 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 of the home page 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 January calendar.