LIC Notes

It's Tuesday night at LIC Bar – have you checked out or even hopped onstage for the LIC Jazz Jam yet?!

Since this past October, the LIC Jazz Alliance has hosted an extremely unique and welcoming kind of open jam jazz event at LIC Bar. Tonight is another round of the Jazz Jam from 8-11:30pm. There's no cover and a one drink minimum to enjoy 3+ hours (!) of live local jazz. Jazz guitarist Amanda Monaco, member of the LIC Jazz Alliance, weighed in on what the Jazz Jam experience has been like thus far, and shares her hopes for LICJA's future:

"The session has been quite a success so far. The atmosphere has been warm and inviting – like a cozy, fun party in someone's living room (only with a fully stocked bar). We've had musicians from all over Queens come to play, as well as neighbors who have come to listen. It's a unique session in that the house band (currently Broc Hempel, piano; Sam Trapchak, bass; Christian Coleman, drums and host) performs about 3 tunes and then opens up the session for the next 3+ hours. The music is continuous – no set breaks to speak of – and musicians are invited to stick around for the entire time as there is almost always more than one opportunity to play, as opposed to the usual 'wait forever, play one tune, get off the stage' routine that sadly accompanies other jam sessions. We also have a tradition of ending each session with the jazz classic 'I'll Remember April' and inviting all of the horn players back on stage for a rousing finale.

LICJA's goals in the next year are to supplement this weekly jam session with a monthly concert series in the neighborhood featuring LIC Jazz Musicians and their own groups. We are also on the lookout for a permanent space where we can provide jazz workshops and lessons to children and adults in the community, creating a space where LIC residents can come and learn about and enjoy this great music called jazz.

We are hoping that the jam session will continue to be a weekly event as we see it growing over the coming months and bringing the community together."

Special thanks to Amanda and LICJA for fostering a creative – and quite importantly, FUN – atmosphere for open jazz jams and improvisation right here in LIC. The LIC jazz community is growing and whether you're bringing instruments to play or just enjoying the music, you can be a part of it with this event at LIC Bar!

The weekly Jazz Jam will continue on Tuesdays through November – and hopefully beyond!

LIC Bar
45-58 Vernon Blvd, LIC
Jazz Jam from 8-11:30pm

* Top photo by Jesse Winter

The LIC Barn Dance is a brand new monthly Americana music series at LIC Bar that kicks off on Monday, November 8th (RSVP on Facebook here)! We got the low-down on this unconventional hoedown from one of the series' creators, "Notorious" Liz Cousins. Check it out!

Who came up with the idea for the LIC Barn Dance?
My husband Daniel (aka The Invisible Kid) and I were out at a Silbin Sandovar show a few weeks ago and were riffing on some ideas, and he threw out the words Long Island City Barn Dance, which I wrote on a napkin and stuffed in my bag. From there it was chatting with Gus [Rodriguez, LIC Bar's booker and event producer] and making it happen.

Why LIC?
Simply? LIC is still an undiscovered neighborhood. Folks'll go one stop into Brooklyn for Williamsburg, or a lot more than that for Park Slope, but they think Queens is FAR. LIC is ONE stop into Queens from midtown! It's also a neighborhood of some AMAZING musicians and people. I want folks to recognize! And, I'd rather support MY neighborhood and it's proprietors.

What is the LIC Barn Dance all about?
LIC Barn Dance was developed to showcase the great Americana acts throughout LIC/Astoria proper as well as the City at large. This could be anything from bluegrass, country, western swing, Bakersfield, two-step, zydeco, rockabilly, ragtime to the more modern takes of NewGrass and Alt-country. It's about GREAT music, GREAT performances and giving people a GREAT reason to come back: fun. Music has gotten so dang serious, we aim to bring the fun back to a night out.

Why were DB Rielly, Rick Snell & The Whistlin' Wolves chosen for the inaugural show?
Gus had already booked DB Rielly and as DB is one of my favorite musicians and humans, he was a lock. He always does a seriously GREAT show and knows how to make the audience have fun (there's that word again). Rick Snell came in via Gus as well and knows a thing or two about most of the styles I listed above. He's a pro, and we're glad to have him on board. And The Whistlin' Wolves? I saw then the same night we came up with the Barn Dance idea and they absolutely blew me away. Really high-energy, tight show, and, dare I say...fun. So I HAD to get them on the bill.

What can music fans expect from future events in this series?
My main objective is to give folks a truly memorable night out with some amazing music. The future? I could say they have to come on out to keep it all elusive-like, but I'm hoping for things like a Bluegrass/Newgrass Festival, a Rockabilly night, a Mardi Gras zydeco/Swampfest, Banjopalooza (banjo being my favorite instrument, which I play VERY terribly)...just about anything under the Americana/Roots umbrella.

When can we catch the LIC Barn Dance?
We're looking at once a month, keeping it alive is up to YOU dear reader. Check in with us on Facebook or at www.licbarndance.com.

What is your particular investment/involvement in LIC?
I have lived in Astoria-LIC for 8 years now and have watched it grow and want the rest of the City to finally "get it". Queens isn't just Beer Gardens, cemeteries and airports! I also promote self-released bands/musicians to radio and feel a lot of GREAT music gets overlooked just because it's not signed with a huge payola machine behind it. Starting the LIC Barn Dance lines up perfectly with both of my "missions". And we hope you'll come along and join us. And because I've seen several posts on the topic, dancing IS optional.

The Inaugural LIC Barn Dance!
Monday, November 8th @ 8pm
LIC Bar: 45-58 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City
with DB Rielly, Rick Snell & The Whistlin' Wolves

Audrey Dimola is a born and raised Astoria/Long Island City gal. Best known around town for her work as Managing Editor of LIC-based arts/music/culture magazine, Ins&Outs, Audrey is now Project Manager of Dom & Tom, Inc., a NYC web and mobile development studio.

This article is reproduced with kind permission from where it originally appeared: writer/photographer William Ruben Helms' blog, The Joy of Violent Movement.

In the past three or four years, the LIC Bar, located on the end of a now bustling stretch of Vernon Boulevard, has developed a reputation for hosting some of the neighborhood’s best singer/songwriters – including Little Embers, whom I’m wild about, Jeanne Marie Boes, Gus Rodriguez (aka Silbin Sandovar), Brian Meece, Shelly Bhushan, Megan Kerper and others. With increasing frequency, some of the metropolitan area’s up-and-comers have stopped by to play sets such as the wildly talented Vanessa Boyd and others. I’ve seen a handful of shows at the LIC Bar and based on my own observations and conversations musicians seem to really enjoy playing at the venue – they rave about the sound system, which management has improved; they’ll mention that audiences there tend to come for the music and are lovingly supportive of the musicians; and musicians will rave about the intimate and informal performance spaces. In fact, I’ve heard some compare the LIC Bar to the Rockwood Music Hall, down in the Lower East Side. So when I heard that local indie sensation Nicola was playing her first of hopefully many gigs in Queens, I had to catch her – first because it had been about a year since I had seen her perform live and second, because she’s a phenomenon live. And considering the week I had before, I needed something to start my week off right. But I’ll get into that in a moment...

I’ve known Nicola for some time now, going back to when she introduced herself to me on MySpace. I listened to the tunes she had up and was blown away by that voice – it’s confident, soulful, sultry and powerful. What a voice! And before I saw her perform live, I had this visual sense based on hearing her on albums that she was an Amazonian; that she had to be at least six feet tall but when I saw her perform for the first time at Piano’s, a couple of years back, I was struck by her diminutive size. But she has a commanding, confident presence that’s simply unforgettable. I’ve seen her play with her full backing band and solo acoustic – you can normally catch her do solo sets at Penn Station, Union Square and Times Square as part of the MTA’s Music Underground series – but this would be the first time I would be catching Nicola with her percussionist Ray Diaz.

Now Diaz on the congas and other percussion instruments bring Nicola’s pop sentiment back to el barrio. The drums reminded me of the meringue and salsa blasted at eardrum bursting levels out of cars and house parties along Junction Boulevard, Roosevelt Avenue and 99th Street during boyhood summers. What was impressive to see is that both musicians had the comfortable simpatico of musicians who have played together for years. Both Diaz had Nicola had an impeccable and intuitive sense of what each other were doing and when they would be doing it.

Nicola did many songs I was familiar with from her previous albums and previous gigs, including “Limited Knowledge” which done as an acoustic number peels back the dense layers of the album version and allowed Nicola some room for her vocals to freely roam about the song. It seemed apparent to me that the small, Monday night audience was impressed by this woman. The fourth song of her set, a song I haven’t heard before, reminded me a bit of an old Cyndi Lauper song – and interestingly enough, it was a beautiful moment that enraptured the small crowd at LIC Bar. No one checked their Facebook or went on Twitter, no one aimlessly chatted with their friends. No one stared at the walls or decided to get up for a drink. It was rare and it was probably one of the best moments I’ve seen at the LIC Bar – if not the best moment I’ve experienced at a show this year. “Down,” from her first album had a comfy pop twang and it showed Nicola’s ability to write a catchy pop song. “Message” was pure power pop with some extensive guitar solos and a bit of a Latin party feel, thanks to an extensive solo by Diaz towards the end that had the crowd really getting into a party mood. People started cheering as though the Yankees won the World Series.

There were a couple of hilarious moments – moments that I really couldn’t possibly make up even if I tried. During Nicola’s set a crazy old man yelled out, “I’m horny – now where’s the food!” It was awkwardly funny. And at one point Nicola went into some playful stage banter about playing shows where there was at least one person from Des Moines, Iowa – and there was someone there who was actually from Des Moines, Iowa! What I will say is that Monday night at the LIC Bar was memorable and a helluva lot of fun. Go out and catch this woman – it doesn’t matter if it’s a solo, a duo, a trio or her full band wherever and whenever you can, it’ll be a Latin-styled pop party.

Article and all photos by Willam Ruben Helms. Check out more photos from Nicola's show at LIC Bar on Flickr.

In a spasm of quasi-political action, I refrained from flipping the switch and went food shopping using canvas bags. Having ditched my ’89 Honda Accord LX for a purple Fuji Absolute 12-speed, I’m now feeling virtuous but, well, a bit bland.

You know the temporary yet effective solution to that: I turned to sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll. I’ve hoisted more than my fair share of Radeberger* this past month, and even got to meet the Radeberger Girls. One of them bought me a beer – I think she fancies me a bit!

Oh right, you’re here for the music. October’s de-blanding has mixed Brazilian surf riffs, sax-playing around Japanese swing, and Croatian dance-party rock. On one LIC Bar evening, João Erbetta and his band spin out high-energy surf tunes with a Portuguese accent. My usual problem with much Brazilian music comes from its being too pastel and languid (yes, it’s my problem); I’m happy to listen to surf music anytime, and believe I hear complications under the fun. Erbetta neatly reverses those tropes. His playing is fluid, exciting, precisely shaped, and quite engaging, so much so that I don’t really want to look under the hood to see how it all runs. I’ve heard him play in other contexts, and know he’s not just technically a savvy guitarist, but a musician who blends his personality with many genrés. Sadly, the bar was not so crowded when Erbetta played. He deserves a wider audience; while pretty well known on the scene, that and $104 will get you to your day job on the 7 train next month.

We’ve chatted about DB Rielly before, but that’s not going to stop me here. DB’s band followed Erbetta’s, and the party mood continued. For me, this show pivoted around the playing of the estimable Hiro Suzuki, lead guitar player in the group. Suzuki favored swing-era tunes which, by virtue of his actually being able to swing, set up a great dance mood. DB added counterpoint via his bluesy sax playing. Even some folks who’ve followed him for years realized he even played sax – turns out it was his first instrument, who knew? – and the contrast in sound lent depth to what can be a surface-y genrè. The two also collaborated beautifully on some covers of singer/songwriter tunes, like John Hiatt’s "Feels Like Rain," managing the transitions in mood gracefully without damping the party spirit.

By time The Dynasty took the stage, the party mood had swung to raucous. Don’t look for The Dynasty on iTunes; this was a one-off group, essentially Chris and Diana from Bad Buka, playing as part of Diana’s sister Carla’s birthday celebration (not saying which one, but “Lather” would know). And celebrate is what Bad Buka do best. I can’t say I remember much particularly that went on, other than someone shouting to the crowd, “Shut up and sing!” Everyone sang, everyone danced, it didn’t matter if you knew Croatian songs or dances; soon everyone felt like part of Carla’s family and the celebration. As the full band is playing a Hallowe’en party, I’ll try to get a more fair assessment then. Like, it’ll be easier on Hallowe’en?

The evening closed with Julie Kathryn, a local singer/songwriter. That transition, closing after a rowdy crowd-pleaser, is less than easy, as I’ve noted previously. It does help the neighbors get some sleep, but the previous music had opened me up so much that I found it hard to calibrate Kathryn’s stuff. Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy her; I did. And when she said, “I’ve never played my guitar this hard, it’s out of tune!” I though, God on ya, lass! I’ll bring positive expectations to her next gig.

In a final twitch of political activism, I’ll be voting before filing that next report. You know that we middle-aged, upper-middle-class white guys ALWAYS vote. (That’s why they call us The Man, right?) Not saying I won’t vote the straight The Rent Is Too Damn High party ticket, of course. Especially if I’m tempted to turn on the a/c again.

*Bloggers are enjoined by some federal rule to reveal every product bought for them in the course of covering their beat. I’m compiling a disclosure document that will enumerate the Pilsner, Coteaux de Languedoc, small-batch bourbon, single-malt Scotch, self-produced cd’s, brownies, Hawai’ian skunkweed spliffs, and mutual avowals of sexual desire involved; it will be available for you right around the time I complete my 2008 NYS corporate tax return.

The Silver Shark is always moving, just under the surface of the LIC scene. He comes up suddenly to snap up some wine and music, and perhaps bare his teeth at nearby lovely mermaids – though he generally doesn't bite. You can catch an occasional glimpse of him at your favorite LIC venue, and regularly here at his blog.

Fearless music lovers and Monster Mashers: make sure you have your Halloween costume picked out. The Queens neighborhood music scene has a virtual graveyard full of options for hellraisin' Halloween parties!

We've asked our resident Halloween expert The Dollar Store Demon to give us his two cents worth and he has summoned the hounds of hell to bring you his picks for this weekend.

FRIDAY OCT 29th

*"Did you hear that? Was it the howl of the banshee? Steady your nerves! Hold on tight to your pint glass as you scream for your life as The Jamies, Illimanjaro, The Concentrics plus The Suspicious Packages stir up a bloodbath of heavy rock."

The Shillelagh Tavern
4722 30th Ave
Astoria, NY
9pm

*"Wait! It doesn't end there! If you were lucky enough to survive the rock assault of The Jamies, stagger over to the oh-so-appropriately named HELL GATE SOCIAL where burlesque monster brides will seduce foolish mortals into turning into love slaves for the rockabilly stylings of AM PREACHER!
The Dollar Store Demon also nods with devilish approval at the very reasonable $5 cover.
Not bad for half naked she-devils gyrating to live rock n roll!"

Hell Gate Social
12-21 Astoria Blvd
Astoria, NY
11pm-2am

SATURDAY OCT 30th

*"Ahh! Saturday night! Hallow's Eve is nigh! So many pagan festivals -- a ghoul could lose his way. There is the possibility of drowning to death in the sea of choices, but I am here to keep you on the proper path of darkness. Gather round the cauldron, children..."

*"Rock n Roll as we all know, is the devil's music and one of its undisputed masters is PETER CASE. Peter has signed a dark pact with The Secret Theatre to play just one New York City show on his current US tour -- and it will be here in Queens! This will be your only chance to catch the fiend behind The Nerves and The Plimsouls so don't be ghoulish and miss out! Also on the bill are local heroes LITTLE EMBERS!"

The Secret Theatre
44-02 23rd Street
Long Island City, NY
tix available at: http://www.secrettheatre.com/
doors open 6pm

*"Now you're ready to kick into high gear -- from outside THE LIC BAR you will hear the gypsy fiddles play. Vampires and werewolves crouch down beside the caravan waiting for the drink specials to kick in. A tent covering has been placed over the majestic courtyard of the bar to contain all the mischief and evil lurking within...that can only mean one thing -- BAD BUKA'S HAUNTED MASQUERADE BALL is about to begin! These gypsy rockers are one of the strongest bands on the scene and if you're not convinced of that after this show, you must be a total zombie..."

Cash prizes for best costumes and drink specials, plus more music courtesy of Astoria DJ Group. $10 cover

LIC BAR
45-58 Vernon Blvd
Long Island City, NY 11101
www.licbar.com

*"Did ye know? The popular Long Island City watering hole DOMINIE'S HOEK was born on Halloween?! That's right -- honest to Lucifer -- they will be celebrating their 7th anniversary. Lucky for them -- unlucky for you if you miss this great evening that includes the sinister melodies of HEADFLOSS, QUEENS DENIM ROCKERS, & THE BLACK FIVES! Now is that evil enough for you?!"

Dominie's Hoek
48-17 Vernon Blvd
Long Island City, NY 11101

*"Don't be a Hallo-weiner and miss Astoria Music & Arts' 4th Annual ZOMBIE STOMP SOCIAL! THE BIG DEATH SCENE, DRUNKEN PUMPKIN, THE HEADLOCKS, and THUNDERBANG will transform into creatures of the night engulfed in an ocean of dry ice. Lift your goblets, show off your red masque of death and just get silly."

The Shillelagh Tavern
4722 30th Ave
Astoria, NY
8pm

SUNDAY, OCT 31st

*NIALL CONNOLLY knows a thing or two about Halloween and his SUNDAY SOCIAL at LIC BAR will prove that. Share your songs and ghostly tales as you gaze into the embers of your amber..."

LIC BAR
45-58 Vernon Blvd
Long Island City
5pm

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM LICNOTES!

Gordon Gano, Steve Wynn, Gary Lucas, Funkmaster Flex...playing in QUEENS?!?!

Recently a great discussion on our website was sparked when the question of whether a "music scene" really exists in Queens was asked.

Despite what some of the naysayers say and believe, like a plant that bursts and grows out of a piece of cement, there have been a lot of musicians, event producers, promoters and fans working hard to bring music to Queens bars, cafes and parks that were never intended to host and house live music. It's a beautiful and organic thing to observe.

Beautiful enough to attract artists that in the past might have scoffed at the thought of even getting off the train in Queens! "Name" artists too!

We were most surprised and pleased to have GARY LUCAS play the Bohemian Beer Hall this past week! Lucas is famous for his collaborations with Lou Reed, Jeff Buckley (Lucas co-wrote two of the songs, "Grace" and "Mojo Pin", from Jeff Buckley's popular and critically acclaimed album Grace), Captain Beefheart, Nick Cave, and many more!

The Secret Theatre is presenting an ALEX CHILTON TRIBUTE Saturday, July 31st (get tix HERE!). STEVE WYNN of THE DREAM SYNDICATE and JIM SCLAVUNOS of NICK CAVE'S BAD SEEDS, and KEITH STRENG of THE FLESHTONES are just the first names to be announced in a line up that Secret Theatre director Richard Mazda promises will be full of very cool surprise guests.

The band KRAUT are true New York punk pioneers. In fact their very first gig was opening for THE CLASH! And now they are headling THE ASTORIA MUSIC AND ARTS ASTORIA MUSIC NOW FESTIVAL Saturday, July 24th! (more info HERE!)

LIC Bar's big score for the summer is none other than GORDON GANO of The VIOLENT FEMMES! Gano will be performing there with THE RYAN BROTHERS (of THE BOGMEN) Sunday, August 15th at 6pm.

And this just in: a fantastic FREE hip hop show starring legendary rappers EPMD and DJ FUNKMASTER FLEX Thursday, July 15th at 7pm in LIC's Queensbridge Park! (more details HERE!)

It's very interesting that despite the lack of a 100% full time music venue in Queens the people in the scene are starting to see their hard work pay off when artists of this caliber start to venture this way, don't you think? And this is just the first wave...

We're excited to see who's coming along next...!

The Lascivious Biddies play LIC Bar this Sunday

Summer marches on! Here's some cool events happening in the hood this weekend!

FRIDAY, JULY 9th

DOMAINE WINE BAR 9pm-midnight
STEVE BLANCO TRIO

LIC BAR 9pm-2am
ASTORIA DJ GROUP presents
New Wave Edition Featuring DJs BlaqJeff (Jeff Miller) and CHANGOCHAN (CJ Sanchez)

SATURDAY, JULY 10th

PS1 WARM UP
agnès b. presents:
Klement / Contre Coeur, France (live)
Acid Washed / Record Makers, France (live)
Veronica Vasicka / Minimal Wave, New York (DJ set)
Gatekeeper / Brooklyn (live)

LIC Bar 9pm-2am
DJ ANTHONY CHICO's PS1 afterparty

SUNDAY, JULY 11th

LIC BAR
WORLD CUP FINAL PARTY 1pm-9pm
featuring live music by
THE LASCIVIOUS BIDDIES & BRIAN MEECE & ARAM BAJAKIAN
Music starts at 6pm

MONDAY, JULY 12th

LIC BAR 8-11pm
MONDAY MUSIC SHOWCASE REVUE
featuring
THE MICHAEL LOUIS BAND 8pm
DAVE BARCKOW 9pm
KATHY ZIMMER & ANDREA LONGATO 10pm