Brooklyn’s ISSUE Project Room presents a plethora of chamber music ensembles dedicated to using new technologies and straddling the line between chamber and rock/folk/impro-visational music. Proving that the genre is alive and kicking, performances include the indie-classical band Build, NewBorn Trio, global collective Dawn of Midi and premiere works for guitar quartet Dither (Feb 18), quartet Yarn/Wire (Feb 19), Toomai Quintet (Feb 24), Dan Joseph Ensemble (Feb 25) and the trio Heresy of the Free Spirit (Feb 26).
Lucinda Williams fills Webster Hall with her unique alt-country twang Mar 11–12. It’s not all that hard to find an artist who’s capable of offering a guided tour of life’s dark side – nor is it rare to find one who can hone in on the silver lining. But the ability to do both with equal grace? That’s an altogether rarer gift – which Williams displays with remarkable élan on her latest album, Blessed. Recorded at the end of what Williams calls “a really big writing streak that gave me enough to make two albums,” Blessed brings together a dozen masterfully-crafted pieces that fall into place beautifully, their welcoming sonic tenor offering an ideal foil for the conversational narrative that runs through the dozen short stories.
The Scissor Sisters open for Lady Gaga at Madison Square Garden on Feb 21 and 22. Get your tickets any way you can!
At the Brooklyn Museum Feb 26, St. Luke’s presents Baroque Reworked, a program featuring a landmark arrangement of Scarlatti’s Concerto No. 9, Bach’s Concerto for Oboe and Violin reclaimed from a long-lost original score, and the premiere of a new work by Phil Kline inspired by a composition from the Late Renaissance master Giovanni Gabrieli. A gallery talk will directly follow the program.
Since 2005, Lisa A. Snyder has brought a bit of Michfest to NYC by creating a unique environment that provides city dwellers the chance to soak in a slice of MichFest, “Half-Way to August.” Feb 19, catch the 6th Annual Michfest Half-Way Soirée at The Delancey Lounge with special guests: musician, playwright, and activist Hanifah Walidah, 2006 Outfest Award Winner Nedra Johnson and 2009 Urban Music Award Winner Reina Williams. Proceeds from the benefit help women with financial need attend the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival.
She was Hole’s bassist. She joined the Smashing Pumpkins for their farewell tour. She’s toured and collaborated with members of Queens of the Stone Age, NIN and A Perfect Circle. She’s Melissa Auf Der Maur, and she’s hitting The Highline Ballroom on Mar 3 for the sole USA date on the official Out of Our Minds Tour, which showcases her latest solo project. Don’t miss it!
Straight from the annals of Valerie Solanas’ SCUM Manifesto comes a new wave of feminist artists who are pushing performance to new levels. Come witness New Wave SCUM, an evening of music, dance and literary performances by Brooklyn’s most gifted SCUM artists, Mar 3 at Goodbye Blue Monday in Brooklyn. Performers include Sabrina Chap, Chavisa Woods, The Fools, Terry Hemphling and the Sylvia Plath Cheerleaders.
