Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side this weekend:
MAGIC KIDS – Friday, Nov. 12 | 8PM at Mercury Lounge
True Panther Sounds, the label on which Magic Kids are signed, describes the young Memphis band’s music as “unapologetically joyful”. With hugely addictive, bouncy songs like Hey Boy, and Superball, I whole-heartedly agree, joyful indeed – and really, no apology necessary. These Kids have taken the right cues from icons like ELO and Elvis Costello, but are definitely out to blaze their own trail. Their boundless, youthful energy, along with an array of horns, bells, and other musical toys are virtually guaranteed to graffiti a sunny smile on your face – the perfect antidote for the gray days of Fall. $10 // 217 East Houston Street.
TWO TEARS – Saturday, Nov. 13 | 11PM at Cake Shop
Kerry Davis, formally of the 90’s all-fem punk group Red Aunts, and later Beehive & the Barracudas, continues to rage, as she fronts her latest project Two Tears. Two Tears, a trio of two guitars and drums, delivers all the lovely loudness one would hope for from an iconic rocker like Davis, but there’s also a level of maturity in the material that can only come from several well spent decades in some of the cooler garage bands of our generation. Some songs have a swampy sass, while others show hints of surfer roots. However, throughout the set, that familiar grit remains. And that makes us happy. $8 // 152 Ludlow Street.
TOM JUDSON – Sunday, Nov. 14 | 7pm at Dixon Place
“Gay adult films” and “Sesame Street.” Yes, those two things share a sentence in Tom Judson’s bio for his musical memoire Canned Ham. Judson has certainly lived a successful and colorful life as a composer/musician/actor – as he did in fact compose music for Sesame Street, and he did in fact perform in gay porn – but those are merely two of the many twists and turns he’s traversed to get to where his is today. Canned Ham follows Judson’s life and career through all of those junctions, including acting on Broadway, his prolific writing, and even the mourned love for his departed long-term partner. As a benefit for Dixon Place, in a special performance this Sunday, Judson will mix the comedic with the poignant, all while accompanying himself on accordion, piano, and many other “one-man band” accoutrements. $20 – $500 // 161A Chrystie Street.
Splitting his time between performing and producing, contributor Ken Beasley primarily plays with his own roots/rock band, Ken Beasley & Co., as well as the power punk outfit Missy Sport, while also curating the Underground at the Abrons music series on the Lower East Side. Read our interview with Mr. Beasley here.
