Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side this weekend:
BALTHROP ALABAMA – Friday, Dec. 17 | 11:30PM at Joe’s Pub
Balthrop Alabama is the imagined musical paradise envisioned by brother and sister team, Pascal and Lauren Balthrop. They’ve populated their special town with top musicians, an illustrator, and lots of good-time energy. For their annual Christmas show, “A Very Balthrop Christmas” at Joe’s Pub, they’ll be welcoming some special guests like Dawn Landes and The Bandana Splits, just to name a few. $15 // 425 Lafayette Street.
ERIN & HER CELLO – Friday, Dec. 17 | 7:30PM at Rockwood Music Hall
Erin Hall uses her strong cello skills and unassuming voice to entertain listeners with bouncy, often humorous songs. Erin is clearly influenced by the older American musical styles like Ragtime and Jazz. She does a good job of using that inspiration to support her plucky (apologies for that) compositions, which are firmly set in the modern context of a young woman navigating through life in the city. FREE // 196 Allen Street.
CAVES – Saturday, Dec. 18 | 9:30PM at Cake Shop
Caves come to us from Portland, OR, and what they bring with them is a dark, sweaty, warehouse-party rock sound. With precise guitar riffs setting up each song, you can definitely draw some comparisons to Andy Summers and early Police. Singer Jake Carey’s moaning vocals are more Robert Smith than Sting though – and it works well. Works even better with a beer in hand and the volume turned up. They’re not retro. They just rock good. FREE // 152 Ludlow 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 him here.
