Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side this week:
TALL TALL TREES – Friday, July 30 at 10pm
If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the last 10 years, it’s that banjos do have a place in New York music. Tall Tall Trees are a clever band that has created an attractive fusion of twangy traditional instruments, modern sound processers, and gut-driven rock & roll. Continuing to build a nice following due to their catchy songs and strong live shows, these trees are growing taller with each outing.
FREE // Rockwood Music Hall – 196 Allen Street
MAIN SQUEEZE ORCHESTRA – Saturday, July 31 at 9pm
14 Female accordion players walk into a bar… There’s no punchline, but there is a point. The brain child of ‘Main Squeeze’ Boutique owner Walter Kuhr, the MSO takes an instrument most often relegated to the basement and puts it front and center — and multiplies it to the maximum allowed by stage size and city ordinance. With over a dozen members rocking out a set covering Bach, Queen, and everything in between, these ladies are proving that the squeezebox deserves respect beyond your grandfather’s old jokes.
$12// The Livingroom – 154 Ludlow St.
ASYLUM STREET SPANKERS – Sunday, August 1 at 7:30pm
As a former Austinite, I couldn’t help but perk up when I saw that the Asylum Street Spankers were coming to Joe’s Pub this weekend. This motley group of musical entertainers has a 15 years history, and a floor length list of former/rotating members, not the least of which is the one and only Guy Forsyth. Preferring little to no amplification, the Spankers offer up a mix of classic Americana and slap-bass, washboardy originals.
$20 // Joe’s Pub – 425 Lafayette 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.
