Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks on the Lower East Side this weekend:
AUNT MARTHA – Fri., Feb 18 І 10:30PM at The Livingroom
Aunt Martha are in the middle of a busy 3-month tour, stretching from New England to California, and as far south as Tennessee. The trio from Wilmot, NH are travelling the highways with a van (though I’m imagining it as a rumbling 1970’s station wagon on 3 tires and a donut) full of earth n’ wood folk-rock songs that are nicely anchored in melody and lyrics. They’re not “traditional,” though they adhere to the time-tested tradition that — if the songs are good –everything else will take care of itself. The drums are steady, the strings and harmonies are textural, and the vocals tell a story, and they manage all of those things with plenty of skill and sincerity. FREE//154 Ludlow St.
THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY 15 – Sat., Feb 19 І 8PM at the Parkside Lounge
Taking it back to the good ‘ol days, The Serious Theatre Collective reminds us what New York (and the LES) is all about, as they stage their gritty, low-budget rock opera, The Legend Of Johnny 15, at the Parkside Lounge. Known for their fun, burlesquey shows, the Collective presents this story about a future society’s thought-controlling governing body and the sexual/musical battle to bring it down with latex and leather. $15// 317 East Houston St.
THE POISON CONTROL CENTER – Sun., Feb 20 І 8PM at the Mercury Lounge
At first listen, The Poison Control Center has the right amount of tube-amp guitar, untrained vocals, and messy hair to be the latest indie darlings. But it would seem they’re just’ baiting the hook.’ They neither walk the line, nor turn their noses up at it with extended middle fingers. Instead, they playfully hop from one side to the other, several times, in every song. These covert music nerds pack each tune with time changes, turned-around drum beats, and out-of-left-field samples, and in the case of their cd ‘Sad Sour Future’, they did all this with each member living in a different city. This is definitely not just another radio band. $10//6 Delancey St
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.
