KulturfestNYC, The Skivvies, Dawn Landes & More Headed for Joe's Pub, 6/17-28
By: BWW News Desk Jun. 15, 2015
Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its upcoming nightly performances running June 17-28, 2015. Scroll down for details, or visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows.
Wednesday - Saturday, June 17 - 20, various times
$18
Presented in collaboration with UJA-Federation, KulturfestNYC will take place in New York City in June of 2015. The Festival, commemorating the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene's Centennial Season, will feature theater, film, lectures, exhibits and music from around the world. Joe's Pub is proud to present the central music component of the festival with six nights of concerts.
Ron Rifkin & Friends
Wednesday, June 17 at 7:00PM
(USA) Join Tony Award winner and celebrated Broadway, television and film actor Ron Rifkin in an evening of song with special friends including Joel Grey, Debra Monk and more. The musical director and pianist for this show is Zalmen Mlotek.
Wednesday, June 17 at 9:00PM
(Germany) Karsten Troyke is a singer, actor and speaker, best known as an interpreter of Yiddish song. A performer since youth, he takes after his father, a jazz manager, who had started a Jewish culture evening in the 1960s. Troyke's father presented Yiddish literature and Yiddish songs, played from records. Eventually, Troyke joined thee nights, replacing the records with himself singing Yiddish folksongs. He will joined by renowned violinist and composer Daniel Weltlinger, with Zalmen Mlotek on piano.
Thursday, June 18 at 7:00PM
(UK) Merlin & Polina Shepherd play a rare mix of music from several linked cultures. Maintaining the distinct styles, they also incorporate improvisation, freedom and spontaneity with a unique approach and dynamic energy. They perform new and traditional music from Turkey, Greece, Romania, Russia and the Pale of Settlement Klezmer. A force in the Klezmer renaissance, Merlin is a clarinetist, educator and composer. Polina, a virtuosic vocalist, pianist and composer, blends traditional and new Yiddish and Russian song with Klezmer and southern Mediterranean music.
Thursday, June 18 at 9:00PM
(USA) Klezmer-rock band Golem was founded by Annette Ezekiel Kogan in 2000, and quickly became a leading re-interpreter and innovator of Yiddish and Eastern European music. Golem pushes tradition forward into the 21st century. Known for its virtuosic musicianship, theatricality, humor and wild energy, combined with a boundless love of tradition, Golem is clearly "not your grandparents' klezmer." (NPR)
Friday, June 19 at 7:00PM
(Mexico) Klezmerson is the brainchild of Mexican violist, pianist and composer Benjamin Shwartz who, in 2003, decided to experiment with old and new sounds and different flavors: Klezmer music from a Mexican point of view. Klezmerson combines melodies and rhythms from Europe's Jewish tradition with gypsy and Mexican influences, creating a peculiar fusion of rock, funk and jazz improvisations.
Friday, June 19 at 9:00PM
(USA) NYC-based Isle of Klezbos approaches tradition with irreverence and respect. The soulful, fun-loving powerhouse all-women's Klezmer sextet has toured from Vienna to Vancouver since 1998. Their repertoire includes neo-traditional folk dance, mystical melodies, Yiddish swing & retro tango, late Soviet-era Jewish drinking song, re-grooved standards and genre-defying originals.
Saturday, June 20 at 7:00PM
(Netherlands) Well known for her outstanding interpretations of traditional Yiddish songs, her beautiful voice and original compositions of Yiddish music, Niki Jacobs, aka Nikitov, proves that Yiddish music is still very much alive. Backed by the powerhouse acoustic band she's been working with for years, she will sing all her favorite pop-hits in Yiddish.
Saturday, June 20 at 11:30PM
(USA) Andy Statman, one of his generation's premier mandolinists and clarinetists, thinks of his compositions and performances as "spontaneous American-roots music and personal, prayerful Hasidic music, by way of avant-garde jazz." This modest man takes for granted that a performer might embody several worlds in his art, and seems humbled by the fact that his music, like his story, is extraordinary.
Friday, June 19 at 11PM
$30
The Skivvies are Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley, award-winning duo doing stripped down, eclectic covers and comedic, genre-hopping mashups. Not only is the music simple - cello, ukulele, glockenspiel, melodica - but Molina and Cearley literally strip down to their underwear to perform. Not only were they featured in People's Hottest Bodies issue, The Wall Street Journal called them "highly original... smart... ingenious." Molina (Rock of Ages, Sweeney Todd, Candide) and Cearley (Pageant, A Midsummer Night's Dream, All Shook Up) started The Skivvies on YouTube, becoming sensations with their covers of artists like Robyn, Carole King and Rihanna. Their live show always features Tony-winning special guests.
Saturday, June 20 at 9:30PM
$20
"I remember when I first read the words hanging in a frame on my Grandma Rosa's wall. The serenity prayer was something I couldn't understand until almost thirty years later, but now after experiencing some peaks and valleys of life, those words ring in my ears with clarity." Brian Blade has set those words to music for his first recording as a singer, guitarist and songwriter entitled, Mama Rosa. A revealing journey through thirteen songs about family, loved ones, travels and a sense that these things that shape and inspire us have to be shared with others to complete a circle.
Sunday, June 21 at 7:00PM
$20
Stella Starsky and Quinn Cox unhinge the stars, sprinkling us with their wry wisdom and groovy guidance. From reading audience's astrological charts to reporting on the current celestial clime to unleashing the metaphysical power of the Zodiac to delving the kinky corners of the multiverse, Starsky + Cox regale showgoers, in words and music, with their supernatural tales from the synchronistic road less taken, letting us in on the running cosmic joke and revealing why it is they are the go-to gurus of this or any generation. With musical director Matt Ray, Patrick Johnson and special guest Phoebe Legere.
ROW IN CONCERT: A NEW MUSICAL BY DAWN LANDES & DANIEL GOLDSTEIN
Sunday, June 21 9:30PM
Monday, June 22 at 7:00PM & 9:30PM
$20
As part of New York Voices, the artist commissioning program of Joe's Pub at The Public, singer-songwriter Dawn Landes (music and lyrics) and director Daniel Goldstein (book) bring forth a new musical called ROW - the heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting story Tori Murden McClure, the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Telling parallel stories of McClure's journey across the ocean and through her life, ROW tells a heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting story of finding your heart in the middle of the ocean. This presentation is a concert of songs from the musical, performed by Landes with Xanthe Elbrick (Tori), Lauren Balthrop (Young Tori), Stephen Bogardus (Mac) and more.
MIGGUEL ANGGELO: I, INMIGRANTE
Tuesday, June 23 at 7:30PM
$20
Migguel Anggelo returns to Joe's Pub with his new show I, Inmigrante, developed with and directed by Obie Award-winner David Drake. The Venezuelan-born dynamo is known for his electric stage performances, and is backed by his virtuosic band and a pair of sensational singers. Trained in musical theater and opera, he creates a kaleidoscope of vocal theatrics and poetic storytelling that is hilarious and touching in equal measure. Through his original compositions and reinterpretations of Latin, folk, and pop classics, I, Inmigrante deftly explores the very personal themes of immigration, national pride, the barriers of language, the emotional ramifications of political dictatorship, and the dreams of the artist who must follow his passion (while wrestling with his demons) in order to find a place he can call home.
Tuesday, June 23 at 9:30PM
$15
The Hunts have been playing music together almost their entire lives. Ranging from ages 17 to 25, twin sisters Jenni and Jessi and their five brothers Josh, Jonathan, Jordan, Justin, and Jamison all learned to sing and play violin as young kids and spent much of their childhood performing throughout their community. After teaching themselves to play instruments like mandolin, piano, ukulele, banjo, and drums, The Hunts began experimenting with songwriting and soon brought to life a batch of songs that reveal their sophisticated sense of melody and dreamy innocence.
Wednesday, June 24 at 7:30PM
$35
Nona Hendryx and Mamafunk will brew up and organic mixture of un-fried funk for you natural funk lovers. This show will be down and dirty funk, so old school you will feel like breaking out your polyester, wedges and rocking an Afro.
BRIDGET EVERETT & THE TENDER MOMENTS
Wednesday, June 24 at 9:30PM
$25
Hot on the heels of her critically acclaimed and completely sold out production of Rock Bottom, New York's downtown darling Bridget Everett returns the stage with her band, The Tender Moments, and a bottle of chardonnay to sing all her favorite love songs and share the stories of the men that made her...feel? From tender moments to prison sex, come get inside her.
Thursday, July 25 at 7:30PM
$15
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Olivia Chaney's profile has been rising over the last few years, particularly in her native England, where she was recently nominated for BBC Radio 2's Horizon Award for best emerging folk artist. But until now, she has proven elusive on the recording front, with only one highly praised but modestly distributed EP to her name, plus a few home-spun bootlegs. One had to be lucky enough to catch her on a stage to hear her entrancing sound and unique sensibility, evolving and refining with each gig she played. Her Nonesuch debut finally makes that experience more widely available. The Longest River is striking in its simplicity; it preserves the passion and immediacy of her live performances with a deceptively-structured informality.
THE EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH SHOW WITH CATIE LAZARUS
Thursday, July 25 at 9:30PM
$20 Adv/ $25 Doors
Ever wonder what it's like to have a dreamy job? Comedian Catie Lazarus did too, so she created an utterly addictive, candid, fun talk show about work. Come see why The New York Times calls Employee of the Month "beloved" and Blackbook calls it comedian Catie Lazarus's "hilarious podcast talk show" and The New Yorker calls, "her line of inquiry is decidedly unorthodox." Past guests have included Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow, Gloria Steinem, Tom Colicchio, Amy Sedaris and more!
Friday, July 26 at 7:00PM &9:30PM
$30
Among his many accolades, Jeffrey Steele has been named to the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame (2013), awarded BMI Songwriter of the Year (2007 and 2003) and the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Songwriter of the Year (2006, 2005 and 2003). CMA has twice awarded him the coveted Triple Play Award for three No. 1 songs in a year (2010 & 2007). His country and A/C mega-hits include a string of chart toppers: "Knee Deep", "Here," "My Wish," "The Cowboy In Me," "These Days", "Everyday" and the groundbreaking "What Hurts The Most," which was nominated for Best Country Song at the 2007 Grammy Awards.
CROSS CULTURE / JULES & THE JINKS
Friday, June 26 at Midnight
$14
Cross Culture quickly is taking the NYC scene by storm. High-energy performances matched with the vivid story-telling and lyricism of Saidu has sets this band apart from many others. The momentum continues to remain strong for this group of highly-motivated individuals as they released their first single "Leap Frog Loverz" in 2015 to much praise.
Jules and The Jinks is the brain child of first-generation native New Yorkers Julissa Lopez and Erik Rosenberg. Despite their different backgrounds (Dominican from The Bronx and Jewish from The Upper West Side) the two were united by their love of Otis Redding, Etta James, and Led Zeppelin. Their music flirts with various genres from blues to funk to Afro-Pop, but mostly soul. Lopez and Rosenberg use the characters, story lines, and melodies of their songs to evoke familiar yet powerful emotions.
Saturday, June 27 at 7:00PM
$20
Dubbed 'Best Lounge Act of 2009' by New York Magazine, Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra play an edgy brand of jazz/folk/alternative nosh with a chewy singer-songwriter center. With melancholy wit and a cockeyed worldview, sepia-toned frontman Lipton and band mates Eben Levy (guitar), Ian Riggs (bass) and Vito Dieterle (sax) deliver songs steeped in mixed-message sincerity and soul. The band has appeared at Celebrate Brooklyn, MASS MOCA, Bryant Park, the Camden Opera House, Tangier (LA), Vermont Arts Exchange, and has been featured on NPR and radio stations around the country.
Saturday, June 27 at 9:30PM
$45
Wild energy, broken rhythms, strange psychedelic structures, furious guitar sound are coupled with inimitable melodies and charismatic voice - this is how Fedorov & Kruzenshtern sounds live. Imagine Swans meets King Crimson meets Feodor Chaliapin onstage in one spontaneous musical orgy - from progressive rock to free-jazz, from post-punk to ritual music - all imaginable genres are melted into an astonishingly tight musical journey.
JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND: SWALLOW MY PRIDE
Saturday, June 7 at 11:30PM & Sunday, June 28 at 9:30PM
$25
Mx Justin Vivian Bond is a writer, singer, painter and performance artist. Mx Bond is the author of the Lambda Literary Award winning memoir TANGO: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels, published by The Feminist Press and Susie Says... a collaboration with Gina Garan (Powerhouse Books, 2012). V's debut CD DENDRPOPHILE was self-released on Whimsy Music in 2011 and was followed by SILVER WELLS in 2012. In 2011, v's art exhibition The Fall of the House of Whimsy was presented at Participant Inc. in NYC. Mx Bond was nominated for a Tony Award for Kiki and Herb Alive On Broadway in 2007. V is a recipient of The Ethyl Eichelberger Award, The Peter Reed Foundation Grant and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award for Performance Art/Theater plus an Obie and a Bessie.
Sunday, June 28 at 7:30PM
$45
Lead singer of Fedorov & Kruzenshtern, Leonid Fedorov, presents his solo material, which comes from 14 albums he recorded and released in the past 15 years. Here's a unique chance to experience the lyrical side of the man behind the legendary band at the performance that's likely to feature new material as well as unorthodox take on well-known classics.
For tickets, go online at joespub.com, call 10AM-7:00PM daily at 212-967-7555 or visit in person at The Public Theater Box Office, 425 Lafayette Street, NYC (Opens daily at 2PM). There is a $12 food / two (2) drink minimum per person per show, unless otherwise noted.
ABOUT JOE'S PUB AT THE PUBLIC Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe's Pub at The Public opened in 1998 and plays a vital role in The Public's mission of supporting young artists while providing established artists with an intimate space to perform and develop new work.Joe's Pub consistently presents the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community and artistic freedom. The organization also offers unique opportunities like New York Voices, an artist commissioning program that provides musicians the resources and tools needed to develop original theater works. Commissioned artists have included Ethan Lipton, Toshi Reagon, Bridget Everett, Allen Toussaint and more. In 2011, the Pub received a top-to-bottom renovation, leading to improved sightlines, expanded seating capacity and a new menu from acclaimed Chef Andrew Carmellini. With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe'sPub presents talent from all over the world as part of The Public's programming downtown at its Astor Place home, hosting approximately 800 shows and serving over 100,000 audience members annually.
ABOUT THE PUBLIC THEATER AT ASTOR PLACE Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities.
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