Austin's MICROSESSIONS to Bring 'Speed Dating for New Music' to NYC

Microsessions, a new live music format born in Austin, TX, the Live Music Capital of the World, debuts in New York on Saturday, July 29, at Spaceworks NYC in Long Island City, Queens.

Also know as "Speed Dating for New Music," a Microsessions showcase presents four acts in four separate listening rooms at the same location. Each act plays four 15-minute sets in a row - Microsessions - at the same time. At the end of each set, the audiences in each listening room move as a unit to the next room until everyone's heard all four acts.

The night ends with a final 20- to 30-minute simultaneous set as the audience groups break up and people listen to whoever they want. It's all done in under two hours. "It's like a house concert on steroids or a sonic tapas bar of your next favorite bands," says Microsessions founder Paul Schomer, a former NPR Music producer and SiriusXM/PRI on-air music reviewer. "Audiences and artists here in Austin love the concept."

Seth Grueneberg, multi-instrumentalist for Austin band The Wheelwrights, says "I've played live music in Austin for 15 years and this is the most fun I've ever had at a any gig." Microsessions showcases have been hosted monthly in Austin since February 2016.

The first New York City Microsessions showcase on July 29 marks the beginning of a quarterly residency at Spaceworks NYC's Long Island City rehearsal facility, at 33-02 Skillman Ave, (entrance on 34th St), just one block west of the 7 train's 33 St.-Rawson St. stop, five stops from Grand Central.

The July 29 lineup features R&B singer/songwriter Tan Brown, punk rock band Ex-Girlfriends, modern jazz trio Varmus-Jewell-Sperrazza, and indie pop group Powpow.

Tickets are $15 in advance, available at Eventbrite.com, and $20 at the door. Visit www.eventbrite.com/e/microsessions-nyc-tickets-35555207583. Doors open at 7PM and music begins at 8PM. Beer compliments of Microsessions LLC. Visit the Facebook event page here.

Learn more about Microsessions below!

Microsessions was founded and is produced by former NPR Music producer and SiriusXM/PRI music reviewer Paul Schomer.

Established in 2011, Spaceworks NYC is a nonprofit organization that develops affordable rehearsal and studio space for artists working in New York City.