Live Afrobeat in NY Tonight, Tomorrow

Late notice, I know, but if your plans for tonight are as yet unformed, make sure to check out Akoya Afrobeat at Southpaw tonight. They feature Kaleta, who toured with Fela Kuti, on vocals. You can listen to them on their myspace. Doors at 8, show at 9; tickets reasonable at $10 (should be available at door too).

Tomorrow night, Shrine NYC in Harlem (none too far from WKCR) will be hosting a birthday festival featuring three afrobeat acts. Zozoafrobeat will come on 11PM, followed by The Super Powers at midnight, finished up by Amayo’s (of Antibalas fame) group Fu-Arkist-Ra at 1AM. The poster doesn’t have any ticket price listed on it, so… minimum? PWYW? No clue.

And, of course, make sure to tune into Across 110th St. on WKCR at noon tomorrow to hear the New Mastersounds interview in the studio. Plus a chance to win tickets to their show that night at Sullivan Hall.

New Mastersounds Ticket Giveaway, Budos, Antibalas, Tower of Power Dates & More…

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I think you’ll find the wait well worth it.

Those of you who tuned in Tuesday night could not have missed the massive list of NYC shows that has accumulated here in the Night Train databanks. These next two months are shaping up to be a great time for NYC funk - and a big part of that is the New Mastersounds coming across the Atlantic. Yours truly will be interviewing them on the Night Train’s sister show, Across 110th St., on Saturday March 15 at noon. The band mentioned that they may have some new tracks to spin, and they’ll be playing a show at Sullivan Hall later that night. We’ll have a pair tickets to give away after the interview - plus a pair to give away on the prior Night Train, on 3/12.

March in NYC live funk & soul:

For those of you who missed a couple of the show announcements, here goes:
Thurs. March 6: Herbie Hancock Project @ Iridium 8:30PM & 10:30PM, SOLD OUT
Fri. March 7: Herbie Hancock Project @ Iridium 8:30PM & 10:30PM, Tickets $35
Sat. March 8: Herbie Hancock Project @ Iridium 8:30PM & 10:30PM, Tickets $35
Sun. March 9: Herbie Hancock Project @ Iridium 8:30PM & 10:30PM, Tickets $35
Sat. March 15: The New Mastersounds @ Sullivan Hall TBA time (with interview on Across 110th St., ticket giveaway @ noon on WKCR!), Tickets $10a/$12do
Fri. March 21: The Budos Band, opener The Sweet Divines @ Maxwell’s NJ 9:30PM, Tickets $10a/$12do
Sat. March 22: The Sweet Divines (featuring some of the former Dansettes) @ Rose Live Music 10PM as part of the “All Night Brooklyn Soul Party”, $5 suggested donation
Thu. March 27: The Budos Band @ S.O.B.s 7PM doors/9PM show, Tickets $15
Sat. March 29: Soulive @ Blend NJ 9PM, Tickets $27.50

April show dates (including new Antibalas dates) & the playlist from the 3/5/08 Night Train after the jump!

Last Week’s Show Posted, Upcoming Concerts

The first 60 minutes of last week’s Night Train are now freely available for download. Pick it up here.

The recently opened Sullivan Hall (formerly Lion’s Den) in Greenwich Village, where I saw the Dynamites play an explosive set last Friday night with Charles Walker, is turning out to be a great new venue for funk. Two fresh acts will be playing some live music there in late February and March.

Lettuce is a rougher and jammier instrumental offshoot of Soulive, featuring Eric Krasno and Neal Evans from the latter group on guitar and keys respectively. Not to be too judgmental, but I much prefer Lettuce’s gritty stylings over Soulive’s smoother soul sound (especially of late). Soulive’s recent touring, with Toussaint Yeshua on vocals, demonstrated that they had moved far away from their jammy origins. With Lettuce, Neal and Eric are taking a conscious step back to their roots. They’ll be playing two nights at Sullivan Hall, February 29 and March 1 at 9PM; tickets are $14a/$16d.o. and available here. Their music is most easily accessible from their myspace.

More exciting show announcements after the jump.

Antibalas Concert Review, Budos Opening at Beacon…

…and don’t forget, you can listen to the Night Train wherever, whenever, by picking up the MP3 of the first 80 minutes of Tuesday’s show for free. Control-click/right click and “save to disk” to listen to it outside the browser.

Back to business: turns out the Budos Band will be opening for Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings when they come back to New York. Another reason to make it out there for this one. That show is at the Beacon Theater on Friday, February 15. Tickets, available here, are $25-$35.

Also, just noted that Galactic will be going back on tour, but have not yet announced any NYC dates.

As I mentioned on the last show, I was lucky enough to snag tickets to Antibalas‘ sold-out show at the Southpaw in Park Slope last Saturday. Doors opened a little late, but I didn’t mind too much because the show started pretty much on time…

(The whole shebang, plus photos… well, a photo, after the jump.)

The Dynamites feat. Charlie Walker Coming back to NYC

One of the most promising new acts playing high-powered old-school funk, the Tennessee band the Dynamites featuring the veteran Charles Walker will be playing at Sullivan Hall in Greenwich Village on Friday, February 8.  I saw these guys play at the Annex in July, and it was a… mind blowing experience.  At least as much energy as Lee Fields generated with the Dap Kings at the Apollo last year, except with no seats or separation from the band.  Sullivan Hall is larger, but still should allow some wild dancing and all the energy that comes with…

Tickets available now, $15 advance and $18 day of.  The Dynamites are opening for Eric Lindell, so make sure not to get there too long after the 8:30 showtime.  18+.

And Antibalas at the Southpaw was every bit as solid as I predicted.  Proper post (with pictures) on that when I get the time.

And, of course, listen to the show tonight! 1AM! 

This Weekend in Funk, 1/19

Antibalas sold out at the Southpaw, Mavis Staples playing at Brooklyn Academy of Music on Tuesday (January 22) to salute Rev. Martin Luther King, Gil-Scott Heron doing the same at S.O.B.s tomorrow night (Sunday the 20th).  I’ll be at the Antibalas show, and posting my reactions later tonight…

George Clinton! Antibalas ticket giveaway!

That’s right kids, Mr. Clinton himself will be coming to the Warsaw theater at the Polish National Home in Brooklyn on February 26.  Tickets here.

Even better, I’ve got my hands on a pair of free tickets to see Antibalas play at the Southpaw this coming Friday, January 18!  Make sure to tune in this Tuesday night/Wednesday morning at 1AM for your chance to experience the closest thing to Fela around today…

Also, a minor request for the folks at Hiro Ballroom: it’s not that hard to put a notice somewhere that you have a 21+ policy for a concert.  Fortunately, in New York, 21+ with ID is not the assumption.   Don’t encourage this line of thinking.  There were a lot of disappointed kids downtown shut out of the Budos Band concert last Saturday.

Gil Scott Heron, Sharon Jones Concert Dates (presale today!)

Get on this quick - there’s a presale until 10PM tonight for a just-announced Sharon Jones concert at the Beacon Theater here in New York (in the west side) on Friday, February 15. I saw her at the Apollo, and trust me fellows, she & her Dap-Kings are not to be missed. The pre-order link is here, with the password ‘queenoffunk’. $25 for the back, $35 for the front. Did I mention the Apollo show sold out in advance?

Additionally, Gil Scott Heron is once again on tour - he was interrupted several months ago due to run-ins with the law - and is doing shows at S.O.B.s (in the West Village) again. There will be two shows, one at 7:30PM and one at 10PM, on Sunday January 20th. This falls on the day before MLK day, and the show is in celebration of the late civil rights leader. Tickets are available here for early and here for late. $25 advance, $28 day of. Be forewarned that the show is marked 21+.

New Antibalas Release Coming, Concert Dates

January is shaping up to be a good month for live afrobeat! I’m pleased to announce that Antibalas, the more traditional afrika 70-style afrobeat group from Brooklyn, will be playing three shows. Info here, but for those too lazy for the jump:

The first concert is in Camden, NJ, 8PM on new year’s eve, at the Tweeter Center at the Waterfront. Huge venue, they’re playing with the trance group the Disco Biscuits. Tickets here.

The other two shows are at the Southpaw in Brooklyn (again proving itself the NYC venue most open to funk/soul/afrobeat), at 9PM (8PM doors) on Friday Jan. 18 and Sat. Jan 19. Both shows are 18+ and $20 advance, $25 day of. Tickets available here for Friday, here for Saturday.

Antibalas has also promised some new recordings for 2008. Their last release, Security, came out March of this year on the ANTI- label (which also hosts Galactic and Man Man.)

Christmas Preemption & One More Show

Sorry to say, but KCR’s classical department is taking over the entire week for their annual Bach festival, starting Monday December 24.  This means no Night Train on Christmas.

On a happier note, it turns out you don’t need to schlep out to Asbury Park to see the Budos Band soon: they’ll be playing Hiro Ballroom at the Maritime Hotel in the meatpacking district as part of the Mondo Music Festival. A bunch of eclectic/world music groups, some with a somewhat funky edge, will be playing alongside them. Saturday, January 12, doors @7:00, $15 advance, $18 door tickets.

Enjoy the holiday!