NYC Show Obsessive

  Bill: Towncryer/Sneaky Monkey Venue: Cowgirl Seahorse , 259 Front St. , New York, NY Date: 8/25/25 Door: Free 9pm Towncryer Affiliated: Mirror Queen, Roger That, Hopewell, Ghost of Past Mistakes Active: 2021 (Brooklyn, NY) 8pm Sneaky Monkey Active: Unknow (New York, NY) Kenny was up to his quarterly shenanigans with Towncryer.  Sneaky Monkey came on first doing covers of Midnight Oil, Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road" before the audience ganged up to sing along with Bowie's "Starman." Towncryer have evolved into a guitar/bass/drums trio with a keyboardist in waiting but not quite ready for live consumption.  Perhaps next time.  In the meantime, we had to make do with the current renditions of The Byrds "One Hundred Years Ago," The Stones "Dead Flowers" and I think a cover debut of "Every Little Thing" by the Be-a-tles.  Two sets we done, tequila shots were hoisted, and Monday became Tuesday. FOR FURTHER REVIEW:  Towncryer/Sne...

  Bill: The Sun Ra Arkestra Venue: Union Pool , 484 Union Ave ., Brooklyn, NY Date: 8/24/25 Door: Free 3pm The Sun Ra Arkestra Active: 1956 (Philadelphia, PA) Latest Release: Lights On A Satellite (In + Out Records, 2024) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki   YouTube Led by 101-year-old Marshall Allen, The Sun Ra Arkestra has kept on going since the passing of Sun Ra in 1993.  This is currently, at least by what the website says, 17 active members of the group.  Marshall Allen has been with it since 1958 primarily on Saxophone, but he also brought out an EWI toward the end.  Those electronic wind instruments are crazy looking.  I never saw one before yesterday and while there were 70's prototypes, Akai officially introduced them in 1987.   From the website, there are six other members that joined in Sun Ra's lifetime.  They are Vincent Chancey on French Horn since 1976, Michael Ray on Trumpet since 1978, Knoel Sco...

  Bill: Ron Carter's Great Big Band/April Mae Webb (Charlie Parker Jazz Festival) Venue: Marcus Garvey Park at West 122 St, New York, NY Date: 8/23/25 Door: Free 8pm Ron Carter' s Great Big Band Active: Ron Carter: 1959 (Ferndale, MI) Ron Carter's Great Big Band: 2011 (New York, NY) Latest Release: Ron Carter's Great Big Band (Sunnyside, 2011) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist   AllMusic Wiki YouTube 7pm: April Mae Webb Active: 2017 (New Jersey via Kansas City) Affiliated: Sounds of A&R  (Sounds of April & Randall) Latest Release: " Everybody Ain't Gonna Like You " (Sounds of April & Randall), Questions Left Unanswered (Soaring, 2021) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs   YouTube Somehow in 30-some-odd years in NYC I've never been to a Charlie Parker Jazz Festival show at Tompkins Square Park or have set foot in Marcus Garvey Park at all.  No time like the present since I hadn't seen Ron Carter either.  It was a si...

  Bill: The Hard Quartet/Rat Henry/DJ Fantasy Man Venue: Union Pool, 484 Union Ave , Brooklyn, NY Date: 8/17/25 Ticket: Free 4:30pm The Hard Quartet Active: 2023 (Malkmus: Chicago via Santa Monica, CA, Sweeney: New Jersey, Kelly: Van Nuys, CA & White: Melbourne, Australia) Affiliated: Stephen Malkmus (Pavement), Matt Sweeney (Chavez, Zwan), Emmett Kelly (Cairo Gang, The Double), Jim White (Dirty Three, The Double) Latest Release: Lies (Something You Can Do) b/w Coreopsis Trail (Matador, 2025), The Hard Quartet (Matador, 2024) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube 3:30pm Rat Henry Active: 2018 (New York, NY) Latest Release: Material Pop Volume One (Rat Henry, 2025) Bandcamp Facebook   Discogs Setlist    YouTube This free Sunday afternoon show was part of Union Pool's regular outdoor Summer Thunder series.  Last years around this time was Kid Congo Power and the year or before that I saw Malcolm Mooney of Can in similar c...

  Bill: Barrington Levy/Brandon Rootz Venue: Sony Hall , 235 W 46 St ., New York, NY Date: 8/15/25 Ticket: $40 (had a free +1) 9:15 Barrington Levy Active: 1976 (Clarendon, Jamaica) Latest Release: " Money Is The Drug " (Black Roses, 2023) " Virus " (Barrington Levy, 2018), Acousticalevy (Doctor Dread Presents/Heartbeat, 2015) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube 8:15 Brandon Rootz Active: 2017 (Kingston, Jamaica via California) Latest Release: " Cruising Girl " (King Jammy, 2025) Facebook Instagram   AllMusic Wiki YouTube Barrington Levy is one of those great Reggae names I've somehow didn't know much of over all these years.  I remember hearing of him in the 80's and thought his name was pronounced Lev-ee.  Then I heard a Jamaican DJ pronounced it Lee-vee with sound convincing authority that from that day forward I never mispronounced Barrington's last name. So all these years later my friend had an...

  Bill: Gary Lucas and Gods and Monsters with special guest Luis Accorsi Venue: Joe's Pub , New York, NY Date: 8/7/25 Door: $36 7pm Gary Lucas and Gods and Monsters Active: 1970 (Lucas) (New York, NY via Syracuse, NY), 1989 (Gods and Monsters) (New York, NY) Affiliated: Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band , Jeff Buckley Latest Release: (Gary Lucas with The Niro) " No One Must Find You Here " (Esordisco, 2019) (with Gods and Monsters) The Ordeal of Civility (Snakefork, 2011) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Sometimes lightning strikes twice.  It's stuck many more times with Gary Lucas.  He's had the talent since the early 70's when he caught Leonard Bernstein's ear playing lead guitar in the Yale Symphony Orchestra for the 1973 premiere in Vienna MASS  which featured an all-student cast.  He joined Captain Beefheart's Magic Band circa 1980 until Beefheart retired from music.  Gods & Monsters were founded ...

 Bill: Willie Nelson & Family/Bob Dylan/Wilco/Lucinda Williams/Waylon Payne Venue: Northwell at Jones Beach Theater , Wantagh, NY Date: 8/1/25 Ticket: $225 (Tickpick day of show Orch C, Row M single AKA 13th Row Center, face was going $243.50 in the section) 9:50 Willie Nelson & Family Active: 1956 (Abbott, TX) Latest Release: Oh What A Beautiful World (Legacy, 2025) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube 8:05 Bob Dylan Active: 1959 (Duluth, MN) Latest Release: Rough and Rowdy Ways (Columbia, 2020), (with the Band) The 1974 Live Recordings (Columbia/Legacy, 2024) Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki   YouTube 6:20pm Wilco Active: 1994 (Chicago, IL) Latest Release: Cousin (dBPM Records, 2023) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube 4:55pm Lucinda Williams Active: 1978 (Lake Charles, LA) Latest Release: Sings The Beatles From Abbey Road (Highway 20, 2024) Bandcamp Facebook Instagr...