Wednesday, July 27 from 8-9 p.m: PATH Cafe, 131 Christopher Street (Songwriter Showcase hosted by Christine Sante)
Hey, Everybody! Just checking in to let everyone in NYC know that I’ll be the special guest artist from 8-9 tonight at Christine Sante’s songwriter evening at the PATH Café, conveniently located near the Christopher Street/Sheridan Square Station in the West Village. I’d love for you to come out to this one; it’s the kind of casual, welcoming place where we could have a chance to visit a little before or after my set. And if you get there between 7-8, you can also hear Christine, which is quite a pleasure. A mutual friend of ours who was a Rolling Stone music writer for many years played me a song off one of Christine’s albums when I was in Manhattan in May. Her soulful storytelling and her distinctive voice made a lasting impression on me, so I was glad for the chance to see her live at the PATH last week, and found myself captivated by her striking persona and a stage presence that complements her gritty acoustic blues style.
The PATH Café has good coffee, too, in a real cup and saucer, which is all too rare these days. And they have wine and beer, smoothies, tea, and food. Here’s a link: http://www.pathcafe.com/
AND . . .
Friday, July 29 from 10-11 p.m: Banjo Jim’s, 700 East 9th Street (Avenue A Records Showcase)
http://www.banjojims.com/gigs.htm
I’m also looking forward to an exciting time on stage Friday (July 29) from 10-11 p.m. at Banjo Jim’s on the Lower East Side, a cool little spot unexpectedly situated at the edge of historic Tompkins Square Park in Alphabet City that reminds me of an old Texas watering hole, equipped with a mighty powerful window unit and stocked with plenty of ice cold beer to beat the New York heatwave! Avenue A Records is hosting an Americana music showcase with a line up of six acts, including my friend Mark Abernathy, who will accompany me during my set after fronting his band, The Sabre-Rattlers, between 8-9 o’clock. Mark has a new album called Twixt Me and the Peaceful Rest, which has become a treasured addition to my personal music collection. It’s a gorgeous contemporary production of early nineteenth century hymns recorded with a sound filtered through all manner of musical Americana — gospel, blues, Appalachian folk, traditional country, and early rock’n’roll—and passionately performed by some of the most well-recognized names in the Texas/Americana music industry today whose talent has imbued this sound with a timeless energy that reflects the fervor and zeal but also the despair of the people who struggled through the growing pains of a new nation. When I first heard the record, I was caught off guard by how immediate the lyrics are today as we navigate these tides of flux and change. I find myself revisiting these songs of old more than most these days, and every time I hear them they bring me a renewed sense of strength and inspiration that I'd like to pass along to you now . . .
You can listen here. (You might want to start with All Is Well, which features a stellar back up vocal by my friend, Sarah Sharp in Austin, Texas—an exquisite track on all counts):
http://www.sabre-rattlers.com/music
And you can read Mark’s interesting impressions of each hymn here:
http://www.sabre-rattlers.com/about-the-record
And come hear us live Friday night at Banjo Jim’s:
700 East 9th Street and Avenue C
Or meet me at the PATH tonight:
http://www.pathcafe.com/
Or both!
(If you live in NY.)
Y’all come!