Tuesday, November 30, 2010

St. Andrew's Day in NYC: Nov. 30, 2010

Today, November 30, in St. Andrew's Day. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland (also Russia, Romania and The Ukraine). St. Andrew's Day is a national holiday in Scotland.

If you are looking to commemorate St. Andrew tonight in NYC, you should try none other than St. Andrew's restaurant & bar. According to their facebook page, they are offering 15% off ALL Scottish items including single malts, beer, haggis and Irn Bru in honor of St. Andrew's Day today. Just mention "facebook" to your server. While you are at it, you can become their facebook friend.
at:

St. Andrew's
140 W. 46th St.
(between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 840-8413
StAndrewsNYC.com


Here are some other Scottish bars in New York:
Jock Tamson's Bairns
1609 Second Ave.
(between 83rd & 84th St.)
upper east side
New York, NY
(212) 879-0402
------------------------------

Grisly Pear
107 MacDougal St.
(between Minetta Lane & Bleecker St.)
Greenwich Village
New York, NY
212-529-3933
facebook.com/people/Grisly-Pear-Bar/1400234532






------------------------
Shoolbred's
197 Second Ave. (between 12th & 13th St.)
East Village
New York, NY
(212) 529-0340
shoolbreds.com
----------------------
Highlands
150 W. 10th St.
(between Waverly Pl. & Greenwich Ave.)
Greenwich Village
New York, NY
(212) 229-2670
Highlands-nyc.com
----------------------
Mary Queen of Scots
115 Allen St. (Delancey St.)
Lower East Side
New York, NY
212-460-0915
MaryQueenofScotsNYC.com

Spotlight Artist: Paul Collins

Our next spotlight artist is rock icon Paul Collins, one of power pop’s founding members with The Nerves and The Beat.

The Nerves were a 70s punk/power-pop band best known for writing and recording the original "Hangin' On The Telephone" which later became a hit for Blondie.
After the Nerves split, Paul formed The Beat, who's first self-titled album is usually included among the top power pop albums of all time lists you'll find in magazines and on the net.
In the 1990s, Paul reformed The Beat as Paul Collins Beat, and they continue to tour and record to this day. They are currently touring in support of his 2010 album, "The King of Power Pop", recorded with producer Jim Diamond at his Ghetto Recorders studio in Detroit, Michigan. They will perform Sunday night, December 5, at Bar 9 in Hell's Kitchen.

We were introduced to Paul by his guitarist, Michael Cecchini, who in turn was introduced to us by Jay Banerjee when we featured Jay on MurphGuide earlier this month. Paul answers our questions below:


Spotlight Artist: Paul Collins Beat
Band Line-up:

Right now I have 3 bands.

In the New York area I play with:
Michael Cecchini - lead guitar
Waylan Daniel - bass guitar
Alan Swift-Cameron - drums

I also have a band in the Midwest:
Tim Shwieger - lead guitar
Timm Buechler - bass guitar
Amos Pitsch - drums

European band is:
Manolo Cahuchola - lead guitar
Carlos Guardado - bass guitar
Chris Bongers - drums

How long have you been performing?
About 35 years, since I was 17.

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):
My very first band when I was in High School was called Home Grown. Then I moved to San Francisco from NY and joined The Nerves. When The Nerves broke up I started The Breakaways with Peter Case. The Beat was formed in 1977.

Musical influences:
My earliest influences where from my dad, Hank Williams and Ray Charles. After that it WABC Radio in New York, which was basically the best of the 60’s, rock, soul, country and British Invasion.

What are some of your favorite venues to play:
I love to pay the clubs, especially ones with a nice stage. In New York, I like The Bowery Electric or Bar 9. In LA I like the Redwood Bar. In San Francisco, I like Tractor Tavern. San Diego has The Soda Bar


Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
One of the best ones was when we were just starting out in The Nerves. One day we just piled all our gear into our friend's Buick Super 88 and drove down to The Omni on Haight Street in San Francisco and set up our gear without anyone’s permission. We started to play real loud, the place went nuts and the bartender threatened to call the cops if we didn’t get the hell out! We were so sure that everyone would love us once they heard us play…well, we were wrong!

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?
The Beat Army. It is an on-line community dedicated to preserving and propagating Power Pop. On facebook, join us and help us spread the word!

Linkage:
website: ThePaulCollinsBeat.com
facebook: thebeatarmy.com
YouTube: paulcollinsbeat
twitter: paulvcollins
myspace: paulcollinsbeat
Reverb Nation: paulcollinsbeat
eBay: 2005pcollins
Amazon: paulcollinsmusic
Article: Big Music & The Beat Army team up to keep Power Pop alive and well! (bigmusic.org)

Where can we buy your music?
It is for sale at a lot of cool record shops but you can also buy it directly from me either on Ebay or on Amazon.com

Any advice to someone just starting out?
Work hard, don’t give up your dreams, don’t listen to people who say you can’t do it, and be the best you can be…it’s tough and there are no guarantees but if its what you love to do, then do it!


Thanks, Paul!
Paul Collins Beat performs this Sunday at Bar Nine in Hell's Kitchen...
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Power Pop Fest at Bar Nine
A night of power pop featuring live music by:
Paul Collins Beat

The Wellingtons

The Tattletales
Matthew Pop
$5 admission
at:
Bar Nine

807 9th Ave. (between 53rd & 54th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 227-6463


Below is a video of Paul Collins Beat "All Over the World":

Monday, November 29, 2010

New Bar: Park Avenue Tavern

Congratulations to our friends Dee & Terence Tubridy, Jeff Brosi, Eugene Brennan and Steve Maly on the opening of their new place, Park Avenue Tavern. I popped in on Friday night, and it is quite impressive.

Experienced hospitality veterans, owners from Libation (Lower East Side), Saloon (Upper East Side) and Good Company (Williamsburg) have teamed up with Billy Gilroy (Employees Only, Macao Trading Co., East Side Social Club) and opened a beautiful new tavern in midtown, a few blocks from Grand Central Station. Park Avenue Tavern has two bars: a large bar in the middle of the main room on the first floor (kind of like on "Cheers"), and another one downstairs, in the "Barrell Room". There are plenty of flat screens all around, making it a good spot to watch a game. But being on Park Avenue, it is way more upscale than the average sports bar, with more attention paid to cocktails and food.


The big buzz right now is for their tap service downstairs. The beer taps are built right into the booths, so you can pour your own pints. Kind of like a self-service pump at the gas station, except with my kind of fuel.

Park Avenue Tavern
99 Park Ave. (39th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 867-4484

Articles:
From Queens Busboys to Manhattan's Big Time (nytimes.com)
The Dawn of Formal Keg Service (urbandaddy.com)
New Restaurant and Bar Radar (gothamist.com)
Park Avenue Tavern: A bar with taps at the booths (NewYork.com)

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Sunday Co-Ed Spa + Salon + Tea Party

Sally Golan, host of the famous Naked Painting Parties, is hosting an new and unique event today: an afternoon bathrobe spa party:
Sunday, November 28
Sally Golan presents...
The Sunday Co-Ed Spa + Salon + Tea Party
Attire: Bathrobes, slippers, comfortable spa / Sunday wear.

Miss Tea - The Sunday Team Menu:
green tea with pear
white tea with peach
green tea with pomegranate
black tea with mango and marigolds
yerba mate with citrus flavors
The CLARItea Line: prosperitea, femininitea, masculinitea, infinitea, securitea.

Massages Provided By: Rebecca Fenner
Licensed massage therapist Rebecca Fenner, specializes in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu and Reflexology.

Costs: $30 in advance with proper RSVP. $40 at the door for walk ups.
purchase tickets at: sundayspaparty.eventbrite.com/
2 - 6pm
at:
J. Sisters
Limelight Market Place
656 Sixth Ave. (20th St.)
New York NY
646-330-4771

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving Eve in NYC - Part II

The day before Thanksgiving is one of the top six hottest nights on the NYC bar scene. One of the popular pre-Thanksgiving traditions is to go see them blow up the balloons on the upper west side, in preparation for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The parade is Thursday morning, but they blow up the balloons the night before. Huge crowds gather on either side of the Museum of Natural History (W. 81st & W. 77th St. between Central Park West and Columbus Ave.) You can view them from 3pm until 10pm. Then, once the kids have gone home, the adults still will party on the upper west side well into the night. Here are some suggested locations:





Calle Ocho
446 Columbus Ave (between 81st & 82nd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 873-5025
CalleOchoNYC.com
---------------------------


Soldier McGee's Tavern
480 Amsterdam Ave. (83rd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 579-4299
SMcGeeTavernNYC.com


------------------------------


The Parlour

250 W. 86th St. (Broadway)
New York, NY
(212) 580- 8923
TheParlour.com



----------------------------
Dive 75
101 W. 75th St.
(bet. Amsterdam & Columbus Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 362-7518
DiveBarNYC.com


--------------------------------
The Gin Mill
442 Amsterdam Ave.
(between 81st & 82nd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 580-9080
NYCBestBar.com/ginmill


-----------------------------
Jake's Dilemma
430 Amsterdam Ave.
(between 80th & 81st St.)
New York, NY
(212) 580-0556
NYCBestBar.com/jakes

---------------------------------
PD O'Hurley's
174 W. 72nd St.
(bet. Columbus & Broadway)
New York, NY
(212) 873-1900
PDOHurleys.com

Check out our special page on MurphGuide for over 20 Thanksgiving Eve party options in NYC.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanksgiving Eve 2010 in NYC - Part I

The day before Thanksgiving is one of the top six hottest nights on the NYC bar scene (along with Halloween, New Year's Eve, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day & Cinco de Mayo). You can check out our special Thanksgiving Eve page on MurphGuide for over 20 party options.

Our friends at Joonbug.com are presenting Thanksgiving Eve parties at 5 hot nightspots:
Hudson Terrace, Hudson Hotel, The Lott, The Collective and Juliet Supper Club.

Spotlight Artists: The Dublin City Ramblers

Our next spotlight artist is Irish folk balladeers, The Dublin City Ramblers.

Our friends Dennis Callaghan of the NY Celtic Music Meetup Group, and Christopher Deignan of The Irish in NY Meetup Group are producing a concert featuring the legendary Irish balladeers, The Dublin City Ramblers. The concert will also serve as the official Christmas party for the two meetup groups.

Both groups welcome new members and are free to join (just set up a Meetup.com profile).


Friday, December 3
C&D Promotions presents...
Dublin City Ramblers: “Christmas in Ireland”
Ireland’s favorite ballad and folk music group
General Admission - Limited Seating
$20 in advance, $25 at the door
Purchase on-line at showclix.com
or call 888-71-TICKETS (9 am - 6 pm Mon-Fri. ET.)
doors open at 7pm
show time 8pm
at:
Connolly's Klub 45Connolly's Klub 45
Third Floor
121 W. 45th St.
(between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 597-5126
ConnollysPubandRestaurant.com

The Dublin City Ramblers' impressive career has spanned more than 35 years, with over 30 albums, including 8 gold records. Band leader Sean McGuinness was kind enough to answer our questions. Thank you to Christopher and the band's manager John Ryan for setting it up.

Spotlight Artists:
The Dublin City Ramblers
Band Line-up:
Sean McGuinness ( Vocals, Tenor Banjo and Mandoline)
Mike Funge ( Vocals and Acoustic Guitar)
Tom Miller (Vocals and Bass Guitar)

How long have you been performing?
We were formed in 1970, but were performing for some years before that.

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):
I originally formed a band with my brother Matt and a friend, Pat Cummins in 1963 called The Jolly Tinkers. We changed that to "The Quare Fellas" in 1966 ( After the play by the famous Irish Playwright, Brendan Behan).

The Jolly Tinkers

The Quare Fellas

How did The Dublin City Ramblers get their name?
The band's name came about from a two piece called The Ramblers Two back in the 1960s. We changed it to The Dublin City Ramblers in 1970. (Being from Dublin and with plans to ramble far & wide!)

Musical influences:
My main musical influences were my mother (Great piano player) & my father (All Ireland Champion dancer). Also, The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem were a huge influence.

Favorite venues to play:
Our favorite places to play are the colleges. Marist College (which we are playing on Dec. 4th), St. Johns University, to name a couple, have all been super venues. We enjoy bringing a piece of Ireland, in song & story, to the people. We are also looking forward to our first time in Connollys Times Square Klub 45, on Dec. 3rd, and The Irish American Society of Mineola on Dec 5th.
Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?
I would like to plug our latest CD, The Flight Of Earls, as it is very relevant in the current economic climate. Emigration is more rife now than it has ever been.
Also, our website website for all our gigs & info.

Where can we buy your music?
You can buy our music in most good music stores or at our website DublinCityRamblers.com.

Links:
Website: DublinCityRamblers.com
facebook: Dublin City Ramblers Fan Page

Some recent articles:
Southern Rock and Irish Music Join Forces On Tour
- Ireland's Best Vocal Group to Tour With Southern Rockers The Winters Brothers Band (Swampland.com)

Non-Southern CD of The Week: Dublin City Ramblers
(Gritz Magazine)

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
In 1988 we were asked to play in The Marriot Inn, La Guardia airport, at a dinner to honor the great Irish actress, Maureen O'Hara. Our manager John Ryan had been keeping it secret, but when we arrived, all was revealed. It was a fantastic experience, with most of Hollywood there. One to remember.

Any advice to someone just starting out in the music business?
Try everything within your capabilities, and further. Always have respect for what you are doing, and more importantly, for the people you are doing it with. Keep trying, you are never too old or too late. Chase your dream, and listen to your heart. We are very lucky to have the most honest and upright manager in the business. This relationship between us is what makes the whole music game so much more enjoyable and easier to do.

Below is a video of The Dublin City Ramblers singing "The Ferryman" on Bandwagon TV

...and an earlier clip of "The Flight of Earls"


Dublin City Ramblers
Christmas in Ireland Concerts
In Ireland, music has always been a major part of Irish culture. Irish Music is performed in concert halls, pubs, on the streets and in Irish homes throughout the year. Christmas time is certainly no exception. This is a time for family and friends to gather around the fireplace and enjoy a "Christmas Session." "The Dublin City Ramblers Christmas in Ireland Show" brings the audience the Irish Christmas party experience as if you were sitting in a friend's home in Ireland at Christmas time. At these intimate gatherings you will always hear some of the great traditional Christmas songs mixed in with all the great "Dublin City Ramblers" songs made popular over the years. So grab a drink and settle in as "The Dublin City Ramblers" bring you "Christmas in Ireland."

Monday, November 22, 2010

Davy Jones at The Galway Hooker - Monday, Nov. 22, 2010

Yes, that Davy Jones!
Former pop star of The Monkees, and Tony nominated actor, Davy Jones plays a rare pub gig in NYC tonight at The Galway Hooker.
Monday, November 22
Davy Jones
One Night Only
Suggested donation: $30
Tickets are available at the bar.
RSVP: invitefordavy@galwayhookernyc.com
917 225-8782
or via facebook

8pm
at:
Galway Hooker Pub
7 East 36th St.
(between 5th & Madison)
New York, NY
GalwayHookerNYC.com







Proceeds benefit the Mojo Fund to support Animal Medical Center
(Mojo, the owner's bulldog,is the mascot of The Galway Hooker)
The Mojo Fund will support clients of AMC with limited means whose pets are bulldogs and/or have neurological problems.

Links:
Davy Jones (official site)
Davy Jones (wikipedia)
The Monkees (official site)
Galway Hooker
Animal Medical Center

Below is a video of the Monkees' #1 hit "Daydream Believer" from 1967.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Times Square Pub Crawl - Saturday, November 20, 2010

Our friends in the NY Celtic Music Meetup Group, of which I am a proud member, host their second annual Times Square Pub Crawl today. They are visiting some area pubs in advance of Black 47's show at Connolly's Klub 45 tonight.



Saturday, November 20
New York Celtic Music Meetup Group

Times Square Pub Crawl II
By popular demand, the NY Celtic Music Meetup Group returns to Times Square our second annual Times Square Pub Crawl.

There will be just five stops on this year's crawl, which once again will end with a very special night of New York Irish music as Black 47 plays their groundbreaking Fire of Freedom album in its entirety at Connolly's Times Square's Klub 45 room.

Time and route are subject to change:
2:30pm: Heartland Brewery & Chophouse/HB Burger 127 W. 43rd St. (lunch optional)
4pm: The Long Room, 120 W. 44th St.
5:30pm: Rosie O'Grady's, 149 W. 46th St.
7pm: St. Andrews, 140 W. 46th St. (dinner optional--it's just not a pub crawl without haggis)
9pm: Connolly's, 121 W. 45th St.
10pm: Black 47 Fire of Freedom show, Connolly's Klub 45 room

Below is the description from the Meetup website:
Black 47, a band formed in New York in November 1989, made its major-label debut with the "Fire of Freedom" album in 1993. Combining uilleann pipes with electric and bass guitars, a full drum kit and a horn section, Black 47's sound was like nothing heard before or since, a merger of traditional Irish melodies with hard rock, punk, R&B, reggae, hip-hop, and the politics of rebellion.

"Fire of Freedom" was the first manifestation of this downtown Irish rocksteady sound and made Black 47 not only the house band of New York City at the time but propelled the group to national and international stardom with such songs as "Maria's Wedding" "James Connolly", "Funky Ceili", "Livin' in America", "Rockin' the Bronx." and the title track.

Click HERE to see a local news clip on the band from when it started to make it big and HERE to see Black 47 perform "Maria's Wedding" on Late Night with David Letterman at around the same time.

There will be a $15 cover at Klub 45 for the Black 47 show.

And now for the special incentive: Those who make it through all five stops on the crawl and to the concert will be entered into a drawing to win autographed copies of "Fire of Freedom" and two of Black 47 lead singer Larry Kirwan's books: the autobiographical "Green Suede Shoes" and the fictional "Rockin' the Bronx". This drawing will be exclusive to the Meetup group.
It is free to join their group. Sign up here: meetup.com/nycelticmusicmeetup-com

Links:
NYC Celtic Music Meetup
Black47.com
Black 47 interview on MurphGuide

Venues:
Heartland Brewery & Chop House
127 W. 43rd St. (Between Broadway and Sixth Ave.)
New York, NY
(646) 366-0235
HeartlandBrewery.com
----------------------------------
The Long Room
120 W. 44th St.
(between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY
212 997-3933
TheLongRoomNYC.com

----------------------------------
RosieO'Grady's
149 W. 46th St. (Between Broadway and Sixth Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 869-0600
RosieOGradys.com
----------------------------
St. Andrew's
140 W. 46th St.
(between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 840-8413
StAndrewsNYC.com

--------------------------------
Connolly's Pub & Restaurant
121 W. 45th St.
(between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 597-5126
ConnollysPubandRestaurant.com


--------------------------------------
Connolly's Klub 45
Third Floor
121 W. 45th St.
(between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 597-5126
ConnollysPubandRestaurant.com

Upper East Side Bar Crawl - Saturday, November 20, 2010

Our friends at Lindy Promotions are doing their 16th annual upper east side fall bar tour, with a special discount for MurphGuide readers (you)...

Saturday, November 20
Upper East Side Fall Bar Tour

$10 w/2 cans of food, $15 without
Enjoy $2 Miller Lite draft
$3 Miller Chill
$3 MGD 64
and food & shot specials
until 9pm at Participating Bars*

Advance tickets are just $8, and MurphGuide readers can use the promo code MURPH to receive an additional $3 off tickets.
xorbia.com/rsvp/2008/UES_F10/tickets.cfm
register 1-6pm
at:
register at:
Pat O'Brien's
1701 Second Ave. (88th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 410-2013
patobriensnyc.com






*Participating bars include:
Marty O'Brien's
1696 Second Ave.
(between 87th & 88th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 722-3889
facebook.com/MOB1696



The East End
1664 First Ave.
(between 86th & 87th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 348-3783
EastEndBar.com


Mad River Bar & Grille
1442 Third Ave.
(between 81st & 82nd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 988-1832
MadRiverGrille.com
facebook.com/MadRiverNYC


Rathbones
1702 Second Ave. (88th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 369-7362
RathbonesNYC.com

also...
Tim Lizzie's, The Bull Pen, Bar East, Johnny Foxes, Doc Watson's
More details at LindyPromo.com