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THE KNICKERBOCKER MUSIC CENTER

35 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891 (Misquamicut) | (401) 315-5070

Closed Today

Venue Description

  • Today

    Tuesday

  • 18

    Wednesday

    1

  • 19

    Thursday

  • 20

    Friday

    1

  • 21

    Saturday

  • 22

    Sunday

  • 23

    Monday

Closed Today

Live Music (7:30pm – 10pm)

SPECIAL EVENTS: The Cartells

NIGHTLIFE: Let's Dance Wednesdays. Live Bands from 7:30-10pm. Offering Free Dance Lessons starting at 7p. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Age
21+

Cover
10

Music
Live Bands

Atmosphere
Busy

Live Music (8pm)

DINING: Brand new food menu for Tap Room and adjacent Knickerbocker Music Center.

NIGHTLIFE: The Tap Room at The Knickerbocker is an intimate listening room with a retro speakeasy atmosphere that hosts acoustic sets. The Tap Room features a house sound system playing exclusively vinyl records on non-performance nights.

DRINK DEALS: The Tap Room offers specialty cocktails, eclectic cordials, local craft beer, and more!

Age
21+

Cover
No Cover

Music
Acoustic

Atmosphere
Busy

Live Music

SPECIAL EVENTS: Neal Vitullo and the Vipers

DINING: The Best Fish and Chips.

NIGHTLIFE: Live Music. National to local acts. Visit www.knickmusic.com for more info.

Hours
1am

Age
21+

Music
Live Bands

Atmosphere
Busy

Live Music

NIGHTLIFE: Live Music. National to local acts. Visit www.knickmusic.com for more info.

DRINK DEALS: Drink Specials Available.

Hours
1am

Age
21+

Music
Live Bands

Atmosphere
Busy

Live Music (8pm)

NIGHTLIFE: The Tap Room at The Knickerbocker is an intimate listening room with a retro speakeasy atmosphere that hosts acoustic sets. The Tap Room features a house sound system playing exclusively vinyl records on non-performance nights.

DRINK DEALS: The Tap Room offers specialty cocktails, eclectic cordials, local craft beer, and more!

Age
21+

Cover
No Cover

Music
Acoustic

Atmosphere
Busy

Live Music (8pm)

DINING: Brand new food menu for Tap Room and adjacent Knickerbocker Music Center.

NIGHTLIFE: The Tap Room at The Knickerbocker is an intimate listening room with a retro speakeasy atmosphere that hosts acoustic sets. The Tap Room features a house sound system playing exclusively vinyl records on non-performance nights.

DRINK DEALS: The Tap Room offers specialty cocktails, eclectic cordials, local craft beer, and more!

Age
21+

Cover
No Cover

Music
Acoustic

Special Events

  • 18 September

    The Cartells -

    Let's Dance Wednesdays! Jazz/Swing/Motown/R&B/Rock n Roll. Doors open at 6:30pm. Free dance lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30-10p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 20 September

    Neal Vitullo and the Vipers -

    Blues/Rockabilly/R & B/Surf American Roots Rock and Roll About Neal and the Vipers: NEAL & THE VIPERS are a Rhode Island based band who play American Roots Music encompassing blues, rock & roll, rockabilly, and surf, that will get you up out of your chair to dance all night long! When the show is over, you will feel full of energy and looking forward to catching the next show. The Vipers are professional musicians; all experts in their instruments with decades of playing experience that is one of the the keys to their amazing performances. You can feel the chemistry between them as they play hits from their many original songs off their CD's as well as covering classic songs such as "Little Wing", "Hey Joe", "Right Place Wrong Time" and instrumentals like "Sleepwalk" and "Pipeline". The Vipers always put their own spin on these classic songs, making them their own. Some fans even say that they enjoy hearing their versions better than the original. Maybe you're thinking, how did it all begin? Neal Vitullo, lead guitarist and Dave Howard, lead vocalist are the original founders of what started as "Young Neal and the Vipers" in the early 1980's. Steve Bigelow joined the band a few years later and they played all over the north east and regularly in New York City and that was where they caught the attention one night from the Atlantic Record founder & president Ahmet Ertegun, who signed them to their label in 1989. That same year they were signed to Atlantic Records they played 300 shows. Their first CD, "Hooloovoo" ended up being released on "Big Noise" records in 1991, where it went on to be the best selling CD in 1991 and 1992 by "TheNicePaper" as well as the 1991 Critic's Choice Award from "The Providence Journal". "I'm Finally Alone", their second CD also released by "Big Noise", went on to be the best of 1993 from "The Providence Journal" and the best selling CD of 1994 from "TheNicePaper". They continued to win awards from "Best Music Poll" from "The Providence Pheonix" to the "Best of Bands" and "Best of Blues Acts" from the "Hartford Advocate". Steve Bigelow and Dave Howard decided to leave the Vipers back in the early 90's to pursue other projects and Neal continued on as lead vocalist and lead guitarist, playing as a trio with The Vipers. Neal never stopped recording CD's and touring as far west as Texas and also all over Europe. Neal was signed by Bob Greenly to King Snake Records for the next 4 albums, and 2 self-produced Live CD's between 1991-2012, The Vipers also have tracks featured in 9 other compilation albums released by Big Noise from 1992-1998. Current drummer Mike LaBelle joined the Vipers in 2003 when The Vipers were still a trio until Dave Howard and Steve Bigelow reunited with Neal in 2010, coming "full circle". October of 2010, after 20 years of not sharing the same stage together, Neal, Dave, and Steve reunited together with Mike on drums to play at the Knickerbocker Cafe in Westerly, RI. Soon after, they recorded the 8th CD "Full Circle". Today, NEAL & THE VIPERS continue to play shows every week and they finished their 9th CD, "One Drunken Kiss" that was released June 1, 2018 and is available for sale on this website online store and at all shows. Show: 8p | Doors: 7p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 25 September

    Ed Peabody And The Big Blue Thang -

    Let's Dance Wednesdays! 1997 winners of the CT Blues Society Challenge Ed Peabody has been a fixture with the blues. With his band Blue Steele, Ed Peabody band, The Johnny Press Mess. And now his dream band Ed Peabody And The Big Blue Thang comprised of three other original members of Blue Steele. Brother Ned Peabody on drums, Larry Parquette on the keys, Michael Barrett on Guitar also Tony Carminati on Bass and Deke Kendarian on sax. Over the years Ed has sat on with any blues icons. James Montgomery, Jeff Pitchell, Neal Vitullo, and James Cotton to name a few. He has also opened for Roomful of Blues, Rod Piazza, and James Cotton. Ed is also a very popular featured artist at many of the local and regional blues jams. Doors open at 6:30pm. Free dance lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30-10p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 27 September

    The Mallett Brothers Band & These Wild Plains -

    The Mallett Brothers Band's busy tour schedule over the past seven years has helped them to build a dedicated fanbase across the U.S. and beyond while still calling the state of Maine their home. With a style that can range from alt-country to Americana, country, jam and roots rock, theirs is a musical melting pot that's influenced equally by the singer/songwriter tradition as by harder rock, classic country and psychedelic sounds. Texas Hill Country Explore Magazine calls them “New England’s wildly eclectic crew of genre rebels.” Bill Copeland Music News says “Combining their authentic roots rock sound with a reflective lyrical style that perceives stories on the level of epic myth, it’s like William Faulkner has been resurrected with an electric guitar in hand.." While remaining fully independent, The Mallett Brothers Band has performed at some of the country’s top venues and festivals, including Austin Texas’s famed Continental Club; Alexandria, Virginia’s Birchmere (sharing the stage with Oklahoma red-dirt rockers The Turnpike Troubadors), New Hampshire’s Meadowbrook Pavilion (opening for The Allman Brothers Band, and again opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd); Nashville’s Bluebird; and Little Rock’s The Rev Room, to name a few. Festival appearances include FloydFest (Virginia), Hop Jam (Vermont), Nateva (Maine), The New England Country Music Festival (New Hampshire), Eastbound Throwdown (New York), and many more. //// It was only a year after the band played their first live show to a sold out Great Scott in Allston, MA, that Esquire Magazine featured them in their “15 Bands to Watch in 2014” feature. They’ve been busy since on the live front as go-to support in Boston for national touring bands like Deer Tick, Futurebirds and The Sadies. The boys capped off 2015 with a Boston Music Award nomination, opening for Evan Dando at his induction into the BMA Hall of Fame. They’ve earned some fantastic looks from festivals and showcases around the country: Mile of Music ’14 (Appleton, WI), SXSW ’15 (Austin, TX), and most recently Stagecoach Country Music Festival ’16 (Indio, CA.). In 2016, TWP have their sights set on the road in support of their forthcoming full-length “Distant Ways” due out July 22 but not before a string of big hometown Summer showcases at Harpoonfest, the Mass Fallen Heroes Patriotfest at the Blue Hills Bank Pavillion and at Boston Calling. “Old Reasons,” the debut single off of “Distant Ways” is now available for streaming or download via Spotify, iTunes and Amazon. Show: 8:30p | Doors: 7:30p Tickets: $12 advance / $15 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 28 September

    The Whiskey Treaty -

    The Whiskey Treaty (Members Billy Keane and Tory Hanna) Opening with Marc Douglas Berardo Tory Hanna is a performer whose musical soul and character pours out whenever he stands in front of a microphone. Influenced largely by American singer-songwriters and roots rockers such as Ben Harper, James Taylor, and Bradley Nowell, Tory leans on modern electro-indie song-writing such as the Death Cab for Cutie and MGMT for lyric-driven and articulated melodic stylings. His first EP released in 2012, entitled Pondside, captured much of his electro-centric singer-songwriter stylings. Tory's latest work, Learning to Share, speaks to a more stripped down live Americana-Folk tradition in an ever-growing Western Massachusetts music scene, and the core of what The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow embodies. Learning to Share is set to release Spring 2016, with support from New York City-based Indie label, Electric Giant, and Producer Jeff Malinowski. To call Billy Keane a throwback would be redundant. Keane is a singer-songwriter who lives in Pittsfield, MA and was discovered by the Berkshires First Family of Music, Kim and James Taylor. Besides James, he counts Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan among his influences. Like his predecessors, Keane sings about things that are important to people: Freedom, love, and peace as well as other key issues in our time. Billy’s heart may be in the sixties, but his music is pure 21st Century. With his blend of folk and contemporary blues, Keane has built a solid following by playing clubs and bars throughout the Northeast and Mid Atlantic states. He has released two projects to date, an EP called Pine Street Sessions and an album with his band Billy Keane and the Misdemeanor Outlaws. His songs will touch your heart and make you think all at the same time. Make it a point to touch base with your past while you look into the future, listening to Billy Keane. -- Rhode Island based Marc Douglas Berardo is a hardworking, fast moving, adventure seeking, keen observer who lives for the story and the song. He has been nationally recognized for his music and performances (Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Song contest, Telluride Troubadour Contest, Sisters Folk Festival, 2013 Rams Head Onstage Rammie for Show of the Year.) No Depression Magazine called his latest CD Whalebone: “a highly polished personal collection with songs that are on the delicate trapeze of poignancy.”  In the past year alone, he has shared the stage with heavyweights such as The Doobie Brothers, The Pousette Dart Band, Red Molly, John Haitt, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, Lucy Kaplansky and Livingston Taylor.   As a member of Chris Berardo and The DesBerardo Band with his brother Chris, Marc has been a part of shows with classic rock acts including Little Feat, The Marshall Tucker Band, Foriegner, Badfinger, Reckless Kelly, America, David Allen Coe, Levon Helm, Dickey Betts and Great Southern and others.  Berardo was the winner of the 2014 Wildflower Art and Music Festival Song Contest in Texas and also received the Michael Terry People’s Choice Award. He was also a 2014 Kerrville New Folk Finalist, 2014 Solar Fest Songwriter’s Showcase Selection and a 2015 South Florida Folk Festival Song Finalist. Show: 8p | Doors: 7p Tickets: $12 advance /$15 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and seats are not guaranteed with ticket purchase.) Visit Website: http://www.thewhiskeytreaty.com
  • 02 October

    Dan Lord & the Big Shots -

    LET'S DANCE WEDNESDAYS! Blues/Rock Offering Free Dance Lessons starting at 7p. Music: 7:30-10p | Doors: 6:30p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 05 October

    Hope Road -

    Bahamian Hurricane Relief Benefit A Tribute To Bob Marley & The Wailers. Hope Road is a tribute band recreating the music, the passion, and the vibe of Bob Marley & The Wailers. Each member of this group has a deep respect for the music and the group we are paying tribute to. Bob Marley & The Wailers created music that inspired, empowered and sometimes overwhelmed audiences. Our mission is to bring that music to listeners with an intensity and a positive energy that they can't help but enjoy and embrace. Show: 9p | Doors: 8p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.) Visit Website: hoperoadband.com
  • 06 October

    Women's Voices Concert & Performance Showcase -

    All profits benefit the Institute for the Musical Arts I.M.A. Rock and Roll Camp for Girls IMA.org Sponsored by ImagineMystic.com Co-Sponsored by Gramma’s Attic Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez (HEADLINING) Daphne Lee Martin ArleneWow! Kelly Rago & Mike Cocco Show: 2-7p | Doors: 1p Tickets: $15 donation ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 09 October

    Roger Ceresi’s Trio -

    Let's Dance Wednesdays! Paying tribute to the great music legends of the 50s & 60s Doors open at 6:30pm. Free dance lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30-10p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 11 October

    Sugar -

    Disco/Funk/Hip-Hop/R&B About Sugar: Performing together as a band for over 15 years, we've really seen and done it all. We've shared the stage with the likes of Bo Diddley, Rick Derringer, Tower of Power, The Go Go's, Kansas, Toto, Dick Dale, Eddie Money, Trick Pony, Men At Work, J. Geils, John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band, and Peter Frampton, to name a few. To sum it up in one word... EXPERIENCE. This experience comes complete with full back-line, lighting, and a pro sound company for all events as well as the availability to travel to any destination in the world. Whether you need top 40 high-energy hits from the first song of the night or a more relaxing atmosphere as we slowly ease your guests into a night filled with excitement and dancing, we've got it covered. The Sugar music catalog boasts an enormous repertoire of material that spans a multitude of genres, styles and generations, past and present, old and new. We are ready to satisfy the broad musical tastes of you and your guests. Sugar will deliver with our unique blend of musical variety, vitality and class. We guarantee your event to be remembered by all who attend! Sugar consists of: Marcy Kelly - Vocals, Natalia Mortrude - Vocals, Joe Michael - Guitar, Israel Malek - Keyboards/Vocals, Andrew Chaney - Bass/Vocals, Ric Haddad - Drums, Matthew Dean - Percussion, & Klyph Johnson - Saxophone/Keyboards. Show: 9p | Doors: 8p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and seats are not guaranteed with ticket purchase.)
  • 12 October

    Sugar Ray and the Bluetones -

    Award-winning Blues. About Sugar Ray and the Bluetones History written by Mudcat Ward, bass: In 1977, Sugar Ray Norcia and Neil Gouvin were working southern Rhode Island in their band, Sugar Ray & the Blues Stompers. Up in Boston, Ronnie Earl, still using his given surname Horvath, was beginning to try stage monikers such as Little Ronnie. After a while, the winds of change were swirling. Ronnie and bassist, Mudcat Ward were searching for musical colleagues that wanted to play bluer, lower down, earthier and produce the highest quality blues. Ronnie chose to book a series of dates out of town, under the name "The Dueces." Neil Gouvin, well-known blues drummer in southern New England, was contacted to make the dates and demonstrated that he could provide the sought-after groove. After reviewing the situation from his own vantage point, Gouvin made the suggestion that altered blues history: get his vocalist/harp player Sugar Ray into this picture. Although the band enjoyed the four-piece sound, they wanted a larger band and the addition of a piano player. A number of months later, Ronnie and Mudcat attended a show at Paul's Mall in Boston where Muddy Waters and his band were performing. The opening act, a band from New Hampshire, featured a damned good blues piano player. He turned out to be Little Anthony Geraci. Ronnie and Mudcat visited him in Newton, MA where he was in the middle of writing a sonata. The blues musicians offered Anthony the position and he signed on. The band christened itself Sugar Ray & the Bluetones. They have had multiple personnel changes over the last 40 years but remain true to their blues roots- returning to The Knick and touring throughout the New England area. Show: 8p | Doors: 7p Tickets: $15 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.) Visit Website: www.sugarrayandthebluetones.com
  • 23 October

    Cherry Pie -

    Let's Dance Wednesday! Blues, Swing, Zydeco, Rockabilly, Latin Doors open at 6:30pm. Free dance lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30pm-10p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 26 October

    David Wax Museum -

    David Wax Museum Opening with Anthony da Costa NPR Music - “This is one infectious band.” Time Magazine - “Joyful Mexo-Americana fusion, with virtuosic musical skill and virtuous harmonies.” The Huffington Post - “The best band you might not know.” "Suz and I started this band as friends," says David Wax, "but now we’re married and have a child and have our family on the road with us. The stakes are different." Those stakes are what lie at the heart of David Wax Museum's fourth and boldest studio album to date, "Guesthouse." It's the sound of a band reconciling the accountability of marriage and parenthood with the uncertainty and challenges of life on the road; of coming to terms with the limitations of the "folk" tag that launched their career and pushing past it into uncharted musical territory; of reimagining their entire approach in the studio to capture the magic and the bliss of their live show. In typical David Wax Museum fashion, the songs on "Guesthouse" are simplistic and sophisticated, elegant and plainspoken all at once. Rather than succumbing to the weight of the newfound responsibilities that landed on their doorstep, the band has leaned into the challenges to capture a brilliant portrait of the messy beauty of it all. The roots of David Wax Museum stretch back nearly a decade, and all the way from New England to Mexico. As a student at Harvard, Wax began traveling south of the border to study and immerse himself in the country's traditional music and culture. Back in Boston, he met fiddler/singer Suz Slezak, whose love of traditional American and Irish folk music fused with Wax's Mexo-Americana into a singular, energetic blend that captivated audiences and critics alike. Their 2010 breakout performance at the Newport Folk Festival made them the most talked-about band of the weekend, with NPR hailing them as "pure, irresistible joy." They released a trio of albums that earned escalating raves everywhere from SPIN and Entertainment Weekly (who described them as sounding "like Andrew Bird with a Mexican folk bent") to the New York Times and The Guardian (which dubbed the music "global crossover at its best"). They earned an invitation to return to Newport, this time on the main stage, as well as dates supporting The Avett Brothers, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Buena Vista Social Club, and more. It was on the road over these past few years as the band and audiences grew, though, that Wax could feel their exuberant live show evolving beyond its formative roots. "I felt empowered to start the band because of my time in Mexico studying folk music," Wax explains. "In Boston, the term 'Americana' or 'folk' was just this catchall to describe what everyone was doing. It was helpful to use that to talk about our music at first, but we've found that our hearts feel most shaken, and the band fires on all cylinders, when we're putting on a rock show. What we've tried to retain about our folk origins is the warm sound of people playing acoustic instruments together in a room. But, by embracing more of an indie rock approach, we've colored this record with synthesizers, layers of percussion, and adventurous sonic processing. The mental shift of it helped us feel like we could do anything we wanted. There were no rules that we had to follow in terms of what was 'authentic.'" Part of the inspiration for the shift was the presence of guitarist and producer Josh Kaufman, who sat in with the band on tour and added new sounds and textures that the they'd never experimented with before. When it came time to record "Guesthouse," the band knew he had to helm it in the studio. "The songs entered this Technicolor, 3D world with Josh," explains Wax. "Aside from his contributions to the arrangements, he really wanted us all to be in a room playing the music together live so that the groove would be central. We brought in two other drummers, and there was a real focus on having as much percussion happening at the same time as possible. We gravitate towards that naturally because of the Mexican influences, all of the syncopations and 6/8 dance rhythms and the energy that that gives us, but we really embraced it this time around." That emphasis on groove sucks you in from the opening seconds of the kickoff track, "Every Time Katie," a whispered come-on that roils and pulses like an anxious heartbeat and features gorgeous call and response vocals from David and Suz. It's followed by "Dark Night Of The Heart," which pushes the sonic envelope further than any previous David Wax Museum track, blending chamber strings, psychedelic vocal filters, explosive drums, and swirling synthesizers. Written partially in Mexico and partially in western Massachusetts, the lyrics on "Guesthouse" find Wax writing with more direct, personal honesty than ever before. "I had felt really reluctant to talk about personal stuff in the past," says Wax. "I was writing personally, but there were lots of things I was obfuscating or filtering through a character to protect myself from putting too much out there. But it got to a point where it was taking a lot more energy than it was worth to maintain that privacy. When we had our daughter, Calliope, it felt like this sudden release because talking and singing about our lives was becoming more and more integral to what we were doing as artists and who we were as people." The title track, which draws on several traditional Mexican songs for musical inspiration, is a tongue-in-cheek reflection on the life of a traveling musician hunting for a free place to crash, while "Lose Touch With The World" faces down the reality of living a life far removed from that of your friends and family, and "Young Man" is an earnest musing on growing older. "It's about being a parent and coming to terms with what your ambition is," explains Wax. "What part of that is essential to who you are, and what part can you let go of? We have to check in with ourselves and ask what we're doing and why we're doing it more often now because we're not just us putting ourselves through the mental and physical sacrifices of touring anymore," he continues. "Now Calliope is going through it with us, and Suz's dad and my cousin Jordan are going through it with us on the road. And because we're constantly checking and making sure we're doing this for the right reasons, that we feel honest in our hearts about it, I think that's brought new life to what we're doing and a new energy and a new level of commitment." It's a sentiment brought beautifully to life on "Everything Changes," as Wax and Slezak sing, "Everything changes / when two becomes three." The song was written in response to all of the good-natured warnings about what having a child would mean for the couple, the freedom and sleep and sanity they might lose out on. Instead, they choose to focus on everything they've gained: a beautiful daughter, a stronger bond with their families and fans than ever before, and without a doubt, the most exciting album of their career. For David Wax Museum, the stakes may be higher, but that just means the rewards are even bigger. -- Anthony da Costa’s songs don’t extend metaphors or spin yarns. They shoot straight. The singer-songwriter and guitarist speaks plainly, from the heart and the gut. With his latest work, including his recent solo album DA COSTA, he adds the musical force of some of American folk and roots’ seminal cities to his forthright style. “In the past few years, since I moved from New York to Austin and then to Nashville, I’ve found my voice as a songwriter,” muses da Costa. “I’ve honed my band, made strong musical friendships. I felt like I started over and found what I needed to say.” You can hear it clearly in his songs, whether they are steeped in rock-country grit or frank folk. A seasoned sideperson, he’s toured extensively with Grammy-winning performers (Sarah Jarosz) and Americana darlings (Aoife O’Donovan). He’s shared the stage with everyone from Judy Collins to Kenny Loggins, played major festivals and late-night shows (CONAN), and written songs with hitmakers (Steve Poltz). da Costa grew up listening to everything: folk singers, rock icons, bluegrass revivalists, roots-rock storytellers like Dylan, as well as the pop on the radio. “I grew up listening to boy bands, singing in the church choir, performing in school musicals,” recalls da Costa. “There’s always a pop aspect to what I do, but one of my favorite singers is George Jones,” whose influence resounds in da Costa’s often tender tenor. He started writing in his early teens, a precocious performer unafraid to stand up at open mic with a guitar and rack harmonica, no matter who teased him. He listened in awe to seasoned folk singer-songwriters like Dan Bern, who could mesmerize an audience for hours with his originals. “Dan inspired me, the way he could move from heartbreak to humor. I wanted to have the material to play long gigs like that. I wanted to build community from those experiences,” reflects da Costa. “Throughout high school and college, I lived a double life. Any spare moment I had I spent writing, recording, touring, performing, doing everything I could to get better.” He succeeded, becoming the youngest winner of the songwriting contests at Falcon Ridge and Kerrville Folk Festivals in his mid-teens, competing against performers several times his age. He played gigs at any coffeeshop he could near his hometown of Pleasantville, NY, carrying a thick binder of favorite covers with him. Over time, he replaced more and more of the classic songs with his own work. When da Costa went to New York City for college, he began to move away from music that would help him shout over an espresso machine, toward music that captured listeners with its forceful simplicity. He was inspired by Tony Scherr, Bill Frisell’s bassist and a gifted maverick guitarist in his own right, who played gigs at the same downtown Manhattan venue he did. “Tony played like a weirdo Jimi Hendrix, sang like a weirdo Willie Nelson,” da Costa recalls. “He taught me the importance of sustain, of slowing down and digging into a note. Thanks to him, I fell in love with the trio format of guitar, bass, and drums, a format I use in my own work. You can cover so much ground with a trio. At some point, I wanted to do everything with just those instruments.” da Costa’s approach to his own instrument shifted significantly. He was used to banging away on the guitar for maximum impact, to shredding for maximum showiness. Then, after a long tour, his hands protested. “After many years of intensive playing, I started to feel discomfort due to overuse, in both hands. That marked a change in a lot of things for me,” he reflects. “I started thinking a lot more, picking up the electric guitar. I had to use a lighter touch and focus more on nuance. I got more interested in dynamics, in building from a whisper.” These musical explorations unfolded further when da Costa left his old stomping grounds behind for Austin, Texas. It was a clean, hard break, as he hopped into his car with a few belongings. He fell hard for the quirky, music-loving city. Its laidback vibe contrasted with terse hustle of New York, nurturing a new turn in da Costa’s writing and playing. As he played with legendary Austin songwriters like Jimmy LaFave, Texas’ straightforward ethos seeped into da Costa’s sleek lyrics. “For me, the goal with songs is to get you to feel something, yes or no. Feel something, whatever you want, as long as you relate in some way,” da Costa notes. “In my music, this comes out in plain speech, something that’s relatable and interesting enough to affect you. On DA COSTA I wrote a lot about relationships, about what fell apart and what my experience says about the world. What I learned from it.” What started in Austin couldn’t end there, however, as da Costa realized after a few years he was a little too comfortable for his own good. He struck out once again, this time heading for Nashville, where he began writing, and pouring himself into his solo career. He challenged himself by collaborating with far-flung musical friends like Jarosz (the two will release several songs together this year) and Adam Levy (Norah Jones) “I feel I’m just getting my own music off the ground, though I’ve been playing it for 13 years,” da Costa muses. “But everything I’ve done has contributed to my knowledge. It was the prelude, and now I know singing and writing my songs is most important to me.” Show: 8p | Doors: 7p Tickets: $15 advance / $20 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and seats are not guaranteed with ticket purchase.) Visit Websites: https://www.davidwaxmuseum.com http://www.anthonydacosta.com
  • 30 October

    The Founders -

    Show: 8p | Doors: 7pm Offering Free Dance Lessons starting at 7p. Tickets: $15 advance / $20 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 02 November

    Eight to the Bar -

    Swing, Boogie Woogie, Rhythm & Blues, Soul and Motown. About Eight to the Bar: Drawing its musical influences from American roots music - swing, boogie woogie, rhythm & blues, soul, Motown, - Eight to the Bar is known for its outstanding instrumentalists and sophisticated musical and vocal arrangements, highlighted by female vocals. With the support of independently-produced albums and videos, Eight to the Bar has cultivated a large, enthusiastic following that has put them in clubs from Disneyland to Disney World as well as Europe and the Caribbean. Their rigorous performing schedule (approximately 200 dates per year), has included opening spots for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Manhattan Transfer, Robert Cray, Neil Young, Roy Orbison, and Ray Charles. Show: 8p | Doors: 7p Tickets: $12 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 06 November

    Johnny & the East Coast Rockers -

    Let's Dance Wednesdays! with Johnny & the East Coast Rockers Swingin' Rhythm and Blues Free Dance Lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30pm-10pm. Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 15 November

    Matt Schofield -

    British born and now US-based, Matt Schofield is a multi-award winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Schofield is widely regarded as one of the most innovative British Blues artists of his generation. He has been rated in the top ten British Blues Guitarists of all time by Guitar & Bass Magazine, alongside legends Eric Clapton and Peter Green. Three consecutive wins for Guitarist of the Year, and a win for Album of the Year at the British Blues Awards elevated him to their Hall of Fame. Schofield's prowess has taken his band to nearly 30 countries worldwide, and has seen him trade licks with notable guitar heroes, including Buddy Guy and Robben Ford. The Los Angeles Daily News said, “In Schofield, the UK has produced the best Blues guitarist from any country in decades. Head and shoulders above the herd.” Matt Schofield’s iconic tone and melodic, fluid style, along with his passionate and emotive live performances have made him one of the most sought-after and revered modern Blues guitarists. In December 2018 Matt released “Blues Speak” - his highly acclaimed, bestselling instructional course for TrueFire. As a clinician Matt has taught from Tokyo to New York and all points in-between. In honor of the 15-year anniversary of Schofield’s solo debut with his original Organ Trio, he has announced the release of a new Trio album for 2020. Show: 8p | Doors: 7p Tickets: $18 advance / $20 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and seats are not guaranteed with ticket purchase.) http://www.mattschofield.com
  • 20 November

    The Chris Leigh Band -

    Progressive Blues-Rock Doors open at 6:30pm. Free dance lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30pm-10p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 22 November

    The Other Favorites -

    The Other Favorites is the longtime duo project of Carson McKee and Josh Turner. Perhaps best known for their performances on YouTube, The Other Favorites are now based out of Brooklyn, NY and perform internationally. Together, Turner and McKee bring their shared influences of folk, bluegrass and classic rock into a modern framework, one distinguished by incisive songwriting, virtuosic guitar work, and tight two-part harmony. Show: 8p | Doors: 7p Tickets: $20 advance / $25 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and seats are not guaranteed with ticket purchase.)
  • 04 December

    The Founders -

    Let's Dance Wednesdays! Blues Piano and Boogie Woogie Doors open at 6:30pm. Free dance lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30-10p Tickets: $12 advance / $15 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
  • 11 December

    Superchief Trio -

    Let's Dance Wednesdays! with Superchief Trio Swing/New Orleans R&B/Jump Blues/Boogie Woogie Free Dance Lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30pm-10pm. $10 Cover
  • 08 January

    The Chris Leigh Band -

    Progressive Blues-Rock Doors open at 6:30pm. Free dance lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30pm-10p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)

Menus

Cafe Drink Menu

Dine & Dance Menu

Hours

Sunday: Open

Monday: Open

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: Open

Thursday: Open

Friday: 1am

Saturday: 1am

About

Scenes: Dance Venue, Live Music, Club, Restaurant, Bar

Cuisines: American, Burgers, Pizza, Seafood

Music: Blues, Live Bands, Rock

Crowd: 21+, Casual Crowd, Locals

Best Food: Burgers / Sliders, Salads

Best Drinks: Beer Selection, Martinis

Dancing: Always

Highlights: Dancing, Drink Deals, Live Performances

Avg. Entree: $10 - $15

Details

Capacity: 250

Dress Code: Casual

Parking: Plenty of Street Parking

TVs: TV's only in the Tap Room

Other Features Include: Beer Selection, Catering, Seating, Takeout, Dance Floors, Gift Cards

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