THE KNICKERBOCKER MUSIC CENTER

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

Open Today: Open

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Venue Description

The Knickerbocker Café, a storied music club in Westerly, Rhode Island, was built in 1933, shortly after the end of Prohibition. The Café itself is named after a train that passed through Westerly station at the time of the Café’s founding.

The club thrived as one of the leading entertainment centers in southern New England, hosting regional and national bands with an emphasis on the blues. Some of the greats that played on the Knickerbocker stage included, Big Joe Turner, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Johnny Nicholas, Leon Russell, Eric Burdon and Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 1967, Roomful of Blues was born in Westerly, when guitarist Duke Robillard and pianist Al Copley started a band that played tough, no-holds barred Chicago blues. Making the Knickerbocker Café their home club, it did not take long before they started exploring swinging, jumping blues and added a horn section. Roomful would pack the house every Sunday and still plays their great brand of blues today.

Fast forward and the Café has become the Knickerbocker Music Center, a non-profit organization formed in partnership with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School. The mission of the Knickerbocker Music Center is to preserve, cultivate and grow the “Knick’s” unique brand of blues, as well as expanding access to music of all genres, by transforming the Knick into both an exciting performance venue and an exceptional center for music education.

Today

Monday
23

Tuesday
24

Wednesday
Special Event on this day 1
25

Thursday
26

Friday
Special Event on this day 1
27

Saturday
Special Event on this day 1
28

Sunday

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

Closed Today

Live Music (7:30pm – 10pm)

SPECIAL EVENTS: Gary ’Guitar’ Gramolini and the Grinders

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.

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: Willie J. Laws & Roberto Morbioli

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

SPECIAL EVENTS: Ryan Montbleau Band

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)

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

Age
21+

Cover
No Cover

Music
Acoustic

Atmosphere
Busy

Special Events

24 April
Gary ’Guitar’ Gramolini and the Grinders -
Let's Dance Wednesdays! Gary ’Guitar’ Gramolini and the Grinders Free Dance Lessons starting at 7p. Music from 7:30pm-10pm. $10 Cover GARY 'GUITAR' GRAMOLINI AND THE GRINDERS formed late in 2000 and has been rocking the house on the Rhode Island/Southern New England music scene ever since. The band features Gary G. (well known as the lead guitarist for John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band) on lead vocals and lead guitar, and they play a wide and eclectic variety of music steeped in Classic and Contemporary Blues, Classic 60's Soul R & B, and roots Rock and Roll, Classic Rock. A guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer with a lifetime of playing and performing experience, Gary draws upon all music as an influence. The Grinders, Dean Cassell on bass, DC Culp on drums (both members of the Beaver Brown Band as well) and Roomful of Blues alumnus Hank Walther on keyboards, support him with crack musicianship backed by years of experience as well. Gary Gramolini, in addition to leading the Grinders, has been the lead guitarist for John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band since they formed in 1972. They’ve headlined internationally for decades, shared the spotlight with Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Bob Seeger and others too numerous to list, and performed many times on live TV and radio. Gary G. recorded six major-label albums with Beaver Brown, including the triple-platinum soundtrack from the hit film “Eddie and the Cruisers.” The theme song “On the Dark Side” reached #7 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It was also MTV’s #1 video and won BMI’s prestigious Million-Air Citation for more than a million broadcast plays. Gary collaborated with Beaver Brown on eight charting singles and four more movie soundtracks. A fiery player and fine singer, Gary also writes and produces original material and has won many distinguished music awards.
26 April
Willie J. Laws & Roberto Morbioli -
The Texas/Italian Guitar Battle: Rob Mo (Roberto Morbioli) and Willie J Laws The charismatic, internationally renowned MORBLUS frontman and Blues titan Rob Mo meets the "Prophet of Funky Texas Music" Willie J Laws. The combination of these two exceptional musicians results in explosive guitar battles onstage. And despite their different origins, they have something in common: their great love of Blues and an overwhelming energy and passion to make the best music on the planet. Rob, born in Verona, Italy, and "The Real Deal" Willie J from the Gulf Coast of Texas are each masters of their craft and know how to capture listeners. Their highly virtuosic guitar playing, driven by improvisation and creativity, drives fans wild. Roaring back and forth between blues, funk, soul, shuffle, r&b and swamp, they never let an audience down - or give them much time to catch their breath, for that matter. Both men have jammed with big names in Blues, like: Preston Shannon,Roomful of Blues, Guitar Shorty and have opened for B.B. King, Etta James and Buddy Guy. If you like guitar-based blues, this show is for you. 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.)
27 April
Ryan Montbleau Band -
Ryan Montbleau Band embarks on a string of northeast shows in April 2019, visiting New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. In 2005, Ryan Montbleau and his band headed into Applehead Recording in Saugerties, New York, to cut their debut album. With nothing more than ambition and a relentless work ethic to their names, they bootstrapped the whole thing, maxing out credit cards to fund it themselves and launch their careers from the ground up. Twelve years, eleven records, thousands of shows, and 60 million Spotify streams later, Montbleau returned to the studio for a special one-night-only concert that would become the latest entry in his venerable catalog: ‘Woodstock Sessions.’ “There was something special about performing there again after going into that same studio as a young buck trying to figure out how to make my first records,” reflects Montbleau. “Coming back, I was a decade more confident, a decade stronger in my craft. It felt like coming full circle.” For his performance that night, Montbleau was backed not by his usual touring band, but by the acclaimed Boston duo Tall Heights (cellist Paul Wright and guitarist Tim Harrington). The collaboration yielded fresh perspective on Montbleau’s catalog, fleshing out his stripped-down acoustic performances with gorgeous vocal blends and elegant instrumental arrangements. Soulful and spontaneous, the set showcased the magic that can happen when three consummate musicians surrender themselves to the songs, when a trio of gifted artists follow their instincts to craft a whole far greater than the sum of its parts. “Tall Heights’ sound just naturally wraps around mine in a way that’s really unique,” says Montbleau. “Their harmonies and tones are so dialed in with each other, and their voices gel around mine perfectly. When we get together, something special tends to happen.” Recorded in front of an intimate audience, the resulting collection combines the pristine audio quality of a studio record with the contagious energy of a live album, an ideal fit for Montbleau’s intimate, honest lyrics and spirited, dynamic delivery. The unusual setting pushed him to step outside his comfort zone and take bold artistic risks, assembling a setlist that was equal parts reimagined retrospective and trial-by-fire as he mixed stripped-down versions of songs from throughout his career with brand new tracks recorded for the first time that night. “Less is more” was the mantra, and while Montbleau may be best known for his barn-burning full-band shows, he’s no stranger to the raw acoustic setting. “I’ve been touring solo about half the year lately, and my last release was a solo record where I really stripped the songs down to their bare bones,” says Montbleau. “I felt like those were some of the best songs I’ve written in my entire life, and this record is a perfect continuation of that. The music’s fleshed out a little bit more, but at its essence, it’s still me just pouring my heart out.” Montbleau’s been pouring his heart out in song since the early 2000’s, when he first began performing around his native Massachusetts. He’d go on to collaborate with Martin Sexton, Trombone Shorty, and Galactic among others, and share bills and stages with artists as diverse as Tedeschi Trucks Band, Ani DiFranco, The Wood Brothers, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Mavis Staples, but it was Montbleau’s ecstatic headline shows—often more than 200 of them a year—that solidified his reputation as a live powerhouse and an inexorable road warrior. NPR’s Mountain Stage compared his “eloquent, soulful songwriting” to Bill Withers and James Taylor, while Relix hailed his “poetic Americana,” and The Boston Herald raved that “he’s made a career of confident, danceable positivity.” Montbleau’s never been one to rest on his laurels, though, and ‘Woodstock Sessions’ opens with a brand new song called “Looking Glass,” a gentle, pensive track that proves his lyrical prowess and melodic gifts are sharper now than ever before. “Busy people in the burning sand / Take a look up from your looking glass when you can,” he sings, his raspy voice ensconced in velvet harmony over top of intricate fingerpicking. “That song was written just in time for the session and it was buzzing to get out,” explains Montbleau. “It's about the modern day-to-day, the ways we connect and the isolation we experience from staring at our screens all day and all night.” The desire for connection, for a true human bond, is a recurring theme in Montbleau’s writing. The bittersweet “Our Own Place” searches for a home that’s perpetually just out of reach, while the brooding “Ships In The Night” ruminates on our polarized political climate, and the heartfelt “The Country and The Town” (a song commissioned by PBS in Montbleau’s newly-adopted home of Vermont) celebrates the power of community. Montbleau’s live shows are nothing if not communal affairs, and the confessional “Help Me” reaches out a helping hand out for anyone struggling through hard times. “There’s still this shame tied up in mental illness or mental struggles,” says Montbleau. “So many people experience dark, even suicidal thoughts, and we need to talk about that more, collectively as a society and individually as friends and families. I wrote this song when I was going through those feelings myself, and I share it in the hopes that it can help other folks dealing with the same thing.” Montbleau’s songs have a way of weaving themselves into the fabric of his listeners’ lives that way, offering up hope and light in moments of darkness and doubt. The tender “Carry” pledges to always be there to pick up a lover’s slack, while the striving “Chariot (I Know)” insists upon love and faith in the face of uncertainty, and the lilting “All Or Nothing” (which was originally recorded and released as a single with Tall Heights) promises better days to come. Selecting which ten tracks to include on the album from the nearly three-and-a-half-hour concert wasn’t easy—there’s no way to include every fan favorite—but Montbleau ultimately let the spirit of the songs guide him. “I’m not trying to put out my greatest hits,” he concludes. “I’m just trying to create the best and most timely art I can.” A lot may have changed since Ryan Montbleau first set foot in Applehead Recording, but some things will always stay the same. About Will Evans: Will Evans has spent the last decade as the primary song writer, drummer, and front man for the roots rock outfit Barefoot Truth. Will recorded four full length albums and several EP’s of his original music with the band. Their most recent release, “Carry Us On”, debuted at #10 on the iTunes Rock Chart. With Barefoot Truth now on an extended hiatus, Will has opened a new chapter in his musical journey. His first solo release landed him in Entertainment Weekly as being right on target in the “Bullseye Of The Week” and warranted a #4 spot on the Northeast Billboards. Will’s entry into the Guitar Center sponsored “Search For The Next Great American Songwriter” also brought him national attention. Out of over 10,000 entrants, he was chosen as one of the nation’s top ten finalists. In October of 2015, while on a national tour as direct support to Trevor Hall, Will released his sophomore album, “Signal Flares”, and is currently touring in support of the album. With topics such as the album’s opener “Do It For The Love”, and “To Be Human”, it is clear that the singer-songwriter is once again speaking from his heart, advocating his own socially-conscious messages of love and inclusion. In his live performances, Will uses his impressive looping skills to combine his drumming background with his highly energized and entertaining acoustic style. When Will is on stage, the crowds always get to their feet and he always gets to their hearts. Will has shared the stage with many top artists including Crosby and Nash, Grace Potter, Bruce Hornsby, Rusted Root, Trevor Hall, Donavon Frankenreiter, Railroad Earth and members of Dispatch. Show: 8p | Doors: 7p | All Ages Tickets: $25 advance | $30 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.)
01 May
The Founders -
Many people ask "how did the Westerly area become the birthplace of East Coast blues?” The answer is Copley, James, Lataille, Piccolo and Robillard, AKA The Founders. These world renowned musicians along with a few others from right in our own backyard have played alongside Muddy Waters,Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughn and countless others with performances spanning the globe. Forming Roomful of Blues as young men they went on to pack dance floor as well as stadiums throughout their careers. So dust off your dance shoes, grab a friend and get ready for a swinging night of music. 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.)
03 May
Los Souper Tres de Mayo -
Los Souper Tres de Mayo - San Antonio Sound (Cinco de Mayo Theme) Los Souper celebrates the great SW super group Los Super Seven with homage to the Soupy Sausage that is the signature culinary achievement of Westerly, RI which is where this project started at the legendary Knickerbocker Cafe. San Antonio Sound meets Outlaw Country in New England Super Group. Members of FMR, Girls, Guns and Glory, Squeezebox Stompers, Mystic Horns, Mystic Playboys. 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.)
04 May
Franco's Comedy For Your Cause -
Franco's Comedy For Your Cause To Benefit Avery Silva Presents an Evening of comedy: Headliner Tracy Locke (Danger Fields, NYC), Pat Oates (E! Network), Kathryn Gironimi (Comix) Madeline Hartley’s Senior Project Avery Silva has been diagnosed with: Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) — “The Worst Disease You've Never Heard Of.” Avery is in and out of the hospital on a weekly/bi-weekly basis. Over the last year and a half the family’s medical bills have been mounting and benefits like this one help defer costs that have been adding up. To find out more about Avery’s story, view her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/averysbutteryflyjourney Cash Bar, Raffles, Food for purchase Show: 8p | Doors: 7:30p 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.)
08 May
The Keepers -
The Keepers, Playing Swing, R&B, Blues and Jazz. LET'S DANCE WEDNESDAYS! Offering Free Dance Lessons starting at 7p. Doors open at 6:30p. Music from 7:30-10p Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
10 May
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
11 May
An evening with Booker T Jones -
Westerly Sound Presents An evening with Booker T Jones with special guest Matt Dorrien “This is an amazing album.” – LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON “…Tight urgency that is the foundation of the entire album, driving the funky guitar and bass lines through a brilliant reinvention of the M.G.’s soul chemistry, ramped up for the 21st century.” – MOJO “After all these years, he remains so soulful, and so good.” – NPR “A showcase for Jones’ ever-sinuous way around his Hammond B-3, which sings, purrs, moans and shouts with often near-human expressivity, under his skilled touch.” – LOS ANGELES TIMES “Transports listeners to the ’60s heyday of Stax, where [Jones] and the MGs defined soul music.” – USA TODAY “Joyous a satisfying return to Booker T.’s classic instrumental soul and funk.” – BOSTON GLOBE “The Road From Memphis shifts to funk and R&B, with Philly’s own the Roots as his backing band. It’s a perfect pairing stellar.” – PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER “The funk here is deep and solid. The punishingly unpredictable twists and turns all manage to punch your gut with a groove.” – PASTE MAGAZINE Matt Dorrien audibly shifts in his chair, his feet pushing onto the pedals of a piano, as the opening chords of "Baby I'm So Lost" ring out. It's a simplistic, purposefully plodding introduction that's unusual in its total disregard of modern pop convention. But like most interesting things, patience is rewarded here. A beautifully broken love song slowly unfurls, complete with sad sack vocals and dueling clarinets that could close any dive-y lounge down. "Cold and grey / I'm not okay, dear," Dorrien sings in a line that's half apology, half cry for help. You'd almost be worried for his hopeless protagonist if he didn't seem to enjoy wallowing in it so much. Dorrien hasn't appeared completely out of the blue. The Portland-based songwriter previously released two sleepy folk records under the moniker Snowblind Traveler. But on his newest album, the aptly titled In The Key Of Grey, he's ditched his stage name and guitar. The new release is almost entirely performed on piano, a subtle ode to his songwriting heroes Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman. And like those legendary musicians, Dorrien has a wry sense of humor, a solid grasp of songwriting fundamentals, and a deep love of melancholy, binge drinking, and rain. By Jerad Walker npr.org Show: 9p | Doors: 8p Tickets: $45 advance | $50 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.)
17 May
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.)
18 May
Dave Fields -
NY Blues Hall of Famer and Fodera Guitar Artist Dave Fields w/Dan Cazio NY Blues Hall of Famer and Fodera Guitar artist Dave Fields present a night of blues-rock and beyond at The Knickerbocker Café with special guest “The Belting Badman” Dan Cazio. Dave Fields live is an electrifying experience of either a power trio (guitar, bass and drums) or a quartet (guitar, bass, B3 organ and drums). Dave Fields soulful singing is punctuated with a performance of guitar virtuosity, blues, rock and beyond. His song writing stylings will keep you reeling as well as his power as an entertainer. Each performance is unique unto themselves and is a scintillating, mind bending, uplifting event. Dave Fields has performed and continues to perform all over the US and the world. His awards include: Best Self Produced CD 2006at the IBCfor producing BACK IN BLUESVILLE, 2009-2010 Mojo Boogie Award, Big City Blues Magazine Happy To Have The Blues Lifetime Achievement Award. Legendary British bluesman John Mayallrecorded Dave’s song “Train To My Heart” on his CD “TOUGH”.Dave’s CD’s TIME’S A WASTIN’, ALL WOUND UP, DETONATION, ALL IN and UNLEASHED have all garnered international success. Bleecker Street NYC blues-rock-soul legend Dan Cazio returns to his native state. He’s a powerhouse that will delight any audience. BLUES HALL OF FAMER / Hubert Sumlin “When I first heard him I knew he had something special. When Dave plays he plays with such passion.” GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE “…an enjoyable listen for both blues acolytes and casual club jumpers … an exhilarating concert experience if you ever get a chance to see Fields live.” DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE Frank-John Hadley “Fields stand apart as a flamboyant entertainer.” Dave Fields proudly uses Fodera Guitars, D’Addario Strings and Red Plate Amps Show: 8:30p | Doors: 7:30p Tickets: $10 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.davefields.com
22 May
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
24 May
The Naticks -
Born and raised out of the local Rhode Island music scene, The Naticks are a high energy rock band that plays a mix of cover and original music. Their cover music spans top 40 hits and sing-along rock classics. The Naticks’ original sound has been described as an eclectic pop-rock mix with female lead vocals backed by driving instrumentals. Show: 8:30p | Doors: 7:30p 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.)
25 May
Knickerbocker All Stars® -
THE KNICK ALL STARS' ALBUM LOVE MAKES A WOMAN HAS JUST BEEN NOMINATED FOR SOUL BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR BY THE BLUES FOUNDATION! Love Makes a Woman is The Knickerbocker All-Stars 4th recording. When two phenomenal vocalists such as Darcel Wilson and Thornetta Davis get together for a session, it’s going to be special. Love Makes a Woman was inspired by the great female soul and R&B singers who popularized the genre. These carefully selected tunes barely scratch the surface of the sacred music of early Soul and R&B. This recording spans a wide range of emotional and musical content including an instrumental that allows the band to let loose. Darcel Wilson has one of the more sensual and engaging voices, especially when she serenades her listeners as performed on “Talk to Me.” She has worked as an instructor of theory, ensembles and voice at Berklee College of Music in Boston since 1998. Darcel’s contribution to this album was invaluable. For blues enthusiasts, Thornetta Davis, Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, needs no introduction. Thornetta is an internationally recognized vocalist and songwriter and has won 30 Detroit Music Awards. Her voice is confident, vibrant and sends a clear message of the meaning and emotion of her songs. There are very few singers who can perform Bonnie Raitt’s “Nick of Time” with similar compassion and tenderness. As Duke Ellington announced at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, “I hope you will enjoy these things – we’ll start by Just Scratchin’ the Surface.” -J.P Sheerar, JP Cadillac Records Show: 8:30p | Doors: 7:30p 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 Website: http://knickerbockerallstars.com
29 May
Cherry Pie -
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.)
31 May
Troublemakers + Mystic Dead -
Troublemakers + Mystic Dead About The Troublemakers: The lineup includes the areas most in-demand and seasoned veteran players, coming from groups such as 100 Watt Suns, John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band, The Hoolios, Whitesmoke, Soul Searchers, Brother Big Eye, Green Tea, Water St. Quartet, Crows Toes, and The Collective. Ronnie Lewis plays the drums and handles lead vocals. Sitting next to him is Don “DC” Culp who plays the drums as well. Together they create a devastating pocket. The always busy - and in high demand - Dan Sherer holds down the keyboard/piano duties. Bill Light handles most of the lead guitar work and backing vocals. The band is rounded out by the younger but already seasoned Josh White (rhythm/lead guitar) and Marty Moroney on bass. About Mystic Dead Mystic Dead is: Toby Kniffin - guitar and vocals Ian Kelly - guitar and vocals Scott Parry - keys Marty Moroney - bass Ronnie Lewis - drums and vocals Show: 8:30p | Doors: 7:30p 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.)
01 June
The Hoolios + Chris Ross and the North -
The Hoolios are steeped in the rhythms of the Gulf of Mexico: Americana, Latin, Reggae, Texas Folk and Zydeco. Veteran singer / keyboardist Mike Derry shares the vocals with a scathing R&B style that leaves the audience spellbound. Folk sensibility, Contemporary Themes, Gulf rhythms and serious musicians who cross traditional genres with jam band energy a la Donna the Buffalo to make music that is irresistible to dancers but equally compelling for those who listen with serious music appreciation in mind. Launched from the Gulf of Connecticut's roadhouses, the Hoolios have graced big stages from the respected Eugene O'Neil Theater Center to the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun and the legendary Johnny Ds in Somerville, MA, and of course this return to Gulf of Connecticut's live roots capitol, the Knickerbocker Music Center. About Chris Ross and the North “I am a dangerous man / Born clutching to a dollar…” …The words that open the new Chris Ross + The North record ‘Over Lonesome’ drip with whiskey and cigarettes, followed by a clamor of guitars evoking a band of outlaws on the run. Ross spent the better part of a decade tucked away on the coast of Maine developing his voice as a writer. Inside the arsenal of tracks he’s penned, one finds dangerous, hard-hitting reflections; stories of love, life and longing, appealing because they’re so real. Tinted with an appetite for self-destruction, his writing style is smooth and eloquent while remaining sincere to genuine grit of experience. When his sonorous vocals found affinity with a band, the evolution cultivated a multifaceted, visceral experience for listeners, an auditory landscape much like that of Maine itself: Humble yet dramatic, severe yet sweet, cold and resonant with a nearby fire throwing heat. The musicians forming The North provide a masterful blend of country + rock & roll swagger, a winning combination with Ross’s candid storytelling. Anchored by Ryan Curless (drums) and Caleb Sweet (bass), the rhythm section hits where you want it to, and hard – a fine tuned compatibility of artistic bonds reaching back to early childhood perceptible to the naked ear. Rounding out The North is guitarist Zachary Bence, a virtuoso with the ability to transition between ear-scorching guitar solos and beautiful sonic swells on the drop of a dime, his grace as a musician as boundless as his contribution to the band’s steady concord. Show: 8:30p | Doors: 7:30p Tickets: $12 Cover ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
05 June
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.)
07 June
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: 8:30p | Doors: 7:30p Tickets: $12 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
12 June
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.)
15 June
Ernie Smith 50th Anniversary tour w/ SOULSHOT -
About Ernie Smith Ernie Smith's professional musical career began with his first recording in 1967, an original composition - "I Can't Take It", later recorded by Johnny Nash as "Tears On My Pillow." Hits followed in quick succession, including "Bend Down," "Ride On Sammy," "One Dream," and "Pitta Patta." Duppy Gunman" In 1972 at the World Popular Song Festival of the Yamaha Foundation in Tokyo, he won the grand prize competing with songwriters like Neil Sedaka, and Michael Legrand, with his original composition of "Life is Just for Living." Ernie became the first Jamaican musician to win an International award. For this historic achievement, he became the first musician in the field of Popular Music to be honored by the Jamaican Government. In 1976, Ernie was forced into exile in North America because of his controversial political commentary in the song, "The Power and the Glory". Ironically, the once-banned song is still relevant and even more popular. Today, twenty-six years after its release it is the battle song for all the talk shows and community activists. In the first 3 of the 13 years in exile from his homeland, he thrilled audiences In Canada, where he resided for 3 years, and was a pioneer in bringing Reggae to the mainstream. Critics hailed his album "To Behold Jah" (1979) as "one of the most important albums to come out of Canada for [the] year [1979]." Ernie has written well over 200 songs, some of which have been recorded by other artists, including Rita Marley, Chakka Demus and Pliers, Twiggy, Ken Lazarus, John Jones, Eddie Lovette, Yellow Man Johnny Nash, among others. Ernie played on many of the world stages including repeat performances at Madison Square Garden, New York (1973,1974 and 1999); Place de Nacion, Montreal; Camp Fortune, Ottawa; Ontario Place, Alexandria Palace, Convocation Hall, Toronto; The Martinez Ballroom, Cannes, Disney World, France; Rio, Brazil; Expo 93, Taejon, and Muju Resorts, Korea; Nippon Budokon Hall, Tokyo, Japan; Henry J. Bean Club, Brussels; San Marino, Milan, Rome, Italy; other European venues including, Amsterdam, Switzerland Germany; the East Coast of the USA and middle America including July Jam Festival, Lincoln, Nebraska; Belize City, Central America; Georgetown, Guyana, South America several venues in the Caribbean including Barbados, Trinidad, St Lucia, St. Vincent, St. Maarten, Cayman Islands and Jamaica. Artists with whom Ernie has shared performance stages: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, The Police, Jimmy Cliff, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Gregory Isaacs, The Mighty Diamonds, Byron Lee and the Dragoneers, Leroy Sibbles, Eric Donaldson, Toots and the Maytals, Carlos Malcolm, The Vikings, Fab Five, Bare Essentials, Carlene Davis, Freddy McGregor, Tony Rebel, Buju Banton, Beres Hammond, Culture, Hugh Masekela, Johnny Cash, Johnny Nash, Skeeter Davis, James Carr and many more. About Soulshot The Players— David “Daveydread” Turano on bass, David Prout-guitar, Rob Liguori alto, tenor and flute, RJ Avalone on trumpet, Mark Berney on trumpet, Thom O’Brien rhythm guitar and vocals, Dion Knibb-vocals, Eric Williams-vocals, Ken Stewart on keyboards, Krys Jackson on drums and Papa Zeke on percussion. Band Portfolios— All the veterans have lengthy and impressive portfolios, the most notable that of Ken Stewart who has spent over 20 years as keyboardist and manager of the world famous SKATALITES, doing numerous recordings. Dion Knibb, son of the late legendary drummer Lloyd Knibb, has recorded in Jamaica with the Fab 5 and has toured the US with the SKATALITES. Thom O’Brien, singer/songwriter of the group, has penned over 100 songs, some of which appear on SOULSHOT’s SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD album. Mark Berney also spent 3 years touring and recording with the SKATALITES. He also plays coronet for the Klezmer Conservatory Band and has performed with Izak Perlman and Aretha Franklin and many more. Band History— The band was formed in 2003, playing clubs and festivals around New England and the New York area. We recorded our first album, THE ECHOBASS SESSONS in 2005, recorded live to ¼ inch tape! In 2010 we released our second album, SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD. In 2008 Soulshot was invited to perform on the small stage at the Jazz and Blues Festival in Montego Bay, JA and so impressed the management that they were called back in 2009 to perform on the MAIN STAGE along side the likes of Lionel Ritchie, The O’Jays, Chicago, Maxi Priest and many more! While in JA, in 2008, Soulshot also appeared at the Black Mystery Concert in Kingston and at several other venues about the country. Soulshot has been the backing band for Ernie Smith on many occasions and has also backed the legend Alton Ellis at the Rhode Island Reggae Festival, (Alton put a video from this performance on his website before he passed), Roger Robin from the UK, Doreen Shaffer, renowned Jamaican vocalist and touring vocalist with the Skatalites, and Dalton “Screwdriver” Lindo on several occasions. Current News— We have just released our third album, SOULSHOT and FRIENDS with original tunes by Thom O’Brien, Dion Knibb and Eric Williams and original material from guest singer/song writers Jonah Tolchin and Ernie Smith. Show: 9p | Doors: 8p | All Ages Tickets: $12 advance / $15 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)
26 June
Ed Peabody And The Next 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.)
29 June
Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez -
with special guest Matt York Christine Ohlman is the current and Longtime vocalist of the Saturday Night Live Band On Matt York's "Boston, Texas," The singer-songwriter uses basic building blocks – Holly's chords, Hank Williams' swagger, Steve Earle's boozy wisdom, Paul Westerberg's straight-up-drunk wisdom – to construct an album of beauty, optimism and heartbreak." – Boston Herald __ This queen of blue-eyed rock n’ soul, who grew up loving equally the sweetness of a Memphis horn line and the raunch of an electric guitar riff, whether played by Muddy Waters, Keith Richards, or Pop Staples, teased her blonde hair into a beehive in honor of Ronnie Spector and never looked back, picking up a guitar and forging a career as a songwriter in the process. She’s the current, long-time vocalist with the Saturday Night Live Band (SNL40’s anniversary post-show concert also featured her star turn onstage with Jimmy Fallon, Elvis Costello and the B-52s), whose latest CD, The Deep End, was honored on five national Top Ten lists and features special guests/duet partners Ian Hunter, Dion DiMucci, and Marshall Crenshaw, plus Levon Helm, GE Smith, Andy York, Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, Catherine Russell, Big Al Anderson, and others. Ohlman topped the Alternate Root.com’s Readers’ Poll as top Americana vocalist, joining other winners Paul Thorn, The Mavericks and Rodney Crowell. Ohlman’s legendary voice and stage presence (she’s known as “The Beehive Queen” for her towering blonde hairdo) have most recently been featured on at the 2016 AMA Conference in Nashville; the PBS series “Music City Roots” with Bonnie Bramlett, Sarah Potenza and the McCrary Sisters (June, 2016); 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s Tribute To David Bowie; on numerous guest vocal shots on the HBO series “Vinyl" that feature a duet with Elvis Costello; on SNL’s 40th Anniversary telecast (pulled onstage by Jimmy Fallon at the after-party concert at the Plaza Hotel, she tore the roof off with the B52s as her backup vocalists), “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” (guest shot with Black 47); the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Concert in Cleveland (filmed by HBO); the Carnegie Hall tribute to the Rolling Stones; the 2012, 2013 and 2015 Little Kids Rock galas in NYC (taking the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Steve Miller, Graham Nash, Bill Medley, Tom Morello and others); and the 2012-2015 WC Handy Festivals (she was the special guest of the Blind Boys Of Alabama and soul queen Candi Staton, and helmed a sold-out tribute to legendary producer Jerry Wexler; in 2015 she was the festival’s Grand Marshall and co-billed with iconic guitarist Travis Wammack), as well as on both SNL’s 25th and the aforementioned 40th Anniversary telecasts; Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary bash at The Garden (with George Harrison, Chrissie Hynde, and others); the 2013 Obama Inaugural Gala in Washington, D.C.; The Lincoln Center “American Songbook” series with Sting, Lou Reed and Van Dyke Parks; and the Central Park Summerstage Tribute To Janis Joplin (where she fronted both Big Brother & The Holding Company and the Kozmic Blues Band). She appears on Grammy nominees A Tribute To Howlin’ Wolf (with Taj Mahal and Lucinda Williams) and Charlie Musselwhite’s One Night In America (with Marty Stuart); sings the theme song for NBC’s 30 Rock; worked on a musical with the late Cy Coleman (who compared her sense of timing to Peggy Lee’s); duets live with friends like the aforementioned Miss Spector, Mac Rebennack (two private evening of duets she calls “absolute highlights”), Americana stalwart Paul Thorn, Bonnie Bramlett (who has become a longtime friend), Muscle Shoals legends Donnie Fritts and John Paul White of the Civil Wars, and New Orleans mainstays The Subdudes (she joins The ‘Dudes, BB King, Irma Thomas, Richard Thompson and others on Get You A Healin’ to benefit the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and has guest-hosted five editions of “Down On The Bayou” during successive Jazz & Heritage Fests with Widespread Panic’s JoJo Hermann, again to benefit The Clinic); worked often with the late blues giants Hubert Sumlin and Eddie Kirkland; collaborated on critically-acclaimed tracks with Marshall Crenshaw (Labour Of Love: The Music of Nick Lowe), Big Al Anderson (Pawn Shop Guitars), and Ian Hunter (When I’m President and Shrunken Heads); edited legendary Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham’s autobiography 2Stoned and appears also on Oldham’s historic 2013 release “Andrew Loog Oldham and Friends Sing The Rolling Stones Songbook Vol. 2”). A musicologist of note, Ohlman is a cover-story-writing contributor to Elmore Magazine, and worked with Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder & others on the Rhythm & Blues Foundation Awards. Ohlman tours relentlessly, torching clubs up and down the Eastern Seaboard in support of her recordings (Strip, The Hard Way, Radio Queen, Wicked Time, 2008 career retrospective Re-Hive, the aforementioned The Deep End, 2011 concert DVD Live Hive and 2016’s upcoming “The Grown-Up Thing” with her band Rebel Montez (Michael Colbath-bass; Cliff Goodwin-guitar; Larry Donahue-drums). “I’ve come here tonight to set your souls on fire,” she’ll tell an audience. And she will. __ The Boston Herald says of Matt York’s new album Boston, Texas that ”the singer-songwriter uses basic building blocks — Holly’s chords, Hank Williams’ swagger, Steve Earle’s boozy wisdom, Paul Westerberg’s straight-up-drunk wisdom — to construct an album of beauty, optimism and heartbreak”. Matt's new album explores a cross-section of everything from straight-up rock n roll to hints of outlaw country. His album has received radio airplay throughout the world. His album "Boston, Texas" was named Limelight Magazine's Debut Album of the Year". His most recent release, Between the Bars was listed as one of the top albums of 2017 by the Patriot Ledger, Gatehouse Media, Ryan's Smashing Life and radio stations WATD 95.9 FM's Almost Famous Radio and PIXY-103FM. Matt grew up in Foxboro, Massachusetts and began playing the clubs of Boston as a teenager. Since then, he's played on stages through New England, New York, Nashville and Toronto. His latest album "Between the Bars" was released in November, 2017. Gatehouse Media's Peter Chianca wrote of the new album "Put Boston’s Matt York in the 'should be rich and famous department' -- his country rock with a jangly edge has instantaneous appeal, combining wry lyrics about barflies, ex-lovers and fading summers with infectious melodies and a rocker’s penchant for strumming his way through heartbreak". Show: 8p | Doors: 7p Tickets: $12 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges.)