Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, SEPT 13, 2013.
For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide be sure to check out:
“Notable Events-Sept.”, “on Broadway”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above
3 Folk Music Acts
Enjoy live music each Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and a cash wine bar.
5:30 Rick Snyder – Quirky country songwriting
6:05 Phil Andrews (Apocalypse Five and Dime) – Unconventional folk
6:40 Ellia Bisker (Sweet Soubrette) – Charming ukulele-based cabaret folk
American Folk Art Museum, 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue at 66th St.
At 5:30 pm / FREE
Wesley Stace’s Cabinet of Wonders
“Wesley Stace (a.k.a. John Wesley Harding) hosts a variety show full of stars and wonders alike, and toasts his own forthcoming album, Self-Titled, which features songs penned by Eleanor Friedberger. At tonight’s show, Stace will be joined by Black Prairie, Janeane Garofalo, Keren Ann and Jon Ronson, among others. Cool.’ (TONY mag)
City Winery, 155 Varick St. at Vandam St.
At 6PM / $25-$35
212-608-0555 / citywinery.com
The Jared Grimes Feel – Live in Lucille’s
Jared Grimes has toured with Musical legend, Mariah Carey, under the choreography of Marty Kudelka, and danced for artists such as Common, Salt-n-Pepa, Envogue, Busta Rhymes and the Roots.
Reviews: “Mr. Grimes’s solo was a dazzlingly long and brilliantly sustained tour de force” Alastair Macaulay- New York Times
“Jared Grimes lives up to the title of “Goin’ Nuts” for his ferocious tap dancing routine.” Frank Scheck- New York Post
After his set, The Jared Grimes Feel hosts an energetic party called, “The Get Down” all night long. The event imagined by drummer DeWitt Fleming brings you the sounds of Jazz, Pop, R&B, and Soul as all of New York City is welcome to the dance floor. Towards the end of the night, Jared awards his favorite dancer a cash prize and special giveaways. Come join industry reps, dancers, musicians, and fans of live music as we party the night away!
B.B. King Blues Club and Grill 237 West 42 St. (btw 7th / 8th Ave)
At 10:30 PM / $10
212-997-4144 / http://www.bbkingblues.com
MARK DRESSER
The virtuosic bassist and composer Mark Dresser fronts a quintet featuring a trusted associate, the saxophonist Marty Ehrlich, in celebration of the release of his new album, “Nourishments.” (NewYorker mag)
Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village
At 9 and 10:30 p.m./$15 cover, with a $10 minimum.
989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com
HAROLD MABERN
The Harold Mabern trio. Mabern, a seventy-seven-year-old native of the music-rich city of Memphis, Tennessee, once labelled himself a blues pianist who also plays jazz, but that doesn’t do justice to his expertise as a mainstream bop stylist.
Smoke, 2751 Broadway
At 7PM and 9PM / $35
Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places / Midtown West.
Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd st (btw 7th/8th ave)
Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.
From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys”, just down the block.
Those in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.
Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.
But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.
Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.
It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
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Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music some nights includes a sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man.
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 