Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ FEBRUARY 13, 2020

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “February NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do This:

The Metropolitan Opera
Agrippina (next Feb.17, 7:30PM)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30 PM, $30+
“Handel’s tale of intrigue and impropriety in ancient Rome receives its first Met performances, with star mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as the controlling, power-hungry Agrippina and Harry Bicket conducting. Sir David McVicar’s production ingeniously reframes the action of this black comedy about the abuse of power to “the present,” where it should loudly resonate. The all-star cast features mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey as Agrippina’s son and future emperor Nerone, soprano Brenda Rae as the seductive Poppea, countertenor Iestyn Davies as the ambitious officer Ottone, and bass Matthew Rose as the weary emperor Claudius.”

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> BOBBY WATSON AND HORIZON 
>> Endea Owens: Feel Good Music
>> New York City Ballet
>> Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
>> CHE MALAMBO
>> MARC RIBOT
>> Pop-Up Magazine
>> Best Brews: The Subway Series
You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Endea Owens: Feel Good Music
Atrium @ Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist of 2019 and Detroit native Endea Owens is a vibrant up-and-coming bassist who has brought her musical gifts to a diverse range of audiences, from jazz connoisseurs to city schoolkids. A Juilliard graduate, Owens has been mentored by the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter. She has toured and performed with Jennifer Holliday, Rhonda and Diana Ross, Jazzmeia Horn, and Lea DeLaria from the Netflix hit series Orange is The New Black, and currently plays with Jon Batiste’s Stay Human, the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Mixing standards with her own original compositions, Owens plays hot, swinging jazz for multiple generations.”

BOBBY WATSON AND HORIZON (Feb. 12-13)
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $35
“Since Watson’s extended stint in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers that began over 40 years ago, he has been known as one of the more dexterous and affecting alto saxophonists in straight-ahead jazz. Here he leads an all-star band, with the estimable drummer Victor Lewis as a special guest. The ensemble also includes the trumpeter Terell Stafford, the pianist Edward Simon and the bassist Carroll V. Dashiell.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

New York City Ballet (through March 1)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $78+
“Alexei Ratmansky’s new work, “Voices,” set to the experimental music of the Austrian composer Peter Ablinger, receives a few more encores in the coming week in a program (on Friday, Saturday afternoon and Wednesday) that pairs it with Jerome Robbins’s “Opus 19/The Dreamer” (1979), Christopher Wheeldon’s “Polyphonia” (2001) and Justin Peck’s “Bright,” which debuted last year. The Saturday evening bill (performed again on Tuesday and Feb. 13) juxtaposes the ballets of Balanchine with Peck, while Sunday’s performance also features Balanchine (“Haieff Divertimento” and “Episodes”) and Peck (the lovely “Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes”) and makes room for Robbins’s “Concertino” as well.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (Feb.11-16)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S./ 8:30PM, 10:30PM, $35
“Until the sixties, Monday nights were a jazz wasteland, as most clubs would shutter to cool off after the weekend. But then the polymathic brass man Thad Jones and the drummer Mel Lewis formed a big band in order to kick off the week in style at the Village Vanguard. Fifty-four years later, the group, now dubbed the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, has outlived both its founders and numerous star soloists, yet it has lost none of its vigor or tonal lustre. As is now the custom, the durable ensemble gets a full week to celebrate its remarkable longevity.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

CHE MALAMBO (thru Feb.16)
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30 p.m.;
“In 17th-century Argentina, gauchos flaunted their strength and agility through a lightning-quick percussive dance called malambo, often facing off in dance battles to prove their mettle. This all-male Argentine troupe continues the tradition, but with rock concert lighting and attitude. Gilles Brinas, the company’s founder and choreographer, provides rousing synchronized stomping routines for the dozen virile dancers, supported by the thunder of live drumming. It’s a spectacle, rooted in tradition, spiked with swagger.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

MARC RIBOT (Feb.11-15)
at the Stone / 8:30 p.m.; $20
“Ribot’s all-around aesthetic is one of raucous disruption — whether he’s clawing a distorted wail out of his guitar in a caustic rendition of a jazz standard, assembling a crew of musicians to record classic protest anthems, or participating directly in activism on behalf of 21st-century artists’ rights. In the coming week at the Stone he will perform in a different musical setting each night. Highlights will include his collaboration with a large ensemble of Haitian musicians on Tuesday night and his solo-guitar show on Thursday.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Pop-Up Magazine
BAM, Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave., Bklyn / 7:30PM, $39+
“Get ready for a thrill at the newest iteration of multimedia storytelling show Pop-Up Magazine. The consistently excellent evening features writers, comedians, storytellers, musicians, and filmmakers performing never-before-heard stories accompanied by animations, art projections, and live music. The Winter 2020 edition includes tales of Russian soap operas, flying saucers, and family obsessions from comedians Catherine Cohen and Jordan Klepper, documentary filmmakers Isabel Castro, Jon-Sesrie Goff, and Cecilia Aldarondo, artists Liana Finck and Esther Pearl Watson, and more.” (gothamist)

Best Brews: The Subway Series
Tonight: Finals Compettion
Brookfield Place / 4-9PM, $
“The annual craft beer craze will take over Brookfield Place for the third year from 4:00 to 9:00 PM on February 12 and 13. The iconic Winter Garden will transform into a classic biergarten showcasing 15 of New York City’s top breweries from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island for a citywide ‘Subway Series’ challenge.” (untappedcities)

Continuing Events

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COMING SOON (WFUV)

2/13 Raphael Saadiq, Terminal 5
2/13 Ben Ottewell & Ian Ball of Gomez, Rough Trade NYC
2/13-14 The Lumineers, Barclay’s Center
2/14 Puss n Boots, Rough Trade NYC
2/14 Marc Cohn, Concert Hall at The NY Society for Ethical Culture
2/15 Live From Here with Chris Thile: Indigo Girls, Real Estate & more, The Town Hall
2/15 Ween, Terminal 5
2/15 Puss n Boots, Bowery Ballroom
2/17 Broadway Sings Queen, Sony Hall
2/18-19 Jon Batiste, Cafe Carlyle
2/19 Soul Asylum, Bowery Ballroom
2/19 Bat for Lashes, Town Hall

♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

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A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St)

There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.
But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.

There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.

Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.

It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.

Website: http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html
Phone #: 212-219-2970
Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun
Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps
Music: Mon/Wed 8pm
Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk E 1 blk to Church; N 1 blk to bFlat

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

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Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.