Compiled by Michael Kornfeld
Detailed listings for more than 85 concerts, open mics and jam sessions slated for December in Brooklyn, Queens,
Monday, 12/1
Country Blues Jam at Jalopy,
Open Mike with Dave Drew, Bartini Bar,
Tuesday, 12/2
Stuart Markus, LI-based singer-songwriter and member of the folk harmony trio Gathering Time performs sol at Rachel’s Waterside Grill,
Buddy Merriam & Back Roads, LI bluegrass stalwarts, Checkmate Inn,
Wednesday, 12/3
Folk Open Sing, sponsored by the Good Coffeehouse and the Pinewoods –Folk Music Society of New York, Ethical Cultural Society building (basement), 53 Prospect Park West (near 2nd Street), Brooklyn. For information, call Alison Kelley, 718-636-6341.
Open Mic, Cool Beanz,
Open Mic, The Cup,
Open Mic, Life Café,
Open Mic, Spike Hill,
Roots n’ Ruckus, a night of folk, old-time and blues music, at Jalopy,
“WoodSongs at the Movies” features a 45-minute live performance by The Homegrown String Band, followed by an hour-long screening of Michael Johnathon’s “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour " with featured artist Tim O’Brien. Inspired by the rural string bands of the early 20th century,
Thursday, 12/4
Old Time Jam with Zot’s Dream (jug music featuring banjos, washboard, washtub bass, tin-can drums, etc), Freddy’s
Kevin Smith performs traditional and contemporary Irish music at Irish Cottage Restaurant & Pub,
Friday, 12/5
First Friday Bluegrass Night at Jalopy,
Bev Grant & the Dissident Daughters share a bill with the wonderful contemporary folk duo Friction Farm at The Good Coffeehouse Music Parlor at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. (www.gchmusic.org). 718-768-2972. $10; $6 for children.
Chris Smither, a gifted blues and roots-inspired singer-songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist, who has been making music for four decades, plays the
Amy Speace, who performs for the Garden Stage at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Central Nassau, is blessed with an amazing voice and a gift for songwriting. She is among the best new contemporary singer-songwriters on the scene today.
Strike The Bell (Stuart Markus and Judith Zweiman) stroll the streets of Port Jefferson singing sea chanteys and traditional holiday tunes during the village’s annual Charles Dickens Festival this evening.
PeaceSmiths Fundraiser-Coffeehouse at the
Saturday, 12/6
Folk Music Society of Huntington’s annual Emerging Artists Showcase features gifted Midwest-based singer-songwriter Joe Jencks and local favorites Gathering Time, a folk harmony trio (featuring Glen Roethel, Stuart Markus and Hillary Foxsong) that has been capturing attention and fans with its spirited blend of folk and acoustic originals, stylistic interpretations of choice covers, and wonderful three-part vocal harmonies. This concert, part of the 40th season of the Folk Music Society of Huntington’s First Saturdays Series, takes place at the Congregational Church of Huntington,
Saturday Night Jam, Sunny’s,
Sunday, 12/7
Paradiddle Records Holiday Hullabaloo may not be exclusively acoustic, but it promises to be a lot of fun and benefits a good cause (Long Island Cares – the Harry Chapin Food Bank), BrickHouse Brewery, 67 West Main Street, Patchogue. 2 p.m. $10.
Ponkiesburg Pickin’ Party, weekly traditional acoustic music jam features dashes of country, old-time, bluegrass, blues and folk at Kili, 81 Hoyt Street (between State & Atlantic), Brooklyn. 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Sunday Street Acoustic Series at the University Café features singer-songwriter Sloan Wainwright and her niece, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Stony Brook Union building, Stony Brook University. 2 p.m. (www.universitycafe.org). 631-632-1093. SundayStreetWUSB@aol.com. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door (if available).
Monday, 12/8
Country Blues Jam at Jalopy,
Open Mike with Dave Drew, Bartini Bar,
Tuesday, 12/9
Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary performs a free concert and signs his children’s books at Book Revue,
Stephane Wrembel presents The Django Experiment, French virtuoso guitarists plays in Reinhardt’s style, Barbes,
Wednesday, 12/10
Acoustic Strings N Things, presented by the Smithtown Township Arts Council, includes an open mic and featured performers, Mills Pond House, 660 Route 25A,
Aztec Two-Step, the harmonious folk-rockin’ duo of Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman have been making wonderful music together for more than 35 years, annual December visit to The Brokerage, 2797 Bellmore Avenue, Bellmore. 8 p.m. $30 plus two-beverage minimum.
Open Mic, Cool Beanz,
Open Mic, The Cup,
Open Mic, Life Café,
Open Mic, Spike Hill,
Roots n’ Ruckus, a night of folk, old-time and blues music, at Jalopy,
“WoodSongs at the Movies” features a 45-minute live performance by Phil Minissale, the finger-pickin’ good Long Island Blues Boy, who is now 21 and touting his new debut release, followed by an hour-long screening of Michael Johnathon’s “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour with featured artist Marie Knight, a soulful blues and gospel singer.The Folk Music Society of Huntington joins with Clearview Cinemas in presenting this weekly multimedia music series at Clearview’s Babylon Cinemas,
Thursday, 12/11
Cat Martino, indie folk singer-songwriter who accompanies herself on piano and guitar, Barbes,
Open Mic Night, hosted by talented singer-songwriter and percussive fingerstyle guitarist Joe Iadanza, features music and poetry, Canvas Gallery,
Kevin Smith performs traditional and contemporary Irish music at Irish Cottage Restaurant & Pub,
Pat Wictor, a top-notch, blues and roots-inspired singer-songwriter and lap-slide guitarist, is accompanied by percussionist extraordinaire Cheryl Prashker for the Babylon Village Arts Council Second Thursdays Concert Series at Astoria Federal Savings Bank, 180 West Main Street, Babylon. 7:30 p.m. Free.
Friday, 12/12
Jen Chapin, jazz-tinged singer-songwriter, performs for the Grounds and Sounds Café at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stony Brook,
Bennett Harris, fingerstyle Piedmont and Delta blues and ragtime guitarist, Jesse’s Roadhouse BBQ, 1810 Merrick Road, Merrick. 8:30 p.m.
Bill Carney’s Jug Addicts perform a lively blend of jug band, old-time, tin pan alley, early jazz and blues music at Barbes,
Cathy Kreger, LI-based singer-songwriter, who also is part of the new trio Lucky 13, performs solo at Fiddlehead American Fish House & Grill,
Shilelagh Law, Irish pub band, fronted by a non-Irishman, that interprets traditional Irish music through the filter of the urban experience, plays
Loudon Wainwright III, a witty and engaging singer-songwriter, graces the stage at the
Pat Wictor, a top-notch, blues and roots-inspired singer-songwriter and lap-slide guitarist, joined by percussionist extraordinaire Cheryl Prashker, The Good Coffeehouse Music Parlor at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. (www.gchmusic.org). 718-768-2972. $10; $6 for children.
Saturday, 12/13
Caroline Doctorow and James O’Malley, two talented Long Island-based singer-songwriters, share a bill at The Eclectic Café, Unitarian Universalist Society of South Sufolk,
The Folk-Groovin’ Café, St. Lawrence of Canterbury Church, 655 Old Country Road, Dix Hills. 8 p.m. $7.
Eileen Ivers, a fine fiddler and former star of “Riverdance,” presents “An Nollaig – An Irish Christmas,” at the
Saturday Night Jam, Sunny’s,
We’re About 9, an engaging contemporary acoustic trio with tight harmonies and clever, original music, make its fifth annual visit to
Sunday, 12/14
Ponkiesburg Pickin’ Party, weekly traditional acoustic music jam features dashes of country, old-time, bluegrass, blues and folk at Kili, 81 Hoyt Street (between State & Atlantic), Brooklyn. 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Red River Ramblers — a four-piece, old-time rootsy country band featuring Ken "The Rocket" Korb, Lara Kendall, Tom Linden and George Cassidy — performs at the South Country Public Library, 22 Station Road, Bellport. 631-286-0818. 2-3:30 p.m. Free.
Sunday Street Acoustic Series at the University Café features Anthony da Costa and Abbie Gardner performing as a duo. Da Costa is a prolific 17 year-old singer-songwriter and self-taught multi-instrumentalist, who was a winner in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition and was voted as the emerging artist “most wanted” to return to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival last year.
Stephane Wrembel presents The Django Experiment, French virtuoso guitarists plays in Reinhardt’s style, Barbes,
Monday, 12/15
Brooklyn Songwriters Exchange hosted by local songwriter Rebecca Pronsky and featuring Devon Sproule and Andy Friedman, Union Hall,
Country Blues Jam at Jalopy,
Open Mike with Dave Drew, Bartini Bar,
Wednesday, 12/17
Acoustic Strings N Things, presented by the Smithtown Township Arts Council, includes an open mic and featured performers, Mills Pond House, 660 Route 25A,
Open Mic, Cool Beanz,
Open Mic, The Cup,
Open Mic, Life Café,
Open Mic, Spike Hill,
Roots n’ Ruckus, a night of folk, old-time and blues music, at Jalopy,
“WoodSongs at the Movies” features a 45-minute live performance by Lucky 13, a talented new LI-based trio featuring the eclectic styles and voices of Marci Geller, Cathy Kreger and Susan DeVita, followed by an hour-long screening of Michael Johnathon’s “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour with featured artists Over the Rhine. The Folk Music Society of Huntington joins with Clearview Cinemas in presenting this weekly multimedia music event at Clearview’s Babylon Cinemas,
Thursday, 12/18
Cathy Kreger, LI-based singer-songwriter, who also is part of the new trio Lucky 13, performs solo at
Kevin Smith performs traditional and contemporary Irish music at Irish Cottage Restaurant & Pub,
Friday, 12/19
Phil Minissale (the finger-pickin’ good Long Island Blues boy, who is now 21), Joseph Patti and Michael Korb, Cool Beanz, 556 North Country Road (Route 25A), St. James. 8 p.m.
Red River Ramblers — a four-piece, old-time rootsy country band featuring Ken "The Rocket" Korb, Lora Kendall, Linden and George Cassidy — plays Eastenders Coffee House, 40 East Main Street, Riverhead. 8-11 p.m.
Singer-songwriters David Roach and Jen Chapin share a bill at The Good Coffeehouse Music Parlor at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. (www.gchmusic.org). 718-768-2972. $10; $6 for children.
Saturday, 12/20
Paula Cole Acoustic, the
Chris Van Cott & The Vagabonds, with opener Jay Scott, Once & For All,
Saturday Night Jam, Sunny’s,
Bob Westcott’s 17th Annual Holiday Revue features singer-songwriter David Bailey, husband & wife duo Princess Peapod, and Return to the Dream (Martha Trachtenberg, Tom Griffith, Diane Garisto and Andy Huenerberg). This benefit concert for the Folk Music Society of Huntington is part of its Hard Luck Café series at the Congregational Church of Huntington,
Sunday, 12/21
Ponkiesburg Pickin’ Party, weekly traditional acoustic music jam features dashes of country, old-time, bluegrass, blues and folk at Kili, 81 Hoyt Street (between State & Atlantic),
Stephane Wrembel presents The Django Experiment, French virtuoso guitarists plays in Reinhardt’s style, Barbes,
Monday, 12/22
Country Blues Jam at Jalopy,
Open Mike with Dave Drew, Bartini Bar,
Saturday, 12/27
Cathy Kreger, LI-based singer-songwriter, who also is part of the new trio Lucky 13, performs solo at Elijah Churchill’s, 1031 Route 25A,
An Evening with Dar Williams, one of today’s most talented contemporary singer-songwriters, performs at Southpaw,
Sunday, 12/28
Ponkiesburg Pickin’ Party, weekly traditional acoustic music jam features dashes of country, old-time, bluegrass, blues and folk at Kili, 81 Hoyt Street (between State & Atlantic), Brooklyn. 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Stephane Wrembel presents The Django Experiment, French virtuoso guitarists plays in Reinhardt’s style, Barbes,
Monday, 12/29
Country Blues Jam at Jalopy,
Open Mike with Dave Drew, Bartini Bar,
Coming up in early January …
Friday, 1/2
First Friday Bluegrass Night at Jalopy,
Island Songwriters Showcase (ISS) Open Mic at Broder’s Café, Jericho Turnpike (Route 25), Syosset. Sign-up is at 7:30 p.m. and the music starts at 8 p.m.
PeaceSmiths Topical, A-Typical, Folk Music, Poetry and Whatever Coffeehouse, First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway/Route 110 (southernmost end near Merrick Road/Montauk Highway), Amityville. 8 p.m. (www.peacesmiths.org). 631-798-0778. $7 suggested donation.
Saturday, 1/3
Folk Music Society of Huntington Annual Members Showcase takes place at the Congregational Church of Huntington,
Saturday Night Jam, Sunny’s,
Sunday, 1/4
Ponkiesburg Pickin’ Party, weekly traditional acoustic music jam features dashes of country, old-time, bluegrass, blues and folk at Kili, 81 Hoyt Street (between State & Atlantic), Brooklyn. 4:30-7:30 p.m.
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