5 Live Music Musts - January 29, 2016
Ken Abrams, GoLocalProv Music Critic
5 Live Music Musts - January 29, 2016
Nick-A-Nees in Providence
It’s hard not to proclaim Nick-A-Nees king of the Providence dive bars. There may be louder bars, there may be stickier floors, and there may be more graffiti in other’s rest rooms, but Nick-A-Nees just feels like the kind of place where everyone knowns your name. The most famous attraction within is the renown jukebox, along with a slightly beat up pool table. This weekend’s calendar at the Providence watering hole is full with rock shows from The Professors on Friday, The Robcats on Saturday and the Providence Public Sing around 5PM on Sunday. Music the other nights starts around 9PM, never a cover.
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The Parlour in Providence is another classic neighborhood joint, and it’s status as a dive bar is strengthened by the fact that it replaced the Penalty Box on North Main. Once a sports bar, these days it serves as a gathering spot for neighborhood hipsters, artists, musicians and assorted others. Tomorrow night the score card is full with Connecticut’s Jose Oyola & the Astronauts along with locals Barn Burning, Cat Has Claws and Fernandito Ferrer. Music starts at 9PM.
Jimmy’s Saloon in Newport
Jimmy’s Saloon is a neighborhood bar on Memorial Blvd. in Newport that regularly features top local indie bands and more. Two nights of rock and roll can be found there this weekend beginning tonight with Three Points Of Madness, Improper Dosage and Jupiter's Chyld! Tomorrow night, things mellow a bit for Cannibal Ramblers, The Stilts, The Dead L.A. & Anthony Daniels. Music around 9PM – Cover $5 both nights.
The 133 in East Providence
The 133 in East Providence describes itself as “your neighborhood Cheers style bar in East Providence.” They’ve got live music every Wed-Sun with well-known local bands and artists like Mac Odom, Becky Chase and Mark Cutler and the Men of Great Courage. Tomorrow night, check out the rock and roll sounds of Cuzzy Bono & The Space Cadets. Check the website for the complete line up of rock, soul and R&B.
Tom Waits Show at Aurora Sunday
The joint is surely not a dive, in fact its pretty upscale, with waxed floors and a trendy bar (at least at the beginning of the night). It’s the artist being honored Sunday who literally could have been born in a dive. Straight from the back alleys of LA, it’s the long awaited Tom Waits cover show at Aurora. A number of local artists will be perfomring songs from the growling bard, including Steve Delmonico, Mike DeCosta, Daphne Lee Martin and Dylan Sevey. Music begins Sunday at 8PM.
Ken Abrams reviews roots, rock and more for GoLocal. E-mail comments here.
Top Winter Concerts
NRBQ at Narrows Center
Two “new” bands appear next week at our America’s best roots venue, The Narrows Center. Actually neither band is a new act, they just have the word “New” in their name. The New Riders of the Purple Sage are one of the original psychedelic country rock bands going back to the early 70’s. NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet) might sound like a jazz band and the latest offering from keyboardist and band leader Terry Adams (Talk Thelonius) is in fact an album based on the work of jazz legend Thelonius Monk. Two shows not to be missed! Details here. Check out our interview from a year ago with Adams here.
Deer Tick at Lupos
Ring in the new year Saturday night January 2nd at Lupo’s with a homecoming show from RI natives Deer Tick. As their national presence continues to grow, we see less and less of Nashville transplant John McCauley, so its pretty much guaranteed he’ll be leading the boys through a major blowout at Lupo’s. As DT fans know, anything can happen at a Deer Tick show - with special guests a strong possibility. Tickets are $25 in advance and $28 at the door. Last Good Tooth opens. More details available here.
Drive-By Truckers
The Drive By Truckers are a southern rock band that have been defying stereotypes for almost 20 years. The songwriting of Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley is some of the best around and their three guitar attack of straight up rock and roll will leave your ears ringing. They return to RI and make their debut at the Columbus Theatre on March 9. For a preview, check out their recent live album It’s Great to be Alive. Tickets available here.
Sarah Potenza at The Met
RI native and The Voice veteran Sarah Potenza will be playing a homecoming show on January 24th at The Met. We’ve watched Potenza move from open mics, to Chicago and her band the Tall Boys, to Nashville, and then to the national stage on NBC’s The voice. Expect a full show of classics and maybe some tunes from her new album Monster expected in early 2016. Tickets for the January 24 show available here.
Beach Boys at the Park
The Beach Boys in February? You bet! The touring band led by original member Mike Love (with Newport native John Cowsill on drums) will be stopping by the Park Theatre on Valentine’s Day for what promises to be a great night of classic hits. Most nights, the band plays a 30+ song set and never disappoints. Click here for our interview with Love from 2014 here and get your tickets here before it sells out. Tickets are still available here or at the Park Theatre box office.
