Jools Holland to Squeeze Out The Blue Note Boogie
by Mike Greenblatt
British singer-songwriter and former Squeeze idol, Jools Holland, has, over the last 25 years, become a BBC fixture with his Later show. He’s also a world-class boogie-woogie piano man who fronts his 19-piece Rhythm’n’Blues Orchestra. He’s hopping across the pond with a scaled-down unit to perform at The Blue Note in New York City Feb. 1 through 4. “Piano, Vocals and Drum Frenzy” will mark his first stateside appearance in 15 years. BB King once remarked that, as a pianist, Holland’s “left hand never stops. I didn’t think anybody could play like that.” With two shows at 8:00 and 10:30 for four straight nights, the walls of this venerable room should shake.
Belle Game In Brooklyn
by Debra Kate Schafer
From Vancouver comes Belle Game: the hypnotic, crush-pop quartet who, in their own words, are “somewhere between new-age visions and unkempt basements.” Their sophomore album, Fear/Nothing, dropped in September and the band has been touring pretty much ever since. The music they make is reflective, confident, melodic, and ethereal; with songs filled with textured layers and powerful lyrics. They will be performing at Elsewhere (Zone One) in Brooklyn on Jan. 24. For tickets, visit eventbrite.com.
Don’t Miss Bronson Wisconsin
by Debra Kate Schafer
Down to earth and heartfelt, Bronson Wisconsin takes the most honest approach to performing their music. It’s stripped down, spontaneous, rock, alt-country, and completely DIY. The band writes, records, mixes, distributes, and tour as a self-sustaining, music-loving band; essentially, a musical force not to be reckoned with in the independent scene. Therefore, seeing them live is imperative. Luckily, their tour stops at Asbury Park Brewery on Jan. 26. For tickets, visit ticketweb.com.
From Stockholm to Brooklyn
by Debra Kate Schafer
Alternative rock and dream pop-based music has not sounded this good since bands like My Bloody Valentine. Swedish duo The Radio Dept. are just that; haunting and dreamy alt-pop. They might have been around since the late ‘90s, but they have been garnering quite a bit of praise from their 2016 release, Running Out Of Love, their fourth studio album that is immensely timely, political, and honest. To see and hear The Radio Dept. live in Brooklyn on Feb. 3, go to ticketweb.com.
Megan Davies to Rockwood Music Hall
by Debra Kate Schafer
She built her career on YouTube with her cover songs and mashup performances. She grew exponentially on Spotify, accumulating over 250 million streams. She just performed for The Greatest Showman cast, including Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman, and Zendaya. Her name is Megan Davies and she is a singer, songwriter, YouTuber, and businesswoman. She owes her success to no one but herself; her tremendous talent, her mashups, her debut EP, Bad Poetry, her drive, and her passion are all her own. For “An Evening of Bad Poetry” on Jan. 18, visit songkick.com.
