NYC's Best Folk Music Venues, From Acoustic To Bluegrass
Folk music often is presented at venues such as college auditoriums and churches, as well as coffee houses and clubs. Check out some of the top places to hear genuine folk music - old, new and revival - below.
The Bitter End
147 Bleecker St.
New York, NY 10012
(212) 673-7030
www.Bitterend.com
Just about every major folk music legend has played this club in the center of Greenwich Village -- from Joan Baez to Josh White, Peter Paul and Marty and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. These days the club is still going strong, with new acts nightly. There are special singer-songwriter sessions, plus open mic nights.
Jalopy Theatre
315 Columbia St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 395-3214
www.jalopy.biz
This is a community institution in the Red Hook area that teaches traditional instruments like ukulele and banjo, but also has a small theater where visitors can hear genuine honky-tonk, roots and folk music. There are shows every night but Monday, featuring numerous up-and-coming bands and solo acts in the acoustic music world.
Sunny's Bar
253 Conover St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 625-8211
www.sunnysredhook.com
Here's a funky bar in Brooklyn's Red Hook that showcases bluegrass music and a variety of roots bands six days a week. Expect to hear anything from Texas Roadhouse sounds, to fiddlers and country blues. Most of all, expect to have a fine time with regulars and visitors who have come to the last surviving bar from an era during which the local waterfront thrived long before the inevitable gentrification.
519 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10016
(212) 686-1210
www.paddyreillysmusicbar.us
For lovers of authentic Irish bars with Irish and bluegrass music, this is the spot to visit in Manhattan. Much of its decor has been imported from Ireland itself, and the bar's beers on draft reflect their heritage. Thursday is the night for Irish Seisiun and Sundays and Mondays are the nights for bluegrass jams. Wednesdays and Saturdays are open mic evenings.
Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen St.
New York, NY 10002
(212) 477-4155
www.rockwoodmusichall.com
What began as a small space on the Lower East Side has grown into three stages with performances by acts in a variety of genres, as well as its own namesake recording label. As the New York Times reported, the club is known for its fine acoustics and has "become a favored performance space for Americana, bluegrass" and other acts. Come here to discover unknown artists who could be the next Lady Gaga or Billy Joe Armstrong -- just to name a few who have appeared here.
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Grace Lichtenstein is an author and former New York Times reporter. She writes principally about books, music and sports. She contributes to the Washington Post, NYCityWoman.com, Aspen Magazine and other publications. She is a board member of Bike New York, as well as a member of the Authors Guild and the National Book Critics Circle.
