RANA SANTACRUZ: CD RELEASE
Thursday, March 4 at 9:30 PM
Rana's music has been called "Mexican Bluegrass" or "Irish Mariachi" with a dose of rock and alternative. His music starts in Ireland, runs through Appalachia, swings through New Orleans, and careens across most of Mexico. The acoustic instrumentation includes cajón, upright bass, accordion, guitar, banjo, jarana, violin and trumpet. He cites his main influences as The Pogues, Tom Waits, Chavela Vargas, Agustín Lara, son jarocho, and tambora -- and folk music in general. $12 in advance, $15 at the door
JOYA BRAVO
Thursday, March 4 at 11:30 PM
Singer/Songwriter/Rapper/Violinist Joya Bravo is a New York native born in Queens and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Conceived by Jamaican parents, Bravo's upbringing was conservative, but musically charged. Bravo began playing the violin at age nine. Her success eventually earned her a chair in the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra (a highly accredited youth ensemble in the southeast region). She has performed with Grammy Award Winners The Roots. This powerhouse talent has a clear message to share with the world. She seeks to spread ideals of self-realization, collaboration and positive progression to future generations of the world through her craft and her abilities supersede. $12
DEAR COMPANION TOUR FEATURING BEN SOLLEE AND DANIEL MARTIN MOORE
Friday, March 5 at 7:00 PM & Saturday, March 6 at 9:30
Dear Companion, out February 16th on Sub Pop Records, is collaboration between three Kentucky musicians: the songs are written and performed by Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore, produced by and featuring Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk. Recorded in the first half of 2009 in their home state, Dear Companion explores their ties to the place they love and aims to draw attention to the problem of mountaintop removal coal mining and its impact on the people and heritage of central Appalachia.
A portion of the proceeds from Dear Companion will benefit Appalachian Voices, an organization devoted to ending mountaintop removal and finding a better way forward.
Learn more at: www.ilovemountains.org or www.subpop.com
Ben Sollee infused his much-lauded 2008 debut album Learning to Bend, with his unique synthesis of folk, soul, and bluegrass. No Depression put the album on their top five of 2008, Paste listed him on The Best of What's Next, NPR raved, and music blogs continue to provide Sollee a steady torrent of praise. His impressive debut also landed him prominent spots on the festival circuit, including Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo, as well as a riveting set on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
After serving in the Peace Corps, Daniel Martin Moore won over Sub Pop Records in 2007 with an unsolicited demo of deceptively simple songs, and found himself working with producer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, U2, The Shins) on his first album, the 2008 releaseStray Age.
With Stray Age, Daniel became a critical darling, eliciting comparisons from Nick Drake to M. Ward.
About Mountaintop Removal
Mountaintop removal is a radical form of surface mining that uses massive explosives to blast off several hundred feet of mountaintop in order to expose and remove thin seams of coal. The resulting rubble, or overburden, is then pushed into nearby valleys, burying streams. This has devastating impacts on the land, air and water of local communities. To date, this practice has destroyed more than 500 mountains and buried more than 2000 miles of streams.
About Appalachian Voices & iLoveMountains.org
Appalachian Voices created iLoveMountains.org in conjunction with local, state, and regional partners to grow and support the national movement to end mountaintop removal coal mining and help create a prosperous future for the region. $20
MIKE VIOLA
Friday, March 5 at 9:00 PM
Mike Viola is best known as singer, songwriter and musical architect of the Candy Butchers, a highly regarded pop-rock band from New York that recorded three critically-acclaimed albums for Sony, including 2003's fan-favorite Hang On Mike. The success of the Candy Butchers led to multiple appearances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien and Last Call With Carson Daly. It also found the group touring alongside the likes of They Might Be Giants, Robyn Hitchcock, Semisonic, Sparklehorse, Barenaked Ladies, and Ivy.
Viola simultaneously began a career in film-work a decade ago as the co-producer and lead singer of the Oscar-nominated title track from "That Thing You Do!".
Walk Hard, the recent Jake Kasdan/Judd Apatow film starring John C. Reilly, featured nearly a dozen songs written by Viola. A spoof on the Hollywood music biopic, Walk Hard proved to be the perfect playground for Viola's subversive, witty lyrics and catchy-pop expertise.
Viola joined the indie ranks in 2005 when he released an album of new songs on his own label, Good Morning Monkey Records. Recorded live at Largo in L.A., Just Before Dark showcases Mike's sharp abilities as a live performer. Once available on his website, mikeviola.com, the vinyl-only album sold out in three months.
His latest album, Lurch, is alive with the classic-pop euphoria and vivid storybook imagery that Viola's fans have come to treasure. Lurch has captured audiences internationally, thanks to tracks like album-opener "Maybe, Maybe Not" and first single "So Much Better", which charted in Denmark.
As signed worldwide to EMI Music Publishing, Viola remains a prolific songwriter and/or producer on a multitude of projects. His work can be heard on Amanda Leigh, the recent release by Mandy Moore -- for whom he is also Musical Director-in addition to collaborations with Inara George, Tim Christensen, Dan Bern, Steve McEwan, Kelly Jones, Ryan Adams, Drake Bell, Bleu, Adam Schlesinger, John C. Reilly, Mary Wood, Sam Bisbee, The Gentlemen, John Wesley Harding, and Ben Romans. $15
ELEPHANT LARRY
Friday, March 5 at 11:30 PM
The Village Voice's Best Comedy Ensemble of 2009 brings some of their most hilarious sketches to the Joe's Pub stage, and welcomes some of their extremely talented friends to perform with them! Though none of those friends were named Best Comedy Ensemble, were they? No, they weren't. $12
TICKETS
Online at joespub.com, Phone 212-967-7555, In Person At the Public Theater Box Office (1 PM to 6 PM), or at the Joe's Pub Box Office from (6 PM to 10 PM) both located at 425 Lafayette Street, NYC
For table reservations please call 212-539-8778. Purchase of tickets does NOT guarantee a table reservation; you must call to reserve seats. Seating, as well as standing-room, is available only on a first-come, first-served basis for all shows without a dinner reservation. Two drink or $12 food minimum per person is standard.
