Small Venues, Big Experiences: Finding The Soul of a Place Through Live Music
Three Nights Wandering and Exploring New York City’s Intimate Music Scene
As an avid (and addicted) traveler, I strive to immerse myself in the local culture of the places I visit. While some may prioritize visiting famous landmarks and tourist hotspots, I find myself drawn to the more intimate experiences. One such experience that never fails to rejuvenate me is discovering hidden music venues with excellent local or not widely-known musicians.
Big cities offer ample opportunities to indulge in gastronomic delights, visit museums and art galleries, watch theatrical performances, and take in the culture. But for me, the magic of exploring these cities lies not in the typical popular spots but in discovering hidden corners where locals go to experience the city’s culture.
One such hidden corner was the Jazz life at Arteria, a jazz club that I visited in Tbilisi, Georgia. It was a cozy little venue that didn’t look like much from the outside, but inside, I felt like I had stepped into another world. The dimly lit interior with red velvet curtains, candlelit tables, and a small stage set the perfect ambiance for jazz music. The musicians, who hailed from Georgia, Russia, and Italy, were incredibly talented and passionate about their craft, making it a mesmerizing experience for everyone in the audience.
Similarly, the Harris Piano Jazz Bar in Krakow, Poland, is another hidden gem. This is a small venue in the basement of a building just off Market Square in Old Town. The intimate space, which can hold around 60 people, offers an unforgettable experience for jazz enthusiasts. The venue boasts a decor that is both minimalistic and refined, while the genuine stars of the evening are the jazz musicians whose passion and flawless skills ignite an electric atmosphere for the captivated audience.
There is a certain charm to these lesser-known venues that big music halls or concert arenas can never replicate. The intimate setting, the rapport between the musicians and the audience, and the raw talent on display create a unique atmosphere not found elsewhere.
I recently journeyed to New York City to spend time with my nieces, Emily and Anna, who recently moved to the city to start new careers. They room together in a two-bedroom apartment near the Kips Bay neighborhood in Manhattan. Several years ago, when Emily was in her senior year at Northwestern in Chicago, I spent a weekend there to celebrate her 21st birthday. We wandered Chicago in search of good food and its legendary blues clubs. Now in New York, we planned to do the same, with her younger sister tagging along.
Once again, we’d wander a big city to indulge in the magic and fun of finding and hearing new artists. But, instead of big-name acts in larger theaters or concert halls, we sought out smaller, more intimate live music venues. Like Chicago, we focused our adventure on the blues, indie rock, and folk.
Night One: Rockabilly & Blues
For our first show, and the only one I reserved tickets for in advance, we’d head to the venerable Iridium to see former Stray Cats, bass player, and vocalist Lee Rocker. Just a short distance from Broadway and Times Square, all the eateries in the theater district were full. So we grabbed an early meal a few blocks away at Limani, a Greek restaurant with excellent fresh fish.
Since 1994, the Iridium has hosted famous musicians from various genres. Legendary guitarist Les Paul famously played there every Monday night until his death in 2009. Other notable acts that have graced the Iridium’s stage include rockers Jeff Beck and Steve Miller, blues legends Buddy Guy and Robert Cray, and jazz greats such as Ron Carter and Paquito D’Rivera.
Even though it seats less than 200 people, it still attracts these big-name acts. The layout is intimate, with tables and chairs arranged in front of the modest stage. The decor is simple, with a brick wall adorned with publicity images of past performers. It’s a favorite destination for established and up-and-coming performers; the Iridium is an absolute must-stop for any music lover in the city.
For dining, Iridium's primary focus is bar food, but I was surprised by the small yet interesting selection of moderately priced wines. We found a 2011 Syrah from the Sonoma winery Red Car for only $39, a fantastic find in a city where the average price for just one glass of wine is $15-$22. Wow, it was delicious. The food selection may be minimal, but Iridium focuses on delivering a fantastic live music experience.
Tonight, the 61-year-old Lee Rocker was energetic and in full command of his five-piece band. He swung his massive upright bass around just as he did in his early 20s when he, Brian Setzer, and the Stray Cats were on top of the charts. The hour-and-a-half-long set included classic Stray Cats hits such as Stray Cat Strut, Rumble In Brighton, Rock This Town and Runaway Boys and new material from a recently released album and covers of “City of New Orleans” and Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes.”
After Rocker completed his set, we headed to the East Village for our second show of the night. We ducked into Terra Blues, a venue that has been around for over 20 years. Vintage decor and dim lighting accent its cozy atmosphere. Legendary blues guitarist Junior Mack was on stage with his band and the blind blues guitarist and harmonica player, Noé (pronounced ‘No-ay’) Socha. A standing-room-only crowd packed the small venue this Friday evening.
Between sets, I chatted with Junior Mack, whose list of credits includes sitting in with The Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Cyndi Lauper, to name a few. Curious, I asked Mack about the blind guitar player. He told me he randomly ran into him one evening at a local jam session. Mack and his band belted out the blues, but it was the incredible playing by the blind guy that dominated the set and mesmerized the nearly full-house crowd.
Comedy, Bluegrass, and Psychedelic Roots Rock: Night Two
For our second evening of wandering, we started with an early dinner at one of New York’s famous Omakase restaurants, Sushi Blossoms on 8th Avenue. Omakase is a Japanese culinary tradition that translates to ‘I’ll leave it up to you.’ It means entrusting the chef to create a culinary experience with the freshest ingredients available. This was the first time Emily experienced a 12-course sushi experience — solely at the chef’s whim. I felt proud of Emily for being open and trying everything, a brave move for a young woman I remember as a very picky eater growing up.
After a glass of Greek wine at the Milos Wine Bar in Hudson Yards, we met up with one of Emily’s friends and headed to Brooklyn for a stand-up comedy show held in a local neighborhood laundromat. “Washed Up Comedy” is the idea of one of Anna’s former coworkers at a tech company. A victim of layoffs at a tech firm, Cooper Kim, along with his friend Max Hornstein host the ad hoc comedy show like a pop-up. Besides the rotating cast of comedians, guests can find cold beer on ice in the washers and Jello shots on top of the dryers—self-serve and payable using the honor system.
After the show, we took a short Uber ride to the Red Hook district, a charming, rustic neighborhood with a lot of history. First settled in the early 1600s, from the 19th to the early 20th century Red Hook served as a major shipping port until the late 1940s when the 278 Gowanus Expressway and then in the 1950s, the opening of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel severed Red Hook from the rest of the district.
Today, like most of Brooklyn, Red Hook is getting hip and gentrified. Yet, tucked away down a cobble-stoned street, we found some of Red Hook’s glorious past at Sunny’s Bar. Since it opened in 1890, it served working-class patrons cold beer and cocktails. Today Sunny’s still has the old-school neighborhood bar vibe, with random kitsch and artwork lining the walls, and when we arrived, locals and regulars lined up two-deep at the bar.
The bar comprises three rooms lined front to back, and in the back room, on a makeshift bandstand with a honky-tonk piano, patrons can hear some rendition of folk, Americana, and bluegrass music almost every night of the week. Periodically, Sunny’s hosts exhibitions by local artists.
We wandered to the backroom, where we found a group of almost a dozen musicians on the small stage. None of the musicians were well-known, and it almost seemed like they were just friends who got together occasionally to play and jam. There were a few guitarists, a mandolin player, a piano player, a couple of fiddlers, a banjo player, and several others. The atmosphere was relaxed and informal, and we waited for the music. With nobody seemingly in charge, I thought the troupe was like a bluegrass revue with a severe case of decision fatigue. Finally, the guy at the piano started belting out “Midnight Special,” soon the other musicians joined in, with each eventually taking a few measures of a solo—but with nobody amplified and the dull roar of the bar crowd, it was hard to hear anyone but the piano player.
Later, while waiting for our Uber to take us back to Manhattan, I noticed a live music schedule posted on the wall near the bathroom. The guy holding a beer and waiting for the bathroom told me the music is excellent on most nights. He points to the back and says, “This is kinda like an open mic—you should come back when there’s a proper band.”
After midnight, we were back in Manhattan, where we negotiated a discounted cover charge to get into The Bitter End, another legendary East Village venue next door to Terra Blues. Like most of these intimate venues, The Bitter End also shares a rich history and multiple claims to fame. Since its doors opened in 1961, the Bitter End has been a staple of the New York City music scene, where music legends such as Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Billy Joel, and Joni Mitchell all have performed here.
Here we sat front row for the amazing final set from yet another new band, Johnny in the Basement, a local NYC-based psychedelic roots rock collective. The power and soul of the left-handed guitarist leading the band, Will Bart astounded us. Their nearly twenty-minute jam of Alex North’s “Also sprach Zarathustra” (theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) with improvisational and funky grooves by the keyboard player and string-bending soulful guitar solos by Bart and two others on stage. They followed up with another jam favorite, a guitar-wailing rendition of The Allman Brother’s Band “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Another stunning performance by a little-known group. (I made a video of most of this performance, you can watch it here.)
The magic of big cities lies in the fact that they never sleep, and when it comes to live music, you can always count on finding late-night performances. So, not wanting to cut this Saturday night short, we left The Bitter End and darted next door back to Terra Blues, which features live music until 3 AM. There, we caught the last set by another blues legend, SaRon Crenshaw, and were swept away by the moving melodies and electrifying energy of blues standards including a soulful version of “The Thrill Is Gone.” It was the perfect end to a night full of adventure and discovery, and we returned to our pillows in midtown feeling alive and inspired.
The Final Night: Avant-Garde Bluesy Rock and Swing Blues
On our last night together, we headed to Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Rockwood is known for supporting folk, blues, Americana, and singer-songwriters. The eclectic venue has three stages; two are at street level, and a third is down in the Basement. Each has a separate entrance, and Stage 1 features smaller acts, no cover charge, and the bands change every hour.
To get a sense of Rockwood’s vibe, we started with Stage 1. We were pleasantly surprised to find the Nashville indie-rock duo Volk with Eleot Reich on drums and vocals and guitarist Christopher Lowe. After they ended their short avant-garde bluesy rock set, we wandered to the nearby Argentinean restaurant, Balvenera, for dinner before heading back to Rockwood. With imported grass-fed Argentinean beef paired with delicious Malbec, I strongly recommend this gem of an eatery.
This time we climbed down the stairs to Stage 3, where the soulful Emy Bruzzo commanded her five-piece rockabilly and swing blues band, Emy and the Epix, with powerful vocals and dancing—she blew us away with her performance. We took note to look her up the next time we're out looking for live music—if you’re in or going to be in Manhattan, you might want to find her as well.
There are a few oddities about Rockwood Music Hall worth noting. First, they don’t accept credit cards or any form of electronic payment, such as Venmo. They don’t serve food or snacks, and the beer and alcohol selection is pitiful. All of this seems strange to me that here in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, that a three-stage live music club seems so backward. Okay, so the music is paramount, I get that, but a night out on the town should be an experience. Rockwood needs to up its game.
There’s nothing like indulging in live music nightlife in almost any city. So on this quick three-night journey, I treated myself and my nieces to the beauty and magic of exploring live music. Here in New York, there are so many options. From legendary venues like The Bitter End and Iridium to small, intimate spaces like Sunny’s Bar, Terra Blues, Rockwood Music Hall, and others, the city offers plenty of diverse choices for music lovers.
Embracing openness in every facet of life, from music and culture to food and human connections, is vital for living a rich and inspired life. In today’s world, where music scenes are saturated with DJ-fed samples, mesmerizing EDM beats, and soulless auto-tuned pop hits, discovering a new artist can be an enriching experience. Supporting live music has never been more critical, so venture beyond your musical comfort zone, embark on a journey of exploration, and treasure and honor those who share their hearts on intimate and often tiny stages fueled by their sheer love and passion for live performances and personal expression.
No matter which city you find yourself in—be it New York City, Krakow, or Tbilisi—take a chance at a small venue or an unknown artist and find the soul of the place while experiencing the magic of live music. By doing so, you open yourself up to rich and authentic experiences that resonate on a deeper level. Similarly, exploring diverse cuisines can lead to a more profound understanding and appreciation of different cultures and traditions. Savoring new flavors, textures, and cooking styles expands the palate and may even lead to a newfound love for cooking and experimenting in the kitchen.
The same principle applies to cultivating human connections, as building meaningful relationships with people from all walks of life enriches our existence by fostering empathy, understanding, and growth. Expose yourself to new ideas, beliefs, and perspectives to spark engaging conversations, broaden your worldview, and strengthen the bonds that tie us together as human beings. Ultimately, embracing openness will invigorate your very essence, allowing you to discover, flourish, and succeed well beyond your dreams.