Down Home Live!
Down Home Live! - On the Lower East Side
For the best in Old-time Country & Jazz, Blues, Pre-Blues and original songs, come on down to Banjo Jim’s on the 2nd Saturday night of every month, hosted by Eli Smith of Down Home Radio.
This Month:
Saturday July 12th from 8 till Late! No Cover!
8:00 - - Eli Smith - Old-time banjo and guitar, songs, ballads, traditional, original…
9pm- Hogzilla- Bluegrass/Country/Folk group playing traditionals and originals. Great group!
10:00 pm - Hubby Jenkins - Awesome country blues!
11pm- Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues - Traditional Jug Band blues songs and great originals by harmonica player and songwriter Ernesto Gomez (and its his birthday, almost)! 
12am - Bob Malenky - Awesome country blues, Bob Malenky has toured and played with the likes of Sonny Terry and Muddy Waters! Not to miss.
Banjo Jim’s is located at:
9th St. & Ave. C
NYC
www.BanjoJims.com
And don’t forget to check out Down Home Radio Show,
Hosted by Eli Smith
“The Cangelosi Cards are one of the best bands I’ve seen anywhere. They have a great live show, perfect for dancing! I envy any one who has not yet seen them because you now have the chance to see them for the first time! They keep it strictly real, playing traditional New Orleans style jazz, but continue to see at as a living tradition- and as such bring in influences from outside the cannon, such as country, blues, and early popular music. The level of musicianship is brilliant, bring your dancing shoes!”
- Eli Smith
Producer/Host Down Home Radio
Check out some of their tracks, recorded live @ Banjo Jim’s:
The Cards play every Monday @ Banjo Jims starting at 9pm.
They also play many other nights through out the week.
For more information, click here.
Down Home Lives of the Past:
Saturday June 14th from 8 till Late! No Cover!
THE EAST RIVER STRING BAND’S CD & LP RELEASE PARTY!
8:00 - - Eli Smith - Old-time banjo and guitar, songs, ballads, traditional, original…
9pm- Terry Waldo - Terry Waldo is considered one of America’s premier performers and presenters of Ragtime and Early Jazz, he is the protege of the legendary Eubie Blake, who called Waldo “an extension of my own musical self.” Waldo has played countless New York jazz venues, including Carnegie Hall, produced and starred in nine different musical revues. He recently appeared on the Tonight Show to perform his own composition, “The Laughing Blues,” with Leon Redbone. Waldo produced a popular radio series for NPR called This Is Ragtime and authored an award-winning book by the same title.
10:00 pm - East River String Band - Duo playing rural country blues and popular music of the 20’s and 30’s. Check out their new CD/LP “Some Cold Rainy Day” with artwork by R. Crumb!
11pm - The Cangelosi Cards - Awesome New Orleans jazz, blues, swing, you name it. See my review below. This band is not to be missed! And bring your dancing shoes.
Saturday May 24th from 8 till Late! No Cover!
Last minute addition to the lineup! - 8:00 - Willy Gantrim - Early country songs, blues, and originals. Great stuff! Look out for an interview with Willy, coming soon on Down Home Radio.
8:30 - Eli Smith - Old-time banjo and guitar, songs, ballads, traditional, original…
9pm- John Houx - Excellent folk singer and song writer
10:00 pm Alicia Jo Rabins - Excellent fiddler, songwriter
11pm - Alex Karlinski - Excellent, funny, lefty singer, song writer and parodyer (yes he plays electric folks!) On tour from Europe!
Saturday April 12th from 8 till Late! No Cover!
8pm - Feral Foster - Blues, street preacher style slide guitar!
8:45 - Kenny Kosek - One of America’s finest fiddlers; he has played and recorded with numerous bluegrass and new acoustic bands, including Country Cooking, Breakfast Special, Bill Keith and Tony Trischka. In addition, he has worked with artists as diverse as Laurie Anderson, Steve Goodman, John Denver, James Taylor, Jerry Garcia, Loudon Wainwright III and The New Blue Velvet Band.
9:30 - Fresh Baked Bluegrass - New York based bluegrass band playing traditional style as well
as more modern and original songs.
11pm - 12:30am-Miss Tess - Vintage style songwriter exploring jazz, country, blues, etc. on tour from Boston. Winner of the 27th biannual Open Mic Shootout at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA!
12:30am -???? More Music!!!
The Cangelosi Cards will not be appearing this Saturday because of an out of town engagement. But check them out at Banjo Jims every monday night!
Saturday March 8th from 8 till Late! No Cover!
8pm: The Tillers - Banjo, guitar, fiddle, bass, etc -playing old and new songs, personal and political themes
8:45: Eli Smith - Old-time banjo and guitar, songs, ballads, traditional, original…
9pm: Mat Callahan & Yvonne Moore - Original Leftist political songs.
10:pm The East River String Band - Duo playing rural country blues and popular music of the 20’s and 30’s
11:pm The Cangelosi Cards - Awesome New Orleans jazz, blues, swing, you name it. See my review below. This band is not to be missed! And bring your dancing shoes.
Saturday Feb. 16th from 8 till Late!
8pm Eli Smith - Old-time banjo and guitar, songs, ballads, traditional, original…
8:30 Frank Hoier -Traditionals and great original songs performed on guitar and harmonica!
9:15 Diapensia - Old-time banjo and guitar duet, on tour from Baltimore, MD!
10:00 Al Duvall -Born on Pancake Day, 1877, in Wryneck-on-Bellend, Shysterchestershire, England, in the Royal Workhouse for Children, where his parents were inmates. He was deemed ineligible for residence, as he had living parents, and expelled immediately. He learned the motions of banjo playing in London, as a toilet trader,and later worked the music halls as The Albino Blackface Singer, The World’s Weakest Strongman, and That Git With The Bloody Kazoo. During military service in Borneo at the Liberation Massacre of 1904, he was killed by a cannibal. His last words were: “There’s a man after my own heart.” His wandering spirit continues to entertain crowds to this day.
11pm The Cangelosi Cards - Awesome New Orleans jazz, blues, swing, you name it. See my review below. This band is not to be missed! And bring your dancing shoes.
Saturday Jan. 12th from 8 till Late!
8:30- Eli Smith - Old-time, Blues and Original Songs
9pm - American String Conspiracy -Blues, Country, Folk, Original Songs on various string instruments!
10pm- Alex Battles & The Whisky Rebellion- Great classic country style singer/songwriter. Two thumbs up! Alex is the leader of the Whiskey Rebellion, a country band based in Brooklyn, NY.
11pm- Vincent Cross & Good Company - Great bluegrass band playing original songs- “New Songs, Old Sound.”
Saturday Dec. 8th from 8 till Late!
8:30 - Chappy - Folky fusion music
9:30 - The Y’all Stars - A great bluegrass band from right here in NYC!
11pm - Feral Foster - Blues, street preacher style slide guitar!
12am- The Square Struts - Blues, old-time, etc.
Saturday Nov. 10th- from 8 till late!
8-8:45: Curtis Eller’s American Circus - “New York’s angriest yodeling banjo player, he sings about pigeon racing, performing elephants and Jesus, all of which he has seen with his own eyes.”
9-9:45: Bob Malenky - Awesome, real deal delta and piedmont blues.
10-10:45: Delta Dream Box - Delta blues from the 1920’s and 30’s and “Classic” female vocal blues from the 20’s, Memphis blues from the 30’s and 40’s.
10:45-11:30: Eli Smith - Old-time, Blues and Original Songs
11:30 Cangelosi Cards - New Orleans Jazz, Swing, Blues, Country- Not to be missed, be ready to dance!
Check out some of their tracks, recorded live @ Banjo Jim’s:
Saturday Oct. 6th- from 8 till late!
8:30 - 10pm: Joe Hickerson - Librarian and Director of the Archive of Folk Song at the Library of Congress, a “vintage, pre-plugged, paleoacoustic folksinger,” he’s great! ($5 Cover, he’s coming all the way from Washington D.C!) Bob Dylan recommends Joe on p. 143 of his autobiography “Chronicles” and I recommend him too! This is gonna be a great show!
10:15pm- 1am: Eli Smith w/Special Guests, the Roots ‘n’ Ruckus Collective, playing a whole bunch of blues, old time and original material. These folks are great!
11-11:20pm: Randy Credico - Political stand-up comedy. What’s funnier than politics?! Randy’s great, highly recommended.
Special 2 Nights of Down Home Live!
Friday Sept. 7th & Saturday Sept. 8th from 8 ’till Late
Part 1- Friday:
8pm- Eli Smith playing old time, blues, and originals on guitar and banjo
8:30pm- Chelsea String Band, old time string band music with guitar, banjo and fiddle
9:30pm- Al Duvall, ragtimey, banjo, old type popular music
10:30 (Ms.) Mamie & Bob, gut bucket and classic blues
Part 2- Saturday
8pm-11pm or later- Roots ‘n Ruckus Collective- This is a great group of people, playing mostly blues and original songs based here in New York. Not to be missed!
Peter Siegel and Eli Smith will be playing their double banjo music at 10pm
Sat. August 11th
8pm: Eli Smith - Old-Time and blues
8:20pm Pat Conte
Pat the legendary singer/guitarist and curator of the Secret Museum of Mankind will be playing selections from his new solo album!
9:20pm The Otis Brothers
Pat and Bob in their awesome duet set-up, playing blues, pre-blues, old-time and gospel on banjo, fiddle & guitar. These guys can sing!
10:20pm Raul Otis & The Blues Serenaders
A great blues band fronted by Raul Otis (Bob Guida) and featuring the staff of Retrofret, the amazing guitar store by the Gawanus Canal! These guys are excellent, and as you might imagine have by far the nicest instruments of any band around. Check out the Stroh fiddle!
11:20pm Cangelosi Cards 11:00 - Late
Sat. July 14th 8pm-Late
Bastille Day & Woody Guthrie’s 95th Birthday!
Feral Foster 8-8:45pm
Country Blues and Folk Songs. The host of the Village Ma’s “Roots & Ruckus” night appears at Banjo Jim’s!
Peter Siegel & Eli Smith 8:50-9:15pm
2 Oldtime banjo players playing simultaneously.
“We don’t do that one.”
Bob Malenky 9:15-10pm
Country Blues
Los Differentes de Gabriel Ramirez 10-10:50
Mexican Norteño band playing corridos (ballads) with guitar, accordion, etc. They’re great!
Cangelosi Cards 11:00 - Late
“The Cangelosi Cards - One of New Yorks hardest working bands- When you hear them, you will understand. Simply the music makes people happy! The Cards perform Dixie Land, Swing and Blues. Tamar is truly an original singer and has a wonderful stage presence. Professional and talented amateur swing dancers come down and add to the atmosphere greatly!”
Check out some of their tracks, recorded live @ Banjo Jim’s:
Get Some Cash for Your Trash
Pretend There’s A Moon
Four or Five Times
Bill Bailey
The Cards play every Monday @ Banjo Jims starting at 9pm.
They also play every Wednesday night @ the Telephone Bar
(2nd Ave between 9th & 10th st.)
Sat. June 9th 8pm-Late
The Otis Brothers 8-9pm
The great blues and folk singers of Queens. Not to be missed!
Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues 9-9:45pm
Country blues and original jug band music
Eli Smith 9:50-10:15pm
Oldtime, Blues, Pre-blues, Country
Traditional & Original songs
East River String Band 10:15-11:00
Gut-bucket bluesy guitar pickin’ and singin’ duet.
Cangelosi Cards 11:00 - Late
Sat. May 12th 8pm-Late
Bogs Visionary Orchestra 8-8:45pm
Original songs, folk based but contemporary experimental
2nd Fiddles 9-9:50pm
Ragtime Blues
Eli Smith 10-10:30pm
Oldtime, Blues, Pre-blues, Country
Traditional & Original songs
Miss Mamie 10:30-11:15
Gut-bucket classic bluesy guitar pickin’ and washboard rubbin’
Cangelosi Cards 11:30pm - Late
Sat. March 24th 8pm-Late
Eli Smith 8-8:30pm
Oldtime, Blues, Pre-blues, Country
Traditional & Original songs
Mat Callahan & Yvonne Moore 8:30-9:30pm
- Original Leftist political songs, great stuff.
Bob Malenky +
The Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues (& Friends)
9:30-10:45pm
Outstanding Country Blues and original Jug Band Music
Cangelosi Cards 10:45pm - Late
Sat. February 17th 9pm-Late
Eli Smith 9-9:30pm
Oldtime, Blues, Pre-blues, Country
Traditional & Original songs
Peter Stampfel, John Cohen, Pat Conte, Betty Berkin and Walker Shepard 9:30-11pm
A founder of both the Holy Modal Rounders and The Fugs, Stampfel is not to be missed! He’s playing banjo and fiddle with a mix of his own awesome original songs as well a traditional material. John Cohen both as part of the New Lost City Ramblers and in his own solo work, field recordings, films, photographs, etc. is extraordinary. Pat Conte, is also really one of my all time favorites, both as part of the Otis Brothers and solo. His “Secret Museum of Mankind” CDs on Yazoo are fundamental, definitely check out his old radio show on WFMU. Betty Berkin and Walker Shepard come highly recommended. This will be a great show.
Mark Tipton & Friends 11:00-Late
Mark Tipton and his awesome trumpet will be leading an equally awesome New Orleans style jazz band. Anything could happen.