Whew! It’s been a whirlwind week, or, I should say, weekend, and I’m still recovering! It’s tough to write a column when you should be lying in the sun somewhere with your mind turned off, but with Captain Kirkian inspired will power, I shoulder on!

Friday night, I moseyed on over to The Anchor, a brand new spot that was having it’s grand opening at 744 Broadway, in the space formerly occupied by The Basement, and folks, my mind was blown! Finally, the Hudson Valley has a music nightclub! You know, where the lights are low, there’s a bar up front, darker music room in the back? The optional dining room is there also, off to the side. I didn’t check the menu, but the food is probably the same as the owners had at the Roundout Music Lounge, their other spot, now closed, which was good, especially for late night, around here! But you’re not there for the food! You’re there for music! And The Anchor delivers! Opening night they had Pitchfork Militia, Lara Hope and The Arktones, and a couple other bands. Saturday night of opening weekend, they had Grape and the Grain, Tigeriss, Clover, and The Blind Ambassadors, and for Sunday brunch, Jonny Monster! Pretty impressive job of booking by Brandy! From the looks of the rest of the shows they’ve already announced, the booking policy will lean towards, Rockabilly, Punk Country, Rock n Roll, Heavy Metal, Honky Tonk, and Americana, which is everything I like, just about!

The important thing about The Anchor, and why it’s so ground breaking, is that it’s a real music room, and a cool club, with good food and a good crowd, and it’s a place that national acts could play, as soon as the sound system is upgraded, which is in the works! And please don’t pre-judge The Anchor by Roundout Music Lounge, which was not a great room, and was nothing like The Anchor!

The Anchor has to be experienced! This weekend they’ve got a great schedule of Outlawbilly, Country Metal, Honky Tonk, and Americana. Sounds like fun. Stop by for a drink. I’m betting you’ll stay and be back. On music nights, admission is only $5, and all the money from the door goes to the bands!

     “The Anchor’s brought some class to the neighborhood” - Peter Head

     “Every step of the way, they did the right thing” - Dustin Bryant

     “You don’t have to walk over the stage to get to the bathroom anymore” - Kris Leterg

Saturday night, I was planning to go to The Anchor again for the second night of their Grand Opening Weekend, but, as they say, the best laid plans, etc., etc. That afternoon, I noticed that The Byrdcliffe Barn was hosting an event that started at 7:30, much earlier than The Anchor, so I decided to go there first. The Byrdcliffe Barn is another fantastic venue that should be utilized more often! It’s part of The Byrdcliffe Colony, the oldest still surviving arts and crafts colony in the USA! The barn is a wonderful old building, and when it’s filled with music, it’s magical!

The show was a record release party for Burnell Pines. I didn’t read anything more, just decided to go. Didn’t know who Burnell Pines was, but it sounded good, so off I went! Imagine my surprise when I arrived to find that Burnell Pines is Jeremy Bernstein, and the band was essentially Stoney Clove Lane, updated and modernized! I know I should have known this, but as I said, it’s been a whirlwind week, and I wasn’t paying attention! I hadn’t even noticed Adam Widoff standing around before the show (Adam is the other half of Stoney Clove), but as soon as he started playing, I knew it was him, by his guitar tone and style alone! Adam is one of the Hudson Valley’s best guitarists, and should be more widely recognized as such! Simi Stone also guested on violin and vocals! Not sure of the other musicians, but I think David Baron, Tim Bright, and Ben Perowsky were there as well!

In any event, this was an awesome show! This band, Burnell Pines, is one of the best around! Great playing, vocals, songwriting and performance! This is the standard to which all bands must rise! There were moments, and even complete songs, where I thought, this is as good as it gets! Burnell Pines is now on my can’t miss list, and I can’t wait to hear the new CD, which has been proclaimed as a masterpiece! Burnell Pines. Goin’ places!

Running out of time, so I gotta get to this week’s live music picks, cause there’s a lot of ‘em!

Wednesday, September 18 – WILLIE NELSON AND FAMILY ride into The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester for the first of two nights. THE PIXIES start a three night invasion of New York at Bowery Ballroom that sees them back here on Friday, and out in Brooklyn, at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday. The very funny, very talented, and very entertaining, ROBBIE FULKS is at Mercury Lounge in Manhattan, and the great SHEMEKIA COPELAND is at Iridium for the first of four nights, ending on Saturday.
Thursday, September 19 – Buncha stuff in the city. LEFTOVER SALMON at Brooklyn Bowl, DAVE MASON at BB King’s, JESSIE CAROLINA AND THE HOT MESS at Radegast Hall and Biergarten in Brooklyn, MICHAEL FRANTI AND SPEARHEAD at Terminal 5, and, amazingly, THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS at The Barclay Center, plus the continuing events from Wednesday! Upstate, IVAN NEVILLE’S DUMPSTAPHUNK are at Bearsville Theater.
Friday, September 20 – This week’s Pick of the Week is LONDON SOULS at Club Helsinki in Hudson! London Souls are friends of mine from Brooklyn who just got done touring with The Black Crowes (see last week’s column for a review of that), and are doing a few small shows, like this one, before going back out with Tedeschi –Trucks and Govt. Mule! In fact, they’ll be heading straight for The Beacon Theater in Manhattan after this show, where they’ll be opening for Tedeschi-Trucks on Saturday! Next time you hear about these guys, they’ll probably be headlining their own shows!

TEDESCHI-TRUCKS actually start at The Beacon Theater tonight, with one of our best songwriters, TODD SNIDER, opening. PATTI SMITH GROUP is about to become the first American rock band to play at The Metropolitan Museum of Art! Oh, I know they’ve had a few European alternative and art-rock bands, but Patti is the real American grown Rock n Roller, and what a great venue – The Met! Awesome! I’d make this a Pick of the Week if tickets weren’t so expensive. Also tonight, all in the city, THE SELECTER at Gramercy Theater, BODEANS at BB King’s, and former Mott the Hoople lead singer, IAN HUNTER, for the first of two nights, at City Winery, with WRECKLESS ERIC AND AMY RIGBY opening! A great double bill! For the after work crowd, there’s what promises to be a great show at Williamsburg Park in Brooklyn. THE DAPTONE SOUL REVUE, featuring CHARLES BRADLEY will start at 5:30! Further upstate, The Capitol Theatre is hosting LEFTOVER SALMON, ASSEMBLY OF DUST and THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS, in a really good triple bill!
Saturday, September 21 – FARM AID at SPAC, and MICKEY HART BAND at Capitol Theatre. Either of these shows will be fun, but Mickey is at the top of his game right now! Catch him if you can! And, of course, TED-TRU with LONDON SOULS – Beacon Theater!
Sunday, September 22 – The immortal LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY at Le Poisson Rouge in Manhattan!
Tuesday, September 24 – GRAHAM NASH starts a three night run at City Winery! I’m startled by this show. Graham Nash, in an intimate venue? Awesome! Also, the only 70’s Soul/RnB band that mattered, EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE open a two night engagement at The Beacon Theater.
Wednesday, September 25 – A new band, for me, THE HOWLIN’ BROTHERS, are at The Bearsville Theater, with GOLD- HOPE DUO opening. Between them, The Howlin’ Brothers play seven traditional instruments and all three sing. Hope Gold is Lara Hope and Matt ‘The Knife’ Goldpaugh. I really like The Howlin’ Brothers! Check ‘em out on YouTube, bearsvilletheater.com, or their website. Should be a good night of old timey, traditional, roots Rock n Roll, Rockabilly, stripped down RnB, Country, and Americana! What’s not to like? If you’re in the city, they’re at Hill Country Barbecue tomorrow night.
Thursday, September 26 – For you guitar geeks out there, JOE SATRIANI, with STEVE MORSE opening, at The Beacon Theater, and for the men (and women), the beautiful and talented NEKO CASE, at Radio City Music Hall! I’m betting this will be great for the following reasons: 1) She’s really good! 2) She’s peaking right now! 3) Her new song, “Man”, is at the top of my playlists right now! 4) Her first time in an historic venue of this size in New York City! Always brings out the best in any performer! Neko Case. I would love to be at this one!

Alright! Gotta run! See you next week.

Fred Perry is the owner of Reservoir Music Center on Route 28 in Kingston, and founding member of Alt-Country supergroup, The Brooklyn Cowboys, is from a 3rd generation musical family and lives in the Hudson Valley, where he does what he can to promote live music.