Happy New Year and welcome to the 1st column of 2025 for Tits Up Big Apple!! While December maybe a time to reflect on the past year’s adventures, January brings us new exploits, new music, along with the best NYC has to offer when it comes to residencies and tried and true traditions.
What is a residency, you inquire? Generally speaking, it’s when a musician or band has a consistent weekly/monthly gig at the same locale. However, on the isle of Manhattan there is a residency that defies definition and time – that would be Unsteady Freddie’s Surf-Rock Shindigs held each and every first Saturday night of the month for over 20 years at Otto’s Shrunken Head Tiki Bar! One of the very first surf combos to play at the very first Surf-Rock Shindig in May of 2004 was none other than The Supertones, a 4-piece powerhouse that has been satisfying hodads and betties with a love of soaking wet reverb for decades. So I guess it’s no coincidence that for the first Surf-Shindig of the Year and Birthday one at that, the Unsteady man about town has brought them back to open up year 21 (hey, I guess that makes them of legal age to drink) along with the Tarantinos NYC and Drip 2.0 for what is expected to be big, gnarly, kick ass wave of a line up on January 4th to celebrate at Unsteady Freddie’s big ole birthday bash. The bands hit the stage at 8 pm for your dancing and listening pleasure. You might even get lei’d.
Another New York City tradition in January is the beloved Hank-O-Rama show, this year being the 21st anniversary show celebrating the life of Hank Williams Sr. on the anniversary of his untimely demise on January 1, 1953. As in previous years, this celebration of life takes place at the Bowery Electric at 7 pm on January 1st. By the time you see this, gentle reader, that date may have passed but it’ll come around again next year so put your calendar because it’s not to be missed! The Lonesome Prairie Dogs welcome a multitude of talented folk to share the stage with them for Hank-o-rama each year, including Lonesome Horns, Lenny Kaye, Tammy Faye Starlite, Stephanie Marie, Jack Grace, Ellie Goodman, Monica Passim, Elena Skye, Boo Reiners, John S. Hall, Cliff Westfall and Sean Kershaw! Oh, my stars and black lace garters, I’m gonna have a helluva good time, which I will share with you in February’s column.
And speaking of February, the infamous Sean Kershaw has his own kicky-poo annual event in February 2025! It’s the second annual Johnny Cash Birthday Tribute at the Bowery Electric on Saturday Feb. 15, 2025 at 7 pm. This show has a phenomenal line up of performers including Eli “Paperboy” Reed who graced the stage last year and Binky Griptite, guitarist for the late Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, record producer and radio DJ. You can occasionally catch Binky Griptite playing Sunday night gigs at the Bitter End on Bleeker. Sean Kershaw is no stranger (at least no stranger than yours truly) to putting on stellar shows and bringing the best talent to the stage for all to enjoy. Sean is known as the “face of Brooklyn country music”, via a Village Voice cover in 2008. But his Brooklyn adventures began long before that. Some of you, gentle readers, may recall early in this century when he made his home at the quintessential Brooklyn dive known as Hank’s Saloon and his hosting of the delightfully delicious Honkytonk Brunch. Ah, those were the days, the fuzzy, PBR and Bloody Mary soaked Sundaze…..No doubt some of the same Hank’s crew with be sharing the stage with Mr. Kershaw for the Johnny Cash Birthday Tribute at the Bowery Electric on Saturday Feb. 15, 2025 at 7 pm. As an added treat, one lucky guy or gal will have a chance to sing Folsom Prison Blues with the band! Raffle tix available at the show. And speaking of tix, get yours early as this show will sell out!
With that, I leave you, my lovelies. May the new year bring you all that you desire, may your dreams become reality and with each passing day know that I hold space in my heart for all of you. Till we meet again, I shall remain your wordsmith muse, Medea Hoar.
#bkmuses
Otto’s Shrunken Head Tiki Bar, 538 E. 14th Street, NYC
Bowery Electric, 327 Bowery, NYC
Bitter End, 147 Bleecker Street, NYC
