Published on February 16th, 2014 | by Filthy Pedro

New York Winter Antifolk Festival 2014

The New York Antifolk Festival is almost upon us, with the marathon event featuring almost 90 artists and bands performing at the legendary Sidewalk Cafe from February 18th to the 28th.

Over the last 20 years the back room at the East Village’s Sidewalk Cafe has been an incubator, laboratory, and town square for a dynamic community of performing artists. It helped launch the careers of singer-songwriters like Regina Spektor, Adam Green, Kimya Dawson, and Jeffrey Lewis, and today is one of the few remaining Manhattan venues that welcomes and nurtures emerging performers.

More than 80 artists who represent a cross-section of standout talent from the scene will appear in the Winter Antifolk Festival 2014, running February 18 through 28. Among the notable performers scheduled are Hamell on Trial, Debe Dalton, Crazy & the Brains, Larkin Grimm, Fayaway, and Jason Trachtenburg. Special guest artists will also appear. Sidewalk Cafe is located at 94 Avenue A at East Sixth Street.

It’s been a few years since I got over to one of the New York Antifolk Festivals, but this one looks like another blinder.

I was lucky enough to see Debe Dalton when I was over last time,  and it’s a year since Hamell on Trial was cooking me an American delicacy of a toasted cheese sandwich on the Castle Pedro Aga. You don’t see many better solo performers than him.

One of the most underrated musicians in Antifolk, Brer Brian, performs midnight mass on Sunday the 23rd which I’d love to catch. I’d want to see the multi-talented Herb Scher at some point, as well as Prewar Yardsale who are back in the scene.

Lot’s of other acts I’d like to catch, like fellow Gilgamesh fan Phoebe Kreutz (who was great on her UK tour), Joe Bendik, Jon Berger, Jason Trachtenburg, Peter Dizzoza, Jim Flynn and the anglo-american Erin K, who cut her teeth in the British Antifolk scene.

There are lots of artists I’ve not seen coming though I’d like to check out as well, like Kung Fu Crimewave, Crazy & the Brains, Cannonball Statman and Bird to Prey. If you are in New York in the next couple of weeks, count your blessings and see as much as you can.

Venue: Sidewalk Cafe, 94 Avenue A (at East Sixth Street), Manhattan, New York
Dates:  February 18 through 28, 2014
Phone:  212-473-7373

Line up:

February 18, 2014

Blueberry Season 6:40
Jesse Hunter 7:20
Ben Krieger 8:00
Reign of Peace 8:40
Erin Regan 9:20
Give to Light 10:00
Clinical Trials 10:40

February 19, 2014

April Sun 6:40
Zoe Z 7:20
Barry Bliss 8:00
Prewar Yardsale 8:40
The Johns 9:20
Casey Holford 10:00
Phoebe Kreutz 10:40
Preston Spurlock 11:20
Julie LaBlahBlah Midnight

February 20, 2014

David Greenberg & Rosa Tu 7:20
A Conclave of Baer 8:00
Maya Caballero 8:40
Rav Shmuel 9:20
Herb Scher & the Key Lime Pie Revue 10:00
The Nowadays 10:40
Joe Crow Ryan 11:20

February 21, 2014

Miss Represent 7:20
Scab God 8:00
Joe Bendik 8:40
Viking 9:20
Lorraine Leckie 10:00
Crazy & the Brains 10:40
Hamell On Trial 11:20
Kung Fu Crimewave Midnight

February 22, 2014

Killy Dwyer 6:00
Tsinder Ash 6:40
Clara Engel 7:20
Meaner Pencil 8:00
Jonathan Wood Vincent 8:40
Mimi Oz 9:20
Isto 10:00
Larkin Grimm 10:40
Phoebe Novak 11:20
Chink Floyd Midnight

February 23, 2014

Blackout Night: Rodney Rigoli, MC
Josh Garcia 6:00
Obed 6:30
Brookes McKenzie 7:00
Jordan Levinson 7:40
Jon Berger 8:20
Emily Einhorn 9:00
Bird to Prey 9:50
Jason Trachtenburg 10:30
Jim Flynn 11:10
Brer Brian Midnight

February 24, 2014

The Open Stage w/ Ben Krieger (signup 7:30, music until late)
Starts: 7:00 pm

February 25, 2014

Bernard King Presents 6:40
Duckspeak 7:20
Walter E Go 8:00
Phoebe Blue & 8:40
the Make Baleaves
Touching You 9:20
Erin K 10:00
Myles Manley 10:40
Dick Jokes 11:20
JJ Hayes Midnight

February 26, 2014

Peter Dizzoza 7:20
Granny 8:00
Downward Dogs 8:40
The Grasping Straws 9:20
Cannonball Statman 10:00
Charles Mansfield 10:40
Ben Pagano Band 11:20
Joe Reichel Midnight

February 27, 2014

A Brief View Of the Hudson 7:20
Ben Shepherd 8:00
Fayaway 8:40
Soul Candy 9:20
Robot Princess 10:00
Red Gretchen 10:40
Mike Shoykhet and 11:20
The Gulash Gulag
Ray Brown Midnight

February 28, 2014

Domino 7:20
Adam Bricks 8:00
American Anymen 8:40
Sam James 9:20
Debe Dalton 10:00
Turner Cody 10:40
Jagged Leaves 11:20
Special Antifolk Guest Midnight
Yossarian Feedback 12:30
and J.J. Hayes Present “Final Report”

Tags: Festival, New York, Sidewalk Cafe, USA

About the Author

Filthy Pedro is an Antifolk musician and founder of the British Antifolk movement. Some say he is over 10,000 years old and sees Antifolk as the evolution of folk music. Others say he is actually originally from Anglesey and first got into Antifolk when he realised the type of music he liked and made had a name.

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