5 venues for free music in NYC
Though prices for A-list concerts at major venues have gone through the roof, you can experience great live music in the Big Apple without emptying your wallet. Here are five venues that showcase excellent performers free of charge.
1. Lucille's Bar & Grill
WHAT Located inside the swanky B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in Times Square, Lucille's - named after King's prized guitar - hosts top-notch soul, rock and, of course, blues artists in a cool yet casual atmosphere.
WHEN | WHERE Nightly at 8 p.m., 237 W. 42nd St.
INFO 212-997-4144, bbkingblues.com
2. BAMcafé
WHAT Celebrated performers, including Stew, Antibalas and Carl Hancock Rux, cut their teeth at the watering hole upstairs at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. These days, the lineups are just as promising: You can hear everything from Afrobeat and funk to experimental pop and jazz.
WHEN | WHERE Select Friday and Saturday nights at 9, 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn
INFO 718-636-4100, bam.org
Rodeo Bar in Manhattan, where lovers of country and honkytonk can hear live music with no cover charge. Credit: Handout
3. Rodeo Bar
WHAT City slickers in the know head to Gotham's longest-running honky-tonk for a lively scene featuring country, rockabilly and bluegrass - as well as authentic Texas barbecue and famous margaritas.
WHEN | WHERE Fridays and Saturdays, 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; Sundays through Tuesdays, 9 p.m. to midnight; Wednesdays 10 p.m. to midnight; Thursdays 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., 375 Third Ave.
INFO 212-683-6500, rodeobar.com
4. Pete's Candy Store
WHAT Whether you're fixing for singer-songwriters, New Orleans jazz, or straight-up rock and roll, there's something for everyone at this cozy and charming neighborhood watering hole, once named Best Bar in Zagat's New York City Nightlife Guide.
The scene at Zebulon, a bar and performance space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where you can hear live music with no cover. Credit: Handout
WHEN | WHERE Call or check online for set times. 709 Lorimer St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
INFO 718-302-3770, petescandystore.competescandystore.com
5. Zebulon Café Concert
WHAT This dimly lit, über-chill, Boho-chic treasure is a haven for unpretentious jazz, indie, and blues enthusiasts, who linger late into the night to soak up the tunes over a bottle of Bordeaux.
WHEN | WHERE Call or check online for set times. 258 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
INFO 718-218-6934, zebuloncafeconcert.com
