$10 cover
Join local singer-songwriter Sean Kiely each Third Thursday for a NICE night of unexpected variety, music, fun, & feelings. Every month will feature a set of music by a guest artist, a performance by an artist from another medium (comedy, poetry, or more), and a set of music by Sean and his collaborators. Who knows who might show up to sit in.
Sean Kiely is one of Jersey City’s most exciting and original singer-songwriters. His music contemplates the world with a keen eye and an ear for unusual and compelling beauty. He has released several acclaimed recordings under his own name, in addition to being an in-demand guitarist and singer on the local bluegrass scene and producer for other artists. He is often joined on stage by the area’s finest progressive folk-leaning musicians. David Crosby once said of his 2018 EP It Sure Was Good: “Fascinating music ... Very unusual, which of course I like.” WEB: seankielymusic.com SOCIAL: instagram.com/sean0sean
Sam Kogon describes his new approach as that of an “Upstate country rockabilly crooner,” a sound he had once put off while playing in Brooklyn’s psychedelic scene. Kogon lived and played in New York for several years, but nowadays lives in Westchester and spends more time in the Hudson Valley. He has always skewed a little older in his sensibilities, from an early affinity for Chopin and the Beatles to the session work he’s done with Al Jardine of The Beach Boys, fronting the 1960's revived baroque pop group The Left Banke ("Walk Away Renee"), and songwriting with Grammy Award nominee Patty Smyth. He has recorded two albums of psych-adjacent power pop, including 2016’s standout Psychic Tears (Beyond Beyond is Beyond), which was co-produced by Kogon and Sam Owens (aka Sam Evian) and features a duet with Frankie Cosmos on the track "I Was Always Talking." His latest release is a self-titled 4 track EP, recorded and produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile) at Stewart Lerman’s Hobo Sound Studios in Weehawken, NJ. His partnership with Agnello came about in a somewhat roundabout way. After coming off three self-booked US/Canadian tours, Kogon was cast as a featured extra in Martin Scorsese’s crime epic The Irishman as a backing musician for Jerry Vale, played in the film by Steven Van Zandt. He hit it off with music supervisor Stewart Lerman and, after sending some demos along, received a recommendation for working with Agnello. The sessions were assisted by Jeremy Delaney and James Frazee. The songs were mastered by Steve Fallone (Arcade Fire, Angel Olsen, Big Thief).
Little Steven aka Steven Van Zandt (from the E Street Band) has named Sam's first single, "Barbed Wire," as one of The Coolest Songs in The World and featured it on his Sirius XM show "Little Steven's Underground Garage."
"A student of 1960s pop, Kogon is paring down his previous psychedelic sound and exploring his country roots. On "Find Out," Kogon's winning falsetto gives the hopeful love song a winning charm."
- The Boot
"Dusty guitar pop [...] recalls late-'70s powerpop acts like Nick Lowe and Marshall Crenshaw"
- Brooklyn Vegan
WEB: samkogon.com SOCIAL: instagram.com/samkogon
Madelein Smith is a touring comedian based in New York City. She performs in clubs and venues all around the city, including Broadway Comedy Club, Eastville Comedy Club, and cool places in hip parts of Brooklyn where she could never afford to live. Madelein got her start in comedy in Rochester NY, where she was the creator, host, and producer of a monthly all female show entitled “Rage Against the Vageen” which ran for two years at The Comedy Club in Webster NY. WEB: madeleinsmithcomedy.com SOCIAL: instagram.com/madeleinsmith