New York is unparalleled as a live music city. Most nights, let alone weeks, present an array of world-class gig options in every genre imaginable. But with that vast menu comes a certain degree of bewilderment: What’s the best way to sift through it all?
That’s where Gothamist comes in. Each month, we’ll scan the listings for jazz clubs, rock clubs, dance clubs and more to bring you an expertly curated, genre-spanning round-up of can’t-miss shows. The only criteria for inclusion is that anything listed here is something we’d actually recommend to a friend — or pick up tickets to ourselves.
Whatever kind of love-centric soundtrack you might have in mind as we head into Valentine’s season, the February live music calendar has you covered. We’ve got romantic jazz ballads, raunchy club bangers and everything in between for your next 28 days.
SHOW OF THE MONTH
Sheer Mag
Mercury Lounge; Feb. 27
TV Eye; Feb. 28
Coming across the work of Sheer Mag can feel like discovering a species long thought extinct: In a time of streaming glut and AI encroachment, could a rock band this impossibly badass still be grinding it out in the clubs? Debuting around a decade ago with a series of gloriously lo-fi 7-inches, the Philadelphia outfit combines the razor-sharp riffing of ’70s and ’80s hard rock with the plush AM radio songcraft that flourished during the same era. Imagine Judas Priest covering Fleetwood Mac and you’ll get a good idea of their singular blend of grit and sophistication. Whether you’re catching the Mag for the first time or the 10th (raises hand), these two intimate gigs are a must.
Underground Resistance All Day
Nowadays; Feb. 1
“My arch enemy: major record companies,” Underground Resistance cofounder “Mad” Mike Banks has said of the driving ethos of his pioneering Detroit techno collective. “In they need for greed, they kill culture.” The group he cofounded with Jeff Mills in 1989 has pushed back against that homogeneity for more than 35 years, producing psychedelic, richly layered beatscapes. Banks brings the UR experience east, for a marathon takeover at Queens dance-music haven Nowadays — a prime chance to connect with a homegrown electronic-music legacy
Real Young and Lazy Horse
Union Pool; Feb. 1
As the founder of Shea Stadium BK, a bygone Bushwick DIY venue that was ground zero for sweaty Brooklyn shows in the 2010s, engineer and multi-instrumentalist Adam Reich knows a thing or two about making a neighborhood gig feel like rock and roll heaven. More recently, he’s applied that ethos to the immortal catalog of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, shouting and shredding his way through classics like “Tonight’s the Night” and “Down by the River” during regular summer appearances at beloved Rockaway Beach burger joint Rippers. Here, Reich, a.k.a. Real Young, and his Lazy Horse backing band continue their so-called Winterlong Residency at another local institution, Williamsburg’s Union Pool, whose vibey back room is the perfect home for their faithfully rowdy renditions.
No list of the quintessential New York bands is complete without ESG. Informed equally by James Brown and the Latin percussion its founding members, the four Scroggins sisters, heard growing up in the South Bronx in the ’70s, the band famously landed a deal with tastemaking Manchester post-punk label Factory and honed a danceable and wildly catchy brand of minimalist funk that would prove both hugely influential (and, to the band’s dismay, highly sampleable). The band is currently in the midst of what’s being billed as its Final Dance Tour, so this could be one of your last chances to catch these sui generis local icons.
Dianne Reeves
Jazz at Lincoln Center: Rose Theater; Feb. 13 and 14
There are Valentine’s Day shows in New York, and then there’s Dianne Reeves’ annual mid-February stand at Jazz at Lincoln Center, which has been ongoing for more than a decade. Reeves is a jazz vocal technician of the highest order, with five Grammys to her name and a discography populated by legendary names such as Herbie Hancock and Clark Terry. But what makes her unmissable, and what makes this the classiest Cupid-themed show on this month’s calendar, is the way she keeps jazz standards fresh with contemporary arrangements and the palpable warmth of her voice, which she uses both to belt out the words and to soar in horn-like improv flights.
Gary Bartz
Le Poisson Rouge; Feb. 26
Gary Bartz — a veteran saxophonist known for his work alongside Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner and other top jazz names — had a simple vision for his latest album: He wanted to record songs that he likes to sing in the shower. The result — featuring smooth and soulful takes on classics by Earth, Wind & Fire; Midnight Star; Curtis Mayfield and others — is a lovely showcase for a saxophonist who has always transcended genre distinctions. Since his ’70s days leading the funky and socially conscious NTU Troop, he’s excelled at reaching diverse audiences with his poignant alto sound, which makes this gig a great bet for both insiders and the jazz-curious.
Peaches + Model/Actriz
Knockdown Center; Feb. 28
“I’m a horny little f—er and I’ll bring you to your knees,” Peaches coolly announces on a recent single, instantly reassuring anyone that the Canadian electropunk icon who blessed the early aughts with “F— the Pain Away” hasn’t toned down her act in the slightest in the decade-plus since she last put out an album. Expect an NSFW dance party for the ages as she hits Queens’ cavernous Knockdown Center in the wake of the release of her new LP, No Lube So Rude, with support from buzzy industrial-punks Model/Actriz, whose proudly queer, sex-positive perspective makes them a perfect fit for the bill.
Mavis Staples and Allison Russell
Beacon Theatre; Feb. 28
Mavis Staples has never had to try very hard to remain relevant: There’s something about the conviction of her delivery, tough and tender in equal measure, that naturally resonates across generations. The recent “Sad and Beautiful World” finds the Staple Singers veteran covering everyone from Frank Ocean to Curtis Mayfield and Sparklehorse, with help from a diverse cast that includes roots-music royalty such as Buddy Guy and Bonnie Raitt as well as indie-sphere luminaries like MJ Lenderman, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a special guest or three turn up at this Beacon Theatre gig, also featuring singer-songwriter Allison Russell, who cowrote a track on Staples’s latest.