Indie Sounds NY & Austin

Five Minutes with Paul Oveisi of ZirZamin

Since departing Austin for NYC last year, Paul Oveisi has been a busy man - running music for Hill Country BBQ's expanding empire, and now opening his own intimate space in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, dubbed ZirZamin.  Indie Sounds got the scoop on the new venue, what Paul thinks about the NYC music scene, and whether Austin is still in his future.



Indie Sounds: So, you have a new venue - in NYC - called ZirZamin.  For starters, what does ZirZamin mean?

Paul Oveisi: It means "underground" in Farsi.  I went back and forth on this a lot.  I really, really wanted to call the club ZirZamin but a lot of folks said it was too ethnic or too tough to pronounce.  After awhile, I just decided to go with my gut.  I couldn't stop thinking about the word.  It means more than literally "underground" but reflects the attitude musicians have in Iran, where the government prohibits music and artists literally have to find hidden spaces to work on their craft.

Momo's Update, Benefit for Staff

Here's a bit more information on why Momo's closed it's doors abruptly - back story here - on December 27th ...

According to Austin Music Source: "When Momo’s closed its doors on Dec. 27, it was because of code violations related to renovations by the landlord on the first floor below Momo’s at 618 W. Sixth St., Austin music program manager Don Pitts confirmed Friday.

When the club, which had been open for 11 years, closed without warning, owner Paul Oveisi cited 'a large renovation' that prevented the club from operating, but did not give details.  Pitts said that the violations included working beyond the scope of the permit as well as the removal of structural walls and beams that made the second floor [where Momo's is located] unsafe for use."

The closure put 16 staff out of work.  This Saturday, a benefit for them will be held at Antone's.  A number of bands will perform, some including staff members and others that regularly performed at Momo's.  Tickets are here.

Rockwood Has a Facebook Page

A real one, not one of those daft auto-created ones, and it's here.  While this would hardly be news for most endeavors, considering Rockwood Music Hall has always gone out of its way to not promote itself, it's kinda big.



What's next?  Photos on the website?

Or maybe a party to celebrate its 7th birthday on January 26th?

The return of 'Late Night' would be good.

It Won't Be The Same Without Momo's

On Christmas Eve, I dropped by Momo's in Austin to catch performances by Jason Blum and Suzanna Choffel.  I didn't know - no one there did - that it would be the last night of music at Momo's, at least in its current location.



The first sign that something was wrong was the day after Christmas when that night's performances were abruptly cancelled.  It seems renovations to the ground floor of the building - where a new bar is planned - had caused some structural integrity issues that needed urgent attention.  Shows were cancelled the next day too.  Then, at 10pm on Tuesday the 27th, came this bombshell:

"It is with a heavy heart that I announce after 11 years Momo's on 6th is closing. While I cannot go into all the details, legally I can say the following: 'The building that is currently home to Momo’s is under construction and undergoing a large renovation.  Under present circumstances, Momo’s will no longer be operating at this location.  The building owner is working with Momo’s to secure a new home and hope to find one as soon as possible.'  We are already scouting for new locations and hope to have an announcement in early 2012."

It's unclear what went on, or wrong, with the renovations, or where culpability lies, but the situation there was later described as "a hazardous change" ... which seemingly is not going to be rectified anytime soon.

Momo's closing is a huge blow to the Austin live music scene.  It was a venue that was universally respected, along with its owner Paul Oveisi, as a haven for great music from many genres, where young bands could get a start and develop, and where the music community would gather to meet, greet and collaborate.  A good few of that community worked at the venue - fine people, all of them.  Let's hope we'll see Momo's 2.0 rise up to rock once again.

Please Help Save Caffe Vivaldi

Caffe Vivaldi is a charming eatery and a great music venue in NYC, and owner Ishrat Ansari is a selfless champion of emerging musical talent who has helped many artists, both local and those passing through.  Sadly, it's facing closure as a result of a proposed rent super-hike.  How can you help?  By signing the petition.


Painting by Katya Held

Sadness: Banjo Jim's Closes Tonight

Banjo Jim's on Avenue C was opened in late 2005 by Lisa Zwier-Croce as a tribute to her late husband James Casmire Kaminski Croce - aka Banjo Jim - who was killed in a car accident nearly two years previously.

A cosy but basic bar with a corner space that was a platform for live music, Banjo Jim's legacy attracted acts such as Bill Sims Jr., Lenny Kaye, Ollabelle, Adam Levy and even Odetta.


Photo by Megan Day

Tonight will be the last night of music there.

Here is a short article about the future of the bar.

Here are some great photos of live performances there.

Here is an Indie Sounds interview from a few years back.

Here is an account of when Odetta performed there.

Music at Frank: Lauren & The Black List EP Release

Frank has started to put on live music, powered by the sound system from the defunct Ghost Room.  Lauren & The Black List is one show not to miss!

Momo's Turns 10 This Weekend; Q&A with Owner Paul Oveisi

Momo's celebrates its 10 Year anniversary this weekend with two special nights of music, neither to be missed ...



Indie Sounds interrupted owner Paul Oveisi's personal birthday today for a quick chat ...

Indie Sounds: What do you have planned to celebrate the 10th anniversary?

Paul Oveisi: You know the drill. The usual: book as many amazing bands as I can squeeze into a weekend.  Some free beer and food for the first hour-ish.  We're live on KUT on Friday night.  Some good silver tequila will be guzzled.  A lot of good friends.  A ton of music.  Some special guests.  Some real pretty people. I might shave my beard.

Rockwood Stage 2 Opens This Thursday!

Barring any last-minute hitches, the second room at Rockwood Music Hall - officially dubbed Stage 2 - is set to open on Thursday of this week.

No advanced photos of the room have been made available by Rockwood's publicity-averse management, but I can exclusively reveal a few details, having been given an advanced tour by Ken Rockwood and Kendall Nash last week.

* The room is actually part of the ground floor of the LES Hotel building, to the right of the existing venue.  The only entrance is via the street, through a door next to the current venue door.

* Upon entering, one walks down a short flight of stairs to a main seating area, which is also where the bar is. A lift is available for disabled patrons.  Expect to see some familiar bartender faces serving in the new room, as well as some new ones.

* Because of the below-street-level main floor, the room ceiling is high, allowing for a delightfully quaint wrap-around balcony, accessible via a staircase next to the bar.

* The sound and lighting board is at the same level as the balcony and looks like something NASA built.

* A comfortable green room and storage is available for performers.

* The venue capacity is 150-200 depending on configuration.  On the main floor, tables fan out from the corner stage in a similar fashion to the current room.

* The full backline includes a drum kit on an optional dais, which raises it above the stage.

* A 1916 Steinway baby grand piano on the stage may be moved off it, and backed into a gap in the wall, using an ingenious winch system.  Hope it works.

* As much as possible, the existing free-entry/tip-bucket policy will apply.  Some cover charge and ticket performances are also envisaged.  In general, less acts per night will be scheduled compared to the current room.

Zach Williams will be the first act to perform on Stage 2, on Thursday at 9pm.  An honor indeed, so he'd better not fuck it up.

On Friday, Amber Rubarth and The Madison Square Gardeners play, at 9pm and 11pm.

And on Saturday, there is Julia Darling, The Grey Race and Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, at 9pm, 10pm and midnight.

It should be a great kick off for the new room.  Congrats to everyone at Rockwood who made it happen!

Papa Dish Sings to Save Freddy's

As many will know, longtime music venue Freddy's Bar & Backroom in Brooklyn faces extinction as a result of the controversial Atlantic Yards project.



There has been considerable opposition to the proposed redevelopment, which seems unlikely to deliver the benefits once stated by the developer and NYC's political top brass - and Freddy's regulars have threatened to chain themselves to the bar when eviction day comes.

It seems, though, that through the use of eminent domain legislation, the bar's fate is now sealed. But that didn't stop local singer/songwriter and activist Papa Dish from writing Keep Your Hands Off Freddy's Bar ...



For more on eminent domain and the Atlantic Yards project, read on after the jump.