Jacket-weather (of the jean and other lightweight varieties) has descended upon us just in time to cram ourselves like sardines into a wide array of venues over the next five days to experience what this year’s CMJ festival has to offer.
Like last year, we compiled a non-exhaustive (but highly suggested) user’s guide to the shows and showcases we’re most looking forward to. Near the tip-top, northernmost corner of the list is Darlingside – a string-based quintet hailing from the Northeast’s Pioneer Valley who blew us away opening for River Whyless at Joe’s Pub this summer. Obviously, we weren’t the only ones who walked away from an initial listen impressed – they nabbed a prime slot at this year’s fest, taking stage 2 at Rockwood Music Hall on Saturday night. (Check out a tune below:)
And if you made it to this year’s Newport Folk Fest, hopefully you got the chance to hear both Kingsley Flood and Joe Fletcher. They left quite the mark – both on us at gcb and on fest-goers as a whole. You’ll get a couple of opps to catch them this week, so … carpe CMJ.
A fuller-bodied list of pointed suggestions follows. Plan wisely!
Tuesday, October 15
7:00 p.m. — Bird to Prey at Pete’s Candy Store
7:30 p.m. — Christopher Paul Stelling at The Rock Shop
9:00 p.m. — Margaret Glaspy at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3
10:00 p.m. — Michael Daves at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 / Adam Faucett and The Tall Grass at Pete’s Candy Store / The Lonely Wild at Arlene’s Grocery
12:00 a.m. — Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1
Wednesday, October 16
9:30 p.m. — Joy Kills Sorrow at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1
10:00 p.m. — Jesca Hoop at Rockwood Stage 3
11:30 p.m. — Wild Child at Tammany Hall
Thursday, October 17
7:00 p.m. — John Murry at Mercury Lounge
7:30 p.m. — Wild Child at Gramercy Theater
10:00 p.m. — John Murry at Littlefield
10:30 p.m. — The Saint Johns at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3
12:00 a.m. — Mandolin Orange at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1
Friday, October 18
12:00 p.m. — Jus Post Bellum at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1
6:00 p.m. — Tim Easton at Rockwood Musica Hall Stage 1
7:00 p.m. — The Falls at Rockwood Music Hall
8:00 p.m. — Mandolin Orange at Ace Hotel
11:00 p.m. — Tall Tall Trees at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2
Saturday, October 19
3:00 p.m. — Runaway Dorothy at Bowery Electric
5:00 p.m. — Kingsley Flood at Skinny Dennis
7:00 p.m. — Toy Soldiers at Alphabet Lounge
8:00 p.m. — Darlingside at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2
9:00 p.m. — Kingsley Flood at Spike Hill
11:00 p.m. — Father John Misty at Music Hall of Williamsburg
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