Gay Marshall and Cathy Grier perform together April 27th

UPDATE: Gay Marshall sent me a copy of one of the songs we wrote together called Heartbroken. Here is a link to download it for free as a fun little throwback to the '90's

Thank God It's Monday a cool Monday night series I am producing with Tony Powe, showcasing the best street and subway performers. at Bar Barramundi 67 Clinton St bet Rivington and Stanton St (Manhattan Lower East Side)

Gay Marshall and Cathy Grier at a recent Joe's Pub concert -Justin Sayre's tribute to Indigo Girls 

Gay Marshall and Cathy Grier at a recent Joe's Pub concert -Justin Sayre's tribute to Indigo Girls 

I met Gay in Paris where I was living in the early 1990's. We wrote music together. Gay went on to perform in some amazing one woman show's singing music of Brel and Piaf. She's performed in Cat's and toured with La Cage Aux Folles. I am so excited to be performing a few songs with Gay at the series Thank God It's Monday.  We'll be singing a few Phil Ochs songs (his music important now more than ever), and of course the Indigo Girls song Closer to Fine that we sang together at Joe's Pub recently. Mostly you have to come and hear Gay's amazing voice and stage presence.

Hope to see you there.  It's free!!

2013 MUNY applications due March 20th

It's that time again for the annual Music Under New York auditions held once annually.  

Follow the information and applications postmarked by March 20th

Music Under New York

Auditions

Every Spring, Music Under New York (MUNY) presents a day of auditions in Grand Central Terminal to review and add new performers to the MUNY roster. This year, MUNY held its annual auditions in May on the Northeast Balcony of the Grand Central Terminal. Here are some photos captured during the audition.

Application Process

To obtain an Audition Application Form, which is available January through March, please contact MUNY at 212-878-4678 or print it from the MUNY website.

To join MUNY, musicians and performers must apply for the auditions and submit a package of information, which includes the MUNY Audition Application form. To obtain an Audition Application form, which is available January through March, please contact MUNY at 212-878-4678 or print it from the MUNY website. For consideration, please prepare a package with the completed Application Form, a sample of your performance on CD or DVD and/or optional items such as a bio, resume, press clippings or reviews and mail it to:

MTA MUSIC UNDER NEW YORK

341 Madison Avenue, 5th Fl.

New York, NY 10017

The Audition application packages are due in the MUNY office no later than March 20th.

All performers are welcome to apply for the audition. Packages will be reviewed and approximately 60 eligible performers will be contacted and invited to perform at the auditions, which are held live, one-day only, and open to public. A panel of professionals, consisting of representatives from the music industry, cultural institutions, MTA station operations, fellow musicians and others, will judge each of the five minute performances during the audition based on the criteria of quality, variety, and appropriateness for the mass transit environment.

here's a clip I made of the 2011 auditions:

Joe's Pub afterglow

It was a great show, over before I knew it.  Here's some comments and a few pictures taken from the crowd:

  • I was one of the lucky one's THERE last night for your pure and powerful spirited proof of the power of the song - your songs, Dylan's song, incredibly musicianship, showmanship, your VOICE...you blew me away. Congratulations, Cathy! (Brenda Currin)
  • This is one beautiful lady! What a voice!Beautiful songs to challenge us! (Roger Rees) 
  • A masterful performance last night...total command of your material--and your audience! I really did have the best seat in the house. (Jack O'Brien)
  • Cathy Grier, an accomplished singer/songwriter, rocking the house at Joe's Pub. Honored to have her be a part of Subway: The Series. You were amazing as always. (Veronica Dang) 
  • Brava! Another great performance last night, Cathy. (Frank Webb)
  • That was awesome, Cat (John Douglas Pritchard) 


photo by John Pritchard

photo by Jackie Grier

photo by Graham Douglas

clip by Jane Abramson

joe's Pub

 

 

Joe's Pub @ August 8th 7pm

Coming off a fun and successful performance with Helga Davis at Celebrate Brooklyn last week, I'm excited about my upcoming gig this Wednesday August 8th 7pm, at  Joe's Pub, Public theatre  425 Lafayette St.  A wonderful club with great sound and a newly redesigned space (with food).

tickets $15 order online or call 212-967-7555

directions          parking        parking coupon

 

The last time I played Joe's Pub was in 2010 and it sold out!  From what I can see online many seats have sold, but there are still some left.  I expect it to also sell out. There really isn't a bad seat in the house and looking at the online seating map, the single seats have great views (I've been to a few concerts already and love these seats) and have a comfortable counter for drinks and food.  

Hope to see you there.

Here's a clip I recently put together to show a bit of my underground world.

 

 

 this pic is from Joe's Pub June 15, 2010 by Lilian Haider

Celebrate Brooklyn Aug 2nd

I'll be singing on the amazing soundstage at Celebrate Brooklyn tonight August 2nd 7:30 pm as a special guest of Helga Davis' The Love Show before the film Romeo and Juliet.  Love and angst, deception and greed. Love rises above-an endless human search. Isn't that why Helga asked me to perform my song Comin' Back To Me?
And Celebrate Brooklyn is a groovy way to get ready for my Joe's Pub gig next wednesday August 8th at 7pm
Hope to see you there.
Celebrate Brooklyn thursday August 2nd 9th St + Prospect Park directions
  • 6:30 Gate opens
  • 7:30 Helga Davis Love Show with special guest NYCSubwayGirl
  • 8:30 film Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet
Joe's Pub Wednesday August 8th
  • 6:00 pm doors open, dinner available and throughout the performance
  • 7:00 pm (performance time 70 mins)
Joe's Pub, Public theatre 425 Lafayette St.  directions  parking coupon

NYCSubwayGirl newsletter

For those of you in NYC, save these August dates. It's not everyday I get above ground for a concert and these 2 are truly special:

Wednesday August 8th 7pm, Joe's Pub, Public theatre425 Lafayette St.  A wonderful club with great sound and a newly redesigned space (with food) tickets $15 order onlineor call 212-967-7555 the last time I played Joe's Pub was in 2010 and it sold out!

A really groovy gig Thursday August 2nd @ Celebrate Brooklyn performing my song 'Comin' Back To Me' with WNYC and WQXR host Helga Davis' group The Love Show before the viewing of Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. Prospect Park Bandshell 9th Street & Prospect Park West, Brooklyn tickets free/$3 (suggested) 6:30 gate opens, show at 7:30

Here's a clip I recently put together to show a bit of my underground world.

June inspirations and news

June was an exciting month underground. I've had fun spontaneous encounters with some truly amazing above ground musicians you may have heard of. 

Vocalist, percussionist Vicki Randle in town performing with Mavis Staples. Local Broadway wunderkind Jim Abbott, musical director to the stars. And the musically exotic Helga Davis, host of WNYC and WQXR "Overnight Music"

I'm thrilled to have gotten some "What's Your Inspiration?" comments from them.

What inspires Helga?"Beauty and music."

What Inspires Vicki?"...what just happened.....just the sound, its the complex beautiful sound of music that creates something

inside you, it makes an emotion in me..."

What inspires Jim? "artists ...like you,.. people that do it for the love of it."

Also I was featured in an article recently by writer Laura Hankin of Galo Magazine.  "Female Subway Musicians A Rarity" 

Happy summer, and I hope to see you at one of my concerts,

Peace,

Cathy

Summer is here radio shows and concerts

Here's a clip I made of a recent interview on WGXC community radio in Hudson NY before a concert I had at the Hudson Opera House. I was interviewed by program director Tom Roe and teen DJ Jack Ross-Pilkington June 8, 2012.  Jack surprised me with his questions and quick mind. Here's a little excerpt including my song "What Fools Do"

I am excited to be performing again at Joe's Pub 425 Layfatte St, NYC wednesday August 8th 7pm. Mark your calanders it's been 2 years and the last time it sold out. 

Music Under New York annual auditions

2012 MUNY auditions. Getting ready for this years annual Music Under New York auditions. For the past few years they have been held in the upper balcony of Grand Central Station with a wonderful view down to the main hall. Now the balcony is an Apple store, so this year the auditions have returned to the illustrious grand Vanderbilt Hall in the station. That's where I had my audition in 1999, and t he acoustics alone are worth going for the price of admission=FREE. 

Hope to see you there.

Here's a little idea of what you can expect, NYCSubwayGirl style, as the 2011 clip I enjoyed getting more of the behind the scenes perspective.

2011 Music Under NY auditions

May 17, 2011. The annual Music Under New York (MUNY) auditions is such a wonderful event from every perspective. For the organizers and judges, it is a long day, but well worth the effort.  For the performers, it's a chance to perform for some pretty wonderful judges chosen from the amazing cultural fabric that makes up NY. Of course there are always MUNY artists on hand as volunteers and as judges too.  I have been a judge in the past and have found it an interesting role to play.  

In this clip booking agent Gus Rodriguez comments how even though talented, not every performer is the right fit for the program, and so his judging needs to be extra careful in his notes for the MUNY directors who will have to read through all the judging notes and choose. Judge and Joe's Pub director Shanta Thake's inspiration is "Seeing people do what they love."

'Jungle' Live @ Joe's Pub!

During my recent Joe's Pub concert, I performed my song "Jungle" to videos of the underground to share a bit of my life in the subway with a fantastic sold-out crowd. The audio is live. Inspirations, tappers, kids and rappers: all a part of the tapestry of the New York City subways. What an amazing evening! And I'm so happy I can share it with you.

read some of the amazing comments about my show

thanks to Brendan Padgett for helping put the video together.

Joe's Pub last night

How could I not write about my experience of what it felt like to walk out onto Joe's Pub stage to a packed house of friends and family and fans waiting to hear me sing.   

I'm still floating, even after 3 hours of singing at Grand Central Shuttle today.  I'm full, am feeling the power of song but the power of amazing energy and how collectively we're capable of setting forth positive, positive vibes.

s Subway Girl.jpg

If you were there, I'd love you to share your perspective below in the comments section.  I'll add more as I unwind.  In the meanwhile here's an amazing drawing made by fantastic Joe's Pub artist Michael Arthur