Sidewalk Cafés That Serve Live Music

Most musicians are out of work these days. Performance opportunities are increasing slowly, however, for musicians who humble themselves to play for tips at sidewalk cafes. The process usually starts with one musician approaching a restaurant owner and asking "may I perform for your customers?" The restaurant owner never may have considered staging live music, but tries it one night and then two and before long a whole series of music nights is booked.

In just the past month, sidewalk cafes serving live music have proliferated in downtown Manhattan. Parking spaces have been reduced significantly by restaurant owners expanding their footprint by building platforms on which to place tables, chairs and overhead covering. Increasingly, musicians are generating business for these eateries and bars by posting invitations to their gigs on social media.

Musicians typically perform inside the restaurant by the windows to customers at tables outdoors. Efforts are made to keep diners and musicians socially-distanced. Live performances end by 10 or 11 p.m. so as not to disturb the neighbors. The musicians encourage the diners to donate in the tip bucket or electronically by Venmo.

Yael Dray-Barel (center), accompanied by
Gabriel Hermida (left) and Ben Golder-Novick, at Anyway Cafe

Anyway Café (34 E. 2nd St.) is a Russian restaurant serving infused vodka cocktails. Local musicians play rock, jazz, gypsy, bolero, tango and other world music every night.

Bryan Stephens performs in the lobby of the Players Theatre for customers of Cafe Wha?

Café Wha? (115 MacDougal St.) serves American and middle eastern food to the nightly beat of Top 40 music.

Piers Lawrence (right) leads a jazz and funk band at David's Cafe

David's Café (110 St Marks Pl.) is a rustic-chic eatery featuring French-American cooking, including steak frites, pork chops and burgers. You may hear jazz, rockabilly or rancheros from musicians playing in front of the private garage next door on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

Rena Tsapelas, Christos Papadopoulos, and Yiannis Politis
plays Greek rebetiko music outside Dröm

Gokce & Tamer play Turkish music outside Dröm

Dröm (85 Ave. A) has a new Turkish and Greek mezzes menu. Similarly, the musicians play acoustic Turkish, Greek and flamenco music.

Amadou Gaye at Groove

Groove (125 MacDougal St.) serves American food along with a strong dose of funk, soul and rhythm and blues nightly.

Cancion Franklin & the Family Band inside Marshall Stack

Ghostwood Country Club outside Marshall Stack

Strange Majik at Marshall Stack

Marshall Stack (66 Rivington St.) features food pop-ups and a wide selection of craft beers on tap. Rock bands and solo performers play covers and original songs on Thursday through Sunday nights.

The Cosmo Trio: Yael Dray-Barel (center), accompanied by
Ben Golder-Novick (left) and Dustin Kiselbach, at Nomad

Nomad (78 Second Ave.) serves Algerian, Moroccan and other North African food including merguez lamb sausages prepared by hand and mussels steeped in garlic, cumin, and tomato sauce. Local musicians play jazz, gypsy, flamenco, tango and other world music Wednesday through Sunday nights.

Anya Aliferis performs in the doorway at the Red Lion

The Red Lion (151 Bleecker St.) serves big plates and little plates of American food. Local singer-songwriters perform popular covers and original songs in the venue's entranceway.

Eli Bridges performs outside the White Oak Tavern

The White Oak Tavern (21 Waverly Pl.) serves gourmet burgers and other modern American fare along with craft beer and bourbon. Local singer-songwriters perform popular covers and original songs on the corner on Friday and Sunday nights.

Capri Ristorante (145 Mulberry St.), Fine and Rare (9 E. 37th St.), and Pera Soho (54 Thompson St.) are among the other downtown sidewalk cafés serving live music along with food and drinks.

Many musicians who choose not seek out gigs in sidewalk cafes are turning to alternate forums to perform. At least two local brass bands, the East Village Social Distancing All Stars and the Underground Horns, roam the downtown streets, stopping at sidewalk cafes long enough to play a couple of songs and collect tips. Gina Healy of the acoustic folk trio Three of a Pear curates a series of intimate pot lucks featuring brief performances and jams by singer-songwriter on Saturday evenings at the 11th Street Community Garden (422 E. 11th St.). Nora Balaban will open an exhibition, New York Drawings, at the Front, (526 E. 11th St.) on August 21 and perform spiritual music from Zimbabwe live outside the gallery. Many local musicians are busking in parks, on subway platforms and curbside. Some musicians are performing live stream concerts from the Bowery Electric or from their homes. Until New York City concert venues can resume business as usual, musicians will have to become increasingly creative if they want to generate revenue from their performances.