Best Live Music
BRANDY’S PIANO BAR 235 East 84th St.
212-744-4949
Stashed away on a side street on the Upper East Side, this casual, cozy spot with about a 30-seat capacity has been the neighborhood’s best-kept secret for more than 35 years, serving up live entertainment nightly. Staffers belt out piano classics from the likes of Elton John and Carole King and show tunes from “Hamilton” and other popular musicals. The audience is invited to join the boozy sing-a-alongs. There’s a happy hour from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and live music nightly at 9:30 p.m. No cover charge, but there’s a two-drink minimum.
PROHIBITION 503 Columbus Ave.
212-579-3100
This down-to-earth lounge, with its friendly, fun-loving crowd, is a great spot to see aspiring singers, musicians and cutting-edge poets hone their craft as they strive to make it big. There’s music every night, the entertainment is free, and the reasonably priced menu includes tacos, pizza, shoestring fries and Prohibition’s signature mini cheeseburgers. There’s an open mic night on Mondays. Relax, enjoy the community vibe and just think — you’ll be able to say you saw them before they were famous.
LE POISSON ROUGE 158 Bleecker St.
212-505-3474
Housed on the site of the old Village Gate in the heart of the Village, Le Poisson Rouge is a fun venue presenting a variety of artists from theater, film and music in its mission to “establish a creative asylum” for artists and audiences. The programming is eclectic, there are various performance space configurations, and they offer a small dinner and drinks menu. Artists like Bela Fleck, KD Lang and Lady Gaga have graced the stage. They have various oldie’s nights and recurring acts including “Linda Loves Bingo” and the “Back to the Eighties Show with Jessie’s Girl.”