Wednesday, December 19
Sneaker Pimps (not to be confused with the 1990s UK trip-hop band) is the worlds largest touring sneaker hip-hop lifestyle exhibition featuring more than 1,500 pairs of rare, limited edition, vintage, celebrity signed, artists collaborated sneakers and a collection of sneaker inspired artwork, fashion, photography — and of course, music. Featuring Wu Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah live, at Webster Hall.
Thursday, December 20
German composer Max Richter blends classical, electronic and rock influences in his work. Tonight at Le Poisson Rouge — in a show presented by Wordless Music — Richter will be performing "Recomposed", his deconstruction of Vivaldi’s "The Four Seasons." The album is part of Deutsche Grammophon's 'Recomposed' series. This is the U.S. premiere for the album, for which the composer re-imagined the music of the ubiquitous 1725 baroque chestnut, creating an entirely new and original score. Richter is joined on stage by Tito Muñoz (conductor) and Daniel Hope on violin.
Also tonight: former Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider belts out showtunes and Christmas songs like you’ve never heard them before, at 54 Below.
Friday, December 21
Best known for their huge 1987 hit "La Bamba", East L.A.'s finest, Los Lobos, are adept at infusing their unique mix of rock, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B and traditional Spanish and Mexican music with hard-won authenticity and passion. This tour, titled "Disconnected," is a series of acoustic evenings. At City Winery, also Saturday and Sunday.
Also tonight: Leonard Cohen at Barclays Center. Former Tribe Called Quest lead MC Q-Tip plays Irving Plaza. Poppy garage rockers Dum Dum Girls at Glasslands Gallery.
Saturday, December 22
Hot on the heels of his 58 track Christmas album "Silver & Gold" comes "The Sufjan Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice" at The Bowery Ballroom. As the album promo says: "Who can save us from the infidels of Christmas commodity? Look no further, tired shopper, for your hero arrives as the diligent songwriter Sufjan Stevens: army of one, banjo in one hand, drum machine in the other, holed up in his room, surrounded by hymnals, oratorios, music charts, sacred harp books, photo-copied Readers Digest Christmas catalogs—all the weaponry of Yuletide incantations—singing his barbaric yawp above the snow-capped rooftops." Also Friday night. Tickets on sale December 19.
Sunday, December 23
Soulful R&B vocalist Vivian Green plays the Highline Ballroom in the wake of her recently released fourth album "The Green Room." Vivian says, "I wanted to create music that's fun and sexy and soulful, and songs that are reflective but not morose. That's where I am in my life, and that's the kind of music I wanted to make." Check out the first single from the album "Anything Out There" here.
Monday, December 24
“Mingus Monday” continues this month at Jazz Standard, dedicated to the music of legendary bassist, composer and bandleader Charles Mingus (1922–1979.) The L.A. Times praised the Grammy Award–winning Mingus Big Band as “a spirited blend of the lush harmonies and boisterous blues sections, inter-woven ensemble passages and sudden tempo shifts that made the late bassist Charles Mingus one of the most challenging and celebrated artists in jazz.” Two shows, 7.30pm & 9.30pm.
Tuesday, December 25
Smelling sweet, fresh from the launch of her fragrance "Pink Friday" (and a new lip gloss), entrepreneurial Trinidadian-born rapper Nicki Minaj is hosting a Christmas Extravaganza at Webster Hall. Minaj enjoyed a big year in 2012, winning various MTV awards, being installed as a judge on the 12th season of "American Idol" and cooking up sounds for the followup of her 2010 album "Pink Friday," which is to be released in 2013 and is tentatively titled "Pink Friday: The Pinkprint".
