Stew, Heidi Rodewald and The Negro Problem at Joe’s Pub on Jan. 23, 2012. (Photo © 2012, Steven P. Marsh)

If you didn’t get to Joe’s Pub last night to see Stew &  The Negro Problem and grab a copy of the new album, Making It, all is not lost. 

Stew in his breakup show, "Making It," at St. Ann's Warehouse in February 2010. (Copyright 2010, Steven P. Marsh)

Three shows at Joe’s Pub mark Tuesday’s release of Stew & The Negro Problem’s new album, Making It

The cover of Making It features a photo by Stew's daughter, Bibi.

First of all, let’s say “welcome black” to Stew & The Negro Problem.

It’s been 10 long years since Stew (born Mark Stewart in 1961) and his band The Negro Problem made a proper, official album: 2002′s Welcome Black. But on Tuesday, Jan. 24, the wait is officially over when Making It gets its official release.

Thank goodness. It’s long overdue. But you’ll surely find it worth the wait.

It’s a crazy, creative look at the breakup of Stew’s relationship with his longtime girlfriend and musical collaborator Heidi Rodewald. The breakup came in the run-up to the pair’s amazing theater project,  Passing Strange, which briefly thumbed its nose at the Broadway establishment from the Belasco Theatre over six months in 2008. (It also lives on in a Spike Lee film of the show’s final performances.)

Heidi Rodewald and Stew. (Copyright 2009, Steven P. Marsh)

Stew and Heidi managed to survive the breakup and continue their artistic relationship, albeit not without some problems. This album documents the breakup, and in some ways, the promise of their continued collaboration.

This is Stew’s fourth album under the rather provocative name of The Negro Problem, though on  this release on TNP records, the band is billed as “Stew & The Negro Problem.” And even though Stew seemed to abandon the band name in favor of his own moniker, Stew and Heidi haven’t released a rock album since 2003′s Something Deeper Than These Changes, billed simply to Stew. (Yes, there was a Passing Strange soundtrack in 2008, but that wasn’t a Stew record, let alone a Negro Problem record!)

Let’s just say it’s about time! It’s always seemed to me that Stew needs The Negro Problem to fuel his angry-not-as-young-as-he-used-to-be-man persona. (Truth be told, he’s used The Negro Problem name occasionally in recent years, but this seems to be a definitive return home.)Hard-core fans won’t find many surprises in this album. True believers have been wearing out copies of a slightly different version of Making It for a year, when it was released as a tour CD of sorts at Stew and Heidi’s show Brooklyn OMNIBUS at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. But that’s OK. It’s fantastic to see the music make its way into the wider world, so everyone can discover what we already know.

The Making It album grew out of a St. Ann’s Warehouse commission of the same name. It was performed as a concert with a bit of a set and a loose story arc in February 2010 at the Brooklyn venue.

The new album follows that arc, hurtling the listener quickly into the couple’s breakup and the subsequent realization of how they changed each other’s lives and were destined to stay together in some way.

The songs bounce back and forth between new, breakup-specific songs and longtime Stew and Heidi favorites looking for a home on a record. In the former category, standouts include “Pretend,” “Curse” (sample lyrics: “Seven different versions of who got fucked and who hurts the most … and then you watch your love turn into a ghost”) and “Love Is A Cult” (where Heidi sings, “Life is the tour and love is the wrong turn). And the favorites that don’t have any direct lyrical connection — though clearly have a psychological link — include “Black Men Ski,” which was fairly popular on the Internet after Stew performed it at the TED conference way back in 2006.

There is one difference between last year’s release and the new, wide-release version. And that alone makes it work buying. In the new version, “Therapy Only Works If You Tell The Truth” shoulders the classic “Pastry Shop” out of the album. And it makes sense, hammering home the breakup theme more clearly and perfectly setting up the let’s-be-friends finale, “Treat Right Song.” (Oh, and Stew’s lovely daughter, Bibi, took the cover photo, reproduced in this post.)

Stew’s lyrics are always biting and ironic, and he’s as good as ever on this album. Even better is that Making It gives Heidi, who’s an amazing musician in her own right, a chance to shine more than usual.

Stew, Heidi and the band have quite a bit of work in the pipeline this year. It kicks off tomorrow, with the first two of three shows at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan to celebrate the release of the long-awaited album. (Tickets, $30, are available here.)

Then in a matter of days, they’ll be performing their newest show, The Total Bent, at New York’s Public Theater (we’ll be telling you more about this soon), with a Monday-night artist’s talk during the show’s run.

The pair are also scheduled to do a reading of a new show, Stagger Lee, based on a graphic novel about the legendary subject, at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’s Ignite! series.

George Steel, the general manager and artistic director made the announcement in an email blast late Friday afternoon:

I am also delighted to report that as a gift to the City of New York, The Reed Foundation and The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation have bought the remaining seats for all performances at BAM, allowing us to offer these seats at a special price of $25 to celebrate our new beginning. I invite you to purchase tickets today to take advantage of this incredibly generous and thoughtful gift.

That means you can see Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna and Giuseppe Verdi’s  La Traviata for a song. Go here to get your tickets now.

While the three-year deal struck by the struggling opera company with its singers and instrumentalists keeps things going, it’s not a happy ending it means less money for an already hard-hit group of musicians. But without the deal, it appeared NYCO would have vanished forever.

While no date for the concert has been announced, you can get first dibs on information and tickets if you’re willing to front some cash to become a MASS MoCA member. (Or you can just keep your eyes on Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone?)

Up to you. But click here for MASS MoCA membership information.

Wilco's first takeover at MASS MoCa. (© 2010 Steven P. Marsh)

Band plans benefit concert for MASS MoCA instead

Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? is never happy to be the bearer of bad news. But you need to know that Wilco announced today that the band is taking a year off from presenting the Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA, the awesome art musuem in North Adams, Mass.

Jeff Tweedy and his Wilco bandmates have with great success presented the three-day Solid Sound Festival for the past two years, bringing music, art and friends together on the low-key industrial campus in Western Massachusetts.

We’ve been watching since before Christmas for an announcment of the dates of the next three-day music fest. Finally, around 1 p.m. today, came a tweet from @WilcooftheDay listing the long-awaited info:

#SolidSound Update: The next Solid Sound Festival will be held June 21-23, 2013 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Ma.

2013? Huh? What happened to 2012? Before we could ask the question, almost as if somebody could read our minds, came this tweet:

The 3 day event will take a 1 year hiatus, but Wilco will perform at the North Adams museum this summer in a benefit concert for MASS MoCA.

And when will that concert happen? Came the reply to our unasked question:

not announced yet

Sigh.

Stay tuned for details on why Wilco’s taking a year off and details about the benefit concert at soon as they become available.

Sharon van Etten at the Music Hall of Williamsburg last April. (Photo © 2011, Steven P. Marsh)

UPDATE: Show sells out in minutes

Tickets for Mercury Lounge gig on sale at noon today

What can we say? This just-added Sharon Van Etten gig should be a great early runthrough of the material from her forthcoming third album, Tramp, due out on Jagjaguwar Feb. 7.

UPDATE: If you thought you could wait a minute past noon E.T. to try for tickets, you’ve already missed out.

Tickets go onsale at noon today (Wednesday, Jan. 11) for a show next Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the tiny (its capacity is just 250 people) Mercury Lounge. Doors open at 7 p.m., with a 7:30 set time. Buy tickets here. Sorry. Not surprisingly, this tiny venue sold out in a matter of minutes.

This appearance comes a day after she shows up for an appearance on WNYC-FM’s Soundcheck with host John Schaefer. That one’s sold out, but it’ll be on the air and on the web.

It looks like tickets are still available for her shows with Shearwater late next month, too, at The Music Hall of Williamsburg and the Bowery Ballroom.

Sharon’s flying high, and with good reason. Don’t miss this amazing artists at one of these gigs.

Theo Bleckmann and his all-star players do Kate Bush songs at (Le) Poisson Rouge. (Photos 2010, Steven P. Marsh)

It’s been 16 months since we saw the great singer Theo Bleckmann do his best Kate Bush impression in his show Hello Earth! The Music of Kate Bush, at (Le) Poisson Rouge in the Village.

Theo Bleckmann

Take our word for it, it was pretty awesome.But if you won’t take our word for it, check out a live recording from that September 2010 show here.

Bleckmann, who got a Grammy nomination for his interpretation of the songs of Charles Ives, is a great song interpreter with supple voice and a real feel for his material. You can get a listen to the latest version of his fabulous show tonight and it won’t cost a penny.

You’ll be entertained and enthralled by this week’s Target Free Thursdays presentation at Lincoln Center’s newest public space, the David Rubenstein Atrium, on Broadway between W. 62nd and W. 63rd Streets. There’s food ( the good sandwiches of ‘wichcraft) and plenty of seats.

Just show up by 8:30 p.m. (earlier if you hope to get a seat) at the Atrium to catch Hello Earth! The Music of Kate Bush.

The first clue that Sam Amidon wasn't really going to be performing banjo only at Rockwood Music Hall 2 on Wednesday. (Photos © 2011, Steven P. Marsh)

UPDATE: New photos added!

Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

As predicted, Sam Amidon‘s solo banjo show at Rockwood Music Hall on Wednesday night was neither solo nor banjo only. But we’re not complaining. The multitalented Amidon took to Rockwood’s Stage 2 along with a banjo, guitar, fiddle, baby grand piano and a handful of mics.

Sam Amidon at Rockwood Music Hall.

He treated the solid crowd to about 70 minutes of his lovely, mournful folksongs. Just a few numbers into his set, Sam was joined by longtime collaborator Thomas Bartlett, the pianist and singer better known as Doveman.

Then, maybe 15 or 20 minutes into the show, Sam started looking for another guest. “Paul, do you think Beth went to the wrong Rockwood? I told her 2, but I didn’t tell her there was 2.” The man he addressed as Paul got up from his stageside table briefly and came back with the lady in question — Beth Orton, his collaborator of the last year or two and, by appearances, his partner in life. (Sam’s loving looks toward Beth and the tiny baby she carried with her were hard to interpret as anything other than paternal!)

It didn’t take long for Sam to drag Beth onstage with him for a couple of numbers, too.

Sam Amidon and Beth Orton at Rockwood Music Hall.

While this show broke no new ground, it was a great, thoughtful way to move toward the end of 2011. Thanks, Sam, Thomas and Beth!

Sam Amidon on banjo at the Mercury Lounge in New York City last year. (Photo © 2010, Steven P. Marsh)

If you’re in the mood for some great banjo music rooted in old-timey tradition but presented with a very modern flair, head to Rockwood Music Hall at 7 p.m. tonight (Wednesday, Dec. 28) to catch Vermonter Sam Amidon in a solo show.

Here’s how he describes the show:

End Of Year Contemplation through Banjosong

While I cannot even dare hope to match the fine calibration of Kirsten Dunst’s recent acting performances (most notably Marie Antoinette, Wimbledon, and Melancholia), I do wish that as 2011 draws to a close we can sing a few murder ballads and old love songs together and maybe it will snow.

Amidon is  an ace on the banjo, and delivers murder ballads and other traditional numbers in creative and compelling ways. He’s a bit of a deadpan performer, but there’s humor beneath the surface, too.

And even though this is billed as a solo banjo show (probably a good thing, because Rockwood’s stages aren’t particularly suited to bands of any size), Sam has lots of friends in New York. So you can never be sure who might drop in to join him or just to check out his set.

His talented circle of friends includes Beth Orton, Thomas “Doveman” Bartlett, violist Nadia Sirota and composer/pianist Nico Muhly,  to name just a few.

Even if none of his pals show up, chances are you’ll wind up feeling like a friend by the end of his set.

$15. Doors at  7 p.m. Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen Street, Manhattan. (212) 477-4155

Condola Rashad outside the Cort Theatre. (Photo © 2011, Steven P. Marsh)

When Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? saw a preview performance of Stick Fly on Broadway, we had a great time. The show is flawed, never quite making a clear point while keeping the audience entertained.

But we decided to check out Lydia R. Diamond‘s play (being promoted far and wide in the name of Alicia Keys, one of the producers of the comedic family drama with a twist) even before we knew what the show was about. That’s because we we were blown away by the actor with a below-the-title billing who absolutely steals the show: Condola Rashad.

Keys will be attending the show and conducting “an intimate post-show conversation” on Monday, Dec. 19 and Thursday, Dec. 22.

Stick Fly playwright Lydia R. Diamond, producer Alicia Keys and director Kenny Leon.

Daniel Breaker and Condola Rashad duet at Breaker's New York City cabaret debut at Joe's Pub on Nov. 7. (Photo © 2011, Steven P. Marsh)

Now for those of you who saw Condola in Lynn Nottage‘s Ruined at the Public Theater, it probably comes as no surprise that she’s Stick Fly‘s secret weapon. Time Out New York described Condola in Ruined with the tag “a star is born.” We missed her first star turn, so we’re making up for lost time.a bit late to the party.

In fact, when we first saw her, it was at Joe’s Pub on Nov. 7, when she made a guest appearance in Daniel Breaker‘s cabaret show. This was before Stick Fly began performances. She was deep into rehearsals at that point, but few people had any idea what the show would be like. (It has a bunch of great stars from stage, movies and TV: Dulé Hill, Mekhi Phifer, Tracie Thoms, Ruben Santiago-Hudson and Rosie Benton.

Though she sang only a handful of numbers with Daniel (who burst onto the New York theater radar with his superb performance as Youth in Passing Strange, with a followup as Donkey in Shrek), and one of her own songs, Condola gave Daniel a run for the spotlight. And it wasn’t because she’s a diva or a spotlight hog. She’s just an outsized personality with talent to match.

As we tweeted right after that show: “Before I got to @JoesPubNYC last night, I didn’t know anything about Condola Rashad. Now I want to know *everything*! Wow.”

By the time we saw Stick Fly, she was even more irresistible, prompting us to tweet this reaction to Condola: “First you did it @joespubnyc. Now you’re doing it at the Cort Theater on Broadway in Stick Fly. You’re stealing the show! Woot!!!”

Condola Rashad at Stick Fly's opening night party. Check out those shoes!

The reviewers pretty much feel the same way about Condola, no matter what they thought about the play. Check them out to see their views and learn more about the show: The New York Times, New York magazine, Variety, TheaterMania.com.

Condola has acting in her blood, of course. He mom is Phylicia Rashad, who’s remembered for her role as Clair Huxtable in The Cosby Show. But she’s no slouch when it comes to Broadway, either, as she won the Tony Award for her 2004 turn in the Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun.

The show is not perfect, as it teems with so many ideas that it can hardly contain them, let along develop them. But it’s worth seeing. In part, the humor and the universal family arc of the story make it worthwhile. But Condola’s the real reason to see it. You won’t be disappointed. You may even find yourself laughing out loud, talking back to the stage and just having a great time.

It’s playing at the Cort Theatre, 138 West 48th St., Manhattan; (212) 239-6200, telecharge.com. Running time: 135 minutes.