Comments (0) Best Country Venue - 2011
Jalopy Theatre
For a while, we thought the Jalopy Theatre was the only country venue. But the fact that we knew of it at all says a lot: We grew up in a smelly, armpit-shaped land not far from New York City where country music simply did not exist except in the form of whatever crossover pop from Shania Twain Z100 happened to be playing. Thankfully, local country artists have asserted that they do exist, even in the roots-starved New York metro area. And Jalopy is the best place to find them. The vaudevillian stage, set back in a long, garage-like space just a stone's throw from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel exit, draws a consistent lineup of spirited acts from across the country—more bluegrass, folk, and banjo than Shania ever could be. And it's a breeding ground: Jalopy is also a school, where newbies to the genre can learn to pick a banjo or play the harmonica. The best acts are the locals, like M Shanghai String Band, which usually plays monthly, proving that New York, nay, Brooklyn, is as country as Tennessee. 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, 718-395-3214, jalopy.biz (11231)
