Music venues for 17 year old and 40 something mom

My 17 year old daughter and I will be in NYC June 6-10. I have been able to find options for everything she is interested in except music. The music options seem so vast, that nothing is just jumping out at me. The goal of her trip is to explore and to live like she might if she were to go to college in NYC. She likes a wide vaiety of types of music. I guess we are kind of looking for something ';hip'; or edgy, unique (ie not something you would hear on pop radio) and fitting with her theme of doing things she would be doing in college...inexpensive. It also needs to be a venue where this 40 something mom will not feel totally out of place. We are staying in the Murray Hill area, and seem to be spending a lot of our time in the Tibeca and West Village areas. But I would consider anything from downtown to Central Park within our distance preferences. Thanks for your suggestions!

Music venues for 17 year old and 40 something mom

You have chopped off a tough assignment for yourself. Most music of the type you are looking for is going to be in clubs, which exclude your daughter, whereas most places that don%26#39;t card (still, most are 18 and up) are going to be the least comfortable for you since a gig that%26#39;s 18+ usually ends up being 18-20 only.

here is a slightly alternate suggestion. check out Time Out and the Village Voice music listings for the week you are here. you might find something but more likely at this time of year you will find a free or relatively cheap outdoor concert somewhere thats open to all.

Music venues for 17 year old and 40 something mom

There are two places that immediately came to mind after reading your post that you may want to check out: The first is ';The Bowery Poetry Club.'; Don%26#39;t let the name fool you. They usually have some type of live music every night as well as poetry, performance art, dance, puppet shows, readings, etc. You and your daughter will both feel very welcome there. The shows are often free or have only a five dollar or less cover charge. The second place you might like is ';The Sidewalk Cafe'; which is the center of NYC%26#39;s ';Antifolk'; music scene. Live music every night. Low or free cover charge. Also, at this place both of you would feel right at home. Here you can see great new and up and coming singer/songwriters, on the cutting edge of a brand new scene, perform to a small, well-behaved, and very laid back crowd! Good luck and let me know if you need more info or advice on these or other places.

Thanks lonelyplanetboy. Bowery Poetry Club had caught my eye earlier. It looks like they have open stage nights at the Sidewalk Cafe on Mondays. Have you been to one? I was thinking the variety might be a good choice?

I believe the majority of Bowery Poetry Club shows are 18+.

Another great alternative is Highline Ballroom. Great shows of all sorts, and most are ';all ages';:

http://highlineballroom.com/

If you type ';all ages'; in the NYC forum search box, you%26#39;ll find previous threads with good recos.

I%26#39;d also start looking at the cheap and free outdoor concert line-ups, most of which are now on the web and listed in mags and papers:

River To River Festival (all free):

http://rivertorivernyc.com/

Central Park Summerstage (free and low cost shows):

http://www.summerstage.org/

Celebrate Brooklyn (most shows suggest donation $3)

www.briconline.org/celebrate/schedule.asp

Take Me To the River (all free):

www.hudsonriverpark.org/events.asp鈥?/a>

My 16 yo recommends website Eventful.

http://eventful.com/newyorkcity/events

Not sure if that will help...

Hey, QB, we were at the Highline this very afternoon!

We went for the show Baby Loves Salsa. Now I know this did not represent all of their program, but gotta say the average age of the children was 6 yo, the show was not that good, and there were almost all tables with minimum for food purchase. They were also kinda nasty because I had a cup of iced coffee in my hand when I walked in.

I would by no means cross them off, because this was a ';family show'; but a bit of my rant here. We left after 20 minutes.

So I advise to check them out further re: attitude and atmosphere of other shows.

NYNM, interesting, that%26#39;s too bad. I agree that the minimums at Highline are a little high, but I%26#39;ve always enjoyed shows there.

(Sorry, man, can%26#39;t back you up on the ';iced coffee sneak-in.'; I try that all the time, too, but if you%26#39;re too obvious, it never works. Unless you suddenly claim you%26#39;re kosher, or it%26#39;s BYOB, or you%26#39;re bringing your own birthday cake, I%26#39;ve never known any venue in Manhattan that welcomed outside food being brought in.)

I remember when the ';Mommy Matinee'; and ';Baby Loves Disco'; craze started in Park Slope (I think at Southpaw) around 2002, because all the young folks who were domesticating and creating adorable, broad-minded and well-clothed children didn%26#39;t want to give up their good time. Friends of mine used to go and liked it, and mentioned it was def for the under-10 crowd, and to watch out for sleep-deprived moms drunk on white wine.

For teens, I also recommend the High Five ticket program recently mentioned. I love that program and reco it a lot:

http://highfivetix.org/

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I agree with the reco for high five tickets. We already ordered tickets through there for Dancewave, The Neo Futurists and the MOMA.

We are also planning on checking out Taste of Times Square and the Museum Mile Festival. I can%26#39;t find a lot of information on the entertainment for these. Will they have street performances that might feed her music interests? A few years ago at Taste of Chicago she found a group performing on the street that she loved and bought their CD. I think she is kind of looking for that kind of ';stumbled upon'; experience again.

Thanks QB: Yes, I used the High 5 discount (although High 5 is for 13-18 yo and this show was definitely for the single digits!)

But we got some great museum discounts last week from them (MOMA $2.50, so for 2 it cost us $5). Marigoldsue %26amp; daughter might find something.

I guess I understand about the iced coffee thing (I think iced coffee is the ultimate NYC beverage) but it was they way the guy disdainfully and loudly proclaimed it ';no food aloud'; that got to me. I didn%26#39;t even know that the Highline was more of a ';dinner/nightclub'; (dayclub in this case) Well, NYC is not especially discrete...

Yes, I can see how the parents don%26#39;t want to forgo ';youth'; just because they have kids.

In fact, in this original post about a 17 you + 40 yo music venue, I have learned to enjoy music where ever in NYC and not to feel ';uncomfortable.'; I go to listen. I am delighted to have a 16 yo daughter who keeps me young and in the trend. I think it%26#39;s she that%26#39;s uncomfortable (if we are in the same room together)

Marigoldsue: so enjoy what you want to here; and Summerstage, that%26#39;s a great idea too : )

Marigoldsue: i see our messages are crossing. Street music is fun in NYC tho s/w unpredictable. There are often some groups in front of the Met Museum. But some of the best ';streetmusic'; is actually under the street:

NYC subways

http://www.mta.info/mta/aft/muny/

www.mta.info/mta/aft/muny/musicians.html

www.mta.info/mta/aft/muny/locations.html

Here are some samples:

www.mta.info/mta/aft/muny/bios_samples.html