The Prague Post Online: Night & Day: Dancing into 2008

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Dancing into 2008

A music wrap up to wrap up 2007

By Darrell Jonsson
For The Prague Post
December 26th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO

More than The Beat. The New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble play into the next year. enlarge

Music for the Year's End

New York Ska Jazz Ensemble
At Lucerna Music Bar
Dec. 27 at 8 p.m.
290330 Kč

Tom Lee Who and Justin Lavash
At Noels Lounge
Dec. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Free

Live afro drum session + DJ Sammy
At Meli-Melo
Dec. 28 at 8 p.m.
Free

Barakaba and Peeni Walli, Roccaflex sound systems.
At Cross Club / Plynární 1096/23, Praha 7
Dec. 29 at 8 p.m.
60 Kč

R.A. The Rugged Man + Prago Union
At Lucerna Music Bar
Dec. 30 at 9 p.m.
250270 Kč

Son Caliente - Cuban midnight dance
At Denitz Café
Dec. 31 at midnight
300 Kč

Stan the Man / New Years Blues Blowout
At U Malého Glena
Dec. 31 at 9:30 p.m.
800 Kč

African New Years Party
At Meli-Melo
Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.
300 Kč

Here in Prague the sidewalks won’t be rolling up after 7 in the evening just because it’s a few days after Christmas. Throughout the city’s numerous music venues, cafés and bars there will be dance and music all the way through New Year’s night.

Flying in all the way from the Big Apple, the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble will offer up their smooth Ska dance floor motifs this Thursday at Lucerna Music Bar. Founded by former members of well-known ska acts “The Toasters,” “The Scofflaws” and “The Skatalites,” New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble has been spreading big city ska fun since 1993. With nods to traditional ’60s ska, as well as to the later wave skank sound, the group has been known to add a bit of Coltrane and Mingus influenced spice to their live shows.

Czech talent has a way of shining with the Ska beat, so it’s good news to see Prague Ska Conspiracy and Dub in Da Trip will also be in the house. Although once these bands begin to blast it may be hard to sit still, at Lucerna Music Bar, dancing is not obligatory. At Prague‘s most comfortable music venue, there are plenty of tables at which to chill out, as well as two well-stocked bars ready to quench any type of thirst.

Friday night at Neal’s Lounge offers a quaint contrast with the country-folk music of Tom Lee Who (aka Tom Muller). Muller is a founder of the Berlin-based Comedian Pharmacists, who frequent such establishments as Berlin’s notorious White Trash Fastfood and Road Runner Club. This week on a hot return from road testing his singular German-beer-hall meets Honky-Tonk sound on the back roads of Canada, Muller will no doubt have some new stories to sing. Neal‘s Lounge offers soft chairs, tasty food and gourmet beverages to accompany Muller‘s tales of wild and hard times. Opening for Muller will be Prague‘s own expert expat folk-blues minstrel Justin Lavash.

On the same night, for those who prefer audience polyrhythmic participation, Meli-Melo will be having one of their famous live Afro drum sessions, followed by the Afro-world mixes of DJ Sammy. Such actions at Meli-Melo tend to run into the early morning. So there may be enough time to catch dinner at Noel’s Lounge, hear Lavash and Muller’s sets, then hoof over to Meli-Melo to burn off some after-dinner calories to the southern hemisphere spins of DJ Sammy.

Prague reggae fans have a hometown blessing in the making this year, as nourishing as Jamaican yams and as refreshing as cold Czech beer. Prague’s neophyte Afro-beat Barakaba will headline a night of earthy rock steady, dance-hall and other sunshine wizened styles. Aiding the parade of rasta-vibes Peeniwalli and Roccaflex sound systems will keep things moving well late into the night. Cross Club boasts one of Prague’s most curious interiors, featuring robotic decorations, and cozy nooks that would fit well in a Luc Besson sci-fi fantasy. When such surroundings mix with the roof-lifting World-beat action Cross Club is known to host, the combined effect is nothing short of surreal.

Sunday back at Lucerna, low-on-the-flash but high-on-the-timeless-class factor,

R.A. the Rugged Man will be shouting his very real rhymes. No pretense, no pricey sweat suit, no gold chains, R.A.’s clothes are as street as his words. Some may balk at his raw stage delivery but R.A.‘s Wu-Tang affiliations and solid east-coast hip-hop credentials speak to a growing international audience. R.A., who admittedly is a no-glam and permanently destined for the underground persona, will ring dead center to those who can take their hip-hop hard-core. Local rhyme crew Prago Union will open for R.A.

As for the last night of the year, there are plenty of events where several thousand almighty Czech crowns can easily be disposed of in a matter of a few hours. Given current exchange rates and the numerous possibilities for musical spending listed above, by Monday night there may be some who elect a more frugal landing for the year’s last fleeting moments. For the clever few who reserve early; a cool 300 Kč entitles Meli-Melo customers a cold bottle of champagne at the door, a savory buffet of African food, and an array of DJs. This is bound to be a popular event so early reservations are well advised. Early reservations are also recommended for Stan the Man’s New Years Blues Blowout at U Malého Glena. Café-bar-restaurant operations, such as the Globe Bookstore and Red Hot Blues, will be offering extended hours, live music, and full bar and kitchen to those who seek slightly quieter yet tuneful surroundings for 2007’s final midnight hour.

For after midnight dancing and musical pleasure, 2008 could hardly have a better introduction than the Havana sounds of Son Caliente. In a special night-owl event, Denitz café will be letting its hair down, and clearing the chairs for the rightful winners of Prague’s 2006 Group of the year - Prague Latin Awards. Knowing the sort of energy Son Caliente’s Cuban line-up has generated in the past, we won’t be surprised if the dancing spills into the streets.

Darrell Jonsson can be reached at features@praguepost.com

Other articles in Night & Day (26/12/2007):

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