The gritty Americana poet is a co-founder of “Lucinda’s,” and will perform an intimate show at the venue that livestreams on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel
Lucinda Williams is opening her own bar, and, no, it’s not in Nashville. Rather, the Americana grand dame is bringing country music and honky-tonk vibes to New York’s East Village with “Lucinda’s,” making its official debut on Thursday at 169 Avenue A.
Ahead of the public opening, Williams will perform an intimate concert on Tuesday night to be livestreamed on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Laura Cantrell will open with her own set, and the Honky Tonkin’ in Queens DJs — Moonshine and Prison Rodeo — will spin records.
Williams is credited as a “co-founder” of Lucinda’s in a press release. According to the release, the bar, located in the building that once housed storied rock club Brownie’s and, most recently, Coney Island Baby and Lola, will be overseen by Laura McCarthy and Kelley Swindall. “We are really excited to have a down-home, honky tonk country bar in the East Village,” McCarthy said. “There is some kind of magic for music in that location. I have felt it since we opened Brownies in the late 80s. It’s exciting to do this with Lucinda and the team.”
Lucinda’s will feature weekly bluegrass nights, songwriter open mics, and live country music every Friday and Saturday night. The last Thursday of every month will be designated as the East Village Cxntry Club, an all-inclusive queer country party.
While the venue is a tribute to Williams’ hard-won career, it also pays homage to the late Jeremy Tepper, a friend of Williams and the brains behind SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country.
Williams’ most recent album of original material was 2023’s Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart. Last year, she released a record of Beatles songs she recorded at Abbey Road studios. She’ll kick off August with three appearances on the Outlaw Music Festival tour with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan.
