The Peoples' Voice Cafe
239 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012 / 212-787-3903

PVC is an alternative coffeehouse offering live and live-stream entertainment in New York City,
presenting folk, blues, jazz, rap, poetry, spoken word, storytelling, theater and dance since 1979.
We shine a spotlight on social issues and artists from underrepresented cultures.





Peoples Voice Cafe


Alcohol-free ~ Fully Wheelchair Accessible


Refreshments are back!


Masks are no longer required

  • We will continue to offer KN95 or other high quality masks to anyone who wants one.
  • We use three HEPA air purifiers within the Assembly Hall.
  • We offer livestream shows whenever possible.





  • Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 8pm:

    In Person Tickets        Livestream Tickets



    Kevin Allred
    Kevin Allred is an independent singer/songwriter based in Brooklyn, with an unlikely combination of influences spanning the women's singer/songwriter explosion of the 1990s and Lilith Fair, punk rock, outlaw Country, Woody Guthrie, Nina Simone, and Odetta. His songs peel back artifice - whether social, interpersonal, individual, or political - and cut to the core of our shared experience with earnest charm. He likes to say he plays "sad gay music for the end of the world," chock-full of humor and a whole lot of heart.
    kevinallred.com
    Facebook
    Instagram


    "Shades of Blue"





    Laura Ciporen
    Folk music, union songs, sea shanties and the like have been an integral part of Laura Ciporen's life for as long as she can remember. The soundtrack to family car rides was Pete Seeger; Peter, Paul, and Mary; and Leonard Cohen. Farm & Wilderness camp (where "Rise Up Singing" started) deeply entrenched her in women's empowerment and community singing. She's been part of the NY folk community, Exceedingly Good Song Night, and sea music festivals for years. Expect an eclectic mix of songs about and for work, songs where women make a difference, and assorted others to sing along to. This is her first performance.


    LOCATION:
    Judson Memorial Church
    Assembly Hall (not the main sanctuary on West 4th St.)
    239 Thompson Street, between West 3rd and West 4th Streets
    New York NY 10012

    TRANSPORTATION:

    to West 4th St./Washington Square - south exit
    Walk three blocks east to Thompson Street; turn left. (3 minutes)
    MAP

    SHOWTIMES:
    All shows start at 8 PM, Saturdays. Doors open at 7:15.
    No reservations, so come early to be assured a seat.

    ADMISSION:
    Suggested contribution: $20. Friends of PVC*: $12. Students & Youth: $12
    Folk Music Society of NY Members: $12. Judson Memorial Church Members: $12
    More if you choose, less if you can't. No one turned away for lack of money.
    * Friends of PVC include monthly sustainers, regular volunteers, Collective members,
    performers and people who donate at least $30.

    ACCESSIBILITY:
    Wheelchair accessible (including bathrooms). For info call 212-787-3903.




    Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at 8pm:

    In Person Tickets        Livestream Tickets



    Sally Campbell
    Quaker singer/songwriter, Sally Campbell, returns with her autoharp and her playful, powerful and sometimes practical lyrics. For instance, if you have lost your keys or lost your way, she has songs for that: "Finding Lost Things" and "Slow Down". It is by slowing down, even lying down, that she finds songs when she "Lets the Love Flow". She has loved giving away a CD of some of her gift songs but now those and more are on YouTube. Come in person or tune in to hear even more of her heartwarming, heart-opening songs. Sally has invited Chris Brown to perform with her tonight because, not only is he an accomplished musician, he is the real deal, a mensch.
    youtube.com/user/scampfriend



    Chris Brown
    In the songs of Chris Brown you'll find glimpses of people you've known, flashes of life's turning points, stirrings of emotions tied to moments in time. Brown captures the simple truths that we share in song, with offhand insight and humor. He writes of lessons learned and taking stock through life's journey. He chuckles over the big stuff, even death, but sings with tenderness of the small turns in life that leave their marks on all of us. Brown wins over audiences without gimmicks or bluster. He has an organic stage presence. All he needs are his honeyed rumble of a voice and an unteachable ability to make any song - a good-time singalong of a favorite standard or a self-penned meditation on the passage of time - sound genuine and of the moment.
    christopherbrownmusic.com
    facebook.com/christopherbrownmusic



    Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at 8pm:






    MLK Meets Inauguration Day
    Featuring Chris "Oledude" Owens, DuPree, Kaitlyn Byrd, Brian McQueen, Dilson Hernandez, The Angels of Transformation Dancers, Music On The Inside, Michael Hiller, Bracha Lieberman, Judy Gorman, and more!

    On Monday, January 20, 2025, we will celebrate the birthday and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We will also witness the installation of America's 47th President. As we all wrestle with the intertwined futures of our nation and our world, there are waves of thoughts and feelings that wash over us.

    On Saturday, January 18th, we ask these questions: What would Dr. King say about where we are today? How does his legacy impact the choices we will be making going forward? How do we celebrate this important holiday when uncertainty chokes the air we breathe?

    Chris "Oledude" Owens has invited various performers and presenters to build community by sharing their voices with all of us. Saturday night will be an intense and uplifting experience for all, so please share it with us! The evening's event will also be livestreamed, so don't let cold weather stop you from attending!

    PVC members know that Oledude always produces a memorable show!



    Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at 8pm:

    In Person Tickets        Livestream Tickets



    Lindsey Wilson
    Lindsey Wilson is an NYC singer-songwriter with a flare for nostalgia with her memorable mix of 70's style urban folk rock and conscious lyrics. Throughout her musical career, Lindsey Wilson has embraced issues of the heart and mind within her original music. Love songs, protest tunes and lyrics of empowerment have all been a true representation of her style and sensibilities. Her songs "Stand for the People" and "The People Shall Rise" have caught the attention of culturally diverse audiences throughout the country. Lindsey's influences stem from a myriad of musically conscious voices such as Odetta, Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, and Joan Armatrading. However, Lindsey's message is truly her own. lindseywilsonmusicnow.com



    Jendog Lonewolf
    Jendog Lonewolf is a Two Spirit Black Native Photographer, Hip Hop Lyricist, and Cultural Worker from Bushwick, Brooklyn, who navigates a myriad of spaces, challenging stereotypes and issues at the intersections of class, race, gender and sexuality. She's gracefully shared stages with Harry Belafonte, Nile Rodgers, Desmond Tutu, and Joan Baez, worked with Grammy winner Dan Zanes on two Hip Hop/Folk songs, including a LeadBelly tribute for Smithsonian Institute's Folkways Records, toured South Africa, Sri Lanka, UK, Toronto, US, and Cambodia with YaliniDream as the duo Brooklyn Dreamwolf, and is a proud member of the People's Music Network for Songs of Freedom and Struggle, their Steering Committee, as well as Great Labor Arts Exchange (GLAE) Next Generation Team.
    ilovejendog.bandcamp.com
    instagram.com/ilovejendog/
    facebook.com/ilovejendog



    Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at 8pm:

    In Person Tickets        Livestream Tickets



    Rod MacDonald with Mark Dann
    Rod MacDonald was born in Connecticut and began singing professionally in New York City, where he became a leading headliner in Greenwich Village clubs in the 1980s. He recorded 21 songs for Fast Folk magazine (now in the Smithsonian Folkways collection), including "American Jerusalem," "A Sailor's Prayer," "Every Living Thing," and "White Buffalo," also recorded by numerous other artists. He has 14 solo CDs, mostly recently Rants and Romance. The last four have made the top ten nationally on folk radio charts. Rod has also recorded three CDs with the Palm Beach County band Big Brass Bed, which New Times named "Best Folk Band" in 2016. Now living in south Florida, Rod has been named to the "Ten Greatest South Florida Folksingers Of All Time" list by New Times, and one of "Ten Magnificent Musicians of Palm Beach County" by The Palm Beach Post. He is also Music Americana instructor with Osher Lifelong Learning at Florida Atlantic University, and was named Distinguished Faculty Member in 2012. His second novel, The American Guerillas, was published in 2021.
    rodmacdonald.com
    facebook.com/rodmacdonaldmusic




    And coming up...


    Mar 1: Tribute to Bev Grant, featuring DuPrée & others

    Mar 15: Charlie King + Rick Burkhardt

    Mar 29: Gina Forsyth + Reggie Harris

    Apr 5: Bernardo Palombo Tribute Concert, with David Tarlo and others

    May 3: Pete Seeger Tribute Concert, with Judy Gorman and others

    May 10: Paul Kaplan & Rod Sinclair + Open Mic [no livestream]

    May 17: Carolyn Hester with Karla & Amy Blume

    May 31: Jamie Anderson [+ one other to be announced]



    Help The Peoples' Voice Cafe!

    We are making great progress towards our fundraising goal!
    A heart-felt thanks to all who have contributed so far.
    If you can help, please click here.





    The Peoples' Voice Cafe is supported in part by the generosity of

    Judson Memorial Church

    The Folk Music Society of New York





    PVC Solidarity Statement Against Racism

    Peoples' Voice Cafe, started in 1979 by members of Songs of Freedom and Struggle, carries forward the vision of using songs and performing arts to support the struggle for peace and justice.

    All are impacted by the history and ongoing practice of systemic racism in this country and the continuing brutal murders of Black Americans by police.

    We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, outraged by the many faces of racism found in education, healthcare, housing, jobs, poverty, criminal justice, and voting. All must be free to move about in the "land of the free" without suspicion, harassment, or arrest.

    Peoples' Voice Cafe stands committed to speak out, sing out, and work against racism, white supremacy, and indifference.