Live music is a hallmark of Greenwich Village — there’s a spot for everyone, whether they enjoy jazz, blues or rock. WSN captured a journey through a night at five notable venues that you may see tucked throughout campus. But the music doesn’t stop there: Buskers add another current of sound underground at subway stations, in the center of parks and on the streets with spontaneous pop-up shows.

The Vanguard is a cozy venue, filled with low chatter and clinking glasses. On Monday nights, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra’s Adam Birnbaum will likely be playing the piano, its open lid extending into the seating area to give the audience an intimate connection with the players. 

The Grammy-winning orchestra varies its setlist every night, playing a combination of classical jazz hits and recent pieces written by former orchestra members. Each member of the 16-piece orchestra highlights their own particular sound during the show. 

Cafe Wha?

Cafe Wha? opened in 1959 and quickly became prominent in the rock and folk scenes. 

Cafe Wha? attracts a younger audience than many of the other jazz bars in Greenwich Village. The club’s own house band performs twice a night, at 9 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays and 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Its sets, framed by more modern hits like “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles arranged to fit a rock-adjacent genre, serve as a perfect introduction for those new to the jazz bar scene. 

Artists like Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor performed on the Cafe Wha? stage long before their rise to fame. Bob Dylan, who was 19 at the time, got his start at the storied club on one of its “hootenanny” nights, where anyone could perform a song.

At every show, there is a music charge applied to each bill ranging from $10-25 with a two-item minimum per person.

Cafe Wha? is open until 2 a.m. except for Wednesdays and Sundays when it closes at midnight and 1:30 a.m. respectively — the club is also closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Throughout its set, the house band plays with an energetic spirit the whole night. The aisles between tables fill with patrons dancing and letting loose all night long.

The Bitter End

Established in 1961, The Bitter End is the oldest rock and roll club in New York City. Despite its origins, the club currently showcases live music of any genre every night, including rock, blues, jazz, funk, alternative, hip-hop, spoken word, a capella and country. Tickets for events start at $10, and the club is open seven days a week, from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. and until 2 a.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.

The venue has hosted well-known artists like Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Billy Joel early in their careers. 

The Bitter End has a chill, laid-back setting with a crowd of all ages.

The Blue Note

The Blue Note Jazz Club opened in the Village in 1981 but has expanded, with locations in Hawaii, California, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Milan, Beijing and Shanghai. It also hosts the annual Blue Note Jazz Festival in New York City. 

Student tickets are offered for select shows, starting at $15 for weekend brunch shows and $20 for evening shows. The club is open Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to midnight and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to midnight.

Some of the famous performers include Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Robert Glasper and Esperanza Spalding. 

The Blue Note is an expensive venue, with standard tickets ranging from $45 to $75, with a $20 consumption minimum for each table. Made up of an older crowd and a quiet ambiance, the floor is filled with tables with attendees eating dinner.

Smalls

Smalls is the best place to close off a night out. After 1 a.m., when all planned shows have ended, Smalls sheds its cover charge and invites anyone to join its open jam sessions. The audience is young and energetic, with attendees crowding along the walls to squeeze in and watch the show.

Smalls offers a student discount for the midnight set Sundays through Thursdays for $10.

Smalls Jazz Club was opened in 1994 by ex-naval nurse Mitch Borden but closed for nearly two years after Sept. 11, 2001, when Smalls went bankrupt due to declining attendance and a fast-changing city economy. 

Smalls’ nightly jam sessions stemmed from Borden’s original philosophy of prioritizing community and the social element of jazz clubs. Names like Ari Hoenig, Patrick Bartley and Emmet Cohen have all performed at the bar. Smalls is open until 3:30 a.m. every day, starting at 7 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and 2 p.m. from Friday to Sunday. Tickets are $35 for Sunday to Thursday shows, and $40 for Friday and Saturday shows.

Contact Alex Woodworth and Kiran Komanduri at [email protected].