Love attending music gigs but ticket prices too heavy on the packet? Here’s where to head to if you want to enjoy live acts for free
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Fan of live music but the indulgence is draining you dry? These venues hear you: Not only do they have free live gigs every week, they also have genre-based themes. From jazz nights, to electronic bands and covers, we heard them all to bring you five spots to listen to homegrown musicians play original compositions and popular covers for free.
Bluebop Cafe
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As a musician and jazz enthusiast himself, owner of Bluebop Cafe in Khar, Amar Sukhi, felt a need for a jazz centric place as “the genre is drying”. Friday nights usually host the city’s finest jazz musicians. Sometimes, they blur the lines between genres to accommodate variations of jazz, blues and even classic rock. “Mumbai was alive with jazz in the ‘60s and ‘70s,” says Sukhi who opened the venue around three years ago and picks all the musicians himself, “and now we need a place to keep jazz alive. I want jazz to be more accessible, hence it is free.” He did hint that they may need a new model soon, but for now, this works.
Bonobo
#LiveIsEverything is Bandra’s alfresco, rooftop bar’s way of live gigs. Wednesdays at Bonobo include live music mostly in the jazz, soul and funk genres. “We’ve done live music for 14 years; it’s something we love,” says Nevil Timabadia, who runs Bonobo. “We programme different bands every Wednesday to keep it fresh, so that every time is a new experience.” If you are in the mood for electronic music, they have that as well on every Friday. “We wanted to keep the entry barrier low so that people don’t have to think twice before coming,” says Timabadia.
Silly
Want to groove to techno music but can’t risk a DJ playing tired remixes of popular songs? On Thursdays at Silly in Khar, handpan artiste Mihir Chandan plays progressive rock. “We play progressive house and afro music because these genres are soothing and go well with the handpan,” says founder Karan Nohria. They plan to introduce newer bands and artistes soon. “Having the gig open to all patrons while they dine, attracts regular guests and reels in those looking to experience the music.”
Maikada
Sprung two months ago, this bar has electronic nights—with techno, deep house, house, disco music—every Friday. “We wanted to do something for the niche crowd; that’s why we started Enigma,” says Yash Advani, founder. “We decided on free live gigs to attract a larger audience,” he adds, “and create a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere. We wanted make the experience accessible to everyone who appreciates live music.”
PassCode Only (PCO)
Cure mid-week blues with jazz nights at PCO in Lower Parel. The venue started live music gigs around six months ago and features the best of jazz musicians performing on #SayJazz nights. “At PCO, we have a beautiful secret garden speakeasy vibe where you need a pass code to enter and jazz is the perfect fit,” says Radhika Dhariwal, Director. The curating team worked closely with The Bombay Jazz Club to set this up and also promote international performers such as Heather Graham and Jay Gandhi. “Many guests and customers love live performances and seek out venues with live programming. We thought it would be a nice way to define the identity of the space and showcase our product and cocktails to a new target audience,” adds Dhariwal.
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