Alfonso Velez at The Bitter End

Musician and lyricist Alfonso Velez, developed a loyal fan base the old fashioned way: playing live. For six years, his weekly Sunday basement residency in the West Village grew an audience and his original songs became setlist standards which have now lifted him onto the stage.Songs like A Year in a Night and Barcelona Birds and his beautifully unique interpretations of songs by Nina Simone, Harry Nielsen, and Dylan have won him performances on stages like Union Pool, The Bowery Electric, The Mercury Lounge, The Kennedy Center, 9:30 Club, La Flèche D’Or in Paris; sharing marquees with the likes of Alejandro Escovedo, Korey Dane, Jesse Malin, Jakob Dylan, The Americans and many more...

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Musician and lyricist Alfonso Velez, developed a loyal fan base the old fashioned way: playing live. For six years, his weekly Sunday basement residency in the West Village grew an audience and his original songs became setlist standards which have now lifted him onto the stage.Songs like A Year in a Night and Barcelona Birds and his beautifully unique interpretations of songs by Nina Simone, Harry Nielsen, and Dylan have won him performances on stages like Union Pool, The Bowery Electric, The Mercury Lounge, The Kennedy Center, 9:30 Club, La Flèche D’Or in Paris; sharing marquees with the likes of Alejandro Escovedo, Korey Dane, Jesse Malin, Jakob Dylan, The Americans and many more. On-air appearances and interviews at WNYC's Soundcheck with John Schaeffer and songs like Hard Night Buddies used in advertising, have led him to soon debut the upcoming album Flamingoes At Eclipse. Velez creates a strangely distinct New York Sound, that nods to early and mid seventies records by Paul Simon and JJ Cale, but compliments contemporaries like Father John Misty, Michael Kiwanuka and War on Drugs. He's a narrator who throughout his wandering, both geographically and psychologically, writes lyrics that are reflective, funny, surreal, but always searching and probing for deeper meaning with style and gifted poetry. Whatever the reason for his national obscurity, he's converted even some of the most cynical and crossed armed New Yorkers. Velez will play a stripped back set; joined on stage by Teddy Pagano (Burlap to Cashmere) on drums. He is currently auditioning bassists.INSTAGRAM

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