My Culture Fix in The City

CULTUREfix is a quaint little bar, gallery, and event space located on Clinton street in Manhattan New York. When I was invited to the monthly “Acoustic night” at CULTUREfix on the evening of March 20th, I had no idea what to expect. The local bar's events page on Facebook  described the event as “a night of music” and “a very intimate experience”. The night I had was much more than that! The bar is located in a lively area of lower east side Manhattan and surrounded by cultural restaurants and other local bars. It was quite a walk from the nearest train station, luckily I'm in shape! My first impression upon entering CULTUREfix was that it was small,cramped, and crowded. When led down a narrow hall to the event space and gallery located near the back of the establishment, I realized the small space was perfect for the intimate evening promised. Abstract portraits and landscapes scaled the walls of the dimly lit bar/gallery. They were interesting works of art but didn't really call my attention at the moment. I imagined they often drastically altered the space to suit the nature of the evening. Stools adorned the room providing the crowd with seats during the performances. They were in short supply so most of the audience stood facing a corner of the room that was dedicated to the artists.

I arrived during the first performance of the night; Anthony J Russo. Russo is a multi-talented singing, songwriting, tap dancing combination. He was accompanied by special guests Chris Erk and Elizabeth Burke during his amazing set which consisted of original songs from his album, a surprisingly pleasant tap dance routine, and even a harmonica solo! The crowd was slow to take to Russo and his smooth sounds but as soon as the tap dancing trio finished their set the audience (including myself) was riled up and applauding for more!

Next up to the stage was Jack Fuller; a jazz/soul singer who is usually accompanied by a full band.
That night Fuller opted for a more personal experience by performing with only his voice, a guitar, and a few harmonizing vocals. The result was nothing short of breathe taking. Like a lullaby Fuller's voice erupted from him as soon as he opened his mouth and began to soothe me with his velvety falsetto that rang throughout the bar like that of an angel's. Performing songs from his debut albums “But Wheat Decided to Grow” and most recent “Build”, Fuller sang songs of finding love, learning to love others, and learning to love yourself. His impressive range, guitar, and background singers perfectly complimented the melodic jazz acoustic feel to the performance as a whole. Fuller also interacted with the small but lively audience encouraging them to sing along to covers of catchy songs such as Cee lo's “Crazy”. I found myself applauding loudly and singing right along! By the end of the night I was astounded by the great deal of talent I had witnessed during Acoustic night at CULTUREfix bar. Both Anthony J Russo with his multiple talents and Jack Fuller with his angelic voice proved to be two musically blessed individuals. For a 1$ donation I got a hell of a show! Check out these artists for yourself! Jack Fuller:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jack-Fuller/115670870894?ref=mf Anthony J Russo:  http://www.facebook.com/people/Anthony-J-Russo/650061977


For more information on “Acoustic Night” or CULTUREFIX bar visit their website at
“http://www.culturefixny.com/” you will not be disappointed!