Where the Bands Are (Ashley Monroe 13 April 2025, New York)

This blogpost picks up where we left off – ok a DUMBO, Brooklyn, on our first full day in New York, Sunday April 13.

After hopping off the ferry, we strolled over to the venue with the cutest name: Baby’s All Right. However, as soon as we got to the door, we hit a bit of a snag. They only accepted cash at the entrance. We were sent to a slightly sketchy ATM tucked away in the darkest corner of the establishment, where we (with the help of the flashlight on my phone because the light was broken) managed to withdraw the $60 we needed, plus a lovely little $4 fee.

The showroom was tiny, with a capacity of only 250 people. When we arrived, there were barely ten people there. We grabbed a beer and found our usual spot in the back of the open area in front of the stage. Behind us was a small raised section with a couple of tables and chairs and just beyond that, the bar.

The opening act was Striking Matches, an American duo made up of guitarists and songwriters Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis. They were really good, especially Sarah, who had great stage energy. Both of them were clearly skilled musicians, and their chemistry on stage worked well. I really liked their tight vocal harmonies and their guitar-driven music style.

They played five songs: Six String Baby, Appalachia, a beautiful rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Insincerely, and Make a Liar Out of Me. A short but solid set that definitely made an impression.

Then the main act, Ashley Monroe, took the stage. She played both guitar and piano during her set, with the two guitarists from Striking Matches backing her up. The vibe shifted quite a bit. Her set was mellow and felt kind of naked in a beautiful way. A lot of the songs were stripped down, which gave her lyrics and voice space to really shine.

Ashley Monroe has co-written songs with big names, including country star Chris Stapleton, and it was clear from her performance that songwriting is one of her real strengths. She played their songs: If the Devil Don’t Want Me early in the set, and closed with The Blade as an encore.

At one point, she talked warmly about her good friend Miranda Lambert, and played their song Heart Like Mine, which was a sweet moment.

Before playing Like a Rose, she told a story about writing the song with Nashville legend Guy Clark. She said she’d been trying to impress him with her best song ideas, but he just looked at her and said, “Tell me about you.” So she opened up about her life, about losing her dad, and having a rough upbringing and ended her story by saying, kind of nervously, “But I turned out like a rose.” Guy just smiled and said, “Well, why don’t we write that?”

Some of Ashley’s set was a bit too country and a little too slow for my taste. Maybe I was just too tired after a long day of walking and sightseeing to fully appreciate it. I don’t usually care much for the stripped-down style, but I have to admit that it suited the small, intimate venue quite well. It’s exciting to see acts you haven’t seen before. Sometimes it’s a home run and sometimes not. I found the venue cute but Ashley Monroe was not for me. The support act, Striking Matches, was a real highlight though. I’ll definitely keep an eye on them in the future. All in all, it was a lovely way to round off a jam-packed first day in New York.

This was blogpost number three out of five from our trip. If you haven’t already, feel free to check out the first two – one about our New York sightseeing and the other about our day in Philadelphia.

Next up: a night at the legendary Madison Square Garden, followed by our Rock and Roll Tour of the Jersey Shore. Stay tuned!