Left on Red

Whether they are playing old timey music, or modern pro-women anthems, they back up their politics with beautiful harmonies and expert interwoven violin and guitar. Try and see them before they are too big to play Penn Station. - Go Metric

Left on Red (New York City)
“We were psyched to play our CMJ show at The Bitter End, where our heroes once came to tread. You know who I mean, artist like Stephan Grappeli, Bob Dylan and umm...Lady Gaga” – Liah Alonso of Left on Red - Black Book Magazine

Left on Red (New York City)
“We were psyched to play our CMJ show at The Bitter End, where our heroes once came to tread. You know who I mean, artist like Stephan Grappeli, Bob Dylan and umm...Lady Gaga” – Liah Alonso of Left on Red - Black Book Magazine

(about kelly) I don't know what this girl does, but she makes that violin sound like Jimmy Page!

(about Liah) You're the most artistic person I've ever met. - Jeff Fassano

(about kelly) I don't know what this girl does, but she makes that violin sound like Jimmy Page!

(about Liah) You're the most artistic person I've ever met. - Jeff Fassano

"Left On Red...Captivating Chemistry" - Lucid Culture

"Left On Red...Captivating Chemistry" - Lucid Culture

"With Liah on guitar and vocals and Kelly adding violin, vocals, and drums, the two started with the somewhat crazy idea of exclusively making their living busking in New York City subways. To their credit, they’re pulling it off, as you can see in the video below. With three years of playing their fun, socially relevant songs together, Left on Red have built quite a following, and have now added club dates and festivals to their schedule." - The Top 22

"What would you like to hear next?"

Liah Alonso and Kelly Halloran must have asked that question a hundred times this week, serenading tables at Trattoria Romana restaurant in Dongan Hills.

Billed as the Manhattan Sisters, these 20-something musicians can guarantee you'll like what they play because they'll play whatever you like.

Just so you know, their name is a bit of a misnomer. The women live in Manhattan but they aren't sisters.

There's nothing misleading about their performance, though. The two play every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at the eatery, taking requests at each table.

The voluptuous Ms. Alonso, on guitar, sings with a Broadway voice and gushes with personality.

The petite Ms. Halloran puts all her vim into her violin, spanning all styles and harmonizing softly.

"We complement each other," said Ms. Halloran, eating steamed broccoli rabe and other vegetarian fare before showtime last week. "We're like musical soul sisters."

Traveling by express bus from their downtown apartment, the young women met each other in New York, each with many miles behind them.

Ms. Alonso had lived in California, Long Island, and Mexico -- (ask her about her Cozumel tattoo parlor and her old "Jewish" horse, Murray) --before she found a producer in New York, thanks to a neighbor who had heard her singing in the bath tub.

Ms. Halloran had been living in Western Massachusetts when she was "discovered" by Silver Lake's Judge Anthony Giacobbe, the state Supreme Court justice and former Republican city councilman-at-large. Giacobbe heard her play in Gloucester, Mass., and offered to help her find work if she ever came to New York.

Months later, Ms. Halloran and Ms. Alonso had come to live in the city, met with the judge for lunch at Trattoria Romana, and landed the regular gig that will run through the summer.

"It's great that they go to each table and sing," said the restaurant's owner and chef Vittorio Asoli. "If you have a band in the corner, the diners are stuck with that whether they like it or not."

Judge Giacobbe dubbed the duo "The Manhattan Sisters," a name they use at the venue and at some corporate events and parties.

When they rock, they go by Left on Red, singing enlightened originals about the pitfalls of consumerism and uncomfortably high heels.

At Trattoria Romana, they play songs from every style and decade: Country, opera, rock, classical, funk, jazz and pop. Requests can be made in advance at www.manhattansisters.com, or on the spot. If they don't know the tune, they'll write down the title and learn it for next time.

"Ask and you shall receive," their Web page advertises.

If a diner can't think of a request, they size up their audience and try to guess what song they might like. On Staten Island, they said, Italian songs are a good bet.

They sing in Spanish, Italian, English, French and Hebrew, and play anything from Guns and Roses and Hannah Montana to "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" and "The Godfather" theme song.

"We're starting to know the people here," said Ms. Alonso. "We're starting to know people's names and their musical tastes. It's like having a family."

The Manhattan Sisters say they play for smiles, but dollars stuffed into the sound hole of Ms. Alonso's guitar are appreciated.

"Our mission with music is to give positivity to people," said Ms. Alonso, "to uplift people with a spirit of joy and compassion."

To make a reservation at Trattoria Romana, 1476 Hylan Blvd., call 718-980-3113. - Staten Island Advance

As Halloran sails me out on her faster-than-fire violin notes, it dawns on my that these girls are one of New York's great, yet-to-be-discovered bands. And don't worry, they will be. It's just a matter of when and how. - New Rock News

The “Chocolate Revolution,” an awareness-raising concert in Babeville’s Ninth Ward today , will shine a light on how the sweet confection is produced.

The all-ages concert is part of a global movement to support small farmers of commodities and to eliminate child exploitation.

“Forced child labor continues to be a problem in the Ivory Coast, the source of 50 percent of the cocoa consumed in the U. S., and Fair Trade continues to be your best guarantee that your chocolate is not tainted by such exploitation,” said Rodney North of Equal Exchange, a maker of Fair Trade chocolate.

The 6-year-old company’s products, along with those of similar companies, are on the shelves of Tops Markets, Wegmans and Lexington Food Coop. Its intent was to address chronic poverty among small farmers, who the company said were victimized by a production system that didn’t provide enough profit for the farmer.

Equal Exchange gets its cocoa beans from Peru, Panama and the Dominican Republic. North said those countries, and others in the Americas, don’t have the problems of forced child labor in cocoa fields documented in the Ivory Coast, which produces 40 percent of all cocoa.

Equal Exchange is one of the concert’s sponsors, along with Righteous Babe Records, Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts, Hallwalls and Lexington Food Co-op. Fair Trade chocolate bars and cocoa will be provided when doors open at 7.

Merging music with Fair Trade chocolate originated with New York-based Left on Red, headliners on a bill that includes Michael Meldrum and Mary Ramsey.

Left on Red's Kelly Halloran and Liah Alonso said they wanted to use Valentine's Day to help people become more aware of issues that surround commercial brands of chocolate and provide information on alternatives.

"We have the power to support companies and by doing that have a voice and an influence," Alonso said.

Tanya Zabinski, co-owner of Planet Love, also said the timing was right.

"A lot of people are aware of Fair Trade coffee, but not as much about chocolate," Zabinski said. "But with Valentine's Day, when you give Fair Trade chocolate it's not only a token of love to the one on whom you lavish it, but an act of love toward the farmers," Zabinski said.

At Lexington Co-op, sales of Fair Trade chocolate … which cost more than commercial bars … have been rising, said Tim Bartlett, general manager.

"We averaged sales of about 1,000 Fair Trade chocolate bars a month over the last three months. That's significantly up from the same time a year ago," he said. - The Buffalo News

In recent months, Chelsea residents passing through the uptown No. 1 train station at 23rd St. most evenings have heard something more than the roar of the subway. The musical duo Left On Red, composed of Kelly Halloran (left) on violin and Liah Alonso (right), the lead singer on guitar, have been playing their original compositions and covers of classic rock and pop songs for almost a year. In addition to keeping some of the dollar bills that appreciative commuters leave, they give some of the money to socially conscious causes. Most recently, they say they’ve contributed to Veterans for Peace, as well as several environmental groups. - Chelsea Now

"If these girls play this in the subway, I have no idea how anyone could possibly focus on what they have to do that day. "

- New Rock News

"If these girls play this in the subway, I have no idea how anyone could possibly focus on what they have to do that day. "

- New Rock News

"Several great bands played during the event, but one in particular stood out for me, “Left On Red”, the group which consists of 2 women who are activists and volunteers. They contribute their music to social causes around the city, they are truly inspiring with a clear and strong voice. "

- Yelena Posniak - Blogger and Photographer

"..America, pay attention to these women! They are smart,serious (but goofy), beautiful and far more intelligent than almost anyone out there. If this is what the revolution is going to be like, sign me up now!”
- Brian Cogan author of The Encyclopedia of Punk

Be sure to check out Left on Red at Bryant Park May 12. Liah Alonso and Kelly Halloran blend their sweet vocal harmonies with rock violin and rhythm guitar. LOR’s captivating shows consist of originals and cover songs, diverse in era, genre and language. Their self-titled disc features an entertaining range of genres and topics that appeal to people of all ages. “Shop” finds LOR singing about America’s addiction to retail, “Crash and Burn” deals with the poisoning of our food, while the self explanatory “High Heel Blues” and the duo’s first single “Jack and Jill” will hit home with anyone who has dealt with societal expectations. - GO Magazine

Be sure to check out Left on Red at Bryant Park May 12. Liah Alonso and Kelly Halloran blend their sweet vocal harmonies with rock violin and rhythm guitar. LOR’s captivating shows consist of originals and cover songs, diverse in era, genre and language. Their self-titled disc features an entertaining range of genres and topics that appeal to people of all ages. “Shop” finds LOR singing about America’s addiction to retail, “Crash and Burn” deals with the poisoning of our food, while the self explanatory “High Heel Blues” and the duo’s first single “Jack and Jill” will hit home with anyone who has dealt with societal expectations. - GO Magazine