Welcome to The National Underground

Musican brothers Joey & Gavin DeGraw opened The National Underground to provide a home for New York City and the nation's best independent musicians to showcase their talents to an appreciative audience. Featuring live music seven days and nights a week on two floors, The National Underground has more live bands performing per week then any club in New York City and all are outstanding. This ain't no listening room, this is a rock and roll bar, featuring rock, country, Americana and roots rock music in all its glory.

The National Underground features a charcoal grill serving amish raised beef burgers, rib eye steaks, black angus hot dogs, chicken and other items all cooked to perfection. The Underground is open from 12 Noon to 4 AM Daily and there is rarely a cover. Celebrity appearances have included Joss Stone, Norah Jones, Moby, John Popper of Blues Traveler, Robert Randolph, Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Ryan Reynolds, Scarlett Johannson and NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson.

Joey DeGraw

New York City based singer-songwriter, Joey DeGraw, combines powerful songs with a rootsy rock feel, creating an unmistakable sound. His lyrics provide honest, witty, and sharp observations on life, and he sings them with a voice that is raw and filled with emotion. The older brother of recording artist Gavin DeGraw, Joey is a prolific writer and has written with some of the industry's top selling artists.

Joey started playing guitar at the age of five. Inspired by the sounds of Chris Whitley, Queen, Tom Petty, and the Beatles, he continued his passion for music throughout his school years and had written over 50 songs by the time he finished high school. When local musicians began to cover Joey's songs, people started to take notice of his natural raw talent. Chris Whitley noted, "What makes Joey such a deep writer and overwhelming talent, besides his god given gifts, is that ... it is all about music as an art form. He is a purist and the only young blood in music today that gives me hope."

Staying true to his belief in the purity of art, Joey decided to take a "strict artistic stand" against the big business of music and hopes to build a loyal, adult, intellectual audience of practicing artists and songwriters to further his vision. As he says, "I never felt the need to prove myself as a writer, singer, songwriter, guitar player, whatever... I only wanted to create what never existed. I had something to say, and it was important for me to say it." And say it he did.

Joey's self-produced debut album, Midnight Audio, which arrived in 2005, has sold over 40,000 copies without any label support. His latest album, Say Something Strong, released in August of 2009 through Joey's own label National Underground Records, includes original hits "Another Mistake" and "Miracle of Mind." The album is available online worldwide.

Well-known in the underground New York City music scene, Joey has packed the house at some of the city's most famous clubs, including the Bitter End and the Knitting Factory. He has also taken the stage at venues including The House of Blues (Los Angeles), Tin Angel in Philadelphia, Eddie's Attic in Decatur Georgia, Third @ Lindsley in Nashville, Harvard's YardFest and South By Southwest. Joey has toured internationally both with his own band, and as the guitarist and singer in his younger brother Gavin's band. "Gavin is like a rocket. Joey is like a time bomb," says NYC's Bitter End owner Ken Gorka. Joey has recorded with noted producers, Steve Greenwell (Joss Stones' The Soul Sessions and Mind, Body & Soul) and Jim Caruana (Beyonce's Crazy In Love). He has also collaborated with top recording artists including Joss Stone, Mountain front man Leslie West, Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors, and of course, Gavin DeGraw.

Gavin DeGraw

Gavin DeGraw is a talent, who in just a few short years has become one of today's premier singer-songwriters. He's done it the old-fashioned way. On the merits of his creative abilities, perseverance and a healthy, homegrown perspective, he has established himself as a magnetic voice in popular music. Since the release of his first solo album in 2003, DeGraw has solidified himself as a top contender in the music arena with his freewheeling melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and soulful, blues-tinged vocal performances.

DeGraw signed with J Records and in 2003 released his debut album CHARIOT-selling more than a million copies, CHARIOT was certified platinum and yielded three gold singles: "I Don't Want To Be," which soared to No. 1 on the Top 40 radio chart and served as the theme song for hit TV show One Tree Hill, "Follow Through," and the title-track, "Chariot." In 2004, at the request of his fans, DeGraw recorded an acoustic version of CHARIOT, entitled CHARIOT STRIPPED - which endeared him even more to his devoted listeners.

In May 2008, DeGraw released his second studio album GAVIN DEGRAW, which debuted at No. 1 on the digital sales chart and No. 7 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart last May, earning DeGraw his first Top 10 album. It spawned the hit singles "In Love With A Girl," which Billboard dubbed "a rocking homerun" and the gold certified "We Belong Together." DeGraw wrote and helped to arrange all the songs, and played guitar and piano throughout.

DeGraw's latest chapter to his celebrated narrative was the March 2009 release of FREE, a raw, organic-sounding collection of songs that showcases DeGraw's earthy charm and ever evolving songwriting talent. The album includes songs DeGraw wrote very early in his career and have evolved with him, like "Dancing Shoes" and "Glass." FREE removed the bells and whistles to reveal an acoustic sound displaying the honesty in DeGraw's love of music.

Thanks to tireless touring, as well as performances on The Late Show With David Letterman, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Live with Regis & Kelly, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and other programs, audiences around the country continue to fall for DeGraw's prodigious songwriting, singing talent and affable personality.