The Happy Ending Music and Reading Series

The Happy Ending Music and Reading Series is a semimonthly performing arts series founded and hosted by Amanda Stern at the Happy Ending Bar in Chinatown, NYC on September 3, 2003. Since its inception, the Happy Ending Music and Reading Series has occurred every other Wednesday, bringing together literary and musical talents to share the stage. On January 7, 2009, the series permanently moves from the Happy Ending Bar to Joe's Pub, where it takes place the first Wednesday of every month. The Happy Ending Music and Reading Series has been chosen by New York Magazine, The Village Voice, and NY Press as the best reading series in NYC, and has been singled out by the New York Times Magazine for helping to "Keep downtown, NY alive." The success of the series is based largely on Amanda Stern's no-nonsense and oftentimes awkward sense of humor. Of the musicians appearing in the series, Stern requires at least one cover song with which the musician must attempt to get the audience to sing along. Of the readers, Stern requires one public risk. Past risks have included karate-chopping wooden boards, freak-dancing with a random member of the audience, spinning a basketball, etc...