Chicha Libre 

Beside being a popular alcoholic beverage, chicha is also the name of the psychedelic cumbia sound fermented in Peru's Amazonian rainforests during the '70s. Barbès owner Olivier Conan, who anthologized chicha's origins in one of last year's finer compilations, fronts a terrific chicha dance combo with members of One Ring Zero and Las Rubias del Norte. They open a portal to Peru here nearly every Monday, and their fine new album will bubble your brain, too. — By Richard Gehr

Price: $10