Nellie Mckay: photo by Michael Ligon
I'll try to roll out the rest of photos from the the shows I went to during the summer and forward starting with the enticing Nellie McKay. She played an intimate show at the Horseshoe Tavern at the end of June on the second last night of the Toronto Jazz Festival.
Brooklyn artist Becca Stevens and her band, playing as a trio, played a set of jazz-inflected pop and folk including their ace Smiths' cover of "There is a Light That Never Goes Out". Stevens and her vocals were obviously the most intriguing components, and her bandmates competent but not all that distinct but it was a fine set for the most part.
Looking back in the archives I found that that night was the exact date in 2004 that Nellie played Lee's Palace to what I recall was a sold out crowd. Back then she had an appeal that had crossed over to the indie crowd that had Pitchfork and the like fawning all over her. However, six years later, and found the Horseshoe crowd unusually light - not empty, but not sold out by a long shot. Playing solo, on keyboards and occasionally on ukelele she was as charming I'd remembered her, maybe more eccentric than remembered her. She played a bunch of songs from her debut "Get Away From Me" and a bunch of others I wasn't familiar with. She played a Beatles medley. She did a little reggae, complete with crowd participation. It was all very charming. She ended the night with a crowd request, Sari that completel annihilated the crowd as at one point she screamed "Die Motherfucker". Completely and utterly amazing.
Lithium Magazine and The Panic Manual were also at the show also and their reviews are much better articulated, so check them out.
Photos: Nellie Mckay @ Horseshoe Tavern, part of Toronto Jazz Festival (June 30, 2012)
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