A few times a week, Gothamist publishes music reviews by our contributor Jeff Baum. The opinions below belong entirely to the author.
After checking out an early set by Atlanta-based band Snowden at the Mercury Lounge, I was about ready to turn in for the night. It had been a long day at work and I was getting sleepy. Somewhere along the way I got word from Audrey that Keren Ann was playing a secret midnight show around the corner at the Living Room. I wasn't totally sold on the prospect of staying out too late, but I had heard great things about her and knew this would be a rare chance to see her play in such a cozy and intimate venue. I'm very glad I went.
We headed over to the Living Room a little after 11:00. To see someone like this, I can't think of a place in the city I'd rather be. At a small table near the stage sipping on a glass of white wine, it was ideal. She finally came out around 1am, seeming tired and a bit drunk herself. I suspect her state of mind was not unlike many others in the room.
What stood out from her set was not only her delicate yet confident voice, but the twangy, bluesy guitar that structures her songs so well. She managed to complement my weariness with a lush and hypnotizing selection of songs, some in French, others English. It almost felt too perfect to be hovering in this half-sleep state I had found myself in at such an hour on a weeknight. This music seemed straight out of a dream. She took requests, told few stories and played a couple of covers, including a beautiful and nearly unrecognizable version of Queens of the Stone Age's ‘Burn the Witch’. By the time her set was over, it was after 2am…about 3 hours past the time I had desperately hoped to be in bed. But it was well worth it. A one of a kind performance by a dazzling artist.
Check out some more pictures from this show, as well as from the earlier Snowden set I caught here.
