Bess Rogers, Lelia Broussard, & Jack Rabbits of the Yucatan Live @ Rockwood Music Hall

So...a couple weeks ago, I went to check out Jenny Owen Youngs & Emily Wells at City Winery (you may have read something about that somewhere). Anyhoo...after the show, I had the chance to chat with Jenny and found out about this little something going on at Rockwood Music Hall, and how Bess Rogers would be playing, and how she is so awesome, and so I should go. So I went! Bess was supposed to go on at 9pm, but I got there a little early and caught the end of the preceding act. The AS-IS Ensemble...sounds like: some of the best jazz you've ever heard. seriously, cruise by their myspace and show them some love. It will be time well-spent.

Moving on. Rockwood Music Hall...is really like a smallish music room. It's a really nice room though. Actually, there are two rooms. One main room with the big, full bar where the stage is; and another room of equal size with a big screen t.v. so you can watch the music you're listening to if you didn't get there early enough to be in the other room. Also, the acoustics are stellar. If you can find a reason to go, please by all means, go.

So, Bess Rogers! Before this evening, I only had a peripheral knowledge of Bess Rogers and her musical oeuvre, as it were. I had seen her play with Jenny Owen Youngs once or twice, and thought that she was a guitarist who also happened to do back-up vocals. Nice girl. Cool hair. But wait! There's more! What I didn't realize was that she is a talented artist-singer-songwriter in her own right. I love it when people are full of good surprises. I did do a little homework on her myspace beforehand, so I was familiar with a couple of the songs she played (Bulldozer & I Don't Worry). Between songs she chatted with the band (Chris Kuffner on guitar, Dan Romer on keys, Allie Moss on backing vocals and gorgeous harmonies, and not one, but two drummers - Elliott Jacobson and Adam Christgau). She even told the story of her shiny new ukulele. Apparently, she got to go to the factory where they make them and pick it out when it was just a little "ukulele fetus" - a slab of wood; and they made her a ukulele from scratch! Then pause just long enough to launch into the next song. Everything To Lose, for instance.

The banter was fun and all, but Bess' voice was the real main attraction. She definitely gets my award for sweetest vocals of the evening. Bess' sound is something I didn't quite expect. She rocks , yes it's true, but when she sings her tone is so clear and so pure. It's like a bell ringing. And with assists on the tightly woven harmonies from Allie Moss and Chris Kuffner, it was the icing on the cake. She did also treat us to some tasty little nuggets of as-yet unrecorded goodness (she's releasing something new in the springtime...I've only heard two songs and I'm excited! It's that good). Hey look! Here's one now! Check it out:

Bess Rogers performing When You Lose @ Rockwood Music Hall

I also had the good fortune to catch up with Bess after the set...and by "catch up", I mean I hunted her down to get a copy of her latest EP. Aaaaaaaaannnnnd, she gave me a free sticker!

Next up was Lelia Broussard, whom I'd not only never heard, but never even heard of until I just happened to turn up at this show. Well, let's just say I'm glad I finally got caught up. My general first impression of Lelia Broussard is that she is all little and cute and plays guitar. If adorable British crooner Adele and alt. country/alt. rocker Bonnie Raitt had a baby, it would probably sound something like Leila Broussard. Yes, she plays a mean guitar. Yes, she rocks pretty frickin' hard. But this belies the fact that her voice has this guttural rip to it, and her vocal transitions from the very low to the very high are sublime and something that everyone should experience at least once in his/her lifetime. She was backed up by the ubiquitous Chris Kuffner on guitar, Elliott Jacobson on drums, and Dan Romer on keys. She even got Bess Romer back up on stage for a minute to help out with harmonies on one song...have a look-see:

Lelia Broussard performing Shoot For The Moon @ Rockwood Music Hall

She also has a wicked sense of humor as evidenced in her song Hipster Bitch - apparently, we share similar sentiments about hipsters and Williamsburg...Who knew? You can see some of that right here...

Last to take the stage was Jackrabbits Of The Yucatan. Now, if you paid attention in school, you'd know that in Elizabethan England (Shakespeare's time), Jackrabbits Of The Yucatan was often used as a colorful euphemism for Jenny Owen Youngs. Jenny was also supported on stage by Chris Kuffner on bass, Dan Romer on keys, and Elliott Jacobson & Adam Christgau on drums. What I love about this is that, even though each singer-songwriter-asskicker performing has her own voice and her own style, they all get together and support eachother like one big musical family. And everyone sounds awesome and leaves you with a unique impression. From an artistic/creative standpoint, it's kinda beautiful. Awww....hugs, everybody! But, I digress...As she was performing under an assumed name, it was only fitting that she perform covers...of some of her own classic hits. And for this, Jenny takes the award for best surprise of the evening. She opened with Nighty Night with an assist from Dan Romer breakin' it down on accordion (y'all know how I feel about accordians...and the men who play them). She did a mellowed out version of Secrets, a bossa nova version of Voice On Tape, and Clean Break got broken down. She also did some more standard-ish versions of some of my favorites. What Beats Within being one. Check it out:

Jenny Owen Youngs performing What Beats Within @ Rockwood Music Hall

I was also able to get some sweet cell phone video of Jenny & Co. performing Dissolve. It's one of my favorite tracks to see and hear her do live, and it was made all the awesomer with Dan Romer rounding out the sound on piano. Hope you like it, too!

Jenny Owen Youngs performing Dissolve @ Rockwood Music Hall.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Jenny's cover of Toadies' Possum Kingdom. Un-f*cking-believable! Rocked it! For this reason, Jenny also takes home the award for best Rock Hair of the evening. It jumps up and down. It swishes all around. It punctuates guitar licks. It is the stuff that rock legends and shampoo commercials are made of. And she didn't stop there. She did Transmitter Failure (which I always love), and ended her set with Start+Stop...which, I suppose, is a good place to stop. So, she did. Raucous applause all around. Aaannnnnd.....scene. See you at the next show!

p.s. for more videos from this show (and others) go check out my youtube channel here.

Jenny Owen Youngs & Emily Wells Live @ City Winery NYC

She saw you, Levi...and she knows you Whooed.

I found out about this show via Jenny Owen Youngs' Tumblr blog as she was invited, eleventh-hour-style, to join Emily Wells performing at City Winery. Now, I'd never been to City Winery before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Lemme fill you in so that, if you should happen to go there at some point (say, for instance, to see Beth Orton perform on 17th January), you will know what to expect. City Winery is, in fact a winery - well, they sell wine anyway. Unlike, say, The Knitting Factory which may have at some point been a knitting factory, but is currently not a factory of any kind. More than that, it is a winery/restaurant with a biggish stage on the back wall. It is beautifully lit, well-appointed, and has lots of tables and chairs that are not moved or rearranged in any way when there is a performance on the afore mentioned biggish stage. Seating is "cozy", so get to know your neighbors because if the place is packed with Jenny Owens Youngs and/or Emily Wells fans (as it just so happened to be on this particular evening), you will all be pretty much sitting in eachother's laps for the duration of the evening. Cozy. The wine is lovely. The food is nothing to write home about, but the accoustics are tremendous; so sit back with your wine and enjoy the show!

After some dramatic red velvet curtain parting, Jenny & Co. took to the stage and promptly commenced to tune their instruments...because, as Jenny told us, "...I care about you and I want the very best for you..." Soon thereafter, she kicked off the evening with If I Didn't Know. She seemed to be still finding her footing a bit with Led To The Sea, but finally hit her stride with the crowd pleaser, Drinking Song. Jenny then asked if there were any babies in the audience. After a few claps and shouts from the crowd, she concluded that there weren't any babies in the audience because, "...babies don't have the ability to clap like that." She seemed mostly concerned about babies in attendance because she thought that she might "...swear a lot accidentally...and then later, on purpose." Nice to know that Jenny's lookin' out for our best interests. Warm fuzzies. Thanks Jenny! All this while switching from electric to acoustic guitar ("Whoa! This is a totally different guitar! That's some Houdini-ass sh*t...") This little exchange was followed by Nighty Night (which, by the way, babies would have loved had there been any in the audience). Secrets was up next and was so kick-ass that i was a little saddened that my cozy seating situation wasn't a standing room only situation. It's definitely a get on your feet and sing along kind of a song. There was much singing along in the room, at any rate. See for yourself!

Jenny Owen Youngs performing Secrets live at City Winery NYC

Next up was no more words...and really, when you listen to the lyrics "I'm in the business of loving you 'til you choke," do you really need more words to describe Jenny's awesome lyrical genius? The answer to that is "No". You're welcome. Check it out.

Jenny Owen Youngs performing No More Words live at City Winery NYC

The highlight of the Jenny's set (well, one of many) was an as yet unheard rendition of Clean Break. Spec-f*cking-tacular!!! It was bigger and louder and ballsier than I've ever heard it performed before. Fun breaks, big guitar flourishes, well-timed drum solos, and fat bass slaps...This version needs to be mp3'd and put up on iTunes immediately! Jenny, can you hear me?!?! This new version of awesomeness from her current release, Transmitter Failure, could only be followed by the debut album awesomeness of F*ck Was I. So, um, that's what Jenny followed it with. Next up was the super fun of Last Person...if you've not yet seen the superfun official music video, you can check it out here. What makes this song so much fun live (well, everything with Jenny involved is fun live...) was that Jenny was joined only by drummer Elliott Jacobson and bassist Chris Kuffner, so when the chorus came around, it was pretty frickin' sweeeet that a big chunk of audience joined in to fill out the call-and-response parts. Hugs, everybody. That was nice.

Jenny slowed things down a bit next with Voice On Tape, where she switched it up a little and played the accompanying bass while Chris worked it out on guitar and backing vocal. ("Oh my God! Did we just trade instruments? I didn't even notice...ha!"...oh, Jenny!) Transmitter Failure, my personal favorite off the album of the same name, came next and definitely did not disappoint. Jenny really let loose and again I wished we were in a standing sort of venue instead of a seating-with-eating sort of venue (though Jenny threw out an "Enjoy the veal, everybody!" once or twice to some well-received laughter). Jenny closed out her set with the closing track from the album, Start + Stop. The song kicked ass. Jenny thoroughly kicked ass and a good time was had by all.

By this time, we were all well-prepared for Emily Wells to work her magic (Jenny Owen Youngs warned us that we may not be prepared for how hard we would be rocked, and how melted off our faces would be..."So that'll be fun..."). Emily began by...well, by having a bunch of guys move her table of magical musical delights and other things that plug in to the front of the stage. But right after that, Emily began with an a capella version of Patti LaBelle's If You Love Me...which was great for me because I grew up on that stuff, but I got the feeling that nobody else really got it. The lingering awkwardness in the air was immediately dissipated, however, when Emily busted out her violin and started McGyvering together sound loops to create her Symphony No. 1 In The Barrel Of A Gun (to raucous applause and great joy at the front table, I might add). For those already familiar with Emily's music, this was exactly what we had been waiting for. For the uninitiated, however, it was a new experience altogether. I loved looking around and watching the faces of people who either hadn't heard Emily before or hadn't seen her perform the music live as they realised they were watching her build each symphony one instrument at a time ("Oh shit! Is that a kid's toy microphone?!"). Equally as impressive as the sheer number of instruments and gadgets laid out on her table was that, apart from being just novel, some were simply unidentifiable. There are musical geniuses, and then there are musical geniuses. And then there is Emily Wells. Emily is on some other sh*t. Period.

But moving along...Symphony No. 1 was followed with Symphony No. 4 (America's Mercy War). Next up was something I was very excited about and a few people had no idea was coming. Emily Wells does a cover of Juicy by the late, great Notorious B.I.G. that is unlike anything you've ever heard. Admittedly, pretty much everything Emily does is unlike anything you've ever, but this is even more different than all of that...which says quite a bit, I think. She even dedicated the song to Lil' Kim...See for yourself!

Emily Wells performing Juicy (cover) live at City Winery in NYC

Symphony No. 6 (Fair Thee Well & The Requiem Mix) came up next. Fans in the crowd immediately recognised the beat and Emily encouraged them to get up and shake their asses...which they did. Good times! Next she started McGyvering for Symphony No. 9 & The Sunshine...apart from a small technical snafu, it was pretty awesome.

Emily Wells performing Symphony No. 9 & The Sunshine live at City Winery NYC

The high point of Emily's set came a few songs later, however, when she performed a new song: Give Ya Everything. Described by Emily as "...probably the closest I've ever gotten to writing a gospel song - I think my mom likes it 'cause I talk about God a little." It was a bit of a departure from the songs on her current album and very warmly received. With an artist like Emily, and a live show like the one she puts on, it's very rare that you get to see her really let loose. I mean, how could she when there are innumerable music cues to attend to and pressing the wrong button at the wrong time could derail an entire evening, not to mention a single song. But Give Ya Everything was that rare moment of her live show where it actually seemed she'd forgotten about the audience for a second and was just doing whatever felt right at the time. It was a breathtaking, put ya hands up, and say Amen kinda moment. The evening came to an end with Take It Easy New York, and an audience wishing that both Jenny and Emily would play just a little bit longer.

Luckily, neither performer was too shy to hang out post-show and rub elbows with us common folk. Jenny was nice enough to chit-chat for a minute and take pics with both yours truly and my new friend Levi. Shweeeet! And just as we were getting ready to leave, I managed to catch Emily's attention, and she was also nice enough to pose for a photo. So here are those...uh hem, I've edited myself out of the photos because, despite being the only one who wasn't drinking that night, I somehow managed to be sleepy-eyed and drunk-looking in every single one. Whatever! See you at the next show!

Corinne Bailey Rae Live @ Hiro Ballroom NYC

When I found out that Corinne Bailey Rae would be performing at Joe's Pub in NYC, I waited in front of my laptop continuously clicking the refresh button at 1:59pm until tickets would go on sale the very next minute. Then the very next minute came...and the tickets were ALREADY SOLD OUT!!!! WTF?! I tried and tried and tried some more, but nothing was "available". I figured there must have been some overload on the ticket site, so I rang the box office. There were only about 20 or so tickets on sale, and they were already sold out. I was gutted! Positively crushed. Then, in a freak twist of fate, I checked my e-mail and found a Giant Step invite to another Corinne show at Hiro Ballroom - on sale that very minute, so naturally, I clicked away on that only to find those tickets sold out as well. After scouring the internet for other possibly soon tour dates to no avail (oh, and working at my job....I did that too for a bit that day as I recall), I felt compelled to click the Giant Step link one more time. AND LO! What should appear, but a payment verification screen...SCORE!!! Yay me! And yay YOU! 'Cause you get to read this blog and soak up some of Corinne's awesomeness (albeit vicariously) for yourself! Cheers!

So, Hiro Ballroom...for all you NYC peeps (or my loyal bloglodytes...) you already know what it's like. For the unannointed among you, Hiro Ballroom is located in Chelsea on 9th Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets, tucked away (almost hidden) below the Maritime Hotel and its environs. The space is decked out with dark woods and lots of pretty authentic and Fauxriental (Faux+Oriental) ornamentation, lanterns, dim lights, stage one foot off the floor....which is why I got there plenty early. Wouldn't want you kids to get stuck out in the cold with no photos from the show. That would just be wrong. I couldn't do that to you...you're too cute to disappoint...squeeeeeeeeeee...

Here's some happy news for those not lucky enough to be in attendance Monday night, the entire thing was filmed for broadcast on The Artists' Den. It's a PBS series that is now also broadcast on Hulu. YAY some more! But in the meantime, I have this whole blog thing, so let's see how that all shakes out, shall we?



So, Corinne Bailey Rae....deeeeeeeeeeeeeelightful, as you may have already guessed. After much camera adjusting and guitar tuning (there was one guy in a Spice Girls World Tour 2008 t-shirt tuning all the guitars, and I swear it seemed as if the guitars were multiplying whenever we looked away...so many, many guitars to tune before the show. *sigh*), the band finally filed onto the diminutive stage and were soon joined by the lady herself (to riotous applause, I might add). Corinne, just as sweet as she wanna be, came out in a royal blue jumpsuit with loose, drapey side pockets, gold ballet flats, and twice as much hair as the last time you saw her. She said her salutations to the audience ("New York, how're you doin' tonight?!"), and wasted no time in getting the show on the road. She opened with the dancetastic Are You Here and followed it up with Paris Nights/New York Mornings. Corinne accompanied herself on acoustic and electric guitar, and both songs were a departure from the easy-breezy sound of her eponymous debut album. And then she slowed things down with Love's On It's Way, and the old school soul feel of Closer. Seriously, I had an Earth Wind & Fire moment during that last one, and believe me when I say that you have never seen or heard Corinne let loose like the end of this song. Phillip Bailey-level goodness!

Corinne Bailey Rae - Closer (live) @ Hiro Ballroom NYC

Paper Dolls opens with a beat reminiscent of The Supremes' My World Is Empty Without You, Babe, and to be honest, it's adorable how much fun Corinne seems to be having with that tambourine! Corinne told of how she co-wrote the song with her friend and former Helen bandmate who is joining her on this tour. She explained their first band, Helen ("Maybe some of you have heard of it...probably very few. It's one of those things where you just had to be there...It was part of a very localized scene. We were pretty big in our scene..." and giggles all around). In anticipation of this show, I've been devouring reviews and photos from other appearances Corinne's been making lately, and they all seemed to be going out of their way to point out how her voice seems to have taken on a deeper tone and a more melancholic air since the very untimely passing of her husband, musician Jason Rae, in March of 2008. The fact that she has written and recorded an entire album full of new songs to release and is performing them live internationally less than two years later blows my mind and is a testament to the woman's own inner strength. That being said, I think a lot of those reviewers were projecting their own emotions onto what they were hearing. I didn't find her voice to be very melancholic at all. In fact, during I'd Do It All Again (and doesn't the title just say it all?), her voice soared and she had an enormous smile across her face nearly the entire song.

Corinne Bailey Rae - I'd Do It All Again (live) @Hiro Ballroom NYC

When she followed it with her debut single, Like A Star, however, it was definitely an emotional moment for the room. Juxtaposing two songs that could seem (at least, to an outsider) to be very much of a before and an after struck a chord with everyone in the room. The crowd sang along word for word (most notably the annoying guy standing behind my cousin and myself who insisted on bumping us with his arms and hands, practically resting his camera on my cousin's head to get a shot, and had no compunction about leaning all of his baggage against our legs for convenience - it should be no great surprise that he sang so loudly and so directly into our ears it seemed he was holding out the misguided hope that if he just sang out enough, Corinne would take notice and they'd be BFF's 4-eva...some people just have no sense of intimate concert decorum. Though I longed to hear more songs from her debut album, it made me grateful that the majority of the performance was songs from the forthcoming The Sea so that he could not sing the entire show slightly off key and directly into the back of my head. And if you're reading this, Sir...yes, I mean you. But I digress...). Like A Star was succeeded by Blackest Lily, which I would like to tell you about, but can't remember because her cover of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing came next and was off the chain! Corinne and her band began with some a capella cooing in the sweetest, liltingest harmony that you didn't see coming. Have a gander of this one on the video. It is (as ever) taken with my camera phone, but the sound quality is great and you are guaranteed some warm-fuzzies of your very own.

Corinne Bailey Rae - Little Wing (live) @Hiro Ballroom NYC

Diving For Hearts and the haunting I Would Like To Call It Beauty came on its heels. She closed out the set ("...well, maybe you'll be able to get us back out for a few more songs; but this is the official last song..." ;-]) with the title track, The Sea. Before she could begin, an eager fan thrust a gift towards the stage - a framed bit of something with a card attached ("Should I read it? I'm gonna read it...I won't read it out. Talk amongst yourselves for a minute"). It was the closest to shedding a tear that I saw her come the whole evening. She thanked the fan and set the frame down to sing the show's "official" closing number. Accompanying herself on autoharp, Corinne sang like a woman scanning the horizon for a husband lost at sea. All echoing tones and dark lyrics. When she departed the stage, the band just sort of stood around looking awkward awaiting her return for the inevitable (and already promised) encore...luckily, Corinne didn't keep us - or them - waiting more than a few moments. When the opening chords of Put Your Records On rang out, the crowd jump up and down and clapped and sang along en masse (one in particular directly into my ear...uh hemm). Being that the show was mainly new songs, I think the audience had been dying for a grasp at the more familiar...something we could all sing along to and feel a proper part of. We were not disappointed. The shows real close was with an updated version of Til It Happens To You. The guitar riffs were darker, funkier, and bluesier, as was Corinne's voice. At one point the beat switched up and got even deeper, and she let it all hang out. Like love on ya eardrum, people! It left us all wanting more, but after a performance like that, what else could there be to give? *sigh*

Corinne Bailey Rae - Til It Happens To You (live) partial @Hiro Ballroom NYC

She did mention, by the way, that she'd be back touring again in NYC in January and April, so keep your eyes open for tickets...and don't say I didn't warn you when you're five minutes late to ticket sales and find they're all sold out! Until next time, see you at the next show...

The Gossip @ Terminal 5 NYC

Now, it must be said up front that Terminal 5 is a lovely venue. It's a bigger venue than The Gossip has ever played in NYC before. There's the stage level floor, the second floor with good balcony views of the whole stage and the crowd below, and the third floor which is much like the second, but with smoking permitted. And there are at least two well-stocked full-service bars on each floor. Terminal 5 is a lovely venue, and I hate it. I hate it for many reasons, but mostly because no matter what I do, I can't seem to get in with my camera because it's "professional" (even though my camera's almost 6 years old and now even the little point-and-shoot cameras that Terminal 5 staff does let in have more megapixels and zoom than my camera does). But that's just my own personal Heavy Cross...moving on!

Opening for The Gossip this evening were Apache Beat and MEN (fronted by LaTigre vet, J.D. Samson). The venue doors opened at 7pm, and when I arrived on the scene at 7:30pm-ish, Apache Beat was already tearing it up onstage. I can usually take or leave a lot of opening acts, but Apache had something else going on. They are a five piece ensemble with some really kick ass drums (courtesy of Neil Westgate) and bass lines (big ups to DosSantos). With Christina Aceto on synths and Phillip Aceto rounding it all out on guitar, it's obvious that these kids know how to have a good time. Lead singer, Ilirjana Alushaj is a bit manic but really knows how to belt it out. It's no wonder Gossip chose this band to get the crowd warmed up. Here's a little taste of what they had to offer captured on my trusty camera phone:

Apache Beat Live @ Terminal 5 in NYC

As for MEN, LeTigre veteran J.D. Samson's latest little something to do, it was a non-stop, hop up and down, pump your fist in the air, and make a silly face kinda good time. I think we wouldn't expect (or accept) anything less. With J.D. synths and sound boards with all the beats and special effects, Michael O'Neill on guitar, Ginger Takahashi on bass, and "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" hyping the crowd, it was a good way to get the blood pumping back to the feet ('cause three hours is a long time to wait in one spot for Beth Ditto to happen) and get the body dancing. I was gonna post a video snippet, but the sound wasn't so great and the picture was obscured by the very polite monolith of a man who slid in front of me at the last second...sorry guys. But no worries: On to the main attraction!!!

The Gossip took to the stage at precisely 10pm (I love a band that loves the fans enough not to keep us all waiting forever and ever). The show opened with track no. 1 off their new album, Music For Men. An as yet unnamed bass player (who we now know is none other than Chris Sutton - thank you Anonymous Commenter!) climbed onto stage first. Whoever he is, he worked it out at this show. Anyways...drummer Hannah Blilie was next to step on stage, and though I'm certain she was beloved before, I'm sure that her new status as the album's cover girl didn't hurt either. Guitarist Nathan "Brace Paine" Howdeshell stepped up and the two of them started the opening licks of Dimestore Diamond. Beth Ditto started singing from somewhere in the ether, and when she finally set foot on stage, the crowd went berserk...but quickly reigned themselves in so as not to miss a single second of Bethtastic vocal goodness. The band's universally loved frontwoman sported a new shorter 'do in Kool-Aid red or Sunkist orange (depending on the lighting), She wore form-fitting black, knee-length dress covered in silvery glitter sparkles that shimmered as she shimmied around the stage to the beat, giving the impression that Beth Ditto is not the centre of the universe, but the universe itself...and we mere mortals are all just playing at her game. Side note: all the video is shot on my camera phone (as usual), BUT my screen is broken, so I couldn't actually see what I was recording. I just had to hope I was pressing the right button to start and stop. Please forgive any Beth Ditto headlessness and try to focus on her awesomeness and the sublime sound quality.

The Gossip - Dimestore Diamond Live @Terminal 5 in NYC

Not a bad way to kick off a show! The Gossip covered old favorites like Your Mangled Heart

The Gossip - Your Mangled Heart Live @Terminal 5 in NYC

as well as the newest of the new album with 8th Wonder

The Gossip - 8th Wonder Live @Terminal 5 in NYC

And in between songs, Beth came with her trademark blend of down-home, big sisterly chit-chat with the audience. When one fan held up a photo of herself with Beth at another show, the singer took the photo ("I need a Sharpie! Who has a Sharpie!"), took a few minutes to write something sweet and passed it back to the fan. In another case, when security tried to break up an argument in the audience, Beth halted her song opening to settle the dispute (a guy had called some girls dirty c***s and wouldn't apologise even after Beth gave him the mic to do it, so she let security escort him out). At one point between songs, Beth was having a little tete-a-tete with drummer Hannah Blilie, and when the audience got impatient with waiting, Beth turned to the crowd and said, "Shhhhhh...Band meeting! Don't be rude, now!" Some of the shows other highlights included my favorite cut off the new album, Four Letter Word:

The Gossip - Four Letter Word Live @Terminal5 in NYC

And what Gossip show would be complete without a kick-ass cover song, right? Here's Beth & Co. doing it up during the "encore" to the Tina Turner classic, What's Love Got To Do With It. And yeah, after the main set was over, she came back out barefoot and with just her skivvies on! Love this girl!:

The Gossip - What's Love Got To Do With It Live @Terminal 5 in NYC

The show finally (for really-real) closed with the song that put Gossip on the map, Standing In The Way Of Control, but not before some more love from Beth to the fans. She shouted out one girl for her 26th birthday, and invited another fan, the UK's own DJ Lindsay, onstage to celebrate DJ's 50th Gossip show before launching into the song ("You can stand here, but it might get awkward..."). Oh, and the other thing I hate about Terminal 5? The barrier moat between the stage and the crowd for press photogs. Granted, I might feel differently if I was in the moat with my camera, but I think that is neither here nor there. The point is, it keeps the fans away from the artists, and keeps the artist away from the fans. And Beth (bless her little heart) was having none of it. During the song, Beth dropped herself into the moat and was helped by fans and security over the barrier so that she could walk through the audience belting it out, spreading love, and giving hugs to anyone who could lay a hand on her. For Beth, it seems, making music is not just about touching people, it's also about touching people...

The Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control Live @Terminal 5 in NYC

And just because enough is never enough, Beth came back out for a minute afterwards to lead the crowd in a chorus of Queen's classic anthem We Are The Champions. Declarations of love were made. Warm-fuzzy feelings were had. And that, boys and girls, was The Gossip in NYC. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Gossip. Beth Ditto. Happy Warm Fuzzies. Rainbows. Unicorns. Hugs.

G'nite babies. See you at the next show!