I went back to the Bowery Ballroom last night, my second time in three days, to see Erin McKeown. She came onto the stage in darkness, a shadow of a different quality than the rest. An expectant hush fell over the crowd, a wave of noise that started at the stage and rippled back, leaving silence in its wake. The stage lights came up, pink and red, and made Erin look strangely blue. The crowd exploded into applause. We grooved as she started up the first song and we didn't stop grooving until the concert was over.
Erin's a tiny girl, a Little Orphan Annie (spunk included) with pig-tails instead of curls, she sings like a smoky-voiced Hollywood starlet from the forties and she plays, dear God she plays, like she's the first person to discover that a guitar has strings. It would not be inappropriate for me to make a comparisson to Chuck Berry. Erin's totally unprepossessed, totally classy, turning out a smile and a genuine "thank you" to every round of applause. She just wants you to have fun, to play some tunes and for everyone, herself included, to bop along. It works.
I usually leave a concert and try to avoid listening to any music from the act I've seen for a day or so. After seeing a live show, how can an album compare? Erin's music is infectious, though. I left the Bowery and I was singing her songs, I got into my car and I put a CD in. Hearing Erin just makes me want to hear Erin more. Whoever you are, you missed out by not being at this show and you miss out if you don't listen to Erin. If you want to give her a try, you can listen to a few of her songs on her website in the grand radio section. Enjoy!