Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers Rocks the Bell House 04-22-09

To begin, if you haven't listened to Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers yet, please click here now. Whatever I say here will not do her justice.

The Bell House was surprisingly dead, even for a Wednesday. It was obvious that many didn't know what they were missing.

Openers, The Depreciation Guild warmed the room with dreamy shoegaze.  You can check out a free album download by going to their website.

Shilpa took the stage with a bang.  The first thing that you will notice is that she is a tiny girl seconds later you will learn that her voice is enormous.  

The tight melange group opened with the track "Beating St Louis"  from their current debut EP A Fish Hook An Open Eye.  The tiny crowd, looked on in awe.  They knew that this was a special evening.  

It wasn't long before the entire room was bouncing along with Shilpa.  Her stage antics were amazing to watch as she worked her way through songs from A Fish Hook An Open Eye and the disbanded Beat The Devil .  Shilpa moved through these songs succinctly and steadily but never calmly.  Even as she fought a slight cold, she managed to muster more energy than most artists do on their best nights. Between her waving hand on the harmonium to nearly swallowing her microphone to spitting on the crowd, everything on the stage was authentic. 

Yes, their are obvious inspirations and influences and most stem from the classic rock genre, yet somehow she remains modern.  Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison come to mind as comparisons, but Shilpa is herself.  And she owns her music.   Go see her live ASAP before she's huge! She will be at Piano's next month, May 13, 20 and 27.

Oh and be prepared to turn to the person next to you and say, "I can't believe that voice comes from that girl."  

Radiodead Outshines and All Points West (Day Two)

The crowd was twice as thick and the sun was twice as strong at the second day of All Points West. I stole a friends bracelet so I actually scored more beer and that was nice, but the lines were out of hand and I heard more complaints about the five beer limit than I did about the bands.

Regardless, some notes.

Nicole Atkins: Although I only caught the last few songs her Patti Smith cover was rocking.

The Felice Brothers: They became the second act to completely win me over. Originally I had no desire to see them.

Animal Collective: I now officially do not get these guys.

Kings of Leon: Good enough, but probably will still keep my distance from their recordings.

The Roots: Always solid though I didn't see much of this act.

Radiohead: Stronger set list that included, "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Exit Music" which I haven't heard live in years. It also included "Planet Telex" which I had never heard live before. One exclusion was Paranoid Android but ending on "Idioteque" was a better move than the prior days "Everything in its Right Place".

All in all a good festival, that needs to come to terms that people want and need more than five beers and a better lineup for $90 per day. Without Radiohead that crowd is much smaller.

Set List:
01. Reckoner
02. 15 Step
03. The National Anthem
04. Kid A
05. All I Need
06. Nude
07. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
08. Where I End And You Begin
09. The Gloaming
10. Faust Arp
11. No Surprises
12. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
13. The Bends
14. Bangers and Mash
15. Everything In Its Right Place
16. Exit Music (For A Film)
17. Bodysnatchers

18. Pyramid Song
19. Videotape
20. Airbag
21. Fake Plastic Trees
22. There There

23. House of Cards
24. Planet Telex
25. Idioteque

Free NYC Patti Smith Show

25th Annual Roots Of America Festival will feature Patti Smith at Damrosch Park on August 24th.