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June 4, 2007
Walking into The Annex (152 Orchard St, NYC), I ran into my new friends Tracy (cello), Nancy (keys, flute), Lou (vocals) and Mikey (beats, gadgets) from Atlanta's One Hand Loves the Other. I met them while at WE Fest in North Carolina and tonight they greeted me with smiles and hugs. Though thrilled to see them, I was drenched in sweat from my brisk walk in the thick humidity. So I quickly found a handful of paper napkins and a spot under an air vent to cool off before starting my hangout time. The Annex is a typically long and narrow NYC venue but with an absurdly high stage which made picture taking a challenge. The dark, wood-paneled main floor area can get pretty tightly packed. There is a balcony area for those seeking more privacy and a basement bar that I did not get to see. The main-floor setup does have one advantage which is exceptional sound. I have heard bands complain about the sound on stage, but that is a pretty typical problem everywhere. At one point early in the night, I was standing outside talking to a guy who calls himself Poingly. It was an odd coincidence because just a week earlier I had missed his apparently insane performance at WE Fest and I had no idea he lived in NYC. I was also talking to Joe Fish (yes that is his real name). Our discussions drifted around music and writing and we soon discovered that we had, at different times, worked for the same publisher. As we traded various business war stories, he paused, looked over my shoulder and said, "Liza Minnelli is standing right behind you." I smirked thinking he was pulling my leg and turned to look. Sure enough, there was Liza Minnelli standing right behind me. What was she doing here at a bar on the Lower East Side? I would find out later that a guy named Shane Marshall Brown—a PR Rep here in NYC—is friends with both the band and Liza. She had come to the show at Shane's request. I resisted my urge to take Liza's picture. I'm not a good enough photographer to have pulled off the sneaky paparazzi thing and I do think it's rude anyway. Shane would thank me later for my restraint. As I let my momentary star sighting fade into memory, it was time to get on with why I came. The music of One Hand Loves the Other is a wondrous concoction of sounds and styles that defies category. Electronica? Yes. Classical? Yes. Experimental? Yes. It's all of that and more which cradles a fantastic sense of song. Memorable hooks and hypnotic beats lull you in and the occasional twists and explosions of erratic noises keeps you on your toes as a listener. As I noticed back in North Carolina, the laid back and sunny qualities that attracted me to them as people as well as musicians seemed to be contagious. Everyone around them warmed up quickly and easily and I was not surprised that I got along so well with others who came to see them. We ended our night at the oddly swanky Stanton Social. Is this place outta place or prophetic of where the neighborhood is heading? That's a question time will have to answer. We had a few cocktails and reminisced about the show and how much Liza loved the music. It was a great, relaxing end to our night and the band's NY experience. Thanks to this wonderful group for reinvigorating my faith in cool people making cool music. And of course thanks for the ride to the PATH station in that rockin' automatic-door, full-on air conditioned rental van. I'll be sure to return the favor the next time I'm in Atlanta. Of course I may not have a car, so there may be a series of piggyback rides to get everyone where they need to go. I'd better start working out now. Links:
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