Spencer Day • I Only Have Eyes For You

Just over a year ago, I was fortunate enough to see the amazing Spencer Day performing live at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, PA. I really enjoy the space, for it has a wonderfully intimate feel, and I have been able to take some good pictures of performers there through the years. Above, you can see a few of the pictures I took of the handsome crooner, who kept my rapt attention for the entire performance. He not only had a strong set list, he was also game for taking requests from the audience. One of the requests was "I Only Have Eyes For You", a popular love song written in 1934 by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin. It debuted in the film 'Dames', starring Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. However, the best known version might have been the 1959 single by The Flamingos, which made it to #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. But this is Spencer Day with "I Only Have Eyes For You".

You know, one of my favorite versions of this song might just be this one. While Spencer has yet to record the classic song, I pretty much love almost everything that Spencer sings. That would include his latest album, 'Daybreak'. You can purchase 'Daybreak' from Bandcamp, iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about Spencer Day, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook and 'follow' him on Twitter.

Spencer Day at the World Cafe Live

Spencer Day at the World Cafe Live! in Philadelphia.

I was beyond excited when I saw Spencer Day was going to perform live at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I've been a huge fan since I found the 'Vagabond' album, and that only grew stronger with the release of his latest, 'The Mystery of You'. The anticipation was so strong, I even had to check in with Spencer on Facebook, and make sure I could take pictures of the handsome jazzman. Once he gave the go ahead, I excitedly packed my cameras, both still and video. Above you will find a few of my pictures, and below an overview of Spencer's show, or Spencer Day in 8 minutes. He did a wonderful selection of songs from the Great American Songbook, as well as some favorite original songs from his own songbook. I can tell you I was feeling blissful from beginning to end, and can't wait to see Spencer live again!

Once I have it figured out, I will upload a couple of the songs from the show, but deciding on which is hard. They were all great! If he is playing anywhere near you, you need to go. Such a great night! For more about Spencer, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook and 'follow' him on Twitter. Spencer's latest album, 'The Mystery of You', can be purchased from iTunes and Amazon. 'Vagabond' is also available for purchase from iTunes and Amazon.

Spencer Day • Live Music

I will admit it - I am near giddy because I am going to see Spencer Day playing live in Philadelphia tonight. I am so excited, I can hardly think of anything else, so you get this post about Spencer Day, singing some of his great songs live. The first is "Till You Come To Me", the first song I heard, and the reason I fell in love with the man and his music. It is off his 2009 album, 'Vagabond', which I promptly purchased after hearing the song, and I knew I was hooked for life. The music is smoky and sexy, and I want to pop it like candy. Here is Spencer singing "Till You Come To Me" at the Napa Valley Opera House.

Earlier this year, Spencer released a new album, 'The Mystery of You'. I loved every single track on the album, with the sexy 'Mad Men' feel, like any minute Spencer will be joined singing by Jon Hamm, with a scotch in one hand, and cigarette in the other. There is truly something so sultry about Spencer's voice, I just want to hear him again and again. When I found this clip of Spencer singing at Rockwell Table & Stage, I had to stop myself from clapping at my computer. I hope you enjoy Spencer Day singing "The Mystery of You" as much as I do.

Finally, I have another performance clip from Rockwell Table & Stage, also a song from 'The Mystery of You'. I swear to you, every time I hear the opening of "Something Wicked", I just want to get up and dance, moving my hips like I was some great Latin dancer. And, I can assure you, I am not. But that is how much I feel the music, and can only suggest Spencer does as well. This is "Something Wicked".

'The Mystery of You' is available for purchase from iTunes and Amazon. 'Vagabond' is also available for purchase from iTunes and Amazon. For more about Spencer, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook and 'follow' him on Twitter. Be sure to check out his tour schedule, to see if and when he is playing in your area! If you are in the Philadelphia area and like to attend tonight, get information and tickets from World Cafe Live.

Jay Brannan • Live in Philly Tonight

While I love Jay Brannan for great original music, he also has a certain way with a cover song that makes me wonder what I could hear tonight if I go to the World Cafe Live! in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at an early stop on his American Tour. He can come up with a song you might not expect, like "Fuckin' Perfect" by Pink.



One I am pretty sure he will sing is "Rob Me Blind", the new single off the new album of the same name. The new album is fantastic, and I am loving it. Here is the first video, for the title cut.



If you haven't already purchased Jay's amazing album, Rob Me Blind, you can find it on iTunes and Amazon. You can also buy it from Jay's online store, either Option A, the CD a download of his live album, or Option B, a bundle of the CD, live download, and a t-shirt. Jay is just starting the American leg of his tour, although he was recently in Europe and Australia. Jay will be touring near you soon, so check out his tour schedule here. For more about Jay, check out his official website, or follow him on Twitter.

Happy Birthday, Eric Himan!

Today is Eric Himan's birthday, and I will celebrate it with a few videos I took at his last show in Philadelphia at the World Cafe on March 13th. I am a big fan of Eric's music, and of the amazing man that he is. I first found his music, and loved it. Then I went to see him live, and found a deeper appreciation of his music. And it is through Eric that I found other amazing musicians, like Aiden James, Tom Goss, Andy Moore, and Coyote Grace, among others. I've also had the pleasure of getting to know Eric, and find he is just the sweetest guy. And he deserves a very happy birthday!

First up, I thought I'd share with you Outskirts Of You, the gorgeous song off the 2003 album, All For Show. This is a great album, one I owned before seeing Eric for the first time.



In 2005, Eric released the album Dark Horse. I am still insanely fond of the album, and listen to it. It was filled with great songs, as well as an amazing cover of the Simply Red song, Holding Back The Years. Seems that was his first song to be heard on Sirus XM radio, only they were announcing it as Simply Red. That has since been corrected! It also had other favorites, like Aimlessness, Habit/Curse, White Horse, and another of my favorites, Clyde. On first listen, I fell in love with this song, and hope you enjoy it too.



Eric's 2011 album, Supposed Unknown, was another that and more than it's fair share of great songs, like the rocking Dust, the beautiful Save The Afternoon, the timely You First, and the achingly introspective Left Out. By the way, Save The Afternoon is a song you can here on Sirius XM radio.



And because I could not resist it, I am going to end with a song off the recently released DVD, Under The Ink. The DVD has videos of some great performances, including of the amazing cover of Because The Night, written by Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen. I loved it on video, and just as much live. I hope you enjoy.



You can learn more about Eric on his official website. You can also wish him a "Happy Birthday" on Twitter or Facebook. Another way to offer your birthday wishes is to purchase some music today. You can find All For Show on iTunes and Amazon. Dark Horse is also available on iTunes and Amazon. Supposed Unknown is available on iTunes and Amazon. You can also download the audio version of the DVD, Under The Ink, on iTunes and Amazon.To get the DVD, you can visit here.

Live: Eric Himan • Stewart Lewis • Tom Goss

From left: Eric Himan, Stewart Lewis and Tom Goss.

I was lucky enough to see three great performers last week, and loved them all! Eric Himan Stewart Lewis, and Tom Goss all played in the area. I've been a fan of all three, and love the fact they are out and proud men making great music. They all have recent releases to promote, but even if they didn't, I'd try my best to hear them play live.



Eric was up first, playing at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. Since there was no one on the bill to open for him, he played an amazing 18-song set. I was in heaven, for I could listen to Eric for as long as he'd let me. Here is an overview of the evening with Eric.



For more about Eric Himan, you can visit him on his official website. You can find Supposed Unknown on iTunes and on Amazon. You can purchase the audio version of the DVD, Under The Ink, on iTunes and Amazon. To purchase the new DVD, you can shop at Eric's online store.



On Thursday, March 15, my sister and I went to the MilkBoy Coffee in Ardmore, PA, for more great music. Stewart Lewis played first, and had a fantastic 10-song set. I haven't seen Stewart for a couple of years, since he was part of the Rock The Folk Out Tour with Tom Goss and Jake Walden. He played material from his pop album, In Formation, and his recent release, the folky Stumbling For Truth. Here is a look at Stewart's set.



For more about Stewart Lewis, check out his official website. You can purchase his latest EP, Stumbling For Truth, on iTunes and Amazon. You can find his great album from 2008, In Formation, on iTunes. He also download the lovely 2010 single Get Lost on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby.



I just love a live show by Tom Goss, and Thursday night at MilkBoy Coffee was no exception. Tom had his brand-spankin' new album, Lost Songs And Underdogs, there, and played some of that music in the 9-song set. He was wonderful, combining song old and new. You can get a taste of the show in my video here.



You can learn more about Tom on his official website. Tom's latest, Lost Songs And Underdogs, will be available April 3rd. Turn It Around, the fantastic album released last year, on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby.

Eric Himan Tonight at World Cafe Live!

So tonight I will be seeing Eric Himan at the World Cafe Live! in Philadelphia, PA. I have been going to see Eric play there several years, whenever he comes through. The assortment of photographs above are shots I taken myself of Eric at the World Cafe Live, the top one in 2006! The others are an homage to his ink over the years, or his guitar playing, be it acoustic, electric, or tuning. I look forward to hearing whatever Eric sings, be it a cool cover or one of his great originals. One of those originals I love so well is No Urgency, off his 2002 release, I Go On...



Another original I just love is Save The Afternoon, off his latest release, Supposed Unknown. This is a performance when he played at the World Cafe last year.



Eric is no stranger to a great cover, and one of my favorites was one I taped last October, with Janis Joplin's great Get It While You Can. It has been up on YouTube just over 4 months, and it has gotten over 10,600 hits. That just lets you know how amazing it is.



For more about Eric, visit his official website here. If you get a chance to see him live, do it. He is amazing. You can also check out Supposed Unknown on iTunes here, and on Amazon here.

Avi Wisnia at the World Cafe at the Queen

Photos of Avi Wisnia at The World Cafe at the Queen by me

After months of trying to figure out the who and where I would have the opportunity, I finally had to chance to see Avi Wisnia at the World Cafe Live at The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware! It was my first trip to the establishment, recently opened in conjuncture with the World Cafe in Philadelphia. The space is quite nice, with a roomy feel and nice lighting to make the experience quite nice. Avi was invited by the host of the evening, Rod Kim. The theme of the night was the inspiration of Stevie Wonder, whose jazz-flavored Pop and Soul clearly made an impact on Wisnia. You can definitely hear it in his cover of the great Stevie Wonder song, Lately.



You will also be able to hear it in a song written by Avi for his first album, Something New. It is the title cut from the debut, and is a delicious blend of Pop and a pinch of Jazz rhythms to keep it lively and sounding fresh.



The next song is both a great cover, and was featured on the debut album. Wisnia revisited the music of TLC, and can also list one of Bravo's Real Housewives among the list of writers. Yes, Kandi Burruss is one of the writers of No Scrubs, which went to the top of the charts in 1999. Avi puts his own very special spin on the cool song.



Finally, there is the song that lead me to Avi Wisnia in the beginning. I was cruising around the 'net, listening to music when I came across the video for a song that had one foot in the past, and the other firmly planted in today. I didn't think it was possible, but the live version has even more charm, and I just loved Avi singing his own composition, Rabbit Hole.



To learn more about Avi Wisnia, check out his official website here. While there, you can listen to his music for free, and figure out you need to own your own copy. And you can find Something New on iTunes here, on Amazon here, and an earlier EP on CD Baby here.

Avi Wisnia @ World Cafe at the Queen Tonight!

I am so excited to be going to see Avi Wisnia at the World Cafe Live at the Queen, in Wilmington, Delaware, tonight! I am really looking forward to it, for this will be the first time I will be catching Avi live. It's also the first time I will be going the World Cafe Live at the Queen Theater in Wilmington. Both seem like wonderful things to me right now. I am a big fan of Avi's music, and love his first album, Something New. One of the fantastic cuts off the CD is More Than Me, which you can listen to.



He also does an amazing cover of TLC's No Scrubs, and you have to give it a listen. It is just so smooth and glorious.



Of course, I will always have warm spot in my heart for Rabbit Hole, the first Avi song I heard. It is just so full of quirk, charm and humor, it had me searching for more.



For more about Avi Wisnia, check out his officiate site here. You can also find Avi on iTunes here, on CD Baby here, and on Amazon here.

Coyote Grace at World Cafe Live!

Coyote Grace, left to right: Michael Connolly, Ingrid Elizabeth and Joe Stevens.

I first learned about Coyote Grace last summer, when they were part of a recording done by Eric Himan and several other LGBT artists, singing Patty Griffin's Tony in a hotel room, showing their support of LGBT Youth. I poked around to find out more about the band, and checked out their music. I really enjoyed it, so when I saw that they were opening for Eric at the World Cafe Live! in Philadelphia, I was so very excited. That was well served, as they are immensely talented, and showed it from the first song to the last. I love the feel of the music, which has a Mumford-&-Sons-meets-Tin-Pan-Alley flair that blossoms for the entire set. Their performance captured the folk-roots feel, imbued with the natural soul, humor and life of the artists. A fine example of that was their second song, a cover of Bruce Springsteen's I'm On Fire. It is sung beautifully by Ingrid.



Ingrid Elizabeth and Joe Stevens were the original members of Coyote Grace. They grew to be a trio, adding Michael Connolly, a talented musician. Throughout the evening we learn more about the band during their intimate show, from the trials and travails of life on the road, to insights into the lives of the people on stage.



One of the things we learned was how personal much of their music is. As part of the intro for A Guy Named Joe, Stevens talked about the very personal journey that inspired the song, that of a transman,giving the song an added poignancy.



During the intro to Heaven Dog, both Joe & Ingrid included us in the discussion when it touched on the issues of addiction, and the difficulties that could bring on the road. And they managed it with charm and humor, while not detracting from the great song.



Before ending the show with the gospel song, Hallelujah, Ingrid explained that it was a song the group had 'on loan' from the group Ma Muse. I am sure Coyote Grace made it their own, but the went even a step further, and made it very special by inviting Eric Himan and Tylan Greenstein (of the group Girlyman) to join them for the song, making for a wonderful and joyous song.



For more about the band, check out their official website here. For a copy of their latest album, Ear To The Ground, you can find it on iTunes here, Amazon here, and CD Baby here. Buy it, or one of their other albums, and you will not be disappointed.