Salon deLancey
Paul Wallfisch (above) is a pianist and producer best known as the leader of gypsy-punk outfit Botanica. He is also the impresario behind the post-cabaret night Small Beast, held each Thursday in the upstairs bar of The Delancey: a venue better known for its indie bands and DJ's. Wallfisch - who usually opens with a set of his own at the piano - has created a kind of old school salon, where you can hear gypsy, new music, spoken word, and everything in between.
Unfortunately, when I visited Small Beast this past Thursday, the performers were mostly relegated to sideshow status, drowned out by an adjacent crowd who were far more concerned with idle banter than arty music. Serena Jost and Dan Machlin performed together as The Third Room, singing quiet, minimal songs that had strains of everything from Glass to Zappa. Author and Times contributor Cintra Wilson issued a 10 minute political screed on the tanking economy that fell mostly on dead ears.
Things seemed to quiet down when Wallfisch returned to the stage to accompany veteran torch singer Little Annie: a petite woman with huge eyes and a gravelly voice who sounds like the unholy offspring of Marianne Faithful and Liza Minnelli. She sang mostly covers, including the creepiest version of "Private Dancer" I've ever heard. Suffice to say, the friendly crowd (she has a loyal following) ate it up.
For the next few Thursdays, Small Beast will be hosted by Hold Steady keyboardist/Anti-Social Music conspirator Franz Nicolay while Wallfisch is on tour with Botanica in Europe. Show starts at 9:00; payment is by pass-the-hat. (More pics below.)