Jay Brannan + Chris Pureka - Highline Ballroom (New York, NY; July 16, 2008)

Word to the wise: If you’re going to the Highline Ballroom, arrive with your entire group, because if you don’t, they won’t seat you, and there’s really no accommodation if you don’t sit. I had never been to the venue, which apparently oscillates between “Standing Room Only” and “It’s Ten Dollars Per Person Minimum So Don’t Think You’re Just Getting Water”; so I was apprehensive from the get-go. Luckily, the bartenders are friendly and as knowledgeable about the musicians as they are about mixed drinks.

Although I wasn’t too familiar with the opening act or the headliner, I know scenesters when I see them, and the skinny jeans and asymmetrical zippers almost made me turn around. As soon as the music started, though, I was relieved to find that the opener, Chris Pureka, was a classic singer/songwriter with beautiful rapid-fire lyrics and haunting melodies. She has subtle notes of bluegrass lining her songs as well as her presentation. Her songs reminded me of Irish Dement performed with the awkward self-possession of Ryan Adams. Pureka had an easy banter with the audience, telling a few anecdotes and giving a little back-story for the newcomers, but was clearly more interested in sharing her music than her life story. The best line of the night came when she was discussing her style compared with headliner Jay Brannan: “His sound is sad and depressing wrapped in a shell of sugar. Mine is sad and depressing . . . I don’t know, wrapped in sad and depressing.”

Even with this warning, if you’d heard their songs back to back on the radio it would seem that Pureka and Brannan were perfectly suited to tour together. However, in concert, Jay seemed almost determined to make up for Chris’ shyness. He opened to a large crowd that hung on his every word. Jay sang several songs including crowd favorites “goddamned” and “Half-Boyfriend”—lacing each with a story before and after. Although his charisma and dedication to his fan base was clear, his personal stories became tiresome, at least to this newcomer. By the end of the night I knew more about Jay (his trips to the dentist, his iTunes status, and his new agent) than the better part of my immediate family.

While musically proficient and charismatic, a lot of the irony in Jay Brannan’s music is lost in his studio work. Maybe it’s his giggle after every song, a vocal wink to the audience, but I hadn’t picked up on his sense of whimsy when listening to him on his MySpace page, which is a big part of what makes him interesting live. In fact, Brannan’s lyrics and melodies reminded me a lot of Jason Mraz, a point that was almost distracting once I made the connection. Well, Jason Mraz who drops the F-bomb regularly and tells stories about getting caught in a teenage tranny gang-war (it was really his best anecdote).

For me, the most interesting part of the performance was Brannan’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want.” Brannan’s version was similar rhythmically but without the wide-eyed joy that Mitchell so infrequently employs in her songs. Brannan’s interpretation sounded more like a goodbye than a flirtation, which surprisingly made it his most personal song of the night. Jay was accompanied by a violinist and cellist on a few songs, which seemed to delight his fans, and also added some complexity to his more “sugary” melodies.

Overall, I was happy I made it out, the venue was spacious and, as long as your whole party is there, you can get seated quickly. The crowd was a little sedate but very respectful and completely captivated by both artists. And while both performed well, the big draw of the night for me was Chris Pureka. Her performance was paired down and unassuming, like she was sitting in the corner at a house party unaware that everyone was listening to her play. Hopefully she’ll be coming back to New York soon; it was one of the best acoustic performances I’ve seen in a long time.

Check out our Fifty-Word Review of Jay Brennan’s new album, goddamned! There’s a mildly hot-stopping press photo.... 

review to your liking? You'll sweat:

Jay Brannan - “goddamned” - Buy It

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