Pony: Nellie McKay
3.26.2004
I saw Nellie Mckay last night at the Elmo (thanks, Elana, for the tix!). Now I am not one to easily dispatch the term "Wunderkind". Teen stars tend to be victims more than artists, owing more to a brilliant marketing package than any great talent.
So, yeah, if you like smart lyrics and eclectic, jazzy, cabaret-inspired performances, you will probably like this 19-year old. Some of her songs were brilliantly-honed, others were charmingly scattered brain dumps.
So it is always a bit humbling to see a young person with so much talent. What was even more remarkable was her banter, which was a light, tongue-in-cheek self deprecation that was genuinely funny and spookily self-aware. Comments like: "My mother and I have a very complicated relationship" - vaguely reminiscent of a less boozy Dorothy Parker. At this point, I say how I was not that self aware at that age and blablabla. Which is boring. You don't need to read that drivel. Give her a listen.
