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NYC-by-way-of-Minneapolis singer/songwriter Litman has played a handful of gigs around town since this one from early May, at Greenwich Village’s über-tiny, über-intimate Caffe Vivaldi (capacity 50), so pardon my late review. But since he’s about to embark on a July Midwest tour, with eight shows lined up in TN, MO, MN, and IL, perhaps this will also act as a reminder to check him out. I was unfamiliar with his newly-released second LP Outside when I saw this show, having enjoyed his 2008 debut Postscript. Not surprisingly, the set focused almost entirely on the new album, with “Maine” and “Detroit Layover” the only Postcript songs getting an airing. Yet Outside’s bouncy, full-bodied tunes made an impact on first listen, even in this more stripped-down format, since there was no room for a drum set in Vivaldi’s cramped quarters. In fact, last minute fill-in rhythm section Matt Basile and Jamie Alegre barely had room to move, so Alegre provided busker-style percussion by sitting a wooden crate and batting it with his hands. (Basile and Alegre also play in NYC songstress Misty Boyce’s band. Unaware to me, they beelined to Boyce’s gig afterwards at The Living Room, as did I. But because I watched her packed show from the back, I hadn’t noticed it was the same two guys I had just seen backing Litman playing behind her as well, only discovering the coincidence later!)
The space-challenged venue did boast a large grand piano, however, so we got to hear pianist Jason Wexler pepper each song with his impressive playing. As well, opener Shanna Zell (of Shanna & The Zellots) joined Litman for a good portion of his set, her strong voice offering an ideal compliment on tunes like “What Hasn’t Happened Yet.” Halfway through, Litman played piano on two covers: The Band‘s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” (from 1969’s The Band, and a #3 hit for Joan Baez in 1971), and a knockout rendition of The Kinks‘ classic “Waterloo Sunset” (from 1967’s Something Else by The Kinks) which was so fantastic it completely silenced the small room. As a final treat, the band was filmed playing Outside‘s first single “Over and Over,” for the song’s Groundhog Day-themed video (check it out here, the Vivaldi scene comes in at 2:45). Overall, Litman’s consummate showmanship and the venue’s classy old-style West Village charm made this feel like a quintessential NYC evening out.
Upcoming Jeff Litman dates:
7/8 Richard’s Cafe – Nashville, TN
7/10 Off Broadway – St. Louis, MO
7/11 Czar Bar – Kansas City, MO
7/15 Zeitgeist Arts – Duluth, MN
7/17 Aster Cafe – Minneapolis, MN
7/18 Fat Jack’s – Bloomington, IL
7/19 The Elbo Room – Chicago, IL
7/21 Lexington Street Fest – Lexington, IL
8/21 Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
8/23 Ebeneezer’s Coffee House – Washington, DC
