Fame or Famine

I don’t know if this was the performance John mentioned in the comments, but there’s a great pic of Meshiya Lake at Washington Square Park on Flickr. Here’s the review:

“Caught Loose Marble with Meshiya Lake at Washington Square Park on July 7th. I’m listening and watching, being blown away by their combined talents, and thinking these guys may be having fun and making a few bucks, BUT do they actually realize how good they are? I mean they are GOOD.

The musicians play together like a well oiled machine and are equally entertaining on their riffs.
The dancers, whether dancing together or solo, are clearly into the sound and showing the audience what this music is for. Finally, Meshiya Lake. She has got IT. IT radiates out of her posture, her gentle bouncing back and fort on her feet to the beat of the music, her Whoa! Baby! tattoo’s, her period piece hat and clothes…her well proportioned figure…and oh, yes, the best damn voice I’ve heard in a long long time anywhere…it is thrilling (as if her appearance alone wasn’t enough!). She may be singing early thing by Ella, but you’re thinking that she sounds even more real than Ella. Meshiya Lake she has a timbre to her voice that sounds to this listener somewhere between Edith Piaf & Janis Joplin (I know that’s not a synthesis you were looking for, but work with me on this). She is a knock down drag out street singer par excellance.

She has studied her medium well and bring an understated elegance to her vocal presentations. She also seems content to do her bit with the Loose Marbles and wait for her time to come in and do her stuff. The truth is that this group is so good they could break through the music industry rules and go big time, just on the pleasantness of an act that combines virtuoso musicians and dancers and one unforgettable vocalist. If these guys got a shot on the Tonight Show, or Good Morniing America or Regis, they’d be instant hits throughout the country. Maybe I shouldn’t wish that on them though. Maybe they’re content to do what they do, playing for “the public” on the street in the open air without being manipulated by an agent or a management group. Yeah, maybe that’s just where they’re at. And if it is…more power to them. They are the real deal and seeing them renewed a bit of my innocence and made me happy. Catch them if you can, wherever you can, whenever you can.”

Thanks a bunch for the comment!

1 Comment