live music review: emily zuzik, spike hill, 17 may 2011
On May 17, 2011, Emily Zuzik (and her band) delivered a killer performance at Spike Hill, one of the most active live music venues in Williamsburg. This show was interesting, as it was part of arts crowd sourcing website RocketHub’s “Take off Tuesdays”; weekly showcases wherein musicians are interviewed in person about their creative processes right before playing their shows. The showcase was one of those really awesome, semi-underground, artist-centered things about which I always wish I knew more. With Emily being as cool and connected as she is, it only made sense that she was a part of such a great event.
Emily’s live interview was similar to our own – always a great conversationalist, she was open about her history as a songwriter and singer in the industry and about working with Moby (Destroyed hit shelves in the US that very day), with some great stories scattered throughout. The intimate setting of the interview allowed for the same kind of honesty she so easily conveyed in our conversation one week prior. The only difference was, we were no longer at a café; I was looking at her onstage with a small but attentive crowd of fellow fans and supporters. One of the audience members had actually just heard of her that day because he was a die-hard Moby fan who really liked ‘The Low Hum’. He looked her up and realized she was playing in his neighborhood, so he decided to check her out. I would make a comment about that being somehow ironic, but after living here for a while, I realize that’s just how Brooklyn is.
True to form, as soon as the interview was over, Emily and her band rocked out for a half hour, flawlessly performing some of my favorite tracks off her upcoming album The Wild Joys of Living, out June 25. I especially enjoyed hearing her bluesy pop songs like lead single ‘You Want To Go Out Tonight?’ and ‘How Did You Get So Good?’. While the crowd was relatively intimate, it was awesome to see her and the band give a great performance and fill up the entire space with solid rock music.
Emily debuted the theme song for NBC’s new show ‘Love Bites’ on June 2 and is now preparing to play several shows in New York this month. Following that, her 2008 London collaborations with Joe Sizzlax will come out on June 14, and last but not least, her fourth studio album The Wild Joys of Living hits shelves June 25, 2011. I told you to get ready, world. She’s here to stay!
