one small sound

It's a sad state of affairs when only twenty people are in a room to see Sarah Blasko. Sure, she has spent the majority of her burgeoning career in her homeland of Australia, where she is becoming more and more well-known, selling out big venues around the country and touring pretty non-stop for the past few years. However, Sarah's phenomenal talent-- her voice alone will do you in-- and her natural charm make her one of the most amazing performers, and after two years of waiting (on my end, that is), she finally made it to New York.

Friday, 7 September marked the first of a three week residency at The Living Room, here in the Lower East Side. I arrived geekily (did I just say geekily?) early to find Sarah and crew sitting in the main bar area. I listened to sound check (which sounded amazing in and of itself) and then Sarah took the stage at exactly seven o'clock to a ridiculously empty room. While this sucks, I realised the distinct privilege of seeing Ms. Blasko in such a tiny venue with so few people there-- I was seated roughly three feet from her all evening-- and it's an experience I will not forget. And one that I get to repeat for the next two weeks in a row.

If you're a Sarah Blasko fan, one of the things you probably like best about her is just how quirky she is, and slightly awkward in the best way (because hey, aren't we all a little awkward?). Once the music begins, she gives it her all, bringing songs from her latest album, What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have (which is, according to Sarah, going on sale here in the States in about a week's time), and her first album to life in a way that is magical and a gift to be able to witness. She's adorably self-deprecating and so genuinely nice that it's a little disconcerting. In fact, when she found out how long I'd been a fan, she just kept saying, "But how did you...." before shaking her head and laughing in disbelief. All the waiting finally paid off last night, and I can't wait for next Friday to do it all over again.

Below, a few more pics from the show. I'm not a fan of flashing in an artist's face, especially in such a small room, so excuse the darkness: