Amy Regan / Venue: The Rockwood Music Hall / New York City / December 7th, 2009
Reviewed by Gabe Alonso
Just
like clockwork, three minutes before it was 9 pm, the audience started
pouring into the small confines of the great Rockwood Music Hall, but do not
let the size of the venue fool you, because this is one of the best indie
music venues in the city (New York Magazine voted it # 1 last year).
Tonight’s artist, Amy Regan is no stranger to the Rockwood Music Hall, as
she has performed here on numerous occasions, and she is quickly becoming a
staple of the East Village music scene. With her strong online presence, it
does not come as a surprise that she was bale to pack the Hall. On this
night, Regan was marking the release of two new singles, both of which she
would perform in her set. Backed by her bassist and drummer, she took to the
stage with her guitar and she was greeted by rousing applause from the
audience.
Regan opened her set with “Everybody Needs Somewhere To Go,” the first track from her 2007 EP And Then There’s This. One undeniable aspect of Regan’s performance is her glowing stage presence, as her bright smile illuminates the stage and adds a wonderful and intrinsic quality to her music. It is easy to detect that her songs are born of personal experiences and she draws from within.
A graduate of the music program at Skidmore College, Ms Regan demonstrated
her ample skills, with her ability to transition easily from using a head
voice in the higher registry and then reverting to a smokier, more emotive
vocal with songs such as “So In Love,” which appeared to resonate with her
audience.
“Get Movin’,” is a song that most New Yorkers can relate to, as it speaks to the busy, overwhelming lifestyle in New York City, and learning to find the balance between the craziness and enjoying where you are at that moment. It is certainly easy to lose yourself in the grandeur of New York but, as Regan points out, it is at its most beautiful when you are able to sit back and enjoy it.
“She’s Insane,” was one of the best songs that Amy Regan performed, as it fits comfortably within her vocal range and the band seemed to find its groove. The singer sends out a warning to the men in her life, of a heartbreaking girl, but bids them to “come to me for my shoulder,” if they fail to take her advice. The audience seemed prepared for some more toe tapping tunes, but Regan again switched up her set, as she moved to the piano and channeled Aimee Mann and Norah Jones with “Some Kind of Blues,” while expressing the strain of dancing around the idea of commitment, and she uses sarcasm to put the onus for the decision to commit, onto her partner.
Still seated at the piano, Regan rolled out “Crazy,” a more radio friendly song than her earlier pieces, as her vocal styling is more in the vein of singers such as Sara Bareilles and Fiona Apple. Using her head voice, Regan belts out the tune, while pounding out big chords, driving the arrangement forward, almost to the brink of insanity.
Regan ended the evening with “Gonna Get Better,” her new single, which she debuted at the Rockwood Music Hall, and it demonstrated the folk – pop side to her music. Regan pushed into her higher registry, digging in and leaving her fans wanting to hear more. She also unveiled “Keep You Warm,” a sweet song about coming to terms with letting go of a relationship.
Amy Regan possesses an abundance of talent, she could perhaps use a little more variety in her musical choices, both in terms of content and melody, but she is quite comfortable with her set and rocks these tunes well.
To quote Amy Regan, “I’ve had enough, when I’ve had enough.” It certainly seems that the world will not be having enough of Amy Regan any time soon, as we look forward to hearing more from her for a long time to come.
To listen to the music of Amy Regan please visit her myspace site.
To learn more about Amy Regan please visit her website at www.amyregan.com
December 7th, 2009
Click here for printer friendly copy
Gabe Alonso is an aspiring music business entrepreneur and currently works for MTV in the area of music events. He loves to write about all things music, especially on his blog (gabealonso.blogspot.com). You can follow him on twitter (twitter.com/gabealonso) or find him on facebook as well. If you're in the NYC area, Gabe organizes monthly meet-ups for those in the music industry. Come out for a drink and some good conversation!
