Thu 11/14 @ 7PM
Sun 11/17 @ 7PM
Musician/actress/comedienne Nellie McKay has never broken into the mainstream, more’s the pity. Her 2004 debut album Get Away From Me almost seemed like a fortuitous mistake that had been slipped by some distracted record executive: a double-disc set on major label Columbia that was far too offbeat, eclectic and uncategorizable to be easily marketed.
Since then she’s released a series of intriguing projects on her own label, including Normal as Blueberry Pie, a tribute to Doris Day, 2015’a My Weekly Reader, which featured covers of ’60s songs, a bizarre collection of the familiar (“Itchycoo Park,” “If I Fell,” “Sunny Afternoon”) and the obscure (Moby Grape’s “Murder in my Heart for the Judge”), and 2018’s Sister Orchid, a set of jazz standards. Her brand new EP Bagetelles offers more of her unique takes on familiar standards such as “Up a Lazy River,” “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” and “Accentuate the Positive.”
The New York-based performer has also done a lot of stage work, written and produced musicals abut intriguing women, contributed music to films and TV shows, and advocated for progressive causes such as animal rights (She’s a PETA activist).
McKay has become such a favorite at Nighttown in Cleveland Heights that she’s returning for a second show in the same week after playing in Chicago and Indiana. Expect the unexpected as she accompanies herself on piano, guitar and ukulele on an odd assortment of tunes, laced with her distinctive humor.
Tickets are $30.
Cleveland Heights, OH 44106