Gabriel Kahane, Bell and Nat Baldwin
Gothamist House/Bell House
October 22, 2008

Hidden away between sign shops, warehouses and new construction you’ll find The Bell House, the newest music spot from the owners of Union Hall. For the next few days The Bell House is home to Gothamist House, the popular NYC news blogs addition to the CMJ Music Festival, and one of the few places to see CMJ Music during the afternoon.

I headed out Gothamist House for a shot to see Gabriel Kahane, the piano folkster who wrote a cycle of songs about his experiences on Craig’s List. I arrived to a practically empty club, where Mr. Kahane was singing his heart out into the rafters and bouncing on his piano pedals like he was playing the show of his life. Kahane sings jangly piano based songs that examine the little minutiae of life in an amusing way that dredges up J.D. Salinger’s world view. Imagine Ben Folds without the hippy pretension. He’s a clever songwriter, and his keyboard playing is a wonderful mix of jazz and circus music. Read the rest of this entry »