by eliza czander
Last night I went to one of the more remarkable shows I’ve seen in quite a while. Elizabeth and The Catapult were headlining The Music Hall of Williamsburg, but I had a keen interest in catching opener Jeff Taylor who I’d been hearing great things about. I walked in a few songs into his set and was able to witness a guy who is very fucking serious about his musicianship – that was clear. However, Jeff was also able to connect and communicate with the audience, who was lapping it up. His stage presence is eccentric to say the least and as he beat boxed and gyrated all about, it was hard to take my eyes of his long and lanky frame. And that voice is magnificently intense, like something birthed from a Tom Waits, Johnny Depp and Beck threesome.
 |
|
…
His songs burn slowly and are accentuated by his live performance. He has a fresh take and delivers his music with genuine sentiment. The song “Heart Hard” is only one minute and thirty seconds, but when he played it solo last night, the music hall went frozen as the audience watched in awe. Fucking amazing.
Elizabeth and The Catapult didn’t disappoint either. Their sound is classic indie pop, but scattered and strewn with folk and jazz influences. Elizabeth’s voice is velveteen and while I sometimes find her songs to be too lyrically accessible, all was forgotten when she stepped up to the microphone. Playing nearly all of their album, Taller Children, the band also fittingly did a cover of Tom Waits song “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up.” Jeff joined them onstage a couple of times, but most notable was “John The Rabbit,” to which he added layers and gave the song a whole other dimension. By the end of the show, I was thinking that maybe the two could join forces and do a side project soon. No need I guess, as both these bands are well on their way to commerial success.
