Nellie McKay

I saw Nellie McKay at the Verdi Club in San Francisco, California earlier this year when some of my friends dragged me to her show. I loved it, and I’m so glad that were so persistent in convincing me when I kind of dismissed the idea.

The venue was this classy little dance hall, and so the night had this sophisticated feel to it from the jump but we all still had front-row seats to the show. Owing to her past as a stand-up comedian, Nellie McKay’s got an amazing sense of humor and is incredibly talented at forming an instant rapport with the audience.

Her music is kind of a sampling platter of everything, with music from jazz, rap, rock, reggae, funk, and disco. She mostly plays the piano but if you’re lucky (like we were) you can catch her playing some offbeat stuff like the ukulele or the xylophone also.

No matter what genre or instrument she’s playing though, the constant is the wonderful quality that’s present in every track of her set. Nellie McKay seems to tour a lot and do shows every couple of weeks, so be sure to make room in your schedule if she comes to town!