Sing Us a Song, You're the Piano Man...

I (like many women) have a weakness for men who play the piano. Seriously...it's hot. I also have a weakness for live music. Over the past year or so, I have become a bit of a concert junkie. I mean, really, there is NOTHING like live music, especially because some artists, while good in the studio, are absolutely UNBELIVABLE live. Such was the case with the concert I experienced last night.

But first a bit of preface...

I am a major fan of the iTunes discovery download of the week. While they can often be hit or miss, every once in awhile it can lead you to a true gem of an artist. It's how I found Sara Bareilles. And it's how I found Jon Mclaughlin. His song "Beautiful Disaster" was the single of the week last summer, and it immediately hit a chord in me, and after sampling the rest of his album, I bought it. I then saw him last fall with Sara Bareilles, and was blown away by both of them. Then Jon popped up singing the song "So Close" in Enchanted and got to perform it on the Oscars. I grinned the whole time he sang. I take such ownership in my fledgling artists, and get so proud when they get breaks like that. Yet, while Sara Bareilles has broken out big time, Jon hasn't quite yet broken through, which frustrates me...cause he is mad talented. But he's on the verge. I feel it. His current single, "Beating my Heart", which is being used in commercials promoting ABC's fall season, could be the one for him.

Anyway...I saw him for the second time at Bowery Ballroom last night...and damn, if he hasn't gotten better. He has a new album coming out late August, so we got to hear a good deal of new material. It's interesting, cause it's quite a bit different than the earnestness of his first album, Indiana (which makes me wonder how much influence the label had on his new stuff, becuase it seems they are trying to make him more marketable). Not that the new stuff isn't good, or isn't Jon...cause it is. It's just...slicker somehow, like it's got more money behind it. He's definitely trying new things and growing as an artist. It's very 80's rock tinged, which I LOVE so that is fine by me. And it still showcases his mad piano skills, which just continue to astonish me. I will be very interested to see how the new album sounds, cause Jon is definitely one of those performers you need to see live to appreciate how brilliant he is. Here are reasons you should check him out.

1) Not only can he play the piano, he is practically a savant at it. He plays so fast his hands are blurry, and it seems like he is just slapping the keys, yet somehow he always hits the right notes. I would dare to compare him to a young Billy Joel in that right, because I would imagine the intro to Angry Young Man would be cake for him. He's that good, I kid you not.
2) He plays the guitar too.
3) His voice is gorgeous, and he never hit a bum note last night.
4) He writes all his own songs.
5) In addition to all that, he is also heartbreakingly beautiful.

In other words, he is not quite of this world :-) I would like a clone of him to keep as my very own. It's still a bit early for any videos from last night to pop up on youtube, so I am embedding a performance of the song "Human" from earlier this year. Let it load all the way, so you can enjoy it fully. He REALLY starts jamming on the piano at about the 4 minute mark, so you can see a bit of what I am talking about. Unreal.



Check him out on myspace as well: www.myspace.com/jonmclaughlin
And again, his first album, Indiana, is available on iTunes, and the second album is dropping mid August. I can't wait.