Having re-located to Los Angeles, Boston native former Letters to Cleo singer Kay Hanley returns home twice annually for the Hot Stove, Cool Music shows. Invariably Hanley and crew fit in a club gig to stretch their legs a bit, as was the case at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA on August 17th.
Perhaps it was the pleasure of playing to a home-town crowd but the energy in the room was electric. Hanley stalked the stage with a commanding presence, a true rock star persona. Perhaps too much rock star persona — during “Because of You” drummer Pete Caldes apparently made some jokes about her rock star moves. As you’ll see in the video below, Hanley lost control in a fit of hysterical laughter during which the crowd rushed to her defense and carried the final verse.
As much as I enjoyed the old songs, the new ones were irresistible. A tribute to the current Top 40 divas included the smile-inducing line “I like your video but your music’s shit” while “Tell Him No” packed a wicked punch. It was a rousing show summed up best by Hanley, “I’ve only had two and a half beers. If I’d had 7 then my definition of love for you would be suspect.”
Special notice goes to keyboardist Phil Aiken, a presence in the Boston scene and a phenomenally-talented pianist. If you didn’t see the spiral notebook with chord notations on his keyboard, you’d never know that he received a call the previous night to sit in with the band. Kind of like getting called up from Pawtucket.
Audio Download: Kay Hanley Cellars By Starlight
[Source: The Phoenix]
