What Le Poisson Rouge lacks in the ability to generate actual energy from a crowd as a venue, they make up for booking talented acts like Wakey!Wakey! The venue, located in New York's West Village, can seat 250 people, or, when the tables and benches are removed, pack in 700. Brooklyn-by way of-Virginia's own Michael Grubbs and company were the headliner on Thursday evening, playing songs from their LP Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said The Last Time I Saw You... and The War Sweater EP.

It was the first time I had ever seen the band play, and the first time I'd ever attended a show at this venue. Michael's passion for music is evident. Wakey!Wakey! is an amalgam of things; singer-songwriter, folk, blues. Most of all, the music tugs at your heartstrings and puts you in places, that as a listener, you may be unwilling to visit. Luckily, he sounds great doing it.

I spoke to Michael before the show and was impressed by his candor, his humility (he could, after all, be considered a TV star, thanks to One Tree Hill) and his optimism about love, relationships and the future.

Kristina Villarini: What was the build from the Live LPs to an EP to the full-length? That seems like a very traditional model to follow.

Michael Grubbs: It was a natural build. I think people don't know that it can cost a lot of money to make a record, but it also felt like very natural. We built interest in the band, and generated a bit of momentum. By the time the record came out, I had taken the time to find myself as a writer and I'm a lot more mature on the record. Family Records wisely told me to take some time and just let things happen, and it really was for the best.