Birdy - Live In NYC - Best New Bands

New York – In our time, most people are unaccustomed to elevator operators. So when Best New Band’s CMO Greg Brodsky and I were greeted politely by one Thursday evening, on arrival at the Birdy Showcase in NYC, it was quite a shock (the elevator man does pushups to pass the time). The evening was was to be an exclusive show, hosted by our friends at Atlantic Records, and dedicated solely to the impossibly gifted UK singer/songwriter.

Birdy is the moniker for 17-year pop prodigy Jasmine Van den Bogaerde. In 2008, at the ripe old age of 12, she won Open Mic UK. In her yet brief and sensational career, she has contributed singles to the soundtracks for The Hunger Games and Pixar’s Brave. Her debut track, a heart-felt cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love,” climbed the charts in Britain and made platinum six times over in Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium. This young lady performed three sold-out shows at Sydney Opera House last April, and even appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2012.

The showcase was held at the historic McKittrick Hotel in Manhattan. When built in 1939, it was primed to be the most luxurious hotel New York City had ever seen. But, darkly, it was condemned six weeks before the grand opening. The space has since been repurposed, and is now home to Punchdrunk’s infamous, incomparable, and borderline invasive, theatrical performance SLEEP NO MORE.

Birdy opened with a beautiful cover of the XX’s “Shelter,” followed by her infamous take on “Skinny Love.” Covers of The Naked and Famous’ “Young Blood,” Cherry Ghost’s “People Help The People” and The National’s “Terrible Love” followed. Birdy included several tracks unreleased in the US, and closed the evening with originals from her forthcoming, “Light Me Up” and the every-shimmery “Wings.”

Daughter of a concert pianist, Birdy’s mother taught her to play the piano at age 7. Her debut, self-titled, album was a compilation of covers, released in November 2011. The “Live in London” EP followed in August of 2012. Her second studio album, Fire Within, was released in September 2013 in the UK. Although the record is not yet released in North America, those of us on this side of the pond were graced last October with a second EP, “Breath,” instead.

Arguably, the most spectacular thing about Birdy is the accessibility inherent in her work. This is particularly true of her debut record. She is, above all else, an extraordinarily talented vocalist, and she earned our admiration by singing songs we already love, and singing them well. With covers of tracks from James Taylor to Fleet Foxes, her studio album has mass appeal. Your parents might enjoy it just as easily as you do. The showcase Thursday night encapsulated this concept perfectly. Seated peacefully at a grand piano, Birdy delivered a show that defies age and experience. She is truly a gifted musician to behold. Audiences worldwide are waiting, with great appreciation, to watch her career unfold with grace.

Photos By Dan Massie – Thumbnail By Liz Rowley

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Liz Rowley

Born in Mexico and raised in Toronto, Jerusalem and Chicago by a pair of journalists, Liz comes to BestNewBands.com with an inherited love of writing. After discovering a niche for herself in music journalism and radio while at Bates College in Maine, she always keeps a running playlist of new music to soundtrack her place in the world. Liz is passionate about helping dedicated, talented musicians gain the exposure they deserve. A recent transplant to Brooklyn from Hawaii, she is plagued by an incurable case of wanderlust and cursed with an affinity for old maps and old things like typewriters and vintage books. She adores photography and running and is very good with plants. Having come of age in Chicago, Wilco speaks to her soul. If she could be anything, she would be a cat in a Murakami novel.