For those of you who are thinking, "Jay Brannan, who's that?", here's a basic intro: Jay Brannan was in Shortbus, an extraordinary film directed by the amazing John Cameron Mitchell (of Hedwig fame). In that wonderful film (let me just plug it one more time) Jay Brannan sang the poignant, honest, and absofuckinglutely hilarious song "Soda Shop." Since the film, Jay Brannan has released his first full-length CD, "goddamned," to critical acclaim--and by "critical acclaim," I mean that the hipsters, homos, radicals, internationals, and activists all love him. As I fall under several of those categories, I obligatorily listened to the CD--and, let me just say, I was not disappointed.
Since said "acclaim," Brannan has toured extensively, sold out shows at Joe's Pub in New York, and turned down marketing deals and record contracts that, in his own words, capitalize upon his sexuality. While Brannan is openly gay, sings about gay themes, and graphically discusses fucking men in the ass (FTW!), he's also much more than that. Brannan's songs are musically creative in their simplicity; he matches compelling, thoughtful, and challenging lyrics with somewhat "catchy" melodies, played on guitar or piano. He also updates a quirky-yet-hilarious blog, featuring many YouTube videos of him singing--frequently in foreign languages (http://jaybrannan.com).
Needless to say, I just had to see this kid in person.
The show was at a small (quickly sold-out) venue at Baruch College, with whom Brannan has some sort of previous relationship (he was recently on a radio program there as well). The audience was receptive, knew the material, and engaged with Brannan in a lighthearted, supportive way. Such support was needed, however, because JBran is adorably self-deprecating. Much like everyone's favorite Winnie the Pooh character, Eeyore, Brannan is endearingly (rather than "Good Charlotte"-annoyingly) emo. He likes his songs and he knows who he is; however, he also comments on his "spare tire" (?!), failure at relationships, and fear of audience disapproval. This tone, however, did not keep him from making the audience roll with laughter on several occasions--not always at his own expense. Brannan achieved a low-key-yet-nervous attitude, which actually made his music even more accessible!
His stage demeanor was welcoming, and he drew the entire audience, even new listeners, into his songs. While much of the audience was familiar with Jay's songs, familiarity with his music wasn't necessary to enjoy the set. Jay discussed the background behind some songs, explained the tone of the lyrics, and successfully interacted with the audience while playing. The songs themselves were even better live than recorded; he seemed comfortable playing--or as comfortable as an "Eeyore" ever could be!A particular favorite of mine was a new song about the recent war in Israel and Palestine. Brannan has a keen way of humanizing the incredibly complex situation, simply calling for peace. Like John and Yoko's "War is Over," Brannan states the obvious in an emotionally captivating, yet shockingly simple way: peace is possible, if we make it so. . . Though not in those words. His words were better. (Buy his upcoming CD. Insert shameless plug here.)
After the show, Jay came out and spent over an hour talking to everyone there. He sold "cracked case" CDs for $10, and "pristine" CDs for $15. He signed as many CDs, tickets, and programs as you wished, and did so with his adorable smile. His immense thanks for our presence there was obvious; he clearly loves what he does and is glad that his audience does, too!
All in all, the show was a roaring success--though I'm sure that Mr. Brannan would argue with my assessment in his typical Eeyore fashion!
Review and photos by Laura, more photos available here.
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