Skipped out of work early to get to the South Street seaport to catch one of the many free concerts put on by the Parks Commission. I was eager to check out Mike Wexler and I got a spot in the front row. The stage had the East River as the backdrop and the pier with their ships bobbing up and down with the waves. Mike took the stage and unfortunately it took me 3 songs to realize that this guy was pretty terrible. I tried really hard to get into his bluesy drone but it just had no appeal. A few people around me got up and left or took out their books and started reading. I laid down on the boardwalk and caught up on some sleep that I was desperately needing.
Juana Molina was on next and I was excited to see her again. As the sun set, she came out wearing what appeared to be a yellow tablecloth. She had a few technical problems and forgot her set list but she soon found her stride and played her quirky melodies to the large crowd that had accumulated. She stuck to her more subdued songs and played several off her new album “Son”. I’m always amazed at the precision she has building her songs from nothing and it’s always hard to describe her music to others. You just have to experience it for yourself.