Priscilla Ahn- CD Release at Joe's Pub

This week in NYC we attended the CD release party for Priscilla Ahn and her new CD A Good Day at Joe's Pub (for photo's click here). The new disc is Ahn's much buzzed about major label debut and judging by the sold out crowd is well worth the pre-release hype. Backed by a classically old school four piece band complete with baby grand piano, cello, dog house bass, and drums, Ahn and the band set the mood for an intimate evening of her tender folk sounds.
Ahn who is a gifted guitar player with jaw dropping finger picking breezed through her songs off the new disc, which she explained were inspired by her growing up in a "sleepy rural town in Pennsylvania" as she put it. Small town songs such as "Lullaby" and "Leave The Light On For Me" led the way, the latter of which Ahn said was about her parents actually leaving the light on for her when she would come home after a night out.
Throughout the set the crowd was so intensely glued to Ahn that you could almost hear a pin drop, even as the subway rumbled under Joe's almost as if accompanying the music and adding to the already cozy atmosphere. But Ahn especially had the audience on the edge of their seats on the stunning rendition of "Dreams", which even made the waitresses stop dead in their tracks to listen. Other highlights of the evening were the Willie Nelson cover "Opportunity to Cry" which Ahn said Nelson actually heard and liked, and "Masters In China" with Ahn on ukulele.
The warm vibe of the show continued afterwards as Ahn stayed off stage signing and taking pictures with fans, not leaving until the long line of fans emptied and everyone was left satisfied.


Story contributed by: Robert Proffe
Photo's: Robert Proffe