MUSIC: Indie-rock all-stars (and, uh, James Iha) come out for Ben Sollee at the Living Room
A random invite last Thursday to the Living Room turned into a Who's Who fest of indie/alt-rock royalty. On hand to take in songwriter Ben Sollee were James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins, A Perfect Circle), Joseph Arthur and new Chelsea resident Jim James (My Morning Jacket).
Sollee wasn't the usual Living Room sensitive crooner (thankfully) -- his songs were given a dramatic backdrop, thanks to his preference of cello over acoustic guitar. The cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" sort of rocked, too. Anyway, one to watch (he'll be back on May 29th at Battery Park)
By the way, we also realize seeing James Iha in a bar in New York is sort of like bumping into Milan from "Project Runway" anywhere. (Translation: It's pretty much something you can check off on a weekly basis)