Armed with nothing but a Roland keyboard, some red wine, and a subtly strong, Blue Note-enriched voice, New Orleans transplant Stephanie Nilles entertained a crowd at the home of local Cleveland blogger, Roger Zender, on October 2nd.
Nilles prefaced the first half of her set with “So, I got this cold, in 2009 . . . and I been singing ’cause it’s my job, so it just won’t go away” while tinkering away on the keys.
Nuanced, Nilles showed she is adept at making the most of the intricate details. Her voice rasps, it hisses, it coos. Her musicianship is obvious—it’s no wonder that she studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music—but it is her tongue-in-cheek lyricism which is to be revered.
She draws influence from her surroundings, politically and geographically, for her music. To be frank, this girl’s got a pair and she’s not quiet about it! Don’t believe me? Just look so far as her album, “Fuck Off, Grizzly Bear”.
This was perfect music for the crappy weather Cleveland’s been experiencing as of late. Her sultry voice slyly works the room; it leaves you haunted as it dissipates like a night fog. Of her own voice she said in a song, “My voice sounds like a lantern filling up with smoke”.
If you are craving something to keep you warm as the weather cools down, check this girl out. She’s good for some blues/jazz infused tunes as well as a laugh—be it at the expense of politicians or mainstream indie musicians.
