Live Review: Sean Hayes and Heather Duby

Union Pool - November 12

Dark coats pressed politely against one another, filling every last inch of space in Union Pool to see Sean Hayes on November 12. The San Franciscan folkateer made a few special stops in New York to play with his backing band who'll be appearing on his next album, scheduled for release early 2010.

Heather Duby began the evening with her bassy-piano pulsed pieces, thick with backing instrumentation of odds like glockenspiel, bathed in her voice, slick as liquid. Her between-song banter bounced to topics like her art classes, and her goofy tact endeared the crowd.

Out came Sean Hayes, onto the stage framed by old round bulbs, like a girl's mirror backstage at a beauty pageant. Full suit, unzipped boots and a chaotic nest of curly hair; Hayes' gentle-yet-wild west coast air seemed to leak over heads for a collective shoulder-drop.

His fluid fingers picked through his catalogue, comprised of a handful of albums, including a noise deadening version of “Angel,” and even a sample of what's to debut to the masses in early winter.
His voice stretched over syllables with his distinct pronunciations, thinly held out at the end of each line, like pulled taffy. He clicked his tongue into the mic at the end of each tune while everyone applauded, caked in dim light, glowing for him.