aye aye captain

i promised the captain a report of my evening watching isaac mizrahi's band. yes- the one and only isaac mizrahi- fashion designer extraordinaire, author, actor, and aspiring cabaret performer!!!

about a month ago, megs had emailed me saying that isaac mizrahi's band, The Ben Walzter Quintet, was performing at joe's pub at the end of september. always game for new and interesting experiences- i opted to go. i had no idea what to expect- except the promise that mizrahi would "chat, take your questions, sing, sketch and maybe even do a jig".

indeed, there was chatting and pleny of singing, but sadly (?) no sketching or jigging.

whle i certainly had not high hopes of mizrahi's performing chops, i was pleasantly surprised. clearly, mizrahi was a well rounded individual with many skills and interests- and the current focus (besides taking on the task of reinventing and revitailizing liz claiborne) was a career as a performer. the music was pure bluesy/jazzy stuffs,. mizrahi actually had a decent singing voice but more importantly, showed a genuine passion for performing, an excellent repetoire with guests, and good sense of humor.

songs were interjected with little stories, jokes, and a little re-gift giving to his guests (i scored a hideous vase shaped like a dress which will forever serve as a makeup brush/tooth brush holder).

the show was completely enjoyable and somehow felt like a very "new york" experience. while not needing a repeat performance, it was a completely satisfactory way to spend three hours of my weekend.