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By Neil Shurley, Greenville Online

It’s hard to describe Nellie McKay. She can be bitingly sarcastic and sweetly nostalgic. She plays the piano and ukulele and has a fantastic voice that can casually flip between guttural asides and frilly trills within the same song. And last night she played her unique cabaret show to a sold-out crowd at Genevieve’s, the new theater lounge at the Peace Center.

With its high ceilings, chic sofas and Reedy River view, Genevieve’s proved to be a perfect venue for a cabaret performer like McKay. It’s both intimate and showy, boasting a modern, urban feel that fit well with McKay’s New York City vibe.

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By Jon Bream, Star Tribune

A few thoughts after seeing Nellie McKay, the New York cabaret star, once again at the Dakota Jazz Club on Monday. Her two-night stand closes on Tuesday, with a 7 p.m. performance.

• She and Bettye LaVette are the only Dakota out-of-town regulars whom I see during every one of their engagements.

• She’s witty, silly, goofy, corny and hilarious. She uses humor to disarm the audience when things get too heavy, too serious, too political.

• She always manages to get political. Not just with feminism and social issues but attacking both Bachmann and Obama – with humor, of course.

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 Would You Like to Feel Sublime?
By Joe Swift 

Ding Dong – Nellie McKay

One of my favorite albums of this century, twelve years in, is “Get Away From Me,” the 2004 debut from singer/songwriter/keyboardist Nellie McKay.  Uniquely for a first album, it was a double CD.  What ties together the mix of pop and rap and cabaret and more is McKay’s good humor and intelligence.  Playful both lyrically and musically, GAFM holds up well today.

It was hard choosing which song from GAFM to use for this post.  I landed on “Ding Dong” for its juxtaposition of melancholy lyrics with a bouncy melody and the way its lyrics are open to various interpretations.

Speaking of interpretations, I try to avoid asking musicians what their songs “mean,” as I feel that the best songs mean different things to different people – including the songwriter.  Also, it would be like asking a comedian to explain a joke – it’s either funny or it isn’t.  A song either works for you or it doesn’t.

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