Diane Birch is one of the premier singer-songwriters living in New York City these days, and she brilliantly showcased it at Joe’s Pub Wednesday night as part of a month-long residency at the classy East Village venue. Her playfully, artistic personality – with musical maturity well beyond her years, Diane serenaded the packed venue like everyone knew she would. You could describe her sound as somewhere lost between Carole King, Elton John, and Aimee Mann, with ambience, soul, and upbeat rhythms – yet diverse and melodic enough to be pulled right out of the page of my dreaded childhood church hymn book. Thankfully sitting and listening to Diane for an hour is much more bearable than church ever was.
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
As she entered the stage sporting a Japanese fan and a dress right out of Stevie Nicks’ playbook, her recorded songs actually take a very Fleetwood Mac pop-esque sound to them, but they took a different personality on this night, as it was just her and her piano. The more intimate versions of her songs seemed appropriate at a venue like Joe’s Pub, where she dove headfirst through songs off both Bible Belt and 2013’s Speak A Little Louder.
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
Diane Birch at Joe’s Pub
“Nothing But A Miracle,” “Magic View,” and “Lighthouse,” all made their way into the core of her set, which made its way to just over an hour and fifteen minutes. Diane also made sure to introduce a catchy new tune about the New York Mets, of all teams. Closing out with crowd favorites in “Superstars” and “Unfkd,” Diane made sure her show captured every bit of her talent and a impressively diverse and polished catalog for someone her age. Definitely an artist worth adding to your playlists.
Article: Tom Shackleford
Photos: Manish Gosalia
