Photos by Eric D. Horn

It was 8:50PM, and the live room at The Knitting Factory was loosely packed. It seemed as though no one had even noticed Lady Lamb The Beekeeper appear on stage as she tested her instruments and made her final preparations. The clock struck 9PM and Lady Lamb launched right into the first notes of her a cappella track "Up In The Rafters". The entire room was completely silent before she had finished singing the first line of the song. All of the loud chatter and rumblings that masked her first moments on stage had immediately subsided. All eyes were on the one-woman-band that is Lady Lamb The Beekeeper. There are not too many artists that can start their set by singing a cappella for nearly five minutes but Lady Lamb is not like many artists. Without hesitation, she finished the song and seamlessly introduced her guitar through another original song called "Bird Balloons". She gave the audience ten minutes of intimacy and emotion that is rarely achieved outside one's bedroom.

"Hey, thanks for coming. I'm Aly and this is my band", she said as she pointed at the empty stage behind her. "It's like a kindergardener now."

Her banter was light-hearted and comfortable. It was clear that she is no stranger to the stage.



She traded her guitar for a banjo and dedicated her next song to a fan in the audience. She played the original track called "Regarding Ascending The Stairs" and kept her dominant hold on the audience. After finishing the song, she described her "heated, intense relationship" with her guitar as she switched back. Aloud, she playfully retraced her thoughts of the love affair she has with her instrument.



"It's 4AM, I don't want to play you but you're so sexy"
Throughout the evening, she maintained her conversation with the audience in between a series of honest songs with genuine passion. Her performance style is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley or Jack White topped off with heaps of raw female energy.




At one point, she revealed that she would play a song that she never plays solo, an older song that was meant for looping or a full band, but had been recorded for her upcoming album. Although she made a small misstep after the first verse, she laughed it off and continued without hesitation. Fearless and confident.



Later on, she sang "You Are The Apple", a song whose title and lyric describe a tale of painful, forbidden love. "Still need your teeth round my organs, still need your love for you are the apple" she sang. Her lyrics were deep and personal. They matched the strength of her performance. In the last song of the night titled "Crane Your Neck", she stated "cause if you're dreaming about dying, you're not really living darling. You gotta be starving, you gotta be starving for it." Strong words that will certainly resonate with the audience.




Just like that, 50 minutes had passed and the show was over. Lady Lamb The Beekeeper may be one of the truly special, rare artists that can top any producer's toolbox with a simple, sincere stage show. Her last full-length release entitled Mammoth Swoon is available on iTunes. She's expected to release another album this summer.

The set-list:

"Up In The Rafters"
"Bird Balloons"
"Regarding Ascending The Stairs"
"Between Two Trees"
"Little Brother"
"You Are The Apple"
"Florence Berlin"
"Crane Your Neck"