Thursday, December 17, 2015

Review: There is something about Carol Lipnik


Hey Kids , my latest review: Carol Lipnik at Pangea

There is something about Carol Lipnik…
Last Sunday I had the pleasure of stumbling into my favorite cabaret spot Pangea and witness the magic of Carol Lipnik. After a lovely dinner and Donna Summer fueled car ride with our friends Citizen Reno , Ellie Covan and the darling Oscar Pavlo, MAN-ee Champagne, myself and the gang settled into our seats with a big sigh.

That is the “thing” about Carol Lipnik, within seconds of her starting to sing she transports you from this physical plane into another state of consciousness with her ethereal voice. I gaze around the room and everyone is transfixed on her every move as she glides into “The Gypsy Wife” by Leonard Cohen. There is no pretense or over the top showmanship here – we are all on this journey together! What a revelation it is as she invites the audience to howl along with her to ‘The Werewolf Song”! And somehow with Carol’s guidance everyone seems on pitch…

Photo by Jeff Catlow
For years Carol has been supported, appreciated and lauded by the downtown cabaret scene. She has found her home at Pangea and is finally achieving the greater recognition she deserves with her first glowing New York Times review (Stephen Holden, NY Times, November 16). Sometimes the connection of time, space and talent brings everything together and creates this amazing artistic explosion. Carol is experiencing this explosion with grace and confidence as she seduces more and more new fans through original songs like “The Mermaid Blues” and “The Things that Make You Grow”.  She is backed by her long time accompanist, the brilliant Matt Kanelos who also penned my favorite song in Carol’s repertoire “Non-Violent Man”.

There are few artists that automatically make you feel like they are going to take care of you – not that you feel safe…on the contrary, the boundaries of your mind and heart are definitely challenged – but that you KNOW they will lead you on a fantastic journey, through dark and light. Committed and sincere, Carol is one of those artists and it’s rare and refreshing.
In the complexity of Carol’s voice are shades of Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and Minnie Ripperton that make me swoon, especially in her gorgeous version of “Moon River” (in which Carol also demonstrates her skills as a musician by playing the Kazabo). And see that is another "thing" about Carol, not only a brilliant and rare musical talent, she is fun and has a great sense of humor about it all. In the end this is what makes her an artist that deserves the accolades and all the cheer. She is divine!
 
Kids if you want to forget your troubles for a couple of hours on a Sunday night make your way to Pangea to see Carol Lipnik, you’ll be glad you did and will regret it if you don’t! You can see Carol every Sunday at Pangea http://www.pangeanyc.com/

 See you at the party Kids!

 MargOH! Channing is The Boozy Chanteuse
PS- Kids Carol is nominated for two Broadway World Awards for the 2015 Cabaret Season so please go vote for her by December 31, 2015 http://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/vote2015region.cfm