Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers came to Chicago Thursday night and blew the crowd away! We sat through two opening bands who successfully heated up the club, only to see this tiny little woman lug a huge piece of equipment up the stairs to the stage. That couldn’t be THE Shilpa Ray, could it? I’ve heard her album. I’ve studied her MySpace page. I’d been seriously looking forward to this show for weeks now. This woman had a voice that was as big as New Jersey! I’d imagined her at least being 5 and a HALF feet tall!

The music started, then she opened her mouth… wide. It all began to make sense. Every sinew of this woman comes pouring out of that mouth. She contorts her lithe body into all sorts of shapes and twists to push as much sound as possible out of that mouth, open wide. And folks, that’s a helluva lot of sound. Some of us were shocked. Not many people danced, I think, honestly, Chicago didn’t quite know what to do with this act. It was awesomely amusing to me as I stood a few steps up, by the sound booth. Sometimes Midwesterners are so freakin uptight. Shilpa Ray’s music is loud and brassy and changes tempo urgently just to let you know that she’s not bored by it. She sings, screams, sings and is never out of tune, even with a touch of laryngitis and some signs of road worn fatigue. The harmonium is a fascinating and a really beautiful intro to her songs and she pumps air into it with one hand while keyboarding it with the other, (that was the huge thing she lugged onto the stage). It’s all part calypso, part CBGB’s part, Brooklyn rent party.

And I simply didn’t want it to end. The setlist was only 8 songs long; 5 out of 8 from the CD she sells at shows (and darling’s it’s the only way you can get one, so go to her damn show and buy one!) I could have stayed and listened to her play 8 more. She’s got the kind of talent that allows her to make every song different and great in its own way. Most people will fall in love with her for her cover of “I Only Have Eyes For You” which is post-punk brilliance with a 50s nightclub twist. But stick around, because by the time she hits you with “Filthy and Free” you’ll want to dance with her in the aisles, or with anyone for that matter. Her band is a pleasure to watch, if you can take your eyes off of her for even a moment. Andrew Hoepfner on keyboards and maracas amazed me with his energy! That man surely must go home with bruises with the way he beats that maraca on just about all parts of his body and the microphone. Vincent Cacchione or Jay Braun was on guitar and was a total pro, preforming a stunning solo on a song I can’t recall at the moment (do you remember, fans?! there was only one guitarist, or am I losing my mind?!), Josh Fleischmann on drums was hot, hot, hot, and kept Shilpa literally bouncing off the stage all night. And Nick Hundley, on bass was really, really fun to watch and hear. He played a MusicMaker, he danced and sang without a mic, and when I told him I liked his playing, he called me sweetheart

It was a great night, darlin’s and talking to Ms. Ray after the show revealed what a professionally glamorous person she is, and how excited she is to be on tour. They were fresh off their session at Daytrotter and so stoked about it. It was genuinely exciting to see a young act on the verge of becoming huge and knowing that they know it too. That is the glorious thing about living in Chicago and being able to see live music here, my sweets! Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers have real talent, enough know-how to navigate the music world, and a sound that you are not going to hear anywhere else. Oh! you want pictures of a great Shilpa Ray show? Go see Brooklyn Vegan’s page, it’s awesome!

Woman Sets Boyfriend On Fire mp3 A Fish Hook An Open Eye Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers ….. go to a show and buy it! (I emailed her manager Steven Matrick and received permission to post this for a limited time, so get it now, m’dears) [edit: I've got word that the CD is being re-mastered and will be available in May for purchase so hang tight people! yay!!!]

set list:

Madness of King George – from her Beat The Devil days

I Only Have Eyes For You

You Filthy And Free

I’m Not Frigid… Yet

The Coward Cracked The Dawn…

Pop Song

Looking For Mr. Goodbar

Hookers

Chelsea

(this video shows her on her own, just imagine her as I saw her, with a full band… it was huge!)

Tour dates:
Apr 18 2009 8:00P
Cafe Bourbon St w/TBA Columbus, Ohio
Apr 22 2009 7:30P
Benefit Concert For The Hearing Impaired @ Bell House w/ Depreciation Guild, Hooray for Earth, Kino brooklyn, New York

also see a great review here