Kelli Baker
The Bitter End147 Bleecker Street, New York 10012
Kelli Baker celebrates the release of her debut full-length album, Mother, at The Bitter End. Billed under her own name, the night is a record-release party for the Phoenix-born, New York-based singer-songwriter, whose work moves through rock, blues, soul, and songwriterly forms. The listing identifies the occasion but does not specify a guest, supporting act, or the personnel joining her for this set.
Baker is the frontwoman of The Kelli Baker Band and moved to New York in 2012. She has called The Bitter End the band’s “main hangout,” where they have played about once a month. Her own description calls her sound “an arresting fusion of rock grit, blues soul, and siren-like poetry”; Fanclub hears “authentic blues/rock and heart-on-her-sleeve singer/songwriter pop with folk/gospel roots.” Hotel Congress has described her “dynamic blues tones and gospel nods” as “a kind of ethereal blues.” Baker and her band have recorded with Richie Cannata and John Arbuckle at Cove City Sound Studios, and she has also worked with producers Philip A. Jimenez and Tommy Stiegler. Her site says Mike Zito signed her to Gulf Coast Records.
The Bitter End has been a fixture of Greenwich Village since 1961, known as one of New York City's oldest rock clubs. It's a modest basement club with a stage and a bar, where the audience sits close to the performers. The room has exposed brick walls and a rustic feel, and the atmosphere is warm and conversational. Shows are typically ticketed with a small cover charge, and the evening combines listening to live music with casual conversation and drinks. The venue has hosted legends like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, and continues to be a place where songwriters and musicians share new material. It's a steady, reliable spot for live music in the city.