David Ford and Ingrid Michaelson @ El Mocambo

For some reason the door times for the David Ford / Ingrid Michaelson show at the El Mocambo were not listed either at the artist website or the venue website so I guessed ... and I was wrong. I'm still not sure what the door times were but when I got there the place was sold out and packed, making it very difficult for me to get my spot right at the front of the stage. If this was an over 19 show, then everybody in the audience was 19 except for me and I was not going to battle them for a better spot on the floor. I've just realized that I'm a big suck when I don't get my spot but oh well, it was a good show anyways. Even if my pictures turned out to be the grainiest and most miserable shots ever.

David Ford started literally 4 minutes after I entered the venue, so at least I was able to catch his whole set. He was brilliant, opening with his latest single "Go To Hell." His sharp English wit was in tact as he spoke about the U.S. making him change the title of his song, even though the aforementioned title is repeated about a billion times throughout. He also joked about Ingrid's inability to successfully mimic his English accent, suggesting that she sounds more like Dick Van Dyke in 'Mary Poppins.' He was charming, charismatic and witty and I'm sure he made the hearts swoon of all the young ladies in the audience, who outnumbered the boys about 3 to 1. His most amazing moment was during "State Of The Union," which is truly an awesome spectacle to behold live. He plays several different instruments, layering each on top of each other, creating the sound of a full band on stage, all the while being the solo figure up there. Very impressive.

Photos: David Ford @ El Mocambo on flickr.
Download: Go To Hell mp3
Myspace: David Ford
Video: 'State Of The Union' live at Sonic Boom youtube

It was still early so I decided that I would stick around for Ingrid Michaelson. Ingrid is from Staten Island and last year she rose to relative fame by having her music featured in both an Old Navy commercial and a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy. I guess her music is best described as being somewhere between Ani Defranco and Joni Mitchell. Personally, if I'm being honest, it does very little for me. Sure, it's all sweet and stuff, but I've heard it all before and there really isn't anything new or spectacular about it, as far as I'm concerned. However, what she lacks for me in musical ooomph, she makes up for in personality and showmanship. She is a very funny girl, with perhaps the quickest sense of humor I've seen on the live stage for a long time. She performed all her TV aided hits and her in-between song banter ranged from stories of her drooling on her sweater so as to detract men from hitting on her whilst on an airplane to anecdotes about making her singing partner laugh by putting on this crazy high falsetto. She had the audience eating out of her hands, but in a totally non egotistical way, and for that she definitely deserves her props. And the audience loved her. I mean they really loved her! So, just because I won't be rushing out to buy her CD any time soon, doesn't mean that others shouldn't want to. By the looks I was getting when I exited the venue early, I think she's got a loyal fan base of devoted followers who will ensure that she becomes a household name in no time.

Photos: Ingrid Michaelson @ El Mocambo on flickr
Download: The Way I Am mp3
Myspace: Ingrid Michaelson
Video: The Way I Am youtube