Review: Evan + Zane Present Ethereal, Mystical DREAM ALBUM RELEASE Concert at Chelsea Table + Stage

From the moment that Evan Rachel Wood sang the song "God Bless The Child" in the television program Once and Again, the people knew she was a singer, and a special one, to be sure. But when this artistic soul joined forces with Zane Carney to form the band Evan + Zane, there was a reaction, and the people came, and they kept coming, and before you knew it, the new band had a following. Chances are the people always will show up for the duo because Evan + Zane have a special thing between them that makes their music eminently enjoyable and extremely listenable.

The duo played Chelsea Table + Stage over the Labor Day Weekend and, near the end of their opening night, Zane remarked that they hadn't had many reservations, which had given them pause, but something must have happened between the time they checked the reservation list and the time the show started because the venue gave every appearance of being sold out, and the people sitting in the seats out front were there for it and there for them. These were fans, the kind of devoted fans who turn up at every show, who fly out of town, and who buy the posters (there are posters). And Evan + Zane deserve to have these kinds of fans because they are wonderful - she with the mysterious voice and he with the magic fingers make a great team, and they make great music. It's not original music. Evan + Zane are a cover band. (If they are singing original music, it has completely skipped this writer's attention.) Evan + Zane are this amazing, interesting, fascinating cover band doing deep dives into music that the people know and love, and when they emerge from those explorations, they have found new ways of seeing these dreams. At least, at Chelsea Table + Stage they were examining dreams because Evan + Zane have a new album out titled DREAM, and this was their release party. The album dropped the same day as their opening night, September 4th, and the two chums were like kids on Christmas morning, so excited about the release that they were unable to contain themselves, as they performed a setlist comprised entirely of songs from the CD, songs about dreams, dreamers, and dreaming. It was an elegant and ethereal night of straightforward music, with just enough chat in between songs to let the audience know how quirky and funny the two friends are, and how much fun they are having with their band.

Evan + Zane is not these artists' main hustle. Evan Rachel Wood is one of the most respected acting artists in the industry of film and television and Zane Carey is one of the most in-demand musicians in the business, performing for famous rock rock stars and on Broadway. They don't need the work: they do this for fun. So the fans don't get to see them every day of the week - their day jobs keep them busy enough; so they must really love doing this, and it certainly looks like they do. Both artists are thoroughly at home on the stage, comfortable with their craft, and happy to commune with their audience, which they had ample time for when technical difficulties delayed their start on Saturday night by about ten minutes, which, in stage time, is an eternity. No worries, no issues, no problem - Carney and Wood hung out at their mics, talking to the crowd, cracking wise, and maybe dropping a little jovial profanity along the way, to let the people know this was a very casual, very laid back, very easy going night. And that's what it was... with some really exceptional music layered in, to sweeten the air of one of the last nights of summer.

Performing everything from Bobby Darin to The Magnetic Fields, from The Mamas and The Papas to Crowded House, the duo played a luscious set of songs that had members of the audience sighing, cheering, and clapping their hands raw, as Zane displayed lightning-fast rock and roll artistry on his strings (to say nothing of his work with a Looper), and Evan took a totally chill approach to every move she made, allowing the mystical sounds of her voice to rise into the smoke-filled air like a siren rising from the sea. The degree of musical artistry from each of the two band members is already impressive, so, when they are melded into one sound, it becomes doubly rewarding, so much so that this cheat sheet snob was willing to forgive Evan for leaning so very heavily on her lyric binder, particularly after hearing that they now have five hundred songs in their repertoire, so that they can make each and every concert a uniquely individual set. If that weren't so very noteworthy, if they weren't so very pretty, if they weren't so very proficient, it would be easy to go on for a few sentences about that distracting music stand, the choir binder, and the page-turning. But, on this rare occasion, this cheat sheet hater is willing to give Evan + Zane a free pass for the choir binder- if only they will promise bring their unique sound and intimate act back to New York City, and very soon, because they are special, they are fun, and the new vision (and sound) that they bring to old favorites is most welcome on the music scene, and so are they. In fact, during their program on September fourth, Evan did remark that there are plans for future concerts in New York City, and that promise is documented in THIS YouTube video of the performance, so all the fans can hold them to that promise, set a Google alert, and prepare for the next time these two pass through Manhattan with another night of sweet sounds, casual glamour, and storytelling artistry. They are, most definitely, worth catching.

Evan + Zane's album DREAM is newly released on the Big Orange Couch label and is available on Spotify HERE and Amazon Music HERE.

The Evan + Zane website (where you can buy cool concert posters and keep up with their appearances) is HERE.

Find great shows to see on the Chelsea Table + Stage website HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

Visit the Stephen Mosher website HERE.