Live: Cabinet of Wonders

Attending the Cabinet of Wonders is one of the smartest things you can do in New York City and definitely one of my favorites. Created by Wesley Stace (aka John Wesley Harding), the Cabinet features his friends in music, literature, and comedy. And believe me, he has pretty amazing friends. Located at the beautiful City Winery, these shows are my one opportunity to feel like a classy grownup.

This weekend’s sold out Cabinet was pretty spectacular, featuring music from John Wesley Harding, Spinto Band, Punch Brothers, Edie Brickell, and Josh Ritter. Along with the musical guests, were readings from Haley Tanner and Tom Perrotta, and advice and comedy from Sarah Vowell and Eugene Mirman.

The night opened with John Wesley Harding playing songs from his latest venture The Sound of His Own Voice. He opened with “Sing Your Own Song,” the inspiring song with the advice that sometimes we just need to open our mouths and sing. He followed with “Starbucks,” and then brought out Megan Reilly, a guest at a future Cabinet, to perform “Old Man and the Bird,” a song on her upcoming album.

Next up in the evening was Haley Tanner, who is probably one of my favorite people. She wrote the best book that I read in 2011, Vaclav & Lena, and is just generally inspiring, upbeat, and wonderful. Let’s be honest, author readings can be a bit dull, but Haley is a rock star at it.

A new addition to the Cabinet was a question and answer session featuring Eugene Mirman and Sarah Vowell. Hilarious. They offered advice and commentary on topics as varied as how to deal with the strangers that you meet, the life of Harry Truman, how many people died making your cell phone.

The Punch Brothers were phenomenal, but then again, anytime a mandolin is on a stage, I’m sold. Their instrumental performance got some of the fiercest applause of the evening.

Closing out the musical performances was Josh Ritter. After playing a solo “Galahad,” he was joined onstage by the Punch Brothers, for a beautiful performance of “Another New World” and “Folk Bloodbath.”

The finale of the evening is definitely my favorite Cabinet tradition. They close the show with “Religious Experience” by Kevin Ayers. This song, with just a few lines of lyrics, is truly a celebration, with all of the artists coming together to play and sing.

Future Cabinets will be held on March 10th, April 28th, and May 19th. Tickets are available (http://www.citywinery.com/events) for all three shows. The lineups haven’t been announced yet, but there is no way that you could be disappointed.