Karen O at The McKittrick Hotel (September 9, 2014)

Last night the prolific Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O played a super intimate show at The McKittrick Hotel’s Manderley Bar. The show was the first in a three night run at the venue, with the fourth night coming at Le Poisson Rogue. The performances are celebrating the release of her debut album, Crush Songs, which came out this week. The record was actually recorded seven years ago after a bad breakup, but was never released. But here we are in 2014, and O has finally decided to share the album with the world via Julian Casablancas’ label, Cult Records.

The Manderlay Bar is a small room with a somewhat creepy atmosphere, thanks to the sinister glow of the red lights embedded in the fog that engulfed the entire area. The show didn’t kick off until midnight, which actually helped get the crowd into the sleepy atmosphere of Crush Songs. The instant that O took the stage (dressed in a lovely blue dress), the room was completely hers.

Joining her on stage was Moses Sumney (who also joined her during her surprise Sofar Sounds show last week) and Holly Miranda, who provided a fully capable team to bring O’s songs to total fruition. Even with the trio on stage, the night’s material was played in a private, hushed tone, the sort of show that is so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. She would often sing directly to you, staring into your eyes, making it every bit as personal as you could ask for.

A highlight of the night was the performance of “Hideaway,” her contribution to the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack, which saw YYY’s bandmate Nick Zinner show up to contribute some acoustic guitar. She also let Sumney take the reigns for one of his own songs, “San Fran,” which captivated the entire room with an amazing vocal performance. Then there was the always sublime “The Moon Song,” the only appropriate closing choice that sent everyone home happy.

O delivered an extremely intimate performance, making it a truly special night; the sort of show that you will remember fondly many years from now. When will you get to see someone like Karen O play at a stylish bar with a couple hundred people again?

Setlist: