Talented and charismatic singer/songwriter Jay Brannan comes to the Middle East Oct. 18

By Jessie Kuenzel
Staff Writer

Coming to the upstairs at the Middle East Club in Cambridge on Friday, Oct. 18 is one of New York City’s most personable and talented singer/songwriters, Jay Brannan.
Self described as a “neurotic and inspiring mess,” Brannan’s music career has exploded in the last few years as he has gained a massive and loyal following via the Internet.
Brannan’s song “Soda Shop” was featured in the popular movie “Shortbus” and became the most downloaded track when its album was released. In an effort to dissuade his late-night boredom, Brannan posted an unedited video of himself playing “Soda Shop” and his internet fame grew from there.
His warm and genuine personality comes through in his many YouTube videos, and shines through in his music as well. His lyrics are amazingly poignant and will resonate with any audience.
Louis Peitzman of the San Francisco Chronicle describes his music as, “the kind of indie folk that makes you feel warm and fuzzy while tearing out your insides,” and Alex Baldinger of The Washington Post says, “not for the faint of heart, but perfect for the brokenhearted.”
Brannan’s live shows are definitely unconventional, but enjoyable nonetheless. He often spends the majority of his time sitting on a stool with his acoustic guitar in his lap, talking to the audience, making jokes, and singing. A Jay Brannan show feels more like a visit to a close friend’s house than a concert; his charisma and spunk illuminate him on stage, but his raw honesty and openness is really what sets him apart from other performers. Brannan opens himself up completely to audiences in both his lyrics and his stories.
Many of his songs draw directly from his personal experience with love and heartbreak. Layered with unique and folksy melodies, his songs are a treat for both the ears and the mind. It was hard to pick just one excerpt of his lyrics for this article, but the chorus from his song “Unstable Boy” is a great example of his gift with words: “I should be tending to the horses who intend to cart my joy/From now into forever, I’m just a lowly unstable boy/ I’m a failure on a journey, but my strength is gathering/ And it’s only fair that I make it there, yeah, I’m on my way to mattering.”
Brannan, who has performed in Boston before, is almost as excited to be back in the city as his fans are to have him. On the event page on Facebook he says “Boston!!! I had so much fun last time, I decided I can’t be without you,” and when it comes to describing the set for the show, Brannan says it best himself: “I will be performing some new songs, some old songs, some covers. There will be a little laughing, mostly crying…love me, hate me, be there.”
Tickets are $15 and are available for online purchase now at ticketweb.com. More information about the show can be found on his website, jaybrannan.com. One quick preview of his music on YouTube will definitely have you itching for more. Check him out, and then get your wallet ready because trust me, you’re definitely going to want to see him live.