Jarrod Gorbel of The Honorary Title @ The Living Room. NYC.

Jarrod Gorbel, lead singer of The Honorary Title, played another solo show in New York City last night. Since Gorbel resides in Williamsburg [a hip and artsy part of Brooklyn] he graces us with his presence often, and yes, I am aware of the intense amount of luck I have for living here. It was my good friend's birthday, so we went to the show to celebrate. We arrived at The Living Room, a relatively small and cozy venue on Ludlow, where an enormous line was waiting. We still managed to get seats, though and when I turned to put my coat on my chair, I noticed that Gorbel was seated next to me, talking to a buddy. When they were finished, I asked if he'd play "Snow Day" for my friend's birthday. He very kindly promised he would.

Shortly after our conversation, Gorbel took the stage and began with a short, welcoming speech. One of the first songs he played was "Far More" which seems to be a crowd favorite, but not one I personally love due to it's redundancy and lack of originality. "Stay Away" really got my attention this time. Gorbel put his whole heart and soul into it and his voice was enough to entrance the entire room. "Frame by Frame" sent us all into a simultaneous foot tapping session. He even sang us a Christmas song he just finished writing, which is funny in itself, as he is Jewish. "I always wanted to celebrate Christmas with my friends," he explained. In between songs Gorbel told us bizarre stories in different voices, getting most people to laugh hysterically. He wasn't as talkative as I remember from the last time, but it was still enough to pull us in.

The greatest part of the night: Toward the end of the set, Gorbel's buddy, the one he was speaking with earlier in the night, found out that it was my friend's birthday and shouted, "Play 'Snow Day' for Meimi's birthday!" Gorbel hung his head and apologized for nearly forgetting, then started singing about something vulgar [which I won't repeat incase I have any young readers], then sang, "It's your birthday, happy birthday", then went into "Snow Day" which was phenomenal as usual. Be sure to check out the video of this song at the top of the page.

Overall, Jarrod Gorbel's show was so enchanting, I felt as if he had put a spell on us all. It's difficult to focus your attention anywhere other than what's coming from that stage. Your ears will hear nothing else and you won't be able to take your eyes off of him.

Check Jarrod Gorbel out with his band, The Honorary Title at http://www.myspace.com/thehonorarytitle