| Bistro Bits |
| Written by John Hoglund |
|
BISTRO BITS For the Boys Bistro-winner and MAC nominee for Outstanding Pop/R&B Vocalist, Patrick DeGennaro recently performed a series of shows at Eighty Eight’s that proved to be his finest to date, He is a first-rate pop vocalist who’s paid his dues, moved way up the ladder, and seems ready for bigger venues. DeGennaro eschews the usual cabaret fare of show tunes, cutesy ditties, and slit-your-wrist ballads.
Rather, the pop tenor concentrates an some powerfully delivered music with a strong rock edge, such as Lindy Robbins’ ”Why’d You Have to Do It So Good and the driving rock stylings of ”Run to You He carries it all off with assurance, a sense of individuality, and humor, without being self-indulgent.
I’ll be honest In the past, always a strong vocalist, he has not exuded the ease and confidence in delivery he now radiates in spades, With a penchant for contemporary songs by New York-based composers, he shows passion, yearning, and verve that create an atmosphere that is contagious, In a duet with Lina Koutrakos on ”Something Stupid,” DeGennaro proves he can glide effortlessly through comic riffs. This ’60s relic, once sung by Frank and Nancy Sinatra, shows off a wacky edge that scored as one of the show’s high spots.
The risibles continued with the Lindy Robbins-Ann Hampton Callaway bluesy ode to tragic lave ”Never Really Mine to Lose,” DeGennaro’s best moment came with the Beatles’ ”Paperback Writer,” giving the set a gentle, optimistic button. Accompanied by his five-piece band, deftly led by Keith Thompson, DeGennaro made the hour fly and got a lot of cheers from the crowd His patter was focused and fun, and was kept to a minimum (hint, hint), making this one of the better sets by a male singer in cabaret in a long time. With proper management and marketing, he’ll get the recognition he deserves after years of hard work. |
