Nellie McKay Tickets

About Nellie McKay

In 2000, McKay enrolled with the Manhattan School of Music but dropped out after two years as she was totally unsatisfied there. She associated herself with Manhattan clubs and Greenwich Village's gay bars and started performing as a stand up comedian there. She also associated herself with New York's anti-folk scene for a brief time and in 2002-2003 played with Jason Trachtenburg at the Sidewalk cafe.

McKay opened, on New York's Lower East Side, for Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players at Tonic. After getting great reviews, she was contacted from various record labels and eventually signed with Columbia/Sony. In 2003 McKay started producing her first record. She never struck with a single genre but showcased jazz, rap, disco and funk in her music. Her eclectic style, sharp lyrics and political twinge distinguished her as an original.

Her first CD, 'Get Away from Me' which was critically acclaimed, was released in February 2004 by Columbia/Sony Records. The album is an expression of dissatisfaction with modern jazz. Her first release included a double album, bottles of wine, her mock photo threatening Emerick with a gun and a PowerPoint slideshow. She had to pay $25,000 from her own pocket to underwrite production costs of 5 additional tracks. Her debut album was featured on several 'Best of 2004' lists. In 2004, she was the finalist in the Shortlist Music Prize.

McKay's duets with k.d. lang and Cyndi Lauper, her co-star in 'Threepenny Opera', feature in 'Pretty Little Head'. Originally the album was supposed to be released on October 18, 2005. The date was delayed to January 3, 2006, but on December 19, 2005, McKay announced that after a dispute with Columbia/Sony, over the length of the album, she has left the company. She wanted a 23 track, full 65 minute version to be released, whereas Columbia was willing to release only 16 track, 48 minutes version of the album. At a concert on November 29, 2005, in West Hollywood at Troubadour, McKay expressed her concern regarding the release of her album and her dispute with Columbia/Sony. After much controversy over the intended release of the album, HMV Canada promoted the album with issue date of February 7, though no release occurred.

Ultimately, after straightening out the odds of legalities between different labels, Pretty Little Head was released on October 31 in US on Hungry Mouse, McKay's own label. SpinART Records marketed the album. This album also contained two discs like its predecessor, a 44 page color booklet and originally planned 23 tracks. In other countries, the album's release was delayed until November 21, 2006.

On February 1, 2007, McKay performed Four Scored, reworked songs at Brooklyn Academy of Music with Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, Joan Osborne, Laurie Anderson, and Suzanne Vega. With Roundabout Theatre Company, McKay made her Broadway debut in 2006, as Polly Peachum of The Threepenny Opera. She starred with Cyndi Lauper and Alan Cummimg. She was given a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance.

2004 : Get Away From Me

2004 : Get Away From Me - Clean

2004 : Get Away From Me -Dual Disc

2006 : Pretty Little Head