If you recognize her face but can’t place her name, it might be because you recognize her from Broadway’s Once but then you realize her character isn’t given a name more than the simple pronoun of ‘Girl’. Her name is Cristin Milioti and her turn in the girl role in Once has actually come to an end. As she steps out of the massive prints the songs of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (The Swell Season) created, Milioti was invited to perform at Lincoln Center in the intimate Kaplan Penthouse.
Her set consisted of mostly covers, some rocking, some mellow and a couple of her own songs, that unfortunately seemed to get lost in the midst of the high profile numbers. Leading up to the show, butterflies were in Milioti’s stomach as she feared no one would be in attendance. But her sweetness and gratitude through as she shared her inspirations and her challenges with the audience, which included her parents, members of her family and her boyfriend as well. Her song selections varied across genres but mostly appealed to this writer, with an indie/rock bent. Bon Iver and Fiona Apple songs started the night. Later, in a surprise choice, the plucky “Atoms for Peace” by Thom Yorke was included with her bandmate David Abeles (another Onceer) plucking the piano strings from the interior. The finale was a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” that Milioti dedicated to her father who had played this song with her at the piano often when she was growing up. It was Milioti’s charm that held the evening together and, in the end, the audience applauded her for opening up her personal songbook to them.
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Setlist:
Skinny Love (Bon Iver)
Werewolf (Fiona Apple)
Call Your Girlfriend (Robyn)
Little Things
Hyper-Ballad/Halo (Bjork/Beyonce mash)
Roll Away Your Stone (Mumford & Sons)
Just Breathe (Pearl Jam)
Atoms for Peace (Thom Yorke)
Leave (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova)
Not One Bit Ashamed (King Creosote)
Not Ready (Cristin Milioti)
God’s Gonna Cut You Down (Traditional/Cash)
I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan)
Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)