Poundcake will close out the fourth annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival behind City Winery on August 28 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Behind City Winery
155 Varick St. between Vandam & Spring Sts.
Tuesday, August 28, free, 5:30
212-608-0555
www.citywinery.com
www.teddythompson.com
In May 2011 at City Winery, as Teddy Thompson fans were escorted to their reserved seats and ordered their food and drinks (including special bottles of Teddy Thompson wine), a surprisingly familiar face took the stage as part of the opening act. Announced as “Poundcake,” the three-piece band — consisting of guitar, stand-up bass, and drums — rambled through a good-time set of classic and obscure country and early rock covers, with the lead singer and the backup band making continuous tongue-in-cheek remarks about Teddy Thompson and how much the lead singer resembled the British-born, New York City-based son of Richard and Linda Thompson, who was touring behind his latest record, Bella, a deeply personal, poignant examination of a shattered relationship. In 2010, Teddy Thompson, along with his drummer, Ethan Eubanks, and bassist, Jeff Hill, started doing gigs as Poundcake, without officially admitting who their ersatz leader was. Poundcake plays engaging sets that feature such tunes as Patsy Cline’s “Why Can’t He Be You,” the Everly Brothers’ “Wake Up Little Susie,” Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right, Mama,” Chuck Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” and Buddy Holly’s “It’s So Easy” and “Every Day,” the latter, that May night, sung by Eubanks after several starts in which the drummer mangled the words and Thompson harassed him for it. The trio engages in funny, self-deprecating between-song banter, making for an extremely entertaining show. Poundcake will be closing out this summer’s fourth annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival, sponsored by City Winery, on Tuesday, August 28, with a free outdoor concert at 5:30.