New Year’s Eve with Nellie McKay

Ars Nova presents New Year’s Eve with Nellie McKay, an evening of music and a special champagne toast. McKay was recently announced as a female lead in the upcoming Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera. Originally from London, this 21-year-old got her big break came in February of 2003 when she opened for the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players at Tonic. Jay Ruttenberg of Time Out New York attended the show and wrote a prominent feature on her. Shortly afterwards, several record labels contacted her and started a bidding war. She eventually signed with Columbia/Sony and started producing her first record in the late summer of 2003. Her music combines different genres from jazz to rap to disco to funk.

Her eclectic style and sharp, subtle lyrics distinguish her as an original voice. Her critically acclaimed first CD, “Get Away From Me,” was produced by Beatles sound engineer Geofff Emerick and released by Columbia/Sony Records in February 2004. McKay is said to be the first woman to release a double album as her first release. McKay was one of the major breakout artists from the 2004 SXSW Festival and was a finalist in the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize. “Get Away From Me” was on several “Best of 2004” lists. McKay’s sophomore album, “Pretty Little Head,” is set to be released in January 2006.