John Wesley Harding Brings Cabinet Of Wonders To NYC

John Wesley Harding at the Independent in 2009, from the HAD Archive.

You may recall how much we enjoyed John Wesley Harding's "Cabinet Of Wonders" when we caught it in San Francisco a couple of years back. Half concert, half variety show, the event brings together a ramshackle bunch of creative folk and allows them to entertain in a way that is at once touching, delightful, and a complete riot. So, given that, we were pretty damn excited for some very good news that came our way recently: Harding has reassembled his "Cabinet", and they'll be a set of 3 shows this fall at the City Winery in New York.

By its very nature, the Cabinet of Wonders is not a static beast, so it's not at all surprising that these three shows will see different lineups from the past, as well as from each other. What's truly impressive is that Harding has roped in some serious talent from the music side of things, and it's got us seriously excited.

To start with, noted Bowie and T-Rex producer Tony Visconti will appear at the first date. As if that weren't enough, he will be joined by Eleanor Friedberger (fresh on the heels of her solo release) and one half of the MGMT boys. The second date will feature Hamilton Leithauser of the Walkmen, while the final show will feature alt-country guru Howie Gelb. In short, not too shabby.

On top of all that, the first two shows promise to feature special guests, while the third will see the return of Eugene Mirman to the lineup. If you've seen the Cabinet before, it goes without saying that these are fun, entertaining nights of a truly diverse bent. If it's your first time, take our word for it: these shows will be well worth your time and money. Check the full lineups below!

September 23 at City Winery, New York, NY
- John Wesley Harding & the English U.K.
- Todd Barry
- Eleanor Friedberger
- Andrew VanWyngarden (MGMT)
- Tony Visconti
- Dan Zanes
- Jami Attenberg
- plus a special surprise guest!

October 28 at City Winery, New York, NY
- John Wesley Harding & the English U.K.
- Hamilton Leithauser (The Walkmen)
- Eugene Mirman
- John Hodgman
- Emma Straub
- Paul Harding
- plus special surprise guests!

November 18 at City Winery, New York, NY
- John Wesley Harding & the King Charles Trio
- Howe Gelb
- Eugene Mirman
- Audrey Niffenegger
- Myla Goldberg

Wes And Eugene's Cabinet Of Wonders Came To The Independent - Pictures, Review

On Sunday night, Wes And Eugene's Cabinet of Wonders made a San Francisco stop at the Independent, and without a doubt, it was everything that was promised and more. Which is to say, it was a little of everything, and then some. It was a loose, enjoyable, but ultimately artistically sound, show that left you walking away with a real sense of joy in the act of performance. But more than that, it was truly a variety show, and gave us such a wide array of input, that we were left unquestionably wanting more. So what, then, was that content? Or, put differently, what did the Cabinet Of Wonders hold?

For starters: John Wesley Harding and Eugene Mirman. Harding turned up a number of separate times through the night, playing as an acoustic duo, with a full band, and backing other performers. As you might imagine, his tunes were incredibly solid, and his singer-songwriter cred served him incredibly well in the variety-show format. While Harding delivered across the board, we do have to say that the highlight for us was the full band set at the end of the show. It was fantastic to see Harding really rock out, and be able to engage in the full arrangements from the record.

For his part, Mirman unquestionably delivered with his own brand of stand up, and really won over the crowd. His reflections on class reunions, trips to israel, and the crowds at recent shows were all incredibly witty and insightful, not to mention downright hilarious. However, even more compelling was how Mirman acted a foil to the rest of the evening's more serious content. Having a solid dose of comedy interjected amongst some of the more earnest numbers served to actually give the rest of the program more weight and poignance.

Perhaps the highlight of the two's time on stage was a collaboration where they sang a duet (complete with gag backdrop) of Simon and Garfunkle's "Mrs. Robinson". Complete with lyrics sheet and harmonies, Harding and Mirman belted out a raucous version of the tune, which culminated in Mirman playing a behind-the-back solo (on a stylophone?). Needless to say, pure awesomeness.

Mirman and Harding, however, were certainly not the only acts on stage that night. Other highlights included and eerie reading by Stephen Elliot, an accordion version of "When Doves Cry" by Daniel Handler, and some great tunes from Victor Krummenacher and Chris Von Sneidern (whose band also served to back Harding). In short, the show was very much like attending a talent show put on by your friends, if you happened to have immensely talented friends who could put together some serious entertainment at the drop of a hat. And that, dear reader, is the definition of fun.

Wes and Eugene's Cabinet Of Wonders continues this weekend, starting tonight, with dates in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Madison.

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

John Wesley Harding: New Album, Variety Tour - Independent On Sunday

Here at HAD we were first exposed to John Wesley Harding on the soundtrack to High Fidelity. "I'm Wrong About Everything" is a self-effacing tune that was perfect for the film's insecure protagonist. That was around 2000, and we didn't catch up with JWH again until the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in 2003. There Harding delivered a killer acoustic set that was just about as much of a classic singer-songwriter/troubadour effort as one could hope to muster. Over the past twenty years, Harding has shown himself to consistently fill those shoes. With witty lyrics, solid melodies, and a penchant for straightforward songwriting, Harding consistently represents for a breed of songsmith that is equal parts storyteller and songwriter.

Thankfully, none of that has changed on Harding's most recent release, Who was Changed And Who Was Dead. On the record (Harding's first in five years), Harding is joined by the notorious Minus 5, and delivers a set of thirteen songs that explore the ins and outs of his life since the last record. This includes the birth of a son, a shot at (and subsequent withdrawl from) "the bigtime", and of course Harding's requisite commentary on relationships. All in all, the work is a dead-solid effort, and reenforces the region that Harding has established for himself between the worlds of folk and rock, with all his various personas in attendance.

If this photo is any indication of how
awesome Wes and Eugene's Cabinet Of Wonders is,
then do you really need any other reason?

To promote the record, Harding has taken an interesting direction. Along with comic Eugene Mirman, Harding has developed something of a traveling variety show, dubbed "Wes & Eugene's Cabinet Of Wonders". The show has been traveling the US, and is by all accounts a legitimate variety-style presentation. Each night features a host of different "acts", sometimes musicians, sometimes authors, along with Harding and Mirman presenting an off-the-cuff set of skits, songs, and general merriment. In short, if you're one that enjoys your words as much as you enjoy your songs, and has a general penchant for enjoying a good stage show, then this gig is just your bag.

In touring the US, we're psyched to see that Harding and Mirman decided to stop by San Francisco. This coming Sunday, April 5th, "Wes and Eugene's Cabinet of Wonders" will stop by the Independent. While there's no telling exactly will get delivered, we're guessing it'll be a pretty damn good time. And you really don't want to deny yourself a good time, now do you? We didn't think so.

Tickets are on-sale now.