I just discovered Low Cut Connie last September, when I saw them play the Sea Hear Now music festival in Asbury Park, NJ. I was so impressed, that I went to see their headlining show at Union Transfer in Philadelphia in December. You can read about that show here.
During that show, I found out that Adam Weiner was going to be playing some solo acoustic shows at City Winery this winter. We couldn’t make the first one in January because we were in Jamaica, but our calendar was open for the February date!
I mean, I have been looking for an excuse to see a show at City Winery since it opened last year. And, I loved Low Cut Connie when I saw them. So why not???
How was Adam Weiner in a solo show? Did it have the same crazy energy that a Low Cut Connie show has? Keep reading to find out!
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THE VENUE
The City Winery brand was created by Michael Dorf. There are several of them throughout the country including New York City, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Boston, and Washington, D.C. The latest addition to the portfolio is the Philadelphia location.
City Winery Philadelphia opened in September of 2019 and is located in the “fashion district”. There are basically three areas to City Winery Philadelphia. One area is a dining room/bar area, where guests can simply come for dinner or a nice glass of wine. There is the main music venue, which allows you to eat and drink from the full menu before and during the performance. Finally, there is the loft, which is a more intimate music venue that also features the full menu.
I was able to sneak a quick peek in the main venue downstairs as that show was wrapping up. This was taken from all the way in the back by the bar. Great views everywhere!
The Adam Weiner show took place in the loft. The entrance to the loft is located in the back and on the left of the main dining room/bar area. If you are going to a show in the larger main venue, you have to go down the stairs. That’s also where the box office is located.
We got there before doors opened, so we were able to catch Adam Weiner doing his sound check before the show.
Tip #1: Doors typically open 2 hours before the show and sometimes seating is first come first served. So, if you want a great seat for the show, get there early and have dinner before the show inside the venue.
We had dinner before the show. I ordered the seafood pasta. I would say in general, the food was good (not great) and a little pricey.
Tip #2: Be sure to check your tickets/reservations for each show. Some shows have reserved seating. Other shows are first come first served.
Tip #3: The service fees on tickets for a City Winery show are actually not bad compared to a lot of other venues. However, if you want to save the fees, buy your tickets at the box office. You do have to pay cash and note that “day of” tickets are typically more expensive than buying tickets in advance.
Tip #4: If you are seeing a show at the Loft or just eating in the main dining room, there are bathrooms on that level near the front entrance. However, they are all singles so there can be a wait. If you want to skip the line, go downstairs where there are more bathrooms with multiple stalls.
THE SHOW
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Adam Weiner started out his professional music career as a solo artist. Although originally from the Philadelphia area, Weiner started his career while living in NYC. It was there that he tried to earn a living playing piano anywhere he could – from karaoke bars and restaurants to ballet classes.
Adam Weiner got his start playing piano in bars in NYC. This was a chance to see him go back to those solo roots.
After playing mostly in NYC, Weiner hit the road throughout North America and Europe. Again, he often found himself playing to tough crowds in dive bars and drag bars.
Around 2010, Weiner got together with Dan Finnemore and Neil Duncan and formed Low Cut Connie. If you want to learn more about Low Cut Connie, check out my blog post on them from their Philly show in December. The link is at the top of this article.
While Adam is taking a short break from Low Cut Connie, he’s out doing some solo acoustic shows at small venues. That includes a mini “residency” at City Winery in Philadelphia. He played a show there in January, the show I attended in February, and there is one more scheduled in March.
THE SHOW
Adam Weiner came out on stage just a couple of minutes after 8 p.m. The room was packed. There looked to be only a few empty seats. The home town crowd clearly came out to support Weiner. In fact, we were one of the first people inside when the doors opened, and the hostess told us we could sit anywhere but a couple of tables that were reserved for his family.
The Loft at City Winery is a great little room, and Weiner packed it on a Thursday night!
Weiner played a good mix of songs during his set. There were several Low Cut Connie songs, including “Dirty Water”, where Weiner had the crowd singing along.
Other Low Cut Connie favorites that he played during the show were “Rio” and “Shake It Little Tina”. Weiner also played a few new songs including “Look What They Did”, which is about Atlantic City.
In addition to the Low Cut Connie songs, Weiner played several covers. I’m guessing Weiner is a big Prince fan, as he covered “Cream” and “Controversy”. Weiner also mentioned that he is a child of the ’80s and loved that music. He then did a cover of “Here Comes The Rain” by Eurythmics.
Adam spoke about how one of his favorite artists is Nina Simone, before performing “Wild Is The Wind”. Weiner also got the crowd to sing along to Roy Orbison’s “You Got It”.
While Weiner spent most of his time on the piano, he also did a few songs towards the end of his set on the guitar. It was nice to hear some of the songs a bit differently, as I’m typically used to seeing Weiner on the piano at a Low Cut Connie show.
Weiner picked up the guitar for a few songs on his set, which was nice to see.
So if you are a Low Cut Connie fan, how did a solo Adam Weiner show compare? Obviously, it’s impossible to re-create the same energy and sound with a solo show. However, Weiner did a great job keeping me entertained for 90 minutes. Weiner was not quite as flashy as he is during a solo show. While there were a few acrobatics on the piano, it wasn’t anything compared to a Low Cut Connie show.
While there were a few antics while playing the piano, it was nothing like what happens during a Low Cut Connie show!
If you are a Low Cut Connie fan, seeing Weiner solo gets you a couple of things. First, it’s a chance to see some of their songs stripped down, which is what many of them were first intended for when written. Second, you get to see how talented Weiner really is – both vocally and on the piano and guitar. Third, you get a chance to really see Weiner’s personality, which is sometimes hard in the setting of a full band and bigger show. Weiner is really a funny guy, and I enjoyed his stories and anecdotes.
Adam Weiner put on a great solo show. Go see him on March 26th if you get the chance!
You have one more shot to see Adam Weiner perform solo at City Winery in Philadelphia on March 26th. After that, Low Cut Connie gets back together with a couple of shows already announced on their schedule. You can find more information on all of the future tour dates here.
Have you seen Low Cut Connie before? How about Adam Weiner solo? If so, what did you think? Let us know! Comment below or e-mail me at tips2livebywriter@gmail.com.
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