Sylvia Black haunts the East Village's Nublu with goth funk ahead of Halloween | amNewYork

"Singer/songwriter/musician Sylvia Black may have moved away from NYC a while ago, but she left at least part of her heart in the East Village specifically at Nublu, where she played a seasonably spooky set last week. With a fine band that included Ari Bortnik (guitar), Yusuke Yamamoto (vibes), Jacquelene Acevedo (percussion) and Kevin Shea (drums), Black filled out two sets with a mix of originals and covers that was perfect for the days leading up to Halloween."

"Mixing perfectly chosen covers such as Touch the Leather and I Put a Spell on You (the latter recently featured on the hit show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) with originals, Black's gothic funk went down well with an audience of longtime fans and new converts."

"Black's musical journey began in the fourth grade in Texas, when she discovered her own taste in music. With the help of her babysitter (whose boyfriend was in The Romantics), she was introduced to bands like Missing Persons and her stepdad, whose huge record collection led to her getting into Frank Zappa and a lot of rock stuff. She delved into MTV back when the network focused on music videos and developed a crush on Van Halen's David Lee Roth at the age of eight."

"I was singing in a hotel, two shows a night, every night, one day off a month! On our day off, we'd go to Tokyo. I used to jog through the Green Hills listening to Devo's Greatest Misses and Rush, and that was it."

Sylvia Black performed a seasonally spooky two-set show at Nublu in the East Village with Ari Bortnik (guitar), Yusuke Yamamoto (vibes), Jacquelene Acevedo (percussion) and Kevin Shea (drums). The set combined originals and covers such as "Touch the Leather" and "I Put a Spell on You," the latter recently featured on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Her gothic-funk style drew longtime fans and new converts. Musical interests began in fourth grade in Texas through a babysitter and a stepdad's large record collection that introduced Missing Persons, Frank Zappa and rock influences. MTV, Devo and a childhood crush on David Lee Roth shaped early tastes. A role in Hair led to a 17-year-old job singing two nightly shows at a Japanese resort, with one day off per month.

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