The Audio Perv

By Michael Zonenashvili

As a couple of twenty-one year olds going into the elevator to the Pool Deck of the Empire Hotel, my friend and I felt a little out of place. We could have been going up there to see Kanye West and it would still be doubtful that we weren’t just two kids going upstairs to try to sneak into a cool part of a cool hotel. Fortunately, the small group of people upstairs at the Empire Hotel to see Marc Broussard do a small performance were a welcoming bunch, including Marc himself.

While soaking in the vibes and continuing the “What are we doing here?” talk, we were approached by people from Atlantic Records and even Marc’s manager, who we carried great conversations with, creating the environment I’d wish some shows would have. Sure this wasn’t a venue “show,” but it made me think, what would life without house music playing before an act be like? Maybe we’d be able to talk to that cute person in the venue without screaming. Either way, we were all comfortable and waiting for Marc to play some songs.

Setting up next to the pool with no amplification or mic, just an acoustic guitar, Marc asked, “Could we turn these jets off?” Referring to the pool. This, to me, was a sure sign that this wasn’t just some throw away appearance for him, and that he was intent on his sound being as clear as possible, and not just trying to get it over with. After a bit of acoustic fiddling, our small group headed downstairs to be treated to a trio of songs by Marc, one being an audience request, to destroy any weird “10 people are watching me and 8 are cameramen” sentiments. His bluesy croon echoed nicely off a rooftop, and his soulful guitar playing translated to the acoustic, and it was a nice treat to see this performance, a bit of music to punctuate some conversation.

Marc’s manager made a point to talk to my friend and I, sharing in his love for the music he works with and New York. When asked if he liked his job, he was enthusiastic, and left us with an ultimatum to just do something we love. With that said, barring anything else, I was able to tell that Marc had fixated himself in a nice spot in the music world, with like minded people and good tunes.