Langhorne Slim at City Winery

When Sean Scolnick moved to New York City in hopes of a music career, he took on the name of the town in which he was raised, Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Langhorne Slim, who as a child spent a lot of time in his father's bar in New Jersey, began performing the local bar circuit at the Sidewalk Café. The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players saw him perform a Monday night open mic at Sidewalk and invited him on a national tour. Tina Trachtenberg then introduced his to the avant garde performance art scene at the Bowery Poetry Club. By 2009, Langhorne Slim had  recordings and began showcasing at folk and roots festivals. Langhorne Slim released his sixth album, The Spirit Moves, on August 7, 2015.

Although he often plays with his band, Langhorne Slim & the Law, the show tonight at City Winery was a solo acoustic performance. Rather than rocking, this laid-back set highlighted his sensitive lyrics and his gospel-like vocals on songs like "I Love You But Goodbye," along with some mean strumming on folk-based songs like "New Orleans" and "Changes," which he dedicated to lawmakers in North Carolina. Throughout the set, Slim harkened back to heritage sounds by blending soulful singing with folk guitar somewhere between a church revival and Cat Stevens. Langhorne Slim proved to be an artist that could be enjoyed equally with or without a band.

Visit Langhorne Slim at www.langhorneslim.com.