\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHarold Baez for Rolling Stone<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tAfter a short break, St. Vincent returned to the stage with pianist Rachel Eckroth for an emotional and exciting set of songs perfectly rearranged for the cabaret setting (think Masseducation<\/a>, <\/em>not Masseduction<\/a><\/em>.) After a moving and sparse rendition of \u201cHang on Me,\u201d she kicked things up with \u201cLos Ageless,\u201d offering up a \u201cHow you doing?\u201d to the bar after the lyric \u201cThe Los Ageless hang out by the bar,\u201d and flexing her voice into harder-rocking tones for the \u201cI tried to write you a love song\u201d outro. She flexed her jazz guitar skills on \u201cViolent Times\u201d and conjured up an eerie drone for the segue into \u201cSlow Disco\u201d that sounded like a distant echo of Lou Reed\u2019s Metal Machine Music <\/em>(but was really just Clark holding an eBow to the strings of her custom Music Man). That song proved cathartic for some audience members who hooted and hollered as soon as she started the fan favorite.<\/p>\n \n\tThen she shifted gears, telling the audience, \u201cThis song is called \u2018Holiday Party.’\u201d For as much as Clark is accustomed to large venues, she still knows how to work a small room, and she spent the song playing with audience members\u2019 glasses and generally getting in people\u2019s faces to elevate the loungy feel of the night (earlier, while discussing \u201cHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas\u201d during the Q&A, she affected a perfect Judy Garland impression, so she knew what she was doing). And with the crowd clapping and snapping along, she closed the evening with \u201cNew York,\u201d a love letter to the city she was singing in. And, in a throwback to her orchestral gig earlier this year, she classically conducted the final notes of the song.<\/p>\n \n\tAfter Clark left the stage, the crowd gathered around the bar and enjoyed more Chris Martinis while embracing the most wonderful time of the year. And all was well in Lower East Whoville.<\/p>\n