Dave Kane once gave me a cd of Erin McKeown's, one of her more folksy albums. She can be found in the country section at Real Groovy, though as Wikipedia aptly points out, she incorporates the sounds of pop, swing and funk. Yet another fantastic venue: the Blender Theater at Gramercy certainly has a theatrical atmosphere. And there is a sense of antiquated intimacy in the wooden trestle chairs.
The opening band was Joshua James, an artist of the Bright Eyes variety: trembling and timid. However, his tunes were palatable, in I enjoyed him more than most of Conor Oberst's material. He mumbled where he was from, introduced as a place "you all have probably never heard of" - Lincoln, Nebraska. I almost laughed out loud. Has this guy never listened to Springsteen?
...From the town of Lincoln Nebraska, with a sawed-off 14 on my lap, to the bad lands of Wyoming, I killed everything in my path...
It was good though, he played a banjo.
Erin McKeown played, she wore a men's tuxedo, with cropped hair she was the spitting image of Laurie Anderson. She played a jazz guitar & had a horn section. I'd say she's the female version of Elvis Costello. 
I walked home satisfied. My last night in New York and I was weary enough for sleep. But still so much to do. The prospect of returning to the West Coast & the homeward journey that lay beyond were consolatory enough. Back at 101st & Broadway my Italian pals were out, so I packed and slept.
On Friday morning, my last in New York, Richard from Connecticut, Ahmed from Turkey, Lorenzo & Andrea from Italy & I from NZ sat together in nearby diner on Broadway, eating bacon & eggs, pancakes & coffee, collectively contemplating our futures. It was a poignant moment, sitting with these strangers, sharing a certain affectionate understanding that I think only exists in relationships of the transient; the traveller, the adventurer. An anticipation of the road ahead, & a wistful glance at the figures already beginning to retire into the distance of the past. Ah temporality!
Erin McKeown @ Gramercy
