It's been over a year since Lina Koutrakos performed in New York: May 11, 2011 at Joe's Pub. Before that, it was New York's Iridium in November 2010.
before a packed house at Joe's Pub, Friday the 13th(!). The set list included enough new material to make me stomp my feet and say, "New album, baby!" I laughed, I cried, I howled from the depths of my soul. In other words: real good shit.
Among all the artists I've seen over the past 15 years, Lina gets top billing as the one I have witnessed the most... more than Celine Dion, even more than Sheena Easton... from her residence in the mid-1990s at the Bottom Line to shows at Cutting Room, Fez, Iridium, Shine, Metropolitan Room and what remains her biggest—a sold-out crowd at B.B. King in 2005, where I had the pleasure of introducing her to the room.
I've also had the opportunity to review her singles and shows in Billboard, earning a "lifetime pass" to her gigs. That's sure better than all the Rice-A-Roni I could eat until I die, huh?
My beloved Lina Koutrakos returns to Iridium Jazz Club tonight in midtown Manhattan, encoring her May performance. Please read about our decade-plus history here.
My beloved friend and uber-talented singer Lina Koutrakos appeared on "The Today Show" this morning to discuss her decades-long struggle with weight. At one point, she topped 278 pounds; today, she is a gorgeous, sexy 139 pounds. This is incredibly inspiring... of course, I teared all up. The response to this link on Facebook has been absolutely astonishing; folks that don't know Lina are finding it through links that her pepes are posting (including me) and reacting with great awe and admiration. Indeed.Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
1 p.m. My destination: Ripley Grier Rehearsal Studios at 
Eighth Avenue and 36th Street, to view a reading of "Southern Rain," the new theatrical musical written by my beloved friend Lina Koutrakos and her longtime drummer and songwriting collaborator Dan Gross—based on 
her latest album of the same name (which I had the honor of scribing liner notes for).
3:15 p.m. After the show, I proceeded into midtown for my next glorious slice of life in the city...
3:30 p.m. With time to kill, I stopped by Bryant Park east of Times Square on Sixth Avenue and I sat. And observed. And soaked up the green. And set my mind at total ease.
I am particularly pleased with this pic below. The time of day was utterly ideal for capturing the reflection of a building on the other side of the park. Ten minutes later, this view had vanished. All about the moment.
4:30 p.m. Still have a half hour before the next event, and here I am right by the historic New York Public Library, which I had never ventured inside of. My god, what a glorious display of architecture. Oh, and books, too.
The place was packed... loved loved loved that.
Remember these? They're called dictionaries... on paper and everything.
5:00 p.m. Exit to Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street...
5:15 p.m. Pera Mediterranean Brasserie on Madison Avenue 
for a launch reception for this summer's second-annual Istanbulive concert in Central Park. Last year, Sertab Erener and Demir were headliners, along with our pal Emre. This year, the central theme honors the great producer/record label honcho Arif Mardin. My longtime pal Paul Miraldi met me for the event, where we chatted with Arif's son Joe.
6:45 p.m. Next stop: Back to Bryant Park to chill and catch up with Paulie, before navigating through a packed Times Square and sitting on the Duffy Steps, admiring the view.
Hey, it's Johnny Dep! Or at least Madame Tussaud's version.
8 p.m. The evening's other main event. Paulie invited me to see "39 Steps," the Tony-winning 
play that has moved off-Broadway. We sat through the first act, watching the highly stylized performance, forcing a chuckle every few minutes.... Fortunately, at intermission, we were both on the same page: "This is god-awful." And we took our exit. I worked back down to Times Square once more, admiring the lights at night, before heading home to Brooklyn. What a phenomenal day in the city.
How do, tourists! Having fun?
