Ella is packed this Friday night. The main room which is reminiscent of a Hollywood club is filled with a mix of pork pied regulars, doo wop aficionados, East Village hipsters, and special guests. Celebrities are there the too. Page Six staples Penn Badgley and Blake Lively plus their entourage trade in bottle service for a ride on a time machine. Next stop 1958.
Matthew Piazzi is the ringleader of this sharkskin pack. His haircut slicked into a tight pompadour. His dinner jacket is egg cream white and tailored to show a healthy dose of cuffs. He grabs the vintage chrome micro phone and pulls his George Raft-esque frame up on the bar. He starts singing Dion and the Belmonts' classic "Run Around Sue" as he advances down the bar. He swaggers Elvis style, the crowd swoons. He croons, the crowd cries out for more.
The Debonairs are not just background either. George Ellington and Scout, Piazzi's backup singers often steal the show with renditions of 1950s anthems like "Stand By Me". Meanwhile Luigi "Babe" Scorcia, actor, impresario, and bad ass on the electric guitar struts around in his sharkskin suit and tinted sunglasses. The whole scene is spot on and plain old fun.
Could this be the beginning of a Neo-Doo Wop movement? We certainly hope so.
Matthew Piazzi and the Debonairs perform at Ella Lounge every Tuesday and Friday.
Oh and the cocktails ain't so bad either. Try the Clark Gable (Bourbon, Lime Juice, Muddled Ginger, and Cherries).
Ella Lounge
9 Avenue A
New York, NY 10009-7978
Doo Wop every Tuesday and Friday
9 -11pm
Free!
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