Pianos Bar & Grill Helps Nurture New Talent

The crowd was bustling as the Pianos Bar & Grill slowly
started to fill up. The night’s performer seemed to be running late as the waitress was even wondering where he might be.

Then, all of a sudden, an unassuming figure steps out of the
crowd and takes a seat behind the piano. Clad in a novelty t-shirt, sporting blonde hair, boyish looks and a beer in hand, Joe Nagy is ready to perform.

Nagy, born in Jersey, studied piano and music business at Belmont University in Nashville, before moving to Los Angeles for four years. There, he worked at a piano store and played music at a café on Sunset Boulevard until returning to Jersey a year
ago.

After his return, there were, obviously, few places that
would allow an unknown to take the stage. Fortunately, ‘Pianos’ owner/manager, Melissa Hathaway, considers it her mission to help new musicians establish themselves on the bar’s small stage.

For his performance, Nagy pulled up a chair and started his set with Patsy Cline’s “Walking After Midnight.” The appreciative crowd cheered
him on to which he answered, “Right on.” Nagy brought the show right back to the present with Coldplay’s “The Scientist."

Eager to be a crowd pleaser Nagy kept the hits coming. Last
summer’s anthem, “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon, was followed by “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival or Tina Turner (depending on whom you prefer).

Luckily, Nagy was not afraid to put his own flair on classics and hits alike. He deftly blended rollicking piano solos and a soulful
voice that made each song all his own.

He soon parlayed his unique stylings into a set of original songs. His first song, “It Ain’t Me (You’re Looking For)," was dedicated to his
ex-girlfriend. His following song, dedicated to another kind of stormy
situation, was “Irene." He concluded with the melancholic “Sunset
Avenue."

Nagy finished the set by taking requests including the Beatles’ “Lady Madonna," an amped up version of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,"
“New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel and “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles.

Nagy even won over a few fans.

Ahamed Rauf said, “He has a good voice. The way he does the
songs is different but it’s good. I really liked that one about Hurricane
Irene.”

Nagy, who doesn’t have any other gigs planned for the near
future, seems to be playing it by ear.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing. I enjoy it, you know. This is a cool place to do it. I get to play piano bar kind of songs.” He added, “I don’t have anything to plug. I’m just doing this. I enjoy it and if
 you like it come back and see me again.”

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