Go see this show.

Chilly Gonzales is the stage name of Jason Beck; a fiery pianist, singer and entertainer. His show at Joe’s Pub by Astor Place is unenthusiastically called a “piano talk show.” It is much, much more thanks to Beck’s passion, verve, and inventive skill.

At just before 9 p.m. on Thursday, a small line curls around the front of Joe’s Pub. On the curb stands a man with long dark hair wearing a dark coat and white pants looks conspicuously like Andrew W.K. (a guest of Beck’s on the 11^th). The line gradually grows and trickles into the warm, angular club. Joe’s Pub looks nothing like a pub, a chunk of tables cluster around the small stage. A piano, bench, and two mic stands dominate the room. Strips of light and backlit decorations make the whole space feel intimate; Beck will be performing for all of us.

Beck walks onstage wearing only a black bathrobe, white undershirt, white gloves and dark pants. Beck does not look like a traditional rock star (his background includes some electronic, some rap) nor does he look like a stereotypical cabaret singer. A little over weight, and seemingly dressed for bed, Beck likes to break expectation.

After a quick wave to the audience he sits at the Baldwin piano, slipping into a sweetly melodic, jazz-inflected instrumental. Beck grimaces as he plays, hunched over the keys. The piano bends under his fingers. He has both finesse and tremendous power. Beck alternates between the two: smashing the notes as if he wanted to break them and then coaxing them to sing.

Beck moves into an extended, dynamic, jazzier version of DOT – one of his more popular instrumentals. His leg shakes and taps as the set begins to pick up steam. The song itself is built on a beautifully simple riff. Live, Beck draws out every iteration and tempo and the audience is hooked.

The night is about competition, Beck says. He likes being the underdog, he knows he’s brilliant, and this concert is a fight. A fight to get the audience to agree. “All that sharing stuff other musicians do?” Beck says, “Fuck that.” The audience giggles and claps. Beck’s commentary has a touch of vaudeville and he casts himself as the virtuoso villain. It is a testament to his charm and skill that the audience only sees the former.

Beck’s set is varied, moving from soft jazz to a piano rap/spoke-word, “Decisions.” Over a crowd-generated drumbeat (stomping and clapping), Beck quips about corporate culture and hate and the need to win. The laughs are mixed with slick wordplay and insight.

Beck speaks about the difference between major keys and minor keys, the latter a way of subjugating minorities to lesser status. It’s a little heavy handed, but makes for the night’s best joke: “Chariots of Hellfire,” a melodramatic take on the actual film’s usually inspiration theme.

SIA, Beck’s guest tonight, hops onstage around 10:20. She is also wearing white gloves, a loose multi-color sweater and tights. SIA is goofy and a little awkward in the spotlight but her talent is undeniable. She belts out “The Girl You Lost to Cocaine” with Beck accompanying on piano. But the planned duet between the two goes awry. SIA has lost her lyrics sheet and stumbles her way through a straightforward version of “Time After Time.” To her credit, she dutifully powers through the song, using musical gibberish instead of words. Some of the performance is lost but no less moving for Beck and SIA shared honesty and effort.

She bows and drops back to her table and Beck is alone again. A rousing version of “Take Me To Broadway” segues into “Fur Elise.” Beck plays like he has something to prove. Sweating and disheveled and slams the keys and stomps the floor. His green slippers slap between his skin and the stage.

An eruption of applause prompt a brief encore, starting with pre-recorded spoken word. It’s funny, but a bit of a misstep after the momentum Beck worked so hard to create.

For his final song tonight, Beck asks a fan, Erica, to play the piano for him. As she plinks out two simple bass notes, Beck gets up on the piano, foot on the keys. He holds on to the lid, rap-singing, and playing treble notes with his feet. Erica disappears from the stage and Beck continues, standing on his piano like a captain on a ship.

Somehow, remarkably, he plays a whole song with only his feet. He is exhausted, panting, dripping sweat, and now totally a mess. And it is brilliant. The chords are right (pentatonic scales can be a little messy, he says) and his voice, although a little rough around the edges, bursts with sincerity.

Beck’s show, as “Chilly Gonzales,” is a force on stage. To be able to see him in such an intimate space is a real treat and one that should not be missed. If you like the sound of a piano, in any way, shape, or form, this is one of the most engaging, passionate, and talented performers you can find.

“Chilly Gonzales” plays Joe’s Pub this month every Thursday at 9:30 p.m.

Check out some of his songs streaming for free HERE.

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New York, Stream