With a candlelit atmosphere and the often “thank you’s” after each song, Alexa Wilding, who is a singer/songwriter from Brooklyn, enchanted the audience with her soft yet powerful, mystical and wispering voice. Accompanied by her soft finger strums on guitar, was a cello player and a second guitarist. The mood was set with a background of red bricked walls and a grand piano on stage. But what truly captivated this audience in the square box room called the Rockwood Music Hall was the mesmerized look in Wilding’s eyes as she sang about horses, the sea and barnyards.

The irony is that she has never ridden a horse, she is afraid of the water and she grew up in a city. Her dad noticed the irony as well, explained by Wilding; ”I was having coffee with my dad and he asked, why do you always write about the sea, barnyards and horses; I was like, ‘that’s the point.’” She quickly shifted from guitar to the piano and once again her spellbound aura took over the packed house leaving the crowd forgetful about the one drink minimum.

“Whenever I play here, it feels like a boat,” joked Wilding. “I am glad you are here and not in the Hampton’s.” Her boat is not ready to dock and she tuned her guitar for the next song, “Bridges.” Although tuning her guitar took a few minutes longer than expected, she stayed calm and seduced the crowd with her smile and said, “this will make up for it.”

She then went on to say, “This is about a time when I didn’t know what I was doing; now I am engaged.” The storytelling lyrics were poetic and captured a time of loneliness that transcended into conscious moments of repeated, “hey hey hey’s.” “Wow, that makes me emotional,” said Wilding after she finished “Bridges.” But without hesitation she went into, “The Sea” on piano. “It is because we are at sea,” joked Wilding. Luckily she meant metaphorically.

As she came to the end of her set, the suggested $5 donation didn’t seem enough for such an enchanting performance. She truly sets herself apart from other female vocalists and songwriters. After recently having her EP release party at the Highline Ballroom, a featur in NYLON as “Band Crush” and NY Post Page Six ”Who’s That Girl,”  it is no wonder why actress Rachel McAdams and others watched Wilding prove that her old school vibe is so much the happening thing now.

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