Drew Smith's Lonely Choir Tonight @ Lambert's

If Friday night is date night, let us make a suggestion. How about fancy barbecue, killer bloody marys, and a pair of late night sets from two of Austin's best kept secrets?

Lambert's upstairs bar and (small) stage will host Drew Smith and his Lonely Choir, a local outfit specializing in jaunty pop tunes and time-tested styles. Smith's piano work is reminiscent of Nilsson -- he even references him on his most recent record with "Nilsson Sings Newman." From retro-pop to sheer balladry, Smith is a local Americana-pop powerhouse we'll be keeping an eye on.

He'll be joined by Suzanna Choffel, oft referred to as one of Austin's 'about-to-break' artists. It's usually her dark, smoky voice that gets mentioned, but we're just as impressed with her guitar playing, especially on Brazilian-influenced numbers like her cover of Bebel Gilberto's "August Day Song." She's poised to break in 2009 with the follow up to 2006's Shudder and Rings, and with all that time in between, we're expecting something good.

Drew Smith [MySpace] [Official]
Suzanna Choffel [MySpace] [Official]