To hear a no-longer-touring band live (or a no-longer-living musician), you typically turn to cover bands to scratch that nostalgic itch. But keyboardist Dan Neustadt, who also plays in the post-punk band Northern Bells, has taken a new tack. What began as a monthly night of covers of classic indie rock on piano at The Manhattan Inn has become a regular series called Off the Record that alternates between Le Poisson Rouge, The Bell House, and every other Wednesday, Pete’s Candy Store. Each time, he plays an epic album start to finish on piano or keyboards, often with other musicians. It’s like hearing standards from the great American songbook, except these are your songs, performed in a way you haven’t heard before. Today, in honor of MJ’s birthday, he’s covering Thriller (with horns!) from 10pm to midnight at Pete’s. Check out past covers and musicians at Off the Record’s tumblr or on Neustadt’s Facebook page.
