Words by Mo Kelly Nolan

Pics by Mo Kelly Nolan, Johan Vipper, John Richard, Don Sztabnik and Shelley Fromm

“It’s about the music, always was...always is...and always will be” - Joe Sztabnik 

On any given night, strolling down Second Avenue, looking for some action, maybe some food, maybe a drink, you may find yourself drawn to the Anyway Cafe (IG: @anyway_cafe) 34 E 2nd Street off Second Ave. Besides the proprietary vodka infusions that are mixed masterfully into their specialty martinis (borscht Martini anyone?) they have a full Russian food menu. On most nights, you can find yourself a cozy corner to enjoy cozy music in this cozy vodka cafe with food. It’s an after-work martini-lover’s paradise. They have an outdoor patio in front of large glass windows with street dining that is useful for the overflow crowd. Cash only.

Puma Perl, Joe Sztabnik and Dave Donen (IG: @pumaperlandfriends) have a residency on Monday nights beginning at 8PM. Shows are every other Monday, so call ahead. The show is currently free but tips for the musicians are welcome. Reservations are recommended. This trio of music and poetry draws a large audience that packs every nook in the indoor space.

Joe Sztabnik (joesztabnik.com) is a seasoned performer, currently working on solo work, has performed with NY Junk, Dee Dee Ramone, among many other bands / collaborators. He played two NY Junk songs at the start of the show before Puma launched into her poetry. Joe ended the first act with two more NY Junk songs. Joe reminded the audience, “Today (June 6th) is D-Day. This is for all the soldiers, sailors and marines,” before performing Subway Song by NY Junk. All music by NY Junk can be found on Spotify and Apple Music. On Joe’s website joesztabnik.com, you can find his entire catalog.

Dave Donen (IG: @doubleddrummer) was not playing a drum kit (for those who couldn’t see.). He used a Cajon drum for the primary rhythm and two percussion inventions to create a full blast of sound. These small instruments looked like maracas. Indeed they were but attached were chimes, bells and other ringing devices that curiously produced the sound of a top hat or even a giant cymbal. They are instruments that can fit in his music gear pouch. Perfect for a NYC music artist, ready to travel the F train to 2nd Avenue.

Puma Perl (IG: @puma_perl) is a performance poet, actor, playwright, lyricist and author of five books. Her books are available on Amazon: Belinda and Her Friends, Knuckle Tattoos, Ruby True, Retrograde and Birthdays Before and After. A tattooed poet with jet black hair and punk-inspired clothes, she is a regular presence at both poetry and rock venues. At the intersection of words and music is dance. Puma Perl does it all. 

Puma began, “Do you believe in grace and magic?” (The actual line is “madness” but is there a difference between madness and magic? There’s dinner debate for ya!) She created a visual of rocking herself to sleep with cookies while “waiting for grace / living in madness / sometimes I can’t believe I still breathe.” Incisive words set the room ablaze. She followed with a verse styling about a punishing god. “Help me understand.” “Never say never.” It was both dark and hopeful. 

In one poem about summertime in Coney Island, she was dancing at Cha-Cha’s on the boardwalk while the Mermaid Parade marched by. She met a “Be my Coney Island Baby” guy wilding on the streets of Coney. He soon became a disappointment, being more interested in mermaid nipple pasties than her. Like much of her work, the joy in living is often tempered by pain, loss and that strange loneliness many feel while living in a city filled with people. Some of her work is observational and bravely kind. I’d describe the writing of Puma Perl as honest, raw and deceptively simple.

During lockdown, Puma wrote a weekly series for ChelseaCommunityNews.com. This online publication is, as its title suggests, a news source. Nonetheless, she was invited to contribute a weekly column; poems entitled Writing the Apocalypse. For many of her fans, these poems were a lifeline as she shared the pain of isolation and confusion we were all feeling. One poem, Apocalyptic Rehab, was a seemingly mundane recounting of her new daily lockdown routine she created to get through the fear and anxiety of that time. We could all relate.

Puma’s current work with her musician friends is an extraordinary combination. Armed with a streetwise New York tongue, Puma Perl doesn’t sing or rant. She deliberately speaks her signature verse which is then coordinated with music, creating a clash of artistry that is unique to Puma Perl and her magical musician friends. Puma’s last musical poem before intermission was of a memory lost in time. “Hace mucho tiempo que no nos vemos,” she wrote in Spanish, the only phrase she knows. It’s a melancholy verse about memories, remembering only bits and pieces.

After a short break, Joe played an independent composition with a strong rock beat and lyrics about heartbreak called The Boy Who Never Returned; guitar solo included. Puma transitioned to poetic compositions about an ever changing Lower East Side and “tall skinny girls.” Enjoy End of the World on YouTube https://youtu.be/Zrl4ZWt9_nI. Gradually her words became more deliberate as the music ramped up. Soon the trio mysteriously combined Puma’s words with Pale Blue Eyesby The Velvet Underground.

One of Puma’s musician friends, Rick Eckerle, came up to join in singing the chorus to Pale Blue Eyes. Rick is a singer, songwriter, an all around fun guy and we were having fun. Puma’s next poem And the Angels Sing was laid into by the ever growing rock and roll heat.  

The finalé was another wonderfully perfect combination of The Animal’s rock hit, We Gotta Get Out Of This Place with Puma’s poetic contemplation of the Lower East Side from her childhood to now. What happened to the corner stores and fire hydrants to cool off in summer? Thank god, artists are not strangers “from Scarsdale” as a young Puma once thought. They are us. If the magic of music can combine so smoothly with the magic of poetry, I must believe in magic. Yes, Puma, I do believe in magic.