Kenny Eng

Kenny Eng plays The Tipsy Crow on Saturday, November 14, at 6 PM. He's an independent singer-songwriter from Alameda, California, and this is a solo bill, so it's just him on stage.

If you're not familiar with his sound, he describes it as a blend of Motown R&B, classic rock, and Jeff Buckley. That's a wide spread to cover in one set—the soulful groove of Motown, the guitar-driven edge of classic rock, and the high, emotive vocal style Buckley was known for—and it gives you a good sense of where he's pulling from. It's the kind of mix that sits somewhere between a soul revue and a singer-songwriter night.

He's been at this for a while. He self-released his debut EP, Self Centered, in June 2008, and in early 2010 he put out Live From Lestat's, a compilation of two shows he played at Lestat's West here in San Diego. That live record serves as a good reference for what he brings to the stage: a singer-songwriter set built around his voice and his guitar. Since then, he's played some of the West Coast's more respected venues and was nominated for a San Diego Music Award for Best Acoustic in 2010.

So, if you're in the mood for a night of live music that leans on the singer-songwriter tradition, this is a straightforward one to keep on your radar. Kenny Eng is at The Tipsy Crow, 770 5th Ave, San Diego, CA, on Saturday, November 14, starting at 6 PM.