By Marilyn Lester***Once upon a time in the City of New York, hotel pianos bars were as much a part of the nightlife scene as jazz and cabaret rooms. But by the turn of this century, those venues began to disappear. One of the last hotel piano bars standing was the former Café Pierre in the eponymous hotel, where Kathleen Landis and Nancy Winston held forth at the keys. And then the light went out—until now, with singer-pianist Eric Yves Garcia, who’s become an integral part of the revival of the Pierre’s entertainment stratagem.
A few years before the pandemic, Hotel Pierre General Manager, Francois-Olivier Luiggi decided to bring the glory of entertainment back to the hotel. His aim was to make it a go-to for live music and song. That initiative was solidly taking off with robust programing, including stars of Broadway and Cabaret. We all know what happened next, and for Luiggi and the Pierre, like every other gathering place in NYC, the dial was set back to zero.
The epicenter of the Pierre’s nightlife is the Two E Bar & Lounge, created when the hotel’s owner, The Taj group remodeled the Pierre after purchase in 2010 from Four Seasons Hotels. That’s when the aforementioned Café in the hotel’s restaurant ceased to be. The Two E was formerly the Gentlemen’s Library when the hotel opened in 1930. It’s the perfect setting for music and entertainment. “Live entertainment has always had a place in the rich history of The Pierre,” Luiggi says with enthusiasm.
Garcia brings a sterling pedigree to the room. He’s a winner of the Margaret Whiting Award and a Bistro Award for Singer-Instrumentalist. He’s been reviewed and c
ited in mainstream publications, such as the Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune and has been singled out as Time Out NY’s Critic’s Pick. He’s appeared in venues in London and Paris, and In NYC at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, Birdland, 54 Below, City Winery, Bemelmans Bar and the Café Carlyle. Garcia was also a longtime favorite and fixture at the keys of Chez Josephine, the Theatre District haunt.
Debonair and sophisticated, and uber-relaxed, the Two E suits him down to the ground. His repertoire is vast—from old songbook standards to Broadway to popular and modern tunes. Plus, he has an easy way with patrons who make requests or otherwise wish to interact with him—he’s adept at quips and ad libs, which he dispenses with glee and charm. He also sings in French—some of the Blossom Dearie catalog of chansons, for instance. But a feature of piano bars is that patrons will talk. Some may listen, but the odds are that in the casual atmosphere of a lounge, t
he work of the pianist fades into the background, a fact of life any piano bar artist knows and accepts. “There are no sets,” he explains. “People come and go.”
What’s important to Garcia is the freedom and flexibility he has to metaphorically “loosen my collar and play any tune I like.” He adds that there aren’t many places that he can do that, and “it’s a joy.” The room itself also suits him. “It’s big enough to be comfortable but at the same time is intimate,” he says. There’s a party atmosphere in the Two E he adds. “It’s like a private club in a public setting.”
Garcia is also excited about GM Luiggi’s focus on entertainment. “He has a background at the Café Carlyle and Bemelmans Bar,” he advises. “And I agree with him there’s no reason the Pierre can’t equal that popularity.” Garcia goes 
on to explain that the two hotels have different characters. Both may be classic Upper East Side destinations, but the over-arching appeal of each has its own charm. The Pierre, he notes, has had a very long association with fashion. He’s been at the Two E for a few months now and he sees an uptick in business. Barring the unforeseen, the Two E will be on track to resume entertainment levels of the pre-pandemic era.
Eric Yves Garcia plays at the Two E on Thursdays from from 6:00 – 10:00 PM. In addition to the Thursday evening performances, the Pierre’s Music Director Antonio Ciacca, who also plays in the Two E, will invite additional guest performers Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 6:00 – 10:00 PM weekly.
