The Burdens of Being Upright New York Performances

Tracy Bonham brings *The Burdens of Being Upright* to Drom for a full-band 30th-anniversary performance of her 1996 debut, a rock/pop record that helped frame a certain mid-’90s New York alt-circuit sensibility. Bonham’s background in violin and piano, plus a later, self-taught approach to guitar, shapes songs that move between precision and abrasion. In NYC, she has remained a recurring presence in rooms like City Winery and Iridium and in collaborations with peers including Jill Sobule and Tammy Faye Starlite. The album’s staying power lies in how plainly it names pressure, anger, and self-definition without ornament.