Downtown couple makes beautiful music
BY BOB KRASNER
When Larry Krone first spotted his future
husband Jim Andralis in 2004, the man
was playing an accordion in the nowdefunct
Starlight bar on Avenue A. Fortunately,
Krone needed an accordion player for his upcoming
debut at the same venue and, as luck would
have it, he had a Friendster account (go ahead kids,
look it up).
Krone contacted Andralis through that equally
defunct social media outlet, offered him the gig
and they’ve been making music together ever since
(when Krone is not designing stage clothes for the
likes of Bridget Everett and Andralis has time away
from his psychotherapy practice).
Krone had been working odd jobs — waiter,
art handler, painting — and performing with his
ukelele in art galleries and museums in performances
that involved “country music cover songs
and costume changes,” he recalled. Andralis was
a bartender in “various gay bars,” going to grad
school and playing music with his band the Isotoners,
which he describes as “adolescent gay gross out
songs — but pretty.”
Krone had come to the city in 1989 to go to
NYU and after moving around the East Village for
a number of years he managed to buy a place east
of Avenue B in 1998. Andralis, who was living in
Queens when they met, eventually bought an apartment
upstairs in the same building.
PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER
L-R Jim Andralis, Leslie Graves, Julie DeLano,
Larry Krone, wearing t-shirts created
by Krone.
“That’s how I knew our relationship was serious!”
says Andralis. “But first I thought, Is he
f—ing with me? He wants me to live in his building?”
Having two spaces in the same building was perfect
for them, as some of their friends understood.
“Half the people we knew thought it was a dream
situation,” noted Krone. “The other half just didn’t
get it.”
Andralis’ apartment came with an additional
burden though — the crazy next door neighbor.
“The whole building put up with her for eight
years!” he related. “She would bang on my door for
hours. And she refused to repair her toilet, which
overflowed constantly.”
Continuing their walk through the corridors of
places that are gone, they recalled when Krone was
the opening act for the Isotoners at Fez, duet shows
at the Starlight and others over the years. These
(From left to right) Dory Andralis Krone, Larry Krone, Jim Andralis. Larry wears a shirt
of his own design.
days, whenever one does a show the other is always
in it.
“Jim is a better singer than I am,” admits Krone,
“so it took me awhile to be confident onstage.”
“You had to raise your game!” interjects Andralis,
then admitting that he has stage fright, so he
makes it a point to do a duet with Krone early in his
shows. “When I sing with Larry, I relax,” he says.
“It feels fun and easy.”
Alternative cabaret star Bridget Everett has long
been a part of their musical circle, going back to her
collaborations with the Isotoners. “Whenever there
was crazy, big singing necessary, she’d be that person,”
recalls Andralis. “She wasn’t any more wellknown
than any of us,” notes Krone. “We were all
so poor together.”
These days, Everett can be seen regularly on the
Joe’s Pub stage, draped in a “House of Larreon”
creation (the nom de couture created by Everett for
Krone’s designs). She is also a part of their monthly
songwriting group, which also includes Neal Medlyn
(a.k.a. Champagne Jerry) and David Clement.
“It forces us to each write a song every month,”
notes Krone.
PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER
PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER
L-R Larry Krone, Bridget Everett, wearing
outfits created by Krone.
For Everett, the pair offer more than a creative
outlet and a source of stage wear. “Jim and Larry
are very open, loving and present together,” she
confides. “Their music can’t help but be a reflection
of that. It celebrates all the things in life that bring
us the most joy. And it feels like home.”
Krone mentions that, “our time together is at
night, enjoying each other’s company. It’s really
lucky that we can do something creative together.”
“It’s all integrated,” he
says.
Ironically, Andralis
and Krone have only
written one song together
and they did it via
email. It’s called, “Keep
Your Distance.”
Jim Andralis and
Larry Krone will be
performing a free show
with special guests (and
cake) in celebration of
their 50th birthdays at
the 11th St. Bar on November
19th at 9 pm.
Further info on music
and fashion at larrykrone.
com and jimandralismusic.
com.
PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER
L-R Jim Andralis, Larry Krone. Larry wears one of his t-shirt creations.
Schneps Media TVG November 14, 2019 15