First appearance at Sin-é

Buckley began performing at several clubs and cafés around Lower Manhattan , and Sin-é became his main venue. He first appeared at Sin-é in April 1992 and quickly earned a regular Monday night slot. His repertoire consisted of a diverse range of folk, rock, R&B, blues, and jazz cover songs, much of which he had newly learned. During this period, he discovered singers such as Nina Simone , Billie Holiday , Van Morrison , and Judy Garland . Buckley performed an eclectic selection of covers by artists including Led Zeppelin (“Night Flight”), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (“Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hae”), Bob Dylan (“Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind”), Édith Piaf (“Je n’en connais pas la fin”), the Smiths (“I Know It’s Over”), Bad Brains (“I Against I”), and Siouxsie Sioux (“Killing Time”). Original songs from the Babylon Dungeon Sessions and the songs he had written with Lucas were also included in his set lists. He performed solo, accompanying himself on a Fender Telecaster he borrowed from his friend Janine Nichols. Buckley said he learned how to perform onstage by playing to small audiences.