This was a fabulous show, musically beautiful, and really fun because Rufus Wainwright’s personality really shone through the performance. It didn’t hurt that he played a great long show (2+ hours), mostly of songs from his latest album Release the Stars, but with wonderful dips into the repertoire from all over his career, from old favourites to an Irish folk song taught to him by his mother to a couple of songs from his acclaimed Judy Garland show.
He started out the night in a multicoloured striped suit dotted with more sparkly brooches (and matched nicely by his band in *slightly* more subdued costume), singing the title track from Release the Stars, followed by a stint at the piano for Going to a Town, then strapping on a guitar for the song after that. He, and most members of his seven piece band, were skilled multi-instrumentalists, playing everything from recorder to banjo. Apart from the fantastic musicianship, the show was a lively affair with costume changes – Rufus performed the second set in lederhosen, then returned for the encore in a fluffy white bathrobe which concealed the surprise in store for the finale; fan participation; deprecating humour and arch little asides, and a fair bit of off-the-cuff banter that drew the audience into his confidence and under his spell.
Highlights for me were The Art Teacher, which was just fantastic live: the piano bass ominous and dark, and yet sounding so so lovely and warm in regret with the French horn accompaniment; and Do I Disappoint You, an Eastern toned song full of major-to-minor chords that give it this weird shifting feel, and live it opens up into this amazing piece, baroque in its instrumentation, giving it a wild sound. It starts off with just the guitar and the electric guitar, an almost harsh strict intro, and after the massive build up of the song, it ends with just a flute at the end, a balance of sweet leavening the bitter.
Rufus’ lovely, chocolate-rich voice was showcased so well in so many different ways; apart from his own songs, he performed two numbers from his Judy Garland at the Carnegie Hall 1961 show - a Gershwin (A Foggy Day) and a Noel Coward piece (If Love Were All) - accompanied only by a piano; and after he remarked admiringly on the decor of the State Theatre again and wondering whether it had any history as a vaudeville theatre, he stepped away from the microphone into an actual vaudeville-like performance of an Irish folk song his mother, singer Kate McGarrigle, taught him, I was pleasantly surprised by how well his voice carried in the theatre without amplification, even over the diminished acoustic band accompanying him.
It seemed the finale would be a rousing finale of 14th Street, ending with an extended jam after Rufus left the stage, as each musician took their turn showcasing their skill on their instrument, then bowing out until only the banjo/guitar player was left to do a solo. However, there was an encore, and oh, what an encore. Rufus came back on stage in a white fluffy bathrobe, and proceeded as if nothing was amiss.
After two older songs, both well received (Poses, with Rufus solo on the piano, was just as lovely as I could’ve ever hoped for), the stage darkened, and he moved to the front of the stage and sat down on a chair there. He then put on some more shiny jewellery, holding up each piece to the light for the audience to see; then carefully applied bright red lipstick; then cheekily held up a pair of black heels to applause before putting them on; and as he moved back onto the dim stage, a band member dove out to stand behind him to protect his modesty while he removed the bathrobe to reveal Rufus channelling Judy Garland in no more than a black fedora, a tailored black suit jacket, and shapely legs in opaque stockings and heels. The ensuing performance of Get Happy was awesome – yes, happy, and so so much fun, with band members diving all over the stage in enthusiastic choreography around Rufus as he danced and strutted and performed his divalicious heart out – with the audience obviously, audibly appreciative of the theatrics and joy of the act.
And then to round out the night, a nice performance of Gay Messiah; though overshadowed by the immensely enjoyable piece before it, it served as a good summary of the Rufus Wainwright experience – full of the good sly humour he’d shown all night long, the subversiveness of words and song, the wonderful music.
Release the Stars
Going to a Town
Sans Souci
Rules and Regulations
Matinee Idol
The Art Teacher
Tiergarten
Leaving for Paris
Between My Legs
-
The Consort
Do I Disappoint You
A Foggy Day
If Love Were All
Beautiful Child
Not Ready for Love
Slideshow
Macushlah
14th Street
-
I Don’t Know What It Is
Poses
Get Happy
Gay Messiah
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Brand New - 24 Jan 2008 - Enmore Theatre
It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that we heard that the previously unannounced support act was heavily rumoured to be Jesse Lacey (lead singer of Brand New) himself, doing an acoustic set. So just before 8 we went in and waited impatiently on an already quite packed floor. 8 came and went, then 8:15, and there was a twinge of doubt settling in; but finally, just before 8:30, Lacey walked out onto the dim, green-blue backlit stage to great cheers, and proceeded to play a short but beautiful acoustic set.
untitled 1
Play Crack the Sky
Oh Comely (Neutral Milk Hotel cover) (video)
Soco Amaretto Lime
Coca Cola
Lacey's voice, accompanied only by the guitar, is simply gorgeous – big, emotional and affecting. It was brilliant to hear Play Crack in its stripped back glory, as it is on second album Deja Entendu. Also, we saw Jesse crack a smile, and it was amusing as the Brand New set following was, admittedly, pretty damn emo considering the low lighting, the songs, and the anguished performance.
There was only a brief break before Brand New took to the stage. The band, plus another three touring members (including a second drummer), came on and just hurled themselves into a blistering instrumental; it felt amazing from the start, absorbing this wall of sound and fury, the bass reverberating through my chest. From there they launched into two faster paced songs off their last album, The Devil and God…, which were well received. But it wasn’t until Okay I Believe You… that the mosh really went nuts, which was fun to watch from our position on the outer rim of the seething mass. There was a good atmosphere during the whole gig, such an improvement on last time where the timid audience dampened the mood.
There was a slower section, building the tension towards an absolutely amazing string of songs, starting with Millstone, which really could’ve been a second single considering how the crowd reacted, followed by glee from the audience as Jesse introduced Gloria with an offhand comment, “This one’s about sex.” Tatou served as a brief lull before an entirely unexpected and oddly sweet cover of Jesus Loves Me sung by Jesse, which served as an intro for the song Jesus.
I loved hearing Degausser live again; it’s one of my favourites from the album, and it’s always seemed to me a song of quiet desperation, but last night they played it as this tortured monster of a song, a perfect performance of a breakdown in process, which carried brilliantly into You Won’t Know, which closes the show with Jesse’s anguished repeating of the refrain over and over. It still gives me chills, feeling the haunting unravelling quality of Jesse’s voice over the dark of the theatre.
The encore was mildly disappointing; after a prolonged delay filled with cheers and calls for the band, they came back on slowly, starting with Vince on his own playing a riff which Jesse then took over, and continued into an extended instrumental jam. It was mesmerising, but when the concert ended abruptly after that, it left me wanting more – more songs, more time with them - because their music is so powerful and intensely affecting.
Welcome to Bangkok
Not the Sun
The Archers Bows Have Broken
Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don’t
Jaws Theme Swimming
The No Seatbelt Song
Luca
Millstone
Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades
Tatou
Sowing Season
(Jesus Loves Me)
Jesus
Degausser
You Won’t Know
untitled 1
Play Crack the Sky
Oh Comely (Neutral Milk Hotel cover) (video)
Soco Amaretto Lime
Coca Cola
Lacey's voice, accompanied only by the guitar, is simply gorgeous – big, emotional and affecting. It was brilliant to hear Play Crack in its stripped back glory, as it is on second album Deja Entendu. Also, we saw Jesse crack a smile, and it was amusing as the Brand New set following was, admittedly, pretty damn emo considering the low lighting, the songs, and the anguished performance.
There was only a brief break before Brand New took to the stage. The band, plus another three touring members (including a second drummer), came on and just hurled themselves into a blistering instrumental; it felt amazing from the start, absorbing this wall of sound and fury, the bass reverberating through my chest. From there they launched into two faster paced songs off their last album, The Devil and God…, which were well received. But it wasn’t until Okay I Believe You… that the mosh really went nuts, which was fun to watch from our position on the outer rim of the seething mass. There was a good atmosphere during the whole gig, such an improvement on last time where the timid audience dampened the mood.
There was a slower section, building the tension towards an absolutely amazing string of songs, starting with Millstone, which really could’ve been a second single considering how the crowd reacted, followed by glee from the audience as Jesse introduced Gloria with an offhand comment, “This one’s about sex.” Tatou served as a brief lull before an entirely unexpected and oddly sweet cover of Jesus Loves Me sung by Jesse, which served as an intro for the song Jesus.
I loved hearing Degausser live again; it’s one of my favourites from the album, and it’s always seemed to me a song of quiet desperation, but last night they played it as this tortured monster of a song, a perfect performance of a breakdown in process, which carried brilliantly into You Won’t Know, which closes the show with Jesse’s anguished repeating of the refrain over and over. It still gives me chills, feeling the haunting unravelling quality of Jesse’s voice over the dark of the theatre.
The encore was mildly disappointing; after a prolonged delay filled with cheers and calls for the band, they came back on slowly, starting with Vince on his own playing a riff which Jesse then took over, and continued into an extended instrumental jam. It was mesmerising, but when the concert ended abruptly after that, it left me wanting more – more songs, more time with them - because their music is so powerful and intensely affecting.
Welcome to Bangkok
Not the Sun
The Archers Bows Have Broken
Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don’t
Jaws Theme Swimming
The No Seatbelt Song
Luca
Millstone
Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades
Tatou
Sowing Season
(Jesus Loves Me)
Jesus
Degausser
You Won’t Know
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Arcade Fire / Spoon - 23 Jan 2008 - Enmore Theatre
My expectations for this gig were stratospheric - both bands produced albums last year that made my top 10 list - and Arcade Fire have been on my list of must-see bands since I heard Funeral for the first time and fell in love. That's a lot of years of pent-up anticipation, plus they have a great reputation as a live band, so I was resigned to either being disappointed, or just satisfied. But do you know what? THEY BLEW ME AWAY. Last night's concert has gone straight into being one of the top two gigs I've ever seen in my life, for amazing musicality, exuberance, enjoyability and the utter satisfaction of knowing that everything you've ever dreamed about a concert experience has pretty much materialised before your eyes.
Spoon came out dressed in requisite hipster musician wear - black shirts, black jeans - except for the keyboardist, who seemed majorly dressed down in flannies in comparison. Britt Daniel is strangely magnetic on stage - Kevin admired him for "having style" - he really threw himself into playing and singing, and pulls the performance together. It was a very solid set, amazing for a support slot, and they played for around a hour, fifteen songs all up, the bulk from latest album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It was a shame that the audience at this point wasn't very responsive, but Spoon still gave it their all, and were well worth seeing.
We watched in wonder as the roadies tried as quickly as they could to clear the stage and put out the gazillion instruments that Arcade Fire need, including odd and amazing things like a twelve-string guitar, a hurdy-gurdy, a silver/gold double bass, a small pipe organ, and an accordion. When the band finally came out, at least seven members lined up along the front of the stage, instruments at the ready, and launched into the glorious Wake Up; and from the first word, the adoring audience sang along strongly, and it was amazing, hearing one of my favourite songs played live while watching the interplay of musicians and instruments (Regine played the hurdy-gurdy!) and their captivated audience.
After a few very well-received songs from their first album, Funeral, they took a dip into their early EP for I'm Sleeping in a Submarine to lead into a slightly more sombre but still wonderful section of Neon Bible songs. The dark undertone to the seemingly sweet sounding Black Wave merged into the more ominous Bad Vibrations, the grandeur of My Body is a Cage with the crashing organ chords, the protest of Windowsill, and the lovely interchange from the racing pace into the slower, prettier end of The Well and the Lighthouse, all these were fantastic in live performance. I think the ultimate highlight though, in a night full of amazing musical moments, was the back-to-back pair of Power Out and Rebellion (Lies). It was a beautiful, wonderful, all dancing and singing affair to end the main set, and even as the band left the stage, Richard and Will each carried off a megaphone, singing the outro refrain and keeping the audience echoing them as the stage lights dimmed.
The encore began with, to be absolute delight, No Cars Go. It was awesome to hear it live, to see it performed beautifully and with so much energy. That was followed by a really fun performance of Haiti, sweet and sexy at the same time, after which the band looked like they were really done for the night, saying their goodbyes and basking in the thunderous applause. However, as the light stayed dim, the audience cheers rose until the band trickled back on stage, starting with just Win on an acoustic guitar, and followed by the rest either singing or playing the hell out of their instruments (the double bass took a real beating at this point), to do an impromptu, rocking cover of the Violent Femmes' Kiss Off.
If there were any complaints to be had, and I'm clutching at straws here, it would be that the vocals were a bit low in the mix, so sometimes it could be hard to hear Win or Regine over the rest of the music. But I don't think the exuberant atmosphere dropped at any point during the night, on stage or off. The band were obviously having a great time, and they were so playful in performance - Win had a big grin on his faces as he played to his band, whether it was Regine having her turn on the drums, or with the duo of violinists, or towards the crowd before him; Richard and Will (most out of all the band) running around the stage playing anything and everything with gusto; Regine dancing as she sang with her pretty voice, and making accordion-playing sexy; Win venturing onto the barrier twice and INTO the crowd once towards the end, while the crowd surged towards him in delight. The crowd response was amazing too, a room full of clearly loving and enthusiastic fans, who sang and yelled and clapped along, who danced and raised their hands to the music like they were caught up in an almost religious fervour. It was beautiful evening to be a part of, because it was so joyous and incredible, and it just felt perfect for the music.
Wake Up
Keep the Car Running
Black Mirror
Neighbourhood #2 (Laika)
I'm Sleeping in a Submarine
Black Wave / Bad Vibrations
My Body Is a Cage
Windowsill
The Well and the Lighthouse
Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)
Intervention
(Antichrist Television Blues)
Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
No Cars Go
Haiti
Kiss Off (video)
Spoon came out dressed in requisite hipster musician wear - black shirts, black jeans - except for the keyboardist, who seemed majorly dressed down in flannies in comparison. Britt Daniel is strangely magnetic on stage - Kevin admired him for "having style" - he really threw himself into playing and singing, and pulls the performance together. It was a very solid set, amazing for a support slot, and they played for around a hour, fifteen songs all up, the bulk from latest album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It was a shame that the audience at this point wasn't very responsive, but Spoon still gave it their all, and were well worth seeing.
We watched in wonder as the roadies tried as quickly as they could to clear the stage and put out the gazillion instruments that Arcade Fire need, including odd and amazing things like a twelve-string guitar, a hurdy-gurdy, a silver/gold double bass, a small pipe organ, and an accordion. When the band finally came out, at least seven members lined up along the front of the stage, instruments at the ready, and launched into the glorious Wake Up; and from the first word, the adoring audience sang along strongly, and it was amazing, hearing one of my favourite songs played live while watching the interplay of musicians and instruments (Regine played the hurdy-gurdy!) and their captivated audience.
After a few very well-received songs from their first album, Funeral, they took a dip into their early EP for I'm Sleeping in a Submarine to lead into a slightly more sombre but still wonderful section of Neon Bible songs. The dark undertone to the seemingly sweet sounding Black Wave merged into the more ominous Bad Vibrations, the grandeur of My Body is a Cage with the crashing organ chords, the protest of Windowsill, and the lovely interchange from the racing pace into the slower, prettier end of The Well and the Lighthouse, all these were fantastic in live performance. I think the ultimate highlight though, in a night full of amazing musical moments, was the back-to-back pair of Power Out and Rebellion (Lies). It was a beautiful, wonderful, all dancing and singing affair to end the main set, and even as the band left the stage, Richard and Will each carried off a megaphone, singing the outro refrain and keeping the audience echoing them as the stage lights dimmed.
The encore began with, to be absolute delight, No Cars Go. It was awesome to hear it live, to see it performed beautifully and with so much energy. That was followed by a really fun performance of Haiti, sweet and sexy at the same time, after which the band looked like they were really done for the night, saying their goodbyes and basking in the thunderous applause. However, as the light stayed dim, the audience cheers rose until the band trickled back on stage, starting with just Win on an acoustic guitar, and followed by the rest either singing or playing the hell out of their instruments (the double bass took a real beating at this point), to do an impromptu, rocking cover of the Violent Femmes' Kiss Off.
If there were any complaints to be had, and I'm clutching at straws here, it would be that the vocals were a bit low in the mix, so sometimes it could be hard to hear Win or Regine over the rest of the music. But I don't think the exuberant atmosphere dropped at any point during the night, on stage or off. The band were obviously having a great time, and they were so playful in performance - Win had a big grin on his faces as he played to his band, whether it was Regine having her turn on the drums, or with the duo of violinists, or towards the crowd before him; Richard and Will (most out of all the band) running around the stage playing anything and everything with gusto; Regine dancing as she sang with her pretty voice, and making accordion-playing sexy; Win venturing onto the barrier twice and INTO the crowd once towards the end, while the crowd surged towards him in delight. The crowd response was amazing too, a room full of clearly loving and enthusiastic fans, who sang and yelled and clapped along, who danced and raised their hands to the music like they were caught up in an almost religious fervour. It was beautiful evening to be a part of, because it was so joyous and incredible, and it just felt perfect for the music.
Wake Up
Keep the Car Running
Black Mirror
Neighbourhood #2 (Laika)
I'm Sleeping in a Submarine
Black Wave / Bad Vibrations
My Body Is a Cage
Windowsill
The Well and the Lighthouse
Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)
Intervention
(Antichrist Television Blues)
Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
No Cars Go
Haiti
Kiss Off (video)
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Sufjan Stevens - 12 Jan 2008 - State Theatre
The State Theatre is possibly the only place where the blue crystal, red velvet drapes, gold gilding and art deco flourishes rioutously work together. It was uncharacteristically filled with a younger, t-shirt and denim jeans wearing crowd than normally seen in its opulently decorated interior, leaving beer cans and plastic cups all over its foyers, and rather bemused ushers in their wake.
In interviews Sufjan Stevens comes across as rather shy, the music tends towards the quiet and lyrical, and the setting seemed rather too grown up for anything but a serious music show. So I was pleasantly surprised by what a great concert this was: a perfect mix of brilliant musicianship, soft delicate beautiful moments and bright stomping joyous rock songs, visual whimsy and Stevens' rambling charm.
The concert began in a hush, as the ten membered band (including Stevens) filed onto the darkened stage and started playing the quiet beginning of Seven Swans. The first three songs were played without a break in between, one piece segueing seamlessly into the next, from near-acoustic moments of voice, melody and harmony, to the blare of the full band, which included a five-piece brass section, in the more complex instrumental interludes. The band were excellent and uniformly talented, between them playing a vast collection of instruments including a bugle, a trumpet, a clarinet, a saxopohone, a straight (tenor?) sax (the last three played by the same guy), a French horn, a trombone, at least five different people on piano during the set. Stevens himself rotated between acoustic guitar, piano, ukelele and even cowbells!
All through the night, I was struck by how complex the songs are, the beauty of them often obscuring the fact that they are wonderful constructions of melodies and counter-melodies, rather fugue like as each instrument picks out its call and answer lines. The Tallest Man, in particular, was wonderfully immediate and better live in performance, for the ability to visualise the clockwork nature of the music. And I would've been happy to just bask in the amazing interplay between the instruments and Stevens' pretty husky voice woven within it, but he proved himself to be an endearing artist between songs too, starting with a meandering list of things he liked about Australia set before a slideshow of Sydney scenes, and moving onto to rambling, dryly humour anecdotes about inspirations for certain pieces of music (the one about his sister's college roommate that prefaced Jacksonville was by far my favourite, in delivery and in story). I also really liked the humour and whimsy in the presentation: the band's matching multicoloured patchwork tops, the hula hoop girl during BQE and Sufjan's matching display with his own lit-up hula hoop, and the pretty wings the whole band wore during the last song of the set.
When Stevens and the band left the stage the first time, the audience gave them a standing ovation, and were rewarded by a two song encore; the first piece a more acoustic performance of The Dress Looks Nice on You followed by the perfect closer in the magnificent Chicago. It seemed so much care had been put into making the concert experience as relaxed, sweet and enjoyable as possible, and to me they fully succeeded.
Seven Swans
Concerning The UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
THE BLACK HAWK WAR, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience But You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I have fought the Big Knives and will continue to fight them until they are off our lands!' *
Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)
Casimir Pulaski Day
Jacksonville
All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands
4th movement (abr.) of Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!
To Be Alone With You
Sister
The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders
Majesty, Snowbird
The Dress Looks Nice On You
Chicago
* yes, that is the title. In full.
In interviews Sufjan Stevens comes across as rather shy, the music tends towards the quiet and lyrical, and the setting seemed rather too grown up for anything but a serious music show. So I was pleasantly surprised by what a great concert this was: a perfect mix of brilliant musicianship, soft delicate beautiful moments and bright stomping joyous rock songs, visual whimsy and Stevens' rambling charm.
The concert began in a hush, as the ten membered band (including Stevens) filed onto the darkened stage and started playing the quiet beginning of Seven Swans. The first three songs were played without a break in between, one piece segueing seamlessly into the next, from near-acoustic moments of voice, melody and harmony, to the blare of the full band, which included a five-piece brass section, in the more complex instrumental interludes. The band were excellent and uniformly talented, between them playing a vast collection of instruments including a bugle, a trumpet, a clarinet, a saxopohone, a straight (tenor?) sax (the last three played by the same guy), a French horn, a trombone, at least five different people on piano during the set. Stevens himself rotated between acoustic guitar, piano, ukelele and even cowbells!
All through the night, I was struck by how complex the songs are, the beauty of them often obscuring the fact that they are wonderful constructions of melodies and counter-melodies, rather fugue like as each instrument picks out its call and answer lines. The Tallest Man, in particular, was wonderfully immediate and better live in performance, for the ability to visualise the clockwork nature of the music. And I would've been happy to just bask in the amazing interplay between the instruments and Stevens' pretty husky voice woven within it, but he proved himself to be an endearing artist between songs too, starting with a meandering list of things he liked about Australia set before a slideshow of Sydney scenes, and moving onto to rambling, dryly humour anecdotes about inspirations for certain pieces of music (the one about his sister's college roommate that prefaced Jacksonville was by far my favourite, in delivery and in story). I also really liked the humour and whimsy in the presentation: the band's matching multicoloured patchwork tops, the hula hoop girl during BQE and Sufjan's matching display with his own lit-up hula hoop, and the pretty wings the whole band wore during the last song of the set.
When Stevens and the band left the stage the first time, the audience gave them a standing ovation, and were rewarded by a two song encore; the first piece a more acoustic performance of The Dress Looks Nice on You followed by the perfect closer in the magnificent Chicago. It seemed so much care had been put into making the concert experience as relaxed, sweet and enjoyable as possible, and to me they fully succeeded.
Seven Swans
Concerning The UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
THE BLACK HAWK WAR, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience But You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I have fought the Big Knives and will continue to fight them until they are off our lands!' *
Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)
Casimir Pulaski Day
Jacksonville
All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands
4th movement (abr.) of Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!
To Be Alone With You
Sister
The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders
Majesty, Snowbird
The Dress Looks Nice On You
Chicago
* yes, that is the title. In full.
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