OK.....the show.
Let me first start of by saying that St. Vincent only recently came into my life. Their music gripped me in a way very few bands do, in a good way I mean. Lyrically, I love the balance of unapologetic frankness mixed with an almost confession-like tone…..aurally, they range from towering sonic superstructures, to well-wrangled discordant chaos (often alongside one another)…. I dig the sounds of St. Vincent. They're like a new toy that I want to take apart to see how it works......
I hear a familiar "spice" echoing throughout the album....something from my youth. Something like the obstinate, candid, brilliant textures of the music scene in north Texas in the late 90's early thousies…..it's great. Getting producer John Congleton (frontman, composer, and producer of my favorite band of all time, for all time, The PaperChase) was a brilliant move.
ok….NOW…….the show…..
I was really looking forward to this show. After watching the live stuff from the festivals and radio appearances on youtube, I wasn't expecting anything more than for them to show up with their instruments and their musicianship. I was kinda hoping that they would have some visual fun to go along with the aural experience, but I would have been happy with just a black curtain and three (four?) people on their instruments, rockin' out. That's what I was expecting.
However (respectfully)……what I GOT….. was Annie…….alone…..all alone on the stage……playing with/to backing tracks. True, it was super foxy, red vinyl thonged, Annie, accompanied (as always) by her great voice and that rad crunchy guitar playing……but as wonderful as all of those things were (are)….I went there to see a SHOW, to FEEL the music played by PEOPLE….not to watch Annie sing St. Vincent Karaoke. My wife and I left halfway into the fourth song.
The stage show felt "phoned in". Almost like somone said "meh, just put her up on the stage and play the songs on the iPod and that'll be good enough". I don't know what happened that led to the decision to make the show just Annie by herself, but I hope it's a one-off kind of thing and the band will join for future performances.
Simply put, for live shows, Annie alone is not enough. Live vox and guitar aside, the show basically consisted of listening to the album with a whole bunch of strangers crowded around a stage…. if I wanted to listen to the album, I'd listen in my car….like I do…..all the time.
I was not satisfied. However, i will still be following St. Vincent because I like the music. I am open to and interested in seeing them live again, but only if they put together a real live show…..or simply bring a band.
best,
Cameron
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