St. Vincent

With a debut studio album that is as complex and precise as Marry Me, combined with a resume that includes supportive roles in both The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Steven’s touring band, St. Vincent’s show at the Great American Music Hall promised to offer an interesting performance. The venue alone is reason enough to turn out, although the buildings exterior aesthetic appearance does not let on. Upon completing the obligatory I.D. check, you pass from a non-descript entryway into the subtly romantic, cabaret evoking Victorian interior of the concert hall. This one time burlesque is softly lit, faintly illuminating the intricate maze of crown molding which equally covers all surrounding walls spilling upward and out onto the entire ceiling. For St. Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark) the setting could not have been more aptly chosen. The discretely implied presence of palatable history within the venue helped to increase anticipation for the beginning of a set that would undoubtedly feature a healthy selection of songs from Clark’s recent studio masterpiece.

As the house lights dim to accentuate the small stage, St. Vincent takes the stage and from the instrumentation of her band one can begin to guess how Clark plans to portray her studio music in a live setting. She is backed up by a three piece composed of a violinist, drummer, and a fellow who alternates between keyboard, guitar, and bass, and the band, following Clark’s lead launch into a frenzied “Now, Now.” From the outset of the show, Clark’s abilities on guitar become immediately obvious as she forcefully picks out the harmonics that begin the opening section of “Now, Now.”

Coming to the close of the opening song, St. Vincent progresses directly into the second track from their studio album, “Jesus Saves, I Spend,” leaving one wondering whether the band plans to play their complete studio album in its entirety. However, this notion is immediately dispelled when Clark put down her guitar and steps behind the keyboard for an inspired version of “Marry Me”. It is with this song that Clark and her band display their cohesiveness and expressive abilities. Clark’s vocals are fully on display within this song as her voice soars above the band’s solid yet surreptitious accompaniment.

From this slow and luxurious number, the band moves into “Paris is Burning”, one of many shining songs from Clark’s debut album. Like many of the songs played during the night’s performance, the live version of “Paris is Burning” is anything but a simple reproduction of what the band has done in the studio. The originally quick paced “Paris is Burning” is slowed from it’s normal Sousa march tempo, to a slower waltz based beat, changing the feel and tone of a song that laments the long awaited fall of western civilization. With the slowed tempo of the song, the listener truly feels the impact of verses that declare, “We are dancing a black waltz fair Paris is burning after all.”

While the intricate accompaniment from the band helped to strengthen the impact of many of Clark’s compositions, the most unexpected and impressive moment of the show came from a surprising solo performance of The Beatles’ “All I Want is You.” With this cover, Clark demands respect for both her vocal capabilities and comfortability on the guitar, as she brought new life to a widely recognized and much loved Beatles classic. As the night came to a close after an hour and a half of mesmerizing performance, Annie Clark left her crowd thoroughly satisfied, solidifying her status as an accomplished solo performer.

No related posts.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.