If you follow my Johnny Kitties series, you already know how much I love Tim Burton through his collaboration with Johnny Depp, but I think I actually fell in love with Tim Burton first. I've seen all of his movies since the very first one, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, in 1985, and that's when his collaboration with composer Danny Elfman started. At the time, I only knew Danny Elfman as the lead singer of the rock band Oingo Boingo, who performed the title song for the great '80s classic comedy Weird Science. (The video for this song was on MTV often, and who could forget that face and flaming orange hair?)
Pee-wee's Big Adventure marked the start of a 30-year-and-counting creative partnership between these two artists. Tim Burton's films are unmistakably his artistic vision, and Danny Elfman complements them with equally inventive musical scores. They've worked together on 16 film projects so far and, last fall at the Kennedy Center, the National Symphony Orchestra celebrated all of them – except for Big Eyes, which wasn't yet completed at the time – in a multimedia retrospective concert, Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton.
I knew I'd love this concert, but it far exceeded any of my expectations. Can you imagine how my excitement escalated when I opened the playbill and saw this?
For this concert, Danny Elfman created new, shorter arrangements of the scores listed in the program that capture their unique spirit and memorable moments. An introductory medley opened the show as a giant screen above the stage displayed a montage of film clips from Tim Burton's corresponding films. Then, the symphony launched into tributes to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (listen to that film's opening theme here) followed by Pee-wee's Big Adventure. (This music makes me so happy! Listen here. This project was not only the first movie Tim Burton ever directed but also the first film score Danny Elfman ever wrote.) In addition to film clips, the screen displayed several of Tim Burton's film-inspired artwork during each piece. We saw how his weird, wonderful paintings translated into each movie. Tim Burton supervised the development of this concert, choosing which film scenes and artwork to show during each suite. Through much of each piece, though, the screen displayed a gray and black squiggly-patterned drawing that Tim Burton created specifically for use during this concert. He wanted the audience to focus more on his friend's music than his films.
At the end of Danny Elfman's exuberant, joyous concoction for Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, we were in stunned silence for at least 10 seconds before slowly remembering to clap. Our conductor John Mauceri turned around to face us and said, "Clearly, we've mesmerized you..."
It was true! The music, artwork, and artistry created such an intoxicating, immersive experience. We were dazed.
I was surprised by how emotional I became during this concert. I grew up watching all of these movies, making trips to the theaters to see them when they were first released. It hit me that these two have been in my life since I was 11. They saved the haunting theme for Edward Scissorhands, which may be Danny Elfman's most recognized and imitated work, for last because everyone loves it most. Hearing it live with a full choir, courtesy of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, nearly made me cry. But I got distracted by someone two rows ahead of me who was already wiping away her tears.
Then, the Edward Scissorhands suite shifted into happier haircut mode. Violinist Sandy Cameron, with wild hair, dark eyes, and a black leather and lace outfit (no doubt inspired by Edward's look), suddenly got my attention on stage. She played speedily, writhing with the melody like a snake during her electrifying solo. Everyone cheered as she bowed dramatically when finished (and the piece wasn't even over yet). Watch out for her; she's going places... It was clear during this concert that all the musicians had fun performing this music. The emotion and whimsy is infectious!
As if we weren't delirious enough, the show offered an encore with Alice in Wonderland, featuring 12-year-old soloist Thomas Lynch. (Listen here for Danny Elfman's "Alice's Theme.") This light, exciting piece just whet our appetites for what's to come; Alice Through the Looking Glass, Danny Elfman's upcoming film score project that continues Alice's story, is due in theaters next year. Although Tim Burton is not directing this time around, you'll recognize other familiar faces. Are you pacing the floors like I am?
Well, you don't need to be familiar with Danny Elfman or Tim Burton to enjoy this exhilarating show. I took someone with me who didn't know who they were. "That makes me even more excited about you coming with me," I told her. "You don't need to have seen all the movies to enjoy the music. Danny Elfman is different; the music is interesting enough on its own. I think you'll like it!" As predicted, she came out of it a fan – yay! If you're still not quite convinced, this trailer will give you an idea of the awesomeness that awaits you....
After a long winter, springtime makes me itchy to get outdoors. As luck would have it, 930 club offered me some enticing options last year. 930 is a small, no frills, standing-room-only venue that holds about 800 people. Sometimes I arrive really early to ensure a front-row spot by the stage. Other times (and more often these days), I arrive really early and head upstairs to the balcony, where 1) there's a railing to lean against and 2) the sound seems clearer. These things and comfortable shoes are important. I usually forget that I've lost feeling in my feet because 930 shows are usually great. Here are a couple from last May.
The Both, May 2, 2014
I didn't know about this band until Jimmy Fallon told me. Flipping channels one night, I checked the late shows before heading to bed. Aimee Mann, whom I've loved since her Til Tuesday days in the '80s, was on The Tonight Show with some guy I didn't recognize. After their performance, Jimmy Fallon said that, from there, they – The Both – were headed to Washington, DC. Excited, I investigated and planned to go. Thanks, Jimmy!
I've seen Aimee Mann a few times on her own. We must have similar tastes because I always like her opening acts. For this concert, it was Nick Diamonds of the band Islands. This guy also has good taste: he covered "Are You Sleeping" from Harry Nilsson's The Point, one of my favorite albums as a kid, and flooded me with childhood memories.
The Both tour supports the band's self-titled debut album. The second half of The Both is Ted Leo. I didn't know him, but lots of people at the concert did. Like the Sting and Paul Simon shows, there were distinct groups of Aimee fans and Ted fans in the audience. One of my friends who had already seen them on tour warned me that it wouldn't be like an Aimee Mann show. It wasn't; The Both is rockier. Aside from songs from their new album, though, they sang a couple of their solo songs for us too.
I had a lot of room around me, leaning against the balcony railing. People on both sides were sitting behind me more toward the wall and never closed in toward the front. As I scanned the crowd below, my good fortune was spotted by a group of talkers who were all Aimee fans, ventured upstairs, and surrounded me. After every song, they gushed about how wonderful she sounded, how beautiful she looked, and declared their undying love. Then they left in the middle of the show to meet up with someone they'd been texting for drinks somewhere else. Right after they left the building, Aimee sang "Save Me," her Oscar-winning song from the film Magnolia, and a part of me was glad they missed it. (The rest of me was bewildered by them leaving.)
Ted and Aimee make a complementary pair, and the best part of this show for me was actually all of their talking. Apparently, Ted and Aimee have been friends for years – and you can tell, watching them together on stage. It was like listening in on a long chatty phone call. I'd never heard Aimee Mann talk so much. At the start of our show, she mentioned their San Francisco show, where they talked for 25 minutes before realizing they hadn't played any songs yet. She said that wouldn't happen tonight because her brother was in the audience and warned her that he'd probably have to leave early. ("He has kids," she explained.) So, they got started pretty quickly. Throughout the concert, they hit a bunch of interesting topics, like bathroom graffiti and Ted's secret fanaticism for The Hobbit. (He even sang part of a song from a TV cartoon version of the story.)
During the encore, Aimee got heckled by a feisty group who wanted her to play one of her own songs (which I didn't know) called "Red Vines." She politely refused the request because, at The Both shows, she and Ted made a pact to sing every song together, and Ted didn't know this song. "I'm not doing this to be mean, but we're not doing the song," she said. They kept yelling for it, and Ted walked over to Aimee and whispered something in her ear: "Ted's telling me to give in to peer pressure," she reported.
Although she still didn't want to play it alone, she got frustrated by the drunken yelling and bargained, "I will sing the song if you just stop yelling. You can't yell again for the rest of the night – no noise!" (When they broke this rule later, she stopped them short.) I couldn't believe that she put up with these obnoxious fans, and I considered protesting accommodating their demands. Ted broke the tension by saying he could try to play the song; then, she was happy to do it.
It turned out to be wonderful because Ted Leo really didn't know the song at all. We witnessed a first rehearsal. He borrowed a cell phone from the sound guy to find the lyrics, and they started to play "Red Vines." Aimee suggested that she could start the song, and he could come in after the first verse. At the end of the first verse, though, she said, "You look like you need your reading glasses." They were in his dressing room, but someone in the audience saved the day. "Oh my God!" Aimee exclaimed, "Someone just threw you their reading glasses!" He put them on, gave us the thumbs up, and they started again. In the end, he mostly stumbled through backing vocals by watching what she was singing. As soon as the song was over, Aimee threw her head back laughing and we all cheered at the effort. What great performers under pressure!
Here's a song from The Both called "Milwaukee," which captures their goofiness and guitars.
Elbow is a British band from Manchester that I heard during a fashion show that I watched online. Halfway through it, I realized I wasn't paying attention to the fashion but the music being played in the background. Shortly after that, Elbow showed up in DC at 930 while on tour supporting their hit album (the one I heard during the fashion show) called The Seldom Seen Kid. Their popular songs from that album include "Grounds for Divorce" and "One Day Like This." A friend, who had never heard of them before, looked them up and joined me then based on what she heard online. Still devoted fans, we saw them again when they returned.
Aside from writing great songs, Elbow is sincerely friendly, which I always appreciate from performers. Our concert was the first stop on their new tour, supporting their latest album, The Take Off and Landing of Everything. They dedicated a song to 930's staff because, lead singer Guy Garvey said, everyone they've worked with at the club is nice, and playing this venue is always a highlight for them. He also mentioned two friends in the audience, Lois and Dennis, who'd been championing Elbow since the beginning. He pointed them out, in a special balcony spot above the stage. It's refreshing to see nice people make it as successful rock stars.
I love that Elbow uses strings and horns in their alt-rock songs. They always offer interesting melodies, surprising sounds, and wonderful harmonies. Guy Garvey's voice sounds a lot like Peter Gabriel, but Elbow have their own fantastic sound. I liked their new songs immediately but was apparently late to this party. Everyone around us already knew all the lyrics and sang along. By the end of the concert, this behavior was the norm, and the crowd drowned out Guy Garvey's voice at times. After the show was over, my friend shook her head, "Man, they have some crowd-pleasing songs." That's the truth.
Here's a video for "New York Morning," which is on their latest album and features Lois and Dennis! See how nice Elbow is?
You might remember that I saw Rufus Wainwright with his sister Lucy in concert at 930 club for the first time in 2013. It was so fantastic that I vowed to see them whenever they returned. Last April, they did, performing at Lincoln Theatre this time. This historic venue is located a few blocks away from 930 and is owned by the same people. Lincoln Theatre is bigger and fancier than 930 and therefore, to me, seems better suited for Rufus Wainwright. By this time, I'd met a friend who has been a fan of his for years and had seen him in concert many more times than me. She joined me for this show, and we scored a pair of VIP seats in the left-side stage-level box located about a foot away from the performance space. We were already thrilled, and the show hadn't even started yet.
Like last time, Lucy Wainwright Roche opened the show in her delightful way, discussing random topics and asking if we had any questions or comments between songs. At one point, she mentioned Ben's Chili Bowl and how she didn't have a chance to eat before the show. Someone in the crowd offered to get her some food, and a debate began among audience members about whether to get her meat or vegetarian chili. Then she talked about recently playing at Jammin Java in Vienna, Virginia, but no one showed up. She asked us where she should play next time to ensure a full audience. This started another debate with people yelling out various venues and reasons why they're good and bad. She stopped us and suggested that we think about it until after the show and then discuss it some more. I think these kinds of things probably only happen in D.C.
Lucy's voice is very pure and clear, which is what I love about it. I'd also seen her on her own at The Kennedy Center and am always entertained by her stage presence and moved by her songs. When she stops by your town, you should definitely go see her. Here's one of her songs, "Last Time," to give you a taste:
After she finished her set, Rufus Wainwright made a grand entrance onto the stage, wearing an amazing full-length cream-colored silk John Paul Gaultier coat with red floral embroidery, sequin, and other sparkly beading. He said he saw this coat at a party, put it on, left with it, and had been wearing it at concerts for about year now. I could have gone home after this and been happy, but there's more!
Rufus Wainwright has an amazing voice and great musicality. The uniqueness of his songs always surprises me. He sang a few of them and then started playing a dramatic, classical, tornado-like concoction on the piano. The lights flickered and swirled as he told us a story about walking downtown late one night, seeing someone come out of the shadows, and trying to make out who it was....
Then, Liza Minnelli showed up. (It was really Lucy dressed like Liza, but we went with it.) She was led out by masked man in a tux as Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" blasted out of the speakers. They sang a song that Rufus wrote as tribute to Liza Minnelli called "Me and Liza." (The whole thing went something like this, but in English.)
Afterward, he left it to "Liza" to entertain us while he tuned his guitar. In her typical fashion, Lucy asked us if we had any questions. No one really did, and Rufus couldn't believe it: "I know you're all into politics, but this is a real opportunity here," he told us. "This is Liza Minnelli! This is show biz!" (He emphasized this with jazz hands!) Some people began asking goofy questions about Liza's recent appearance at the Oscars and host Ellen DeGeneres's jokes about her. Finished tuning, Rufus took control of this situation –
Rufus: "What was it like having Judy Garland as a mother?"
Liza/Lucy: "Fabulous!"
Rufus: "Okay, let's sing a song."
At this concert, he sang a bit of everything: hits like "Vibrate" and "Out of the Game," new songs like "Argentina" and "Friendship is the Wind," and even pieces from his opera Prima Donna. Among all this entertainment, the highlight of the show was "Candles," a song for which Rufus put his guitar down and silently walked up to the microphone. He sang it acapela, and the song came out of him in every direction, with his entire body swaying like a car dealership's airdancer on a windy day. When he finished, we were silent until one guy among us said, "Whoa." That sparked our eruption of cheers. It was pretty spectacular.
This isn't quite as mesmerizing as the D.C. version, but here he is singing "Candles" in San Francisco in Davies Symphony Hall, June 9, 2013:
Did you know that Sting has the flu with a high fever? Under doctors' orders, he's canceled two shows in New York this week. It's a good thing I waited a year to talk about these concerts to hold you over until he's feeling better.
You all know how devoted I am. Last year, he planned two different local shows two days in a row, so it was my best week ever. First up was a charity performance he shared with "very special guest Paul Simon" at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, which benefited the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. The next night, Sting and Paul Simon performed at Verizon Center in D.C. in support of their On Stage Together tour. I was torn about going to both shows: Must I? Will they be the same? Will it be worth it? Of course!
The first show was on Wednesday, March 12, and I came down with a cold two days before the event. I gave myself a deadline to be rid of it before the first concert. Wednesday morning, though, I was unsure whether I could get out of bed, never mind to Bethesda! But I did get out of bed, put in a full day of work at home, and miraculously felt pretty healthy by afternoon. That's it: Sting has magical powers!
The Performance Series of Legends for the Duke Ellington School of the Arts: Sting and Very Special Guest Paul Simon, Strathmore, Bethesda, Maryland, March 12, 2014
When I arrived, through hurricane-level rain, I was greeted with a program. The cover read, "Sting and very special guest Paul Simon and [previously unannounced] legendary musician Stevie Wonder." I nearly fainted. It was short-lived delirium, though: at the start, they announced that Stevie Wonder had to cancel his appearance in order to attend a funeral. That's an understandable excuse. Then the music started and I forgot that I was disappointed.
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts serves 9th to 12th graders who are immersed in a full academic course and an arts major, which could be dance, literary media and communications, museum studies, instrumental or vocal music, theatre, technical design and production, or visual arts. While this annual event is a wonderful and worthy cause, the organizers really drilled it into our heads that they wanted more money from us than the cost of our ticket. They reminded us before, during, and immediately after the show, which killed a bit of my concert-induced euphoria. I started to feel like I was watching PBS during pledge week or attending an amateur high school fundraiser. But they have to do what they have to do: the arts are essential, so support this amazing school!
Strathmore provides a beautiful blonde-wood-filled concert hall with fantastic acoustics. Despite its three levels of seats, the space is intimate with great views from any spot. My seat was in the second row of the top level, and I still felt relatively close to the stage. Let's get to the main event!
To start things off, the students of the Duke Ellington School for the Arts performed in an orchestra, sang in a small choir, and danced on stage through two of my favorite Police songs. "Demolition Man" included a spectacular guitar solo and four dancers. "Synchronicity" had 20 dancers performing on stage, at first, in pitch black to show off their glowing, blinking shoes. These kids were so bright and joyful, they lit up the room, lifted our spirits, and let us know what made this evening so special.
Next, they accompanied Sting as he sang three of his songs ("Englishman in New York," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," and "Driven to Tears"). Impressed, he suggested that they help him out tomorrow night too, but they left the stage, and Sting played with his own band. Paul Simon shared the stage with him sporadically. They sang some songs as duets, like Sting's "Brand New Day" and Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer." They also traded songs; for example, Paul Simon sang Sting's "Fragile," and Sting sang Paul Simon's "America."
That was one of my favorite parts: Before singing "America," Sting reminisced about coming to this country, aiming for stardom with The Police. He felt driven but uncertain, anxious, and excited about the future. "America," which was playing on the radio during that time, captures all those feelings for him. He sang a quiet, acoustic version of it, which was beautiful and moving, and then he transitioned into a fully electric version of "Message in a Bottle." The Police have arrived!
All that emotion was released during the next song, "Desert Rose," which Sting infused with Bollywood sounds. I loved this new arrangement, but the best part of this song on that night was watching a lone fan – a big black guy who was built like a football player dancing up a storm in one of the front balconies.
After that, the choir kids returned and sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with both Sting and Paul Simon. During this song and "The Boxer," their harmonies blended beautifully. The woman next to me, who was clearly a big Paul Simon fan, got very excited when this song started, and her friends all knew that this was her moment. When the kids began singing its chorus, the song transformed into gospel, and she burst into tears and cried through the rest of it. She even got Kleenex out of her purse.
Sting and Paul Simon ended the show with another duet, "Every Breath You Take." Always a crowd-pleaser, this song capped off an inspiring night! As we gathered our coats, I wanted to ask the woman who cried if she was all right, but instead I asked if she enjoyed the concert. "So much!" she said. "Just seeing them with the kids, it's like....The kids are amazing!" Agreed! That's what it was all about.
Here's a short synopsis about this charity event, which gives you a glimpse of how it went:
Paul Simon and Sting: On Stage Together, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., March 13, 2014
The next night, I felt even healthier. The Verizon Center is a huge stadium, where the Washington Wizards and other sports teams play. These stadiums are pretty impersonal but I go when necessary.
Singing together at Beacon Theatre, New York, 2011
I was immediately struck by how different this performance was compared to the night before. It was bigger and better to fit the enormous space and satisfy the massive crowd. Sting and Paul Simon have been New York neighbors for years, and the idea for touring together came to them after they performed together at Sting's 60th birthday concert at Beacon Theatre in New York, a charity event which benefited the Robin Hood Foundation. (I was there!) Sting described their On Stage Together tour as a musical experiment that merged their bands and musical styles together. Both of their bands shared the stage. This combined group of excellent supporting musicians excelled in the energetic atmosphere, creating music that was full, all-encompassing, and infectious.
As they did the night before, Sting and Paul Simon sang duets and traded songs. While last night's show was more Sting-centric, Paul Simon sang many more of his songs during this concert, balancing out the number of compositions between the two of them. The distinction between Paul Simon fans and Sting fans was much more prevalent too: Groups of us danced and cheered during Sting songs while others sat stone-faced, quietly waiting for a Paul Simon song, and vice versa. Some of Paul Simon's songs were new to me, but I knew most of them, so I sang and danced through it all. This concert was like a joint greatest hits celebration.
On the Sting side, new from the previous night were: "Fields of Gold," "Hounds of Winter," "They Dance Alone," and "Roxanne." I was so excited about "They Dance Alone," a slow song about political prisoners that Sting includes on his 1987 ...Nothing Like the Sun album. I know what you're thinking, but it's an amazing, uplifting song that changes tempo toward the end to signify hope and resilience. Amid my sea of oblivious Paul Simon fans, I longed to be with a group of girls I saw in the middle of the stadium who were dancing in the aisles – as you should by the end of that song.
My favorite thing about Paul Simon is his sense of humor. I think I remember him more from his stints on Saturday Night Live than from his music. This concert reminded me of all of his great classics and introduced me to some new one. Among the hits he performed that night were "The Boy in a Bubble," "Mother and Child," "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "Graceland," "Still Crazy After All These Years," "Me and Julio Down By the School Yard," "Diamonds on the Soles of Their Shoes," and "Call Me Al."
Sting and Paul Simon shared the same duets as the night before, like "The Boxer" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," but Strathmore's intimacy trumped Verizon's arena setting. Here, they also threw in some songs written by other people, like Paul Simon singing "Wheels" by Chet Atkins.
They performed the second of two encores without their bands. Paul Simon said, "The idea for this tour started with two voices and two guitars, so we felt the show should end that way." In honor of Phil Everly, who passed away in January, they sang an acoustic version of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved." After such a vibrant, energetic show, this quiet song reminded us of why we were all there. Blended together, these voices and combined musicianship guarantee an unforgettable musical experience.
Sting and Paul Simon's On Stage Together tour is in Europe right now. If they are coming to a town near you, get your ticket!
Feel better soon, Sting!
Credits: Duke Ellington School of the Arts benefit poster: courtesy of Strathmore; video courtesy of Branden Kownacki; Image from Strathmore performance: Kyle Gufstafson/WashingtonLife.com; Beacon Theatre image: Andy Kropa, Invision/Associated Press; Image from On Stage Together tour show in Houston, Texas, February 2014: Kevin Mazur/WireImages; On Stage Together tour poster: LiveNation
Last Tuesday, I headed down to 930 club to catch Rufus Wainwright on his "Solo" tour. I'd never seen him in concert before, though I have a couple of his covers on my iPod. Intrigued that he'd be playing alone, I didn't know what to expect. I hardly ever go to concerts on a hunch, but I had a good feeling about this one. Rufus has got talent.
I held off buying a ticket until the day of the show. I read a few days beforehand that another Wainwright would serve as the opening act and knew I'd regret not going to what was bound to be a special concert. Maybe sings with his musical family all the time and I just don't know it. In any case, you can't beat seeing someone cool in the intimacy of 930 club's tiny venue.
I arrived after work, feeling lucky and perplexed that the show was not yet sold out. About 20 other early birds and I waited in line for only a few minutes before being escorted into the club early through a side door I didn't know existed. I could get used to this V.I.P. treatment, but letting us in the room before the later arrivals must just be a new crowd-control strategy.
I typically like to be front and center for 930 club concerts so I can see the performers up close, but I headed up to the balcony for this one because I think the sound is better up there. Since I had no knowledge or expectations of what I'd be hearing, I wanted to hear it in the best spot.
I made a good choice because The Wainwrights are fantastic! The
opening act was Rufus Wainwright's little sister Lucy, who played a few of her own songs on acoustic guitar. Not only does she have a great voice and lovely sad songs set to happy tunes, she was also really chatty, friendly, and funny. She greeted us with, "So, you guys don't care about the State of the Union, huh?" After the first couple of songs, she asked, "Does anyone have any comments or questions so far?" People yelled out from the audience and, in her effort to help us get us to know her better, she actually answered most of the questions--everything from her favorite color to the kind of car she drives. (Actually, she didn't answer that one, saying, "It's a long story....It's on its last legs.") Some people in the audience knew her from her Science Channel show, Stuff You Should Know, which she discussed excitedly when asked about it. Someone near me commented, "She's delightful," which is a perfect description of Lucy Wainwright Roche. Her new album will be released in May.
When she mentioned that her half-hour set was coming to a close, people obligingly groaned with disappointment. "Oh, you're sweet," she said. "Don't be sad because Rufus is going to come out here, and he's going to blow your minds."
It was no lie. Her brother was amazing! The room filled up more and the crowd screamed louder for Rufus Wainwright. "Forget the Union, let's have some anarchy!" he suggested. "That's what you guys sound like...and I like it!"
The only songs I knew were "The Maker Makes," which I recognized from Brokeback Mountain, and "Hallelujah," which everyone knows. But it didn't matter because all of the songs were great. They included "Martha," about his older sister, "Going to Town," which he dedicated to the House of Representatives, and "Memphis Skyline," which he wrote as tribute to Jeff Buckley. His sister showed up again to duet on a few songs too.
What impressed me most about this concert was hearing the bare bones of the music. He sang, playing on either a grand piano or Lucy's acoustic guitar, until one of its strings broke and the 930 club's sound guy came to the rescue with a spare instrument. "This is what happens when you don't sell enough records; you can't afford roadies," he said while waiting for the sound guy to get back to his spot.
I love these kinds of little mishaps that make a show intimate and one-of-a-kind. During a fantastic song, called "Vibrate," he missed a note and called out his mistake (which I didn't notice). While covering his mother's song, "The Walking Song," he thought he didn't play a piano section well enough. "That was no good. I have to do that again. It was the sandwich," he said, referring to his pre-show "vegetarian hoagie" dinner. Without interruption, he repeated that refrain to get it right. (It sounded fine to me both times.) We all laughed along when these things happened, as if we were joking around in his living room, but then snapped back immediately transfixed by each song.
I've always seen noisy bands at 930 club, great ones blasting electric guitars, drums, and booming bass lines, who get us jumping and singing along to every note. I've never been there in this atmosphere, with an audience so calmly attentive. The acoustics were perfect and all-encompassing. Rufus Wainwright's voice really commands a room! I expected that but also discovered he's an amazing musician. It was as if he were playing intricate classical music on that grand piano, layering it with a unique melody and well-written lyrics. All of the songs grabbed my attention and made me, for the most part, forget everything going on around me. That's a performer!
Here's a sampling, thanks to YouTube. He sang this song, "Montauk"--from his latest CD, Out of the Game--as part of the encore. This song made me want to run home and buy all of his albums. (You should too so that he can afford a roadie.)
Don't miss Rufus Wainwright when he comes to your town or back here to D.C. He'll leave you inspired.
In the meantime, you can catch Lucy Wainwright Roche at The Kennedy Center as part of Millennium Stage's Songwriters Series on March 24th. She mentioned it during her set and was disappointed that we didn't whip out our smart phones to mark our calendars. I prefer my mental calendar and plan to attend. Join me! She's delightful.
