Impressed by the Wolf
So last night, on a whim, I decided to go see some folky singer-songwriter inspired by Stockhausen. At least that was what I had gathered from the press release. The fact that I chose to be in the back near the exit for a fast getaway speaks to my lack of confidence. When I saw the mini-guitar, the violin (or is it the viola?), the ukelele, the piano, AND the drums on the stage, I had expected something gimmicky along the lines of--aren't I so cool and multi-talented? And then two people show up on stage without shoes, one the drummer and the other who did everything else...and then my metaphorical socks were fucking rocked off by an incredible artist and performer by the name of Patrick Wolf.
Patrick Wolf is adept on all of the instruments (unlike certain who just randomly add random instruments to their repertoire) and his voice's range and power is as incredible as scary. He rocks out, but it's a slow build-up of quiet sounds, sometimes accentuated by a steady drumbeat. (Tonight's performance the drums were miked too much and overshadowed the piano/guitar/singing sometimes.) In some ways, his music reminds me of Bedhead's musical integrity--just let your music get to where they should be without force and suddenly they are there like a wave washing over you. I prefer him most on piano, as I was converted into fandom by his song "Empress" which started out with Stockhausen covered with Morissey-like lyrics and ended as just rocking out. His strings, while in the strain of non-classical new-music-ish usage, was creative, plucking out the better half of a song on pizzicato. I think this is the first non-intellectual interpretation of Stockhausen I have ever experienced, and that time with feeling instead of intellectual masturbation of aren't I clever.
Through the performance, I got a feel for who he is and what his music is, as though he was giving his audience a little slice of heart to taste. His biography, which I just looked up, makes him all the more tantalizing. I heart Patrick Wolf. And can somebody out there tell me where to find his "Empress" song? It's not on either of his albums; could I have heard the name wrong?
So last night, on a whim, I decided to go see some folky singer-songwriter inspired by Stockhausen. At least that was what I had gathered from the press release. The fact that I chose to be in the back near the exit for a fast getaway speaks to my lack of confidence. When I saw the mini-guitar, the violin (or is it the viola?), the ukelele, the piano, AND the drums on the stage, I had expected something gimmicky along the lines of--aren't I so cool and multi-talented? And then two people show up on stage without shoes, one the drummer and the other who did everything else...and then my metaphorical socks were fucking rocked off by an incredible artist and performer by the name of Patrick Wolf.
Patrick Wolf is adept on all of the instruments (unlike certain who just randomly add random instruments to their repertoire) and his voice's range and power is as incredible as scary. He rocks out, but it's a slow build-up of quiet sounds, sometimes accentuated by a steady drumbeat. (Tonight's performance the drums were miked too much and overshadowed the piano/guitar/singing sometimes.) In some ways, his music reminds me of Bedhead's musical integrity--just let your music get to where they should be without force and suddenly they are there like a wave washing over you. I prefer him most on piano, as I was converted into fandom by his song "Empress" which started out with Stockhausen covered with Morissey-like lyrics and ended as just rocking out. His strings, while in the strain of non-classical new-music-ish usage, was creative, plucking out the better half of a song on pizzicato. I think this is the first non-intellectual interpretation of Stockhausen I have ever experienced, and that time with feeling instead of intellectual masturbation of aren't I clever.
Through the performance, I got a feel for who he is and what his music is, as though he was giving his audience a little slice of heart to taste. His biography, which I just looked up, makes him all the more tantalizing. I heart Patrick Wolf. And can somebody out there tell me where to find his "Empress" song? It's not on either of his albums; could I have heard the name wrong?
posted by Open Mouth at 4:01 AM
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