Joanna Newsom @ BAM 1.31.08
Joanna Newsom was considered a neat harpist with a weird voice after her first album, Milk-Eyed Mender. I auditioned it years ago and remember feeling mildly annoyed–she sounded to me like she was still struggling with puberty. At the end of 2006, she released Ys, which was everyone's favorite album of the year, including mine. Now she's a minor superstar. After tomorrow night's show sold out, she added a second show at Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Tonight, she played the first set with the Brooklyn Philharmonic; it consisted of the five tracks of Ys, played in order, and entirely faithful to the Van Dyke Parks arrangements featured on the album. What struck me during this part of the show was that her voice was better than on the album, and that her voice on the second album was better than on the 2004 album. This made me think that we are in for a real treat for album #3. I also enjoyed hearing the instruments emphasized differently vs. the album; the horns especially were more prominent.
Most of the audience, Brooklyn hipsters sprinkled generously with lesbians, was cowed before she started. I think we all felt we were in the presence of something special, and there were moments where the harp and the orchestra and the voice and lyrics were together so overpoweringly beautiful that I wasn't sure how much more I could take.
Fortunately there was an intermission, so I didn't have to melt. She came out for a much more light-hearted second set, without the orchestra, in a dazzling red sun-dress. She played with a single banjo, violin, and drums for an hour, mostly stuff from Milk-Eyed Mender, but a few new ones that were terrific, including a drawn-out version of Colleen from the new EP, and a particularly excellent unreleased song hysterically code-named Barbara, as the drummer feels that she's overly fond of female first names for songs.
There wasn't much chit-chat, which I always find disappointing as one of the reasons people pay for live music is to connect to the musician, but remember this girl is twenty-five years old. Luckily the drummer got "fidgety" and pulled out his Obama 2008 shirt, which sparked a plug for "the candidate with the most progressive record, including Kucinich." Audience response was enthusiastic but quietly enthusiastic, which makes me wonder about Obama's chances in New York; I mean if this crowd isn't going to get excited for him, who is?
Maybe they were numb from two hours of being reminded what really matters. I for one thought of Ms. Newsom speaking on outrageous pleasures in an old Arthur Magazine:
"We are allowed such an insane depth of beauty and enjoyment in this lifetime. It’s what my dad talks about sometimes. He says the only way that he knows there’s a God is that there’s so much gratuitous joy in this life. And that’s his only proof. There’s so many joys that do not assist in the propagation of the race or self- preservation. There’s no point whatsoever. They are so excessively, mind-bogglingly joy-producing that they distract from the very functions that are supposed to promote human life."
Show is only over for a few hours, but there are already a number of photosets posted. The above pic comes from my favorite, shot by Kyle Dean Reinford.
Comments and faves
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Heather L. (39 months ago | reply)
I missed her show at Pop Montreal 2 years ago and I still shudder to think what I missed. Ys with the Philharmonic? Thats the sound of my heartbreaking.
ahhh..., quercus_woodelf, rosewithoutathorn84, god lived as a devil dog, and 3 other people added this photo to their favorites.