Not Too Feisty

(Sisters.)

You know something is wrong when one of the most exciting moments at a concert is the revelation that you look like Ira Glass.  So describes the evening I spent watching indie songstress Feist at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom. 

Ever since I stumbled upon Feist’s CD “Let It Die” three years ago, I can’t seem to get enough of the Canadian chanteuse.  Not even a fraught over article for an upcoming issue of Movmnt profiling the director of her videos, Patrick Daughters, or his overplayed Apple-endorsed clip for “1,2,3,4” could put a dent in my love.  So when I snatched up a trio of tickets and headed to the concert with Abby Ras and David, I expected to be wowed. 

In many ways, I was.  Feist’s voice has a way of escaping from her body directly to your ears; so clear that it cuts through the crowd like an indie angel descended from the heavens with the sole purpose of singing.  There’s barely a hint of vibrato, and more power than would be estimated from her frail body. 

Her powerful instrument was on full display from the moment she appeared behind a screen, straight hair tossing as gently as the white fringe that covered her dress.  A powerful, amped-up rendition of one of my favorite songs, “When I Was a Young Girl,” got things going and for a while it was smooth sailing.  Backed by a small (but loud) band of trumpeters, guitarists, a pianist and a drummer (I’ll get to the overhead projectionists later), she plowed through a collection of her up-tempo numbers in an effort to get the packed ballroom going; it was a feat she never fully accomplished.

(Shadow Feist.)

Sure, there was the occasional romping womanager (woman who behaves like a drunk teenager) who bounced across the front of the balcony.  But she seemed like a lone cheerleader hyped up on Red Bull in a sea full of people who had been slipped ruffies.  Mid-way through the hour-and-a-half set, Feist descended into song after song chronicling heartbreak of the most wrist-cutting degree.  In a venue a quarter of the size (or on my headphones) these songs would have been revealing and poetic meditations delivered by a skilled vocalist; in the cavernous Hammerstein Ballroom they were swallowed whole. 

Perhaps most at blame for the uneven, and ultimately forgettable, evening was the venue of choice.  Feist is an artist who has passed from indie to mainstream and is therefore capable of filling larger venues, but it doesn’t mean she should.  The production of the show was so desperate to maintain its low-budget quirkiness that the enormous crowd of people seemed like a contradiction to the material being presented.

(David was jealous that I found my look alike, so he posed with Matt McConaughey.)

(Abby was even more jealous, so she posed with Mary-Louise Parker.  This picture is 100% real.  Not a bit of Photoshopping.  Abby is just...)

Guitars rotated in and out of Feist’s skilled hands, but one thing remained constant: the only occasionally charming use of an overhead projector as the main design element.  Taken straight from a third grade classroom, the projector screamed hipster-chic, and often required three or four people to operate it.  Fireworks, toe-tapping legs, or feces colored waves filled a small square of light projected on the back wall but only added to the list of things that seemed out of place in the space. 

A few high-octane songs crept into the last half of the set (a rollicking cover of Nina Simone’s “Sea Lion Woman” woke the crowd up) but as she closed the show with a trio of ballads I couldn’t help but feel a tad disappointed. 

Making our way out of the theater, Abby, David and I bemoaned the late start and recounted our disappointment at the unmemorable show.  Standing on the subway platform, I turned around to see my twin Ira Glass staring back at me from an ad for “This American Life.”  Perhaps I shall begin a career posing in subway stations next to the ads.  If I put on Feist’s album, I might be twice as lively as the concert.

(Check out a video of the proceedings above!)

Comments

[Miriam]

It's so sad that you found the show to be kind of disappointing. I've watched tons of clips of her live performances and it makes me want to see her live soooooo bad. She's playing the Prospect Park bandshell this summer and I want to go to that but if what you're saying about large crowds killing her show, I'm skeptical. She would probably be really awesome to see at like Town Hall or a similar sort of venue. She's fucking awesome none the less!! Found this clip of her on youtube that rocks http://youtube.com/watch?v=gewyHjQ3bNc

[Nick]

Loved the vid - FAS! I wanted more Abby/David commentary... bring back the talking heads!

[Allison]

At least you know what you will look like in the years to come! And not a bad look alike- This American Life is my favorite. Did you know Philip Glass is Ira's fathers' first cousin? Neato family.

[sophie b]

Though I loved it, I definitely see what you're saying about the not-so-mainstream artist in the huge venue. She kept saying that she felt like the people in the balconies across the floor were on the Titanic. I think on Tuesday the crowd was getting pretty impatient while Hayden was on, so the excitement over Feist's eventual arrival livened things up.

[Jes]

There is nothing more disappointing than seeing an artist you love in a live show that makes you wish you had just stayed home and listened to the cd! I felt like that when I saw Dave Matthew's Band back when I still thought that he was good...a long time ago...and the only redeeming factor was his violinist.

On a brighter note, we saw The Swell Season this past week at the Wilma and it was INCREDIBLE! Top five favorite concert experiences ever! I can't wait to tell you about it! I fell in love three times in one night and concluded at the end that the first one to ask me to marry him would win. (That was acting...thank you).

xoxoxo