Wmcmanus Posted February 24, 2011 Report Posted February 24, 2011 You're in Maryland, right? Incidentally the last stop on Hahn's current tour is in Bethesda on the 27th, probably still time to get a ticket. http://hilaryhahn.com/on-tour/ Saw her several years ago at Carnegie Hall with Aaron (immtbiker). Just incredible.
Dusty Chalk Posted February 28, 2011 Report Posted February 28, 2011 Went to Hilary Hahn, of course, that was sublime. She didn't come out for autographs, surprisingly, because "she wasn't feeling good". Which didn't show, because, amongst a terrific performance, they played three encores (one each solo, and once paired again). Justin, you have a much more critical ear for technique beyond just hitting the right notes than I do -- they certainly hit the right notes, but I do feel they evoked whatever it is they were trying to evoke successfully as well. In fact, the pianist made it look quite careless, like she just happened to be hitting the right notes without even trying. Perhaps she's simply improved since you saw her. I don't know. But as a reference point, she's much better than I will ever be. I'd be happy enough hitting the right notes. The Bach partita was particularly good, that was worth the price of admission right there. The Antheil sonata I also enjoyed a great deal -- reminiscent of Stravinsky a bit, and very cinematic. On the way in, I was asked by the attendant at the ticket booth if I knew my sister (by name)..."yes, she's my sister"..."for real?"..."ayup"...etc. Was slightly disorienting -- didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but she seemed pleased enough, so I forwarded some salutations to my sister. Unfortunately, my 'nockers fell apart, so I could only see what I could see anyway, and I sat towards the left (must remember to get a seat towards stage right...must remember to get a seat towards stage right...must remember...), so couldn't see the pianist's hands anyway. Oh, and this looks interesting.
mypasswordis Posted February 28, 2011 Report Posted February 28, 2011 Yeah I try to get tickets to stage right/audience left no matter what for these concerts even though I don't play piano anymore, just because looking at the pianist hitting the keys is cool. Looking careless kind of implies that she didn't really care, which was my point. Not that she didn't hit the right notes (which you kind of have to do unless you're old Horowitz or something) but that she didn't really put thought into her playing to make it special or beautiful, or even consistent in terms of tempo and the like. Anyways, like I said, I'm sure it was nice and I'd like to have been there. I've been sitting here for the past couple hours writing a paper and writing code. Still got more work to do, going to do a birthday dinner tomorrow so won't really have time to do anything tomorrow night. Good shit. Cool that the attendant knows your sister, I'm sure it was a good thing. I haven't recorded anything in so long since school has gotten in the way, feels bad. I also need to do a little private concert sometime in the near future, haven't performed in front of people in awhile.
Dusty Chalk Posted February 28, 2011 Report Posted February 28, 2011 I'm not conveying myself correctly -- maybe I shouldn't have used 'carelessness'... What I'm trying to say is that she went beyond just hitting the right notes, and was trying to convey whatever the piece merited. For example, in the Antheil, the pianist is require to stretch almost the entire length of the keyboard (sillily, I might add), hitting the upmost registers with the right hand, and the lowermost registers with the left. She almost looked like she was throwing her hands haphazardly onto the keyboard, and I think that's what the composer was going for. There was another piece where she really had to bang on the thing (the Ives, I think?), and she really went at it. I think she did really well. I would love to hear you play some time, so count me in if you need volunteer audience members.
Voltron Posted February 28, 2011 Report Posted February 28, 2011 On Thursday, I am going to the Symphony with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting and Anne Sofie von Otter singing. On Friday, I am hoping to see Kaki King with Zoe Keating at Yoshi's SF. Reminds me to buy tickets for the latter.
Dusty Chalk Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 A review of the Hilary Hahn performance I went to...and my response (quote from an email to a friend of mine):Actually, that review is pretty spot on. The big difference is that I totally dug the Ives and the Antheil, especially because they were so acerbic and non-traditional (the Antheil moreso than the Ives -- the Ives I would have just called "modern"). I even agree that I heard the Stravinsky influence in there pretty heavily, but I didn't mind it. I think that reviewer just doesn't "get" contemporary classical and dissonance. I think Hahn deliberately chooses contemporary pieces (her most recent recording includes a piece commissioned by her composed by Higdon) just plain because she enjoys playing them. Not everything needs to be serene and beautiful, sometimes acidic is just what the doctor ordered. I suspect she's looking to be tested to her limits, in every which way, not just speed and beauty and evocativeness. She didn't come out for autographs afterward -- apparently she wasn't feeling well! Which really didn't show. I totally agree that the Bach Partita was worth the price of admission alone. My jaw was on the floor for pretty much the entire piece. And stage presence -- I am reminded of Kraftwerk, who supply some funky grooves, all while standing completely still. I distinctly remember seeing them in the early 80's, and one of the four couldn't help himself from bouncing to the groove just a little bit. She would have been that fourth member. She did move just a little bit (especially during the Ives, I think it was), but she is otherwise very focused, and has an almost Eric Johnson lack of stage presence. But she's a classical violinist, so I'm not exactly sure she be Mick Jagger strutting around the stage, neither. I think it could best be described as "purely professional". My 'nockers fell apart as I pulled them out of their container, so I felt uncomfortable using them. Alas. I know she was bare-shouldered and was wearing something with yellow-orange and rust colors, but that's about all I could tell you. Cleavage was invisible to me at that distance with just glasses. She does have a beautiful neck, though.PS The Halou/Wiser anniversary show (in which they will play the album in its entirety with a string section) is set for May 14th. I have my ticket, but I'm not sure I'm going yet.
Voltron Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 I've never heard of Halou. Oh well. Last night was SF Symphony with MTT. Hindemith's Concert Music for String Orchestra and Brass was pleasant although MTT's exuberant intro almost built it up too much. Then Ann Sofie von Otter sang Scandinavian Songs in Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian and Danish, and I had a hard time looking at her due to the silliness of her facial expressions and body gestures. Her voice was beautiful even singing those odd tongues, but the quick encore was a song in Italian and that seemed easier to grasp even though her jaunty gestures were completely out of control for that one. The closer was Brahm's Serenade No. 1, which was nice romantic fare. Tonight is going to be Kaki King and Zoe Keating. Wish Vicki were here, but I did invite immtbiker now that we are sure we are going. Grahame, Ric, or anyone else in the neighborhood should pick up some tix too. 8pm show.
Dusty Chalk Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 Halou is a local band (to you), indie/alternative/trip-hoppy, electro and guitars, and the lead singer's voice makes my toes curl (in a good way): (extended version not from the album, unfortunately -- that section from about 4:04 is curtailed just a tad). C'mon, come with me, tickets are less than US$20. My sister may not be in town, so there's no guarantee that I won't be going alone. (And that's an open invitation to anyone in the San Francisco bay area.)
blessingx Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 (edited) I have a cheese-making class tonight, but just queued up Zoe on MOG (she stays off major labels so not in their library), and above Halou filled up selections instead. First couple songs do sound nice Dusty. Edited March 4, 2011 by blessingx
blessingx Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 If anyone is interested in the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, they're at Stanford for a Sunday matinee. Let me know as I'll be there.
Voltron Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 Are you really coming out for that show, Dusty? I might go with you, but not exactly sure because I will be back in trial at that point. Enjoy getting cultured tonight, Ric.
Dusty Chalk Posted March 5, 2011 Report Posted March 5, 2011 PS Zoe has played with Halou before. I forget what the circumstances were -- they may have become Stripmall Architecture by then (that's what they're known as now). Yes, I am really coming out for that show. That is easily my favorite album from 2001. I think. PPS It's a Saturday.
Dusty Chalk Posted March 11, 2011 Report Posted March 11, 2011 Just came back from Oh Land/OMD. 's'awesome to hear good synthpop played in a concert scenario. For the 9:30 club, sound was pretty good for OMD. For Oh Land, not so much -- someone left the subwoofers on "Black Sabbath". Or maybe it was the "Rave" setting. I can never tell the difference. I still bought her album, because what I could hear sounded really good. Washington DC area audience was surprisingly energetic and responsive, making OMD feel like returning heroes, and Andy McCluskey has an amazing frenetic energy (which I'm told he always had) -- I hope I work my way up to having that much energy by the time I'm 51. Superb show. They played all of my favourites except The New Stone Age, which he warned us at the beginning he wouldn't (something to the effect of, "we didn't know what to play, so we're playing it safe -- those of you who came for the wierd stuff are going to be disappointed" -- he was just managing expectations, and I think it was the right thing to do -- I grieved for a fraction of a second, and then got over it, just like that (snaps fingers)).
mypasswordis Posted March 11, 2011 Report Posted March 11, 2011 Her voice was beautiful even singing those odd tongues, but the quick encore was a song in Italian and that seemed easier to grasp even though her jaunty gestures were completely out of control for that one. The closer was Brahm's Serenade No. 1, which was nice romantic fare Sadly it seems more the norm than the exception nowadays, you gotta put on a little show and do some stupid acrobatics and grimaces to make people think you're talented and musical. I think it's bullshit, if I ever have to do it to gain an edge or approval I'm quitting music. That said, I probably do it a little subconsciously, but always only because of and for the music.
aerius Posted March 21, 2011 Report Posted March 21, 2011 Saw Sarah McLachlan at Massey Hall last week, in one word, wow. It's not the same as seeing her in a small venue with 10x less people, but in this case more was better. Special goodness: Greg Keelor showed up for the encore to sing "Dark Angel" with Sarah.
Dusty Chalk Posted March 26, 2011 Report Posted March 26, 2011 Saw The Joy Formidable last night -- fucking rawked.
Voltron Posted March 29, 2011 Report Posted March 29, 2011 The last 3 shows I have seen: Kaki King & Zoe Keating: Zoe played first and is very interesting to watch as she samples and doubles and multiplies her cello with an automated program. It is a great sound and she tells entertaining stories to boot. Kaki was the feature act, although she barely played any longer than Zoe because Yoshi's (which she called a swank jazz club) has 8pm and 10pm shows. She says that this tour is (was) named "nothing ventured, nothing gained" because she is traveling around with a collection of odd guitars and trying to reinterpret her own songs and others'. Aside from her usual electric-acoustic Ovation Adamas 6-string, she has a very, very cool hi-strung 12-string made by Joe Veillette in NY that is incredible sounding, a 7-string Russian style acoustic, and a harp guitar that sounds more like a tuba guitar. Really cool stuff pictured below in the reverse order just mentioned. Sad part is she ripped a tendon in her right arm and canceled the Chicago show that I assume Mike was going to see but the good news is she is playing again as of today and will re-schedule the missed shows. Go see her if you can. Seriously. SF Jazz Collective: The 2011 collective is a younger and *relatively* less star-studded group but the core studs are still there and some great new folks have joined in the last two years like Avishai Cohen on trumpet and Stefon Harris on vibes. They selected Stevie Wonder as the composer whose works they arranged and used as inspiration for their original compositions, and that was the first time that they chose a pop music artist rather than a traditional jazz great. It worked out great and their renditions of Ma Cherie Amour, Blame it on the Sun, and Superstition were awesome, and the original works were excellent as well. One in particular was cool because it was mostly piano and trumpet, with Cohen playing into the open grand piano while the pianist occasionally plunked the strings in addition to straight playing. Marc Ribot accompanying Charlie Chaplin's The Kid: Claire and I and Ric and Melissa went to see Ribot play a live score on guitar for The Kid and weren't sure how it would work out. It was fantastic. He played a little before the movie started and then played non-stop through the 68-minute movie. The sound was great and very evocative. He has a great feel for the movie and his style for the score was amazingly different than a lot of his more edgy work. The movie was quite entertaining itself and after a few minutes I really wasn't watching him play I just focused on the film and enjoyed the score.
Absorbine_Sr Posted March 29, 2011 Report Posted March 29, 2011 I did not have tickets to see Kaki King, but will look for the reschedule. Zoe is doing a solo show May 17th at SPACE in Evanston that we have tickets for. Tonight we saw Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Wow. Just Fucking Wow. I am literally left speechless. If you have the chance, see them. You will not regret it. I bought tickets from StubHub and do not regret what I paid for them at all. What an intense group of musicians.
Voltron Posted March 29, 2011 Report Posted March 29, 2011 That's right, Mike, now I remember you saying you suggested SPACE on her site. I kept doubting myself but I was thinking it might have been somebody else that mentioned they were going rather than thinking it was the wrong act. Do go and see Kaki if you can.
Dusty Chalk Posted March 29, 2011 Report Posted March 29, 2011 GYBE weren't always like that, glad to hear you got a good show.
blessingx Posted April 8, 2011 Report Posted April 8, 2011 My Twiiter review: Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma in SF last night. Joyous and fun, but at times Cirque du Soleil without the acrobats. A bit showy.
Beefy Posted April 10, 2011 Report Posted April 10, 2011 Just got back from the Pixies show in Halifax. Their audience interaction was pretty sucky...... but holy shit can they still rock after 25 years. Hey (Chained) was a particular highlight.
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