photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Rachel Kowal

A thick cloak of darkness draped the stage of Radio City when Antony Hegarty began to sing. My eyes trained on his white floor-length robe, the only thing that shone through the fog and shadows.

With its piano melodies and strings arrangements, the Antony and the Johnsons discography is far from sonically lacking. But after hearing the opening measures of "Rapture," the aptly named first song of the evening, it quickly became clear that Hegarty's music was destined to be bigger. And tonight it got that chance, thanks to the addition of a talented sixty-member orchestra. Under the guidance of conductor Rob Moose, Hegarty's music unfurled and exploded into a host of symphonic crescendos. And soon, the darkness on stage subsided as one-by-one, the screens that blanketed the stage began to lift to reveal a dream-like installation of hanging 3D geometric shapes. A restrained laser show only added to the mystique, at times blanketing Antony in a twinkling world of colorful light.

It was that rare kind of performance that breaks your heart only to have the pieces lovingly reassembled, down to the tiniest, most tender bloody shard. Hegarty's lyrics may reveal inner turmoil, but filtered through his sprawling multi-octave voice and unflinching poise, the painful material becomes mesmerizing, life-affirming, and wildly triumphant.

Combining songs from all four Antony and the Johnsons albums and at least one EP, the set revealed the evolution of the band's music, as well as Heggarty's emotions. He even threw in a surprisingly moving rendition of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" (slowed down and fleshed out to make it nearly unrecognizable). Hegarty powered through the majority of the set, playing some fourteen songs without speaking. But following the dramatic unveiling of the orchestra during "Her Eyes Are Underneath the Ground," Hegarty broke his spell of silence to introduce and sincerely thank everyone who helped make the MoMA-commissioned one-night event possible, including Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) on piano and Nico Muhly who - along with Maxim Moston and Rob Moose- arranged much of the music. "Well that's quite the bulk of the show," said Hegarty. "I'm so fucking glad. It was so ambitious, this production! It was really insane."

After the applause and laughter died down, Hegarty and his 60+ band mates signed off with two additional songs before the golden velvet curtain slowly made its descent, prompting the audience to collectively exhale before erupting into an elated standing ovation that resonated beautifully throughout the cavernous hall.

More pictures and the setlist from the 1/26 show, below...

Continue reading "Antony and the Johnsons & orchestra played Radio City Music Hall (pics, review, setlist) "

Doveman at LPR in 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Doveman will continue his Burgundy Stain Sessions at Le Poisson Rouge into 2012 with LPR shows happening on April 13, July 13, October 5, and December 7. No guests have been announced for these shows yet, but as we saw last year, we can count on many interesting musicians to be making appearances at these shows. Tickets for all four dates are on sale now ($20 each or $60 for a four-show pass called "(Le) Billet Rouge")

Meanwhile catch Doveman aka Thomas Bartlet on 2/6 as part of MoMA's Modern Mondays, "a film discussion series at The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2."...

An Evening with Tom Kalin and Doveman
February 6, 7:00 p.m.
For this evening, musician Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) (American, b. 1981) and filmmaker Tom Kalin (American, b. 1962) will discuss their collaboration, which began with a series of short films inspired by Doveman's 2009 album The Conformist and continues with an ongoing project that explores the intersection of recorded and live music, digital composition, and projected film. The pair draw inspiration from themes of broken romance, the truth of small gestures, and transcendentalism in addressing such contemporary issues as displacement and urban isolation. Kalin, a prominent figure in the New Queer Cinema movement, is well known as both a feature filmmaker (Swoon [1992] and Savage Grace [2007]) and as an experimental filmmaker (Third Known Nest, 1991-99). He was a founding member of the AIDS activist collective Gran Fury, known for its provocative public art projects. Doveman is a band founded by the 30-year-old Bartlett, who studied piano with Maria Curcio in London before moving to New York City to attend Columbia University. His ongoing live performances, known as The Burgundy Stain Sessions, occur monthly at Manhattan's Le Poisson Rouge. Organized by Barbara London, Associate Curator, Department of Media and Performance Art.

One of Thomas's recently played shows was as part Irish folk-music group The Gloaming at GlobalFEST (at Webster Hall). You can listen to the set at NPR who write:

The Gloaming features indie-pop favorite Thomas Bartlett (a.k.a. Doveman), fiddlers Martin Hayes and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, guitarist Dennis Cahill and singer Iarla Ó Lionaird, whose vocals electrified the collection of pieces by fellow Irishman Donnacha Dennehy which became one of NPR Music's favorite albums of 2011. Bartlett's moody musings at the piano provided a dark undercurrent to Celtic reels and jigs.

All future Doveman dates (that we know about right now) are listed below...

Continue reading "Doveman extends LPR residency, speaking at MoMA & stuff"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

The guest-filled six-night run of National shows came to an end on Saturday night (12/17), complete with an opening set by Bristol, England-based group This is the Kit who the National discovered on their recent tour of Europe. Maybe you watched the whole show livestreaming online.

Most of the guests on Saturday were the same as Friday, though no Trey. Saturday guests were Thomas Bartlett, Nico Muhly, Richard Reed Parry, Rob Moose, Nadia Sirota, Conrad Doucette and yMusic. Ben Lanz, who also played Thursday and Friday, was on trombone again after leaving the band earlier this year to join Beirut full time.

More about Night One HERE. Night Two HERE. Night Three HERE. Night Four HERE. Night Five HERE. More pictures and the setlist from Night Six, below...

Continue reading "The National played 6 nights @ Beacon Theater (pics, setlist) "

photos by David Andrako

National week at Beacon Theater continued on Friday night, 12/16, for the fifth night in a row. Shara Worden's project My Brightest Diamond opened the show and she later joined The National on stage as did Thomas Bartlett aka Doveman, Richard Reed Parry of the Arcade Fire, Conrad Doucette, Rob Moose, Nadia Sirota and string quartet yMusic... and Phish's Trey Anastasio who members of the National are working with right now. As Jambands.com points out:

"The Phish guitarist emerged partway through the group's set for "Blood Buzz Ohio," "Squalor Victoria" and "Murder Me Rachel." While onstage, the members of The National described the guitarist as "a hero of ours." Anastasio reemerged alongside Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed Parry the evening's opening act My Brightest Diamond to play guitar on "Terrible Love." All of the night's guests then joined the members of The National for an acoustic sing-along based around "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks." National frontman Matt Berninger was particularly chatty throughout the show, jokingly describing Parry as a member of Kings of Leon and declaring "that's the sound of faces melting" after Anastasio's performance."

More about Night One HERE. Night Two HERE. Night Three HERE. Night Four HERE. More pictures and the setlist from Night Five (though none of the opening set unfortunately) below....

Continue reading "Trey Anastasio & others joined The National on Night 5 @ Beacon Theater (pics & setlist)"

words by Christopher Paragraph, photos by Veronica Luis

Thomas Bartlett's "Burgundy Stain Sessions" has carved out its own unique place in the NYC music scene, bringing tasteful, acclaimed songwriters together with some of the most skilled players in the city. The songwriters in the Burgundy spotlight have ranged from Beth Orton to St. Vincent to Rufus Wainwright to Glen Hansard. This night, however (last night, December 1st), seemed to be a new direction for Bartlett's ensemble, hosting Loudon Wainwright. Loudon rarely collaborates with other musicians and mostly performs solo, so the show was anticipated with cautious excitement and curiosity.

The night started out with the band quietly taking the stage, slowly melding into the opening song with a bit of a wink: Bartlett's "Drinking," which was navigated well by the group. Hannah Cohen joined as a guest vocalist on Bartlett's next song "Boy + Angel," foreshadowing her forthcoming set. Bartlett has mastered the art of making a wandering piano sound precise, and avoids musical clichés without abandoning them. He can wear many different hats on stage equally well, whether taking the reigns as lead singer or smattering notes carefully behind another.

The first guest of the night was Oren Bloedow. Bloedow is the instrumental half of Elysian Fields, but this performance focused on his abilities as a songwriter. He revealed a keen sense of well-crafted pop, in the Joe Jackson / Elvis Costello vein. But his lyrics showed a more complex sensibility, giving equal attention to the meaning and syntax of the phrasing and the actual phonetic sounds of the words themselves. This poetic nature of his songs proved to be the way in which they succeed and separate themselves from the pack. The band (which will be detailed later) provided a well-suited backdrop, displaying Bartlett's skill as the artistic equivalent of a live music A&R man.

Next up was Hannah Cohen, who just finished her debut record (with Bartlett). She played a few smooth, dreamy numbers from the forthcoming album before changing pace with a samba-ish cover of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love." Cohen shows a gift for carefully placing melodies rather than pouring out her soul. The songs are tastefully restrained, even when showing off a vocal run, ghostly and delicate. She seems a perfect candidate to work with Bartlett. Cohen sounded at her best when the arrangement was stripped down, allowing the songs to loosen and bend. It will be interesting to see where she goes as an artist in 2012 and how her debut record sounds. A video preview both morose and sexy can be seen HERE.

Before the anticipated Wainwright set, Justin Vivian Bond was invited up to perform an odd epic heartbreak ballad that challenged concepts from self-identity to deism. This seems to be a trend in how Bond builds a song, as the night's encore echoed the same conceptual structure, a "patriotic" story song that implied thoughts on sex, politics, and natural selection.

Wainwright took the stage, laughing at the fact that he was "back on Bleeker Street." (Wainwright started out here in 1968.) His set began in a rather unexpected manner, a duet with Bartlett on Frank Loesser's "More I Cannot Wish You," from Guys & Dolls. From there, however, Wainwright launched into a few of his old classics, backed seamlessly by the house band (a phrase which seems to instantly undermine their talent). First was "White Winos," a devastating song about alcoholism and his relationship with his mother, which transitioned nicely into "Dreaming," based on a quote of his mother's, "I'd rather be dreaming than living." Wainwright is the quintessential songwriter whose music is morbid under the microscope yet cheerful under a casual glance. The songs are masked in bright melodies and performed with nonchalance, but closer inspection will almost always present the listener with a sharp dissection of the human psyche. Wainwright then played "Motel Blues," (a personal favorite) and a roaring rendition of "Muse Blues" which was most "rocking" moment of the night.

The final encore brought everyone up on stage (including returning guest Norah Jones) to collaborate on an interestingly wobbly re-working of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," in keeping with the dreamy, melancholic theme of the night.

The band provided a thoughtful, dynamic backdrop for Wainwright (and all the evening's performers). Rob Moose's guitar was particularly great, at times supplying a bed of precise fingerpicking, other times creating a subtle dissonant distortion, reminiscent of his recent work with the Grammy-nominated Bon Iver. The rest of the band (Doug Wieselman on clarinet, Ray Rizzo on drums, Brad Albetta on bass) were just about all one could ever ask for in a backing band. They are well versed and experienced with the careful tactics of songwriter-accompaniment.

Bartlett revealed that this would be the last Burgundy Stain Session of 2011 but that they will be back in action early next year. They have created something that supports the musical community and promotes collaboration and songwriting. Here's hoping they continue to grow in 2012.

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Catch Thomas, Doug and Loudon together again at Town Hall on December 15th.

by Christopher Paragraph

Martha Wainwright @ City Winery - 11/21/2011 (photo by IreneSenra)

Nath-Ann Carrera started the night off with a handful of songs that inhabited a unique place between standard country western ballads and bizarre gay-themed narratives. It was clear from his opening monologue that this was a performer who was about more than just the music (he stepped out, barefoot, in a short white gown and brown headdress.) Carrera performed songs by Hank Williams and Townes Van Zandt, but was at his best when spinning original yarns that were as sharp and strange as his on-stage persona. (One involved a lesbian kidnapping Frank Sinatra, skinning him alive on a meat hook, and using it to make handbags to sell to hippie boutiques.)

Martha Wainwright, who was playing her 2nd November City Winery show, came out in a short dress of her own - perhaps inspired by Nath-Ann, and perhaps unaware of how close the front row was to the stage. She joked with the gentlemen in the front about how they were getting a special show thanks to her "genetic leg kick." (Martha, like her father Loudon, tends to jerk her left leg up while playing...) Wainwright performed songs from her two studio albums as well as a handful of new songs slated for her upcoming yet-to-be-completed record. Wainwright has come a long way since her original role as the perennial family back-up singer. Her two records have received critical acclaim worldwide, and she has created a second career for herself interpreting the music of Edith Piaf. It seems Piaf's music is where Wainwright has found her true inspiration as a singer, as her songs are filled with the same emphatic, dynamic emotion. Wainwright's ability as a vocalist shined as she showed a control over her voice that held the crowd entranced. Her banter between songs also showed off a brash sense of humor and comfort, providing comic relief between some pretty intense moments. The height of which was her performance of her late mother's classic "Talk To Me Of Mendocino," which walked the line between devastating emotion and soaring melody.

The second half of the set, which also included a guest appearance by Justin Vivian Bond for one song, employed the work of Thomas Bartlett (a.k.a. Doveman) on piano, who proved to be the perfect accompanist, aptly complementing Wainwright's musical tendencies with subtle, effective flair. Wainwright has developed a unique musical identity in her now-trademark style of shaking a melody out like loosening a cramp, singing over conventional yet somehow unexpected suspensions, and writing lyrics that are both personal and enigmatic. She is far more talented than her recognition might indicate (at least in the US). She possesses both precision and soul, and the ability and awareness to tastefully present it on stage. At the end of the night the crowd demanded Wainwright's return, which she granted, performing "Tell My Sister," another classic song of her mother's, and closing the night with a new original number that left the audience even more curious about what Wainwright has in store for her next record.

On December 15, the Wainwright/McGarrigle posse will join forces with Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, and many more to present "A Not So Silent Christmas" at Town Hall. All proceeds will benefit the Kate McGarrigle Sarcoma Research Fund. Flyer below.

Wainwright fanatics who can't wait that long can also see Loudon perform at Bartlett's "Burgundy Stain Sessions" on December 1 at Le Poisson Rouge.

Continue reading "Martha Wainwright played City Winery (with Thomas Bartlett), Loudon playing LPR (with Thomas too)"

Justin Bond & Thomas Bartlett (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

As you may have noticed in What's Going on Sunday, both Allen Toussaint and Justin Vivian Bond played shows at Joe's Pub on Sunday.

Allen's show, entitled "A Southern Night", is part of "the Joe's Pub New York Voices series" and happens again three times this week. All three are still on sale (11/21, 11/22 & 11/23). The singer, pianist, songwriter, arranger and producer "will feature songs from the album as well as songs that relate to the Toussaint Family." His full list of dates is below.

Performance artist, comedian and singer Justin Bond is also playing more shows, and all with Thomas Bartlett on piano. Tickets are still available for November 27 and December 04.

Thomas Bartlett, aka Doveman, also has his own show coming up, another Burgundy Stain Session. No guests are announced yet but tickets for the December 1st show are on sale. (UPDATE: Loudon Wainwright & Hannah Cohen have been added to the December 1st show)

P.S. Happy 10th anniversary Brassland Records (who are giving away a song a day all this month including ones by Doveman)

P.S.S. Frequent Doveman collaborator Martha Wainwright is also in the midst of a residency that continues Monday night (11/21) at City Winery. Tickets are still on sale.

Continue reading "Allen Toussaint, Justin Vivian Bond & Doveman shows"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum, words by Rachel Kowal

Glen Hansard, Sharon Van Etten, a Dessner



Other Voices, an annual musical festival held in Dingle, Ireland, may not be nearly as old as the town's pubs, but it has already become a rich, meaningful tradition since its inception in 2002. Though typically held in a tiny church, Other Voices jumped across the Atlantic and landed in Le Poisson Rouge for a couple of nights this week with the help of Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), Glen Hansard, and others--and it's all for a good cause! (All proceeds of the shows go to benefit Fighting Words, a writing center for children and youth in Dingle.)

"We don't know where we're going, we don't know where we'll be when we get there, and when we get back we probably won't know where we've been, so join us on this journey this evening," said Irish actor/writer Gabriel Byrne effectively introducing the event's pleasantly discursive nature. What unfolded over the course of the next three-and-a-half hours was a hearty round of poetry, prose, and music, much in the spirit of Doveman's monthly series, the Burgundy Stain Sessions.

Artist after artist shuffled onto the stage. Highlights included Glen Hansard's beautiful stories and songs, a newer piece by Thomas Bartlett (appropriately about the rain), a song or two from the talented folk singer Sam Amidon, a beautiful brand new piece written just yesterday by Bryce and Aaron Dessner that was inspired by the streets of Dingle, a couple of traditional songs by renowned Irish fiddler Martin Hayes, Joseph O'Connor's reading of an ode that creatively highlighted many of New York's music legends, and a surprise performance by Sharon Van Etten (and her sister Heather). The guests just kept coming. Bell X1 (who played a Smiths cover), Martha Wainwright, Jape, The Lost Brothers, Justin Vivian Bond, Nico Muhly; and from the Irish literary scene: Philip King, Roddy Doyle, Colum McCann, and Paul Muldoon. An unrecognizably shaggy Damien Rice even made a surprise appearance to play a couple of beautiful, completely unplugged and unaccompanied songs on his acoustic guitar.

The camaraderie in the air was thick. Though each artist had a chance to be in the spotlight, its loose structure allowed for one-of-a-kind impromptu collaborations. After a week of running around to catch ridiculously brief sets, often with compromised sound, it was a nice change to remain still and embrace a long, calming set as talent after talent humbly took to the stage. If you go tonight, just make sure to wear comfy shoes or arrive early to snag one of the few seats.

More pictures from the night below...

Continue reading "Other Voices (Glen Hansard, Sam Amidon, Doveman, Bryce & Aaron Dessner, Sharon Van Etten & other surprise guests) @ Le Poisson Rouge -- night 1 pics & review"

words by Rachel Kowal, photos by Lionel Bergeron

Lisa Hannigan @ Rockwood Music Hall

Though penciled into the calendar at Le Poisson Rouge well in advance, Doveman's monthly salons (aka Burgundy Stain Sessions) are typically characterized by spontaneity and surprises. The cast of musicians is constantly shifting as new people are introduced and former collaborators quietly fall off the roster. Traditionally, little about the shows is scripted - at least until the latest session.

For perhaps the first time since the shows began in January, a set list lay on the floor of the stage on June 24th. Of course that doesn't mean it was strictly followed.

Thomas Bartlett (or Doveman) kicked off the show solo with a Randy Newman cover ("Real Emotional Girl"), but it wasn't long before special guest Lisa Hannigan joined in on vocals and guitar. Having collaborated with each other early last year, Hannigan and Bartlett complimented each other nicely. Hannigan may have entered into public consciousness through her part in Damien Rice's 2002 album, O, but she's clearly got enough talent and charm to do more than just the occasional backing vocals, as she demonstrated in her debut solo release in 2008.

As Hannigan's segment wound to a close, other guests started popping up to contribute everything from brand new songs to classic covers (like John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads"). Hannah Cohen (who is apparently working on an album with Bartlett), Dawn Landes, Mike Doughty (who was Bartlett's first tour-mate), Glen Hansard (named the "MVP" by Bartlett), Justin Bond, and backing band Ray Rizzo, Rob Moose, and Josh Kaufmann all made appearances before the evening was up.

As for next month's show, who knows who Bartlett will pull out of his hat. Tickets are on sale for July 29th, September 23rd and October 28th. No guests are announced on any of them yet.

The Doveman show was one of a few in NYC that week for Lisa Hannigan who also played two sold out shows at Rockwood Music Hall where she performed with a full band including John Smith who also opened with a short set of his own music. Lisa's set consisted of a number of new songs from "Passenger", as well as songs from her first album "Sea Sew". They finished with a cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus". Pictures from the first Rockwood show are in this post and they continue below...

Continue reading "Lisa Hannigan played w/ Doveman, Rockwood Music Hall (pics)"

by Rachel Kowal

Rufus Wainwright & Doveman @ LPR (photo by Nicole Gitau)

After missing the last two Burgundy Stain Sessions, I was glad to be back for the fifth installment of Doveman's salon-style shows at Le Poisson Rouge. Between the rotating cast of musicians and the experimental, anything-goes attitude, you never quite know what you'll get over the course of the evening.

Though multiple artists are on the bill, the layout is rather unconventional. Instead of a series of individual performances, all of the artists collaborate and contribute to one long set. It's not seamless, but that's kind of the point. "My goal is for things to be kind of gloriously sloppy here," the host, Thomas Bartlett admitted at one point.

Bartlett (aka Doveman), kicked off the evening with a soft, melodic song on the piano, but it wasn't long before he was joined by a trumpeter and clarinetist who deftly made their way through the crowd and onto the stage, playing all the way. After a few Doveman songs, The GOASTT, aka Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl (of Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger) jumped up from their perch on the side of the stage. Easily one of my favorite parts of the evening, the GOASTT portion ranged widely in emotion and style. One minute it was French spoken word (Lennon) peppered with onomatopoeia interjections (Muhl) and the next featured smooth accordion-rich melodies.

After a few more from Doveman, there was a one-song interlude to "give the band a break" and Barlett welcomed his friend Nathan to the stage to deliver his wildly entertaining "lesbian separatist murder ballad" about the Manson family. Though it sounds odd, it's really the frenetic pacing that keeps things interesting and keep me returning month after month.

As promised, Rufus Wainwright joined in after the break, to wild applause from the audience. Fresh from their Kate McGarrigle tribute at Town Hall, Bartlett and Wainwright (McGarrigle's son) played a few touching covers in addition to one from Wainwright's own discography, "April Fools."

At some point, Muhl and Lennon returned for the grand finale, which, after much buildup and back story turned out to be a cover of "Across the Universe" (with Lennon on backing vox). Apparently, it was the first time Wainwright and Lennon played the song since their collaboration nearly a decade ago for the post-9/11 peace show organized by Yoko Ono. Of course after the Beatles cover, which sent chills down my spine, the encore (the Neil Young cover song "Only Love Can Break Your Heart") was just icing on the cake.

I can only wonder what next month's show will bring.

--

No guests have been announced, but tickets are on sale for the June 24th show at LPR. Doveman also plays a free show in Prospect Park with Junip and the Books five days earlier. Rufus has some stuff coming up too.

photos by Vincent Cornelli

Doveman played another guest-filled show at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on Saturday night. The backing band was comprised of Brad Albetta (bass), Ben Perowsky (drums), Rob Moose (guitar, violin), and Doug Wieselman (clarinet, bass clarinet). Thomas Bartlett was joined by guests Martha wainwright, Justin Bond, Hannah Cohen (whose record Thomas is producing), Jennifer Charles of Elysian fields, Norah Jones (as advertised), Sara Quin (of Tegan and Sara), Nico Muhly, and Frames/Swell Season singer Glen Hansard. Pictures from the party are in this post.

No guests have been announced for Doveman's next shows yet, but this pats show's lineup has been the norm (read about past shows HERE and HERE), so get your tickets in advance if you want to go on May 26th or June 24th.

Meanwhile, Thomas/Doveman and Doug Wieselman will be two of the special guests at Jesse Harris's final residency show at the same venue this Tuesday night (4/26), as will the recently-added Kaki King. Tickets are still on sale.

Jesse, Doug and Martha Wainwright all share a bill, along with Elvis Perkins, at Cameo this Friday as part of the next edition of Noncerts which is still on sale.

You can also catch Martha on May 12 and 13 at the two shows honoring her late mother at Town Hall.

More pictures from Saturday's LPR show, below....

Continue reading "Doveman played another guest-filled show (pics), Martha Wainwright plays w/ Elvis Perkins & Jesse Harris Friday"

photos by David Andrako, words by Rachel Kowal

When you hear the word 'ecstatic,' chances are classical music isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind. Even Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), one of last night's featured musicians, admitted that his music was "kind of quiet" and snoozy." But a cursory glance at Nadia Sirota's frenzied delivery on the viola, and the classicaly-bent Ecstatic Music Festival's choice adjective doesn't seem like such a misnomer.

The evening was arranged in three parts, one for each of the featured musicians. Of course, the performances were also highly collaborative and often called for all five performers (including violinist Rob Moose and cellist Clarice Jensen) to be on stage. "We're all friends and drinking companions," Bartlett revealed.

As evidenced by the the recent stringof Burgundy Stain Sessions at Le Poisson Rouge, Bartlett is no stranger to performing with a wide range of talented musicians, but after nearly a month of touring solo in Australia, he averred that extra musicians were a welcome addition. "I think I'm hallucinating the quartet," joked the jet-lagged pianist early into the show. Bartlett and company played a selection of Doveman's melodious songs, including a brand new one about lost love that he wrote during his recent trip abroad.

Following Bartlett's portion, Nadia Sirota moved to the center of the stage, her viola tucked safely under her arm. With its measured, gentle introduction, her first piece, 'Drums and Viola' provided a smooth transition from Bartlett's music into her more frenetic contributions. But with each passing movement of the song, the tension rose. To keep up with the heightened pace, Sirota inhaled sharply every few beats, which made her performance even more physical and impassioned. Like Thomas Bartlett, Sirota was also thrilled to present a new piece - Missy Mazzoli's 'Tooth and Nail'.

The final leg of the show featured Owen Pallett's sprightly selections. Though he is best known for his elaborate violin-looping skills, Pallett (who used to be known as Final Fantasy) started on the keyboard, accompanied by Bartlett and the slightly truncated strings section. After a few songs however, he picked up the violin so as not to betray his fans or the event poster. The majority of Palett's songs came from his last album, Heartland, but he also played an older song or two, including "He Poos Clouds."

Besides one odd technical difficulty when the music halted temporarily during the "difficult" song ("Lewis Takes Off His Shirt"), the acoustics were excellent, thanks largely to the carefully-engineered wood paneling in Merkin Concert Hall.

After each musician had the chance to show off a selection of songs from his or her repertoire, the group united on stage once more to conclude the evening with Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart."

--

Doveman has more shows coming up and Owen Pallett is headed down to Texas now. More pictures from the Ecstatic show, below...

Continue reading "Owen Pallett, Thomas Bartlett, Nadia Sirota & friends got 'Ecstatic' @ Merkin Concert Hall (pics)"

NY Times: You have a new CD out in March called "Justin Vivian Bond: Dendrophile." Explain.

Justin Vivian Bond: A dendrophile's a person who gets an erotic charge out of nature. I am one! This is a record for the tree-hugger community. I do Bambi Lake's "The Golden Age of Hustlers" on it, and also a duet of the Carpenters' "Superstar" with Beth Orton. As for Vivian, that's my self-given middle name. Justin is a very male-identified name, and I wanted something that would balance it. I had an uncle named Vivian Francis. He was a wonderful person, but he changed his name to Victor. He didn't like being Vivian. But it's fine with me.

Justin Bond, who seems to stick to the intimite confines of venues like Joe's Pub for headlining shows lately, will celebrate the new CD release with a headlining show at Bowery Ballroom on April 5th which is four days before the CD Release show in San Francisco. Tickets for the NYC show go on sale at noon today (2/24).

Opening the Bowery show will be Doveman who Justin (and pretty much everyone else mentioned in this post so far) recently joined for a show at Le Poisson Rouge. Maybe Justin will pop in again when Doveman and guests return to LPR on March 16th. Tickets are still on sale for that.

Justin, who was in attendance to see his Scissor Sisters and Lady Gaga play Madison Square Garden this week, also has a special show coming up at Joe's Pub on March 7th - a new musical he co-wrote with Sandra Bernhard and Scissor Sister Jake Shears. On March 9th Justin hosts a book reading in NYC.

Watch a recent video feature on Justin, Joe's Pub footage included, below...

Continue reading "Justin Bond releasing 'Dendrophile', playing Bowery Ballroom w/ Doveman (who produced the album) & stuff"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo, words by Rachel Kowal

Dawn Landes, Norah Jones & Doveman

January's inaugural Burgundy Stain Session began softly with just Sam Amidon and Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) on stage, but for the second show in the series (2/8 at Le Poisson Rouge), Bartlett, the host, took a different approach. "Tonight, I thought we'd start with everyone on stage," said Bartlett excitedly, prompting nine additional musicians (dubbed by Bartlett as his "all-star backing chorus") to emerge from the audience and assume their positions. Crowded around a few mic stands, the group launched into a sweet, melodic Doveman song, "Angel's Share." (Beth Orton had to cancel due to 'unforeseen circumstances.')

Modeled after a salon, the Burgundy Stain Sessions are largely unscripted and free-flowing. "Sorry I didn't give anybody a set list," Bartlett eventually confessed. "I don't even really have a set list. I'm just making it up as we go." But instead of resulting in a sloppy mess, the music came together nearly seamlessly, thanks in part to the grand maestro, Doveman, who conducted both verbally ("I need A flat right here!") and with his animated body language (sudden glances, wild head nods).

Following the happy unification of musicians at the top of the show, the spotlight shifted to unannounced returning guest Glen Hansard. Once he had procured a pick from someone in the audience, he was ready. At the last Session, Hansard turned to Bartlett and announced, "none of your jazzy shit," but on Tuesday night, he seemed to be going along with it, as evidenced by their first song together. Apparently the song was brand new. "So Glen recorded that not too many days ago," Bartlett revealed. "His friend went to take a walk and he wrote it."

Many of the musicians are long-time friends and collaborators. Bartlett and Hansard met six or seven years ago (Bartlett can't really remember), and Amidon entered the picture long before that as was evidenced by the impromptu reunion of Popcorn Behavior, the childhood band Bartlett and brother Sam and Stefan Amidon (ages 13, 13, and 10 respectively). In addition to a Popcorn Behavior song, Sam played a song or two of his own, including "I See the Sign," which featured Doug Wieselman on bass clarinet.

Next up was Steve Salett who showcased some songs from his project, The Poison Tree. (His debut album is due out in March.) Much of Salett's songs were marked by technical difficulties due to some cell phone interference, prompting the group to stop while Bartlett switched his cell phone to airplane mode (it turns out his phone wasn't the culprit), but the show continued, thanks to Salett's booming baritone and his picturesque songs about the broken-hearted.

Apart from Glen Hansard (who was also present at the last Burgundy Stain Session), perhaps the biggest surprise guest of the evening was Norah Jones who performed a couple of songs, including a lovely cover song by the late Canadian singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle, "(Talk to me of) Mendocino."

Since Le Poisson Rouge was set up in the round, the performers faced inward on stage... with exception of the theatrical Justin Bond, who made sure to sing to the whole room. Before beginning to play, the snarky, morose performance artist managed to both hit on Sam and get the whole room laughing. "I'm feeling horny and generous tonight," said Bond by way of introduction. "So someone might have a very nice evening tonight... and it might just be me." Bond played a series of songs, often featuring lyrics borrowed from (delightfully risque or provocative) poetry.

The "genderqueer" singer definitely elicited the most laughs of the evening. "I've got some bourbon. It's in a plastic cup, but it looks like glass, so hey! I'm all for things that look like one thing and are another," joked Bond. It was wise to conclude the show with this rousing performance, but the end still came rather abruptly and unexpectedly, leaving Bartlett to quickly ramble off next month's collaborators: Elysian Fields, Martha Wainwright, Sara Quin (from Tegan and Sara), Dawn Landes, David Thomas Broughton, and more. Tickets are still on sale for that show, and for Sam Amidon's show at Glasslands, and for the one Justin Bond has coming up at Joe's Pub on 2/20.

More pictures from the 2/8 show below....

Continue reading "Doveman played another salon w/ Norah Jones, Glen Hansard & more (pics), announced guests for next time"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Beth Orton, Glen Hansard & Dawn Landes @ LPR

When Glen Hansard sets foot on the stages of a sold-out City Winery TONIGHT, it'll be his third visit to an NYC stage in a month. As advertised, The Frames frontman/Swell Season sensitive-man recently hopped on stage with Beth Orton, Sam Amidon, Nico Muhly, Dawn Landes, and as hinted, St. Vincent at the Doveman "Burgundy Stain Session" at Le Poisson Rouge in January (where these pics come from)...

"Thank you so much for coming," Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) began. "This is the first of these concerts that I'll be doing, and I thought it would be nice to start with just me and Sam because me and Sam have been playing music together since we were five."

The two kicked off the show with a simple, lovely, and faintly religious little song, "All is Well." Ringing out with repeatedly, the titular refrain seemed like a perfect starting point for the evening...

...After Sam had played through a few of his songs, he casually announced, "We're in a gospel mood," which was apparently Annie Clark's (St. Vincent) cue to make her way to the stage to fulfill her role as a "great gospel guitarist." Crouching down on stage in the shadow, Clark joined Amidon for one more song before the spotlight officially shifted to her. As she stood up, the stage lights shone through her messy main of curly hair, creating a halo that complimented her Amidon-annointed title....

...The evening proceded with a potpouri of performances. Hardly a song or two would pass before the configuration on stage would change. Beth Orton, Glen Hansard, and Dawn Landes would each have their turn. "One thing I realized is that I hate talking on stage so much that things are really going to need an emcee," Bartlett joked...." [Rachel Kowal]

The Poison Tree, as I wrote back in August 2009, "is Brooklyn, NY singer songwriter Steve Salett [of the King of France] and a rotating cast of collaborators borrowed from acts including The National, Rufus Wainwright, Antony and the Johnsons, and David Byrne." The Poison Tree's debut album will be released this March 15th on Embarque...

In recording its debut album, The Poison Tree leader Steve Salett, drew on a community of extraordinarily talented musicians that formed around Salett's Saltlands Studio and Saltmines rehearsal spaces in Brooklyn. "I approached it as, 'if you build it, they will come.' After that, a space and community coalesced organically around the rehearsal rooms," says Steve. "For The Poison Tree, we were able to pull musicians who regularly use the Saltmines. If we needed violin, trumpet, whatever, we just walked down the hall."

The supporting cast is extraordinary: Thomas Bartlett, better known as Doveman and briefly a member of King of France, provides much of the atmospheric Wurlitzer, piano, and organ parts. Of The Poison Tree, he says, "Steve is one of my favorite songwriters. Each song is a simple, perfect gesture, but with an elusive, enigmatic quality that will never lose its fascination for me."

Singer Dawn Landes, who will open for Justin Townes Earle on the road next month and also sang on Josh Ritter's latest album, also sang on 'The Poison Tree' record and did some engineering work. Others include bassist Jeff Hill (Rufus Wainwright), drummer Konrad Meissner (Graham Parker), and trumpeter C.J. Camerieri (Rufus Wainwright). Gary Mauer of Hem co-produced the album with Salett.

Lastly, besides writing all of the songs and playing guitar and vocals, the multi-talented Salett also co-produced and plays dulcimer, Rhodes, and whistle.

Don't forget that Sam Amidon has a show coming up at Glasslands on 2/16 (tickets), and even before that will join Nico Muhly, Bishi, Bryce Dessner, and ACME at St.Ann's Warehouse as part of Nico Muhly's Tell The Way. Tickets are available for all three shows, Feb 10th-12th.

More pictures from the 1/14 Doveman are below...

Continue reading "guests announced for 2/8 Doveman show (Justin Bond, Poison Tree, Beth Orton) --- St .Vincent, Glen Hansard & more played last time (pics)"

Martha Wainwright at Le Poisson Rouge (more by Chris La Putt)

[Monday] night was the first of Martha Wainwright's four Monday night shows at The Rockwood Music Hall. Although Martha said she was thinking of the scene in Crazy Heart where only four people show up, the smaller room at The Rockwood was at capacity. Martha played solo guitar but was joined by Thomas Bartlett on piano for a few songs. The program was a combination of songs written the past week, some older material and one cover, a Kate McGarrigle (Martha's mother) song. -[Now I've Heard Everything]

I'm not sure if Thomas will be there to play with her again tonight, and I'm not sure if Martha will be one of Thomas's guests at one of his two upcoming shows at LPR, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was. Thomas's guests this past week were Sam Amidon, Glen Hansard, Beth Orton, and as hinted, St. Vincent.

If you need a double dose of Wainwright this week, you can also check for Martha on Wednesday, 1/19, at the Living Room when she joins Addie Brownlee as a special guest in celebration of Dolly Parton. Tickets are still available.

If you need somewhere to go after Martha tonight, the Living Room is also a good option with Jim Campilongo Electric Trio (with Stephan Crump & Tony Mason) on at 10pm. Maybe Martha will head there too since Jim happens to also often play in her band. Jim is also in the midst of his own (very long-running) Monday night residency on the Lower East Side.

Martha Wainwright's full tour schedule and some videos below.

Continue reading "Martha Wainwright in residency @ Rockwood, playing a Dolly Parton show @ Living Room & other dates"

DOWNLOAD: Doveman - Love Shines a Light (Katrina & the Waves cover) (MP3)

Thomas 'Cibo Matto' Bartlett @ LPR (more by Chris La Putt)

Doveman (aka Thomas Bartlett and sometimes a band) is starting a new salon series of collaborative concerts at NYC's Le Poisson Rouge. "The Burgundy Stain Sessions" kick off on January 14th at 7pm with very special guests Sam Amidon (who also plays in Doveman when Doveman is a band), Glen Hansard of the Frames and Swell Season (who Thomas has also played with before), Beth Orton (ditto), and "special guests." Rumor says the special guest for the first show might be St. Vincent.

Thomas says the shows will be "a forum for me and my friends to try out new material, showcase new bands, explore new collaborations, and drink." Drink with them. Tickets are still on sale for the January show. Look for lineups and tickets to soon be announced for the next shows which will take place on February 8th at 10pm and March 16th at 10pm.

Doveman recently appeared at Le Poisson Rouge as part of the reunited Cibo Matto, and also has a NYC show coming up at Merkin Hall in March.

Sam Amidon also has other shows coming up including three in February with Nico Muhly at St. Ann's Warehouse.

photos by Chris La Putt

"Saw a very briefly reunited Cibo Matto play "Birthday Cake". #my1999dreamcometrue #soooooawesome" - St. Vincent

Cibo Matto fans (like Chris) may have been a bit disappointed at Le Poisson Rouge last night (12/6). That's because the semi-reunited group only played four songs at the show which was billed as "Yuka & Miho cover Cibo Matto". Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori were backed by Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), Dougie Bowne, Doug Wieselman and Steven Bernstein (who also played the Bob Dylan event at the same venue one night earlier). After the four songs, a cake was brought out for Yuka who was celebrating her 50th birthday.

The show opened with a 15 minute noisy Nels Cline solo set followed by the Cibo Matto set, followed by a break before Floored by Four took the stage. As you know, Floored by Four is Mike Watt, Dougie Bowne, Yuka Honda, and Nels Cline. (there was more jamming after that - as Nels advertised there would be to the end the night - but Chris took off before the end).

The show was unofficially part of Wilco Week here in NYC which also saw Mikael Jorgensen playing with Yo La Tengo at Maxwell's last night while Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone were not far away in Tarrytown (Jeff, John and Pat played a variety of NYC and Hoboken shows on the three nights prior).

Doug Wieselman plays again tonight, 12/7, at the Stone.

More pictures from the LPR show, two videos and the Cibo Matto setlist below...

Continue reading "Cibo Matto sort of reunited, Yuka Honda, Nels Cline, Mike Watt & friends jammed @ LPR (pics, video, setlist)"

photos by Richard Termine

DOWNLOAD: Antony - Thank You For Your Love (MP3)

"This is how it must feel to be an ovum," the singer Antony Hegarty said with a tone of gentle amusement as latecomers flooded down the aisles of Alice Tully Hall during the concert he presented there on Saturday night. It was the second time this singer, who goes by his first name, stopped to let stragglers find their seats. Earlier he had abruptly cut off a song just started -- "Ghost," from his rapturously lovely new album, "Swanlights" -- then tried to smooth over an awkward silence by whistling Satie's "Gymnopédie" No. 1...

...Here, performing as part of Lincoln Center's White Light Festival, Antony stood shrouded in shadow and sheathed in a flowing black gown. In place of his Johnsons, the Orchestra of St. Luke's accompanied him in songs largely drawn from "Swanlights" and its predecessor, "The Crying Light." Rob Moose, elsewhere a musically polyamorous violinist, conducted; at the piano was Thomas Bartlett, a sensitive chamber-pop singer otherwise known as Doveman. [NY Times]

I think there were at least two big issues that caused people to be late. One of them was the show's kind-of-unfortunate 7:30pm start time (7:30 sharp on a Saturday night with no opener). The other was that the 1/2/3 trains were all screwed up, and I personally spent the first 30 minutes of the show sitting underground in a train that wasn't going anywhere. At least there were people dressed up for Halloween adorning all the stations and cars. That made the situation feel slightly less tense. That said, by the time I got there, every seat in the house was full, so late or not, everyone eventually got there, and what I saw was unsuprisingly beautiful and worth finally making it there for.

Nico Muhly was responsible for many of the arrangements of the night, and behind Antony and the orchestra was the film "Mr. O's Book of the Dead", a 1973 film by Chiaki Nagano featuring the Butoh master Kazuo Ohno and his troupe. Kazuo is the one on the cover of Antony and the Johnsons' 2009 CD The Crying Light. And as the NY Times sums up nicely, it was "Projected overhead throughout the performance -- even during the awkward breaks -- it was both a potent visualization of gender ambiguity, vulnerability and pain, and a garish distraction from music's transfixing intensity and beauty."

It was Antony's only North American show this year. Hopefully he'll tour some more in support of his new album "Swanlights" which was released on October 12th via Secretly Canadian. Download "Thank You For Your Love" from that LP above, and watch Antony's performance of the same song from the October 8th episode of Letterman in the video, under the rest of the pictures from Lincoln Center, below...

Continue reading "Antony played w/ an orchestra & Doveman & a movie @ Lincoln Center (pics) "

words & photos by Chris La Putt

It's been a disorienting year for Martha Wainwright -- the Montreal-born singer/songwriter lost her mother (renown singer Kate McGarrigle) to cancer, went into labour early (thankfully delivering a healthy baby boy), and took up residence in a new and somewhat foreign home in Brooklyn.

Her remarkable skill at performing onstage is evident in her new live disc, 'Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, À Paris,' which pays homage to legendary French singer Edith Piaf. Wainwright played three nights at New York's Dixon Place Theater for the recording, singing some of Piaf's lesser-known tracks. Her renditions uphold the integrity of the originals, but she also dusts them with her own magic. [Spinner]

Opening for the show were the Mittenstrings which incidentally is partially made up of Martha's two cousins (Anna McGarrigle is their mother) and their friend.

Speaking of family, we'll probably find out soon which "friends" showed up to the "Lucy Wainwright Roche and friends - Album Release" album release show that happened to tonight at City Winery (Ira Glass and Dave Hill at a minimum). And tickets are still on sale for Rufus's December 6th show at Carnegie Hall

This post contains pictures from Monday night's show. They continue, with a video from the show of Martha covering Kate McGarrigle's Tell My Sister, below...

Continue reading "Martha Wainwright sang Piaf @ Le Poisson Rouge (pics)"

words by Rachel Kowal, photos by Getty Images for American Express
--

All week, The National has sponsored nightly events at their "High Violet Annex" to celebrate the release of their highly anticipated fifth album, High Violet. On Friday they even performed a set of National songs at the space. Saturday night's sold-out "ZYNC from American Express Presents The National to Benefit Red Hot" show at BAM capped off the week's festivities which started earlier the same evening at the Annex where 70-or-so lucky attendees were, unexpectedly, given tickets to the BAM show and then bussed to the Brooklyn venue to see the show...

the bus @ BAM

The BAM show began with a brief behind-the-scenes video about their recording process, and then the band launched into "Mistaken for Strangers" and then played a string of new songs. Though the National is technically a quintet, as many as nine additional people joined them on stage to play a variety of string and brass instruments. Sufjan Stevens joined the band to sing backing vocals (like he did on Letterman) on a handful of songs. Sometimes National-members Padma Newsome and Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) made a rare appearance together on stage (usually its one or the other as a member of the band). The biggest surprise band member of the night was the Arcade Fire's Richard Reed Parry who sang backup and played a variety of instruments throughout the set. Richard, Sufjan and Thomas all also contributed to High Violet which is out now.

With its ornate molding, dramatic curtains, and theater-like seating, BAM may be a bit of an odd choice to host what is essentially a rock show, but the beautiful space complimented the dapperly dressed band and gave them enough room to spread out on stage. Possibly sensing that something was not quite right, lead singer Matt Berninger hopped off the stage and began pulling people up into a standing position early into the show.

Throughout the show, Berninger was a sight to behold. One moment, he'd take a sip of white wine and sing softly into the mic stand and the next, he's wildly pacing back and forth on stage with his head down, pounding his hands together like a mad man. The contrast between Berninger's smooth baritone voice and his manic behavior makes for a dynamic performance. During the four-song encore, Berninger leapt off stage again and rushed the audience in the orchestra section. With his impossibly long mic chord trailing behind him, Berninger climbed desperately over anything in his path - be it chairs or people. From the middle of a row, he stood recklessly on a chair, screaming the chorus to "Mr. November" into the faces of ecstatic fans.

When all was said and done, The National played the entirety of High Violet in addition to a number of older songs. Film directors D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus were on hand to direct the live webcast of the concert that was happening on YouTube (the band addressed the Internet audience a few times), and which you can still watch there (some videos below too).

After the show, a fancy ZYNC-sponsored afterparty was held around the corner at One Hanson Place, aka the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, downstairs in the old bank's bottom floor (now used as an event space). The National, their friends and associates, partied until late with an invite-only crowd that also included members of Grizzly Bear and Beirut, and some celebrities who had attended the show (like Julia Stiles). And there was a lot to party about - recently completed Europe tour and a week of festivities in NYC aside - High Violet is selling really well too. More pictures from the show and the afterparty, with the setlist and some videos below...

Continue reading "The National & guests played BAM & YouTube (pics & video) "

photos by David Andrako

The National ended up playing Friday night, Brassland night, at the High Violet Annex, the temporary venue next door to Other Music setup to promote their new record. Before the National were new Brassland signees Buke & Gass who went on around 7:15pm and played for about 20 minutes. Doveman was second and played with the Dessner brothers and Bryan Devendorf for another 20 minute set. The National hit the stage just before 9pm and played eight songs finishing up at 9:45pm. The band hung around and chatted with fans and signed autographs/posed for pictures. Their set list is posted below.

On Saturday, the final night of the High Violet Annex, the first 70 or so people who showed up (at 6PM sharp as advertised) were given a surprise ticket to the BAM show happening that night, and they were in turn bussed there on the "miracle bus". Pictures, video and a full report from BAM coming shortly HERE.

Tuesday night the High Violet Annex space had DJs. Wednesday night Inlets, Zachary Cale, Helado Negro, Julianna Barwick, The Luyas, Talk Normal, Arlt and Martha Wainwright all played. Thursday had performances by the Antlers, Phosphorescent, Sharon Van Etten and members of the National scoring films. The National also found time to play Letterman that same week.

The band has lots of other shows coming up including Radio City in June and Prospect Park in July.

More pictures from the Annex, the setlist and a video of the band playing "Apartment Story" are below...

Continue reading "The National, Doveman, and Buke & Gass played Brassland Friday @ the High Violet Annex - pics, video, setlist"

by Gabi Porter

Patrick Watson has a rare gift of making serious music that isn't really serious at all. He manages to be playful and ramshackle, drinking what he claimed was a pint glass full of whiskey, and looking like he was mischievously playing his mother's piano when he knew he wasn't supposed to, and with posture that would have terrorized piano teachers the world round. He mesmerized a room full of chattering adults at 92YTribeca Friday night, into respectful silence. According to friends at the Bell House for the show the previous night, at one point you could actually hear crickets.

Doveman, who next plays a show at LPR on Thursday night, opened the evening with Thomas Bartlett's sweet and understated falsetto. More pictures below...

Continue reading "Patrick Watson & Doveman played 92YTribeca (pics)"

by Alex Lewis

Sam Amidon @ Big Ears Fest (more by Andrew Frisicano)

Sam Amidon sung the very first note at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville on Friday. Overshadowed on the festival's bill by the likes of famed rock bands (The National, Vampire Weekend) and legendary composers (Terry Riley), many of the badge-wearing festival attendees didn't know what to expect when the tall, flannel-wearing Vermont-native's strange voice filled the Knoxville Museum of Art. But they were soon won over.

In retrospect he was perfect for the role. As a musician who has illuminated elements of Americana, past and present, through his re-imaginings of traditional Appalachian songs Amidon has become a vital member of the contemporary folk community. In the spirit of Big Ears, his music relies on collaboration. Along with Thomas Bartlett (also known as Doveman) and composer Nico Muhly he is a member of the 802 tour, whose performances are beautiful syntheses of three varied musical minds. Amidon had three scheduled performances at the festival. I caught up with him backstage at the Bijou Theater.

--

How did you end up at Big Ears?

Sam: It was through the 802 Tour. We [Nico Muhly, Thomas Bartlett, Nadia Sirota, and I] had done a tour about two summers ago and it was a total blast. So we are always looking to do, not necessarily another tour, but some more shows because we love playing together. While we're all pretty busy, it's usually hard to find a time. But this weekend worked out. Another factor was Bryce [Dessner], someone who we all encounter in different capacities and there are so many people here who we know and play with. For instance, Thomas plays keyboards with The National. There were just so many wonderful musicians so we were totally happy to come play.

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with Sam Amidon (at Big Ears)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Sufjan Stevens

Collaborations were the order of the day on Big Ears' Saturday, March 27th schedule (day two). At 1pm, the 802 Tour - Nico Muhly, Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) and Sam Amidon with violist Nadia Sirota - performed songs written by each. The National's Dessner brothers and drummer Bryan Devendorf joined for a selection of full-band Doveman songs, and the finale was a clamoring, epic version of the folk song "The Two Sisters" arranged by Nico (part of the percussion included Nico combing Thomas's hair). Sam played his own set with help from Thomas one day earlier, and later Saturday night.

Before that, the day started with Andrew W.K.'s Q&A-heavy lecture at the Knoxville Museum of Art (he played a set of music the night before) and a Bang on a Can All-Stars set that included works by Dave Longstreth, both at noon. Dirty Projectors performed later in the day (3:45pm) at Tennessee Theatre on a bill that also included DJ/Rupture and William Basinski who went on at the same time as Liturgy (who played at the Big Ears Annex at 2pm and then again at Pilot Light at midnight).

Clogs took the stage at the Bijou Theater with guests as well. Rumors of a solo set by Sufjan Steven circulated, but he only played one of his own songs, "Barn Owl Night Killer," on piano. Clogs were also assisted by Shara Worden, Aaron Dessner and Calder Quartet. Matt Berninger was delayed en route to Knoxville, so he didn't make his duet on "Last Song," for which main Clog Padma Newsome filled in. That wasn't the actual last song - new-album closer "We Were Here" was, which featured Sufjan on vocals and banjo along with Shara Worden and guitar by Aaron Dessner. A similar show happened in Brooklyn a few days earlier.

Joanna Newsom

The Saturday headliners - Vampire Weekend and Joanna Newsom - both played to sold out crowds (Vampire Weekend at the sprawling, ornate-adorned 1600 seat Tennessee Theater with opener Abe Vigoda). Joanna Newsom's set was opened by Fred Armisen aka Jens Hannemann, a master of "complicated drummer technique." Armisen also joined her set for one song to play awkward and out-of-place cowbell.

At the Tennessee, the night ended with Terry Riley's Autodreamagraphical Tales - music from Bang on a Can over Terry reading from his actual dreams (Eastern religion and weed popped up frequently) - and In C, led by BoaC's Evan Ziporyn and featuring the rest of Bang on a Can All-Stars as well as Calder Quartet, Clogs, Nico Muhly, Nadia Sirota, Gyan Riley, and Terry on voice. The open-ended song stretched to an hour, canceling out any chance to catch late night sets from Javelin and Gang Gang Dance. Gang Gang was stil going when I arrived, but the club shut down the power mid-song and flipped on the lights promptly at 3am, sending everyone home.

A recap of Friday is HERE. More pictures and videos from Saturday are below...

Continue reading "Big Ears Fest Day 2 - Joanna Newsom, Clogs w/ Sufjan, Fred Armisen, Nico Muhly, Terry Riley, more (pics, video, review) "