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Jared Heck

St Vincent played Chicago's Riviera Theatre, covered Nirvana's "Lithium" (pics, video, setlist)

photos by James Richards IV

St. Vincent at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre – 4/5/14
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St. Vincent is an alien from another world.

This much might be obvious to anyone who has digested the sonic mayhem of her albums, with guitars distorted beyond recognition, baritone saxes providing a funky bite and a Theremin being tortured in place of a solo.

And yet Annie Clark’s meticulously choreographed stage show for her self titled tour suggest that this alien has a scarily deep insight into our heads and a palpable tension as she readies an attack.

“Hello ladies and gentleman, and hello others,” Clark addresses the audience. “We’re not so different, you and I.” In between songs she’ll slyly suggest the questionable behavior and thoughts we all share while leaning heavily on her own creepy confessional. She’ll admit to fantasizing about seeing people naked on the L, about looking at her hands and believing there to be a mix-up, or telling a lie and fearing the universe might be punishing her.

Such is the way an alien might communicate, but Clark utilized the remainder of her near two hour set at the Riv Saturday night seducing, entrancing and terrorizing through her exotic dancing and strobe lighting used “extensively.” [Brian Welk]

St. Vincent has been supporting her new self-titled album on her ongoing tour which already hit NYC at Terminal 5, SXSW, and came to Chicago this past Saturday (4/5) for a show at the Riviera Theatre (which the above review is from). Like on the rest of her tour, she played a lot from the new album and Strange Mercy, in addition to earlier favorites like “Your Lips Are Red,” and because this show coincided with the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death, she covered Nirvana‘s “Lithium” in the encore. A video of that cover, plus pictures (including opener Noveller) and the setlist from the show, are in this post. Her tour brings her back to Chicago in the summer for Pitchfork Festival.

In related news, Nirvana get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this Thursday (4/10), and Courtney Love gave some updates on the Hole reunion which were less than hopeful.

More St Vincent pictures, the “Lithium” video and setlist, below…

St. Vincent – “Lithium” (Nirvana Cover) in Chicago

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St. Vincent at Riviera Theatre – 4/5/14 Setlist:
Rattlesnake
Digital Witness
Cruel
Birth in Reverse
Regret
Laughing With a Mouth of Blood
I Prefer Your Love
Pieta
Every Tear Disappears
Surgeon
Cheerleader
Prince Johnny
Year of the Tiger
Marrow
Huey Newton
Bring Me Your Loves
Northern Lights
Krokodil

Encore:
Strange Mercy
Lithium (Nirvana Cover)
Your Lips are Red