I am now going to overshare on concert experiences and what I think of when I think of Sara Bareilles, so feel free to skip down to the videos if you need to =)
My introduction to her sticks out to me because she was just getting some popularity at the same time that I was living in Los Angeles (btw Blogger spellcheck has just underlined Los and Angeles in red because it is ignorant). For instance, she spent some time doing many shows at the Hotel Café (known for its singer/songwriter career making), and one of my friends and several of their friends was always going there for her shows (and others). In fact, one of her vague friends, (a FOAF, one of my favorite terms, because it is funny and its funniness kinda informs you to not really necessarily trust anything that follows) knew her because he was in the music "scene" and this hazy source once said that she (not an actual girl named Jane) was the muse behind Maroon 5's Songs for Jane album... again that is alllll entirely hearsay (also nobody really cares, do they? But they do have some degree of history, and still tour together and he and his bandmates are in the "Uncharted" video so they are at least currently friends ), but this is just backstory to give some color to the fact that some people I know were really really into her, and because of that I feel almost like I have a special interest in her (even though I have only a middling affection for her music); and I have seen her live, and it was interesting.
I like her well enough, she has a good voice, and writes a decent pop song. Her live performance is also pretty good, but although her songs are sometimes pretty peppy she was not all that dynamic (could just be her style). I probably would not have gone to see her (I do like most of the Hotel Cafe artists, but usually not very passionately), but again, friends were really into it, and then she was performing with Aqualung and I do like him quite a bit (interestingly enough, in contrast, his songs are more often quiet and careful, but he puts on a hell of a riveting performance) and he had either just released or was releasing Memory Man, I think? I think that's right because it was 2007. So we went.
The night started with the fact that there was a large-ish wildfire in Griffith Park (could double-check the date by that but I'm too lazy), so from where we were on Hollywood Blvd (Music Box/Henry Fonda), you could see the glowing halo of fire in the distance, so everyone was kind of in that weird mood. Fires in southern CA are routine, but also always mildly scary, especially if they are close-in, and when there's smoke in the air and an orange-grey sky, I think there's a certain fire atmosphere, people get a little keyed-up. You could also see the fire glow really well from their rooftop. There was quite a line, and the people around us were as usual an interesting mix - a few older people but a lot of youngish people there more for SB. In line everyone around us was discussing the fire mainly, but there was also an ongoing dispute in front of us as to which Corey was in The Goonies, which I answered for them, and that was kind of rare for me I usually don't jump into people's conversations, and that led to the speaker being really proud of having seen him in a restaurant recently. (I don't intend to name-check stupid celebrities, it's just that this is what was going on at the time and it is a topic of weary yet tireless discussion in LA.)
The show itself was good, SB started out and her rabid fans had surged to the front so my friend and I were a few rows back but still close (small venue). Randomly, I think I saw BSG hottie Jamie Bamber and wife in the crowd (or someone who looks exactly like him), he is from England & so is Aqualung so that could make sense. That was again a pointless tidbit to share, but also part of the night.
Before her performance I was really annoyed by her fans, who were loud and pushy, and during her performance I was equally annoyed because they wanted to sing along and jump around (to not jumpy music). One pair of people who were reallllly into her also kept getting infront of us, elbowing us, talking loudly to each other and using their cell phones, and I don't even exactly recollect all that happened, but I do know that as someone who goes to shows, I expect quite a bit of bad behavior, I am mentally prepared to deal with some amount of jerkitude. And as for singing along and being dancy, I feel like you can sing along to anthems and maybe one or two of your favs, or better yet mouth the words, but I don't want to hear just your offkey screeching during a show. I paid for real singing. Also, the dancing should be music/energy-level appropriate. If it's a show of quiet melodious songs, there's no call for jumping into people. It's not a ska concert. And as a misanthrope who is permanently low-level annoyed with the crowds, this fat bro-sis/lovers couple (they looked realllly related and had a weird cozy vibe) was obnoxious enough to stick out in my memory for all these years since (rivaled perhaps only by a show were drunkies were practically having outright sex on the grass at our feet, and on top of others, perhaps a story for another day).
But the weird (and best) part was that as soon as she was done - a large portion of the crowd (including the losers who annoyed me) up and LEFT. Which to me is also really rude - why come to a show and then skip out on the main performer? I realize they are obv die-hard SB fans and maybe don't care for Aqualung, but it did surprise me. I find it rather disrespectful to the other artists. I don't think I've ever seen it go that way. Usually people show up late to skip openers, but get there for the main deal. Not this time. Apparently he did not have as many rabid idiot fans as she did. But it worked out wonderfully because that put us right on edge of the stage directly front and center and with the perfect eyeline for us to ogle Matt Hales. He put on a fantastic show, which was completely worth all the now-minor-seeming annoyances of the previous hours. As I've said, for a guy who plays mellow piano heavy music, you would think it could be dull, but it was not. He played a lot of his newer music, and people were into it, he was rocking the keyboard and it was great. And when he played the slightly older (and more famous)"Brighter than Sunshine" the crowd was just crazy with joy. In all, it was a lovely lovely night.
Anyways, that is what I think about whenever I hear a Sara Bareilles song. That night, the fires, the crowd, and the awesomeness of Aqualung.
***************************
Ok, enough with the sharing, on to the videos - SB first -
The web-cam good times of "Uncharted" - who wouldn't want to take a class from Professor Benjamin Folds?
Prior to this her breakout song (2007) was "Love Song", which has a cutesy video where she is inside a music player of some sort.
The "King of Anything" video is made so that everything happens in windows/screens/reflections etc. Other than that twist it's mainly just shots of her, but I think it's a nice touch to add a little something to an otherwise straightforward video.
***************************
Now on to the beloved Aqualung:
Let's start off with a live performance video, so you can get a taste (albeit quite hushed) of what the night would have been like - "7 Keys":
"Strange and Beautiful" - a lovely song, with a quiet moody video to go with it. I love the piles of books and junk around him, it lends the right atmosphere (being a neglected forgotten object, hoping to be found). Who hasn't felt like this:
"you turn every head,
but you don't
see me"
AQUALUNG - STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL by huntylch
"Pressure Suit" has a bit more energy, although not much goes on in the video. But he does get wet, so there's that. "Silence is super..."
Aqualung - Pressure Suit from Jon Watts on Vimeo.
I also love his cover of Paul Simon's "Slip Sliding Away"
Finally, I had to search long and hard for the non-movie related version of "Brighter than Sunshine" (movie-related version is terrible, I hate when they put in film clips, as it ruins the replay value of the video). Unfortunately, it's not a hq video, so I apologize. I really like this because it's such a perfect play of what may occasionally fly through our brains when we see someone (be it fantasy or premonition). First and foremost though, I love this song. Very much. There's just something about the line
...give me your hand and you will seethat just fills my heart with love and my arms with silly-girlie-romantic-notions goosebumps.
Your heart is keeping time with me
Thanks for bearing with me on that one, folks. Are there any songs/artists that make you think primarily of an entirely different artist?
No comments:
Post a Comment