Annie Get Your Grunge

When I saw St. Vincent last summer, I could see that she was talented. But given the muddy sound and large crowd, it wasn't clear if her music was good. Wednesday night, I was able to see her up close at The Danforth Music Hall.

Though it was full for the main set, the venue was sparse for the 1st hour or so. So those of us who got there just after 8 pm were able to be right up front without long line-ups or jostling. The early crowd couldn't get a handle on the opener though. Performance artist Jenny Hval from Norway got a lot of head scratches. Over minimal beats and electronic noises, she did spoken word, fragmented singing, and even some full-throated screams. Combined that with a projection of looping videos of women caressing toilet paper or playing with bicycle pumps, most people didn't quite know how to react.

An interesting but not unusual choice to open for her, because St. Vincent's set also had much theatricality. It was obvious that her movements for each song was carefully choreographed (even if it wasn't Beyonce-level dancing). In addition, her speeches to the "geeks and freaks", throwing herself backward into the crowd, and even kissing a lucky fan during a solo, were likely all planned. It seemed odd at first, but only because we expect raw emotion from singers, which we don't demand of actors in plays or performers in musicals. But she had an overarching vision for her stage show about technology and modernity. Was the St. Vincent on stage a robotic simulacrum? Even her costume, a black, tight-fitting, leather cheong-sam made her seem more like molded machinery than flesh-and-blood. Having said that, there was also humour and spontaneity, such as her smiling response to a fan's incessant shout of "Fuck, yeah!"

The music was outstanding. Opening with Rattlesnake and Digital Witness, her songs ranged from head-banging rockers, to fussy angular prog-rock, and even quiet radio-esque ballads. Yet though the styles may seem superficially different, there was a strong voice and cohesion that made them uniquely St. Vincent's. Her precise guitar-work whether with crunchy chords, fluttering notes, or sneaky overtones anchored every song. It was a stellar concert by an assured artist.