My Brightest Diamond Setlist
Tour Dates
12/02/14 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
12/03/14 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge 12/05/14 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge 12/06/14 Seattle, WA The Crocodile 12/07/14 Vancouver, BC Electric Owl 12/10/14 San Francisco, CA Great American Music 12/12/14 West Hollywood, CA The Roxy Theatre 12/13/14 San Diego, CA The Casbah Read More
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The New York artist (aka Shara Worden) played a mesmerizing 80 min. set. at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, interestingly somewhat based on a recent scientific book.
Dosh and Ghostband
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Tracks like ‘False Starts’ embodied the duo’s self-described "techno-addled, IDM-damaged brand of bass-blessed dance music" that had some of the seated audience restlessly dancing in their chairs. The duo returns to the same venue, in just a few weeks, as part of Dosh’s 7th annual Cedar show on December 13th.
My Brightest Diamond
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The singer/multi-instrumentalist was dressed in all-white suit and moved deftly from keyboard to guitar and back, as the evening progressed, with more than able support from rhythmic sidemen, Nathan Lithgow (bass) and Tim Mulvenna (drums).
Tech issues, Worden calling them “a ghost in here, an apparition”, plagued the first few numbers, but the three-piece easily ascended those, quickly forgotten by the range of Worden’s voice, which ranged from a husky smokiness, to near-operatic highs.
There is quirkiness to the music, similar to a St. Vincent, that can jump time signatures, surprise with a burst of percussion, or be injected with a dose of chamber music, but it’s always interesting. Worden’s voice morphed with the songs as well, sounding mysterious like Dead Can Dance’s Lisa Gerrard one moment, to a bouncier male version of Adrian Belew-era King Crimson the next, to the want and yearning of a Jeff Buckley.
This is My Hand (on Asthmatic Kitty Records) is her fourth studio effort, and comes out of her reading about music and how it has been used throughout history. Her “owl song”, ‘Before the Words’ served as her informative type of song. “I wanna see you shake your shoulders!” Worden announced before going into the peppy ‘High Low Middle’, which had people twisting in their chairs, with arms raised during the chorus.
Setlist
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Passing on doing any religious type of song, ‘Apparition’ was her “ghost song”, with Worden’s voice stretched out and sounding like a theremin. After closing the main set with ‘Inside A Boy’ the trio quickly returned, asking the audience to put all their “frustrations under your feet…and freak out!” as the song started with a near whisper, to then elevate into a punk-fast chorus.
A sultry cover of Peggy Lee’s ‘Fever’ would end the night, with Worden making her way into the crowd and across the theater’s floor, before jumping back on stage to take a final bow.
A little science, a lot of different sounding songs, and an unexpected Buckley cover made the evening a little special to everyone attending - shine on.
My Brightest Diamond at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (17 Nov 2014) |
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