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Andrew Bird
"I" from Weather Systems Live at High Noon Saloon Madison, WI Feb 17, 2006 PODCAST EXCLUSIVE!  |
[Geez, I got all famous for calling out the don't-care-about-the-show-they-paid-$15-for contingent. Weird. I hope the High Noon doesn't blacklist me or something now.]
The crazy thing, the thing I really, literally was not expecting and was taken aback by, was Andrew Bird's unassisted whistling ability. Seriously, when he came out and started blowing, it sounded like somebody had put the "Kill Bill" soundtrack on the PA, or possibly that Zamfir, master of the pan-flute, was in the house. The guy can whistle like, I don't know, a crazy whistling dude. His volume, his pitch, his melodicism, it's uncanny. It's hard to believe he's from Chicago, because a whistle like that can only come from summer day after summer day of walking down to an old North Carolina fishin' hole.
If you love that whistle, I suspect you'll dig this eight-minute, extended rock-out on "I."
Posted by Aaron S. Veenstra ::: 2006:02:21:08:00
I was at the show as well and think that the poor crowd probably had something to do with having to outside in the sub-zero cold (or take refuge in the Brass Ring) until well after the start time for the show. I know my group was pretty cranky by the time we got into the High Noon and were still talking about it when Haley Bonar started - we just wanted to get to the main act. That said, there was a large group that basically pushed their way in front of us and continued to be so obnoxious that we fled to the back of the club, so you're not alone in thinking that the crowd was annoying. I totally agree on the whistling - and was also impressed by the live mixing.
Yeah, between him and Feist there's been some amazing use of samplers lately. It's an interesting contrast to the indie musicians of, say, ten years ago, who I imagine wouldn't have touched that kind of equipment.