I'll be the first to admit that I didn't completely get it.
Even after I praised Katie Herzig's Apple Tree to the heavens in the previous There Stands the Glass post, I still expected her to bore me Saturday night at Crosstown Station.
Was I ever wrong!
The first big surprise is that she's carrying a four-piece band, including the lovely cellist pictured here. I had attributed much of my admiration of Apple Tree to its ornate production. Seeing the songs performed live, however, makes it obvious that Herzig and her band are capable of reproducing and even elaborating on those remarkable arrangements. Unlikely textures were provided by a clarinet, accordion and whistles. So evocative are Herzig's songs that many would work even better than the excellent Arcade Fire track featured in the Where the Wild Things Are trailer.
The second surprise was discovering that Herzig is quite a looker. Not that it should matter, but because Apple Tree doesn't include her photograph and publicity photos can make even a nightmare like me look presentable, I reckoned that Herzig would be rather plain. Nope- she's gorgeous.
There's no question that more than 70 people will be in the audience the next time I see Herzig. In fact, I'll be surprised if she isn't an NPR and PBS staple within a year.
Herzig's new Live In Studio: Acoustic Trio project is available as a free download in exchange for five email addresses.
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I also caught Eldar over the weekend. Here's my review.
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There may not be a single original note on Menhirs of Er Grah's EP Different World. Still, I'm entranced by its sweet freak-folk tone. I highly recommend it to fans of the great Roy Harper. It's a free download at Free Music Archive.
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Rusty Wier has died.
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Kansas City Click: I've seen AC/DC, Motorhead, Slayer and Slipknot in 2009, but my year in metal won't be complete if I don't go to the Uptown Theater on Monday to see Dethklok, Mastodon and High On Fire.
The last time The Used played the Beaumont, one of my friends was forcibly ejected from the club. Maybe I'll see a repeat performance on Tuesday.
(Original image of Herzig's cellist by There Stands the Glass.)
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