The Books @ Neumo’s
Ended up going to the Books, obviously, and since it was a pretty late night for us,we didn’t even try to sprint over to the Yacht show. In fact, we didn’t even stay for the Books full set before calling it a night.
There was nothing wrong with the show. The Books put on a incredible show regardless of venue, and this year’s presentation was different than last year’s show at U-Dub. But there were minor elements that made it difficult to enjoy. The sound was poorly mixed, at least near the fron of the house, where anything even remotely in the bass range caused floorboards and eardrums to shake violently, and even rattled a power cord loose during opener Todd Reynolds set. Retreating to the back was a much better experience, though the usual issues with a full house in Neumo’s still applied. At least this crowd had a lower hipster quotient than your typical Neumo’s crowd.
But speaking of Todd Reynolds… now that was an amazing performance. He’s a solo performer who plays violin, accompanied by a laptop running some Max/MSP looping software, both for pre-recorded accompaniment and for layering his violin parts in real-time. I think he only played 4 or 5 pieces, but they were all epic and dynamic, using the full range of possibilities in his instrument, rising and falling in long, dramatic arcs. A couple of his pieces were played to video accompaniment, including the final piece, which was synched to split-screen footage from a train crossing the Brooklyn Bridge that was slowly sped-up and layered, becoming more frantic and abstract as it played.
I really wish the 2 set show had started before 10, but I’m glad I got a chance to catch two amazing performances, even if there were a few obstacles to full enjoyment.
Jarvis Cocker tomorrow night. That should be fun too. More later, of course.
