Pitchfork

Photos of January 17 performance at Bowery Ballroom, NYC, by Jessica Suarez
Live review of January 13 performance at the Hideout, Chicago, by Matthew Solarski

(Fun fact! Among the Bird-brained Bowery Ballroom attendees... MONICA LEWINSKY!!)

Is it possible to be too talented? Joined by a drummer (Martin Dosh), a bassist (Alpha Consumer's Jeremy Ylvisaker), and enough talent to raise the Titanic, singer/guitarist/ violinist/pedal-pusher/world-class whistler Andrew Bird promised-- and, for the most part, delivered-- a "marathon" set of mostly brand new material (much from his forthcoming Fat Possum full length, Armchair Apocrypha, out March 20) to the flock of fans fortunate enough to score tickets to this refreshingly intimate hometown performance.

An aura of big things to come pervaded the evening's proceedings, with Andrew himself admitting he's not likely to play so tiny a Chicago venue again anytime soon (his next Chicago gig will be at the 2500-capacity Riviera; the Hideout holds less than 200). It's not surprising, really: Bird has plenty going for him, from his grace with the violin and easy-to-digest voice to his fondness for pedals and storied whistling prowess, right down to his avian good looks and caddish charm. It's enough to take any NPR groupie to giddy stratospheres (and yes, Pitchfork is far from immune). And it certainly impresses dates and girlfriends.

The new music, for the most part, didn't diverge in any alarming fashion from the old music. There were plenty of lush, latticed backdrops built from pizzicato loops, quite a few SAT words and clever turns of phrase (and a few awkward ones as well), one or two rousing rock-outs and radio-ready choruses ("Plasticities" could well be a hit), and sundry sudden virtuosic turns on the violin.

Onstage these assorted talents engage in a somewhat precarious dance, and they don't always jell convincingly-- but every second or third song Bird will stumble into something magical. It's thrilling, in a way, being held in suspense, waiting for the next perfect moment, but frustrating too.

On record, Bird's juggling act is tempered significantly, his talents more often in harmony than not. Live, perhaps a little refinement is in order-- and the nice thing about being too talented? Even if Andrew trims it back a bit, he still has so much to offer.

Follow that Bird as he migrates to Australia and Europe in the coming weeks.







A-Bird:

01-24 Melbourne, Australia - Northcote Social Club
01-27 Sydney, Australia - The Basement
03-22 London, England - Bush Hall
03-23 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
03-29 Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
03-30 Amiens, France - Musique de Jazz et d'Ailleurs Festival
03-31 Benicàssim, Spain - CinemaScore
04-21 Milwaukee, WI - The Pitman Theatre at Alverno College