The Music That Made Me

It's been quite a week for seeing some of my favorite artists, whose music was seminal to my development but who I last saw live when I looked like this:


As mentioned before, it started out with Jane Siberry on Sunday (last seen at The Blooomsbury Theater in London in November, 1989). I still have a special place in my heart for Bound by the Beauty and When I Was a Boy, but after the concert I'm finding myself listening to her more experimental stuff with a new ear. Like Laurie Anderson, she's at the cutting edge of what music and performance art mean. Her work is beautiful and liminal and I'm so glad she is still making it!


Last night, thanks to my friend David giving me his ticket (and his friend Ed transferring it to me!) I got to see Robyn Hitchcock at the Turf Club (last seen in 1988 in London, I want to say at the Hackney Empire but I honestly think it was a smaller club than that, maybe Ronnie Scott's?).

I ran into our friends Troy and Rebecca who say they never miss Robyn at the Turf Club, and I see why. They also let me sit with them so I had an amazing view for people watching and eavesdropping. Hitchcock's audience is mainly my age now, meaning the conversation around me ranged from No Kings to changing insurance agents.


The show was amazing! Emma Swift opened (natch!) and I had never heard her live; she exceeded expectations with her slightly pinkish faerie-core setlist, and I will for sure listen to her more.


And Robyn was, well, Robyn, and somehow still at the peak of his game. From opening with I Often Dream of Trains to a mix of old and new pieces to performing with Emma to ending with an audience hymn song of A Day in the Life as he walked through the crowd, he was charming, captivating, and a little bit cocky.





I was so glad to realize he was even better than I remembered.

I think I need to listen to more music and less NPR if I want to keep my sanity.

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