Andrew Bird @ Orpheum Theatre January 30, 2009

On the evening of Friday, January 30th I attended my first Andrew Bird concert at the Orpheum in Boston, MA. It was one of the most unique live performances that I have ever witnessed. Being a fan of more rocking guitar lines and rowdy crowds I had my hesitations. The crowd didn’t dance until the beer started to buzz them and to my surprise the show was dominated by knowledgeable, intent and respectful fans. The music of the night was based around both complex and poppy violin folk music. By the end of the evening I was pleasantly surprised by the enjoyment I received from Andrew Bird.

Bird’s band was a bass, guitar and drums that created backing rhythms and textures. The songs had a many acoustic guitar intros and finger strumming sections on the violin. The drums range from brush stick rhythms to rim shots but never exceed their boundary of simple backing Bird and his songs. Keys trickle in and out during the show and sprinkle another element to the show. The guitar and bass were mere backing instruments that allowed Byrd’s talent to shine through with colorful violin sounds.

Andrew Bird is driven by his ability to write songs and play multiple instruments such as violin, guitar and glockenspiel. He also sings and whistles through many songs. He rolls in and out of bowed rhythms, solos, riffs and acoustic guitar. He even tapes his violin lines through pedals in order to solo and create depth to his songs. His influences run deep in rock and roll, classical, country and folk. At times you feel as though his violin is bringing you back to another era in time.

His most recent album which was released on February 2 is called Noble Beasts and is his 8th studio album, including his Bowl of Fire records and excluding his live albums. During the show he showcased songs that spanned his career and much of his new album. It was a raw show in the fact that he started a few songs over after botching the intros. He said that they were “starting tour rough around the edges”. As well as making several comments about the fact that he would remember this show due to some of the miscues that occurred. His lyrics are sweet, drunk and filled with passion. At times I felt he sung like Thom Yorke and the entire wall of music had hints of Radiohead.

He played quite a few catchy tracks from his new February release, Noble Beast, including “Oh no” and “Anoanimal”. He played a track from his old band Bowl of Fire which I am not able to place at this time. He played the classic “Table and Chairs” from the album Armchair Apochrypha in which I have listened to quite a few times and was one of the only tracks that was familiar to me. He played “Fake Palindromes” from The Production of Eggs, which is an album that one should absolutely pick up.

This gentleman has risen in popularity over the years and is finally gaining a following that suits his excellent talent. He frequents festivals such as Coachella and Bonnaroo and as recently as last summer played in front of a crowd in excess of 10,000 people. Noble Beasts may bring him to new heights because of its accessibility and his label even doubled the cash spent on marketing from his last album! Andrew Bird is definitely catching on and if you haven’t given him a listen then please do, whether you love him or hate him it will be an interesting listen!