w/ Pluto Jonze, The Kite String Tangle
It was great to see Tara Simmons hit the Black Bear Lodge. It
has been some time since we have had the songstress headline a round of
shows. Joining her on the co-headline tour is Pluto Jonze.
Opening the night was The Kite String Tangle. This solo artist
oozes a certain something that marvels. A lot of his electronic music
was a little pop-y, but the stuff that wasn’t was still catchy and
recognizable even though it delved deeper into the more ambient shades
of the genre. His vocals were really well matched over the backing that
he was semi-creating on the stage. As well as his own electronic tunes,
he also covered a song, as well as remixed another. Get on board. This
guy has a lot more to give.
Pluto Jonze was up next with something that I had not seen at
the Black bear Lodge before. Projections. They were small, and on a skew
angle, but they were there. Also on stage was something I’d not seen
before: a Theremin. In a nutshell, the instrument is controlled with
hand movements in space that control pitch. Move the hand closer to the
rod, pitch goes higher. Fascinating. Think “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys.
This guys is so charismatic on stage it’s infectious. The combination
of Theremin and vocals on stage created some awesome harmonies and
really makes this artist someone special.
I have so much love for Tara Simmons. She had tonsillitis
tonight, and yet, she still battled on.it was clear that her vocals were
not on par with her usual standard, but they were still pretty darn
amazing. Tonight she had a completely new band accompanying her onstage,
and this brought a heavier pop-rock feel to her music. The only thing
missing on stage was another singer. None of the band member snag with
the solo artist, and because of this, the beautiful harmonies that she
crates on her new record are lost to digital substitutes. She played
mostly songs from her new record It’s Not Like We’re Trying to Move Mountains,
and only one tune from a previous release. By the end of the set her
voice was absolutely wrecked. Can’t blame her! She left everything her
voice had on the stage.
It’s so good to see Tara Simmons headlining her own shows again. It
has been too long. The new record is sensational, and it’s great to hear
the songs in live setting.
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