In a recent New Yorker review of an Eryka Badu performance, Sasha Frere-Jones tries to restrain his gushing by asking “how to get hyperbolic without being the Boy Who Cried Show?” After being blown away by DeVotchKa’s sold-out show at the Paradise, I certainly sympathize. I’m tempted to fill this review with phrases like “best show of musicianship,” “most original use of rare instruments,” “greatest big band sound made by only four people,” and “most beautiful ukulele player to grace the earth.” Now that I’ve dispensed of the hyperboles, I’ll simply say that DeVotchKa is amazing. Do not miss an opportunity to see them live.
As Tom Hagerman’s accordion whined the opening strains of “Head Honcho,” the crowd cheered, obliging the added percussion with swaying hips and knees bouncing in time to the rhythm. Once singer Nick Urata started seductively singing “We’re gonna’ hit ‘em, hit ‘em where it hurts,” the crowd was mesmerized. Though that sounds cliché, it honestly took me forty-five minutes to realize I had been intently staring at Urata and no one else for that whole time.
Urata maintains an impossibly polished on-stage persona. With neatly pressed suit, impeccably groomed pompadour haircut and a half-drunk bottle of merlot by his feet, Urata’s swagger, and dare I say voice, rivals that of Morissey’s. Urata broke out of character only once, when two young women at the front of the stage passionately belted out the Sinatra cover “Somethin’ Stupid,” from DeVotchKa’s 2006 Curse Your Little Heart EP. The women did a sultry dance, usually reserved for impressing at drunken frat parties, pointing at each other and Urata while clutching their hearts. It was completely out-of-place, hilarious and endearing. And when Nick noticed, he let out a quick chuckle, before quickly bouncing back into character.
To those two women’s credit, the crowd likewise, really didn’t know how to dance to DeVotchKa’s blend of Slavic, gypsy and mariachi music. Their vaudeville-style performance evokes images of speakeasies and the sinister underground 1800s Europe seen in B-movies. Thankfully, the crowd refrained from enacting strip teases or lap dances; people generally reacted with that horribly uncomfortable shoe-gazing indie rock stance of stoic expressions accompanied by approving head nods.
The crowd seemed to be most familiar with the Curse Your Little Heart EP. In fact, only a handful was singing along to tracks from their recent release A Mad and Faithful Telling. But the audience ate it all up, as DeVotchKa’s energetic otherworldly big band sound is so catchy, knowing the music has little effect on one’s enjoyment of it live.
The most impressive aspect of DeVotchKa’s performance is how four people play multiple instruments, creating a sound much bigger than a standard four-piece band. Hagerman moves from accordion to violin to keyboards—even to the melodica—with ease. Jeanie Schroder trades off between the upright bass and sousaphone, somehow finding a way to dance while playing both. Even the percussionist, Shawn King, occasionally steps away from his drum kit to offer a trumpet piece.
And Urata, as he sincerely and urgently croons into his classic 50s-style radio microphone, carries the sweeping sound with his lovely, melodic voice. Urata also adds a guitar and a theremin, a wooden box with an antenna that creates an eerie howl with varying frequency and volume, depending upon how the player’s hand moves around it (check out the photos for the box/antenna structure).
For the encore, DeVotchKa invited Basia Bulat’s six-piece band back to the stage to perform the sweet sing-along “You Love Me,” which added marimbas, ukulele (and harpsichord, I believe?) to their diverse group of instruments. Basia Bulat had already won over the crowd with their opening set full of Bulat’s deep folk-tinged vocals, impressive strings and ukulele, and sweet stage banter, and so they were warmly welcomed back. At the end of the encore, the ten-plus performers took a bow before leaving the stage as the crowd gratefully congratulated them for an incredible evening.
(Devotchka/Basia Bulat review from Seattle!)
i saw them open for the Cave Singers, not very original, the crowd was not into it either, frankly i think they suck
by rigamarole on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 11.30 am from the entry: The Dutchess & The Duke Tour Dates, Y'all
hey u gotta give yoko credit for winning that many gold medals, for a woman her age to compete in a sport like speed skating is nothing short of amazing! go yoko!
by rockmonovich on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 11.25 am from the entry: Is Kate Moss the next Yoko?
Great post.really he has the ability that he can do anything possible.Thanks
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CEMETERY
by SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CEMETERY on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 03.56 am from the entry: Jim Morrison's Ghost Pic
Oh I see. I was wondering if you were talking about the picture. Really glad you liked it. Have you checked her out yet?
by Colin on Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 02.29 pm from the entry: Interview - Kelli Schaefer (Portland, OR; Winter, 2010)
yes! The interview is great, and the photo shows off the glow
by Ian on Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 01.29 pm from the entry: Interview - Kelli Schaefer (Portland, OR; Winter, 2010)
Great post! Really digging the new record a lot. The Rainwater LP has some gorgeous moments - definitely recommend checking it out. There are 3 of the new songs up on the myspace page: myspace.com/citizencope
by MattKlomp on Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 03.16 am from the entry: Citizen Cope - Paradise Theater (Boston, MA; Feb. 27, 2010 )
haha is that a compliment?
by colin on Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 06.49 pm from the entry: Interview - Kelli Schaefer (Portland, OR; Winter, 2010)
