GIG REVIEW: On stage with Alex Winston at Paradiso
Just when I thought I was just going to an ordinary Monday evening concert... it turned into me performing at Paradiso with Alex Winston!
The night started Alex Winston kept us waiting. Actually we had been waiting since June this year since she had cancelled. Now she kept us waiting since the legendary Gillian Welch was performing an epic show downstairs. But come on... we were getting restless.
On Alex came with her Sister Wife (there used to be two?) + band and we moved to the front. Alex asked who would like to beat the snare and I was fed up with the non-action by this point I just went for it. Here I am with the drum.
First step: getting the drum
So here I was in the crowd beating along to the first song Fire Ant. After that I tried to give it back but then she said I could keep it. A few songs down the line, Choice Notes and my favourite of the new stuff Velvet Elvis I kept on, and Alex was proud. "I can't believe you're still drumming! You're going to be a new Sister Wife!" So then.. for the finale Alex called me up on the stage...
Then we started playing together...
And then we went crazy!
I think I'm almost a Sister Wife now... What do you think?
In Summary: the band was tight and had a great powerful and collective energy. Their sound was definitely fit for a much bigger venue; 6 of them on stage all singing at once. With the grumbling of the keyboardist to the amazing range of Sara Kliger to Alex's distinct voice. Their drummer was also a huge part of their sound. The beat. Really enjoyed it and wish they'll come back to perform on the main stage next time (with me on drum again?).
Thanks Alex for the fun night. Turned out my Monday night wasn't so ordinary after all!
Setlist
More about Alex Winston:
Official Website
Alex Winston - Choice Notes (for Watch Listen Tell)
Alex Winston - Locomotive (A Take Away Show)
Alex Winston - OFF GUARD at Bestival, Isle of Wight, 2011
GIG REVIEW: Hanging with Kaki King at Bimhuis
Like BFFs with Kaki King. Haha.
I saw Kaki King perform in 2009 in Melbourne and that was not her best gig. More than two years on, without her band, and in Amsterdam’s most beautiful venue for jazz and improvisation, Bimhuis, I was ready to give her another chance. When my friend Laura and I walked towards the entrance and saw this spectacular view over 'het ij', I already knew this gig was going to be special.
Kaki had four guitars, including her custom-made seven-string from West Virginia, 6-stringOvation Adamas 1581-KK, 12-string Gryphon, and a Taylor guitar her dad gave her. She played each one by one, like a singer-songwriter evening in a round.
Kaki was in a great mood. It was the first stop of her solo European tour and she said she really loved Amsterdam. Holland in general. How she was amazed by Dutch architechture and how Bimhuis is held up only by two pillars. The first song she played was Bone Chaos in The Castle and she said she named that song after a friend who broke their collarbone. The rest of the set was fantastic, with Kaki’s funny introductions and amazing us with her mesmerising instrumental music.