SXSW, Day 1: Fiona emerges, enigmatically

AUSTIN, Texas -- She hasn't released an album in more than seven years, and she has all but disappeared from the live-music scene, but Fiona Apple still arouses great interest, or at least lots of curiosity, in the music world.

Wednesday night, she performed at Stubb's Barbecue, the opening act in a showcase sponsored by National Public Radio By the time she took the stage, right before sundown, the outdoor venue was packed and long lines remained outside the venue.

She gave her receptive audience 50 minutes of music and melodrama. Apple is working on a new material and she shared some of it -- three songs. During one, she flubbed the lyrics. She also performed some of her best-known songs, like "Criminal," "Fast As You Can" and "Sleep to Dream."

Her stage manner was odd and self-conscious at times: She tugged at her hair and pulled on her skirt repeatedly and sipped a beverage from a mug. At one point, she draped herself over the back of her piano, which she played only during three songs. She had little to say to the crowd during her performance. Early in the set, she told the crowd: "You're imaginary; you're not here."  Before her four-piece band was finished with her final song, she removed her in-ear monitors and sighed deeply, as if relieved the performance was over. Her voice is as sultry and feral as ever. She's 34, but she sounds as much as ever like the angry, wounded teenager she was when she broke into the music world in 1996 -- back in the days of Alanis Morrissette and Tracy Bonham.

She is about to hit the road for a brief tour to promote the new album, which she has titled: "The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do.” (Seriously.) Wednesday's show illustrated that a large, receptive audience still awaits her music and her live performances. Does she have the will to stay for a while? That seems less clear.

Other shows

Paste magazine has put together three good showcases at the Stages at Sixth. The  best of Wednesday's showcase was a five-piece Brooklyn, N.Y., band called Caveman, who mesh several influences into a sound that is equal parts rock, pop and psychedelia. The next two showcases are stellar. They include the dBs, Built to Spill, Blitzen Trapper, Crooked Fingers, Glen Hansard and the Wedding Present.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.: The crowd of about 800 at Zona Rona was having fun watching this three-piece from Detroit, especially its cover of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." It was all light-hearted. (Read: frivolous)

Also today: Springsteen delivers the keynote at noon, then performs at a time/place TBA. IF we win a ticket, we'll be there.

Update: No Sprinsteen ticket for me.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

 

 

Comments

[joe]

Bummer on being shut out of the Springsteen show. Hopefully you can score one through another source.

[pellboy]

I have an almost unhealthy obsession with Fiona, which is actually more about her look and weirdness than anything to do with her music. I love her tortured soul.

[Geordan]

Ah, The dBs! Remember them playing at Parody Hall back in the day, as well as opening for REM in Lawrence at Hoch Auditorium back in '84. Would love to see them back in KC sometime soon.

[Joel]

I've been digging on that Caveman record for a few months now. Good stuff.