Hi, I'm Allison, a graphic designer based in Western Massachusetts. I work with entrepreneurs who are passionate about what they do. My goal is not only to provide effective graphic design, but be a valuable business resource to my clients.
Andrew Bird is one my favorite musicians. He has a style that is wide ranging and can be compared to no one else. He is a phenomenal violinist, whistler, he even plays the glockenspiel. I was excited to see him participating in Ted 2010- with his musical innovation, he is in the company of some other great minds.
This video is a great example of not only his musical talent, but Bird’s abstract concepts. One idea that he addresses in this twenty minutes is something that he has been working on for a new (and still incomplete) song- the idea of feedback loops. He explain that when things get too close to their origin, things get a little crazy. In music, if you get your microphone to close the source of your sound, you get that horrible feedback sound that everyone knows (you’re probably cringing right now, just thinking about it!)- the song translates the idea of feedback loops into self destructive thoughts and behaviors. Deep. And that’s why I love him.
Some great things you can’t plan for. You make your plans, go on your way, and are completely blown away by the amazing things that come across your path. This past friday was one of those nights. I planned on participating in Northampton’s Arts Night Out– an evening where all of the galleries seem to have something going on, along with free admission to the Smith College Art Museum. To be honest, the words free admission were enough to get me to go.
I made my way to the Smith Art Museum, but never actually got to see any art (I had seen it all before, at least). Upon my arrival, I immediately discovered that the Northamptones were singing in one of the upstairs galleries. The Northamptones are the much revered A Capella group of the Northampton High School. They are good. I mean good! They rock out songs like Bohemian Rhapsody and I Am the Walrus.
And the music wasn’t over. I wandered downstairs to hear the sounds of Unit 7, who call their style “Speakeasy music for the 21st century.” Anyone that knows me can tell you how much I LOVE this kind of music. It runs through my veins. The music came complete with flappers, who came out with black bobbed wigs, fringed dresses, and graced us with the Charleston.
The A.P.E. Gallery was next. I had an idea that something was going on here, but had no idea that it would be this. This installation/performance art was put on by the Royal Frog Ballet. In addition to the people in period costume, there was also a real Victrola playing records (they had to wind it up every once and a while), and a projector playing old time movies (the ones where everyone looks like they’re moving really, really fast. There are just no words to describe how visually beautiful this was.
The night finally ended up with a soy hot cocoa from Haymarket, and listening to people sing kareoke at the WWII club. Because no night is complete without hearing some poor guy belt out Sweet Caroline at the top of his lungs. Good times never felt so good.
I have always admired the endless talent of The Decemberists, and last Sunday evening I was thrilled to be able to see them at Mountain Park in Holyoke, MA. Mountain Park was an amusement park, from the era of my parents, and was closed, and abandoned in the mid-eighties. Most of me was hoping to see some haunting remnants of decaying cartoon figurines, but sadly, everything had been completely dozed to the ground. Quite literally the only thing there was the concession stand and newly erected stage. This was the perfect venue though, as it felt like we had our own private concert in the middle of the forest. Lead singer, Colin Meloy, joked later on in the concert, “I was told you all live here, in the woods…” And as the concert ended, he added, “Scurry off to your little forest homes!”
The opening act was a group called The Heartless Bastards. Seeing that on your ticket, one isn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was quite struck with this group. The lead singer really blew me away with her powerful, sexy voice, which reminded me of one of my current fav female songstresses, Brandi Carlisle.
Where do I start, proclaiming my love for The Decemberists? When you go to a rock concert, and the opening note is a pipe organ, you know you’ve stumbled upon something different. Incorporated into their music are instruments you might think disparate with rock and roll, like the accordian and the harpsicord. Next, you mix in lyrics drawn from literary works, and old english folk tunes. And then, what do you say, their entire new album is really just one long story, made up of seventeen different songs? The Decemberists are truly a group that still considers what they are doing an artform, and are constantly persuing ways to develop their work, and continue to grow, explore, and refine. Of all of their qualities of greatness, the lyrics are what sold me. Songwriter Colin Meloy has a way of writing that is simple and profound, stringing together poetic little gems, each verse standing on it’s own.
The concert was part of their Hazards of Love tour (the previously mentioned seventeen song story). Seeing this album performed live added an entire level of understanding that one misses out on when just listening. You really catch on to the different characters of the story, as well as the emotions, the energy, and the relationships. The song that I felt really benefited the most from this live show was The Wanting Comes in Waves. Before the concert, I was undecided on how I felt about it. After seeing it in person, I can’t stop listening. Shara, the lead female vocal on this song, swept the crowd away!
It was a beautiful night, and so the band stayed for an extra set of songs, playing some of my favorites; The Crane’s Wife, O Valencia, Engine Driver, Red Right Ankle, and Sons and Daughters. Sitting under the stars, on this warm summer night, sitting on the grass with my blanket, I remembered why I love live music so much. Here you are, sitting in this large group of strangers, but you all have at least one thing in common. As you sing along, you realize that you may be much more connected to the world around you than you thought.
Enjoy this clip of The Decemberists performing The Wanting Comes in Waves on The Colbert Report.
