It was a cold and rainy Monday night, but that didn’t keep the fans away. St. Vincent, aka Annie Clark, was performing at the Great American Music Hall in support of her latest album, Actor (4AD) and the sold-out event was packed with smitten groupies.
Wearing a tiny black dress, her curly crown of hair bouncing to every beat, St. Vincent entranced her audience with her sweet voice and unusual lyrics. She played along with the help of a band that included flutes, violins, clarinets and drums. But when she took the stage solo, aided only by her electric guitar, these were the moments when the whole room seemed to glitter. The opening band, Wildbirds and Peacedrums from Sweden, were also wonderful, pounding out drum-driven beats that actually gave me goosebumps. The husband-and-wife duo use only voice and a variety of percussive instruments — a musical concoction that made me think of Björk at a powwow. What a perfect night to warm up under a blanket of fiery musical talent.