Andrew Bird - Live at Bumbershoot

I've been meaning to write about Andrew Bird for a while - as a violinist who uses loop playbacks myself, I find that I look up to, and find lots of inspiration from his artistic meanderings.

I had the pleasure of checking him out at the Mural stage at last years Bumbershoot in Seattle... and I found myself both lost in his endless loops, and intrigued by his onstage presence. Lidia got bored towards the middle of the set after each song became a tidal wave of cacophonous sound--- I even had to agree.. it became too much.

That is the problem that you get with loops... they tend to take on a mind of their own. Once you add layer after layer after layer, you run the risk of losing yourself, and your melodic direction. One thing I can say is, Andrew Bird is one of the few... well only individual that I know of currently that can pull off a show and not let the loop station become too much. Even though I'm evidently contradicting my previous comments, I've seen many youtube videos where Andrew Bird is able to fully control the loops he creates and allows them enough breathing room so they don't get too hectic.

However, at Bumbershoot I was strangely disappointed. Of all the live shows he did during his North American tour, I wish Seattle would have been a better live show -- granted the crowd loved and adored the crazy socks, spinning stereo speaker, his fantastic onstage demeanor, as well as Martin Dosh's alternative electronic drumming- the whole experience became too much -- almost like Pink Floyds the Wall being played on eight different stereo's all at once starting at different times... just way too much atmospheric sound.

I walked away from the concert about 2/3 into the show - so I'm not sure how he ended it-- I had other engagements elsewhere that evening, and was both conflicted about leaving Mr. Bird's show, but also awkwardly relieved to be away from the musical turmoil.

To be honest, I will come to any of his shows he plays in Seattle - I'm not sure if the show at Bumbershoot was an isolated incident (Mr. Bird getting a little too carried away, or maybe a little tired, etc. etc. etc.) - I understand that tons of shows have an uncanning ability of robbing a musician of some of their musical innocence -- but I'm hoping that his next show in Seattle is less loop and more Andrew Bird.