Nina Nastasia
10/15/6
Lakeshore Theater
Chicago
I know that lately it might seem like I only go to good shows or that I might not be able to have discriminating taste. That simply isn’t true on either counts. First of all, I do have discriminating taste. For instance, I hate Foreigner. I hate them so much I don’t even like them in an ironic: “Hey look everyone I bought a twenty five cent Foreigner single” way. I think that quarter would be better spent on a laundry fund somewhere. Secondly, I do occasionally see shows and bands I’m not entirely thrilled with. I just simply choose not to blog about them. There’s already so much negativity in the world I just don’t see the point.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system and so people don’t think I’m just some nebulous gush of happy “I love every band and musician from the beginning of time!” I can with relief say I thoroughly enjoyed Nina Nastasia’s set on every level. She played to an already packed crowd opening up for José González on Sunday night and, although her set only ran a mere 45 minutes covering just a few songs across her four full lengths, it was memorable and fulfilling. I was so touched emotionally, as I have been while seeing her in the past, that there were times I had difficulty keeping my camera steady and focused. Luckily, cameras are not made exactly like the human eye in that respect.
Nina Nastasia creates stark experiential folk music and what I mean by experiential is that sometimes lyrically it really involves the use of less more effective language to describe something that had a major personal impact. And by the imagery she uses she’s always able to capture the feeling of really being there so acutely. A perfect example of this is with her song You Her and Me when she sings: “We, with the wheels drive to the beach. With no sleep we’re racing to beat the sun as it rides to the top of the palm trees.” Although her newly released album On Leaving has some more lighthearted songs, one listen to “Bird of Cuzco” tells you she still has maintained this great poetic essence.
It’s also the way she sings that recalls an intricate darkness that at some points borders on absolute despair. I felt a tear sliding down my cheek while she sang during All Youf Life an emotional “She’s never coming back.” I’ve never been deserted by a woman and yet I felt the pain of all of this. I can’t describe the utter sorrow my heart bore after hearing these words repeated almost endlessly. For anyone who thinks folk is for the passive listener, think again.
For more Nina Nastasia lyrics, visit this site
Listen to Nina Nastasia on myspace
Click for additional tour dates, setlist, and pictures of Nina Nastasia:
View the entire photo set on flickr here
Setlist in Nina’s handwriting:
Remaining Tour Dates:
Oct 28 2006 8:00P
Pustervik Gothenberg
Oct 29 2006 8:00P
TBC Stockholm
Oct 31 2006 8:00P
Paradiso Amsterdam
Nov 2 2006 8:00P
Nachtasyl at Thalia Theater Hamburg
Nov 3 2006 8:00P
Roter Salon Berlin
Nov 4 2006 8:00P
Schlachthof Wels
Nov 5 2006 8:00P
Szene Wien
Nov 6 2006 8:00P
Rote Sonne München
Nov 7 2006 8:00P
K4 Nürnberg
Nov 8 2006 8:00P
Hafen 2 Offenbach
Nov 9 2006 8:00P
Gebäude 6 Köln
Nov 10 2006 8:00P
Festival Musiques Volantes Metz
Nov 11 2006 8:00P
Rail Theatre Lyon
Nov 13 2006 8:00P
Fleche D’Or Paris
Nov 14 2006 8:00P
L’Inca Bordeaux
Nov 16 2006 8:00P
La Vauban Brest
Nov 17 2006 8:00P
L’Abordage Evreux
Nov 19 2006 8:00P
Waterside Sale
Nov 21 2006 8:00P
ABC2 Glasgow
Nov 22 2006 8:00P
Arts Centre Norwich
Nov 23 2006 8:00P
St Georges Bristol
Nov 24 2006 8:00P
Taylor Johns House Coventry
Nov 26 2006 8:00P
Junction Theatre Cambridge
Nov 27 2006 8:00P
Musician Leicester
Nov 28 2006 8:00P
Scala London
Nov 29 2006 8:00P
Komedia Brighton
Nov 30 2006 8:00P
Kontrijk de Kreun Brussels
Dec 2 2006 8:00P
Grabbenhalle St Gallen