Yo Yo a private loft performance space in SOHO, hosted a fabulous night of music and performance art, welcoming Omnivore, Liz Isenberg, Vio Mire, based in Providence, and Dan Fishkin from Pennsylvania / NYC. It was a night to be receptive to the unknown and the folksy delight of Liz Isenberg and the disarmingly beautiful music of Vio Mire.
When art and music coexist, the music becomes the vehicle for the art. Daniel Fishkin and Omnivore utilized that concept in very different and provocative ways.
Dan Fishkin, AKA Dandelion Fiction set up, was complicated for a solo set. Below his feet was a full lineup of connected circuitry and an assortment of instruments. The daxophone, a wooden instrument Daniel made wedged between his legs, created a string clank sound that he looped. His punked turrets train of thought vocals projected a veracity of nervous energy.
He started a song on a banjo with just a few notes, and a fellow band member got up and joined him in the middle of the space in an acoustic serenade singing through the skin of the banjo. Another song, something to the effect of "I Was Playing with Myself," started out alone, and scripted musicians rose from the audience with a trombone, violin, and guitar to sing the chorus.
His surprising antics are reminiscent of the late Andy Kaufman. He challenged the audience’s perceptions by being both aggressive and tender. The tension between the hysterical and the uncomfortable made the performance something to savor.
Omnivore, AKA Glenna Kay Van Nostrand, a tall, striking blond, set up a couple of princess phones wired on a round table. Casually sitting at her little table, she picked up her phones to talk/sing and loop. She often started with a few choice words and cascaded the conversation into the loop.
The old-fashioned phone, unlike the cell phone, is a private experience. So watching her created a tension that was both seductive and voyeuristic. Her sexy vocals lopped and filled the space creating a feeling of overhearing private thoughts in a public setting.
Below is a Video from a Beautiful site One Nite Music
Liz Isenberg has a fan base, and that is obvious when she sings they spontaneously sing along with her choruses. She is a delightful mix of folk with an edge. Her gorgeous voice warbles softly and comes on strong for emphasis, and her guitar playing also mirrors that effect. Her quirky lyrics and personality shine
through her music, creating an appealing factor that can’t be denied. I loved her from the first note.
Something to note is her co-writing and added vocals on Deer Tick's latest release Flag Day "Friday the 13th," which was picked by Rolling Stone as his best track and featured their video duet on Rolling Stone's Smoking Section.
Unfortunately, only a few in the know have heard of him. Music so deeply beautiful is rare, I only wish I had found him sooner Both Liz Isenberg and Vio Mire will be playing SXSW party put on by Deer Tick.
A party of artists who are friends and friends who are artists and everyone in between
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