St. Vincent and Wildbirds & Peacedrums politely rock Chicago

February 18, 2010, at the Metro

By Kelley Hecker
Published: February 22nd, 2010 | 8:35pm

After the sun set on a gorgeous winter day, a crowd packed into Chicago’s Metro for a show that had sold out just days prior. The excitement was palpable, and the room was unusually full by the time the openers, Swedish husband and wife duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums, began. As Andreas Werliin took his place at the drum kit, vocalist-percussionist Mariam Wallentin meekly approached the mic and in a thick accent thanked everyone for arriving early. Once the music began, however, Wallentin proved she was a force to be reckoned with, resembling a brunette Lykke Li with a voice reminiscent of Shara Worden. During “Chain of Steel,” off 2009’s The Snake (Leaf), Wallentin danced, shook, and pounded her feet as if possessed, wailing “oohs” and “ahhs” along with Werliin’s intense drumming. Later, after furiously banging on the drums, Wallentin breathlessly wished everyone a good night and Werliin waved as the crowd roared its approval.

Soon after, St. Vincent — led by guitarist-vocalist Annie Clark and joined by percussionist Anthony LaMarca, guitarist-violinist Daniel Hart, bassist-clarinetist William Flynn, and Evan Smith on keyboards and woodwinds — strolled on stage to Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day.” Wordlessly, Clark and her band launched into “The Strangers,” the lead track off last year’s Actor (4AD). Wearing a black dress with ruffled sleeves and bearing her trademark red lips, the Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter scanned the crowd and was beaming, seemingly shocked at the turnout.

Throughout the night Clark showcased her rich vocals, which sound just as good (if not better) live, and her jaw-dropping guitar work. Clark becomes the music when she plays, her body jerking around as she soaks each song in reverb and adds an incredible amount of tension that balances out the innocent vocals. “Actor Out if Work,” with Smith on saxophone and Clark sneering, “You're a supplement, you're a salve / You're a bandage, pull it off / I think I love you, I think I'm mad,” is a supremely eerie rock ditty that got the crowd moving.

Midway through the set, the band left the stage. Clark sipped her drink (“This is, like, super organic tea. I’m that lame.”) and introduced the next song as a favorite of hers. “I didn’t write it, that would be too egotistical,” she deadpanned. She discussed the events of “It Was a Good Day,” pondering if people get carjacked anymore because of smart cars, before she summarized her point: Jackson Browne’s “These Days” is a folky, melancholic analogue to the Ice Cube track. “You can see the connection?” she asked when it ended.

Clark finished the night with two tracks from her debut, Marry Me (Beggars Banquet): a quiet solo take on “Paris Is Burning” and a rousing “Your Lips Are Red,” where the band indulged in a jam session and Clark, on her knees, fiddled with pedals. Then silence, a big grin, and a wave, and she skipped backstage, leaving the crowd fully satisfied and eager for her return.

For more photos, visit Venus Zine’s Flickr page.

St. Vincent official site

St. Vincent MySpace

4AD

Wildbirds & Peacedrums official site

Wildbirds & Peacedrums MySpace

The Leaf Label