For those not in the know, the title of this blog is the hash-tag for the Imogen Heap concert I went to last night. As a quick aside, hash-tags are a phrase or word you put in a tweet so that when you search for it, you can find all the tweets that contain it. Anyway, hope you're comfortable coz this post's gonna be a biggie so grab a cup of iced coffee or pearl milk tea (jeez am I my audience? haha), put on some Imogen, sit back wrapped up in your snuggie and enjoy the show, vicariously.
I'm not one to start at the beginning, oh no. I start at the very beginning. That said, a brief history of my Imogen Heap fandom would probably be a good start. I will, however, try to keep it short as this post is about the concert. So yes, I first heard Imogen Heap, like many others, as part of the band Frou Frou; specifically, the song Let Go from the Garden State soundtrack. I owe this to my sister Emille and I am forever grateful. I probably don't need to tell you that it was love at first listen. The journey from that point to finding out about her album Speak for Yourself is a blurry one but I will say I anticipated that album like few others in my life. Some time later Ellipse comes out and some time after that Imogen's first tour for it. Here's a sad part: I missed her concert in the Fillmore last year. I was crushed but hopeful for the official US tour after she came back from Europe. All culminated in last night's show.
The drive up to the Mountain Winery is winding but beautiful. I only wish I hadn't been the driver so I could have just stared out the window to take in the sights from the side of mountain. The venue itself is a fantastic little place and it was the first outdoors concert I'd ever been to. At once refreshing and also the one minor drawback to the show, obviously at no fault of anyone, it was freezing. Not so much at first but after 2-3 hours in 48ºF, the occasional chilly gust made me quite shivery.
After getting to the Winery and paying $20 for parking (ouch), I made my way down to the theatre area and sat expectantly. Eventually Imogen made her way out and presented the first act: a fellow by the name Ben Christophers. He was a good start to the show with some smooth vocals and curious lyrics, backed by his excellent guitar playing. His voice at times reminded me of IAMX's Chris Corner, which is by no means a bad thing, and the songs he played were all pretty enjoyable. Before finishing he plugged his album up at the merch table but in a somewhat comical manner, barely saying it was over there and to buy it. He said he was terrible at selling things but he may've sold me on it just on that pitch. I do love my oxymorons. He then exit the stage, hugging Imogen on the way out and then Imogen presented what I was least ready for in the whole show.
Geese. All I have to say is that when Imogen "warned" that magic came out of their violins, I thought it was an exaggeration. Well, that's definitely not all I have to say. A young man and woman carrying violins stepped unassumingly unto the stage. They started gliding their bows on their violins, I thought tuning them but they kept going, eventually beginning to add effects to them. At a certain point they started to sound like wolf howls and then that mixed with a siren song, and this was just the beginning. Geese made violins sound like, not only how I've never heard violins sound but like things I've never heard in my life. At times they even sang (or blew) into the microphones in their violins to create even more impossible sounds. For a few songs they brought out Imogen's band's drummer and together made such a crazy amalgamation of noises and sounds that I wasn't sure I'd make it to see Imogen. The young girl in the band was adorable, ending her little spiel with a quaint "good-bye" and then they played one more song to round out their savage set.
After the violin storm, they walked out greeting Imogen and she then came out, silent but with a plastic tube in her hands. An avid follower of her vBlogs on youtube, I instantly recognized it. It's a sort of toy you spin in the air to make a sort of howling sound and in fact you can actually tune it! In classic Imogen manner she began looping various sounds. The howling tube, some oohs and aahs, the perennial mbira and so began taking shape the first song. As she continued to layer the various bits and pieces of the backing melody, in came trickling the various band members each one adding one more bit to the song until finally it hit me and I recognized it. The Walk! One of my favorite songs from Speak For Yourself and a most excellent start to the show. Once she started singing the first few words, "Inside out, upside down twisting beside myself", I was practically giggling in my giddiness.
From this point on, as much as I'd like to retell the entire show song by song, I simply cannot trust myself to remember neither the order nor the finest details of each performance so I'll do what is hopefully second best and recount some key moments or interpretations that still jump freshly in my mind two days after the show. Also, now's a good time to make yourself a sandwich because we're only about halfway done. :P Spoiler: the moral of this story will be that if you have not seen Imogen Heap in concert and get the opportunity to do so, you owe it to yourself to experience it. Yes, it's an experience!
After The Walk, the show continued to go from amazing, wonderful, beloved song to the next. Imogen Heap has discovered, and seemingly loves crowd-sourcing. Basically, it's using an audience to find answers, make decisions, you name it. She's done this through youtube and Twitter quite expertly. For this tour, she's been encouraging audience participation from before the show even happens. (We'll get to the in-show audience participation soon.) One of the finer points, I thought, was having a sort of poll for each show where you could vote on your favorite Imogen songs and basically help construct her set list. Here clearly hoping most people would gravitate towards the more popular songs, and that invariably happening. Despite not playing what may be my favorite of hers, Closing In, the set was absolutely fantastic and I could not have asked for more.
Earth was one such crowd-sourced song. For this one Imogen has had a youtube group where talented fans can upload a rendition of the backing vocals for the song Earth. if you've yet to hear it, Earth is an impressive feat: an a cappella song composed of at least 30 vocal tracks all done by Imogen. Because it would be, I imagine, too time consuming or strenuous to do this song on her own, Imogen decided to have her fans help her out and that they have. She mentioned this show's may yet be her favorite Earth performance so far. In walked two women. They were so very different but it was evident that it was that very difference that gave them the chemistry vital to being able to pull this off. With Imogen standing between them they began their bit and the crowd went crazy. They were utterly nailing it. Good show you two.
One of the more interesting surprises of the show was when Imogen mentioned something about the cold (this happened a lot, we were all freezing) and then said to bring in a fire, at which point the stage burst in flames(!), so to speak. That is, a projector sent forth the image of a fire upon the stage and most of the lights went dark as the song began to the sound of a particular piece of wood burning, its story having been told by Imogen moments before. At all this, of course, I thought she was going to play The Fire but as the song grew I knew it couldn't be. The Fire is simply a piano piece played to the sounds of that very flame (and hooting owl). But the song grew and the projected fire was joined by a multitude of red lights effectively dying the stage and stone wall a bright scarlet and I soon recognized the whispers of the beginning of Canvas. Arguably my favorite song in Ellipse, Canvas is a breathtaking piece with cryptic lyrics, syncopated guitar, modulating bass and beautiful harmonies. It was as much peaceful as it was overwhelming in the grandest sense of the word. I cannot begin to portray all this performance was but imagine seeing the stage lit up in red at night on a chilly eve.
Towards the end of the show Imogen once again pulls the audience in to participate as catalysts to her endless creativity. Throughout this tour she has been doing a unique improvisation act at each venue. She asks the audience for a key, be it A#m or E flat or what have you, a time signature like 3/4 or 6/8 and a tempo and comes up, on the spot, with a brand new song. This song is recorded right there and they do their mixing magic on it after the show and sell it to benefit a particular local charity. She said, however, that lately she's been asking an audience member for a melody instead of her coming up with it. Well I confess now that I was the idiot jumping up and down next to his seat at the chance to be called upon to have a melody of my choosing be immortalized by Imogen for a good cause. However, my greatest efforts were not enough to get her attention halfway across the theatre and my phone almost broke when it flew out of my pocket. I have no regrets!!! That said, she did a neat, upbeat song kicked off by some drums, which she claims she can't play but we all know better. The one she did for us isn't up yet but it will be in http://www.imogenheap.com/charity/ soon. In the mean time, do check out some of the others and definitely grab a couple to support the causes!
After this we were asked to stand up and sing, literally. Before the song, Imogen divided the audience in three parts and taught each a part of Just For Now. The three parts overlay into a wonderful harmony that backs the main vocal, which Imogen proceeded to sing over us. We were Imogen's track! She even taught us the rhythm part that goes on during the verse of the song. As the song winds down your hear the whole audience softly singing alone with Imogen in a diminuendo that gives any choir a run for its money. It's an exquisite experience being part of the creative effort behind a song, even if many have done it before you. Furthermore, because I love to sing, these little bits were like some sort of dream come true.
Tidal was yet another face melting number. According to the vBlogs, it was the hardest song for Imogen to get through in the writing process for Ellipse but it came out splendidly. It's an energetic, bouncy and fun song that the whole band seemed to be super into throughout. And then... at the end of the song for the rock solo of the night, Imogen steps off a little bit to get back her keytar and a pair of 80's sunglasses and vehemently ROCKS OUT while the lights go crazy effectively triggering the electric bursts in every synapse in my brain simultaneously causing me to explode, squee and smile so wide I'd put the cheshire cat to shame. Point in case, it was the show's highlight for me.
Immi ended the show on her now classic Hide and Seek. Unfortunately at this point in the night the wind was beginning to pick up and was messing with her harmonizer's microphone and causing the wind itself to get harmonized. For the record, Pocahontas, Imogen can sing with all the voices of the mountain. So even at great pains and excuses, everybody loved Hide and Seek and even here yet again we all sang with her the "ransom notes keep falling out your mouth" part at the end. A tender and vulnerable moment as we all froze on the side of a mountain singing together in the shivering seat and distorted, harmonized wind. A fitting end.
It was an amazing show, whose surface I've barely begun to scratch in this retelling. I didn't mention the glass harmonica she played or the ambiance during Little Bird but perhaps you should just try to catch a show ;) Imogen Heap, I'm proud to be a fan. Excellent show. Hope to see and sing with you again soon.
-Emilio
