Image by Camille Ikalina-Robles
Bells and whistles
St. Vincent earns her wings in San Francisco
By Camille Ikalina-Robles
Published: February 20th, 2008 | 10:28pm
February 17, 2008, in San Francisco — When I first caught a glimpse of the demure St. Vincent at the Great American Music Hall, she wasn’t on the stage. Hanging out quietly and lost in thought in the wings, she clung to her red guitar, more Annie Clark than the alter-ego she encapsulates as St. Vincent. Dressed in basic fitted jeans, sneakers, and a big, puffy warm coat, she took what looked like a moment of reflection before she made her way onstage to help her crew. After setting up her guitars and bass, wooden tree sculptures, hand bells, and silver metallic streamers, she left the stage as inconspicuously as she had entered it.
After a short time, St. Vincent and her band returned, but the woman who appeared now was a siren intent on the task ahead, adorned in fishnets, ballet slippers, and a baby-doll dress, her wavy curls sitting wildly on her head. Her band — which she would later claim “loved it when [she] put them in little outfits” — were dressed in a cream slacks, white collared shirts, and vests. They launched into “Now, Now,” the opening track off of St. Vincent’s debut album, Marry Me (Beggars Banquet). The violin and background chorus of “bom boms” gave life to “Jesus Saves, I Spend” which followed.
Soon, St. Vincent relinquished her guitar for a moment at the piano for “Marry Me.” The song began as each band member played an ensemble of handheld bells, filling the venue with a cascading sound of romantic percussive rhythms. The track proved to be a crowd favorite as audience members laughed and sighed in all the appropriate places. “Human Racing” and “Landmines” also featured the hand held bells, while St. Vincent’s violinist provided a beautiful, harmonious, whistling accompaniment to Clark’s sweet vocals. This continued throughout the set, as the band meandered through its collections of songs.
At some point Clark commented on how lovely and calm the audience was, remarking on how the night before, the audience was drunk on the black cherry mojitos the venue was serving. “Gosh, you are ladies and gentlemen and scholars,” she said before closing with “Your Lips Are Red.” “You’re a delight and a treat to be around,” she continued. “And this song is about murder.” The crowd erupted in laughter at this, just as the band started experiencing some technical difficulties.
“Well, that was anti-climactic.” An audience member quickly chirped in, “No, it was Annie-climactic!” Everyone was humored by the comment, including the singer herself, who told the heckler that he should be up here instead of her. Eventually, everything was sorted and St. Vincent launched into a haunting and intense version of “Your Lips Are Red” which was, it turns out, very much about murder.
The band left the stage after and returned for a brief encore before the lights were finally turned up at the Great American. Fans left exhausted but content as they slowly filed out of the venue. And, if the bells were any indication that night, the ethereal St. Vincent had definitely earned her wings.
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