Palo Alto CA Lucie Stern Theatre 8/14/09

[Erik]

Green Island Serenade
Whatever You Want
Antebellum
That's What Friends Are For/Take Five/The Dreaming Tree/God - learning to change keys and time signatures
Harbor
Passage
Homecoming
Lullabye
Gravity (Braid version)
City Hall
1br/1ba
The Last Snowfall
Dearest Mama Sid
Look to the Thought
Grandmother Song

Soon Love Soon

[chigaijin]

"Braid version" -- haha. I didn't quite think of it fast enough but I wanted to shout it out at the time. I did mention it to her afterwards and she definitely already had the connection (guess it's been explained like that at previous shows?).

Braid is a pretty awesome game, BTW, if short. http://braidgame.com/. (It plays on Mac as well -- see the Greenhouse page for that version.)

[Michele]

"Braid version" -- haha. I didn't quite think of it fast enough but I wanted to shout it out at the time. I did mention it to her afterwards and she definitely already had the connection (guess it's been explained like that at previous shows?).

If it has been explained that way on stage, then nobody's mentioned it here previously yet. The Westhampton Beach and Norfolk threads both mention the backwards loop, but not the game or the specific part of the song. It didn't click with me until I actually heard it last night. Also, the fact that it's done during the lyric "this is the same place, no not the same place" is like...brain melts

OK it's only 8:08 am here so I'll have more to say about the show later

[rahau]

About eight years ago, the late Frank McCourt put together a stage revue called “The Irish, and How They Got That Way.” Vienna’s performance at the Stern Theater could be thought of as “Vienna Teng, and How She Got That Way.”

As Vienna told the audience, every song on her set list illustrated some pivotal moment in her life, from her early piano lessons, to her first attempts at musical composition and lyric writing, to her decision to quit her high-tech job and take her chances at music, to her move to New York. At every step, her family, friends, and teachers offered guidance and occasional inspiration.

The setting was perfect – an elegant theater with a proper grand piano. The stage contained some set decorations from an ongoing play. The faux trees and sky could have distracted, yet they somehow complimented the performance. The audience was knowledgeable and attentive.

Vienna was at the top of her game, playing and singing with confidence and vigor, and charming the audience with her wit and spot-on comic timing. The “braid” version of “Gravity” was yet another variation of her most well-known song. Judging by the muffled sobs I heard, “Passage” has lost none of its power.

The highlight of the evening was the debut of two new songs from her musical-in-progress “Sid Arthur.” Vienna invited several of her old buds from the Stanford Harmonics to join her on these numbers. “Dearest Mama Sid” was a hoot! I’m really looking forward to the completed musical.

If ever there were a performance that could be called “An Evening With Vienna Teng,” this would be the one. I found myself wishing someone could have either videotaped or filmed the event. It would be a perfect fit for PBS’s “Great Performances” or “American Masters.” Perhaps an encore performance would be in order?

[Fred]

"Braid version" -- haha. I didn't quite think of it fast enough but I wanted to shout it out at the time. I did mention it to her afterwards and she definitely already had the connection (guess it's been explained like that at previous shows?).

If it has been explained that way on stage, then nobody's mentioned it here previously yet. The Westhampton Beach and Norfolk threads both mention the backwards loop, but not the game or the specific part of the song. It didn't click with me until I actually heard it last night. Also, the fact that it's done during the lyric "this is the same place, no not the same place" is like...brain melts

OK it's only 8:08 am here so I'll have more to say about the show later

Vienna didn't mention Braid at WHB that I can recall. She discussed and demonstrated the looper a bit as she was setting up the sample before Gravity, even mentioning that you could do backward loops (which she then proceeded to do). This may have been one of the "experiments" she apologized for doing. (The other, explicitly, was the Ari Hest duet loop on Last Snowfall, which was incredibly good. Why she would apologize for a couple of excellent new ideas that really worked, heaven knows.) Anyway, I've never played Braid & probably won't, so the reference is lost on me, but I agree with how effective the loop was at that point in the song. One of several times my brain melted that evening.

[Michele]

This may have been one of the "experiments" she apologized for doing. (The other, explicitly, was the Ari Hest duet loop on In Another Life, which was incredibly good. Why she would apologize for a couple of excellent new ideas that really worked, heaven knows.)

Ooh, explain more please if you can?

Anyway, I've never played Braid & probably won't, so the reference is lost on me, but I agree with how effective the loop was at that point in the song. One of several times my brain melted that evening.

The audio on this vid should be good to illustrate, for anyone who hasn't played the game.

[Fred]

This may have been one of the "experiments" she apologized for doing. (The other, explicitly, was the Ari Hest duet loop on In Another Life, which was incredibly good. Why she would apologize for a couple of excellent new ideas that really worked, heaven knows.)

Ooh, explain more please if you can?

Nothing much to explain. At some point during a song break she apologized in her usual unassuming way for experimenting on the audience. The only experiments I noticed were the 2 loops; I don't think Alex unveiled any never-before-seen percussion instruments or anything like that. The loop "experiments" were the "Braid" loop in Gravity (which I now understand from your link below; thanks) and adding the male harmony vocal to the Last Snowfall loop (yeah I carelessly said In Another Life above--my bad; will edit in my own post). Both of these were smashing successes. I guess when she apologized she meant she hadn't tried these things out in rehearsal, but I'm not sure of that. And I don't remember if she apologized before or after. Anyway, I love musicians whose between-song talk is almost worth the price of admission by itself, and Vienna is very high up on that list.

Anyway, I've never played Braid & probably won't, so the reference is lost on me, but I agree with how effective the loop was at that point in the song. One of several times my brain melted that evening.

The audio on this vid should be good to illustrate, for anyone who hasn't played the game.

[Michele]

adding the male harmony vocal to the Last Snowfall loop (yeah I carelessly said In Another Life above--my bad; will edit in my own post).

Ah, OK, I think this is why I wanted to hear more, got confused. I remember now you mentioned the loop for Last Snowfall in your original post.


Finally dug up my show notes, here's more as promised...

To explain the four-in-a-row covers - Vienna played these to show the influence her piano teachers had on her deciding to pursue composing. She played snippets of each song, including the first one in several different keys, which made the audience laugh. The other three were to illustrate different time signatures, and when she finished the audience went crazy! Then to demonstrate her putting all these things together, she launched into Harbor.

Vienna had two mic stands, one for her normal singing, and one for when she was looping herself. For Gravity first she turned the mic onto the open piano strings, and that's when she recorded the backwards part before she flipped it back and started the song. It was played a bit faster than the Lake version, very much its own different version now.

When she started using the robot last year I figured The Last Snowfall and 1br/1ba were perfect candidates. While I'm glad that she's finally worked out the percussion for 1br/1ba, I miss watching her struggle to slap out the beat and play at the same time (Of course, using the looper is better for the performance.)

During Dearest Mama Sid, there's a sort of cheerleading part that goes on near the end. Vienna was conducting her friends, and during this part she started waving her arms around and acting out. Since she's stuck behind the piano most of the time it was a whole lot of fun to see her do that.

The guy doing lights did a nice job...darkening from blue to black througout Passage, "fireflies" (green twinkle lights on the trees covering the stage wings) during Homecoming, adding clouds to the sky for Lullabye, making the sky purple for City Hall. Ryan the sound guy was my hero for the night. The whole staff really were my heroes for the night!

[Scot]

That's What Friends Are For/Take Five/The Dreaming Tree/God

OK, I know Take 5, but I'm not sure about the others. Original artists?

Dearest Mama Sid
Look to the Thought

Are these both from Sid Arthur?

thank,

s

[Michele]

That's What Friends Are For/Take Five/The Dreaming Tree/God

OK, I know Take 5, but I'm not sure about the others. Original artists?

Dionne Warwick and Friends/The Dave Brubeck Quartet/Dave Matthews Band/Tori Amos

Dearest Mama Sid
Look to the Thought

Are these both from Sid Arthur?

Yup.

[Scot]

Muchas gracias!
s

[rahau]

There was one additional piece of music she played, albeit too briefly.

For the introduction to "Antebellum," she told the audience a bit about her days studying classical piano. To illustrate, she played - beautifully - the first few bars of Debussy's Arabesque #1.

Man, what I wouldn't give to hear her play this piece in it's entirety! Bet I'm not the only one.

(Yes, Vienna, you may take this as a SUBTLE HINT!)

[Fred]

And I'm ready to hear Vienna do a full cover of Take 5. I'm a sucker for the jazzy/Larry Klein side of Vienna's music we heard on DTTN. (Guess it's the old beatnik in me.)

[rahau]

And I'm ready to hear Vienna do a full cover of Take 5. I'm a sucker for the jazzy/Larry Klein side of Vienna's music we heard on DTTN. (Guess it's the old beatnik in me.)

Hey, Daddy-O, I'm hip to your ideas! *Riffs on bongos* Crazy, man!

[aaparallel]

This concert was very special. Vocally, Vienna was a powerhouse. Love the focus on storytelling, because Vienna's so good at it. Opening with Green Island Serenade was unexpected and brilliant, complete with the dimmed lights (great setting, I thought. Even liked the trees. Kinda wished she played Blue Caravan, because the night sky theme really reminded me of that song.)

I'd like to hear a full cover of DMB's Dreaming Tree. And, well, Take Five.

Now that I've listened to the Youtube clip, the Gravity she performed did sound like the "Braid" Version. I wonder if she knows the song well enough to play the whole thing backwards.