I hear you, Joanna

I love Joanna Newsom. I want to take her home in my pocket. I want to marry her. I want to listen to her sing and talk and sing some more forever. I never thought I would feel this way about a woman, but, I guess there's a first time for everything. I love Joanna Newsom.

Last night she played at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (holy shit!) with the LA Philharmonic (oh fuck!). It was incredible. Joanna and her little band played Ys with the full philharmonic - it was like hearing the album live but better. The arrangements were crisper and fuller, her voice was like honeyed water, and her hands, rustling among the harp's strings were so beautiful and majestic.

After intermission, Joanna changed her clothes from an elegant, symphony-type black dress into a really scanty, super short, low cut, pink velvet dress and black platforms. She walked out on stage and the audience cheered doubly. It was great. She played a bunch of Milk-Eyed Mender songs (Bridges & Balloons, Peach Plum Pear, Right-On, etc) with the Band, in these fantastic, layered multiple instrument arrangements. It was really different than the album and when I saw her last year (she played all the MEM songs just her and the harp).

She played one new song, just her and the harp, that felt like an interesting mix between MEM songs and Ys songs. And the Disney Hall is such a fantastic venue. It's a really neat space, and even though we were sitting behind the stage (in the cheap seats) we had a great view of her hands. I have the music stuck in my head, running loops over and over, and it's great.


Coming Soon... When I taught a full day!