Credit to Larry Hirshowitz
Credit to Larry Hirshowitz
Regina Spektor
Aug. 15
Apogee’s Berkeley Street Studio
The room was humming with soft yellow lighting and eager listeners matched the amiable mood with complimentary beverages and popcorn in hand. Their peering heads bobbed and swayed in search of Regina Spektor, only releasing their cheers of delight when the singer arrived on stage.
On Aug. 15, Spektor put on a private show at Apogee’s Berkeley Street Studio as part of KCRW’s Berkeley Street Sessions, where musicians including Bloc Party, The Shins, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have appeared in the past. The performance was part of a small concert series performed in an intimate setting for artists to get on a personal level with audience members.
KCRW created an inviting set-up by choosing a cozy performance space that was no larger than the size of a small studio apartment. Apogee allowed guests to wander through its four sectioned rooms while curious fans managed to find a viewing area on an indoor balcony on the second floor overlooking a stage decorated with Spektor’s black piano, a drum set and a few microphone stands.
Void of any flashing lights or distractions, Spektor’s performance for the night showcased her playful lyrics and heartfelt melodies. Her set list was appropriately devoted to selections from her newest album, “What We Saw from the Cheap Seats,” with a few gems from older works including “Ode to Divorce” and “Call Them Brothers,” a duet with her husband Jack Dishel who was on the drums for the night. The evening’s set revealed her versatility as an artist to shift from somber ballads like “How,” to light, quippy tunes like “Ne Me Quitte Pas.”
Her red-stained lips pursed against the microphone to create vocal percussions, another addition to the already dynamic mix of keyboard, drums and cello in the background. Fans familiar with her impressive range and ability to send her voice through lifting crescendos and immediately back down to a mezzo piano saw the musician’s classical training at work.
The concert concluded with a Q&A session with DJ Anne Litt where Spektor shared the story of her family’s immigration from Russia. Growing up without many luxuries, the young singer constantly improvised and pursued her own passions in an unconventional way, like practicing her pieces by tapping her fingers on nearby windowsills since her family didn’t own a piano. Spektor said that it was the experience of having very little and knowing the struggle to get by that makes each sad song have a touch of optimism and each happy song held back by the weight of sorrow.
Although the concert was described as an intimate show, the performance felt like any normal concert, with the artist under the spotlight and fans swaying to the rhythm ““ everything just happened at a smaller venue. Even Spektor herself jokingly commented about the amusing new performance genre as an oddly intimate experience with a roomful of strangers.
In spite of it all, it seems her fans got to know her a little bit better.
From hearing her perform a live duet with the man she married to hearing how stories of her personal life infuse with her work, seeing Spektor live added a dimension of understanding that could only be experienced in person.