Annie Clark, known professionally as St. Vincent, is a musician, singer, producer and actress from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She began her career as part of The Polyphonic Spree and then began to tour as a part of Sufjan Stevens’s touring band and eventually created her own band in 2006. St. Vincent took the stage at The Hollywood Bowl this Friday, September 24. The crowd filled nearly every seat in the amphitheater, excited to enjoy live music once again.
The concert began with a brief set from R&B singer Mereba. The relaxing beats from the drums, paired with the calming vocals, radiated throughout the venue. The stage was illuminated in purple, pink, blue and orange hues to compliment the soothing performance. Mereba interacted with the audience between and during each song, encouraging the crowd to snap or sing along. The set ended with her song “Black Truck,” a haunting mix of heavy bass with smooth and flowing vocals, a great way to end the set and set the stage for the rest of the night.
Next, the rock band Spoon, formed in 1993, took the stage. Audience members cheered as they recognized their favorite classic songs. The distinct mix of heavy distortion on guitars paired with sound effects and electronic beats from the keyboard fully drew the audience in. The set felt like being transported back into the 90s, and the nostalgia could be felt throughout the amphitheater. The music was chaotic and upbeat, perfectly complimented by rapidly flashing lights projected onto the stage. Audience members stood up and danced along as the set energized the crowd in preparation for the rest of the show.
Finally, St. Vincent took the stage. Audience members cheered and applauded as the band and backup singers walked into view. The stage was set to look like a city, with building cut-outs and clouds in the background behind a spinning platform. Annie Clark entered the stage last, dressed in gogo boots, a red vintage-inspired pajama set with “Daddy,” embroidered on the back and blonde hair cut to her shoulder and the ends curled up in traditional ’60s-fashion.
As the performance began, it felt like watching a band straight out of the ’60s perform, but with a modern twist. During the first song, “Digital Witness,” Clark played the theremin, a futuristic-looking electronic instrument played without physical contact by waving your hand across the air above.
During most songs of the set, Clark played her signature St. Vincent guitar from Ernie Ball, switching colors to match the moods of different songs. The guitar was designed by Clark to be more ergonomic and easier for her to play, meant to be comfortable to hold for those of any body type.
After every single song of the set, the stage went pitch black, and quickly the lights shot back on as the next song began. The darkness allowed for stage design changes throughout the set, such as adding a new backdrop or prop, creating an interesting and surprising performance.
During the fifth song of the set, “Daddy’s Home,” the backup singers stood on a spinning platform with a mirror behind it, creating an illusion as the mirror moved back and forth. Clark’s impressive guitar solos and raspy vocals fully entertained the audience. Clark also brought out a steel guitar—played by moving a steel bar along the guitar’s neck and plucking strings—during some songs of the set, such as “…At The Holiday Party” and “Pay Your Way in Pain.” Her instrument choice was unique and exciting, as the audience never knew what would happen next.
At the beginning of the eighth song of the set, “Los Ageless,” an old-school telephone rang and was brought on stage for Clark. She pretended to be talking to a friend and explained that she was performing at The Hollywood Bowl. The friend seemingly didn’t believe her until Clark asked the audience to cheer wildly. The audience laughed, thoroughly enjoying this theatrical bit leading into the song with St. Vincent’s distinctive mix of heavy distortion and chilling vocals. The lights flashed quickly, illuminating Clark’s face from different angles, adding to the overwhelming emotion felt throughout the song.
During the next song, “Sugarboy,” the backdrop was stripped off, revealing bars of light that were picked up and used by the backup singers to look as if the lights were floating around the stage. The use of props throughout the performance added to the dramatic feel of the set.
As St. Vincent played, “My Baby Wants a Baby,” Clark flailed her arms compellingly; the audience could see and feel every single emotion that went into the song. The performance was powerful, with Clark remaining in center stage for most of the show, unless she was dancing or playing a duet with her other guitarist, Jason Falkner, in which they would play so close it seemed as though they were conversing through their guitars.
During the second to last song, “Live In The Dream,” the background was switched to look as though the band was in a jungle, with leaves behind them and a vine wrapped around the microphone stand. The backup singers impressively walked around the stage in slow motion as Clark sang the relaxing vocals. The last song of the set was “The Melting Of The Sun,” in which a rose arch was added to the background, and the vine around the microphone stand was changed to roses. The audience danced and sang along, a feel-good end to the performance. The platform spun Clark and the backup singers until they were no longer visible at the end of the song.
The crowd was captivated by St. Vincent’s performance from beginning to end. It was as though they couldn’t take their eyes off the stage. In some moments, one could hear a pin drop in the venue as the entire crowd was enchanted by the mix of heavy distortion, intense vocals and stunning guitar solos.
At the end of the performance, Clark thanked the audience, and she and the rest of her band and backup singers took a bow. Lights flooded The Hollywood Bowl as the queue for the audience to begin heading home, where they will reminisce upon this performance for years to come.
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