2004-05-19 KCRW

The Gig: Building a Career with Great Live Performances One Gig at a Time

This is Celia Hirschman with On The Beat for KCRW.

Since the birth of rock and roll, recording artists have sought to earn the praise and passion of their audiences, with amazing live shows. Whether it was Elvis Presley, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, U2, Bruce Springsteen or Nirvana, the quality of the live show surpassed even the individual recordings.

In fact, a great live show speaks much louder than a well recorded CD. That's because a CD can have all the benefits of a top notch production, incredible side musicians, recording programs to even out the edges and the best mastering lab, to tie the record together. But a great live performance is, of the moment, unpredictable and revealing, for the performer. Audiences who genuinely feel an artist s pain and joy live are far more likely to emotionally connect with them, and stay engaged, long after the performance. The live show is what gives a career longevity.

With the record industry drastically changing focus and direction, the first factor most labels look for in signing an act, is a great live performance. There's a crop of newly signed recording artists touring the country right now and they are all well worth the price of admission.

Consider Nellie McKay a 19 year old wunderkind whose quick witted prose is woven together with brilliant piano playing, wrapped in a sound similar to 40's cabaret. She represents one of several new jazz/pop hybrids that are quickly emerging in the in the wake of the success of Norah Jones. And live, Nellie Mackay is simply delightful, showcasing an astonishing array of abilities, particularly given her age. You can only guess where she s going to be going in the future.

And then there's Jamie Cullen, another young master, who, with his two band mates, completely engage audiences live. Jamie is a ball of energy, unstoppable and magnificent and, judging from the two performances I've seen, he s got it all. He is a fantastic pianist, able to play anything perfectly and most often at three times the speed. Plus he has a voice like Frank Sinatra or Harry Connik Jr.

Go to a Jamie Cullen show and you re most likely to leave energized and excited. This is clearly an entertainer who will be with us for a very long time.

Regina Spektor is another young newcomer makes waves live. Born and raised in Russia, this classically trained singer songwriter came out of the New York Anti-Folk movement, playing locally in coffee houses. It s easy to see why the major labels have broken ranks on their signing freeze to fight a tough bidding war over Regina. Witness her live show and you'll see she's as interesting and dynamic as all great talents are, leaving her audiences in amazement.

And on that tip, The Dresden Dolls are catching a lot of tastemakers ears for their great live performances. Though still very new, this young duo's live show is stunning, and compelling you can't take your eyes off them.

And seeing is believing. Each of these artists have only released a new record in the last couple of months, and the buzz on all of them is very high.

They're touring constantly and always stop in LA. If you haven't seen them yet, be sure and check them out when they come around.

This is Celia Hirschman with On The Beat for KCRW.

Reptilia b/w Modern Girls and Old Fashion Men

Reptilia (The Strokes)
Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men (Regina Spektor and the Strokes)

Recorded during the Strokes' 2003 Room on Fire tour and released in May 2004 on CD and 7" vinyl; the B-side "Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men" features vocals by Regina.

Early 2004 - Soundgirl.com

LINK

Soundgirl has been a fan of Moscow native Regina Spektor since way before those mop-headed Strokes boys introduced her to the world. When we first met her, her free gigs were so intimate you could see if she shed a tear, ('cept we don't recall her crying. It was us who silently wept, marveling at the depth of her cat-like voice and the beauty of her ominous songs.) Some time after our tears dried, Regina became a part of a much higher ticket when New York neighbors, The Strokes, generously took her one-woman show on the road for a triple bill that included the rockin' Kings of Leon.

Each night, the threesome played to between 3000 and 6000 audience members. Soundgirl recently caught up with Regina. (And this time, we kept our composure.):

Soundgirl: What's been happening over the last year?

Regina: (My life) has changed in that I've had all these new experiences. I've met a lot of new people. I went on my first ever tour and then I went on my first ever second tour... I kind of realized how I overworked myself. Now, I have to try to be a professional. I have to pace myself and try to conserve my strength.

SG: How did you overwork yourself?

Regina: Not having gone on tour before --and we were out for basically more than two months-- it really hit hard. I didn't know how to take care of myself on the road really well. I didn't sleep. Stuff like that. No one was standing over me, telling me, "Don't not sleep for four nights in a row!"

When I went out with The Strokes in America, it was a triple bill with me, The Strokes and The Kings of Leon. By the time we hit the West Coast, they (the Kings of Leon) already knew of their tour in Europe, and they liked playing with me. So they said, "Why don't you come to Europe with us right after this?" So I had a four day break between tours during which I had bronchitis. I was on antibiotics when I flew to Milan.

SG: Were you the only girl on tour?

Regina: Yes. In a way it was fine. In some ways it was a little bit hard. I get along really well with both sexes, so I think when it comes to music it's not about that at all. These were all musicians who I really liked their music. You have to go with people whose music you'd want to hear every night. It probably would've been nice to have a few women there, though.

It was really awesome being on the road with the Kings of Leon because I was traveling on their bus. But I was so the sister of the band! The oldest one is my age. The youngest one is so young, like 17. He's just a baby. They're all brothers.

They're three brothers and two cousins. They're really like a family, and took me in like family.

SG: How did the audiences react to such disparate music?

Regina: Well, ya know, it was different. Sometimes on The Strokes' tour people were really, really kind. People would send me emails and say things like, "This was the most awesome opening band The Strokes have ever brought. I respect them for bringing me on the road.

SG: What was the rudest thing that an audience member said?

Regina: I don't know. Show us your **! I'm not much of a lady. I curse like a sailor, I'm tough in some ways, but I think there's a certain basic decency that I expect. Just because someone doesn't like something a person is doing, why yell something rude in front of thousands of people? It doesn't make any sense. A lot of the fans wouldn't like my music. It's very different. It's not up every Strokes fan's alley. I really respect The Strokes for standing by me.

SG: What now for the future?

Regina: I'm really excited to find a home, like a label. I really want to start working on my next record. I want to do a lot of collaborations and find new people to collaborate with.

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Listen to "Your Honor" here to hear the passionate Regina and Visit www.reginaspektor.com to stream her second album, SONGS, in full.

2004-05 Spin

Kitsch and Tell

If you skipped the beer line and took your seats early for the Strokes' U.S. tour last fal, you might already be aware of precocious singer/ pianist Regina Spektor. Perhaps you've turned over the Strokes' last sin- gle "Reptilia" and heard Spektor's duet with Julian Casablancas on the art-wavey B-side "Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men." (It's probably a CD, so don't realy turn it over, okay? It totally won't play.) After watching Spektor perform the smart, minimalist story-songs "Poor Litle Rich Boy" and "Your Honor" from her indie album Soviet Kitsch in a tiny Lower East Side club, Casablancas was smiten and invited her on the road. But you probably know nothing about Spektor aside from her connection (one that is also rumored to be romantic) to New York City's favorite rock boy. "It's so ridiculous," Spektor says about the gossip. "The music gets lost in weird speculation. Why can't somebody bring some- one on tour because they like their music?" Okay, here are the facts: Spektor, 24, was born in Moscow, where she studied classical piano. She moved to New York City at age nine, attended SUNY Purchase, and performed in the same anti-folk scene that spawned the Moldy Peaches. She's an Aquarius. She talks like a baby and sings like a teenage Patti Smith. A major label wil be re-releasing Soviet Kitsch by the time you read this. "People think 'girl and a piano,' but I do open for rock'n'roll bands."