Last night I had the pleasure of attending the DeVotchKa show in Minneapolis. I am a DeVotchKa devotee. And I had been told that DeVotchKa puts on an incredible show. This was no lie. It was probably one of the most sweepingly fantastic shows I have ever seen. It was magic. I may have to write another post just to review that show. Two big surprises for the night:
1. The beautiful and costumed Slavic Sisters doing crazy contortionist gymnast tricks Cirque du Soleil-style on large cloth strips hanging from the ceiling. This happened DIRECTLY OVER MY HEAD during DeVotchKa's first encore. I say "first" because there were, in fact, two encores. I'm telling you, this show was unspeakably amazing.
2. Basia Bulat
Who, you ask?
The crowd was loud, drinking PBR and Grain Belt and whatever else you drink for cheap at a First Ave show. Then suddenly, this strikingly beautiful woman comes out on stage alone, and just starts singing a cappella, earthy and deep. Wow. It was amazing, and captured attention like I haven't seen in a long time.
This woman was Basia Bulat, a Canadian musician with an awesome name, a soulful presence, and an endearing smile. Then Basia picked up an autoharp, and out came the rest of her band. A ukelele! A viola! A cello! Drums (Basia's brother, aw!)! Ay yay yay, they stole my heart. There is something old-fashioned and romantic about Basia and her band beyond the folk-rooted sound, and I like it. This is honest music. And they rocked. Basia broke a guitar string in their lost song, for goodness sake. So many great songs.
I am featuring "I Was a Daughter", which was one of the last songs they played. The band had us all hand clapping at rapid-fire pace, and this song had incredible energy and grace. Now reading the lyrics, I like the song even more - idealism, sweet and salty, and imagery that reminds me of childhood stories.
Listen:
Lyrics:
If you call tomorrow I will dream I was a daughter
Weavin through these brand-new silver streams
Turned into dusty roads that we both wandered on
We prayed to perfect Avalon
We wished for anyone to take us home
If you want to build this house with me
Oh what a story
This is how they'll all remember me
We were the lucky ones that would survive the flood
With potted flowers in our blood
Pretendin that we don't know where we bleed
All the pretty fall
We fell asleep but we couldn't hear their little words
We swam in the rivers, sang with the birds
Gave away our hearts before we knew what they were
What a pretty fall
(don't sing too loud, they are asleep)
Didn't even know
(don't sing too loud, they are still dreaming)
We sang out with the birds
(don't sing too loud, they are asleep)
Gave away our hearts before we knew what they were
(don't sing too loud, they are asleep)
What they were
Oh what they were
Bonus song! This is "Little Waltz", and it is beautiful.
If you want to find out more, check out these things!
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/basiamyspace
Her website: http://www.basiabulat.com/
Daytrotter - FREE DOWNLOADS (if you've never checked out Daytrotter before you must - it is a GOLDMINE and I'm hooked):http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1202/basia-bulat
XOXO
Kim
