Regina Spektor, Only Son @ TheTivoli, Brisbane, 09/07/2007

Wed 11th Jul, 2007 in Gig Reviews

Doors opened early at the Tivoli but, frustratingly, support act Only Son didn’t kick off until almost two hours later. Only Son hails from New York and the first few songs in his set consisted solely of him and a guitar. Only Son’s self-deprecating wit is quite charming, and his guitarwork is more than competent, but in solo-mode his music doesn’t quite hit the sweet spot and you find yourself tuning out after a song or two.

For the third song he steps things up a notch, plugging his ipod ‘backing band’ in to fill out the sound with pre-recorded drums, guitars and wheezing keyboards. Only Son would be impressive fronting a band, but fronting an ipod takes you only a step or two above karaoke. Only Son’s stint on stage proves fairly short; the highlight of being the upbeat My Museum before he winds an uneventful set with a great story about his new-found love of koala bears that wins him a few fans.

Thankfully, the next break is much briefer and, soon, screams arise when Regina Spektor peeks her head around a curtain and hobbles onto stage leaning heavily on a borrowed cane. “If I’m loopy, it’s just because I’m on a bunch of pills,” she confides. The Russian-born, New York-based chanteuse may well be hampered by some kind of back or leg injury, but immediately proves her vocals are in peak form by launching into the a capella beauty of Ain’t No Cover. Spektor then proceeds to show she’s no slouch on the gorgeous Steinway piano occupying a large part of the stage. And as she follows up with the more mainstream-friendly TV on the Radio, the audience just can’t resist joining in on the chorus.

It sets the theme for the evening: a few ‘quirkier’ songs followed by a ‘hit’. Still, if her music is a little obscure at times, she has a sweet shyness about her which plays well with the crowd and her voice is so exquisite that it would melt the heart of the toughest critic. The result is a set of enormous variety, at times haunting and moody ( Blue Lips ), at times brisk and jaunty ( Baby Jesus ), but always full of touching lyrics that show she has an outstanding talent for observation on the human condition. Made famous by radio airplay and it’s recent appearance on Grey’s Anatomy, Fidelity is among the crowd favourites, while Hotel Song, featuring some deft beatboxing from Only Son, also draws huge applause.

Overall, Spektor produces a strong performance, but perhaps this was a show for true fans as some her most powerful songs may have been lost on those unfamiliar with her material.

By Kieren St John aka akaesha and Stephen Goodwin aka demosthenes