McCarren Pool was the busiest I’ve seen, and Feist performed with perfection. I am always saddened by the image of her that has been created by people, though well-intentioned, who only know her through music videos and promo photos, or for that matter, through only studio recordings. She is no goddess, they say, and I say that too, but she saves rock and roll, and she must be watched live to believe this. It was only when she told the story of a Janet Jackson concert attendance at the age of 11 or 12, it struck me that her music, with its clear roots in blues and essentials of rock, is an honest representation of how “rock and roll” has collected, after gushes and falls and transformations and simplifications and complications, into this generation.
After all the exposure to magazine spreads featuring Feist’s pretty face, it was much relief to see one my favorite badasses in person. Her live version of songs have always been more gutsy (and often more blues-y), but the material from her latest, The Reminder, does especially well. “My Moon My Man,” for example, sounded almost legendary. “Sea Lion Woman,” which has been a live favorite ever since she started playing it, was an absolute blast and a great choice for the encore. Feist’s boyfriend (and Broken Social Scene frontman) Kevin Drew made an announced entrance for a solo piano accompaniment to a slow version of “Lover’s Spit.” But he also casually came back with a tambourine for “Sea Lion Woman,” dancing away silly with Bryden Baird, Feist’s trumpet player. It was a great sight.
Here we have our highly-rated, totally-popular question of all time: “What inspires your music?” And the equally adored compliment: “Oh she’s so intelligent!”
I imagine these TV appearances will be happening frequently now, and I had forgotten how surreal these TV shows can be. I like what Feist has to say about not feeling at home in France.
So. Feist is dating Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, they say, and some Stereogum readers think Drew’s an asshole. Though I’ve little to say on their personal alliance (and more on the professional, if you’ll read on), I wanted to provide evidence, in pictorial form, of Kevin Drew’s Feist Worship that I picked up on from little, perhaps unnecessary, observations, though this worship neither proves nor disproves his asshole-ness. Also, my real motive here: I had temporarily deleted my Feist Summerstage photos when I re-did this site, so I’m using this as an excuse to bring them back.
