Blown Away

Tuesday evening Peter and I went to Schubas for one of the best live performances I have ever witnessed. We saw Colin Stetson. He has toured with Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, Tom Waits, and countless others but he was flying solo on Tuesday. If you count a man and three saxophones as solo. He had in tow a bass, alto, and tenor saxophone and I was super giddy having never seen a bass saxophone in real life. It was almost as big as me as you can see from the photos below.

I like to think that I have a very eclectic taste in music but usually experimental music makes me want to leave the room. For instance the man that opened up the show was so terrible and at one point I had to go to the bathroom and just let myself laugh. I had a very hard time keeping a straight face throughout his entire set. Peter said it was good music to fall asleep to with ear plugs in. Thank goodness Colin Stetson came and saved the experience for me. 

Through multiple bizarre techniques like overblowing, circular breathing, and having a microphone strapped around his neck to pick up the sound of his vocal chords, he produces a multiphonic wall of sound that is by all definitions of the word UNBELIEVABLE! There were moments during his performance where I literally forgot to breath. 

Most of the things he is doing I have heard of but never seen executed successfully. He somehow has found a way to create a symphony of music with just him and one instrument. At one point I realized that there were 8 distinct different sounds coming out of the saxophone not to mention he was singing and the vocal chord mic was picking up this eerie lion like roar. I could write a whole book on all the different techniques he uses but I think instead I will just suggest that given the opportunity you HAVE to see him live. No words can truly describe what that experience was like.