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Story and photos by Dave Vacula
Fiona Apple, the twisted poet, the singer/songwriter, the vegan who doesn't
preach, hit the stage with full force on
Monday evening at Lincoln Hall in Chicago.
The mood she created from the get go was intense and personal and never
wavered throughout the evening. As Apple paced the
stage aggressively, she seemed to pour every ounce of her energy into her performance.
She danced wildly while visually bearing the depths of her soul. Her attitude and
demeanor are a little bizarre, slightly frightening, but totally enthralling at the
same time.
That's what makes her such an amazing performer. She buzzed through the 50 minute
set rather quickly while barely making eye contact with the crowd. She seems to
perform for herself as much as for her audience.
Choosing songs from each of her albums and a few new tunes
from her upcoming record to be released in June - The Idler Wheel
Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More
Than Ropes Will Ever Do, Fiona displayed a keen diversity.
Her eclectic and experimental rock style is a combination of
rock, jazz, soul and blues that touch on all without committing to any. Her clever
pop tunes touch on
emotional instability, vulnerability and wrongful decisions with a twist of raw
urgency and a rhythmic jazz sensibility. "Fast As You Can" set the tone for the
evening followed by "On the Bound" "Paper Bag," and of course, "Then
Mistake" which predictably was a crowd favorite. Two new songs "Anything We
Want" and "Valentine" displayed a simple, but raw beauty. "Sleep to
Dream," "Every Single Night," "Carrion" and "Criminal" closed out the
performance followed by an encoreless quick exit by Apple. As she left the stage
she said "I
love you very, very much, goodbye I'm leaving" - then disappeared. Rumor had it
part of the band had been sick and they had to reschedule a few dates since the
Chicago show.
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