Pendulum continues to swing in songstress' piano
driven direction
Imogen Heap
Park West Chicago, IL
May 25, 2006
Story and Photos By Andy Argyrakis
Seconds into her show at Park West- one of Chicago's
most sonically and visually pleasing nightclubs-
Imogen Heap announced that she rarely visits the same
city twice on a tour, but the windy city is an
exception. After all, the former member of Frou Frou's
last performance at Schubas was so tiny, she felt it
necessary to give the town a second try, this time
allowing somewhere around a thousand faithful to
experience her live spectacle. However, the much more
spacious location in comparison was still not enough
to house the underground hero's growing legion of
fans, who may not be a staple of the radio or one of
the most frequently interviewed artists these days,
but continues to gain momentum with her explosive
concert offerings.
Spontaneity seems to be a key component of Heap's
personality, as evidenced from her casual entrance
with the aforementioned announcement and decision to
sing "Just For Now" acapella. The tune is normally
dipped in suave dance beats, but this time rang out
with merely the vocals and a unique reverberation
effect through a barrage of electronic devices. Like
Bjork or the Eurythmics, a slew of synthesizers,
keyboards, laptops and unidentifiable boxes are a
major component of her palette, allowing for a mostly
one woman show (with occasional accompaniment by cello
playing opening act Zoe Keating) that kept fans
guessing what trick she'd pull out of her hat next.
Across the next hour, the singer/songwriter would
switch to a grand piano, strap a keytar around her
neck to bounce a bit or drop all instruments in favor
of background tracks mixed and mashed up from the
original album versions. On the quieter numbers (such
as the angelic "Hide and Seek" and the crystalline
"Candlelight") she recalled the esteemed likes of Tori
Amos or Kate Bush, though seemed to stand in a class
of her own on "Loose Ends." That track served as an
unexpected climax given its relatively straight
forward and sweetly sung introduction that unfolded
with schizophrenic loops steeped in unpredictable but
delightful chaos. "Goodnight and Go" wasn't as
peculiar but did dip with sassy disco beats backed
again by Heap's charming vocals.
Through nods to her latest solo CD Speak For Yourself
were ample, those towards her previous group were few,
though she did oblige that era with "Let Go." The
track first found fame on the Garden State soundtrack
and was delivered poignantly as Heap pounded out the
serene chords with a more traditional piano
arrangement. Such a compelling rendition made it
tricky to pick which of these styles is the definitive
direction she should continue towards, suggesting this
hodgepodge of sorts suits her quite well. Granted, the
genre bouncing and sometimes bizarre beats might not
be for everyone, but if her ticket sales continue at
this rate, she'll likely be playing a much larger
theatre next time through with an even larger
production. Cheers to those who five years down the
road can say they saw Heap way back when, which as
long as long as she stays on track, may just be the
tip of her career timeline.
Imogen Heap
Zoe Keating
Here's Your Chance
to.... Respond!
Your feedback will be featured on Rant or Rave within 24 hours.
The tune is normally
dipped in suave dance beats, but this time rang out
with merely the vocals and a unique reverberation
effect through a barrage of electronic devices. Like
Bjork or the Eurythmics, a slew of synthesizers,
keyboards, laptops and unidentifiable boxes are a
major component of her palette, allowing for a mostly
one woman show (with occasional accompaniment by cello
playing opening act Zoe Keating) that kept fans
guessing what trick she'd pull out of her hat next. 
