SPOILER ALERT***
If you are going to a Twigs concert still and don't want to hear about my experience don't read this. On the other hand, I didn't see just any concert. Your choice.****
Ok, here goes. I did go to see Twigs in her added on show at Paisley Park, last night. That's Prince's recordng studio and a performance venue. Yes, he's still around and active. Anyway, after Twigs sold out her Friday show, they suddenly announced Friday evening, that she would add a show at Paisley Park on Saturday. Due to unforseen circumstances, my plan to go Friday night got screwed up and I didn't get to go! HOWEVER, I was determined to go on Saturday not least because Paisley Park is practically in my backyard! They've done a "thing" like this a few times before and it has the same format. It's tickets at the door only, you show up and pay up and that's it. I don't know if the weather helped and/or the fact that a LARGE number of people went on Friday night, but I was able to get in easily and didn't have to spend hours either finding parking or waiting in line! It turned out to be a GREAT venue and the way they handled it, was awesome! I'd never been there before. We were ushered into a room with a stage at one end and could hold maybe two hundred people? Give or take. It had a great sound system, and looked like a sort of large club. No alcohol is available and no cell phones allowed. Very limited seating, so mostly a standing crowd (I finally perched on the stairs to the dressing rooms). We waited a LONG time (well it felt like it), but about 10 pm or so, she finally arrived at the venue (I wondered if the weather held her up or if it was just part of the casual nature of these events). I had stood up to stretch and moved a couple feet from the stairs when she and the band came in. I didn't see them until they were headed up the stairs (loud music playing to keep the audience entertained) so I didn't see if Rob was with her ( I know people are going to ask me). There was a tall guy right behind her with a light gray hoodie up and a dark jacket over that, but he could have been anyone. She does have a couple of big guys who are "roadies." The lighting was pretty poor in there. I never saw anyone I could be sure was Rob, so he might just not have come to Minneapolis (maybe the weather report scared him off, LOL). I'm just not sure and while I'm sorry I didn't see him, I'm not at all sorry for going to this awesome concert! Anyway, then we waited some more, and then I had to get off the stairs so they could finally get on stage, and we were off! I was so close to her. She is tiny, just a wraith, but on stage she is so powerful! That girl has moves, some would never dream of! And her voice, WOW! She did things with her voice that many singers would kill to do, and that the videos don't do justice to! She has a LOT of range! I love her low tones as well as her high ones and she DOES have high notes! The low ones have a sensual power to them that is primal!
I have to tell you, I expected to see a very talented, beautiful young woman who is a great dancer and a good singer. What I did see was so much more! I'm not that easily impressed, nor is hers a genre I have much experience with, but while you can see her roots in several styles of music and dance, she transcends them all! When you realize that she invented this entire production, it's beyond impressive, but the fact that she allows it to be organic is genius! She is enchanting, mesmerizing, haunting, edgy, artistic and gifted! I have to say though, you can find a lot of that in her videos, but the live experience is something else again! What I've seen on video was lovely, don't get me wrong, but live, well that's a whole new ball game. This stage was smaller than many, it didn't have the space to allow her to move around the way she does in the vids or even the way she staged the Fallon show! There wasn't space for fans to blow air, or for flowing scarves or cloth, She didn't do costume changes, except to finally take off her jacket, and they didn't have smoke or fog special effects. They did have fantastic sound and some lighting effects, but really, last night, Tahliah herself WAS the effect! And boy did she step UP!! She had that audience eating out of her hand! They were swaying to the music when she invited them to, some hummed or sang along to certain tunes. At times they would whistle or hoot, but sometimes, they were actually silent in awe, and they should have been! Tahliah took that venue, which was more intimate and immediate with the audience able to be very close, and she didn't just sing and dance to the music, she EMBODIED IT! She brought that music to life, almost as a visible, entity! Tahliah's voice is so much richer in person, and I heard her use it exquisitely! She also did something that many performers don't think to do, she gave a new, fresh performance, as if she was performing each song for the first time! In a way, I think that's one of her strengths. She's not trying to imitate herself or her videos, she's using the material she knows, but allows a different nuance to arise from the live performance! As I said before, it's organic. That shows incredible performance understanding and savy! I don't know if she makes a conscious decision there or if it's instinctual; either way it raises her performance to extraordinary! As a review from her Chicago said, everything "hinged on the emotive grace of Ms. Barnett." That is true and she stepped up! That reporter also described Tahliah as "a musician currently undertaking the long transition into icon...." I agree, although I'm not so sure it will take very long! I was prepared to see a beautiful and talented musician and performance. What I SAW and experienced, was so much more! She has that "something," that combination of talent and innate understanding, that instinct for her medium that we see in Rob's performances on film! He brings characters to life and disappears in them, Tahliah brings music to life and it almost becomes a live creature! It's difficult to describe in some ways, but we sure recognize that "something's" effect on the work and us!! I see why they would be drawn to each other, they are more alike artistically than maybe even they realize! I won't ever forget this one!
Oh, and by the way, Prince was actually there (which he isn't always I understand) and I heard from someone I met, that he went up to them at the end of the show and told Tahliah and the band how REALLY impressed he was! He's got a huge following and he's got clout in the industry, so that was really cool and it was unusual for him to do I was informed. I read somewhere afterwards that she really admires him! He rewarded all of us by having the whole crowd escorted into the "BIG STAGE" venue and yep, he brought his band out and they played a few numbers! The crowd had already been applauding and cheering Tahliah and that was just the frosting on the cake ! Well, at least for me. I hadn't really listened to any of his stuff for a LONG time (sorry about that), and I really enjoyed all the music, especially the ones he played live! It was party central: great dancing music and a lot of very happy faces! So, Minnesota knows how to party and without adult beverages! LOL! It was snowing all day and all into this night, but snow shmow, who cared?! Not us! It just made the outside look pretty! I didn't get to stay too long after, because I remembered suddenly (oops) that I had to work later that morning. (crap!). I suppose that Tahliah might still have been there and maybe came out to party or dance later. If so, then I missed that, but I had already had a phenomenal experience and I don't regret one minute!
Edit: I heard later that is exactly what she did, plus Prince himself came back twice more to entertain the crowd! I WISH I could have stayed for all of that, but I had already experienced a special evening, so I can't really complain!
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