Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Andrew Bird @ Largo at The Coronet, 10/19
()
"Some people think this song is a stream of consciousness, but it's really about the death of my chickens." said Andrew Bird introducing his song Spare-Ohs off of his new album Armchair Apocrypha. Bird, who is tonight's rock pick (listen to music sample here), went on to tell the charming if slightly morbid tale of his ill-fated 26 chickens that were all slaughtered by some murderous raccoons. In the morning he found their coop empty with feathers floating everywhere. The ravens that lived nearby built nests in Bird's chimney with the feathers of his dead chickens, and then in the winter when he built a fire, the feathers were cremated and spread all over his town. Bird, clearly still torn up over this incident, played a solemn dirge on his violin that looped over and over again as he told his tale. I cannot think of another artist today that would write an ode to his dead chickens.
Nor can I think of an artist today who would dedicate an album to natural phenomena and the wonder of nature, but Bird has. He has dedicated his latest work to all things great and small. From natural disasters in Fiery Crash to the microscopic in Imitosis Andrew Bird is fascinated by the world around us. He has even written an ode to the Texas blind salamander, a blind, pale thing, that lives deep in the recesses of caves that he saw on an episode of Planet Earth. A connection he admits with a smile is a bit troubling, "I am unsure why I sympathize with this creature, but I do." What a gift it is to have an artist that writes about something other than human relationships. In a universe this vast, surely we have other things we could sing about other than the fact that we are in love or out of love with each other.
For those who haven't had the privilege of seeing Bird live, let me tell you it is a exhilarating experience. You watch him build his songs from simple plucking on his violin for the base beat and rhythm, to the undercurrents of the bass that he outlines with his violin, followed by whistling and clapping to highlight the song, and finally guitar and vocals. Bird creates his music with a precision that only comes from someone who is anal retentive about his music quality. By all rights Bird should have at least four musicians backing him up, but instead he wants to create the entire thing himself. Also if he feels he is not satisfied with the way the song is progressing, Bird has no qualms about starting the song over from the beginning, as he did several times last night. Which is not to his detriment. It is a pleasure to see someone who is wholly committed to their art, mind, body, and soul. There is no inch of his music that Andrew Bird doesn't know intimately and is dedicated to perform perfectly. Imperfection will not be tolerated.
Support for LAist comes from
And it is gorgeous to listen to. If you can, indulge yourself and go to the Largo at The Coronet this evening at 8:30 for a night of music that one rarely sees. An artist that can deliver his distinct worldview to an audience that sits quietly and soaks in his majesty while allowing their imaginations wander over chickens, salamanders, hurricanes, and microbes.
Sidenote: Largo has moved to La Cienega from Fairfax.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist