Audience becomes ‘lost in the sounds’ with Regina Spektor
Three songs into the encore and fans are still asking for more, hoping that their night with Regina Spektor Wednesday never ends; then, the ever familiar words ring through the Greek Theatre: I hear in my mind all these of voices/I hear in my mind all of these words/I hear in my mind all of this music. But Spektor is certainly not breaking our hearts.
The lyrics of her hit song “Fidelity” seem to be appropriate. Her style, demeanor and talent enchant the audience from the moment her fingers touch the keys of the piano. You will certainly get “lost in the sounds.”
No doubt, Spektor has talent. Besides the fact that she could be a classical pianist prodigy and that her voice never moves off key, Spektor entertains crowds with her sweet charm, quirky stories and obvious love for music.
Sauntering onto the stage in a poofy white dress decorated with a black, cardboard bow and looking like the epitome of child-like innocence, she opens the concert with “The Calculation,” a song from her new album, Far. Similar to many of her songs, “The Calculation” boasts a strong piano introduction.
Never hearing the same sort of piano riff more than once, she varies up her pieces with abrupt, bold chords and slow, romantic phrases. Spektor meshes different emotions into her pieces by incorporating these two styles within her songs rather than within her albums.
Excitement in the audience rose during “Machine,” which mimics the coldness and rigidness of an inanimate object through the use of dissonant chords. But in the middle, she surprised fans with a modern version of what sounded like an 18th century classical song.
Spektor is definitely full of surprises. One thing a concert-goer will learn is not to be deceived by her sweet nature. Giggling in between songs, she would smile at the audience and say, “Thank you very much,” but not in the Elvis Presley sort of way. When she is not singing, her dainty voice instantly puts a smile on faces. But as soon as she starts to bellow out her next set, Spektor exudes confidence and ease.
Underneath her fairy-tale persona, a rocker lives. Watching Spektor’s two different yet fitting personalities coexist is what makes her music so much more enthralling. One moment during the evening, Spektor and her background violinists, cellists and drummer rock on to the Begin to Hope song, “On the Radio.” In the last few seconds she gets the audience to clap along, while a fan comments that her music is “a good philosophy for life.” The next moment Spektor is singing about drinking and going for a blues feel on her teal guitar. Adding to the message, she slurs her words and drops a few surprising curse words.
Though Spektor does rock and blues, most of her pieces are heart-felt ballads. Caught up in full body goose bumps, and maybe a few tears, fans move along to her melodious lyrics. Behind her seven-foot black Steinway a disco ball creates a star-like effect on the backdrop and the lyrics to “Samson,” resonate: I loved you first beneath the stars. Her soft voice accompanied by the slow and tender sounds of the piano can only be described as sincere emotion.
Spektor has the ability to transform a person unfamiliar with her music to a devoted fan within two hours. The reason: she simply isn’t afraid to take risks. It is not an understatement to note her originality. From the Russian quotations to the Hemingway references and to the syncopation of her voice, the list of individuality could go on. At one point, she pulls up a wooden chair and starts striking it with a drumstick, while playing the piano with just her left hand — not to mention she continues singing to perfection.
Light-hearted humor and eccentricity are only part of Spektor’s captivating performance style. But quirky pretty much defines her lyrics. It doesn’t really matter whether her metaphors or outlandish imagery confuse her listeners; in the end, they feel the humor, sorrow, or anger she meant to portray.
The concert seemed to bridge the gap between audience member and celebrity musician. Under the Greek architecture, the outdoor venue created a backyard-esque event as if Spektor were performing for a large group of friends.
On an unusually brisk Los Angeles night, Spektor’s fairytale music warmed fans in a magical way. And it’s contagious.