After a long drive up from DC, sprite and I, along with Sam and Alexis, took in a kick-ass concert by KT Tunstall.
Both sprite and I have been fans of KT since last September, when we first heard her music on the Beeb. And she’s gained traction here in the States thanks to appearances on NPR, NBC’s “Today” show and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” She’s a one-woman band, a top-notch songwriter, and has an extremely versatile voice.
KT only has one album out, and she performed all the songs from said album in her show, as well as a cover song (that I didn’t recognize), and a new song, “Dirty Water.” She had a multi-talented backing band, though KT still made good use of her “wonder pedal” setup, sampling her voice, guitar and percussion to wonderful effect.
She also has an incredible stage presence, and an uncanny ability to handle the drunken audience members’ off-color remarks. Her years on the UK club circuit, as well as busking both in the U.S. and the UK, serve her well in this regard.
So it was well worth the drive.
Before the show, we also dropped in on a RHSM east coast reunion. It was great to see Tony and Marie Larimer there, such wonderful people. I also got to hang out with Kelly and Jennifer Hannah, with whom I shared classes and, in the case of Kelly, many hours on the slopes. And I finally got to meep both the new alumni office director and the current headmaster, Alan Sparrow, who started his tenure at the school shortly after my graduation.
forepac
5 March 2006 — 17:53
Didn’t recognize the cover? For shame! 😉
It was Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees” from The Bends. Here are the lyrics.
sprite
6 March 2006 — 01:16
Clearly I was off chatting with Sam while you were meeping the headmaster and alumni director. So this is what prep school kids do at their reunions … I had no idea!
Grand Poobah
6 March 2006 — 09:00
Yup – meeping is an old RHSM tradition. 😉
And as far as missing the Radiohead cover, I own exactly two of their albums: OK, Computer and Hail To The Thief. Thus, it’s no huge shock that I didn’t recognize the song: I wouldn’t call myself the biggest Radiohead… head.
forepac
7 March 2006 — 13:54
Actually, I’m not much of a Radiohead fan either, and The Bends is one of the most overrated albums I’ve ever heard.
So how did I recognize the song? I knew the song name but not the song, and when she sang “Her green plastic watering can/For her fake chinese rubber plant/In fake plastic earth” the repitition of “fake” and “plastic” allowed me to make the deduction.
Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary! 🙂
Glenn Gemelli
7 March 2006 — 20:49
So I plug my name into Google and find myself with “randomduck”!? I guess we really don’t know who we are afterall. And all because Rudi blesses me as his “oldies” guru during his 05/31/2005 music ramblings. It’s truly amazing how we unknowingly shape young lives; and I thought I was molding ski racers. Neat site and cool reconnection, Rudi. Email me and I’ll share some other thoughts.