Uncle d. / Lidell-ify

My, this is a busy week for the AstroSite. I have to report that at around 6PM yesterday, I became an uncle! My youngest sister just delivered a beautiful girl, "Avery," to this world. It is unfortunate that I won't get to meet Avery until December, but I'm very happy for my sister and our family. Avery is blessed to have my sister as a mother, someone that will ensure happiness, understanding, and patience throughout Avery's life. To my sister, congratulations, and to Avery, welcome to a world that, despite its flaws, is constantly reminded that new life is indeed new hope.

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Last night I saw Jamie Lidell for the second time (I first saw him in October of 2005). The show was incredible; in fact, I'm nonplussed, which makes writing about the performance moot. But I can describe the emotion I felt during and after Mr. Lidell's performance: bliss. It was an A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. show. Lidell's preternatural stage presence grasped the entire Doug Fir audience and folded it into a cohesive origami of soul -- Jamie's Modus Operandi. The collective group shouted, danced, and sang together as an organism in itself, leaving all blues stuffed deep into our darkest corners. And I even got to shout all of my soul into the microphone during the encore performance of "Multiply," which is, in my good friend Tom's words, "The best song Al Green never recorded".

But don't get me wrong. I'm not a Motown aficionado. Jamie Lidell is something different. Most notably, he is a computer wizard, recording and sampling his beat-boxin' voice over the sounds of tripped-out beats and blips. But then he sings. And my, does Jamie Lidell sing. The result is the juxtaposition of familiar, recycled sounds into something beautifully original. But I caution those that might pick up his latest release, "Multiply," and expect to be blown away. While the album is strong -- VERY strong -- it does not (nor should it) capture what Jamie Lidell's music is about. That, my fellow cyberfriends, is something exclusive to those fortunate souls attending his live performance. I talked to him at the bar after his set, inviting him back to P-town anytime. His response, in all his British flair: "absolutely, mate".

I'm excited to report that April is proving to be a very, VERY good month for the Portland music scene. Earlier this week I saw Subtle at the Doug Fir, who are an experimental hip-hop-tronic group from the Bay Area. This show was also impressive, exploring a unique blend of rapid-fire rhymes, subtle (no pun intended) electronic beats, and a consortium of organic instruments, from flutes to guitars. But the true gem to bless this city comes next Friday, April 24th. Ryan Adams will be performing in all his macabre beauty at the Roseland Theater, which is walking distance from my apartment. The cast is truly a winning roster, featuring Ryan Adams, his guitar, and a piano. Obviously (especially to those that know of my teenage obsession), I'm very excited. Expect an AstroSite review very soon.

Until then, keep music in your soul, and "soul" in your music.