Grimes Good Records Thursday, March 1
Was it just me or did Grimes seem a a little nervous to be playing at 4 p.m.? There was a hesitancy to the daylight set, as well as vocal and sound issues, which could have added to the feel. And she could apparently only play four songs.
With all that out of the way, Grimes - aka 23-year-old Claire Boucher - still managed to convey her digital feelings. She got into the physicality of the music, moving her fingers like a conductor to the beat, kneeling on the ground between two cases full of equipment, bending her torso, scanning with her eyes and making mental notes. When she didn't quite hit the high note on "Symphonia IX," she barked, "Fek!" immediately after, but it might as well have been part of her glitchy canvas.
"Be a Body" showcased the many dark corners of her voice, which really is the focus of Grimes' music. It's another instrument for her to synthesize and manipulate.There's one song on new album Visions that reminds me of the chorus from Nu Shooz's "I Can't Wait," but other than that accidental indulgence, Grimes' music doesn't ape the era she was barely alive in, and it doesn't feel as rote as a lot of "dance" music these days. Seeing her on that stage, a bit nervous, surrounded by her "electric friends" gave a sense of how she might be creating in her bedroom.
"Fuuuck," she said again towards the end of the last song, then noticed the row of kids in front of the stage. "Oh, god, there are kids. I'm sorry!"
By the way: Word is her show at Dan's later in the night was a bit more cohesive. Also, word is when the crowd started hollering requests, two men shouted, "Video Games," because that's where we are right now?
