I had the chance to catch Feist at the Academy of Music on 4.23.2008. I thought Feist was good going into the concert, now I think she is great; a true artist. Simply put, she has become a better musician and artist since she released her last album “The Reminder”.
Before I get to the main event, I will say that her opening act Hayden played his own special brand of “kill yourself” music for 55 minutes… Horrid. I will say that he seemed like a nice guy, and had good stage presence, but his songs were pure drudge – I was counting the minutes until he was off stage.
After the stage crew did their jobs (I have never seen a stage crew take so long to set up a drum set – Damn Canadian Teamsters!), Feist took the stage. Leslie Feist is the daughter of Canadian artist Harold Feist, so I was expecting something visual, but she exceeded my expectations. The show incorporated two people doing interesting visuals using an overhead projector, and the opening song featured Feist behind a screen so you could only see her silhouette, which complimented the overhead presentation.
Feist’s performance was excellent.
She took elements of her records, fleshed them out and expanded them. Her four piece back up band was outstanding… bright and tight. Like Liam Finn, Feist employed a audio capture and looping device so she can add her own vocal layers during the performance, she used it well and it enhanced the experience.
I could go on about how much I liked the show, but you get the hint. Another great aspect of the event was the venue. The Academy of Music was beautiful, comfortable, and classy. Great place to see a concert. If you get a chance to see Feist, do it, you won’t regret it.