Strange Mercy

St. Vincent
Commodore Ballroom
October 12th, 2011
10:30pm

I spent the entire day attempting to study for my two midterms the following day. It was the usual hectic night before an exam for... I'd say most collegersity students.
You know, you feel like there aren't enough hours in a day for you to finish all the work you have to do. You wish that you could function through the night without sleep and still think rationally.
You also think ahead to the countless hours you will eventually spend with your eyes glued to your several textbooks that need to be read.

I decided at 10pm that studying would just have to resume after the St. Vincent show at the Commodore.
Having bought a ticket months before it seemed a waste if I didn't go to see this electrifying performer. I say electrifying because that is exactly what you would have felt if you had stood in the audience that night. Annie Clark and her electric guitar would ultimately lead to goose-bump inducing shredding.
It's a strange feeling walking in at 10:30 just minutes before she would take the stage and feel well at ease when you know that really it would end all too soon.

I'm a casual listener of St. Vincent -- I can't recall most of her songs by title, or sing along to her poetic and twisted lyrics. But I can through all this appreciate her unique approach to her songs, which are ultimately quirky, eclectic and particular.
I was blown away by her glamorous and classy stage presence.... It's odd to say that because Annie stood with an electric guitar and played it aggressively and intentionally. Shredding madness. I was taken aback by it, surprised--- I also was fully immersed into her performance. All of this juxtaposed with her soft and delicate vocals. A strange yet perfect mix of two contrasting sounds that when put together fit imperfectly and just right.

My favourite moment was when she performed "The Party" for the encore, stripped down with no electric guitar. Chilling.

This was the first song of St. Vincent that I remember listening to--
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