Joe M. is back again with yet another guest post:I encountered Patrick Watson's music for the first time back in March. I was at an Andrew Bird show in Dallas with six bands on the bill, and Watson was one of the first couple acts. In a small, smoky back room packed more tightly than a frat house on cinco de mayo, with a stage almost too small to fit the four-person band and all of their instruments, and speakers stacked to the ceiling, nobody in the crowd knew who this Canadian singer-songwriter was.
The setup was promising: an electronic piano and a harmonium (of all things--Punch Drunk Love anybody?) for Patrick, a guitarist sitting on a stool wedged between the keyboards and the bassist and the drummer stuffed in the remaining room, plus a couple extra guitars, shakers, &c. to fill the rest of the stage. I was well-inclined toward the band before they struck the first note.
When they did start playing, I was amazed. I've seen a few things at some concerts I've been to, but these guys had everybody else beat for sheer inventiveness on stage: at one point, I swear the guitarist (who was very good) used an electric screwdriver on his guitar to produce an effect; at another he pulled out a small gadget that he placed against the bridge of his guitar so that when he held a note, the gadget sustained it, creating an eerie and beautiful sound that can be heard on the title track of their album Close to Paradise; for one song, Patrick stood up with nothing more than a guitar effect pedal, which he proceeded to feed his voice through--the whole song his only instrument was his distorted, pitch-bent, and very-much-looped voice (it *was* an Andrew Bird concert--loop pedals are to be expected...). It was a great show.
As far as the music itself goes, it's an ethereal indie-pop underwritten by soft shakers and percussion beats with a piano or guitar lead and vocals that drift along the surface of the sound. It's quite relaxing and beautiful.
After the show, I was wandering around trying to find their album to purchase when I ran into Patrick Watson hanging out at the back of the crowd watching the next act. I complimented him on the show and we talked for a good while, and when I asked about the album, he sent his guitarist to the back to get me one (quite nice of him!). I wished him luck with SxSW (where the whole show was headed), and returned to the crowd.
As he's a Canadian musician, I haven't heard very much of anything about him here in the States (though apparently his music showed up on Grey's Anatomy), and that's very much our loss.
Peace,
Joe
Buy Close to Paradise
Patrick Watson - Close to Paradise
Patrick Watson - The Storm
from his website:
Patrick Watson - Luscious Life
Patrick Watson - Giver
Labels: canadians, joe post, Patrick Watson, pop, review
Give TGH a thumbs up!
Classy stuff alright.