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| Kevin Kenly Photography |
The Badlander
3-13-12
Eliza
Rickman is quite the individual, musician, and traveler. A solo unique act out of Los Angeles, Eliza
has a style and presence about her that can only be fully explained by seeing
her in action on stage sharing with the crowds her vocals, her hauntingly
beautiful music, the toys she uses to create rare sounds, stories about her
life, and a vintage 40s upper class European style that fits like a glove.
Musically she is as gifted as I have seen with thinking outside the box as well
as having vocals that can be related to Fiest and PJ Harvey; they have an eerie
beautiful sound to them that only draws you in more and more as if you have become
spell bounded by a ghost. Eliza is quite the adventurer as well, if that’s what
you want to call it, but it is most definitely what word I would use to
describe an artist travelling the country for three plus months by herself in her
fitting white prius. One of those dates
on the three month schedule saw her landing in Missoula for a second year in a
row playing at The Badlander on a Tuesday (3-13-12) to promote her new full
length CD release called “O, You Sinners”.
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| Kevin Kenly Photography |
The
free show started with Eliza taking the stage standing off to the side of her
popular toy piano with two microphones in front of her and a pedal loop
situated perfectly below. She calmly without saying a word went into creating vocal
sound effects into one mic looping it through the speaker system packaging it
together some clapping as well as a bell, and just like that an imaginary choir
was established that would be the background music for her song. She then moved
to the other mic starting the song, and swallowing everyone whole with her opera
like vocals. With everyone taken back by what had just happened as well as
Eliza’s off the charts creativity and originality she moved over to her toy piano,
which was housing a vintage almost scary doll. She then broke into “Devils
Flesh & Bone” off of her new album. After establishing that she was the real
deal with two songs and an array of toys/instruments that you would never
expect to be used to create music she started into her third song “Over Cold
Shoulders”. This song in practically really focused on her vocals, which I
could talk about in this whole review if need be and the beauty they create.
Her range and sound is something that makes you think of classic opera mixed
with Celine Dion and a twist of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. “Black Rose”, which
you would definitely consider a hit off the new album, was played next with the
toy piano and some foot stomping leading the way. The song seemed to be a
faster paced version and with lyrics such as “you reap what you sew, take this
black rose”, you get the sense many of her songs are for specific people. An
artist who seems to be extremely comfortable with crowds as well as enjoying
the awkwardness that is established between seeing new faces and performing for
them she talked about the toy piano, how it is easy to travel with, the sound
it creates that goes hand in hand with her, and that she does play a big girl
piano throughout the whole recorded album. The next song played “Start with
Goodbye, Stop with Hello” is the only song recorded on the new album with the
toy piano, which was fitting as she performed the song. A basic song that
consists of only two things, the distorted bell sounds of the toy piano and her
vocals; it was one of the most breathtaking performances I have ever seen. You
could feel the emotion she has put into the song and as she sang it you got the
sense that she sings this song every time with everything she has for a specific
person hoping one day it will be heard. She then went back to the vocal looping
playing a song that she said has become a crowd favorite “White Words”. A song
with not to many words, the whole concept of the song is based around her un-denying
ability to create the ghostly church choir background music using different
vocal ranges and sound effects through the loop maching. At the end of the song
she got down and by hand faded out the loop she had created leaving it trapped
in the walls of The Badlander for ages to come. The other popular song “Cinnamon
Bone” was played next. The whole time I pictured her as Snow White as she sang
walking through the forest as the dwarfs and animals played toys while walking
with her intrigued by her voice. Eliza then sat down and brought out the accordion
talking about how she had taken lessons from a man with a huge handlebar
mustache and stating that she would only trust taking accordion lessons from a
man with that kind of mustache. One of the most personable and gorgeous musicians
I have ever seen she started the next song with accordion in hand playing “Coming
up Roses”. Hands down the best song on the album, right from the start you are
overtaken with emotions as you hear her vocals start the song and listen to the
lyrics that may be some of the most breathtaking lyrics I have ever heard. With
lyrics such as “tell me your secrets, I will ask you no questions”, “ I love
you – I love you, the darkest part of you, writing the sweetest song”, “jump over your hedges, stand under your
branches, were coming up roses indeed”, and “darling divine your cutting my
bones with words you won’t say” I found myself frozen to the hardwood floor of
The Badlander with chills running down my spine wishing she was singing this song
to me. Quite honestly it was one of the
most powerful out of body feelings I have ever felt during a concert, making me
almost become slightly scared of the power Eliza has produced through her
music. A cover song of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”, was perfectly done giving
the song an edge most people didn’t expect existed, and ending the set for the
night.
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| Kevin Kenly Photography |
One of
the most unique individuals I have ever had the privilege to see, Eliza is a
most see live act. Never have I caught myself just staring and getting lost in
my own mind more then when I saw her play live. Her music is something that should
be put into a time capsule and buried away to show people 50 years from now what
music should be and has the potential to be. She is an artist creating something
that speaks volumes to who she is as a person, and has developed a sound that
is eye-catching to say the least. She will take you back no matter who you are,
and I guarantee male or female you will develop a crush on this extraordinary
talent and human. Well played Eliza, well played!
Newest CD: O, You Sinners
You can follow everything MissoulaLive has to offer on facebook at the link below:
Eliza Rickman : www.elizarickman.com
Stonefly Productions : www.stonefly-productions.com
The Badlander : http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Badlander/82350798469
Kevin Kenly Photography : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kevin-Kenly-Photography/316666751709264
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