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tUnE-yArDs, a.k.a. Merrill Garbus, played a dazzling lead-in set for St. Vincent at Central Park Summerstage on Sunday evening, but her “secret show” at the Rock Shop on Monday was much more intimate. Announced at the last minute on Twitter, the last-minute gig packed the Rock Shop to the brim for its Grand Opening party.
Opener Lady Lamb the Beekeeper (née Aly Spaltro) hails from Portland, Maine, and introduced herself as “her band.” Ballsy? Definitely, but she backed up her statement with her guttural, gorgeous voice reminiscent of Janis Joplin, without the twang. When she wasn’t assaulting her axe, she mesmerized the crowd with her voice alone, her lyrics dwelling heavily on the physical aspects of love, making use of animal metaphors. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper doesn’t look like a threat at first glance, but you’ll be hearing more from her. Money on it.
Brooklyn’s Sharon Van Etten seems to gain confidence from her backing band, allowing us to sink comfortably into her velvety voice, also crooning of love, but in a more abstract fashion. The higlight of her set came with a tender ballad during which she slowly pumped what appeared to be a piano accordion, keeping perfect time with the gentle pace of her song. A big fan of her 2009 full-length album, Because I Was in Love, I was not disappointed.
Oakland, California’s tUnE-yArDs had performed with a full band at the Central Park Summerstage, but the tiny Rock Shop stage made that an impossibility. No matter, as Garbus creates an intricate and gleefully frenzied structure of sound by looping her diva-like voice and drum beats with the accuracy of a surgeon. Performing nearly all of her debut full-length album, BiRd-BrAiNs and enlisting the help of a horn section straight out of a ’70s funk record, tUnE-yArDs got a room of New Yorkers (”No one dances in New York!” she cracked) to cut the rug with abandon. tUnE-yArDs is all about throwing your hangups to the wind and giving in to what feels good. Though she made use of her razor-sharp comedic timing and teased the audience mercilessly, Garbus’ genuine appreciation for a room of like-minded animal souls is palpable. Before launching into “Hatari,” she announced that she had finished writing her new album, so look forward to another handful of tracks to which you may fly your freak flag proudly.

Fuente: LimeWire Music Blog