I must admit, Owen Pallett is not music that I listen to regularly. In fact I hardly ever do, simply because his music is a bit too hectic and exceptional to be listened to casually. However, I knew that his show at a venue reserved for classical concerts was a must-see and how right I was.
The difference between the Kölner Philharmonie and ordinary venues became evident at the very start. As I was 30 minutes late (for the opening band that is) the lady at the entrance told me that they would open the doors only during the next applause. Once I got in, the atmosphere created by the venue mesmerized me. At the top it felt like looking down a gorge with the illuminated stage at the bottom like a misty river. Although I have never listened to Apparat+Band (who opened for Owen Pallett) I really enjoyed their set, especially the way it incorporated the light show into the music.
After a lengthy break and watching Owen and his band do the sound check themselves (common for him or the venue I don’t know, since it was both firsts for me), what turned out to be a fantastic concert finally commenced.
Owen started off by himself for 2 songs and then was joined by a (fantastic) drummer and a guitar player “I did what most people do when they’re in their thirties, I started a band”. I hardly know any of his songs by name, but I’m pretty positive that it was mostly songs from his album “Heartland”. I was most content when he played my favorite song “Lewis takes action” from said album, especially the way the guitarist provided back-up vocals creating enthralling harmonies with Owen’s voice. What captivated me so much about the show though was the way Owen made use of his looping pedal. Adding layers upon layers of his violin, played in all ways imaginable and unimaginable. Bowing and picking seem obvious, but using an octaver pedal to create an acoustic bass line, short percussive touches with the bow to create rhythm or even screaming into the violin? Not so much I think. It was like an exhibition of the creative possibilities of a loop pedal, paired with the angelic choirboy voice of Owen. After the three encores he played and a few people already made their way to the door, the majority stayed and clapped endlessly so he, in fact, showed up on stage again. “The lights didn’t go on and you kept clapping so I just thought I’d come back out again. At this point I’ll play anything for you, just tell me.” At this point at the latest, it showed what a genuinely nice guy he must be, something that is always really important to me at concerts. He didn’t really play something that was requested, but something that was even better. “I’m just gonna mess around with this a bit”. He looped a drum beat on his keyboard, a few layers of violin and ended up covering Caribou’s “Odessa” which only became evident when he started singing the lyrics (at least to me). Although I would have loved to hang around and meet him and hug him for his great contribution to music, I had to hurry and make my way to the Hudson Mohawke show (which turned out to be one of the greatest sets I was lucky enough to experience ever).
Owen Pallett - Odessa (Caribou Cover) (Live) by ashtapes
