concert review: Kaki King

The Fillmore
21 May 2010

Australian openers An Horse started off the night with your typical boy-girl duo bullshit. You know: "maybe if we play really loudly, nobody will notice our total lack of creative talent". Regardless, the mostly female crowd ate it up, thriving off the false sense of empowerment bestowed upon them, seeing a girl front a band.

Kaki King redeemed all. Guitar g-d(ess), weaver of tales, spinner of alternate realities. She initiated her set with some newer material, leaning heavily toward the standard indie singer/songwriter style. By "The Betrayer", however, she could not conceal her emotion whilst playing. Her set was absolutely relentless and gripping on so many levels. As the night progressed, her older material surfaced, and climaxed when she ingeniously combined "Doing The Wrong Thing" and "My Nerves That Committed Suicide". What a wonderful way to pay homage to her past whilst looking ever so brightly to the future.

Kaki's captivating shredding was incredibly satisfying and spread throughout various beautiful guitars. As per usual, she played without a pick (she used her fingernails) but the absolute gems of the night lay in her tribal percussion on the guitars themselves. Never mind her bandmates Dan and Jordan, the spotlight lay on King throughout the night, especially when she stared contentedly at the lights glittering on the curtains behind her. Concluding the night with a burst of energy, the petite guitarist jumped into the crowd and was the catalyst for a wave of dancing that truly allowed the crowd to physically express their gratitude and happiness.

Exchanging positive vibes and (often explicit) jokes with her fans all night, Kaki was just as enthralled to be performing as the audience was watching her. The Atlanta native was dumbfounded by the fact that she was playing the Fillmore, a venue well known for hosting some of history's best guitarists. It doesn't make any sense that someone so distinctive and gushing with talent could be as humble as Kaki King. Maybe one day she'll look back and realize that she didn't infiltrate the Fillmore's ranks, but rather added to its glory.

Kaki King - Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers [mp3]

visit Kaki King on MYSPACE

video: Kaki King does "Falling Day" on Jimmy Fallon

record review: Kaki King - Junior

Kaki King broke into the mainstream in 2007 through her stunning contributions to Eddie Vedder’s Into the Wild soundtrack. Her guitar creations cannot be reduced within the bounds of the measly six strings from which they dissipate, as her signature brand of experimental music uses the instrument in fresh and varied ways—most notably as an object of percussion.

On her latest album, Junior, Kaki King finds her voice (quite literally) in a more straightforwardly rock direction. There is a notable shift from her previous work: there are fewer instrumental tracks and much more emphasis on King’s strengths as a vocalist.

At times, the guitars and vocals are airy like Pink Floyd (“Spit It In My Mouth”), elsewhere, more aggressive drums are followed by siren guitars (think early Foo Fighters). There are definitely nods to Pearl Jam, probably as a direct result of King’s collaboration with Vedder.

This album is interesting not only because of King’s mastery of the guitar and her innovative approach to songwriting, but also because it is truly unlike any other form of contemporary music. It doesn’t fit into any of the popular indie subgenres (post punk, surfer rock, lo fi). It finds its strength in a steady diet of 90s alternative rock but also incorporates experimental sounds. “The Hoopers of Hudspeth” even hosts a seductively subtle horn section.

King ends the album on a bitter note, in a ballad to a bad breakup called “Sunnyside”. The honesty found on this track is empowering by virtue of King’s openness about her lesbianism, but it will resonate with people of all sexual orientations. King explained “I’m hoping there’s something universal in that song that someone’s gonna listen and think ‘Wow, I can relate to that’ because I don’t want it to be my pity party.” Mission accomplished.

4/5

Kaki King - Death Head [mp3]

the album drops on April 13th, you’d be well advised to check it out

tour dates:
April:
15 Williamsbury Music Hall New York, NY
16 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
17 Middle East Boston, MA
19 Iron Horse Northampton, MA
20 Port City Music Hall Portland, ME
21 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
28 Theater of the Living Arts Philadelphia, PA 29 The 9:30 Club Washington, D.C.
30 Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC

May:
1 The Variety Atlanta, GA
2 3rd & Lindsley Nashville, TN
4 Beachland Cleveland, OH
5 The Ark Ann Arbor, MI
6 Park West Chicago, IL
7 High Noon Madison, WI
8 The Varsity Minneapolis, MN
9 The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
11 The Fox Boulder, CO
12 Belly Up Aspen, CO
14 Neumos Seattle, WA
15 Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR
16 W.O.W. Hall Eugene, OR
19 Knitting Factory Reno, NV
20 Mystic Theater Petaluma, CA
21 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
22 El Rey Theater Los Angeles, CA
24 Belly Up San Diego, CA
25 Glasshouse Ponoma, CA

song of the day: Kaki King - Doing the Wrong Thing

today, I decided to post this song whilst listening to my favourite contemporary experimental guitarist...when I came home, I was delighted to see a promo copy of her new record in my pile. I'm listening to it right now and really loving it. a review is forthcoming.

Kaki King - Doing the Wrong Thing [mp3]

Kaki King is almost exactly the same age as Julian. their birthdays are a few days apart. a pretty cool coincidence if I do say so myself.

band of the week: Kaki King

I really don't know very much about Kaki King, other than that she's from Georgia, is incredibly talented and gorgeous, and was discovered by Dave Grohl.

He was quoted: “There are some guitar players that are good and there are some guitar players that are really fucking good. And then there's Kaki King.”

I really love that. It's pretty much the most succinct way to describe her music. Her music makes me feel like time is standing still, and completely envelops every ounce of attention I have.

I stumbled upon her music about a week and a half ago, and was really impressed. I watched a lot of videos of her music on youtube, and can say with enthusiasm that she is quite talented. She does phenomenal, fresh things with a guitar, mostly blending percussion with slide guitar and other cool stuff. She doesn't sing much, either, which is a huge bonus, even though her voice is surprisingly good. Music like this needs to stand alone.



I'm going to explore her music some more, and look for her tomorrow at Rasputin.



long live guitar! (I always loved that opening line from The Clash's "Know Your Rights", "this is a public service announcement, with GUITAR!")

visit Kaki King on MYSPACE