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I went to Tonic last night not knowing what to expect. I’m not the type who likes to see a preview of a movie and I could have downloaded some of Elysian Fields’ music, but I like surprises. I went on the recommendation of a friend and sat back to listen to the musical creation of Oren Bloedow and Jennifer Charles. Playing just as a duo, Jennifer thanked the audience for letting them practice before their trip. She repeated twice that they were leaving, so I asked, “Where are you going?” She replied in with a whisper into the microphone, “France.” Their new album, “Bum Raps and Love Taps” is being released tomorrow, only in Europe for the time being. Everything about the performance was sexy sultry. Bloedow set the musical tone with his red electric guitar while Jennifer used her vocal chords to let out velvety sounds that formed words, which formed sentences, which become poems. At times Bloedow, took to the grand piano, one point singing the duet, “Passing on the Stairs.” Their outfits full of patterns, Bloedow had on a striped shirt and a checkered hat, Jennifer with a Betty Boopesque polka dot dress, their songs were intense tales of love and life, as with the song, “Drunk on the Dark Sublime.” Just with slight movements of her body, Jennifer had the crowd entranced with her song in French about Jezebel. Between one song, Bloedow picked up a large bouquet of Shiso leaves that was a gift from a farm in New Jersey and told the audience as they were going to France there would be no way they would have use of all this Shiso (Shiso is a leaf used for all sorts of food preparation and presentation in Japan.) He passed the bundle of green around the people and I took a stalk for myself, smelling the freshness. They finished the night with an encore that sounded like Billy Holiday was singing through Jennifer Charles. All the great singers were surely there in spirit to hear one of their own, the notes produced by her subtle voice are incredible to hear. An intimate show with an intimate band, check out these two, or their band Elysian Fields, when they give you the opportunity.
Tags:
elysian fields, tonic
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Posted on 9/26/2005
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