There are classically trained violinists, eccentric folk artists, brainy indie-pop songwriters, glockenspiel players and world-class whistlers to be found all over planet Earth, but there’s only one dude who’s all of the above and more: Chicago’s own Andrew Bird. After graduating college with a bachelors degree in violin performance and self-releasing his 1996 debut, Music of Hair, Bird went on to record three albums under the name Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire: Thrills, Oh! The Grandeur and The Swimming Hour. He then hooked up with Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records for his wonderfully eclectic 2005 set, The Mysterious Production of Eggs, before flying over to Fat Possum for his 2007 breakout, Armchair Apocrypha, and this year’s acclaimed Noble Beast. Live, Bird adroitly manages a sampler that loops bits of violin, whistling and other sounds into a “clone orchestra,” producing a one-of-a-kind “one-man-band” experience that loses none of its magic and wonder even when he’s actually accompanied by a friend or two onstage.
You must login to comment.
COMMENTS