![]() He sings from the perspective of being laughed at, or more like the prolonged fear of humiliation that comes with vulnerability. We find ourselves guests to a pity party with “Twist Your Ankle” and “Begin Again”. He speaks of his pining for his former lover: “I only miss you when the skies are above…” Moving to “Where Are You Judy”, the titular character has already made her debut in the preceding pieces. Concert-goers joined in comfortably and joyfully, clear from the get-go that they felt at home in this crowd. It’s a welcoming start, taking us along with him on this night just out getting drinks with an old friend. He started off his set with “Neon Skyline”, the opening track to the album of the same name. His voice sounded exactly like it does on his records, but this time it rings loud and clear, as opposed to the more muted tone in the recordings. And, of course, there was the strength of Shauf’s vocal performance, which still managed to shine through the brightness of the instrumentals. He and his stagemates worked as a single unit, while still managing to stand out on their own banging drum solos, striking bass and electric guitar riffs and hooks, and the finishing touch of the keyboard, which multitasked as different styles of instruments to serve as ornamentation. “Anyone got any questions at this point?”, he asked. As Shauf stepped onto the stage, he, indeed, seemed almost regretful, his humility and timidity evident in his infrequent and quiet addresses to the audience. In these, he has continued to take on a special approach to the concept album, and almost every song he performed this night from these two albums encapsulated the theme of old love and regret prevalent throughout his work. Shauf has released other records, of course, which were showcased at this show as well: “The Neon Skyline” and “Wilds”. He somehow captures the complexity of knowing glances, drunken declarations of feelings, and the nuances of connections formed, nurtured, and even wounded at a house party surrounded by both strangers and the people you love most. ![]() In spite of the fact that most people I know have heard nary a mention of Andy Shauf or his work, many of my playlists since junior year of high school have included songs off his album, “The Party”, a concept album that takes place in a single night at a party, each song a vignette dedicated to different sets of characters. Mon.I have never felt so comfortable at a concert as I did at Paradise Rock Club this past Sunday evening. – Bruxelles, BE Les Nuits Botanique Festival ![]() 20, 2022 – Charlottesville, VA The Southern Music Hall 17, 2022 – Sheffield, MA Race Brook Lodgeįri. 6, 2022 – Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall 5, 2022 – Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall 15 – Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College *įri. Watch Andy Shauf’s Video for “Living Room” Like these memories that we don’t share with anyone else are more vulnerable – ephemeral to the point of disintegrating.” Visually inspired by the NFB cartoons I devoured as a kid, I wanted it to feel like an old worn out memory, discoloured by time and distorted each time it’s remembered. Fear of the dark, fear of abandonment, fear of loss. So I wanted to weave together these scenes of childhood solitude, foggy recollections of being left alone in our empty house, where playfulness and imagination are tainted by fear. I think we mistake childhood as being a time of ‘freedom’ when actually our lives are entangled in the struggle of working adults. In particular, it’s about how wage labour – the business of having to work to survive – shapes our lives from the moment we are born. “ This is a story about growing up lonely. Director Anne Douris visualizes this generational fear in its video. In “Living Room,” “a polite question about a friend’s kid…turns into a hallucinogenic vision quest about death and reincarnation and living out our parents’ mistakes” ( Pitchfork). Andy Shauf announces a fall North American tour in support of The Neon Skyline, one of 2020’s most highly praised albums, and releases a new video for one of its highlights, “ Living Room.” The Neon Skyline, released on ANTI-, was beloved by fans and critics alike, and earned glowing year-end praise from Esquire, Stereogum, Consequence, Uproxx, The Atlantic, Paste, and more.
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