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From: mjn@teddy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.music.synth
Subject: Laurie Anderson
Message-ID: <2212@teddy.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Mar-86 10:09:22 EST
Article-I.D.: teddy.2212
Posted: Tue Mar  4 10:09:22 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Mar-86 03:13:56 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 58

I went to see Laurie Anderson in concert at the Orpheum (Boston) on Feb 28.
This was the first time I'd seen the show in person, though I've heard the
music before (some of the local radio stations are into weirdness).  This
article is partly review, partly a report on gadgets used.

Overall impression:  disappointment.  I'd been led to expect more.  Music
lacked spirit, sponteneity (in places), and coherence.  She has execellant
stage presence and really captivates the audience.  Her multi-media show
was intresting, some of the videos show were reasonable, though most were
mediocre.

The Set Up:

The stage was impressively bare of equipment.  Center stage was Laurie's
Fairlight keyboard (the rest was off-stage).  Stage right was the back up
synth keyboard (type unknown, possibly DX-7).  Stage left was reserved 
for two do-wa boys.

In addition to the keyboards, Laurie plays a MIDI violin controler.  This
device is very impressive to see.  It looks enough like a violin to be
recognizable, but is made mostly of metal.  "strings" where short, and did
not run the full length of the neck.  No tuning knobs were evident.  Various
electronic artifices could be seen underneath.  My impression was that it
is a specially made MIDI controller and a prototype.  I also think it was
deliberately tech'ed up to look impressive.

The violin was mostly used to control digitally sampled sounds.  Its possible
that these were stored and managed in the Fairlight, but it may also just be
another box off-stage.  Some good effect was made of sample voice and lyrics,
then played on the violin controller.

Several peices were performed using a Voder.  Unknown what kind she uses, 
but is gave her an effective baritone, with slight synthesized overtones.
All and all it sounded fairly natural (though off enough to be strange).
Voder was also used to do vocal chorusing.

Use was made of MIDI drum heads in another piece.  Laurie has a special 
tailored suit (all white) which has drum heads, percussion sensative plates,
and switches built into it.  By slapping a tight, a snare drum  whack is heard,
stomp the floor for Bass, elbows into sides for more drum strikes, clicker
switches in each hand for cymbols.  Choreographed to dance, alone and stark,
is was quite striking.  This was re-inforced by a video shown immediately
after of her on stage, doing the same number, but totally silent.  Mucho
bizzaro.

Why the disappointment?  For all of her expensive gadgetry (which I'd love
to get MY hands on), felt that she was not up to the capabilities of the
technology.  Perhaps it was a bit on the minimalist side for my tastes,
but I thought she could do better.  Dozens of ideas and concepts came to 
me just watching the concert.  I think perhaps that she invested much of
her creativity in the visual aspects of the show.  All lighting, slides,
videos, etc. where designed and created by her.  Laurie also enjoys 
interacting with them.  But, alas, the music suffers for it.

-- 
		Mark J. Norton
		{decvax,linus,wjh12,mit-eddie,cbosgd,masscomp}!genrad!panda!mjn
		mjn@sunspot