Yep, that's right folks, I saw the real Suzanne Vega! If you don't know who she is, she's a rather obscure 70s/80s singer-songwriter with a beautiful style of acoustic guitar. My music taste is partly something I've picked up off of my dad - Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, and Suzanne Vega, so it was incredible to get the opportunity to see her live.
She was touring because it's the 30th anniversary of her album Solitude Standing (which, for those of you who don't know, is my favourite of her albums), and the 25th anniversary of the album 99.9°F. So the evening was split into two, one half for one album, and the other for the second album, with a little break in between.
The first song on Solitude Standing is 'Tom's Diner', which is sung without music, just a vocal. The whole room was deathly silent as this song was sung and it was incredible. This was more than just a gig, as I wrote on my Instagram after it finished - it was a performance, a celebration of music and it was wonderful.
The special thing about this concert was that it was seated - something I've never experienced before. I meant that I could close my eyes and forget where I was and just let the music unfold around me. It was magical, and I didn't get hurt or pushed over or anyone dropped on my head!
One thing I found absolutely staggering was the progression in just five years - the sound had changed and evolved and the music became more accessible. Suzanne Vega wasn't just an obscure guitarist singing of goddesses, she made it to the charts, and even got a single higher than Nine Inch Nails!
I left the venue feeling so inspired to play guitar again, and to write and to learn and it was wonderful. Words cannot describe this experience but it was incredible.
How fun is that? I love when you go to a concert and just have the musical spirit inside you completely renewed. I have never heard of Suzanne Vega, but I'm going to go give her music a listen right now. I'm glad you had such a rad time!
ReplyDelete