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Culture

 

Concert Review
Sad Songs They Say So Much

fimanda Aikman
OP Contributor

   

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Bright Eyes

Opera Review
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Jennifer Aikman Look
Assistant Culture Editor

 

You know things are heading
downhill when you start noticing
that you are older than the rock
stars in your CD collection. Such is
the case with Bright Eyes’ Conor
Oberst. At a mere 22 years of age,
this kid was playing Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles with his
friends in Nebraska back when I
was smoking Dunhills and pledg-
ing my undying love to Steven
Malkmus. Now, ten years later, his
music is being compared to the
likes of Vic Chesnutt, Elliot Smith,
Neutral Milk Hotel, and a mid-
period Bob Dylan. Touted as one
of the finest songwriters of his
time, a master showman, and
someone in need of some serious
anti-depressants, Conor Oberst is
the one constant in the evolving
musical collective known as Bright
Eyes.

For a well kept secret, Bright
Eyes draws quite a crowd. The
doors for their October 19
Richards on Richards performance
opened 45 minutes late to a slew of
young’ uns attempting to out cool
each other through their choice of
T-shirt. Wading through a sea of
wide-eyed youth, their chests
emblazoned with the images of

Eraserhead and Kenny Rogers, I
was beginning to feel a little silly.
Fortunately my evening began
looking up when my companion
pointed out that I was standing
next to Michael Stipe and Peter
Buck. (Not to beleaguer my anti-
Richards on Richards sentiments,
but a bouncer with all the dimwit-
ted authority of a parking lot rent-
a-cop actually came jostling over to
reprimand Buck for encroaching
on precious Dicks’ on Dicks aisle
space.)

Doing my best not to be dis-
tracted by the presence of the
R.E.M boys, I sat back and was
treated to one of the finest rock
shows I have ever witnessed. With
charisma (and hair) to rival Jarvis
Cocker, Oberst unfurled his cache
of rejection, disillusionment and
heartbreak on the responsive
crowd. With no fewer than 13
musicians on stage at any one time
it was truly a feast for the eyes and
ears. Bright Eyes pulled out all the
stops, enlisting trumpet, bassoon,
banjo, steel guitar, cello, tuba, vio-
lin, three drummers, and a host of
other instruments that looked like
they escaped from the mind of Dr.
Seuss. The eager crowd hung on

October 30, 2002

Oberst’s every word, pausing only
to sneak cigarettes, take photos and
compare T-shirts.

Focusing on the _less-maudlin
material of their most recent album
Lifted or The Story is in the Soil,
Keep Your Ear to the Ground, Bright
Eyes transfixed the crowd with
their ambitious, angst-ridden epics.
The evening culminated with a
rendition of Lifted’s “Don’t Know
When But a Day is Gonna Come,”
that had the gawking crowd irrev-
erently hushed during its buildup
and nearly jumping out of their
skin at its peak. More than aptly
accompanied by his band of merry
musicians (including the Bruces’
Alex McManus) Oberst writhed on
the crowded stage to chants of “We
love you Conor.” Unfortunately
that love remains unrequited as the
show was shut down soon after to
admit the anxious hordes of idiots
desperate to get their collective
groove on. Handing over the club
to the dance crowd at 10p.m. is
always a bitter pill to swallow at
Richards on Richards, but I let it
slide this time as I had a full night
of Michael Stipe stalking ahead of

me. /

 

The VSO’s production of Verdi’s Aida has proved to be
a difficult opera for me to review, for a number of rea-
sons. First of all, I don’t really know that much about
opera. I have been to a few productions, but am hard-
ly capable of providing an educated review of the qual-
ity of the singing. Also, my opinions are skewed by the
fact that I love attending the opera. I have a good time
just dressing up for an evening and people-watching.
So instead of trying to give an in-depth critique of the
show, I will just relay my impressions the best I can.

The story of Aida is a classic love triangle that suffers
at the hands of powerful passionate forces. Set in
ancient Egypt, the Egyptians are at war and have
enslaved Ethiopian princess Aida. Ramades, a rising
star of the Egyptian army, has fallen in love with Aida,
and despite her loyalty to her homeland, Aida returns
his affection. Enter the third point of the triangle:
Amneris, the Pharoah’s daughter, is jealously in love
with Ramades and will stop at nothing to keep the
young lovers apart.

Susan Neves played Aida beautifully. It was thrilling
to hear her and I marvelled how she was able control
the obvious power of her voice to play the timid slave-
girl. When it came time to reveal to her captors that
she was really a princess, her voice broke loose with
such force and passion, I was able to appreciate the dif
ficulty of her early restraint, all the more.

Renzo Zulian’s performance as Ramades showcased
his exceptional singing capabilities, but his acting did-

n't really seem passionate enough. The story line called
for a more fiery love story between him and Aida, than
Zulian delivered. I could feel the longing in Aida, but
nothing from Zulian. Ramades’ anger and resentment
toward Amneris didn’t quite make it across either.

Jean Stillwell as Amneris was my favourite character.
Not only did she have the best costumes, and all the
costumes were beautiful, but she did a good job of
bringing the spoiled aristocrat to life. She really shone
in the last act, where she managed to make me pity the
unlikeable Amneris.

The sets were stunning and as I mentioned before the
costumes were stunning, but some of the chorus
looked a little silly at times. A few of the men were less
than statuesque and didn't really fill out their shining
white temple robes; others did not make for believable
soldiers. There were also some odd, rather long dance
numbers, which I thought were just foolish. My part-
ner didn’t seem to mind the disjointed hopping about,
but I just didn’t get it. At times, I even felt embarrassed
by it.

All in all, Aida was a pleasure to see. Beautiful to
look at, beautiful to listen to, ] recommend you make
a point of seeing it when the VSO puts it on again. You
may have to wait awhile, as we were told during a pre-
show forum that it plays only every 20 years or so.
Hopefully by then they'll have sorted out the choreog-

raphy or have done away with the elaborate dance

scenes entirely.
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