03/10/2002 Entry: "You Remember Moscow..."

"The problem with using your life as material for your art is that eventually you run out of stories." I love Laurie Anderson. She's one of those artists who's expressed things that I feel at just the right time. Her latest show, Happiness, is in a lot of ways, Laurie telling stories about telling stories. She asks if what we do for work is who we are; how what we say we are becomes what we are--sometimes at the cost of the truth; dealing with things, real and illusory, which are gone now in America since the World Trade Center fell; and looking at our struggle to find the value in anything (or, if you prefer, everything), from work, to sex, to love, to money, to our sheer existence. Since I know the Roommate was interested in this: I actually saw both her shows in Berkeley this weekend, and indeed the script was identical for both. Her music (which was amazing all on its own) was a little different in each, though. (The Boyfriend pointed out that she had to change a (data) CD in the middle of the show. "She wasn't even playing!" he joked.)

Replies: 2 comments

Laurie Anderson,who I've seen about seven times in twelve years,is the most non-spontaneous performer in any genre that I've ever seen.I like her,obviously,but she's hindered by this fear of spontaneity,not to mention a certain humorlessness.During the Q&A portions of her "The Ugly One W/The Jewels" and Moby Dick tours,I didn't hear a single phrase that didn't appear on the playbill.No,the music doesn't change...ever.If you're lucky enough to hear her in an acoustically superb venue,she will sing and play more soulfully than if you were seeing her in a mediocre venue,ex.Lisner Auditorium,D.C.

Posted by david @ 03/16/2002 01:48 AM PST

I can see your point. I think that might be due of the nature of working in early multimedia; there's only so much you can do off-script when you've got slides and video cued to go at exactly 0:03:23:15 into a song. I've only seen her twice in person—this show and the "cabaret" tour in September, both of which were completely lacking in multimedia content. (Possibly like "The Ugly One..." show?)

Posted by Casey @ 03/16/2002 03:17 PM PST