No more results on this page
This is the 3rd time we've seen Laurie Anderson in one of her UCLA performances. This time around included something different, a production composed for her + Kronos Quartet. The music, the subtleties and the overall art were as usual spot-on, another great show. There is nothing else out there in music that compares to what Laurie does, she's a musical treasure.
After seeing Laurie Anderson in the late 1980’s I made the erroneous assumption this show would be just as innovative and fulfilling as her past shows, however, the show seemed to be egregious and self important. There seemed to be no meaning, difficult to tie it to Hurricane Sandy and at times frustrating. At one point I even fell asleep. The Kronos Quartet played with precision and familiarity but after awhile that wasn't enough to satisfy my desire for a show that offered a sense of fulfillment and entertainment. Pretty sure Laurie’s violin was out of tune as well. As the show came to a close my mate and I looked at each other with the same facial expression inferring “that’s it?”
I've seen Laurie perform a handful of times. Although this was not my favorite collection of work by her, she still manages to bring new perspectives into her work while maintaining her own distinctive style. I have been a big fan since Home of the Brave and took true delight in hearing her work through the layered strings and playing of Kronos Quartet. . The subtlety of what makes Laurie, Laurie cut through beautifully. There was a bit less of Laurie's cutting edge humor in this collection but in light of her recent personal loss it is good to see her on stage performing and smiling.
Tried to explain what I experienced that night to my friends. Impossible. Stimulates all your senses
Great contemporary 20th century music concert! Kronos sounded great. Great venue. Great crowd.
I've attended as many Kronos concerts as I could since the mid-1980s. Always wanted to see Laurie Anderson, just as the program said Kronos had wanted for a long time to work with her. Seeing them together was meeting a vigorous synergy head on.
The synthesis of Laurie Anderson's creative power and Kronos' interpretive mastery gave us a truly unforgettable evening. I will remember this event as one of the highlights of my theater experience.
Laurie Anderson crafted her own way and mastered it to perfection. A real inspiration!
Disappointing compared to Laurie Anderson's and Kronos' earlier works and could have been longer with an intermission.
I am a long time Laurie Anderson fan so of course I was in heaven during this amazing performance. My husband, on the other hand, has always said that he just does not "get" her or her performance art, but he too really enjoyed the performance, particularly the outstanding and creative musicians that comprise the Kronos Quartet. Portions of the piece were so melancholy and moving and other parts got me thinking or chuckling -- vintage Laurie Anderson.
Laurie Anderson is aiming for a different aesthetic. The music is only part of the show. The lighting and text effects, plus the narration are dramatic and effective. The variation is provided by the interplay of the music, lighting, text on the screen, and voice over. The show succeeds in establishing its unique aesthetic, but I desire to experience that "mood" for only an hour at most. The opening first half hour had some interesting string music that seemed to be going somewhere. But after that much (not all) of the music is based upon underlying ostinatos of short repetitive sequences that rock gently between two chords. Did not hear a lot of motivic or thematic development, or even a single recognizable V7 - I resolution. The musical devices used to build excitement were limited to playing more notes per measure, string harmonics, crescendo decrescendo. All the players were very skillful. The viola is featured on many tunes. I credit Laurie Anderson with combining different audio/visual elements in a unique way, and with successfully creating a hypnotic "ambient" experience, but I find the "mood" not worthy of an 1:45hr show. I simply do not wish to feel one feeling for that long. NOTE: mine is decidedly the minority opinion. The performance received an extended enthusiastic standing ovation.
Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet are a brilliant match up.
Even though I had seen Laurie Anderson perform twice before, I had no idea what to expect on this night. I was simply blown away! If you ever have the chance to see her, preferably with Kronos, but even without, GO GO GO! You'll thank me!!
What a treat; totally enjoyed the musical journey of hearing colors and seeing pictures/words.
Mesmerizing and moving. Hope that it was being videotaped, or will be in the future.
Laurie + Kronos is hard to beat! Great show. Ticketmaster said my review was too short so let me repeat that - Laurie + Kronos is hard to beat. Great show.
My son requested, for his thirteenth birthday, to attend the Laurie Anderson event that had been scheduled for his natal day. What better means to introduce the complexity of Love and Death to this nascent adult? How splendid to share his gift as a family, hypnotized and buffeted by Laurie's swirling stories and empathic imagination? When all was done he looked at me and said, "That sure didn't feel like 90 minutes." Can I offer any better endorsement than a young man's wish the show had gone longer? Laurie Anderson demonstrated to my son that the administration of technology in the service of episodic poetry can fuse the ancient and the contemporary. It gave him something to ponder, and to savor, and to exploit in his dreams of the future.
It is rare to find a artist that invents her own instruments. Laurie defined performance art back in the eighties, and she still continues to impress me. Dirtday was a minimalist show by comparison. Gone were the dances, video and ensemble. Just Laurie, her instruments and a small screen. She gave us stories made up of music and words from her heart. And she touched my heart with her moving performance.
The show was outstanding. My only disappointment was that there was a very stern suit at the backstage door who told us firmly that she would not do any signings. My son might be her greatest fan and had brought one of her vintage albums, hoping for an autograph. I think artists should always pay attention to their fans so that was a downer end to an otherwise great evening.
Oh sure she read, but her performance was mesmerizing -- even with the poor acoustics. The problem was not just the ushers seating people throughout the performance, but the audience was filled with people who continually checked their cell phones for important texts (I assume) and the topper was a couple of UCLA girls who talked throughout the show and used the excuse that they needed to "take notes" on the performance for a class. UCLA both needs to increase the professionalism of their staff and ask the audience to please put their cell phones away for the entire 90 minutes. And professors, please don't subject a paying audience to your uninterested sorority girls... they have YouTube videos to make.
