Juana Molina @ the Whole

Going into a concert with only minimal knowledge of the artist and their music is quite a risky ordeal, but it can be quite a rewarding one if you thoroughly enjoy the show. And, in the case of Juana Molina’s enthralling performance at the sold out Whole Music Club on Friday night, it was a gratifying experience for me and hopefully all in attendance. I intentionally left myself as a bit of a blank slate going into the concert, going only on the suggestion from a friend that I should see this show. And it turned out to be one of the more enjoyable musical experiences I’ve had recently despite, or perhaps because of, my lack of familiarity with the artist going in, combined with the fact that the Argentinian Molina delivers nearly all of her lyrics in Spanish. I tend to focus on lyrics quite a bit when listening to any music, and in spite of my four years of Spanish study in high-school, I couldn’t make out anything other than the rudimentary Spanish words in her lyrics. So that freed me up to concentrate on, and be swept away by the wonderful music produced by Molina and her band, which consisted of a bassist and a drummer for this tour, as opposed to her usual one woman show.

Despite a few minor sound glitches, the show was an engaging and lively performance despite the rather subdued surroundings (no drinks harder than a root beer being served, plus the audience was seated at tables scattered about the Whole). Starting with the title track from her excellent new record Un Dia, the show quickly became an examination of what can be accomplished when vocals and technology combine. It was captivating to see Molina loop little sections of her vocals over each other, often providing a rhythm to the song that was then picked up by the drummer and bassist, giving the song its base and freeing Molina up to really unleash her sultry voice, often while experimenting with the numerous keyboards, phase shifters, and many other effect devices she had at her disposal to seamlessly turn the song from a simple Argentinian folksong into something bordering on Electronica. It was fascinating to see her strum a few bars on her acoustic guitar, quickly abandoning it as it played back to her in loops, adding a short vocal burst to give the song a tempo, and trust her band to keep up with the rhythm she laid down, because she was already on to a new sound. She depends on her keyboards and effects pedals quite a bit, but also has a proficiency of what the technology is capable of, and fluidly goes from one device to another until she gets the sound or sample just right, then lets that loop play so she’s free to create another layer of sound to add to the song. When you add that to the capable but understated support from her band, it all amounted to an absorbing and appealing aural experience.

Her set leaned heavily on newer songs like “Los Hongos De Maros,” “Vestido” and “Quien (Suite),” all of them fleshed out by the full band arrangements and Molina’s tactical looping. I enjoyed watching her create and discard a sample because the sound was not quite right. The band kept time behind her while she tried again to get the perfect loop of sound before she added another piece to the puzzle. It was quite a sonic experiment, one that would not have worked so well in less capable hands. But Molina knows what she is doing and knows when she has found the sound she is looking for. And when she finds that sound, and the band locks in, it’s quite something to behold. Occasionally Molina would allow herself time to dance around a bit when she got the loops sounding just right, enjoying the sound just like we were in the audience, before she decided it was time to add another layer to the mix, either vocally or with her guitar, and the song would change direction again. The band also had some fun towards the end of the evening, hauling a table on stage before their encore in order to do a group drumming demonstration with only cups (something similar to what Beck and his band have been doing on recent tours), banging them playfully on the table, in sync with each other and the beat, allowing the band to experiment even further with how sounds, and music itself, can be created.

I was intentionally unfamiliar with Juana Molina’s music going into her concert in an effort to be completely surprised by what I heard and saw onstage. And again, that can always prove to be a gamble. But when the performance and the music is something that reaches you, and affects you in such a positive way, as it did on Friday night, that risk pays off exponentially. Not only did I become a new fan of Juana Molina but I also recognized that, despite my expansive musical library and knowledge, there is still plenty of music out there that is worth discovering—certainly music worth taking the risk on, which is always a reassuring revelation for a music lover. And often enough, those sorts of discoveries can prove to be the most rewarding ones of all.

(Review by Erik Thompson and photos by Jon Behm.)

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Also: Juana Molina “Un Dia” Review