Text, light paintings and music collide and perform to an acoustic-electro flow.
Kaki King’s “The Neck is Bridge to the Body,” a multi-media project that provokes video, light, music and the art of communication to come together, telling the story of the guitar, is far more than just an acoustic concert.
Kaki King described it after having played for her fans at The Triple Door in Seattle:
“A show of the guitar, and about the guitar, and by the guitar,” she said. “So please give it up for the guitar.”
And we did.
Her guitar was mounted on two steel stands, which kept it precisely in place, so that one projection could be played onto the guitar, and another in the background. The varying visual pieces combine with the well-crafted music helped inspire that unique response that only multi-media, sensory simulating art can cause.
The audience witnesses a real-time visual response of the artwork projected on the guitar and backdrop as Kaki King strums, taps, beats and scratches on her guitar.
One song sounds like a steel-string pebble rolling down a hill, sometimes kicked, sometimes skipped, until it reaches its rest. The background projection panning out to this digital art reminded me of magenta glowing goo oozing and pooling within a lava lamp, which was occasionally zapped with electricity.
The distorted and amped up light art in the background waves and ripples, smears, smudges and even explodes. It’s a multi-sensory experience, and as such, it will stick with me, in a good way.
This show, this piece of art, pulled me into a certain mindset, a modern museum—this one’s a trap—where I would be reminded to recognize everything that I’ve felt, and acknowledge everyone that I’ve met, but remain fully present in a moment of musical bliss, the deep-sleep kind of zen, which somehow manages to mix with striking melodies and only the slightest amount of gin. Say hello, say goodbye, and then step forward to deal with what I haven’t yet dealt with. I felt so in tune with this set.
The music speaks for itself. Another song amped me up, picked me up, then dropped me on my head.
Watching the non-conventional acoustic guitar-playing style she developed for herself adds another layer of fun to viewing the performance. Her hands dances on the guitars neck while it sang.
I bought tickets for this thing the day they were released, and managed to score two of the best front-row seats in the house. If she returns, I’m going back again.
The Triple Door functions are a restaurant and concert venue all in one. Hors d’oeuvres, entrees, cocktails and desserts are all offered and served throughout the show, by hushed waiters light on their toes. They serve guests frequently enough but not obnoxiously, allowing viewers to enjoy the attention-grabbing performance, while occasionally savoring a bite of delicious fresh food.
Kaki king is an amazing artist and composer.
Also, she’s cute.