Christina Perri: A Sanguine Penguin; A True Blue Trou Revue

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Last Friday was CHRISTINA PERRI's birthday.
25 years young and resolutely lovestrong.

The previous Thursday night, it was "our" birthday as Ms. Perri gave the gift of herself to an ebullient sold-out crowd at the Troubadour in LA, the triumphant last stand of her first U.S. headlining tour celebrating the release of her debut album on Atlantic Records (she also played dates this spring opening for James Blunt).

Different faces, different names but the premise remains the same. Over the past few years, I've found myself at the world famous Troubadour to absorb the ambiance of supremely talented female singers (Lissie, Lights, Brooke Fraser, Nicole Atkins, Sierra Kusterbeck) who passionately emote heart-on-their-sleeves lyrics to a rapturous audience singing every word in unison.

It's the equivalent of a collective out-of-body experience. It's cathartic and engaging and indelibly sustaining and ranks among the top five of psychic vampire approved activities.

It was much the same with Christina though, perhaps, because of her meteoric rise to stardom since her appearance a year ago on So You Think You Can Dance, to being a sold-out hometown show, to capping a wildly successful tour, to being the exact one-year Anniversary of meeting her guitarist/boyfriend/muse to having friends and family in the audience, there was a level of palpable energy that was a notch above the typical pandemonium.

It reminded me of seeing Paramore at The Wiltern in 2007 on their Riot! tour. If spontaneous combustion was truly possible, we were on the precipice, both then and now.

It was a remarkable performance and sure to be a defining moment in her career. Before us was an artist singing some of the most heart-wrenching lyrics and she did it with such a beaming effervescence, it nearly contradicted the very nature of its inner essence.

How the hell does a broken heart get back together when it's torn apart?

Con musica...¡Sí, Se Puede!

Take me backwards. Turn me around.

Can I find my balance on the ground?

It all starts with a bang. bang. bang.

Drummer Elmo Lovano (whom looks like John Petrucci and plays like Mike Portnoy) came down to the stage to hype up the crowd with a call-and-response four on the floor. Then bassist Jenni Tarma sauntered across to command her spot before keyboardist Scott Chesak took his place and guitarist John Anderson joined the fray.

And then the seas parted with an uproarious eruption upon the arrival of one miss Christina Judith Perri. Dramatic anticipation etched in time.



Playing the majority of her gorgeously sublime lovestrong album, including the bonus track "Black & Blue," the exquisite "The Lonely" (which she wrote at 2AM in her car), "Daydream" (from The Ocean Way Sessions), a cover of Tom Petty's "Breakdown" (which she prefaced by proclaiming that the song was about getting "sexy"), a new song called "Jacksonville," and the one that kickstarted her rapid ascent, "Jar of Hearts" (which she wrote in her pajamas), there was a perpetual din of electricity that caused time to evaporate in an instant.

Some artists can bear their soul behind closed doors but not in a crowded room of predisposition, even from fervent admirers. Christina seems at ease on the stage displaying a playful, confident aura while also seemingly practicing for future arena-friendly posturing.

Also on display is an 8-page tour rider (easily searchable on the world wide web) drafted by the William Morris Agency with a Hospitality clause (food/beverage) that is a fascinating peek at modern-day big-agency riders for a major-label artist.

No mention of an abhorrence of "brown M&M's" but a stated preference for "Blue flavors" of Orbit Sugarless gum is just a colorful taste of the intensely-specific health-conscious laundry list of requirements, everything from organic baby spinach to Gluten-free Hummus to Taste Nirvana Coconut Water to fresh guacamole and Crudités.

And at all costs, NO ONIONS, unless it's a writer for the A/V Club. It should be noted that absolutely no onions were grilled, roasted, sautéed, flambéed or subjected to crystallization on the premises (PETO crisis averted, yes Patrons for the Epicurean Treatment of Onions can breathe easy, purity of olfactics intact).

If you could envision the meaning of a tragedy,
you might be surprised to hear...

...A near perfect confluence of dynamism and emotions as embodied in "Tragedy". Evocative expressionism nestled within a morose minor-key melody punctuated by a sorrow-filled fiddle is a swath of resolute beauty.

On it, Perri's voice reminds me of a Natalie Merchant/Neko Case/Tori Amos lovechild and when she unfurls her plight of "La La La's," it burrows in your soul, leaving a soulprint, a permanent residue.

On this night, she invited the entire opening band to join in and HoneyHoney violinist Suzanne Santo deftly emulated its tragic reverberations. A band of joy born out of tragedy.

I asked Christina after the show about the possibility of adding a new body or two to her revue. Since much of the new record includes orchestration, she intimated a desire to decorate her live shows with some bows.

When it comes down to it...

A future Christina Perri hometown show without the elegiac meter of horsehair caressing the taut strings of vintage hollow wood in Hollywood seems like a true blue old school tragedy.

La La La. La La. LaLaLa. La-La

CHRISTINA PERRI
TROUBADOUR
AUGUST 11, 2011
SET LIST
1. Bang Bang Bang
2. Daydream
3. Black + Blue
4. Bluebird
5. Breakdown (Tom Petty cover)
6. Jacksonville
7. Penguin
8. The Lonely
9. Jar of Hearts
ENCORE
10. Tragedy (w/ HoneyHoney)
11. Arms

Don't be made a fool...
La la la. La la-lala

(Special thanks: Alexandra & Sue @ Stunt Company, Chelsey @ Atlantic Records, photographer Melina Shiosaki and James Zahn @ Kik Axe Music)