Music Review: Indigo Girls and RI Philharmonic Rock PPAC
Sunday, February 15, 2015
PPAC was humming along Friday night to the sounds of the Indigo Girls and their “band” of about 75 – that being the Rhode Island Philharmonic Pops Orchestra. The near sellout 2+ hour event was a moving and powerful show of Indigo Girls hits scored with full orchestration.
The Indigo Girls are well known folk-rockers, who burst on the scene in the late 80’s with hits like “Galileo” and “Closer to Fine.” Their devoted fans and ongoing social action have made Amy Ray and Emily Saliers icons of contemporary folk-rock. Friday’s show was a mutual love fest, involving the crowd, the Girls, and the RI Philharmonic Pops, who kind of stole the show.
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Although they’ve played behind full orchestras before, this was their first time trying it in RI. Other than a few minor miscues here and there, the show was a complete success. Not only was it technically sound, but the warmth and passion of the band came through loud and clear.
They opened with “Love of Our Lives,” a lesser known song from the 2009 album Poseidon and the Bitter Bug. The song set the tone for the evening - a night of love songs, storytelling, and great arrangements well-suited for orchestration.
By the third song, “Power of Two,” which happens to be one of their best, things were purring right along. In the intro, Ray broke the ice, reminding the audience, “Don’t be intimidated by all the black suits, feel free to sing along.”
The first set continued with classics including “Virginia Woolf,” “Able to Sing” and a particularly strong version of “Kid Fears.” The song really worked with the orchestra, full of violin flourishes and multiple crescendos. The haunting lyrics felt especially dark, like a slow sunset on a cloudy day.
“Are you on fire?
From the years
What would you give for your kid fears?”
Like any true classical performance, the first set ended with Intermission, but not before the first big sing-a-long - on perhaps their most popular song, “Galileo,” which got the crowd up and moving.
The RI Philharmonic Pops
Who knew the Philharmonic could rock so hard? Behind the skillful baton of Conductor Francisco Noya, the Orchestra rose well above the occasion, a challenging feat given they reportedly had only about two hours to prepare with the main act. Even so, the Orchestra played off the crowd's energy, showing a little extra “oomph” on the more well known songs.
I think it’s fair to say they stole the show, with frequent recognition from Ray and Saliers and several standing ovations from the audience. It’s an arrangement that might not work for every band, but the Indigo’s song selection and orchestral scoring made the night a true success.
Second Set
The positive vibes continued after the Intermission with “The Wood Song” and its familiar violin introduction.
“Its emotional, my voice is cracking, I’m crying they’re so good,” exclaimed Ray between songs.
Another highlight was an absolutely stunning version of the lyrical “Mystery,” another song just made for string accompaniment.
“Oh you set up your place in my thoughts
Moved in and made my thinking crowded
Now we're out in the back with the barking dogs
My heart the red sun, Your heart the moon clouded”
“Chickenman” followed, a show highlight, with clever storytelling and frequent orchestral crescendos. A warm arrangement of “Ghost” was next, followed by a dynamic version of the protest song “Go.”
“Through the dustbowl,Through the debt
Grandma was a suffragette
Blacklisted for her publication, Blacklisted for my generation
Go go go”
The show ended somewhat predictably with the band’s first big hit, “Closer to Fine.” With the crowd on its feet singing along, and Conductor Noya edging them on, the finale provided the climax to the performance. A final bow, a brief (but failed) hope of an encore, and house lights on signaled an end a truly special evening.
(This review of the Indigo Girls is from the February 13, 2015 performance at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI.)
Ken Abrams reviews Roots, Rock and Blues for GoLocal. E-Mail him here.
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